Chapter Text
Wooden jugs banged together and voices spoke joyfully.
The door to the three brooms opened and closed and people greeted each other with broad smiles.
In a somewhat darker corner was Sebastian.
He had two mugs of butterbeer in front of him and seemed to be waiting for someone. He kept looking at the door when it opened.
He hadn't been there long and Sirona had told him that Parzival would be there soon.
And he knew that too, but he was worried that something might have happened again.
Not a minute later, the door opened again and a slightly out of breath looking Parzival stood inside.
The Slytherin student rose and waved the other over.
Parzival sat down, looking apologetically at Sebastian, "Sorry I'm so late. I ran into two cats on the way."
With some effort Sebastian had to hold back a laugh, "That's okay. I've already ordered, here," he pushed the second mug over to him after he had also sat down again.
They just talked about little things for a while.
About school stuff, teachers and students. About things they had been doing in their spare time lately.
Sebastian told him that his sister was still not better, but he had a good lead. But he quickly changed the subject again.
"How did this happen?" he finally asked, reaching over and stroking his fingers over the three scars that ran across Parzival's left eye.
Parzival faltered and stared at his counterpart with his green eyes.
Sebastian immediately withdrew his fingers, "You don't have to tell."
"It's okay...I...I just didn't expect you to ask". But he didn't say anything directly, his gaze was directed towards his jug.
"When I was seven or eight, I was on holidays with my parents, camping. I was supposed to collect firewood, it was a nice atmosphere," he smiled a little, but sadness resonated, "When I came back my parents were gone. I panicked and started crying," he looked up briefly, "Don't you dare laugh."
Sebastian just shook his head and raised his hands defensively, "I'm not."
"Anyway, I used it to lure someone or something. I didn't see it clearly at the time because everything happened so fast, but I was told it was probably a werewolf. Don't worry, I'm not. My parents came back in time and took me to hospital immediately," he swallowed and took a sip of butterbeer, "I can't see that well on my left eye to this day."
Silence.
Sebastian didn't know exactly how to react.
Decency simple and simple his condolences he finally reached for Parzival's hand. "Thank you for entrusting it to me".
Parzival smiled broadly.
This moment was not to pass, but time went on and on until finally it was already dark outside.
Together they left the building and were met by the cool wind.
Parzival looked over at Sebastian, "I want to show you something else, are you in a hurry?"
"No. Show me."
Parzival led him back to Hogwarts, up to the Room of Requirement. Sebastian had been perplexed, but said nothing for now.
Parzival greeted Deek and then walked straight on into his vivarium.
"Come, don't worry, I haven't hidden a basilisk," he couldn't hide a grin.
Sebastian followed him and indeed he seemed to be just curious. When he had gone through he saw nature, idyll.
Then he saw some mooncalves and puffskeins. Above him flew a jobberknoll.
Parzival was a little further away and had crouched down.
He picked up something.
Finally he came back with it and Sebastian turned his gaze back to him.
Then suddenly a small Niffler was held out to him, "Isn't he cute?", Parzival lowered his arms a little and produced his typical broad smile.
The niffler gave a quick squeak, "You can pet him, he likes it."
Carefully, his classmate ran his fingers over the soft fur, "Wow... since when do you keep animal creatures? Does Professor Howin know about this?"
"She doesn't know, but Professor Weasley does and for a few weeks. I save them, from poachers."
Sebastian looked at him in surprise, "You surprise me more often than I'd like to admit, Hufflepuff."
Parzival said nothing, he knew how the Slytherin meant it. That was his way.
And that was what he liked about him.
That pervasive sarcasm.
The seriousness that comes with his ambition.
And yet this undiscovered gentleness towards the people he cared about.
"There is one more thing...but you have to swear to me not to tell anyone about him," this time his look was serious, showing no way for objections.
"Of course, I swear. But who is 'him'?", it was clear that Sebastian wanted to know directly.
But Parzival remained silent, he put Niffler down, gave him another treat and then went out of the vivarium to the other side up to a larger one, "Don't get scared, that will only stir him up".
Curious but cautious, they entered the second vivarium together.
At first Sebastian saw nothing, just a huge surface that looked as if it had been plucked from the real world and put back here.
Then he heard the beating of wings and finally he saw the typical fiery feather-covered wings.
"You have a phoenix?" he looked fascinated at the mystical animal.
"I don't have it. I protect him, he is free to go, and so are all the others, if they wish. But I saved him too. I had to deal with disgusting spiders again for that," he shuddered briefly, "I'd prefer a troll of any kind any second."
"Beautiful."
Parzival looked after the phoenix, "It is. Too beautiful to be captured by poachers".
There was silence and as he turned to Sebastian he seemed to have been looking at him for a while, "Also. But that's not what I meant".
In a flash, Parzival's cheeks turned bright red and he averted his eyes, "Now you could pass for his conspecific," Sebastian laughed next to him.
Embarrassed, Parzival hid his face in his hands, "You shouldn't say things like that".
"What? That I think you resemble a phoenix?".
"No, the one before that".
Silence. Then Sebastian stepped closer, "Why not?".
"Because...you shouldn't say it if you don't mean it," Parzival then mumbled, his face still covered.
Sebastian gently grabbed the other's hands and removed them from his face, "Who says I don't mean it?"
Confused, Parzival looked at him. "Well...most people haven't found me...beautiful. Most find me rather repulsive," he admitted then, his eyes wandering nervously.
"They're all blind," he faltered briefly and then had to hold back a laugh, "Please don't tell Ominis that."
He moved a little closer, "But I'm serious. I really am. And I don't find anything about you repulsive, not your red hair, not your hipnotic green eyes, not your scars, not your cute freckles and nothing else. If I were one thing, it would be stupid for waiting so long".
For a few seconds they just looked at each other, their eyes unable to tear away from each other.
Then the Slytherin took the first step and pressed his lips to Parzival's for a fleeting moment.
As he moved away, however, he stayed close to him.
Besides, their looks said it all.
It was not long before their lips found each other again.
They danced softly and slowly together.
They intertwined their fingers and for a moment forgot all their problems.