Chapter Text
Sebastian had no trouble making friends. His tendency to misbehave made him approachable – at least, to interesting people. He had no interest in spending time with that astronomy-obsessed Ravenclaw, who seemed nothing but uptight and boring.
That was usually the case – Sebastian preferred to fly with birds of the same feather. That was why he spent the majority of his time with Anne despite how easily he could hang out with anyone in the castle.
Well, anyone except one person.
One person, who was in all the same classes as him. One person, who slept in the bed next to his in their dorm room. One person, who scowled at all of his jokes, despite the fact that they were objectively hilarious.
Sebastian would be surprised, but apparently the kid had the reputation to back it up. A family of dark wizards, descended straight from Salazar Slytherin? That reputation warded off most of the student populace, but it only drew Sebastian in.
However, it seemed that Sebastian would have to do a lot more work to befriend Ominis Gaunt, especially after their… turbulent introduction.
Apparently, asking him what his favorite unforgivable curse was wasn’t a good idea. It was just an honest question – one that earned him a punch on the arm from Anne. Maybe he could have worded it in a nicer way, but he always believed that curiosity was no crime.
Regardless, Sebastian Sallow would not back down from a challenge – which was useful, because Ominis could be incredibly challenging sometimes.
“Just because he’s blind doesn’t mean you can get away with staring at him.”
Sebastian whipped around to face Anne, who was prodding her food with her fork innocently – as if she didn’t just oust Sebastian.
“Staring?” Sebastian scoffed. “Why would I be staring?”
Anne shrugged. “You tell me.”
Sebastian pursed his lips, glancing back to the boy, who was silently eating his dinner. “Doesn’t Gaunt intrigue you?”
“A little, but not enough to stare at him at every waking moment,” Anne admitted. “-and that’s just what I’m subjected to! If you’re in the same dorm room, maybe it’s every sleeping moment too.”
Sebastian reeled at the accusation. “Now you’re being dramatic.”
“You know what’s not dramatic?” Anne asked. “Talking to him.”
“That would be dramatic because he’s the biggest drama queen at Hogwarts. If I have to hear him mention how his father is friends with the Headmaster again…” Sebastian attempted to mimic Ominis’ voice.
“Sebastian, this is embarrassing,” Anne said, placing her fork down on her plate with a sigh. “You’ll listen to his conversations but won’t start one?”
“Why are you so pressed about it?” Sebastian asked, tired of being on the defensive.
“Because you’re being odd, and as your sister, I have a duty to tell you that,” Anne said. “Listen, even if he hates you now, he can’t hate you more!”
“Thanks , Anne.” Sebastian mumbled. “I’ll talk to him if I get the chance.”
“Promise?” Anne asked.
“I don’t need to promise-”
“Yes, you do.”
Sebastian sighed. “I promise.”
Sebastian found his opportunity soon after. While finishing his Charms homework late at night in the common room, he could hear movement near the fireplace. He went to investigate the sounds, and he saw Ominis crawling around on the floor, tapping the ground anxiously.
“Is something wrong, Gaunt?” Sebastian asked innocently, and Ominis startled at the voice.
“You can call me Ominis,” Ominis said, sitting back on his heels. “Who am I talking to?”
“Sebastian Sallow.”
“Actually, you should call me Gaunt.”
Sebastian sighed. So much for becoming friends. “Alright, Gaunt, is something wrong?”
“Yes.” Ominis frowned. “I’m talking to you.”
“One would think that someone in such obvious distress would be more appreciative of offered help,” Sebastian snapped.
Ominis sighed. “I’m sorry, okay? I can’t find my wand and it’s put me in a sour mood.”
“Your wand? Shouldn’t it just be where you left it?” Sebastian asked.
“That’s where it should be, but obviously, it’s not there,” Ominis said crossly. “If it were, I wouldn’t be here talking to you.”
“You know, I don’t have to be here,” Sebastian said.
“It’s cruel to pick on someone weaker than you, Sallow,” Ominis grumbled.
“You can call me Sebastian,” Sebastian offered.
“I’ll stick with Sallow.”
Sebastian scoffed. “Fine, whatever. Where did you last see your wand?”
“I didn’t see it, per se, but I was holding it before I fell asleep in front of the fireplace in the common room,” Ominis explained, swiping back his hair. “I’m hoping it rolled away, but I fear it may have been something more sinister.”
“Like someone stole it?” Sebastian asked, and Ominis nodded.
“Despite my best efforts, I don’t seem to have the best reputation at this school, and I’d imagine that my family has garnered me some enemies,” Ominis said.
“You could start by being nicer,” Sebastian offered.
“And you could start by minding your own business,” Ominis retorted.
“Yeah, but then who would help you find your wand?” Sebastian asked.
“No one. I would find it alone,” Ominis stated, “in peace and quiet.”
“You know what they say,” Sebastian said, kneeling to see the floor better, “two heads are better than one.”
Ominis sighed. “I suppose so.”
Ominis started searching the floor, scanning the floor tiles of the Slytherin common room with his hands. Sebastian glanced over the room, ducking his head under furniture and checking all the tables.
“Thank you,” Ominis muttered after a while, “for helping me, even though I’ve been nothing but rude.”
“Of course,” Sebastian responded. “I believe we simply got off on the wrong foot.”
“I don’t like to talk about my family,” Ominis said, teeth grit, “…but I suppose there was no way for you to have known that.”
Although that only made Sebastian want to know more, he decided to bite his tongue – things were going well, and he had no intention to mess that up. “It won’t happen again, I swear.”
“I’ll hold you to that.”
Sebastian wandered over to the tall windows showcasing the Black Lake, and saw a black wand laying on the ground. “I think I found your wand!” Sebastian called out.
“Really?” Ominis said, his head poking up over the couch. “Where was it?”
“By the windows. Oh, stay there. I’ll go over to you,” Sebastian said, and Ominis nodded as his response.
Sebastian grabbed Ominis’ hand, placing the wand in his open palm. “There you go.”
The tip of the wand glowed a faint red as Ominis sighed. “Thank you, Sebastian.”
“No problem, Gaunt,” Sebastian said.
“I changed my mind. You can call me Ominis.” Ominis smiled the sweetest smile Sebastian had seen, making it impossible to believe that he was the descendant of dark wizards.
With Sebastian’s face as red as Ominis’ wand, he was glad that the boy couldn’t see.
Sebastian was no stranger to detention, and was no stranger to Madam Scribner (even though he wished he was). Sebastian was used to the characters he would meet there – seasoned delinquents, rebellious third years, and teary-eyed students showing up for the first time.
Yet, Sebastian never thought one of those characters would be Ominis Gaunt.
“Ominis,” Sebastian whispered, “the library is closed. It’s detention now.”
“I know that,” Ominis snapped. “I’m here to serve detention.”
“You?” Sebastian sputtered. “What did you do?”
“That’s quite enough,” Madam Scribner said, effectively shutting Sebastian up. “The two of you will be pruning the plants in the Herbology Greenhouses for Professor Garlick, specifically dittany and chinese chomping cabbages.”
“Who will be supervising us?” Sebastian asked, hoping that it wasn’t Madam Scribner.
“You’re lucky Mr. Gaunt is here,” Madam Scribner said. “Considering what a good student he typically is, we’re letting the two of you go together without supervision.”
Beside Sebastian, Ominis let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Madam Scribner.”
“Yeah, thanks,” Sebastian said dubiously, waving as he nudged Ominis’ arm and started to leave the library.
“So, are you going to answer my question from earlier?” Sebastian asked.
Ominis sighed. “I lost track of time and skipped Potions by accident.”
“I knew it seemed quieter than usual,” Sebastian said.
“I’m not loud.”
“The explosions of your potions are, though.”
“You try making a potion without your eyesight and see how you do,” Ominis said with a huff.
“Is that a dare?”
“Please don’t tell me that you’re actually considering doing it,” Ominis said. “I cannot believe I have to explicitly say this, but please do not purposefully get in trouble with Professor Sharp.”
“Who says I would get in trouble?” Sebastian smirked.
“I think that’s the natural outcome.”
Sebastian thought about it for a moment, and decided that he was fighting a losing battle. “That being said… I have a proposal.”
“Do you?” Ominis’ eyebrows raised.
“Well, we have a similar schedule. Maybe we could walk to classes together! I can make sure you make it to Transfiguration on time in the morning, and you can help me decrease my detention collection by making sure I go to classes,” Sebastian offered. There were other reasons, too, but Sebastian wasn’t quite ready to accept those.
Ominis thought over it for a moment. “Alright. I don’t see why not.”
“Then it’s a deal,” Sebastian said. “See? No downsides!”
“I might go insane spending more time with you,” Ominis said.
“C’mon, you love spending time with me!” Sebastian teased. “I helped you find your wand.”
“Ah, yes, I love remembering one of the most stressful moments of my life,” Ominis retorted, tightening his hold on his wand. “Although, I suppose it was a relief to have it returned.”
They soon found themselves at the greenhouses, where moonlight streamed in from the skylights.
“Do you want me to prune the cabbages?” Sebastian asked. “I can’t imagine it’s easy to do without sight.”
“I appreciate the offer, but I have quite the green thumb,” Ominis boasted. “We can split it evenly.”
Sebastian shrugged. “Makes my life easier.”
The pair got to work, first trimming the dittany leaves closest to the entrance. Sebastian would find himself checking on how Ominis was doing often, and was pleasantly surprised to find that he was as good as he said he was.
“I think that’s it for the dittany,” Ominis said once he was satisfied with the final plant. “Shall we move on?”
“I suppose we have no choice,” Sebastian muttered. Although Sebastian had offered to deal with them earlier, he really wasn’t the most skilled herbalist.
“Lead the way,” Ominis said, raising his wand. “Sometimes it’s difficult to tell the difference between plants with my wand.”
“I thought you had a green thumb,” Sebastian said, smirking as he led Ominis to the more violent greenhouse.
“I do,” Ominis protested. “I just don’t have green eyes.”
“Well, neither do I,” Sebastian said. “Both literally and metaphorically. Which ones are cabbages?”
“They should be… round? And they have leaves surrounding them,” Ominis said, trying to describe them.
“Oh, I think I see them,” Sebastian said, speeding up to get to them, only to be stopped in his tracks when a vine slithered around his arm, holding him firmly back. Sebastian shouted out in surprise, and Ominis startled.
“What happened? What’s wrong?” Ominis asked.
“Stupid plant got a hold of me!” Sebastian exclaimed, trying to rip the plant off with his other arm.
“What color is it?” Ominis asked calmly, as if Sebastian wasn’t going to lose his arm if he didn’t act quickly. “It could either be venomous tentacula or devil’s snare.”
“Black? Hurry up, I’m losing circulation-”
“Lumos.”
The vine immediately loosened its grip on Sebastian, and vanished behind some other plants.
“Oh. Thank you,” Sebastian said, smoothing out the sleeve of his robes. “How did you know to do that?”
“Green thumb,” Ominis said simply. “Maybe try to walk in the middle of the rows this time.”
“Don’t need to tell me twice,” Sebastian grumbled.
They made it to the cabbages with no more incident, and Ominis rolled up his sleeves, immediately getting to work. Sebastian didn’t know much about the plants, so he mostly followed Ominis’ lead.
Sebastian finished with his final plant, standing back to look over his work. His cabbages looked… a little more scuffed than Ominis’, but he got the job done.
“I think that should be it,” Sebastian said, brushing the dirt off his hands. “Shall we go back?”
“Yes,” Ominis said, the word obscured by his yawn. “It’s way too late to be awake right now.”
“You really enjoy your sleep, don’t you?” Sebastian chuckled.
“I can’t think properly if I’m tired,” Ominis said.
“That doesn’t mean you should pass out on the common room floor,” Sebastian reminded him.
“That was an accident,” Ominis admitted. “I would never purposefully fall asleep in public. History of Magic is the only exception.”
“Do you want me to wake you up in that class?”
“Merlin, no. That’s like a sentence in Azkaban,” Ominis insisted.
“Don’t you care about the goblin revolution of 1628?” Sebastian asked, imitating Binns’ monotone drawl.
“Stop that! You’re putting me to sleep,” Ominis said, laughing as he hit Sebastian’s arm. Sebastian felt his heart skip a beat as Ominis laughed.
“Goblin armor is typically comprised of-“
“Save it for the dormitory!” Ominis said. “It would help me sleep better than any sleeping drought.”
“Especially one that you’ve brewed,” Sebastian included. “Well, that might result in an eternal sleep.”
“It would be more successful than most of my potions,” Ominis said, “considering that they would at least be unconscious.”
“Merlin’s beard, Ominis!” Sebastian laughed.
“Shut up, won’t you?” Ferdinand Octavius Pratt interrupted their conversation. “Some of us are trying to sleep here!”
“Sorry!” Ominis quickly apologized, while Sebastian stifled a laugh.
Sebastian and Ominis made their way to the dormitory, somehow without angering any other paintings.
The boys climbed into bed, and Sebastian could feel his eyes growing heavy as soon as his head hit his pillow.
“Goodnight, Sebastian,” Ominis said, his words slurring together.
“Goodnight, Ominis.”
“I’d like to show you something, if you have time.”
“Intriguing. Lead the way.” Sebastian would take any opportunity to procrastinate on his History of Magic essay, and going somewhere with Ominis seemed perfect.
Ominis smiled, whipping out his wand to guide Sebastian.
Even though Ominis was relying on his wand, he still had his arm linked around Sebastian’s. Although Ominis could navigate the castle on his own, he had told Sebastian that it was far easier to trust Sebastian to lead him rather than concentrate on his magical navigation. They walked past the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, and ended up in front of a wardrobe. Sebastian tried to ignore how cold his arm felt when Ominis eventually let go.
“Wow, Ominis, it looks really cool,” Sebastian said, trying to feign interest. “The color is just… wow.”
Ominis scoffed. “Need I remind you that I cannot see? Obviously I want to show you something else.”
Sebastian breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness. I didn’t want to offend you, but this wardrobe is not the most interesting thing I’ve seen at Hogwarts.”
“Is there anyone around?” Ominis asked, and Sebastian scoped out the area.
“Nope.”
Ominis waved his wand in front of the wardrobe, and the patterns on it started to shift until the door eventually opened. “Watch your step. The first time I walked in, I tripped.”
Sebastian followed after Ominis, startled by the door slamming shut behind him.
“Don’t worry about the door, it does that.”
The boys walked into a mostly empty room, with a high ceiling and a collection of books scattered on the ground.
“I like to call this place the Undercroft,” Ominis explained, stepping aside to let Sebastian see the whole room.
“How did you know about this?” Sebastian asked, already exploring the new space.
“Being a Gaunt does have some advantages,” Ominis said. “They’re few and far between, but they do exist.”
“So, it’s a secret?” Sebastian asked, returning to Ominis’ side.
“I haven’t seen anyone else here, so I believe so,” Ominis said. “I intended to show Anne, too, but I wanted you to see it first.”
Sebastian could feel his face heat up at the thought that Ominis wanted to share something with him and him alone. “She’d also love it here. Speaking of, what do you usually do here?”
“I mainly use it to study,” Ominis said. “I find it’s quieter than the library.”
Sebastian wandered over to the books on the floor, seeing braille covers. “I’d imagine so. Maybe we could also use it to practice casting spells.”
“As long as you don’t damage the room,” Ominis warned. ”Otherwise, I don’t see why not.”
Sebastian grinned. “I’ve been looking for a place to practice spells.”
“You could always go to the training dummies at the Clock Tower,” Ominis suggested.
“I’m not talking about Wingardium Leviosa, Ominis,” Sebastian mocked. “I’m talking about spells they don’t teach.”
“How do you know about them, then?” Ominis asked, cautiously.
“I’ve gotten a couple of detentions for sneaking into the forbidden section,” Sebastian admitted. “Maybe I should find a better stealth spell first…”
“What kind of spells?” Ominis asked, now more clearly nervous.
“There’s one that interested me,” Sebastian said, whipping out his wand. “I think it was called ‘Confringo’?”
“What does it do?”
“You’ll find out,” Sebastian said, readying his wand. “Confringo!”
A weak spark flew out of Sebastian’s wand, traveling two feet before falling to the ground.
“… did something happen?” Ominis asked.
“Something must’ve gone wrong,” Sebastian said, glaring at his wand for embarrassing him. “Maybe it was the movement…?”
Sebastian readied his wand again, taking a deep breath before casting the spell again. This time, the spark seemed significantly stronger and made contact with a barrel in the middle of the room.
“Did something just catch fire?” Ominis asked, plugging his nose. “It smells like smoke.”
“That’s because I did it right!” Sebastian said, casting Glacius on the barrel to extinguish the flames.
“How do you do it?” Ominis asked, taking out his wand as well.
“Let me show you.” Sebastian walked up behind Ominis, gently overlaying his hand on Ominis’ wand-holding hand. “You follow this movement, and flick your wrist at the end.”
Sebastian guided Ominis’ hand a couple of times. “Give it a try.”
Ominis adjusted his stance and attempted the spell. His wand emitted a strong spark, igniting the barrel immediately.
“Did I do it?” Ominis asked.
“Even better than me!” Sebastian said. “You’re a natural!”
Ominis’ face tinged pink at the compliment. “I had a good teacher, I suppose.”
Sebastian extinguished the flames with Glacius. “I’m going to try again. There’s no way I’m letting you win this.”
“Go on and try, Sebastian.”
After an hour of casting spells, they’d run out of barrels to practice on.
“I think I won,” Sebastian said, panting.
“I can’t see the results! You could be lying for all I know,” Ominis said, pouting.
“Anne can be the judge of that later. And if anything, she’ll be biased against me,” Sebastian reassured him.
Ominis sat down against the wall. “All of this spell casting has made me utterly exhausted.”
Sebastian followed his lead, sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with him. “But wasn’t it fun?”
“Admittedly, yes.” Ominis chuckled. “You’re a bad influence on me, Sebastian. Teaching me secret spells?”
“It’s for self defense purposes,” Sebastian informed him. “Besides, I remember someone being excited to learn.”
Ominis smiled. “You got me there.”
They sat in comfortable silence until they heard the bell chime.
“Was that…”
“Five chimes?” Sebastian asked. “We might have to get going to potions.”
Ominis groaned, stretching out his limbs. “Do we have to?”
“Who’s the bad influence now?” Sebastian taunted, standing up and offering a hand to Ominis.
“You’ve already corrupted me, obviously.”
“Now we can be partners in crime.”
“No crimes, Sebastian.”