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Sebastian Sallow and romance were far from familiar with each other, not that he'd ever minded. That is, until a certain blond haired, golden-brown eyed young man entered his life. A Mr. Damien Evans, of course.
And just like that, Sebastian's utter lack of a romantic bone in his body became a problem. And a rather significant one at that. Not that Damien would ever say so, but it was almost Valentine's Day—a thoroughly ridiculous holiday, in Sebastian's estimation. Still, Damien loved it, so he endured. Last year, Damien had surprised him with not one, not two, but three (annoyingly delightful) gifts, while Sebastian had merely plucked a honking daffodil from one of the many gardens lining the Hogwarts grounds and called it a day. Somehow, Damien hadn't seemed the least bit put out, but Sebastian had still stewed in guilt for weeks, and guilt was hardly an emotion he was accustomed to.
So this year, Sebastian resolved that he wouldn't be outdone by his far more thoughtful significant other. No, sir! This time, he was going to pull out all the stops.
Now, if only he had the slightest idea where to start.
"Cass, I need your help!"
This was Sebastian's third attempt at wrangling assistance from his friends—okay, fine, they were more Damien's friends than his, but they at least tolerated him, which was close enough.
"Why don't you just ask Damien what he wants?" Cassie said, barely glancing up from her DADA textbook as she flipped a page.
"Aren't Valentine's Day gifts supposed to be a surprise?" Sebastian asked, genuinely uncertain.
"Not necessarily," Val chimed in from beside Cassie.
"What are you two doing for your significant others?"
Both girls burst into laughter. Sebastian furrowed his brow. Had he said something funny? Why were they laughing?
After she managed to regain her composure, Cassie finally responded, "It's the boys who are supposed to do something for the girls, silly." She paused to tuck a stubborn strand of hair behind her ear. "Alex will probably give me flowers and take me on a romantic stroll somewhere."
Val rolled her eyes. "That's so cliché, Cass. Alex needs to up his game, don't you think?"
"It's cliché for a reason!" Cassie huffed. "And anyway, I think it's romantic."
Sebastian sighed. "Well, seeing as we're both boys, I don't think that concept applies. So, what do I do?"
Val rapped the hardest point of her quill against the desk. Tap, tap, tap. She hummed, either deep in thought or perhaps waiting for Sebastian to cave and add a little more… effort. Maybe a please?
Sebastian figured it was worth a shot.
"Val, Cass, please, I'm begging you."
Cassie and Val exchanged a knowing glance.
"Well," Val said, smirking, "since you asked so politely , I'll let you in on a little secret."
"A secret?" Sebastian repeated, perking up. He simply adored secrets.
"Yes," Val said, her smirk widening. "We overheard Damien telling Tori just yesterday at breakfast that he was hoping you'd bake him some shortbread this year. You do know Damien loves baked goods, right?"
"Of course I do!" Sebastian shot back. He wasn't a fool; Damien had a well-documented weakness for anything sweet. In fact, why hadn't he thought of that?
"Is that all he said?"
Cassie shook her head. She grinned, downright wickedly. "No, that's not all…"
"Then what else?" Time was running out. In fact, Valentine's Day was only a week away! Sebastian silently chastised himself for waiting so long to ask Damien's friends for help.
Instead of answering, Val and Cassie burst into yet another fit of laughter. Girls were so troublesome. Sebastian found himself very grateful that he'd fallen in love with a boy, even if Damien was decidedly prettier than most.
"Alright, that's enough," Sebastian said, growing exasperated. "What else did he say?"
Val leaned back in her chair. "Well, he mentioned something about you getting him a personal item—meaningful, that is. A little keepsake or something that shows you really know him."
"A keepsake?" He hadn't the faintest idea what kind of keepsake Damien would want. Damien was so wealthy; surely he already had everything he wanted.
"Really Sebastian?" Cassie said. "It's not that hard. Get him something that shows you actually listen to him. You do listen, don't you?"
Sebastian scowled. "You know I do."
"Good! Then this should be easy."
Sebastian couldn't mask the panicked expression that abruptly crossed his face.
"Oh, poor Sebastian," Cassie drawled, feigning sympathy. "Valentine's Day really isn't your thing, is it?"
"Not in the slightest." Sebastian was surprised he allowed that to slip out. He hadn't meant to be so honest.
"Well, the good news is that even if you muck it up," Val said, "Damien will forgive you."
"Thank you ever so much for the vote of confidence."
"Anytime."
Sebastian crossed his arms and glared at them both. "Well, I would say thanks for the help, but I'm not sure it was worth the effort. And the insults seemed a bit unnecessary."
"You're welcome anyway."
Girls.
***
One week later, Sebastian found himself pacing the Hogwarts kitchens, keeping a steady eye on the shortbread he had painstakingly baked, with a little help from the house-elves, of course, as it browned in the oven. It was the first time he'd ever baked anything from scratch, and though he'd been worried it would end up in a heap of crumbled dough, the delicate, buttery scent assured him it would be… fine . Hopefully.
But the keepsake?
That was a different story.
Sebastian had a spark of inspiration the morning after his conversation with Cassie and Val—so perhaps their little discussion had been helpful. Only a little, though.
After running his idea by Jo, the kindest and most generous of their friend group, and getting her assurance that yes, it was indeed a very thoughtful gift, he acted on it before he could second-guess himself. But that didn't stop the anxiety from creeping in.
Now, as the day had (finally) arrived, his nerves felt eerily similar to when he and Damien had first started seeing each other. What if the gift was too much? Or too little? Worse yet, what if it wasn't meaningful enough? Or, Merlin forbid, what if Damien didn't like it at all?
Sebastian swallowed his doubts and patted the small box in his pocket, confirming he hadn't forgotten it. He'd wrapped it carefully last night with a simple green ribbon—green being Damien's favorite color and all.
Speaking of Damien, Sebastian hadn't seen him since yesterday morning, which was highly unusual. He had even stopped by the Ravenclaw common room last night to give him a good-night kiss, but Damien hadn't been there. Alyn had been though, and not even she could tell Sebastian where Damien was. Sebastian very much hoped that Damien was alright. He wasn't one to disappear for long stretches of time. At least not without telling Sebastian where he was going.
Where could he be?
Sebastian sighed. Maybe Damien had planned something… something that didn't involve him? The more he considered it, the more Sebastian's thoughts spiraled. What if Damien didn't feel the same way anymore? What if he was avoiding him for a reason?
Just as Sebastian was about to open the oven, he heard the pitter-patter of footsteps. His heart skipped a beat.
"Sebastian?" a dulcet baritone voice called from the opposite side of the room.
Sebastian turned. Standing in the doorway was Damien, looking just as tall, lightly tanned, and handsome as always.
"Damien!" Sebastian nearly stumbled forward, but somehow managed to stand his ground. "Where have you been? I came looking for you last night, you know."
Damien tossed him his customary lopsided grin, his one dimple on full display. "I've been around. Just needed some space, that's all."
Sebastian frowned. "Space?"
Damien nodded as he made his way over to Sebastian. "Yes. Space. I've been thinking about... a lot of things. But mostly about you. And today." He glanced down at the counter where a house-elf must have just set the shortbread, because, to Sebastian's complete astonishment, it was now out of the oven, cooling there.
Damien's eyes lit up. "Bash! Is this for me?"
"It's… erm, well, yes. I hope it tastes alright."
Damien leaped forward, wrapped his long arms around Sebastian, and lifted him effortlessly into the air. The move was so sudden that Sebastian didn't even have the chance to balk in protest. Which he would have. Yes. Absolutely.
"I'm sure it will taste amazing!" Damien exclaimed. "Thank you."
Sebastian felt a rush of warmth spread through him, and a growing tightness in his trousers. He cleared his throat, trying to shake off the feeling. As Damien gently set him down, Sebastian met his gaze—a telltale flush was now creeping up Damien's cheeks. Excellent.
"It's a bit warm in here, don't you think?" Damien said, tugging at the collar of his shirt.
"Yes, yes…erm, how about we go somewhere more romantic?" As he asked the question, Sebastian conjured up a small basket and placed the shortcake inside. Wherever they went, perhaps they could enjoy it there.
Damien smiled. "I know just the place."
"Lead the way, then." Sebastian tucked the now-full basket under his left arm, the positively divine scent of gobs and gobs of sugar drifting up to tease his nose.
"With pleasure," Damien said, giving Sebastian a slight bow and extending his hand outward. Sebastian chuckled, then grasped Damien's hand without hesitation.
Off they went, to where Sebastian hadn't the foggiest, but he trusted that Damien knew what he was doing. And if not, well, they'd figure it out. They made a great team, after all.
***
A few staircases later, as they ascended toward what Sebastian presumed was the Astronomy Tower, he figured it was the right moment to ask about Damien's need for space. They should probably get that sorted before diving into anything more…intimate.
"So, erm, space, hm?" Sebastian said, raking a hand through his hair with his free hand.
Damien craned his neck to meet Sebastian's gaze. "Yes. What of it?"
"That sounds a bit grim, don't you think?"
Damien whipped his head back around, facing away from Sebastian, cleared his throat, then said, "Hardly!"
Sebastian raised an eyebrow, though Damien wouldn't have noticed since he'd decided to face forward once again. What had started as a mild worry now transfigured into full-blown suspicion. "D…" Sebastian began, trailing off when he realized he wasn't sure what to say.
Damien turned his head, slower this time, as if weighing his options. He studied Sebastian's face for a moment, then said, "Alright, you caught me. I may have been planning something."
Sebastian blinked. "What? Planning something?"
"A surprise of sorts."
"For Valentine's Day? Wait! But I have a surprise for you! I get to go first!" Sebastian shot back, quickly fumbling through his robe pocket for the gift he'd so carefully wrapped. Thankfully, it was still there, but to his great frustration, Damien hadn't slowed his pace. In fact, he was now bounding up the stairs, taking them two at a time.
"Wait up, D!" Sebastian called out, scrambling to catch up with his suddenly over-eager Ravenclaw.
Damien didn't stop—he quickened his pace. "Come on, Bash! Hurry!"
The top of the Astronomy Tower was within sight now. Sebastian sighed, reluctantly shoving his gift back into his robe pocket. He grumbled under his breath but did as he was told, pushing forward to match Damien's long strides, all the while cursing his slightly shorter legs.
***
Oh.
Oh.
So that was what Damien meant by needing space. It was a pun . Sebastian's brain took a moment to catch up, and when it did, he stammered, "You've got to be kidding me."
The Astronomy Tower was glimmering, bathed in the soft glow of fireflies—how Damien managed to bring them in here was beyond Sebastian—which darted haphazardly around the room like shooting stars. Lit candles also lined the floor, flickering in glass jars shaped like moons and planets. At the far end of the room, beside the window, a telescope was set up, aimed at the clear night sky.
Sebastian blinked. "You did all this?"
"Well, I had some help. All the boys pitched in, actually." Damien tugged at his bun and toed at the floor with his boot. "Erm, Alvin has the room in an hour. He's stopping by with Matty. And then Freddie's bringing Ellie. At midnight, if I recall correctly."
Sebastian laughed. "A communal Valentine's Day gift then?"
"I suppose," Damien said, his cheeks flushing slightly. "But it was my idea. And mostly for you."
"Why?"
Damien let loose a nervous chuckle. "Well, I thought you deserved a better memory of Astronomy. I thought this might help a bit. Erm, possibly. Was I wrong?"
Sebastian raised an eyebrow, his disastrous Astronomy performance from two years before flooding his mind. But he didn't think Damien was referring to that. Damien was referring to another night, one that had ruined his love for the subject entirely: the night Anne had been cursed while they were working on a star chart for Professor Shah's class. He remembered how they'd been focused on the assignment, staring up at the stars, only for Anne to spot the fire in the distance and rush off to help. If they hadn't been outside, if Sebastian hadn't put off working on the assignment until the very last minute... If, if, if.
Anyway, Astronomy had lost its appeal after that. But here Damien was, trying to turn that around, creating a space, literally and figuratively, for him to reconnect with it.
Sebastian let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "You're... not wrong. This might actually help."
"Good." Damien gestured at a picnic blanket he'd laid out on the floor. "And how fortuitous that you brought dessert," he added, settling down and patting the spot beside him.
Sebastian would never say no to that. But before he acquiesced, he yanked his gift for Damien out of his pocket once again and handed it over.
"What's this?" Damien said, his eyes wide.
"My surprise for you." Damien opened his mouth, likely to respond, but Sebastian cut in before he could get a word in edgewise. "It's not much," he said quickly, "and, well, you've pretty much outshone me again this year with all this—" he gestured at the starry space before them—"but I thought you might like it."
Damien carefully unraveled the green ribbon, then popped the lid off the box. He stared, his jaw visibly going slack.
"Do you… do you, erm, like it?"
"Bash, is this what I think it is?"
Sebastian's cheeks grew hot. "Erm, well, yes, I had it specially made. There was a goblin vendor near Hogsmeade that Poppy told me about. He crafts custom items using goblin metal—"
"—You spoke with a goblin?"
"Erm, yes."
"I thought you still didn't like goblins very much."
"Well, I wouldn't say I like them, per se, but obviously, I was mistaken about one of them cursing Anne, and you befriended a goblin… Lodgok, yes?"
Damien nodded; his eyes were now wet.
"Yes, Lodgok," Sebastian continued. "So, I thought it wouldn't be all that terrible to talk with one, you know?" Sebastian was rambling. He tried to get back on track. "Anyway, the goblin did a good job. He did good work. I'm glad I hired him."
Damien held the handcrafted metal bookmark gingerly in his hand, the tips of his fingers tracing it, a look of awe gracing his face. Mimicking Damien's mother's wristwatch, which held her initials, Sebastian had the bookmark delicately engraved with Damien's: D.A.E.
Damien seemed at a complete loss for words. He smiled, clearly pleased, but he stayed silent. He kept his eyes firmly plastered on the gift. He didn't look up when he said, "Sebastian, I… this is... perfect. Thank you."
And then... a solitary tear raced down his cheek.
Wait. What was happening? Sebastian's heart began to pound in his chest.
"D, are you alright?" He crouched down and brought his hand to Damien's chin, lifting it up ever so gently.
Damien laughed through tears. "Alright... alright? Sebastian, this is possibly the greatest Valentine's Day gift I've ever received."
"Really?"
"Bash, you win."
"I… win?"
"Yes, you win for the best gift this year. Everything's always a competition with you, after all."
"I win!" Sebastian said, bursting out into a carefree grin. He felt lighter than air. He'd done it!
Damien nodded, and then, in an entirely unexpected move, he cupped the back of Sebastian's head and pulled him in for a kiss. It was deep and urgent, stealing Sebastian's breath away entirely, but he melted into it instantly.
What had he been so worried about again? Clearly, Sebastian was far better at romance than he'd given himself credit for.
As Damien withdrew, he murmured against Sebastian's lips, "You really pulled out all the stops."
Sebastian chuckled. "I did, didn't I?"
But Sebastian wasn't done. Before Damien could say another word, Sebastian pulled him back in, capturing his lips once more.
The shortbread could wait until later. Much later, if Sebastian had anything to say about it. And, as the undisputed victor of today's celebrations, he most certainly did.