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The night had been going so well, the perfect start to the weekend, a lovely trip to hogsmead with Sebastian had been a nice surprise and Garreth Weasley wasn’t going to say he wasn’t feeling romanced.
Sebastian is very much a show don’t tell kind of guy and Weasley, well he was the one who had asked if they could just keep what they had going on quiet. Just until he was sure Sebastian wasn’t playing games with him like he did with others.
Regardless, the night was no longer young and Sebastian had insisted on exploring the forbidden forest, even knew a way in so no one would see them. Did Garreth have to walk with him for an hour to sneak in? Yes? Was it worth it? So far, yes.
He was confident in Sebastian’s abilities, and in his own. They could handle anything if need be. It wasn’t an odd request, they’d done worse than hold hands but holding hands was intimate. It wasn’t personal, a physical sign of connection. Something people could see and make assumptions with.
But no one was around, it was just him and Sallow for miles.
So he’d allowed Sebastian to loop their fingers together and pull him along the path. The lacewing flies lighting the way seemed abnormally large, and Garreth, blushing like a girl Sebastian had said, was desperate to take his mind somewhere else so he wouldn’t embarrass himself again.
And the talented potioneer he was, he just couldn’t let this opportunity slip by. Lacewing flies were usually no bigger than his smallest nail and these ones, well he’d only be able to fit a few in the standard jar. Maybe seven if he went for the smaller ones.
Sebastian had indulged him. Caught a few in his hands and helped him stuff them into the jar, he’d even agreed to carry it so Garreth wouldn’t fill his pockets to fast.
“I know you need to restock on ingredients, I found this spot a few weeks ago, packed to the brim with leaping toadstools caps and horklumps, I’ve even seen leeches on the river bank below the spot, maybe even some knotgrass. If no one’s gotten to it already.”
Garreth can’t help but smile, it makes so much sense why Sebastian had him bring containers and jars. He thought the man had gone mad for a minute.
With the way he’d been acting lately it wasn’t too far from the truth. Sebastian had been off since his uncle's death. He didn’t push the subject, and even though Sebastian had grown a dislike towards the daylight and a terrible sleep schedule, that wasn’t uncommon in teenagers.
Sneaking off wasn’t uncommon either, but coming back in an entirely new set of clothes? Garreth was suspicious, but Sebastian would talk to him if it was important.
Plus it wasn’t like Sebastian wasn’t a human or anything.
Garreth would’ve known, he would’ve told him. They’ve done things, he would’ve seen a bite or a scratch and anyways who enjoys being sunburnt and blinded all day?
His mind is called back by the sight before him. He doesn’t think he’s ever seen so many plants in one spot, two or three yes, but the clearing was packed. Sebastian had made a point to tell him of the steep drop off between the area and the riverbed, maybe ten or fifteen feet, but there was a way to get down.
Thinking on his supplies he had sent Sebastian to look for any knotgrass, if there was any left he needed it. And if Sebastian still wanted free invisibility potions then he was due to start bringing in some ingredients.
Garreth gathers up several toadstool caps, he doesn’t use the stems so he tosses them and packs the tops in one of the jars he brought. Stuffing that into his bottomless pouch he pulls out a larger jar for the horklumps. He’s been cut up by them before so he'll be more careful this time. Filling two jars with the heads he sits satisfied near the drop off.
He’s sent Sebastian down for the leeches.
Garreth watches from his spot, fingers pulling at the grass and he smiles to himself. Maybe this is serious. Watching Sebastian rummage around in the mud to gather his inventory while he holds his wand out with lumps casted, it’s almost sweet enough to make him drop.
The leech bouncing off of his chest into his lap almost scares him, and he looks at Sebastian like he’s been hit with a handful of mud, which honestly isn’t too far from the truth. He’s laughing up at Garreth, a jar finally full of leeches and he gets the urge to kiss him.
Passing up the jar, Sebastian waits with his hands on his hips as he closes it and ties the pouch back up. Looking down at Sebastian he thinks this is perfect. That he’s finally ready to be officially official. They can so hold hands on the way to class now. And he can even wait for Sebastian outside his common room, or he can wait outside of his. They can stop pretending that they’re ok seeing the other being hit on and flirted with.
Sebastian reaches a hand out.
“Come, join me.”
He knows his checks are red, he just knows it. He can feel them burning against the cool night air.
But still he laughs, looking at his boyfriend and leaning back on his elbows.
“You will catch me? That’s quite the jump.”
“Of course. Trust me.”
His heart is racing against his ribs and he feels like he’s reading one of his aunts' sappy romance novels again.
He lowers himself by his arms, as far down as he can, Sebastian tells him to kick off the bank so they don’t fall in the mud. When he does it lands him snack dead in Sebastian’s arms, yelling for him to catch as he falls towards him.
The collision is rough, he smacks his head against Sebastian’s shoulder and probably twists an ankle in the landing but still, Sebastian caught him. Even as the man braces against the mud and spills down into the water with Garreth he still feels nothing the world could be more perfect then this moment.
Sure the waters a bit cool but that’s for the best because Garreth feels like everything in his is on fire. He sits back up, ignoring her irritation in his foot and the scrapes that are likely littering the palm he tries to catch them on. Straddling the other man he runs his hands down his chest. Sebastian simply lays there, a look on his face that Weasley can’t quite place but he doesn’t let it ruin anything.
Sebastian looks so perfect soaked to the bone in the water, half floating in it so he doesn’t drown, and all Weasley wants to do is kiss him.
So he goes for it, places a hand on his shoulder and one on the back of his neck and gently presses their lips together. Sebastian reacts almost instantly, shooting upwards with a force that almost sends Garreth flying off his lap. Would have to, if Sallow's arms hadn’t flown around his own neck and waist.
Nothing other than passion could be used to describe the urgency behind those lips, pressed against his and to his chin and cheeks, to rest on his neck.
It’s been weeks and Garreth might ruin his fucking pants if Sebastian keeps using his tongue like that.
It’s as if nothing had changed, as if Sebastian wasn’t playing secrets with him, as if he’d been worried for nothing, which is why it shocks him when Sebastian pulls away. He moves himself out from under Garreth and there’s that look on his face again before he turns away.
Garreth feels his face fall and this time it’s his eyes burning. A hand raised up to where Sebastian had just been kissing and sucking on his neck moments ago, what changed?
“Sebastian?”
He hums.
He fucking hums at him.
“Have I done something?”
His voice comes out too quiet and he’s not sure the other even heard him until he takes a deep breath and turns back to him.
“It’s not you Garreth.”
“Then what is it?”
Sebastian stands and walks back over to him, helps him stand and doesn’t let go of his hand. He doesn’t look at him either and the pit that had just been filled reopens.
“Please talk to me Sebastian…”
“I’ve just been dealing with something. Since my uncle's death, I just haven’t figured out what to do about it.”
“What is it? I can help you if you want, figure it out.”
“It’s nothing crazy Garreth,”
And suddenly he’s smiling at him like nothing had happened again. Garreth doesn’t know what to think, he has no idea what to say. Sebastian sighs.
“I promise, when I figure it out, when I know more of what to do, I promise I’ll tell you. I don’t like keeping secrets from you, this is just…different. I worry if you know, then you won’t want me anymore.”
It’s Sebastian’s turn to look like he’s had the ground pulled out from beneath him. The way he’s looking at Garreth, something tells him it’s the truth. He chooses to trust Sebastian again, embrace him and let his head rest on his shoulder.
They stay like that for a while, just until Garretha shivering becomes noticeable and Sebastian pulls away with a tsk as if he wasn’t the reason they fell into the water in the first place. With a flick of his wand their clothes are dry again, Garreth is still cold but they have their robes up on top of the bank. Sebastian leads him over to the spot he used to climb down. Jumping isn’t going to help them this time.
Garreth gives him a slap on the ass as he goes up, to which Sebastian spins to look at him with a scandalized expression and a breath of laughter coming off his lips. The man shakes his head as he finally hauls himself over the edge and spins and watches Garreth climb.
“Just step there, there, there, oh right here, and right there. Should have you back up here in a minute max.”
Garreth rolls his eyes, starting the climb up with his bad foot, maybe he should take a wiggenweld potion to ease it. He easily grabs the roots sticking out, hauling himself up foot after foot. It’s only a few feet in luckily when it happens.
Garreth lifts his bad foot, finds a spot he deems secure and goes to step up and grab the next spot. As he does so the dirt seems to loosen and the spot he’s standing on shifts. It sends his ankle rolling to the side and he misses the root he was trying to grab.
“Shit-!”
Sebastian looks back down at him, a smirk spreading across his face as he sees what’s about to happen.
He reaches for a spot by his head, palm sliding right down it and he can feel the sting of ripped flesh. He lets go instinctively, not wanting to do more harm than good and braces to hit the ground. Sebastian is never going to let him live this down, he can tell by the unruly cackling coming from above him. There’s comments of his inability to climb, reach, hold onto anything, and Garreth would make a remark right back if he wasn’t actually starting to feel overwhelmed.
Everything is starting to feel a bit too much.
Sebastian must catch into this because the laughter stops almost immediately.
“Are you bleeding…?”
He rolls onto his side and uses his left hand to sit up, ignoring the now intensified pulsing in his ankle he squints in the moonlight at his hand. It’s very clearly darker than his skin and it had a burn to it.
“Yeah…yeah I just cut my hand on the root. I need some light. Can you come back down here please?”
Something in the air shifts.
The hair on the back of his neck stands and he looks back up at Sebastian. The man is deathly still, looking at him with that same look as earlier. Was he upset about this? Oh Merlin, it was an accident.
“Or you could just stay up there-“
“No- Sorry, I just…”
Sebastian seems to drift back off, which is odd, but his attention is drawn away from him climbing down to his ankle now. He knows his hand is cut up, they can use wiggenweld and wrap it. But his ankle feels a bit worse. Lifting his pants leg he winces as he moves it.
Definitely sprained he thinks as he moves to get back on his feet. Sebastian’s hands find his arm and help him up. The man looks tense and Garreth wonders if maybe he blames himself.
“House let me go up first, then you could’ve smacked my ass-“
“This ain’t funny, give me your hand.”
Oh.
What changed?
What was with the sudden changes again?
When his uncle had first died this happened often, he’d be fine one minute, angry or distant the next like someone had lit a candle in a dark room. Was he mad? More likely upset? But Garreth having some tiny injuries couldn’t be this inconvenient to him. Sure he was annoyed but that was because he had to walk back on his ankle and he was already feeling tired.
“Sebastian-?”
He shakes his head, pulling him back towards the exposed tree roots. The only way back up apparently.
“I’ll hoist you up as high as I can, you just hold onto the roots and I’ll climb over you, pull you the rest of the way up.”
He sounded…rushed? Inconvenienced? Nervous? What in Merlin’s name was going on with that boy?
Garreth does as he’s told, let’s Sebastian support him climbing up, hold onto the tree roots with his good hand, uses his fingers on his bad hand to steady himself when Sebastian climbs over him and to the top. He waits for him to get a good grip on his arm before letting go. Sebastian was quick to pull him up, and the grass beneath his knees never felt so good.
“Thank you Sebastian,”
He tried to sound cheerful, to ease the mood that’s clearly settled over his boyfriend.
“I’m sorry I ruined our little date, I’ll be more careful next time. Do you…have any wiggenweld, I can’t find any, I swore I brought some…let me check here- no, this pocket then-?”
“I don’t bring any.”
“What? I thought you always carried one in case you got hurt? NEVERMIND it’s fine, I’ll just wrap this…and we can get…going…?”
Sebastian’s got his back turned to Garreth, and he’d stepped further away then he’d realized. He’s got his face buried in his hands and Garreth feels a sense of dread lingering in the air.
“Sebastian…? I’m fine, seriously, I’m sorry-“
“Go back to the castle, Garreth.”
“What?”
“Go back to the castle!”
“I don’t-? Sebastian what do you mean? I don’t know where I am, I can’t go back on my own-“
“Don’t argue with me, just go! Please!”
This didn’t make any sense. Everything had been fine, they were fine. What happened? This can’t seriously be because he got a scrape or twisted his ankle a bit.
“Sebastian, you brought me out here! I don’t know where I am, I can’t get back on my own!”
“You can’t be here right now Garreth, you need to go!”
“Why!? How!? Sebastian I’ll get lost, I don’t know where I am damnit…! And you’re fucking scaring me, what is happening!? Why are you being like this…?”
He thinks Sebastian’s collapsed, but the man’s just dropped down into a crouch, muttering nonsense and Weasley actually feels scared now.
Sebastian is well known to have exploded the dark arts, had used them before, hell he might even still be using them. The air is thick and he feels like prey caught in a trap.
“Sebastian this isn’t a fucking game…! You’re freaking me out…”
“I can’t control myself!”
It makes him jump, he hadn’t been expecting a response.
The clearing seems darker, and Garreth doesn’t want to make any sudden moves.
“What are you on about?”
“I can’t fucking control myself-Not around you!”
This is probably the only time you’d ever catch him wishing Sebastian didn’t have him backed against a tree, hands gripping his shoulders like they wouldn’t break if he squeezed even a little tighter. It’ll bruise, he’s sure of it.
He lifts his own hands to Sebastian’s shoulders, begs him to talk to him, to look at him, tell him what’s wrong.
But Sebastian just stops. Everything seems to stop, there’s no breeze, no sounds, nothing but the sound of his panicked breathing. Sebastian’s pulled him in close, he’s hugging him back and thinks maybe Sebastian’s crying. It feels that way from the way his shoulders shake and he sounds like he’s trying to hold them back.
“I’m so sorry, I ruined everything.”
“None of this is your fault Sebastian. Accidents happen all the time, especially to me, specifically in potions class but that’s not the point-“
He’s cut off by Sebastian’s lips against his neck again. And for Merlin’s sake he shouldn’t be this eager for so little. The nipping is new though, he’ll give him points for that. But this feels off. Standing there in the clearing, leaning back against a tree as someone sucks and bites bruises into your neck is not exactly a Garreth thing. But for Sebastian he’ll try anything once.
And it’s going well, Sebastian seems to be calming back down. Whatever was bothering him easing off his chest and Weasley lets his head fall back with a sigh. He brings his bandages hand up to Sebastian’s face to swipe his bangs away.
Sallow freezes in that way again, eyes locked on Weasleys who color fades from his face as a cold feeling washes over him.
Garreth watches in shock as Sebastian nostrils flare and his eyes-
Well his eyes have been red before, when he was playing with curses, but this?
This was different.
Garreth is frozen in place, even as Sebastian leans back in, his eyes staring into his soul until they can’t anymore.
The mouth on his neck feels as cold as ice and he can’t move, doesn’t know if he wants to. He takes a deep breath, meaning to ground himself, to be the thing that pushes him to move, but instead it gets caught in his lungs as Sebastian seems to bite him.
It feels like being bitten, tongue pressing right beneath where he’s planted his fangs in Garreth's neck. Sebastian’s arms find their way around waist, one around his shoulders, and Garreth's own hands tighten their grasp on his shoulders.
He remembers how to breathe again and the next thing that comes out of his mouth is a gasp. Every muscle in his body seems to tense up all at once and he presses himself impossibly closer to Sebastian.
“Ouch you little bastard-“
Garreth tries to stay still against every command his body is trying to give him. He wants so desperately to push the man away but he knows better. He’s paid enough attention to know this is already bad.
“Fuck, stop…”
His legs feel weak, he’s cold, everything is going fuzzy and he can see darkness creeping into the edges of his vision. He tries to blink it away desperately to no avail.
“Sebastian stop, Merlin’s fucking beard, please, I’m gonna die-“
He can feel the man tense around him. Can hear the last time Sebastian swallows a mouthful of his blood, his neck feels hot. When the mouth pulls away from his neck he groans. Not only does he have another ache to add to his list but now he’s actually upset too. Tired and in pain and did I mention tired?
He doesn’t let go of Sebastian, he doesn’t want to see his face, to know this is really happening.
“Fuck…”
Sebastian doesn’t try to pull away either, probably because Garreth would faceplant into the dirt if he did. Which he makes known right before dragging Sebastian to ground and leaning all of his weight on him.
Sebastian is apologizing, trying to talk over the static in his ears, and Garreth really couldn’t be bothered to listen. He just pushes him back ever so gently, he doesn’t want him to get the wrong idea, and lays down on the grass.
“What are you doing!?”
“I’m going to sleep,”
He can hear the drag in his voice, feel the pull of sleep.
“If this is real, and my Sebastian isn’t a human anymore, then I should be fine to sleep wherever.”
“No you can’t just sleep wherever- Garreth-!”
He lets his eyes slip shut at the hand on his face brushing his hair out of the way. Surely there was someone out there having a worse night than him but without the luxury of falling to sleep.
~}|{~
Thank god it was Saturday and not a day in between. The morning light shining in through the window gives away the time and the lack of an Aunt demanding he get up and be productive is nothing short of a miracle. With a deep breath he covers his eyes with an arm, and attempts to roll over.
It lands him halfway off the bed, caught by his arm and kicks up an ungodly amount of dust.
With a groan he lets himself slide completely onto the floor, sprawled out with the blanket tangled in his limbs and the headache of the century. The urge to go back to sleep is overwhelming but the fact that the dust is still settling, literal dust, is the first thing that tells him to open his eyes and look around.
The sound of a door opening and closing is the second.
From his spot on the floor he opens one eye only, still tired and nothing is screaming danger to him so it’s not worth fully waking up. The set of shoes walks closer, and Garreth lazily glances up. The person’s crouched infant of him now and the hand running through his hair is everything.
Sebastian Sallow stares at him, the most pitiful look on his face and Garreth just has to roll his eyes. Or at least he blinks them both open as if he had. Raising a hand to grab at the one on his head he pushes himself to sit up, letting Sebastian pull him to lean against his chest. The groan that slips past his lips turns into a laugh, he can feel Sebastian relaxing beneath him.
He wraps his arms around his waist and tucks his head into Sebastian’s shoulder.
“You’re a bastard, you know that?”
“I am so sorry Garreth, I didn’t mean-“
“It’s fine. Really.”
The silence that fills the room isn’t uncomfortable. Sebastian doesn’t seem so upset. Garreth isn’t really mad. Just curious now, when, how this happened. Why hadn’t he told him?
“It’ll never happen again, it was a mistake.”
“I’m not mad at you.”
“I didn’t even ask if I could-“
“I didn’t stop you though.”
“You wouldn’t have been able to.”
With a for show gasp he smacks Sebastian’s arm. Sitting up he leans back against the bed he’d been on and holds his hand. Looking around he realizes it’s absolutely not the dorms, his or Sebastian’s, and he doesn’t recognize the place.
“Where are we?”
“The old abandoned shop just outside of Hogsmeade.”
Makes sense. Sort of.
“And you carried me here oh so kindly, what a gentleman, how ever will I repay you?”
“Actually I used the flop network, there’s a really old one in the forest, had you slung over my shoulder like a sack of potatoes, no repayment needed.”
“You’re killing the vibe, Sallow.”
This time the silence is heavier. Which neither of them know how to break nicely. Garreth just rolls his head back onto the bed and crosses his arms. Waits for Sebastian to break the silence and when it doesn’t come he kicks him lightly.
“Want to tell me about it?”
“And state the obvious Weasley? I’m not…a human anymore. Well it’s because of my sister. I wanted to cure her, it’s so stupid. I- Well me and the new girl found this relic. And then a book and I tried something dumb and now here we are, facing the consequences of my actions. All for nothing too, Anne’s still cursed and she doesn’t want my infection. Says she’d rather die, and Ominis is on her side.”
“That’s why you’ve been sneaking out?”
“I’m not hurting innocent people, there’s still a load of Rookwoods henchmen, I just go after the ones to close to here and home. And last night was really just an off night. I swear I have better control. I quite literally just ate the other day-“
“What I’m hearing is I’m so irresistible to you. If you wanted a bite so bad you only had to ask.”
He says it in a sing songy voice, like he’s gloating and this is something to brag about.
“Garreth I’m never going to hurt you again. I promise you that-“
“It didn’t hurt Sebastian, not much anyways, it was shocking sure, was I expecting it? No, can you do it again? Yeah if you need…or even if you shut want to I wouldn’t mind.”
He’s so close Sebastian can feel the heat coming off of his body. If he had a pulse he’s sure it would be racing.
“Yeah. Yeah maybe, but no time soon, not after last night.”
“I can’t believe you held out on me so long, that was hot you know, minus all the unfortunate events leading up to it.”
“Hot? You’re sick Weasley.”
The grin on Sebastian’s face says otherwise, and the lisp pressed against his scream in agreement.
“You have to promise you’ll tell me.”
“Tell you what?”
“If it gets bad, the vampirism, if you need help with it.”
“I will…what are we?”
“What do you want us to be Sebastian?”
“Together, everywhere, there’s nothing wrong with it. If you want that to I mean.”
“Are you asking me to be your boyfriend, Sebastian Sallow?”
“Maybe, will you be mine, Garreth Weasley?”
“Yes. Finally, yes.”
“Is your ankle better? Forcing you to drink wiggenweld is no fun by the way, you’re rather feisty when you’re delirious.”
“I’m great dear boyfriend, not a problem in the world.”