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narcolini · 1 year

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in his shadow

ezekial ‘ez’ reyes x oc: ava gomez, angst/comfort, 2119 words

warnings for depictions of grief, talking about dead loved ones

for day 13 of whumpril : blurry vision | support | “i think i need to sit down”

a/n: omg i have made myself obsessed with yet another silly little pairing with my silly little ocs but . realllly enjoyed this and i’m definitely going to be adding more of them throughout whumpril because :( <3 babies

tagging: @cositapreciosa @drabbles-mc (let me know if you want to be tagged)

It’s the worst day of the year, every year. Worse than the anniversary of his death, really, because in the chaos of it all, Ava had forgotten the exact date it happened. She can barely even remember which day of the week it was now. Just that it was an afternoon in the Fall, and she’d been working, so they called her office not her cell. She got the news standing at her manager’s desk, staring at the pinboard in front. Could tell you in a heartbeat what was pinned there, which leaflets she read while hearing the worst news of her life, but the date? That was gone like smoke, blown apart by a change in the wind.

His birthday, though, that’s a date she’s known for so long that it’ll never go. It just cycles around instead. Every year, quicker than she expects, it comes, goes, and then it’s back around the Earth to haunt her again.

Last year, she’d spent it doing all the things he liked to do, which involved wasting the night away with the Mayans, drinking everything they bought her—because that’s their way of paying respect—and she regretted it. Big time. Not just for the headache afterwards, but because it felt like he’d died all over again. The way they looked at her, the sympathy behind every put-on smile. It comes from a good place, she knows, but, God, it makes it hard to move on. Hard to celebrate his life, when she’s the focus point for the grief of everyone else in the room.

She planned to keep to herself this year: watch a movie, order pizza, be in bed before eleven. But she didn’t even last until midday before driving herself crazy with it. With the thought of him, the absence of him. She needed company, that was evident now, but she needed the company of someone who doesn’t miss him as much as she does. Someone who never met him at all.

EZ wasn’t home when she knocked, knuckles bouncing off the thin trailer door. He wasn’t in the clubhouse either, but she didn’t hang around long enough to ask why, or where he was. Couldn’t face the questions that would no doubt follow.

You good, Ava?

You need something?

Instead, she’s waiting for him outside, sitting on the dirt by a stack of tires. The trailer’s directly opposite her, door right in her eye-line. When EZ comes back, she’ll be the first to know, the first to catch him. She can throw her offer in the ring, ask him to hang, before anyone else can. Secure herself some company before she truly goes crazy. Wanna get something to eat? Or let me sit in your trailer, while you work out and I talk about my dead fiancé for hours?

If EZ wasn’t the person he is, she wouldn’t dare ask it of him, but he’s probably the only guy for miles that would say yes to both.

She stretches her legs out, bare calves against the gravel. It’s been nearly an hour now and, God, it’s hot. The sun’s sitting right over her, searing into the parting of her hair, putting beads of sweat across the top of her lip. She should’ve brought a drink with her, stopped at Starbucks on the way for an Iced coffee. But it’s too late now. He can’t be much longer.

Like she’d summoned him herself, there it is, the rumble of an engine, the gleam of polished chrome pulling into the lot before her. She’s been around often enough to know them from their bikes, the colour of them, the size of the body. It’s EZ, and he parks it infront of her, a stone’s throw from the sole of her shoes.

He kicks the stand down, squinting at her as he dismounts. How he’s managing it, she doesn’t know, all the layers, the leather, the denim. It’s hot enough to roast him alive stationary, never mind riding down the asphalt. He pulls his helmet off, scrubbing the sweat out of his flattened hair, before shooting her a surprised, ‘Ava?’

‘Hey.’ She stands quickly to greet him, too quickly, actually. The blood goes from her feet to her head in a second, vision blacking out so swiftly that she staggers forward a step, toes catching on the ground.

‘Hey—woah.’ He lurches forward, taking her arm to steady her. ‘You good?’

She is, it’s just the world that’s spinning, tipping on axis. Her vision is back now, but swimming with floating specs that won’t blink away. And her body’s cold suddenly, but damp from the heat still, like her blood sugar’s dropped through the ground itself.

‘Ava?’

He’s trying to catch her attention, her gaze, by ducking his head down in front of her, but if she straightens out of the bend she’s adopted to meet him, she’ll collapse—maybe. Will send the blood back up to her head and blind herself again.

‘I think I need to sit down,’ she says, voice shaking slightly.

‘Yeah, me too,’ he agrees. ‘You been sat out here for long?’

Ava nods, glad of his grip on her arm as he starts to walk them towards his trailer. It’s the only thing keeping her upright, the only thing making the floor seem flat and not sloping, spinning.

‘Sit here.’ He puts her on the step—which she falls into clumsily, face pale—then moves back to use his body as shade, angling himself until his shadow is cast over where she sits. ‘Put your head between your knees.’

‘Does that help?’ Her head’s in her hands currently, and that’s doing nothing at all.

‘Find out for yourself,’ he says, talking with a slight smile. ‘Come on.’

She complies, folding to put her skull between her knees, with her eyes squeezed shut. It doesn’t stop the spinning right away, but it does lessen the pressure behind her brows, and the tightness in her chest. Enough of a difference to make her wait there, curled up like a pill-bug on his step.

‘Better?’

She hums.

‘What’re you doing here anyway?’ he asks, happy to do so now he knows she won’t collapse at his feet. ‘It’s like, a hundred degrees out here.’

‘Wanted to wait,’ she churns out, ‘for you.’

He shifts, fidgeting in front of her. She hears the soles of his boots against the dry ground to know that he’s doing it. ‘What for?’ he asks.

And now all the plans she had, dissolve like they were never there at all. There isn’t one suggestion left that feels doable. Partially because she’s made herself sick, from sitting too long, standing too quickly, spending too much time in the sun, and partly because he’s already doing her a favour. He’s already stopped her from passing out in his arms, and now she’s supposed to ask him to act as a therapist?

‘Give me a minute,’ she says, lifting her head slowly. Her forehead is damp, and cold still, somehow, so she wipes it dry with both hands. Rubs her eyes until they’re bleary, then blinks until they’re back to focus. When she finally looks ups to EZ, she’s normal again, just about. Functioning enough to try a real conversation.

He smiles. ‘Welcome back.’

It’s an easy expression to mirror, EZ’s smile. She does it without even realising. ‘You got a few hours to spare?’ Time in your day to keep a widow company?

‘Sure.’ He nods, gesturing for the door behind her. ‘Got some sodas in the fridge.’

Inside, it’s surprisingly cool. The white paint of the outside is doing enough to reflect the heat and keep the trailer liveable, heavenly, really, by Ava’s standards. Like stepping out of a sauna and dipping your toes in the pool. The drink is a God send too, cold and sugary, and pouring more and more life into her with every added sip. It’s obvious that she made the right choice already, rocky start or not. EZ and iced sodas is way fucking better than Tequila in the club house. Better company in one, than there are in her entire troop of mourners—on today, at least.

‘So what’s up?’ he asks, after enough small talk has passed that it’s the only question left. ‘You don’t normally come looking for me.’ He ducks his chin, looking embarrassed for a breath. ‘Not that I mind hanging out.’

She sighs, slouching into the bench she’s occupying, her feet up on the one opposite. He’s stood still, leaning on the short counter to her left, waiting with his drink held to his chest. May as well tell him, then. May as well enjoy the luxury of getting to tell someone who doesn’t know already. His relative newness to the club is a gift that won’t last forever, after all.

‘It’s Sebastian’s birthday today,’ she says, ignoring the twitch of acknowledgment he gives. The, ah, makes sense, look he puts her way. ‘And I tried to have a me day, but, I don’t know. I guess I’d prefer some company.’

EZ nods, drinking to stall his response—she can tell. When you have to tell people, time and time again, my fiancé died, sorry, Sebastian passed away, you get used to allowing for that second. That pause while the living decides how to deal with the dead.

‘I gotta say,’ he starts, wiping his mouth dry afterwards, ‘I’m not sure why… I mean, I’m not good with this kind of thing. Knowing what to say.’

She snorts. ‘Good. That’s what I want.’ That’s why she picked him over everyone else, though she knows him the least, and they know her the best. ‘I love you guys, everyone, I really do. The club’s like the only fucking family I have left. But.’ She looks down, picking away at the damp label of her bottle. ‘Honestly, you’re the only one who, y’know, sees me and not Sebastian’s ex.’

It’s not like the others can help it, either, when she’s the walking reminder of the brother they lost. The only bit of him there is left.

‘And they all miss him too,’ she continues, defending herself though he hasn’t said a word against it, ‘I get that, but it’s just a lot. Especially today. I want to talk about him, sure, of course I do.’

Her throat catches. She swallows.

‘But you don’t wanna carry their baggage as well as your own,’ EZ finishes, nodding. ‘I hear you.’

‘Yeah.’ A breath, relief. He gets it. ‘It’s too much sometimes. I see the way they look at me, like they’re sorry for me still. It drives me crazy.’

He stands from his lean, crossing to sit in the couch she’s got her feet on. ‘Y’know,’ he says, ‘at Mom’s funeral, I left before the family could even talk to me.’

‘Really?’

He nods. ‘Same thing, that look. I couldn’t stand it. Was like she’d died all over again.’

She laughs, though it isn’t funny, because that’s it. That’s exactly it. ‘God, do you know how good it is to hear someone say that out loud?’ she asks, unable to swing the smile away. ‘Cause I appreciate everything the club does for me, y’know, the love is there, but, shit. Sometimes I wonder if it’d be easier to just leave and never come back.’

‘Yep.’ He snorts. ‘Been there, too.’

And yet, the both of them are still sitting here, in the trailer on the Mayan’s lot, because that’s the point, isn’t it? The love beneath all the annoyances.

‘You wanna tell me about him?’ he asks, and she can see in his eyes that it’s sincere. He wants to know, to meet Sebastian properly. It’s not just a polite offer to a widow in need. ‘All I know about, is the crazy shit they used to get up to.’

‘Well, that is a good portion of it,’ she jokes, which feels good to do. Feels like unlinking one of the chains wrapped around her chest, to talk about him with someone that doesn’t carry the grief of him. It’s like introducing him for the first time. This is Sebastian, EZ, and he’s the reason we’re even here at all.

‘He would’ve hated this shit, for starters,’ she says, ‘making his birthday a day of mourning.’ But maybe it doesn’t have to be that. Maybe EZ can help her start a new tradition, cold sodas and fresh stories. ‘You ever hear about what he did in college?’

EZ shakes his head, settling into the cushion behind.

‘God,’ she laughs, ‘alright,’ and then she begins, talking as if Sebastian is right there beside her.

>>> part two

#ezekiel reyes #ez reyes x ofc #ez reyes fanfiction #mayans mc fanfic #whumpril2023 #ava ez #no because i reallyyyyyyyy enjoyed this im vibrating

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lilacwisps · 1 year

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Eyes to wonder (tongues to praise)

Ship: Sebastian Sallow x Ravenclaw Female Player Character Rating: T

Summary: In which Sebastian eavesdrops on a conversation, jumps to conclusions, and almost makes a fool of himself, yet, somehow, still gets the girl.

ao3 link

Settled in a small alcove in the Slytherin Common Room, Sebastian thumbs impatiently through the fragile pages of The Secrets of the Darkest Arts. He'd stolen - borrowed- it from the Restricted Section of the library the night before, hoping to find something - anything - that could cure Anne. The book had promised to reveal the intricacies of the most complex curses but was yet to deliver anything useful - Sebastian is halfway through the tome and still hasn't found anything that could help his sister. Suppressing a frustrated sigh, Sebastian flips another page and focuses on the text.

Sebastian doesn't usually read the books he's borrowed from the Restricted Section in the common room, preferring the secrecy of the Undercroft or the silence of his dorm to the inevitable prying eyes and chatter in the commons. But this late October Friday afternoon is surprisingly warm, and the castle grounds are bathed in sunlight, and all the students have poured out into the courtyards, hoping to enjoy one last beautiful day before the weather inevitably takes a turn for the worse. As he is all alone in the common room, Sebastian figures there is no reason he couldn't read the book in his favorite alcove.

As Sebastian flips another page, he's startled by the sound of a door opening and closing in the distance. His hand reaches for his bookbag as he momentarily considers whether he should hide the tome before he realizes that the sound's coming from the direction of the dorms. With a sigh, Sebastian lets go of his bag - the route from the dorms to the exit doesn't pass directly by the alcove, so the chances of anyone seeing him are slim.

He's about to return to his reading when suddenly, he hears, "By the way, Imelda told me about your run-in with the new fifth-year earlier this week during the Beasts Class, and I am dying to know - is she as good at dueling as everyone claims she is?"

Sebastian rarely eavesdrops, but the words "new fifth-year" instantly get his attention, so he listens closer.

"Fortunately for her, it didn't come to that," Sebastian instantly recognizes Nicholas Nott's voice, "Howin was standing right there, watching everyone. Otherwise, she'd get a proper Hogwarts welcome."

Nott's companion, Henry Avery, laughs, and Sebastian rolls his eyes. Nott's always bragged about his dueling talent, but on the few occasions that Sebastian got to duel him, he'd found Nott to be utterly mediocre with the wand. Given how well Ava handled Sebastian himself during their Defense Against the Dark Arts class duel - and everyone at the Crossed Wands - Nott stood absolutely no chance. Nott was the lucky one that Professor Howin was keeping a close eye on the class - and it is almost amusing to Sebastian how much he doesn't realize it.

"I must say," Nott continues after a brief pause, "A spirited little thing that Rosier girl. And quite easy on the eyes too."

Sebastian's amusement melts away in an instant as an unfamiliar feeling uncoils in his chest. Sebastian would be lying if he said he'd never noticed that Ava was pretty - and, perhaps it should come as no surprise that Nott saw it too - yet, there's something about the casual brazenness of Nott's tone that makes Sebastian almost angry.

"Oh wow," Avery whistles, "Who would have thought she'd catch your eye! Davies will be all broken up over this when she finds out."

"Good then," Nott replies, "I am so tired of her. It was fun at first, but she'd grown so clingy in recent weeks. Won't leave me alone even in class - it is quite unbearable, honestly. The only peace and quiet I get these days is here, where she cannot follow. It's well past time to send her on her merry way - and if this does it, then all the better."

"Slowly working your way through all the Ravenclaw girls in our year, huh?" Avery laughs, "Oh, I have an idea - once you're through with all of them, you should consider ranking their…performance."

Sebastian slams the book in front of him shut. Anger, bright and bristling, rises in his chest, spilling liquid fire through his veins, making his heart pound in his ears. Avery would do well to watch his mouth - it takes almost all of Sebastian's willpower to stop himself from finding Avery and knocking his teeth out. But he had promised Ominis to try and stay out of trouble - at least for a little while - and so he clenches his fists till his knuckles are white and remain in his seat.

Sebastian does not expect Avery's words to get under his skin, but they do - after all, Ava is a close, dear friend, and he wants what's best for her. What other reason could there be for the white-hot rage blooming in his chest at the insinuation? Certainly not the way Sebastian's breath seems to catch in his throat whenever Ava meets his gaze or the way his heart flutters when his hand brushes against hers on accident as they walk side by side.

"A tempting thought, but I think I might stick with this one for a while," Nott chuckles, "Only if she learns to behave, of course. The way she'd comported herself in the Beasts class was quite unacceptable."

"I wouldn't count on it," Avery laughs, "From what I heard, your Rosier girl's rather difficult."

"There is a lot I'm willing to overlook for those dark doe eyes and that pretty pink mouth," Nott replies nonchalantly, "But certainly not everything. Luckily, I know just the way of teaching people their place."

"Now that's going to be interesting," Avery chuckles.

Blood rushes in Sebastian's ears, and his heart pounds rapidly against his ribs. Who does Nott think he is? Ava will never give him the time of day - not if Sebastian has anything to say about it. Somehow, the way Nott speaks of her so brazenly, the way he must have looked at her during the class - and Merlin knows when else - feels like a transgression - an almost personal offense. She isn't his speak of - or even think of - that way.

She isn't yours either, a voice in his head taunts.

"Are you sure you want to get involved?" Avery says suddenly, "I feel like things might get…messy."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Nott asks coolly.

"Well, I've heard Reyes say that your Rosier girl is actually Sallow's little squeeze - apparently, they've been caught in flagrante the other night in some broom closet or another," Avery explains.

The memory brings hot blush to Sebastian's cheeks. A few nights ago, he and Ava tried sneaking into the Restricted Section to search for The Secrets of the Darkest Arts. Sebastian did not expect any trouble on their regular route but was in for a nasty surprise when he realized that prefects were stationed at both ends of the corridor. The only option to avoid getting caught right then was to hide and wait for the prefects to leave their posts to patrol - and the only available hideout was an old broom closet.

The closet in question turned out to be tiny - even leaning against opposite walls left hardly an inch of space between them. Sebastian's heart fluttered in his chest as he realized just how close they were, and suddenly, his whole body felt as though on fire. A part of him wanted to leave that very second to make sure he didn't do anything he shouldn't have - and yet another part of him never wanted that moment to end.

Sebastian's heart races as he remembers Ava's warm breath ghosting his neck as she whispered in his ear.

They were not doing anything untoward - or so Sebastian tells himself - but it seems the Hufflepuff prefect who caught them thought differently. And, apparently, she'd shared her conjectures with Imelda, at the very least.

"Reyes has no idea what she's talking about," Nott scoffs, "And you should know better than to trust such silly rumors. The girl is a Rosier - there's no way she'd be involved with a half-blood."

Sebastian rolls his eyes - before attending Hogwarts, he had no concept of the "blood purity" status. Both his parents were wizards - and Sebastian had always felt that was all anyone needed to know about him. As it turned out, however, he was wrong - his mother's parents were muggles, which made him a half-blood in the eyes of those who could trace their unbroken lineage of wizards to Merlin himself.

Sebastian always considered the concern with blood purity silly - it's not like having wizard parents and grandparents, and great-grandparents made his classmates stronger or more intelligent. Although some bloodlines carried impressive abilities - like Ominis's Parselmouth ability - those were few and far between.

"Imelda's pretty reliable when it comes to this sort of thing," Avery argues, but Nott just scoffs again.

"Even if it were true - and I'm sure it isn't - it won't take very long to show the Rosier girl that there are finer things in life than some orphaned half-blood."

"And if she doesn't listen?" Avery prods, "You did say she was quite spirited."

"In that case, I have this as insurance," Nott replies.

"Oh, so you are very serious about it," Avery whistles, "Well, then, this is going to be interesting."

"What can I say - I always play to win."

From the alcove, Sebastian cannot see Nott or Avery - so there is no way for him to find out what insurance Nott is talking about. A sudden memory comes to mind of a great scandal from last year when Gryffindor's Seeker unexpectedly dropped out of the team just two days before the Quidditch final and was later spotted with Nott all around the castle. Unable to find a replacement Seeker in time, Gryffindor suffered a crashing, catastrophic defeat, and Slytherin won the Quidditch cup for the third year in a row.

Instantly, the rumors swirled that a love potion may have been involved - persistent gossip plagued the school for the better part of two weeks until Headmaster Black personally interfered to put an end to them. Despite the headmaster's interference - and, perhaps, because of it - Sebastian was almost certain that the rumors were true. Knowing Nott, Sebastian wouldn't put it past him to bewitch the Gryffindor Seeker to ensure Slytherin's Quidditch victory - just as he wouldn't put it past Headmaster Black to cover up the ordeal. After all, Black had an extensive track record of showing favoritism to his friends' children, and from what Sebastian could tell, Nott's father was among those friends.

Could it be…?

Sebastian recalls the conversation between Nott and Avery, and the more he thinks of Nott's words, the more certain he becomes. That must be it! The "insurance" Nott's been talking about - he is going to give Ava a love potion. That bastard!

"Speaking of which," Nott continues, distracting Sebastian from his thoughts, "I have an appointment to keep. A little bird had told me that Rosier is in Hogsmeade now - and I'm going there to meet her."

"Good luck," Aver responds, "I'll be curious to hear how everything went once you return."

"Actually, I thought you might want to come along," Nott cuts him off, "She is with Pecul… with Poppy Sweeting, so I thought you could keep Poppy company while I talk to Rosier."

"Poppy Sweeting, huh?" the sudden shift in Avery's tone is almost unsettling, "Well then, I'm in."

The distant sounds of steps are followed by the rumbling of the stone snakes opening the door to the Slytherin Common Room, and Sebastian knows he needs to hurry. He absolutely cannot let Nott do whatever he is planning to do. Shoving The Secrets of the Darkest Arts into his book bag, Sebastian rushes to exit the Common Room, but before he can make it out, the door opens again, and in comes Ominis. There are a few small feathers on his shoulders and a couple in his hair, and Sebastian instantly knows that Ominis is coming back from Owlery.

"Sebastian," Ominis says, recognizing his steps instantly, "I was about to look for you."

"I don't have time right now, I need to get to Hogsmeade," Sebastian replies, "It's urgent."

"What happened?" Ominis asks, instantly frowning.

"It's Nott - he wants to sneak a love potion to Ava," Sebastian explains, shifting impatiently from foot to foot, "I cannot let that happen - I have to stop him before he does!"

"A love potion? Nott?" Ominis muses, confusion apparent on his face, "Wait, how would you know that - did he tell you?"

"He told Avery, and I overheard," Sebastian replies before adding, "Well, not in so many words, but what he said was essentially an admission of guilt."

"What do you mean?" Ominis asks, and Sebastian lets out an exasperated sigh.

"I can't explain now, I need to hurry," Sebastian says, frustrated, "What would be the fastest way to Hogsmeade?"

"Through the passage behind the statute of One Eyed Witch," Ominis says, "Unless, of course, something drastically changed since we've last taken that path."

"Thank you," Sebastian says, and he's about to rush past Ominis when his friend turns around.

"Wait," he says firmly, "I'll walk with you, and you can explain the situation to me."

Sebastian knows that arguing would be futile. They are out of the dungeons and almost at the statue of the One-Eyed witch by the time Sebastian finishes recounting Nott and Avery's conversation to Ominis.

"I still don't understand why you think Nott's trying to give Ava a love potion," Ominis says once Sebastian finishes his story, "Did I miss something?"

"Think, Ominis, think," Sebastian sighs, exasperated, "What could this insurance be if not a love potion?"

"Could be many different things," Ominis shrugs, "I don't know why a love potion was the first thing that came to your mind. Did you see anything?"

"No…But you don't understand - he's definitely planning to do it! And we need to protect Ava from whatever plan Nott's concocted," Sebastian argues, but Ominis cuts him off.

"Our new friend is perfectly capable of handling trolls and unforgivable curses," Ominis says, "Do you really think she needs help dealing with a dimwit like Nott?"

Sebastian frowns - Ominis isn't wrong, she's quite capable, and yet something inside is urging Sebastian forward. They stop in front of the Statue of the One-Eyed Witch.

"You know," Ominis tilts his head to the side as an amused smile spreads across his face, "From where I stand, it sounds like you just don't want a chap you hate asking a girl you like out on a date - which is understandable."

A hot, bright blush spreads across Sebastian's cheeks as warmth rises in his chest. The memory of Ava's breath ghosting his neck when they hid in the broom closet sends Sebastian's heart racing.

"It's not like that," he says hastily, "I only do this because she's my friend, and I care about her well-being."

"Could have fooled me," Ominis chuckles.

Sebastian rolls his eyes, then turns to the One-Eyed Witch Statue and murmurs, "Dissendium." A quick, creaking sound notifies him that the passage has opened.

"Wish me luck," he tells Ominis as he reaches for a ledge of the statue to climb up.

"What do you mean, "wish me luck"?" Ominis chuckles, "I have a feeling things are about to get very entertaining - and I have no intention of missing any of it."

"Suit yourself," Sebastian scoffs as he hops inside the statue. The slide is short, and soon enough, Sebastian finds himself in the dark tunnel leading to Honeydukes. A moment later, Ominis is standing by his side.

As they make their way through the passage, the conversation between Nott and Avery keeps running through Sebastian's mind - with one thing particularly gnawing at his heart.

"Ominis," Sebastian calls out in the dark, "I was curious about something… The Rosiers - what are they like? I'm sure you must have met some of Ava's relations at some point."

"An old, pure-blood family with a penchant for dark magic and a strong distaste for anyone who isn't pure-blooded. They view everyone who isn't a member of the "Sacred Twenty-Eight" as beneath them and utterly unworthy. That may be why my grandmother's favorite friend was a Rosier - they took great joy in tormenting muggle-borns and half-bloods alike."

A myriad of thoughts rush through Sebastian's mind, and it is as though something heavy squeezes his chest, making it hard to breathe. And, instead of a thousand things that cannot be put into words, he simply says, "But Ava isn't like that?"

"No," Ominis replies, "No, she isn't."

Poppy brings the mug to her lips and takes a long sip of butterbeer. She's utterly exhausted - she and Ava had spent the better part of the day scouting the hills north of the school in search of the poacher's camp. It seemed they were looking in the wrong place - or, perhaps, the poachers were much better at hiding their tracks than Poppy and Ava expected - since they hadn't found a single trace of the camp.

Exhausted by the futile search, Poppy and Ava made their way to Hogsmeade to rest and think through their next steps. Poppy has never been particularly fond of the Three Broomsticks - it always felt too loud and crowded - but she has slowly realized that, perhaps, it wasn't all bad when you had a friend by your side.

Looking over at Ava, Poppy smiles softly. When Poppy first met her in the Beasts class, Ava came off aloof and cold - but then Poppy saw how her gaze softened when she looked at the kneazles and instantly knew that she had met a kindred spirit.

Ava's sitting next to Poppy, absent-mindedly tracing the foggy sides of her mug with her right index finger. She seems relaxed, leaning fully against the back of her chair, yet her face remains pensive.

"What's on your mind?" Poppy asks, her eyes following the patterns Ava leaves on the mug.

"I'm still thinking about our earlier…excursion," Ava replies, turning to Poppy, "We were in the right place, I'm almost sure of it. It's not too difficult to relocate a camp - if only we could trace where they went."

"Wish we could ask the centaurs for help," Poppy sighs. While the centaurs were renowned for being quite well-versed at tracking, most of them avoided the wizardkind like the plague - and Poppy could not blame them.

"Oh?" Ava says, "Got any centaur friends that could help us?"

"Me?" Poppy chuckles, then sighs wistfully, "I wish. Unfortunately for us, they rarely make contact with humans."

"I think I remember reading something about that," Ava frowns, "But I figured if anyone had a centaur friend, it'd be you."

"When I make one, you'll be the first to know," Poppy laughs, taking another sip of her butterbeer, "There are so many magical creatures in the world - I wish I could meet and befriend all of them."

"I have full faith in you," Ava chuckles, shifting in her seat.

"What about you?" Poppy asks, resting her hand on her chin and looking at Ava, "Is there a magical creature you'd like to meet?"

Ava tilts her head to the side, pressing her finger to her lips, thinking. "Maybe a dragon," she says after a momentary pause, "Although I wouldn't say I want to "meet" one. Rather, I'd like to see one from a safe distance - preferably, far enough away that the dragon can't see me."

Poppy chuckles at Ava's words - she, too, would like to see a dragon.

"If you ever happen upon a dragon," she says, "You just need to be careful. They are highly intelligent creatures and won't attack until they feel threatened."

"Given how the wizards have been treating the dragons for the last few centuries, I wouldn't blame one if it attacked me on sight," Ava shrugs, "Although I still would rather avoid becoming a dragon's dinner…Other than dragons, I'm curious to see unicorns - I've heard they are breathtakingly beautiful, and I'm also curious to see if there's truth to certain old wives' tales."

"Ah, I wish you were here two years ago!" Poppy exclaims, "Professor Howin brought the unicorns to class one day during our third year."

"Did she? How exciting! I really wish I was there," Ava sighs before adding, "But, who knows, perhaps I could see some in the Forbidden Forest - Natty told me she'd caught a glimpse of one when she was out collecting the ingredients for her potions."

Silence falls upon them for a moment. Poppy leans against the back of her chair and sips her butterbeer. The Three Broomsticks is packed on this late October evening, and though Poppy usually hates crowds, she doesn't feel uncomfortable. The chatter of the crowd, coupled with her exhaustion, makes her eyelids heavy, and Poppy almost struggles to keep her eyes open.

The comforting trance is broken just a moment later when she suddenly sees Nicholas Nott and Henry Avery in front of their table. Instantly, Poppy's tense, straightening in her seat - out of the corner of her eye, she can notice just how quickly the smile vanishes off Ava's face at the sight of the two Slytherins.

"What a pleasant surprise," Nott smiles, but his smile doesn't reach his eyes, "Good evening, ladies. Care if we join you?"

Both Nott and Avery are carrying two mugs of butterbeer, and Poppy knows that this meeting is anything but a chance encounter. Poppy sighs, annoyed - after the day they've had trying to find the poachers' camp, the last thing she wants is to be around either Nott or Avery.

"We'd rather you didn't," Ava responds coolly, but Nott does not listen.

"Come now, there's no need to be like that," Nott says, placing butterbeer mugs on the table and sitting across from Ava while Avery settles next to him, "I'd have us be friends. I understand there had been a little…misunderstanding between us earlier, and I just wanted to straighten things out - and apologize."

Poppy rolls her eyes - only a fool would believe that Nott was even slightly remorseful over hurting Persephone. She clenches her fists, feeling her nails dig into her palms - if Nott and Avery don't leave soon, they will regret it.

"You should be apologizing to Persephone," Poppy says firmly, looking Nott in the face.

"I'm sure you will be able to pass on the apologies to her," Nott replies.

Poppy scoffs and crosses her arms before her, "As if she's accept."

"We've heard you out," Ava says calmly, "Now, if you don't mind…"

"That wasn't everything I had to say," Nott interrupts, "As a gesture of goodwill, we come bearing gifts. I know you are looking for the poacher's camp - and I also know its location."

"How would you know any of that?" Poppy asks, as anger, bright and bristling, rises in her chest, "Were you eavesdropping?"

Belatedly, she realizes that, perhaps, she should have feigned ignorance, but it's much too late now. Poppy looks at Ava apologetically, and her friend offers her a reassuring smile.

"It was by chance, really, with no ill intent. I've overheard you two speaking at the library," Nott replies, "And it just so happens that I know where to find what you're looking for - so does it matter how?"

Poppy tenses - she knows Nott is lying. They have discussed the poacher's camp on school grounds before, but never in the library. Was he secretly watching them?

Ava must have realized it too, but nothing in her face betrays that fact.

"Well then," she says, looking Nott straight in the eye, "Where is it?"

"What's the hurry?" Nott says, leaning against the back of his seat and placing his elbow atop its backrest, "I will tell you - but first, we should have a drink to celebrate our new friendship." With that, he slides two mugs of butterbeer toward Poppy and Ava.

Poppy rolls her eyes and scoffs. "New friendship" - the audacity!

"Don't get ahead of yourself," Ava replies coolly.

"I wouldn't dare," Nott says, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

Poppy glances over to Ava - she doesn't trust Nott or Avery, but they are running out of time to track the poachers. If Nott is telling the truth, suffering through this one conversation would hardly be too high a price to pay. Ava meets Poppy's gaze and nods - it seems she's thinking the same. Reaching forward, Ava takes the mug that Nott gave her.

"Wonderful," Nott smiles, "I'm glad we understand each other. So tell me - how is aunt Ariadne these days?"

"You know my mother?" Ava narrows her eyes.

"Of course I do," Nott tilts his head to the side, studying her face, "My parents hold an annual gathering at our summer estate for the most prominent members of the wizarding society - the Blacks, the Gaunts, the Lestranges, the Malfoys… And the Rosiers are always most welcome guests, of course."

Poppy shakes her head - it's hard for her to comprehend how some people can be so invested in their "blood purity" status. Despite being a pure-blooded witch herself, Poppy never gave it much thought. Perhaps, because her blood status was just a chance occurrence rather than a result of multiple generations of inbreeding, all in an effort to keep the bloodline "pure."

"Mother will be expecting you to join your parents this summer since you will turn sixteen by then," Nott continues, "It's a unique chance to meet everyone who matters in the wizarding world all at once - you don't want to miss it."

"A grand gathering, to be sure," Ava says flatly, "But I must decline - unfortunately, the entirety of my summer is already spoken for."

Poppy shifts in her seat, annoyed - she had hoped they'd learn the location of the poachers' camp by now, but it seems Nott is in no hurry to reveal anything. Just as Poppy thinks things cannot get worse, Avery addresses her.

"I was watching you the other day by the enclosures," he says, "How's…Proserpina - that rodent you take care of?"

"I already said - her name is Persephone. And she is no rodent; she's a kneazle," Poppy bristles instantly.

Avery's smile is unsettling - and it doesn't escape Poppy that he said he'd been watching her. Shiver runs up Poppy's spine - she doesn't remember seeing him there at all, and it unnerves her.

"Right, right," Avery nods, "Same thing. Are you going there later? I could keep you company - the school grounds can be quite treacherous in the dark."

Poppy isn't afraid of the dark - or most things, really - but the way Avery's looking at her makes her feel uneasy. She could spend the whole night by the enclosures taking care of the animals and not feel unsafe for a moment if she could be sure he wasn't lurking in the dark.

"I'll pass," she says firmly.

Poppy grasps her butterbeer mug and ponders her options. They were no closer to finding out the location of the poachers' camp than when the conversation had started, and it was high time to cut their losses. But before she can say anything to Ava, Nott looks out the window behind them.

"Would you look at that," he says, half in awe. Poppy turns around in her seat and sees the sky lit up with a myriad of purple and green sparks - it's the biggest fireworks she'd ever seen. Instantly, she thinks of all the small magical creatures that left their hideouts to enjoy the quiet of the night and hopes, in vain, that the bright light and the sounds of the explosion hadn't spooked them too much.

"Zonko really outdid themselves this year," Avery adds.

When they turn back to the table, it is as though something has shifted imperceptibly. Poppy takes a deep breath, and suddenly, she's overwhelmed with the smell of lake and sweets and something else she cannot quite describe - it's old, yet airy, almost magical, and makes her think of a long-forgotten secret passageway she'd discovered once that connected the greenhouses to the Hufflepuff Common Rooms.

Poppy frowns, confused, but before she can say anything, the door to the Three Broomsticks flings open with a loud thud.

"Wait, don't drink it!"

Despite Ominis's needling, Sebastian is almost glad his friend decided to tag along - without him, it would have probably taken at least twice as long to locate Ava and Poppy. Ominis's wand shines its usual red when it leads them to the Three Broomsticks.

"They must be here," Ominis says.

Sebastian nods and looks into the window - the bar is full of people, so it's unlikely he'd be able to see them from the outside, but he still tries.

To Sebastian's surprise, he sees Ava and Poppy almost immediately - they are at the table by the neighboring window. Instantly, his heart drops - Nott and Avery are at the table with them. Was he too late? Has Nott already done what he'd been planning?

He sees the way Nott looks at Ava with a keen, hungry gaze and clenches his fists. If Nott thinks he has won, he's sorely mistaken.

"So," Ominis asks expectantly, "Is she there?"

"Yes," Sebastian replies darkly. He hesitates momentarily before adding, "And Nott and Avery are there too… I need to warn her about the potion, I hope it's not too late."

"Sebastian," Ominis steps in front of him, stopping him from moving, "As entertaining as it would be to watch all this unfold, I feel it is my duty as a friend to make you stop and think. At this point, Nott's presumed love potion plan is pure speculation - if you are wrong, think about how that will look."

"What would you have me do then?" Sebastian crosses his arms before him, "Nothing? And simply leave Ava to her fate?"

"No," Ominis shakes his head, "I would have you talk to her - but not about the potion."

A loud explosion rattles the air behind them, and when Sebastian looks around, he sees thousands of green and purple sparks in the sky.

"Must be one of Zonko's fireworks," he explains, turning back to Ominis.

From the corner of his eye, Sebastian sees through the foggy window of the Three Broomsticks Nott shift forward. For a split second, something that looks like a tiny vial is in his hand - and he's holding it over Ava's mug. Sebastian's heart drops - Ava cannot see it; she's still looking out the window at the fireworks.

"I told you he was going to do it!" Sebastian exclaims, rushing to the door, "I just saw Nott pour something into her cup."

Ominis must have said something, but Sebastian cannot hear him - not when the blood rushes so loudly in his ears, and his heart pounds against his ribs like mad. Logically, he knows that Ava isn't in danger - even if she were to drink the potion, no harm would come to her - they will take her to the Hospital Wing immediately. But the mere thought of her acting under the influence of a love potion, even for a moment, shatters his heart into a million pieces.

The heavy oak door flings open, slamming into the wall behind it, sending a tremor through the building. Suddenly, all eyes of the bar patrons are upon him, but he's only looking at Ava.

"Don't drink it!"

But he's too late - the mug's already at her lips, and he can only watch helplessly as she takes a sip and then another.

No.

The entire establishment erupts in cacophony, and out of the corner of his eye, Sebastian can see Sirona come out from behind the bar and head toward him, and he knows he needs to hurry. Before Sirona can stop him, he's already at the table where Ava and Poppy sit with Nott and Avery.

"Ava, don't drink it," he says, "I saw Nott spike your butterbeer."

Placing her cup on the table, Ava looks up at Sebastian, wide-eyed and surprised. She seems lucid enough, which is a relief - perhaps, he's not too late.

"You saw him spike my butterbeer?" she repeats, frowning.

"Yes - when you were looking at the fireworks. I saw it from outside the window," Sebastian explains hastily as Sirona approaches them.

Ava looks to Nott, who just shrugs. "I have no idea what he's talking about," Nott says, picking up his own butterbeer and taking a sip, "Did you hit your head so hard during your last duel, Sallow, that you are now seeing things that aren't there? Maybe it's time you took a trip to the Hospital Wing."

Before Sebastian can respond, Sirona is between him and the table.

"What's going on here? Why are you storming into my bar yelling?" she demands.

"I saw Nott spike Ava's drink with a love potion when I was outside," Sebastian explains earnestly, "So I had to warn her. I'm sorry for the disruption, but there was no time to do it any other way."

"You really should stop imagining things, Sallow," Avery budges in, "It's quite embarrassing, you know."

Sirona looks from Sebastian to Nott, clearly weighing the accusation.

"Well, if it was a love potion, it must be pretty bad because I don't feel any different," Ava chuckles, "Guess I'm just heartless."

There's confusion in Nott's gaze, which is all the admission of guilt Sebastian needs. The unquelled rage uncoils in his chest, bright and bristling, making him lurch forward and grab Nott by the lapels of his robes.

"By Merlin's beard," he snarls, "I'm going to make you rue the day you were born."

"Get your dirty half-blood hands off me," Nott yelps, trying to grab over Sebastian's writs to shake his hands off his lapels. Avery gets up to interfere, but Sirona's between Sebastian and Nott, forcefully separating them before he can.

"Stop it, both of you," she says firmly, "Whatever happened, I will not tolerate any fights at my bar."

"Ava, are you sure you are feeling alright?" Poppy asks, "I can walk you to the Hospital Wing if you need."

"Don't worry about me, I'm alright," Ava responds.

A part of Sebastian wonders how that is possible - Potions may not have been his strongest subject, but even he knows that love potions worked almost instantaneously. Could she really be immune?

Dread rises in Sebastian's chest - a cold wave clenches his heart, making it hard to breathe. What if he was wrong - what if it's not a love potion that Nott poured into her drink but rather some kind of poison?

"As for the accusation," Sirona continues, frowning, "The situation is quite serious, and we will need to investigate to uncover the truth."

"I could go fetch Professor Sharp," Ominis offers instantly, "He will be able to tell right away if there is something in this cup that doesn't belong there."

"No need," Sirona replies, taking out her wand, "Try working as a barkeep as long as I have, and you'll learn all the spells necessary for such a check out of pure necessity."

She points the wand at Ava's mug and traces a symbol Sebastian hasn't seen before. The liquid in the cup shifts slightly but stills almost instantaneously. Seconds pass, one after another, but nothing changes.

"Hmm, it doesn't look like this drink's been tampered with," Sirona frowns, then turns to Sebastian, "Are you sure you saw something happen to it?"

Sebastian's heart drops. "I know what I saw," he says vehemently, blood rushing in his ears as a cold, sinking feeling unfurls in his chest, "He did something to it."

"You are a liar, Sallow!" Avery exclaims, "I don't know what you are playing at, but you will pay for this."

"Everyone needs to calm down," Sirona says firmly, "This could have been an honest mistake."

Sebastian looks at Sirona and suddenly realizes that Nott is not behind her. Glancing around, he sees Nott by the window. He appears surprisingly still, almost stiff, as he stares outside.

"Nicholas, hey, Nicholas," Avery calls out, but Nott doesn't respond, only continues staring through the window, mesmerized by something it seems only he can see.

"You are…so beautiful," Nott finally whispers.

It takes Sebastian a second to realize Nott is talking to his reflection.

"Nicholas, are you alright?" Avery asks, approaching Nott, who, once again, doesn't respond.

"Perhaps, we should test all other mugs on the table," Ava suggests, amused, resting her chin on the palm of her hand, "Who knows what we may find."

Sirona nods and casts a spell on the remaining three mugs. Sebastian watches closely - for a brief moment, the liquid in all cups is still until, suddenly, Nott's butterbeer starts to glow a pale pink. Sebastian frowns at the sight - how is this possible?

"Nicholas, this isn't funny," Avery continues, trying to pull Nott away from the window, but Nott simply shakes off his hands. Sebastian can hardly suppress a chuckle as he watches the scene unfold.

"Huh," Ava muses, "Perhaps, it was a good potion after all."

Sebastian looks to Ava and frowns - he was certain that he'd seen Nott pour the potion into her mug. But then how…

"She did this!" Avery exclaimed suddenly, turning around and pointing to Ava, "She's the one who did this - she wanted to bewitch Nicholas, and Sallow's only covering for her."

"Mr. Avery," Sirona sighs, exasperated, "If I were you, I'd save your breath - everyone here knows how love potions work. If Miss Rosier prepared this potion, Mr. Nott wouldn't fall in love with himself."

Avery clenches his fists as he looks to Ava, "What did you do to him?"

"Nothing he didn't try doing to me," Ava smiles sweetly, amusement apparent in her dark eyes, "Let's just say I returned the gift. By the way, next time you try to sneak a love potion into someone's drink, maybe choose something other than butterbeer. You see, when a mixture of cream, caramel, and butter suddenly starts smelling of old books, smoke, and sandalwood, anyone would become suspicious. "

Sebastian looks at her wide-eyed and awe-struck. When did she have time to switch their drinks?

"Mr. Avery, please get Mr. Nott off the premises," Siron says, crossing her arms, "Both of you are banned from my establishment indefinitely."

Avery grumbles but knows he cannot argue. Grabbing Nott's forearm, Avery tries to pull him away from his reflection, but to no avail. Sebastian could watch Avery struggle to get Nott to move the entire day, but Ava and Poppy have other plans.

"It's time for us to head out," Poppy says, and Ava nods as they get up from their seats. Without a word, Sebastian and Ominis follow them outside.

"Nott's certainly going to remember this one for a while," Ominis chuckles as they walk into the town circle.

"He better - else next time I'll make sure he really regrets it," Ava laughs, looking at Ominis over her shoulder.

A sudden fluttering of wings attracts Sebastian's attention - he looks up and notices a small owl circling above them. He's never seen one with such a peculiar coloring - the owl's feathers are soft yellow with brown, red, and gold speckles. After a moment, the owl quickly descends, landing on Poppy's outstretched arm.

"This is from gran," Poppy smiles, accepting the letter from the owl's claws and petting it gently on its head, "Finally."

As Poppy reads the letter, the owl makes its way up her arm and onto her shoulder - then, suddenly, hops over onto Ominis's shoulder.

"Sorry," Poppy offers apologetically, "She doesn't usually do this."

"It's alright," Ominis replies calmly, "I don't mind - what is your owl's name?"

"Eos," Poppy smiles.

"Hello, Eos," Ominis chuckles, "Would you like to be friends?"

"I think she's begging for treats," Poppy laughs, "She always does when she brings letters, but, unfortunately, I do not have any on hand. Sorry, Eos, I'll have to see you later at the Owlery."

"Actually, I happen to have some - I was at the Owlery sending a letter right before we left for Hogsmeade," Ominis reaches into his robes and pulls out a small pouch of dried owl treats. Shaking out some treats onto his palm, he moves his hand closer to the owl, "Here you go."

"You just might be her most favorite person in the world right now," Poppy chuckles, watching Eos pick at the treats.

"Sebastian," Ava says suddenly, "I wanted to thank you for coming to warn me."

A small half-smile blooms on her lips, making Sebastian's heart flutter.

"Any time," he says, trying to calm his racing pulse, "By the way, when did you manage to switch the mugs?"

"When you ran into the bar - the commotion you caused gave me just the split second I needed," Ava smiles, then tilts her head to the side, "But I'm curious - how did you find us? Were you and Ominis just passing by the Three Broomsticks when you saw that entire ordeal?"

Blood rushes in Sebastian's ears, and his mouth suddenly feels dry. "Actually, I was looking for you."

"Looking for me?" Ava frowns, meeting his gaze, "Why?"

Sebastian's heart is in his throat - he knows that if he ever wanted to tell Ava about everything that's been weighing on his heart the last few weeks, that made him lay awake at night yearning for something he couldn't quite describe, now would be the time. Yet, somehow, the words never come to him.

"I…I overheard Nott and Avery plot this in the common room, so I knew I needed to warn you," he says instead.

Something shifts in Ava's gaze, and she smiles an unfamiliar, soft smile, "Thank you - I am so fortunate to have a friend like you."

"Ava," Poppy calls out excitedly, looking up from her letter, "I think gran just gave me an idea of how we can find what we've been looking for! We'll just need to drop by Pippin's Potions first!"

"The store's closing soon, so we should go now," Ava replies, then looks back to Sebastian, "Well, we'll be on our way - see you later."

Ava and Poppy are halfway across the town circle when Ominis lets out a deep, exasperated sigh and says, "Sometimes I just cannot believe how daft you are."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sebastian frowns, crossing his arms before him as he turns to Ominis.

"Merlin's beard, it's almost painful to witness you be so oblivious," Ominis continues, "Especially when she's just all but outright admitted it."

"Admitted what?" Sebastian asks, confused.

Ominis sighs again. "You know, the way you've been getting on my nerves the last few weeks, perhaps, I should let you suffer," he says, "But I can't stand your whistful sighs or longing gazes every time she's around any longer, so I will tell you."

"You can't see the way I look at her!" Sebastian protests.

"I can feel it," Ominis replies, "And if you think that I'm the only one who noticed, then you are a bigger fool than I thought."

Sebastian feels a bright blush rise in his cheeks. "So what are you going to tell me?" he asks.

"Do you remember what Professor Sharp told us about Amortentia?" Ominis says. Sebastian frowns, trying to remember, but Potions have never been his strong suit.

"Not really," he shakes his head.

"You really are hopeless," Ominis chuckles, "Well, fine - in short, Amortentia smells different to every person, based on what they like. And Ava just said that the spiked butterbeer smelled of old books, smoke, and sandalwood…Is none of that ringing a bell?"

Sebastian stares at Ominis, confused.

"Really?" Ominis raises an eyebrow, "I wonder where you can find many old books? Perhaps, in the school's library…And the smoke, that couldn't possibly be from a certain fire spell you seem to really favor - the very same one you taught her just a few weeks back, could it? As for sandalwood… I wouldn't know, but I also cannot do all your thinking for you, Sebastian."

Unbidden, Sebastian's mind goes to the night he and Ava got caught hiding in the broom closet from the prefects. It was almost dizzying to have her so close, and when her warm breath ghosted his neck as she spoke, he could barely hide his shudder.

"That's a nice cologne," she whispered, "It's cardamom and…sandalwood, right?"

Suddenly, it feels as though all pieces of the puzzle fall into place.

"Ominis," Sebastian says, heart racing in his throat, "What do I do?"

"Do you like her? Then go tell her."

And so Sebastian does.

He runs through the streets of Hogsmeade, hoping and praying that Ava and Poppy haven't left the village yet. To his relief, he sees Ava just outside Pippin's Potions store.

"Ava!" Sebastian calls out.

"Sebastian?" Ava looks at him confused, when he approaches, "Is everything alright?"

Silhouetted by the soft light of a streetlamp, she looks absolutely lovely, and Sebastian's heart flutters in his chest.

"Ava, I…"

A myriad of thoughts rushes through his mind. He wants to tell her of the way his heart skips a beat every time she smiles at him and about how happy she makes him and how much that scares him because, truly, he'd never thought that one person could bear that much happiness and of how he'd lain awake every night until dawn for the last few weeks yearning - aching-for her.

Yet, somehow, when she looks at him with those mesmerizing dark eyes, Sebastian finds himself lost for words, so he does the only thing he can.

Sebastian doesn't remember leaning in - only the moment his lips found hers. Ava feels delightfully soft and warm - and, yet, completely still under his touch. Sebastian's heart drops as a cold wave of dread rises in his chest. Was he so utterly mistaken?

But then she's kissing him back - and the very axis of his world shifts ever so slightly. It's everything Sebastian has ever wished for - slow and sweet and utterly dizzying, spreading liquid fire through his veins and making his head spin.

When they pull apart, Sebastian's flushed and breathless, and he notices a light blush rise in Ava's cheeks as well.

"Was there Amortentia in your butterbeer too?" Ava chuckles.

Before Sebastian has a chance to respond, the door to the potions shop swings open, and Poppy comes out carrying a small satchel.

"Got everything we need," she says happily, "And I think I know where we need to search next."

"Well then, lead the way," Ava replies before turning to Sebastian and smiling, "We've got some matters to attend to now, but when I'm back at Hogwarts, perhaps, you could find me - and we could finish this discussion then."

"Of course," Sebastian replies, his voice a little hoarse, "I will see you later."

#sebastian sallow x mc #OC: Ava Rosier

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avidrawsthings · 1 year

Text

Behold! Talbott and Reina's adorable little babies, with slight upgrades to their designs. From left to right, oldest to youngest: Corvo, Ava, Raven and Altair. They're 2-3 years old here.

The munchkins were born in Hogsmeade during the Battle of Hogwarts (long story). They're an energetic bunch of happy and healthy kiddos. All of them inherited Reina's Empathic Sense and Talbott's love of bird puns. The colorful pins they're wearing is a protective charm known as an Aegis.

In addition to keeping them safe from danger and letting the parents know where they're at, the Aegis also keeps their developing Magic under control, preventing potential outbursts when out in public. Individual profiles will be below.

Corvo Winger

The oldest of the four. Per Caelestis tradition, he fused with their original 5th sibling in the womb, resulting in his heterochromia and skin tone. The calmest and most levelheaded of his siblings, he’s often seen as the problem-solver. Corvo is prone to sleeping a lot due to being Narcoleptic. He enjoys creating music and his favorite color is green.

Ava Winger

The second oldest of the four. The most headstrong and courageous of her siblings, Ava has no problem fighting back against anyone she feels has wronged her and her family, be it other kids and even adults. She’s also the most honest and proud of it. She enjoys sports and her favorite color is red.

Raven Winger

The second youngest of the four. The quietest and most independent of her siblings, Raven often prefers to do things her way. Raven is on the Autism Spectrum, and therefore avoids making eye contact with most people, and is sensitive to loud noises. Her Familiar Archimedes takes the form of an owl plush that has a satin texture. She enjoys puzzles, history, and baking and her favorite color is blue.

Altair Winger

The youngest of the four. The most empathic and sensitive of his siblings, Altair is prone to crying a lot whether he’s sad or happy. Altair isn’t fond of confrontation and prefers if things could be resolved as peacefully as possible. He will fight back if he truly needs to. He enjoys creating art, especially with ink, and his favorite color is yellow.

#my art #avi ocs #hphm #hogwarts mystery #corvo winger #ava winger #raven winger #altair winger #hphm fankids #fankids #talbott x reina #talbott winger #hphm talbott #reina cortez #hphm reina #hphm mc #mc x talbott #talbott x mc

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thewayhavenchronicle · 1 year

Note

Prompt, if you’re taking them: “please. Please just listen to me” for whoever!!

so this got away from me jfdkls

Rating: T+ Pairing: Ruth Bihari x Ava du Mortain Word Count: 1557 Content Warnings: Referenced CPTSD & Panic Attacks 10. "please. please just listen to me."

"Ruth."

Ava's heart pounds in her chest like it's trying to break through her ribs, aching to throw itself into Ruth's arms.

The woman in question doesn't look up from the cut on her hand, watching the blood drip downward as if in a daze. Ava waits another heartbeat, and then clicks her tongue, moving forward to wrap a dishtowel around Ruth's hand to help stem the bleeding. Her touch is gentle as she cradles the injured hand, kneeling carefully in front of her, avoiding the pieces of broken glass from the shattered pitcher she'd dropped trying to wash it.

Ava goes still when Ruth flinches, heart rate spiking fiercely as the air suddenly smells of adrenaline and fear. She looks up at Ruth's face, apology already falling from her lips, only to find that Ruth still isn't looking at her.

"Are you... afraid of me, Detective?"

"—what?"

Her voice comes out in a rush, and her eyes finally come up to Ava's face, leaving the mess on the kitchen floor. Ava leans away a little, trying not to flinch at the wild-eyed terror in those deep, dark brown eyes. Her breath is coming fast and ragged, and her gaze darts away a moment later, back to the shattered glass, which she immediately tries to go back to cleaning up.

"I'm — I'm so sorry, Ava. I don't know what happened. I'll clean it up, I swear, I —"

"Ruth. It's alright," Ava murmurs, unsure of what sort of state has come over her. Ava reaches out and curls her fingers under Ruth's chin, nudging until Ruth looks at her again. "It wasn't important. What's important right now is bandaging your hand."

Ruth shakes her head, squeezing her eyes shut with a rough sigh. "No. No, it doesn't matter. I need to clean it up."

"What do you mean it doesn't matter? Of course, it matters. You are injured. That matters far more than whatever it was that broke."

Confusion crawls up her spine like the tickling feet of insects when Ruth doesn't even seem to hear her. Ava tries to get Ruth's attention again, cupping her cheek and watching the way she reacts, sighing heavily as her eyes drift shut, brows drawn low. Ruth leans into the touch, reaching up with her uninjured hand to hold Ava in place as if she is trying to ground herself.

It's almost an exact mirror of their positions after the House of Mirrors a few months ago.

Though the part of her fighting valiantly to remain numb screams at her to pull away, to leave Ruth to handle this herself, the part of Ava that is overwhelmed with affection has her staying still, stroking her thumb across the detective's cheek to swipe at the few tears that fall from her eyes. She can hear as Ruth's heartbeat starts to even out again, tension seeping from her frame the longer they sit together like this. It's not long until Ruth slumps on the tile, head bowed as she lets out a ragged, heavy sigh.

"...sorry."

Ruth breaks the silence with a barely audible rasp, hard even for Ava's ears to pick up. Long, dark curls fall into her face as she leans forward a little more, clearly trying to hide. Beneath Ava's palm, she can feel Ruth's face start to heat up even more.

A moment passes, and then Ruth leans back again, tilting her head back and avoiding Ava's gaze. Ava watches as a wall slides into place behind her eyes as she pulls Ava's hand away from her face. She huffs a half-hearted, bitter laugh, shaking her head ruefully as she moves to press on her wound with her good hand.

"You ever think you've buried something so deep that you surely don't need therapy or anything else to get over it?"

...well.

Ava almost wants to laugh at the question, but she doesn't want to break this strange atmosphere hovering over them. Ava has been cagey about her own past — of course she has — but Ruth has been just as non-forthcoming about her own. She isn't related to anyone they know the way Saoirse is, so she's been a bit of an enigma since they met 8 months ago now.

Ruth sniffles, using the towel soaking up the blood on her hand to protect her skin as she sweeps the glass into a pile. Clearing her throat, she sighs softly and says, "Can't tell you how many times me accidentally breaking something because someone startled me got me in trouble as a kid. My dad — well, my stepdad, he wasn't my dad — he used to..."

She trails off, frowning deeply as a memory passes behind her eyes. She shakes her head as if trying to shake off the cobwebs of the memory.

"Cops have a saying in some places that if you beat someone with a phonebook, it won't leave bruises. I... don't know if that's true, but he was always careful to leave the bruises where my clothes would cover them. Same with my mom, before..." she clears her throat, sighing harshly. "Before the incident."

Ava reaches out and gently nudges Ruth's hands away from the pile of glass. She's a little relieved when Ruth lets her take over the cleanup, shifting so she's leaning against the cabinet, elbows resting on her bent knees as she tries to keep pressure on her hand.

Once the glass has been thrown away, or at the very least just set aside where it won't cause any more damage, Ava returns to her place in front of Ruth, settling on her knees in front of her. Ruth's eyes stay on her hand, even as Ava dips her head to try and catch them.

"The incident?" she presses after another beat of silence.

Ruth hums, lips curling into another bitter smile. "Mm. My stepfather murdered my mother when I was 16. I found her in a puddle of her own blood, surrounded by shards of broken glass. She —" Ruth hisses, letting out a sharp breath as her face shifts into a glare. "I could barely recognize her. It — broken glass can remind me, sometimes. I guess when I cut myself it made me... remember."

"...that sounds incredibly distressing."

Ruth snorts. "Only a little. I'm used to it — usually I'm alone when it happens. I'm just sorry you had to be here to see it, small as it was."

"Why?" Ava's brows draw together, and she is still frowning when Ruth's gaze darts up to hers, peeking at her from under her lashes. "You have nothing to apologize for, and yet you keep doing so."

Her eyes drop back to her hand as she shrugs. "It's not worth getting other people involved. I'm — I'm not really worth all that fuss."

"Not worth it?"

Ruth chuckles softly. "You can't seriously expect me to believe that I'm as important to this team as Saoirse is. I'm not special — I'm just stubborn as a mule and too smart for them to easily get rid of me."

"You're not — you really think —"

Ava's jaw snaps shut with an audible click when she stammers. Ruth isn't looking at her, eyes fixed on her hands, brows still slightly pinched at the middle. Her dark curls fall into her face still, curly fringe falling into her eyes where it must have gotten wet when she dropped the dish. Sighing shakily, Ava inches closer, reaching out to brush her hair from her eyes. Ava's touch lingers against her skin when Ruth's eyes close as if to enjoy the moment, leaning into the touch as Ava brushes the back of her knuckles against her cheek.

"Please—" Ava starts, and then cuts herself off, gritting her teeth for a moment. Forcing herself to relax, Ava focuses on her hand as it settles against the side of Ruth's neck, feeling the way her pulse jumps at the touch. "Please, just... listen to me."

Ruth's eyes open and find Ava's, drawn together as if by gravity. They look at each other for a moment — Ava watches Ruth's eyes as they drag across her features, lingering on her lips for long enough that Ava's lips begin to tingle with the knowledge of the attention.

"You are... You have become an integral part of us, Ruth. Saoirse as well, but you were the one who had the greatest hand in tracking down Murphy. You were the one who found Saoirse when he took her. You were the one who had the most contact with the leader of the maa-alused." Ava shakes her head, eyes wandering over Ruth's beautiful face. "You have a place within my—our heart that no one else could have. Do not let that voice in your head drown out the reality of our situation. I... we need you."

Ava's eyes have long since dropped from Ruth's, focusing on her own hand on Ruth's skin instead. She watches Ruth swallow thickly, releasing a quiet, shaky breath as her good hand reaches up to loosely grip Ava's wrist, nudging her hand until she cups her cheek again.

Ruth's eyes dart between Ava's, back and forth as if she is looking for something... and then she smiles a little and turns to press a kiss to the heel of Ava's palm.

"...thank you, Ava."

I love you.

#my writing #twc #ava du mortain #twc ava #twc detective #a du mortain x detective #ava x ruth #twc fanfic #sort of in my multiple mc au?? ruth is not rebecca's daughter #she's an investigator hired by a victim of murphy's to catch him #ANYWAY. LORD.

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mistrall-art · 2 years

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Finished this sketch of Wayfarer!Alua and gave her, her brown and white hairstyle again hahah :') was too tired to render the clothes, but meh this is fine.

Alua has the worst luck, part of it due to her own temper, but it makes playthroughs with her really fun! She's also super salty about not being able to see in the dark XD

and i finally joined the discord server!

#my art #wayfarer #wayfarer if #wayfarer mc #digital art #digital sketch #coloured sketch #art #clip studio paint #drawing #original character #oc #mistocs: alua #noa. alua and ava seem to be my three main wayfarers x')

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rainesenator · 2 years

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it lives within, chapter 9, colorized

tagging: @itlivesproject

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kerimcberry · 10 days

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Spring Break 🌸✨ (Part 6)

Spending time with Muggles was... different... but nice. Definitely a feeling he could get used to 😭

I had SO MUCH fun with this little series 🥹💕 Lyla and Sebastian are such precious babies, and now I can't wait to do a little family series of their own someday 💛💚

<< PART 5

#hogwarts legacy #hogwarts legacy fanart #hogwarts legacy mc #lyla estaris #sebastian sallow #luis estaris #ava estaris #alfred estaris #sebastian sallow x mc #slytherin x hufflepuff #slytherpuff

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somewillwin · 1 year

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The way I’m using avatrice to draw joss and Blake hdhshshsh I’m sorry.

#Ava is just the kind of ray of sunshine Blake is shsjjsjs #also #both self sacrifying idiots #hshshsh #Jocelyn Wu #Blake wright #Jocelyn x mc #it lives within

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deb-1106 · 10 months

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MC MADNESS

Week 4

@ao719 @burnsoslow @sincerelyella @charlotteg234 @thirsty-flygirl @choiceswreckedme @walkerismychoice @txemrn @twinkleallnight @imashybish @blackcatkita @katedrakeohd @boneandfur @sfb123 @queenrileyrose @foreverethereal123 @kingliam2019 @nestledonthaveone @bebepac @petiteboheme @princess-geek @indiana-jr @nikkis1983 @yukinagato2012 @tessa-liam @marshmallowsandfire @twinkleallnight @tinkie1973 @mom2000aggie @walkerdrakewalker @alyshak92 @emkay512 @karahalloway

#choices trr #choices mc madness #deb-1106 writes #choices the royal romance #drake x ava

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grapecaseschoices · 11 months

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right back at you! 35-40 for the ship you're thinking about most!

BJ and Seb are more on my brain, but I don't know Seb too well yet, so I'll do my latest TWC PT as well -- Kendis and Ava.

35) Who's more artistic?

Joeb: Bethany Josnel is. He's a rock star whose stage attire involves shoes like this. His stage name is Nova. He can play the piano. Seb is literally just some guy.

Keva: I mean I can't imagine someone being LESS artistic than Ava -- Rebecca maybe? [After all repairing cars takes some artistry] So, it really isnt hard to be MORE artistic than Ava. But Kendis definitely takes the cake. Not only is their attire more aesthetically vibrant, they're very creative and are open to new creative endeavors. So while they're far from a traditinonal artist [like BJ], they enjoy making and decorating and fashion.

36) Who's more likely to fire up the stove at 2am because the other woke up in the middle of the night hungry?

Joeb: I feel it could be either, because Josnel is a dad friend and Seb is a dad. So it is probably even, but I feel it leans Seb. Just by a hair. He comes off like a very attentive parent in the asks, and I feel maybe this might have given him a sixth sense. Also, I feel he would be mindful of how much work and stress BJ's career is -- so he's even more hypervigilant to take care of his man. This is my Seb canon til otherwise proven.

Keva: Ava. LMAO, not that Kendis wouldn't. Neither them sleep lmao, so its more who pauses working to get the other a snack. But Ava will take care of Kendis if it kills them both. But Kendis is more likely to be the one sleeping and thus waking up at 2am. Then Ava is faster thus could get Kendis what she needed before she can stop her.

37) Which is more likely to swear?

Joeb: Oh, I don't know. Seb seems like the type to tsk 'language' and he is so goofy, he doesnt seem like a curser? And Josnel was raised in the Church, still has that in him. Maybe BJ but barely/rarely.

Keva: Kendis. Kendis swears and curses. Silly swears [dangnabbit/go suck the toes off a pig, you tucker carlson watching butthole] and at times the "harder" stuff lmao. Usually leans on 'fuck' and 'shit'.

38) Who is more sexually experimental? Who's more vanilla?

Joeb: Sebastian. BJ. Respectively. I remembered that Seb is down to clown. He is also more touchy. BJ is generally more reserved [so far, in my mindplace. Maybe it will change when I play him -- maybe the white man will have him act a fool!]

Keva: Kendis. Ava. Respectively. Kendis has more experience. And Ava is very set, I also don't imagine she's thought about sex much at all. I mean she's demisexual. And she's also Ava. Kendis is also is theoretically down to clown. [As long as they call the shots/boundaries are pre-established].

39) Who would rescue an injured animal and nurse it back to health? What would the other think?

Joeb: Goodness, idk. Maybe Seb? I feel Maya has made him creature rescuer. It must be habit. BJ would judge because he's unaware that he would as well -- but he's more likely to call animal rescue, I feel than try to make himself the next star of Dodo.

Keva: Kendis. All day. Everyday. Ava is ready to move them away to the city -- but with her luck Kendis would find some diseased sewer creature to bring home. Ava is resigned but also not, like she accepts this is who Kendis is but she's gonna point out the follies anyway.

40) Who has an insatiable appetite? And what does the other do to help?

Joeb: I don't think either of them are big eaters? Though, maybe leans on Beth because them post-Black church lunches were about filling the plate. Seb makes sure to just shop more and get the groceries.

Keva: Kendis. Kendis be eating. And theyre a foodie, I feel it is fair to say. Ava isn't big on going out, but she definitely indulges Kendis for the quieter hole-in-a-wall. And she probably knows Kendis' faves from Hayleys and will stop buy to get something when she walk kendis home

Thanks for the ask!!

#coldshrugs #grapecase answers #meet my ships #josnel x seb #kendis x ava #twc #infamous if #meet my infamous mcs #oc: josnel coleman #twc: kendis crawford louel #long post #i need a tag fr answered ask memes #hrm

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narcolini · 1 year

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in his shadow - pt. 3

ez reyes x oc: ava gomez, 3426 words

warnings for alcohol usage and mild steaminess, 18+

for day 19 of whumpril: ‘i’m worried about you’

a/n: ok. mi gente, mi compas. this had all the intentions of being whump and angst and then. i dont know what happened. im so sorry to the whumpril creators but my brain said we flirting today and thats all i could do. anyway HUGE eyes at this development

tagging: @drabbles-mc @cositapreciosa my ez ladies

previous part here

Her grand plan to make amends, went as smoothly as every other plan she’s had lately—which is not smooth at all, forever doomed to tip into something like disaster, apparently. She’d pulled up to EZ’s trailer undetected at first, which filled her with confidence that this would work. Had managed to get half the weights from her trunk, to the spot just beside his door, without too much noise as well. It was all going perfectly, really, until she dropped the last dumbbell onto one of the others, sending the pair of them clattering to the ground.

He didn’t burst out like she thought he might’ve, gun in hand and ready for assault, so she carried on with her mission regardless. Scooped the lighter one first, put it back into place. Turned her attention again to the one that stretched her arms out tight, too heavy, really, for her to be lifting at all.

Her dedication to correcting the mistake made her miss the door opening, made her oblivious to EZ standing in the frame of it now, half-dressed and rubbing his eyes.

‘What’s this?’ he asks, voice breaking the silence. Deep, and sleep-trodden, from the step above her. ‘Some sort of reverse robbery?’

‘Shit.’ His arrival makes her jump, grip slipping momentarily. ‘Sorry.’

‘Was about to come out here swinging, Ava.’

Was about to tackle her to the ground, no doubt, demanding to know what she was doing at his place when he’s trying to sleep.

She sighs, standing from her bend, the last dumbbell finally set into the bottom rack. ‘I was trying to get it all out before you…’ The words fade off, replaced by a smile. It doesn’t matter. She shouldn’t have been sneaking up on a Mayan, but the end result is the same now. ‘Peace offering?’ she says, unable to shake the question from the end of it. If he wants her to go, she will. But if he takes the gift willingly, she’ll get to leave with one less burden on her shoulders.

He softens slightly—though with the way he’s squinting into the falling sun, it’s hard to tell. He’d look like he was frowning if it weren’t for the small tweak to his lips. ‘You didn’t have to do that.’

‘But I did.’ She pulls open the tote over her arm, grabbing the bottle from within and holding it up to him. ‘I brought Tequila too.’

‘Tequila?’

She winces, apologetic. ‘I don’t drink beer.’

He laughs, head tilting to the side, like he’s weighing up the idea. ‘Tequila it is,’ he says, stepping back for her to enter. ‘But if you get me wasted, Bish will—’

‘I know, I know, you’re on call.’ She waves him off. ‘I’m very familiar with leading prospects astray.’ Sebastian used to pull the battery from his phone and claim he was out of range, with no signal to answer when el presidente called. ‘We’ll be good.’

She just wants to break the tension for a bit, that’s all. It’s been a few days since he came to get Seb’s things, since she sent him away for telling her what he thought. They haven’t spoken about it—which wouldn’t be too unusual, considering she’s only had his number for a week or so—but it feels noticeably awkward somehow. Like they aren’t speaking on purpose. She’d been at the clubhouse yesterday, and only got as much as a nod from him.

The door shuts behind them, pulled to by EZ. He does’t latch it, but leaves a crack for the breeze, for the glimpse of orange sun each time the gap widens it. ‘You really didn’t have to bring all this over,’ he says.

‘I just wanted to…’ She spins, still clutching the bottle with both hands. ‘I don’t know, I thought it over and I realised you’re right. What you said, it’s fucking right.’

He nods, quiet like he knows there’s more. She follows him with her eyes as he steps past her, reaching for a t-shirt, then pulling it over his head as she continues.

‘So I wanted to say sorry for that.’ She takes a breath. Sorry and can we forget it, she means, can we pretend I didn’t turf you out just for trying to be a friend. ‘But, I also think you were really, really, dumb—’

‘I thought this was an apology,’ he laughs, frowning through it.

‘It is—shut up—you were really dumb for laying it on me there when I was already in a fucking weird headspace.’

His brows dip again, but the smile lingers. The t-shirt settles around him. ‘And you’re sorry because…I was dumb?’

‘Because you didn’t know I have a complex about my dead fiancé’s house,’ she finishes, trying her best to remain sincere, but now he’s smiling, she is too. ‘Sorry. For that. Sorry I didn’t take your advice and sorry I didn’t tell you why.’ She nods, huffs. Relaxes now it’s out in the open.

‘Well, thank-you, and thank-you for the…’ He gestures behind him, in the direction of the weights on the other side. ‘But I’m the one that owes you an apology.’

‘Oh, don’t do that,’ she groans, ‘I’m trying to be the better person here.’

He goes to fight her on it, half-smile lifting in his lips, but then decides against it. Concedes and lets her have this one. ‘Alright, call it even then.’ She knows there’s an apology under there anyway. ‘Want me to get some glasses?’

‘Please.’ She passes him the bottle, ditching her bag on the side, and turning to the—‘Oh.’ She stops herself. ‘You were sleeping.’

The two couches that were there last time have been joined by a third cushion, long and filling the gap in place of the table, making the living room into a bedroom. The sheets on top are twisted, his bed unmade and abandoned from when she had woken him up.

‘Late night?’ she asks, hovering by the end of it.

‘Yeah, sorry, you can just.’ He flits from the kitchen space behind her, abandoning the open cupboard, to waft the sheet free and flat. He smoothes it quickly, tossing his pillow to the opposite end. ‘I can put it away if you want.’

‘No, no, I don’t mind.’ Seeing him fuss over it is making her regret even saying anything to start with. She can practically see his ears reddening the longer he tries to make it presentable, can feel her own doing the same as a result. She should’ve just climbed on in the first place, as if nothing were different. ‘Get the drinks,’ she tells him, ‘I can sit here.’

He lets her past, nodding as she settles onto the end of the bed. She toes her sneakers off, then puts her legs up on the thin mattress and shuffles back until she’s sat against the wall. It’s hard to imagine sleeping here, with no space either side of it, and it being thinner and shorter, much shorter, than any normal bed, but it is cozy. She can picture that. If it were her trailer, she’d have fairy light around the nook it’s in, make the bed a den instead of a camping situation.

‘Here.’ He passes her a glass. ‘I don’t have ice, sorry.’

‘You’re good.’ Tequila is tequila. She doesn’t intend to savour it like he might.

He climbs over her then, opting to sit on her left. When he puts his legs out, stonewash jeans atop the sheet, his feet are a stretch away from meeting the wall on the opposite side. Hers barely reach his ankles.

‘Salud,’ she says, clinking her glass to his.

He matches her, but when they go to drink, hers goes back in one, sharp and potent, while EZ just takes a sip.

‘Jesus.’ He laughs, coughing out through the taste of it. ‘We’re doing shots now?’

‘I am.’ She frowns, swallowing a second time to get rid of the burn. ‘Don’t know how you savour this stuff.’

‘Well,’ he considers it, looking into his glass with a smirk, ‘usually I drink nicer stuff. This is, yeah, it’s pretty rough.’

‘Oh, wow,’ her eyes roll, ‘I’m so sorry I didn’t break the bank for our peace-keeping drinks.’

He laughs, teeth flashing, and she joins him easily, glad to be with someone who can take her sarcasm as it’s intended. ‘Damn, was I even complaining?

‘No, but you aren’t rushing to refill my glass either, so…’

He bumps her, shoulder to shoulder. ‘You’re closer. You go.’

She did, and now they’re three shots down, cheeks warm, eyes glazing. EZ still insisted on sipping his, which was pacing Ava in a way she needed but would never have managed herself. Once the first was in, that was it, as careless with liquor as she was in college.

‘Okay,’ she announces, humming afterwards, ‘no more for a bit. You take your time with that one.’

‘Yeah? You feeling it?’

She smiles up at him—because he’s still sitting properly, back straight to the wall, and not half way into the bed the way she is. ‘Just the perfect amount.’

He nods, his own glass balanced on his lap. ‘Alright. Perfect amount.’

Perfect, warming, spinning room, amount. They’re sitting close enough to be touching now, arm to arm, hip to hip. More warmth added to the heat stirring in her chest, and tracking down her throat. This might be the first time she’s enjoyed Tequila in years. Her new favourite way to drink, cooped up on EZ’s three-part mattress.

‘You know,’ he starts, clearing his throat in-between, ‘the other day, I really didn’t mean to…’ He rubs the back of his head, itching the words out of him. ‘I’m worried about you, that’s all it is. Trying to look out for you.’ He laughs. ‘And being a dick about it in the process.’

’S'okay.’ She shrugs, sleeves bunching against his own. They’d already been through this. He was right, she was wrong, the timing was fucking terrible. ‘No biggie, is it?’ She pauses, then decides against stopping there. ‘But…’ she adds, drawing out the word, turning the T over between her teeth.

‘Let me have it.’ He sighs theatrically. ‘I can take it.’

Her hand lifts, elbow on the bed between them, finger waving in his general direction. ‘The trying to look out for me part,’ she says. ‘I get it. You’re a gentleman, blah blah blah, but, please don’t. Y’know, just. Don’t. That’s half the pinche problem with the rest of those payasos.’

He smiles, ducking his chin like that might hide it.

Which it doesn’t, of course, because Ava catches it right away, her brows pulling together sharply. ‘What?’

‘Nothing.’ Another smirk. ‘Just that, well, you’re getting it.’ He takes a sip, hissing it back, then adds, ‘And also, you only ever speak spanish when you’re drunk?’

‘Drunk and bullied by my family,’ she answers quickly, sitting upright and away from the wall to look at him properly. That was beside the point. That wasn’t what he was smiling about. ‘Getting what?

‘How to tell people when they do shit you don’t like.’ He says it like he’s proud, like he wants her to do it again, even if he’s on the other end of the sharpened spike. ‘Now you just gotta times it by like, a thousand, and tell the guys to stop being so fucking weird.’

‘Hm.’ She slouches into herself, smiling. Alcohol or not, he’s right, she had told him—in fact, she’s always told him. It came out easier with him, somehow. Even the argument at her house was proof of it; she never would have told Gilly to leave like that, or Coco, or Angel. There was no Sebastian looming over her shoulder when she spoke to EZ, no old friendship that she had to be respectful of. Just her, just him. A clean slate had never felt so fucking good. ‘I can do that,’ she says, believing it.

‘Yeah?’ His brow arches. ‘You wanna go tell them right now?’

She snorts, loud and uncharacteristic of her. ‘God, no. Fuck, no. I’d say something completely out of order and make everything worse.’

She’d say all the things she’s struggling not to say now, holding back with just a tequila tongue and pure will power.

‘Like what?’ EZ asks, putting one ankle atop the other. Settling in like he expects her to have an entire list of forbidden topics to share.

‘Man, I don’t know.’ She combs through her hair once, detangling it on the exit, fingertips catching in the ends. ‘Honestly? Probably something like…’ She looks down, fiddling with her hands. ‘Never mind.’

‘No, what? Don’t do that,’ EZ bursts, grinning around the complaints. ‘You can’t do that.’

She shakes her head, attempting to dismiss his excitement, his building intrigue. ‘It’s just stupid. Shallow.’ Things she could admit to girl friends and nobody else, especially not him.

‘Try me.’

She looks him over, sitting against the wall beside her. Broad shoulders, soft eyes. A plain t-shirt with a logo she doesn’t recognise. He’s hardly a threat, hardly set up to judge her. There’s no kutte, no sign of the Mayans and all the shit that comes with them, just EZ. Ezekiel Reyes. The guy fresh out of prison, fresh in the club. Just as much of a clean slate as she wants to be.

‘God, okay.’ She sucks a breath in, puts her hands over her eyes like it might be easier to admit in the dark. ‘I think, well, I was going to say, sometimes I actually miss them hitting on me.’

He laughs, loud and deep and genuine.

She should have never expected anything less.

Her hands come down, desperate to defend herself. ‘No, like.’ She’s leaning forward now, a breath away from tapping on his stomach, from grabbing his shirt and making him be serious about this. ‘Listen, EZ, stop it. I can explain.’

‘Relax,’ he says, laughing still, but lifting his hands like he’s innocent. ‘I’m listening.’ The drink sloshes against his glass, meeting him at his lips afterwards.

‘Even when Sebastian was alive,’ she explains, talking through the scorching red blush in her face, ‘they’d try it. Not seriously, sure, but there was some fucking, jokey, acknowledgement that I’m, y’know, a fucking woman.’

He nods, holding back a smile by pressing his lips tightly together. He’s doing his best, he is, and if she wasn’t embarrassed on a deathly level, she’d be laughing with him. Instead, she’s paddling against the tide. Desperate to reach the side where he understands, and he isn’t laughing, and she doesn’t want to be eaten whole by the gap between the trailer’s couches.

‘Stop it,’ she pleads. ‘I know it’s stupid.’

‘It’s not.’

‘But now I’m on the other fucking side of the spectrum, and they act like I’m some wrinkly, old widow.’

‘It’s not stupid, Ava.’

‘Or a mother, actually,’ she continues, talking over him. ‘Like I’m Mom and Dad’s six feet under.’ And the rest of the club are the fatherless kids she’s left with, doomed to forever think she’s more mother than woman, more grief than life.

EZ’s quiet now, sitting back to watch her with a smile he isn’t bothering to hide. ‘Y’know, I can tell Angel to make a move, if it’ll make you feel better?’ A snort comes out of him, head shaking lightly. ‘Think he’d sleep with anyone who asked at this point.’

She recoils, face crumpling. ‘First of all, fucking, ew. Secondly, is that supposed to be a compliment? Am I that unfuckable?’

He laughs, nervous this time, blood rushing to his ears quick enough to be noticeable.

‘God, EZ, if I wanted to be humbled, I’d—’

He cuts her off, setting his glass on the windowsill behind. ‘Alright, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that.’ He scrambles for words, palms raised to either side of his head, and then gesturing toward her. ‘You’re obviously, you know.’

She stares. She isn’t above begging for compliments, at least, not in her current state. Hot head, hotter heart. She smiles, prompting him to continue, ‘You know…?’

He matches her gaze, holding it, and her, still and silent for a moment. It’s dark in there now, the sun’s slipped beneath the horizon, just about, and neither of them have bothered to hit a light. The room’s dampened in a cool, blue, dusk. Just the green glow from the microwave clock, and the orange from the streetlamp through the window.

It feels smaller, suddenly. One room, one bed.

‘Sorry,’ she gathers herself, ‘sorry. I’m clearly in the desperate stage of drinking.’

It’s not on him to make her feel better, not about this sort of shit. It’s probably not a good idea, either, to even consider going down that road. Flirting with Mayans was only fun when it was harmless, when it lead to nothing because Sebastian was there, telling them to watch their mouths every time that they did.

EZ hasn’t looked away still, even though she’s looking down at her hands. She can feel him watching her. Brown eyes set.

‘I’m game,’ he says.

Her head tugs up. ‘What?’

He shrugs. There’s a smirk in the corner of his mouth, a glint in his eye. He looks boyish, charming, in a way he hasn’t before. ‘I’m game, if that’s what you’re getting at.’

‘But..’ She hesitates, doubt seeping through the pores. There’s no question in his meaning, from the way he’s looking at her, the way her heart’s beating in response—like it knows before she does, what it all means—but in his reasoning. His motivation. ‘Do you want to?’ she asks, hating how it makes her sound. It strips her back of confidence, wanting or not. ‘It’s not just, y’know, feeling sorry for the lonely widow?’

She’s older than him, and layered with baggage he could never dream of. Drunk and babbling about missing attention, even when it meant nothing at all. Surely he, of all people, has better choices, better options for fun, than a night with her?

His eyes flick to her lips. Just once, but lingering. ‘When have I ever said I feel sorry for you, Ava?’

‘Never.’ The word falls out without her having to think it. He’s never said it, never implied it, either.

‘Mhmm.’ He hums, and then he’s leaning forward, eyes on her mouth again, palm flat on the bed between them. ‘Can I?’

Can he?

She nods.

He kisses her once to test the waters; one hand to the side of her jaw, his lips gentle, careful even. When she doesn’t pull back, or screw up with regret, and guilt, the way he must have expected her to do, he goes again, harder, keener. Hit teeth catch hers as he deepens the kiss, a hot sigh pulled from the back of his tongue. She meets him there, kneeling to get closer, putting his face between her palms.

It’s the first time she’s kissed like this since Sebastian. Hungrily, uncaring of the time or place. Her lips open, wanting, her tongue tracing the edge. She puts a leg over his and then she’s sitting in his lap, all breath and heartbeat, and wild, spinning thoughts.

His hands are digging up her top already, shoving the material up her spine to her shoulders. They break apart long enough to get it over her head and onto the floor, then it’s back to kissing. He moves from her mouth to her jaw, then down to her neck. Puts teeth and panting breaths against the column of her throat.

‘You sure you want to?’ he asks, pulling back to look up at her. His eyes are darker than she expected, not glinting with possibility anymore, but deepening with need, lust.

She nods, chest heaving into his. ‘Yeah,’ she says, and then she nods again, pinching brows as she realises it herself, ‘I think I need it actually.’

She needs to be looked at like that again, to have someone’s palms to her thighs and her ribs and the cup of her breasts. To know that she can be wanted, for herself, for her body. To know it can happen again, now that he’s gone.

‘Will you?’ she asks.

He laughs—light and breathy—but nods, sincere in his answer. When he leans forward to kiss her again, he’s smiling. They both are. Lips to wanting lips.

>>> part four here

#ez reyes x ofc #ezekiel reyes #mayans mc fanfic #ez reyes fanfiction #whumpril2023 #ava ez #thrashes BUTTT i promise the next part will whump

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lilacwisps · 1 year

Text

the course of true love (never did run smooth)

Ship: Sebastian Sallow x Ravenclaw Female Player Character Rating: T Summary: When Sebastian and Ava get caught stealing potion ingredients from the greenhouses, only one way out comes to mind.

ao3 link

On a crisp yet sunny October morning, the Transfiguration Courtyard was filled with people. Sebastian leaned against the balustrade separating the courtyard from the small pond, resting his chin lazily on the palm of his hand as he looked out on the water. A myriad of tiny silver glimmers just below the water's surface drew his eye - Sebastian looked closer and saw a shoal of fish scurrying about the pond's floor.

Watching fish was not exactly Sebastian's idea of fun. Still, he had about twenty minutes to kill before meeting Ominis, who - after an extended argument - had promised to let Sebastian "borrow" his Potions assignment. Between yet another excursion to the Restricted Section and all of his detentions, Sebastian had absolutely no time to complete all of his homework- and he had told Ominis as much.

"Very well," Ominis finally relented, "But this is the last time I'm letting you copy my work."

Sebastian easily agreed, knowing all too well that it won't be the last - Ominis liked to scold Sebastian for his careless attitude, but he did not want Sebastian to fail any of the classes. Especially not right before the O.W.L.s.

"Sebastian," Ava Rosier's voice distracted him from his thoughts, "There you are. I need your help."

When Sebastian turned to Ava, he instantly knew she must have just gotten out of the Flying Class with Madam Kogawa. She was dressed in blue Ravenclaw flying robes, her long hair was windswept and tousled, and pale pink blush bloomed on her cheeks. Momentarily distracted, Sebastian smiled at Ava before catching himself.

"Skipping pleasantries and going straight to business this morning, huh?" he said, "I like that."

"You are so not the one to talk about manners," Ava leaned back against the granite column and crossed her arms before her, "And besides - I had just seen you not two hours ago. Or have you forgotten?"

Sebastian had not - Ava was the one who helped him get into the Restricted Section earlier that night. Not that he needed her - or anyone's - help - after all, very few students knew the secret passageways of Hogwarts better than him. But after the night he got Ava to the Restricted Section during the first week of school, it became almost a tradition between them to sneak into the library together. It increased the risk of getting caught, of course, but Sebastian always maintained that doing illicit things with someone was at least twice as fun as doing them alone, making the risk worth it. Simple math, really.

Besides, while he did not need her help actually getting into the Libarty, it was helpful to get some external ideas for his rule-breaking routine - such as Ava's suggestion to start all their illicit outings between three and four in the morning rather than just past midnight.

"At that hour, the librarian is most certainly gone, and all the prefects can hardly keep their eyes open, so they are much less likely to investigate anything suspicious," she told him.

Sebastian was not too fond of waking up that early, but after a few night outings, he had to admit that Ava was right.

"See, I always knew we'd make a great team," he told her, to which Ava only smiled.

A loud splash of water pulled Sebastian out of his thoughts. He glanced over his shoulder only to see a group of first-years tossing rocks into the lake, each trying to prove they could make their rock leap farther than everyone else.

"No," he said, turning to Ava, "How could I forget? So then, what is it you need?"

Sebastian Sallow liked a few things better than having friends in his debt, which was why he would hear Ava out. And what else could be the reason? Most certainly not the soft half-smile that bloomed on her lips when she thanked him or the pretty blush that rose in her cheeks when they had to run from prefects or the librarian.

Ava glanced at the group of first-years on the other side of the marble pavilion. Satisfied that they were out of earshot, she turned her back to the balustrade and hopped up, settling down on the top rail. It was an odd change of perspective for Sebastian - usually, she was more than a head shorter, but now her face was almost level with his.

"Don't be so loud," she murmured softly, "It's best that no one else hears us."

"Well, now I am most certainly intrigued," Sebastian lowered his voice and shifted closer, "Let me guess - it has something to do with the Restricted Section."

"Not this time," Ava chuckled, and Sebastian raised his eyebrow - now that was surprising. Fortunately, Ava didn't leave him wondering for too long, "I need you to help me steal some Sopophorous Beans from the greenhouses."

The request surprised Sebastian - given their history together, he had expected Ava to ask him to join her on a trip to the Forbidden Forest at the very least - or, perhaps, on a detour to a goblin camp to make sure that filth didn't spread. Stealing from the greenhouses was not something he could have guessed - and that made him all the more curious.

"What do you need them for?" Sebastian asked.

Since Ava mentioned the Sopophorous Beans, he'd been trying to remember if he'd ever heard of them. The name sounded vaguely familiar, to be sure. Still, his mind kept coming up blank on the beans' magical properties - unfortunately for Sebastian, neither Herbology nor Potions were his strong subjects.

Ava tilted her head, looking Sebastian straight in the eye, "I'm trying to brew the Draught of the Living Death."

Sebastian looked at her, blinking slowly as he processed Ava's words. Potions may not have been his strong suit, but he knew just enough about the Draught of the Living Death to understand its dangers. He'd heard from some seventh-year students that this draught used to be taught in the N.E.W.T. level potions class - but after someone poured it into the cups of the entire Hufflepuff Quidditch team - no doubt as retribution for winning the Quidditch Cup - it was removed from the curriculum.

To many, that sounded like just another rumor - but Sebastian knew more than his fair share of sore losers, so he believed it.

"What can you possibly need that for?" he asked, frowning.

"I cannot tell you right now," Ava released her grip on the railing to brush her windswept hair out of her face.

"Does it have something to do with the trials you've told me about?" Sebastian leaned in closer so he could speak quietly.

Ava held his gaze, silent and still, then nodded slowly.

Sebastian was sure that he knew Ava better than anyone else at Hogwarts - and yet, so much about her remained a mystery. Still, he did not mind - the draw of the unknown has always been inexorable to him.

"It's a dangerous brew," he cautioned, "I hope you know what you are doing."

"I appreciate the warning," Ava replied, placing her hands back on the railing, "But you do not need to worry about me."

All of a sudden, Sebastian was acutely aware of how close their hands were - warmth radiated from Ava's skin, and if he shifted his fingers ever so slightly, he could brush against the back side of her palm…Which was something he most definitely was not going to do.

Shaking his head, Sebastian chased away the unwelcome thoughts and focused on Ava's request. So, how would they steal Sopophorous Beans? While Sebastian did not know the greenhouses as well as he knew the Restricted Section of the library, it did not take a genius to figure out that a plant like this would likely be in a special area accessible only to N.E.W.T-level Herbology students and Professor Garlick herself.

"Suppose I agreed to help you," Sebastian said, "But what exactly is your plan? If Sopophorous beans are grown in the special area of the greenhouses - as I suspect they would be, given their uses - it would be no easy feat to get to them. Professor Garlick keeps the corridor leading to that greenhouse under lock and key - and always seals it with an anti-Alohomora charm. We cannot exactly ask her to let us in - so what do you propose we do?"

"Well, now I know for certain you don't pay attention in Herbology," Ava chuckled as she tilted her head to the side, studying Sebastian's face. A moment later, she widened her eyes in faux shock and leaned in closer - lowering her voice to barely a whisper as though sharing the biggest secret, "Don't tell me it's because of Professor Garlick. I knew it! Ever since that first Herbology class, you were always so awfully distracted."

Sebastian rolled his eyes as warmth rose to his cheeks. Of course, she'd remember. The night before that Herbology class, Sebastian helped Ava sneak into the Restricted Section of the library for the first time. As luck would have it, they've stumbled upon Peeves, who could not wait to tell Scribner all about their little adventures, leaving Sebastian no choice but to go back to deal with the fallout, all to buy Ava time to continue her search.

He never saw her again that night - the librarian marched him straight to Headmaster Black's office, where he'd been threatened with all kinds of disciplinary actions until Ominis's interference reduced his punishment to detention.

Sebastian became exceedingly worried when he did not see Ava at breakfast the next day. She seemed capable enough to handle all the obstacles she'd faced thus far, but what if he made a mistake leaving her alone that night in the Restricted Section? What if something had happened to her?

When he later saw Ava walking down the stairs into the greenhouse, his heart thumped in his chest. And if he smiled at Ava when professor Garlick introduced her to the class, that was only because he was so relieved to see her alive and well - and not at all because of the way his heart skipped a beat when their eyes met.

Chasing the thoughts away, Sebastian shrugged.

"Wouldn't you like to know," he responded to Ava's jab, "Unfortunately for you, I'll just have to leave you wondering - after all, I can't be going around telling you all my secrets now, can I?"

"No need to say anything," Ava replied, "You aren't half as discreet as you think you are. But, if you were to pay attention in Herbology, you would notice that on Thursdays, Professor Garlick always comes out of the locked section of the greenhouse right before our class starts and doesn't properly lock the door until the class is over. All we need to do is sneak into that corridor before it's locked."

Sebastian nodded along - while this wasn't the most elaborate plan, he's heard much worse in his five years at Hogwrats.

"And it just so happens that today's a Thursday," he said slowly.

"Yes," Ava smiled, "Isn't that convenient?"

Sebastian sighed - if he were to get detention again today, Ominis would undoubtedly be extremely cross with him - all the more reason not to get caught.

"And how certain are you that everything will go as you expect?" Sebastian asked wearily.

"Unlike some people, I pay attention in Herbology," Ava said, looking Sebastian in the eye, "And Professor Garlick has been leaving the door to that corridor unlocked during our class the past three weeks."

Sebastian frowned - three weeks is far from long enough to ensure the plan is foolproof, but he has to admit that Ava certainly put some thought into it.

"So," Ava leaned back on her arms and looked at Sebastian impatiently, "Will you help me?"

"The success of your plan hinges on an awful lot of assumptions," Sebastian mused, running through all the steps in his mind.

"Says the man who almost got us caught at the Restricted Section during the first week, all because he believed that the librarian is "usually" gone after midnight," Ava chuckled.

"But we didn't get caught," Sebastian retorted.

"Technically, we did," Ava said, tilting her head and letting her hair fall to the side. Soft fall sun caught in the dark brown strands of her hair, turning it almost gold. It took a moment before Sebastian realized that he'd been staring.

"Don't start," he said, frustrated by Ava's words and his own disposition.

"If you don't want to help me, you can just say that," Ava shrugged lightly. Next thing Sebastian knew, she hopped off the balustrade and stood beside him, "I could always ask Garreth Weasley - he does still owe me for that time at Hogsmeade… I suppose I better go find him - not much time left until Herbology."

A dark, burning feeling uncoiled in Sebastian's chest as he thought about Ava approaching Garreth Weasley for help. It almost shocked Sebastian how much he loathed the thought - he'd never been all that possessive over his friends. But something about her felt different - ever since they went to Hogsmeade on the first day of class. Ever since she beat him in that duel during the Defence Against the Dark Arts class.

They share a special connection - of that much, Sebastian is certain. He understood her better than anyone at the school did - and most definitely better than Garreth Weasley, of all people.

Ava was almost halfway across the pavilion when he called after her.

"I'd hate to see you get caught," he said, "And if you bring someone like Weasley, that outcome is all but guaranteed. Luckily for you, I'm feeling benevolent today, so I'm willing to help."

"Oh?" Ava stopped and glanced at Sebastian over her shoulder, "And what happened to change your mind?"

"I just pictured professor Fig's disappointed face when he learns that his favorite student is in detention until the end of the semester and realized that I cannot do that to the old man," Sebastian said, approaching Ava.

She studied his face briefly, then a half-smile spread across her lips, "How kind and generous of you."

"What can I say," Sebastian replied, then added, "Now, just so I understand the scope of the problem - what exactly do you need me to do? Do you need a lookout? Or would you rather I come along and help steal the beans? Or, perhaps, you want me to distract Professor Garlick?"

"You'd like that, wouldn't you," Ava laughed, "But, alas, whatever designs you have on Professor Garlick will have to wait. I'm assuming you are not at all familiar with the Sopophorous Beans; otherwise, you'd know that there is no way to collect them alone - someone needs to be holding the root leaves to make the plant release the beans in the first place. So you'll need to come along."

Sebastian nodded along - holding leaves sounds easy enough. "And have you thought about how we will get out of the greenhouses?" he asked.

"Hopefully, the same way we got in," Ava replied, leaning against the marble column behind her, "If we manage to keep Professor Garlick distracted long enough."

"I could think of a few spells that could help with that," Sebastian mused. There were several strong contenders, but Sebastian always maintained that it was usually better to go with something simpler in a situation like this one.

"That's what I like to hear," Ava smiled, "Thank you, Sebastian."

"I told you I can help you, and I will," Sebastian crossed his arms before adding, "Even if your plan is a little half-baked. Fortunately for you, I am feeling charitable today."

"Lucky me," Ava chuckled lightly.

The sound of bells filled the courtyard - the clock struck ten, notifying students to hurry to their next class. Ominis must be getting out of his Arithmancy class right about now.

"Ominis will be really disappointed if he learns what we've been up to," Sebastian remarked, watching the doors to the courtyard.

"Then we'll have to make sure we don't get caught, so he won't have to find out," Ava replied calmly, "Worst comes to worst, I'm sure we could make it up to him."

Sebastian could not even begin to imagine what that would entail - any time he'd spoken to Ominis after getting into trouble with the faculty, he'd always gotten an earful from his friend. But Ava seemed to have a way with Ominis - so much so that he'd agreed to help them find Slytherin's Scriptorium after she asked him once, even though he previously refused Sebastian's pleas outright. It's good that his and Ava's interests were aligned thus far.

"I better hurry," Ava continued, "I still need to change before my next class. Thanks for the help, Sebastian - I will see you in Herbology."

Three hours before Herbology passed in a blink of an eye - Ominis came by almost as soon as Ava left, bringing with him the potions assignment Sebastian so desperately needed to copy. Without wasting a minute, Sebastian got to work - the assignment was so lengthy that even using Ominis's work as a guide, Sebastian was only finished right before it was time to head to class.

This Herbology class was dedicated to tending to aconite flowers. After setting up his workstation, Sebastian glanced at the door leading to the sealed-off part of the greenhouses to see if Ava was correct. He watched Professor Garlick appear through the door a moment before the class started - and saw that she did not lock it.

Impressive, Sebastian thought, looking over to Ava, who only shrugged.

To Sebastian's surprise, the lesson passed by with hardly any accidents. Only Everett Clopton had to leave halfway through due to aconite poisoning - somehow, he thought it would be wise to handle the leaves without gloves.

"Five minutes left," Professor Garlick announced as the lesson was drawing to a close, "Please wrap up your tasks and clean up your workstations."

Sebastian glanced over at Ava and nodded. Setting aside his trowel, Sebastian picked up the watering can and brought it to the shelves at the back of the class. Once there, he scanned the classroom to ensure no one was looking before quickly pulling out his wand.

The archway to the right of the shelves opened to a smaller greenhouse room. Looking in, Sebastian noticed six flowerpots hanging from the ceiling with dense green overgrowth spilling over the sides of the pots. Perfect.

Sebastian was already back at his workstation when a loud sound of clay shattering rang through the greenhouse.

"Oh no," Professor Garlick - who'd been checking over Natty's aconite plant - exclaimed as she looked up and saw shattered pots on the ground in the other room, "I knew they were too heavy - I should have repotted them sooner."

"Do you need help, Professor?" Samantha Dale asked.

"No, no, it's alright," Professor Garlick replied, "I would hate for any of you to be late to your next lesson - class dismissed."

With that, Professor Garlick hurried off to the smaller room, musing out loud about which pots to use for replanting. Everyone else was still packing up when Ava caught Seabstain's gaze. "Now's the time," she whispered.

Sebastian and Ava quickly made their way through the corridor leading out of the greenhouses and walked through the door on the left that Professor Garlick forgot to lock earlier instead of heading up the stairs to the exit.

Sebastian had extensively explored Hogwarts in his five years at the school - and yet, he'd never been to this part of the greenhouses. The short corridor ended, opening into a large room. Soft autumn light poured in through the roof's green and yellow glass panels. In the center of the room were three smaller greenhouses with iridescent, almost milky-white glass walls.

"Do you know what that Sopophorous Bean plant looks like?" Sebastian asked as they approached the greenhouses.

"It's a short, pale green plant with long, thin leaves," Ava responded, carefully studying the contents of the first greenhouse through the glass walls, "And the beans are small and silvery-white - they are very similar to mistletoe berries."

Sebastian nodded and turned his attention to the inside of the second greenhouse. They've gotten this far, but they needed to act quickly, or they could get caught.

"There!" Ava said suddenly, pointing inside the greenhouse on the left, "Next to the Alihosty in the corner."

With that, she walked over to the small door on the side of the greenhouse and decisively pulled it open. Sebastian followed, careful not to touch overhanging leaves bursting from various pots and flowerbeds. Though he recognized some of the plants, there were many he'd never seen before, and he did not feel like this was the right moment to try his luck.

Ava walked over to a small pale plant nested in the tiny pot next to a bigger one with green and red leaves and crouched before it.

"Careful," she said, looking at Sebastian over her shoulder, "Make sure you do not touch Alihosty - even the smallest contact can induce a bout of hysteria and uncontrollable laughter."

Wonderful.

"Thank you for the warning," Sebastian replied.

"Hold these two leaves," Ava said, pointing at the two root leaves at the bottom of the Sopophorus plant's stem, "The stronger you pull, the quicker I can collect the beans, and we can be out of here."

Sebastian nodded, then reached forward, gripping the Sopophorus leaves firmly. The leaves felt warm and almost soft to the touch, but when he tried to pull, they offered a surprising amount of resistance. It took more effort than Sebastian cared to admit to pull the leaves away from the stem.

Ava got a small satchel from her book bag and got to work collecting small white beans that resembled tiny pearls. Keeping the leaves away from the stem was not easy, but Ava worked fast - it was only a couple of minutes later that she looked up at him and said, "All done - let's get out of here."

Sebastian did not need to be asked twice. They quickly made their way out of the small greenhouse and were about to walk around it to head to the corridor leading to an exit when a clear sound of footsteps suddenly came from that direction.

"Not good," Ava whispered, "Do you think it's Professor Garlick?"

"Who else could it be?" Sebastian said, looking to the corridor, "Can't believe she's already finished with all the plants."

He'd thought that making more than a few flower pots fall would make professor Garlick too suspicious - but if he had known how little time it'd take her to replant everything, he would have cast a spell on at least a dozen.

"Should have broken more pots," Ava sighed.

"A little too late for that now," Sebastian whispered, frustrated, then looked at Ava, "So, what are we going to do?"

When sneaking around the castle at night, Sebastian relied quite heavily on the disillusionment charm. It worked well on prefects - but there was no way they could fool a professor with that one.

The steps were drawing closer. Ava looked around, no doubt in search of another exit from the greenhouse - but, to their chagrin, it seemed that the only way out was the way they came in. Finally, she turned back to Sebastian.

"Kiss me," she said.

Sebastian blinked slowly, processing Ava's words. Surely he'd misheard - surely, she did not just ask him to kiss her. His gaze dropped, unbidden, to Ava's lips and lingered far longer than it should have.

"What?" he'd asked, forcing himself to look her back in the eye.

"Kiss me," Ava repeated impatiently.

Sebastian stared at her, dumbfounded. Was it possible that she'd accidentally touched a plant she shouldn't have? Were there any plants that had properties similar to love potions?

His eyes shifted, yet again, to her lips, and his heart raced. Before Sebastian could say anything, Ava's hands clenched the lapels of his robes, and suddenly, she was pulling him forward with a strength that was utterly unexpected for her small frame. Next thing Sebastian knew - she was pressing her lips against his.

Dizzying heat rushed through his body as his heart fluttered against his ribcage, and before he'd realized what he was doing, Sebastian responded to the kiss. Her lips were warm and soft against his, her movements decisive yet teasing - skillful. Clearly, this was not a first.

A sharp, bitter feeling uncoiling in his chest at the mere thought of Ava being with someone else stunned Sebastian. That someone else would dare touch her, let alone kiss her, felt like a personal offense - one Sebastian had no intention of taking lightly if he'd ever found out who it was.

But then Ava's fingers snaked through his hair as she pulled Sebastian even closer, deepening the kiss, and suddenly, his mind was delightfully blank. The few coherent thoughts at the very edges of his consciousness finally put the puzzle pieces together, making Sebastian realize why Ava's kissing him.

Could this really work?

Even if it didn't work, Sebastian had no regrets - not when she was kissing him like that. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he pulled her closer, savoring every intoxicating second of this stolen moment. Between one heartbeat and the next, they would, no doubt, be caught, but he had no intention of stopping until there was no other choice. Not when he'd just realized what he had ached for since the day they'd met. Besides, the plan was to make this look believable, wasn't it?

"This part of the greenhouses is off-limits to students," Professor Garlick's bright voice was almost startling, "Oh my…"

Instantly, Sebastian felt Ava pull away - it took more restraint than Sebastian would like to admit to let go of her. His heart still pounded in his chest, and he could feel a deep crimson blush bloom on his face, but when he looked over at Ava, only the fadest shade of pink rose in her cheeks.

Professor Garlick stood in front of them, clearly embarrassed, almost not knowing where to look.

"I uh…My apologies," she spoke quickly, having regained some of her composure, "But as I said, these greenhouses are off-limits to students. Miss Rosier may be a new student, but you should know that by now, Mr. Sallow."

"It's my fault, Professor," Ava murmured. Between her downcast eyes and a sad smile blooming on her lips, Ava's face was the very picture of repentance, and Sebastian was thoroughly impressed. "I saw an open door in the corridor and didn't realize where it led, and then…"

"I understand," Professor Garlick's replied calmly, "But that doesn't change the fact that you went to the off-limits section of the greenhouses. Just so you know, a punishment for such an infraction is usually detention."

Sebastian could barely suppress a sigh - he'd already had more hours of detention scheduled for this semester than he could count, and now this.

"But," Professor Garlick's voice suddenly softened, "Given the…circumstances, I do not think detention would be necessary. If you both promise me never to enter this part of the greenhouses again, I think ten points off Ravenclaw and Slytherin each would be enough of a lesson."

Sebastian could hardly believe his ears - he had his ways of getting out of trouble with the faculty, but that required spinning elaborate tales. Was Professor Garlick going to let them off the hook just like that?

"Of course, Professor," Ava replied swiftly, "We are very sorry - this will not happen again."

"You have our word, Professor Garlick," Sebastian added.

Professor Garlick looked between him and Ava and smiled.

"Very well," she said, "I am glad that the two of you have learned your lesson. Now I think it's time for you to be on your way."

Neither Sebastian nor Ava needed to be told to leave twice. Sebastian was still surprised that this ridiculous plan worked - and only resulted in ten-point deductions to both their houses. As they walked into the corridor, Sebastian could have sworn that he had heard professor Garlick hum something about "young love." Instantly, Sebastian felt color rise in his cheeks.

The ghost of Ava's kiss still lingered on his lips, spreading warmth through his body and making blood rush in his veins.

"Only ten points deducted - what a bargain," Ava chuckled, walking beside him. Sebastian looked at her out of the corner of his eye. She seemed quite unaffected by everything that transpired - and, for some reason, that thought stung.

"I'm surprised it worked," Sebastian offered, his voice a little hoarse, "Frankly, that was a ridiculous plan."

"You just need to know your audience," Ava smiled, "A trick like this had a chance of working on someone easily flustered, like Professor Garlick, but would never work on someone like Professor Sharp."

The thought of just what they'd need to do at that greenhouse to fluster Professor Sharp set Sebastian's cheeks ablaze.

They walked through the half-empty Central Hall, then up a few flights of stairs. On the third floor, Ava stopped and turned to Sebastian. "Thank you for your help," she smiled, "And I must say, I'm quite impressed: you're pretty good - that was almost believable."

"You weren't so bad yourself," Sebastian shrugged lightly as if his heart did not skip a beat.

"I owe you one for this ordeal with the beans," Ava replied, "So if there are any trolls or goblins or, I don't know…inferi you need help dealing with, just let me know."

"I told you I'd help you get those beans - and I always keep my word," Sebastian said proudly, looking Ava straight in the face, "You're lucky you decided to ask me for help first - had you brought along someone like Weasley, you would definitely have been caught and on your way to detention right now."

"Hmm, I don't know about that one," Ava mused, tilting her head to the side, "After all, that little trick we pulled on Professor Garlick was Garreth's idea."

Sebastian's stomach dropped as blood rushed in his ears, and an all too familiar burning feeling started to uncoil in his chest.

"When I was helping him sneak out to Hogsmeade, Garreth suggested we do this if his aunt catches us - perhaps, hoping she'd be too embarrassed to inflict any disciplinary consequences upon him," Ava continued, "To be honest, I thought the plan silly - Professor Weasley is hardly a blushing maiden, so something like this is unlikely to startle her. But I'd remembered his words just now at the greenhouses and thought that this might just work on Professor Garlick - and, fortunately, it did. Perhaps, I should thank him."

Sebastian hated the idea of Ava sneaking around with Garreth Weasley to his very core. Weasley was charming but a fool and sooner or later would get into trouble - and would get Ava in trouble with him.

"Anyways, the potion won't brew itself, so I'll be on my way. I should have all the ingredients now, but if I encounter an issue with it later, I might have to ask you for help again. That is, of course, if I'm fortunate enough and you are feeling generous again," Ava chuckled, "Otherwise, I suppose I'll have to settle for someone with less expertise in breaking school rules."

"I suppose I have no choice but to keep helping you," Sebastian crossed his arms, "Otherwise, if you get in trouble and get expelled, how will I ever collect on your promise about fighting trolls and goblins and - what was that - inferi?"

"I suppose you don't," Ava replied, "Truly, an unfortunate position to be in."

"Things I do for you" Sebastian shook his head, letting out an exaggerated sigh.

Ava chuckled, then took a step closer. Sebastian's gaze dropped down to her lips for a split second before he forced himself to look her back in the eye.

"You are a good friend, Sebastian," Ava smiled, "I'll see you later in the Astronomy class."

As Sebastian watched Ava leave, a conflicting whirlwind of emotions raged inside his chest. He needed some air - or, perhaps, a butterbeer or two - to gather his thoughts and clear his head. While he did not know what that encounter in the greenhouse meant for them, one thing was for certain - he had no intention of sharing Ava's affections with anyone.

#sebastian sallow x mc #OC: Ava Rosier

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