Chapter 2. December 26, 1890

Noticing the slow brightening of the sky, Sebastian sighed hopelessly. Sleep had eluded him for even a mere half-hour, though he couldn't be certain he hadn't dozed off for a couple of minutes at least. His head felt remarkably heavy, and his mouth felt parched, as if he hadn't had a drink in a week. The air in the room felt stifling and warm, tempting him to open the window, but he hesitated to rise from his bed. First, he needed to ascertain if Ominis was still asleep. He truly hoped his friend had managed to dream tonight. Shifting his gaze, he studied the large lump under the blanket on the neighboring bed, which hadn't stirred throughout the night. Upon closer inspection, he noticed the rhythmic rise and fall of the lump, indicating Ominis was indeed asleep. Slowly, he rose, pulling the blanket aside, and planted his bare feet on the floor. The sudden movement caused a sharp pain in his left temple, and Sebastian closed his eyes, pressing his palm against it. Just as abruptly, the pain subsided, and he let out a relieved exhale.

Sebastian approached the window swiftly and almost silently, cracking it open to let the fresh winter air into the bedroom. He took a deep breath, savoring the sensation. The impending day started to feel better, and with each inhale, he felt a little more relaxed. He glanced back at Ominis's bed, but there were no changes during that time. His heart skipped a beat, and he quickly turned away, focusing on the scenery outside. His gaze nonchalantly traced the smooth surface of the lake, the treetops of the Forbidden Forest, and the distant mountain ranges. Finally, a sliver of sunlight appeared on the horizon. With an almost unwilling sigh, Sebastian got up and headed to the bathroom, determined to wash away the weight of the difficult night once and for all.

Ominis also lay sleepless until dawn, feeling unbearably stuffy under the blanket, but it was even worse outside its confines. He created a small gap near his face to avoid suffocation and lay like that all night, listening to the beating of his own heart, which gradually calmed down. He was glad to notice that he was starting to drift off when suddenly he heard the creak of Sebastian's bed, footsteps on the floor, and the rattling of the windowpanes. His heart raced again, and nausea rose in his throat. At some point, Ominis was ready to jump up and rush to the bathroom, but the feeling quickly subsided. He listened to Sebastian's quiet movements, so ordinary and routine, and it soothed and calmed him.

When he heard Sallow leaving the bedroom, he emerged from under the safety of the blanket, stretched expansively, and yawned. Mentally, he thanked Sebastian for opening the window. The room was much fresher and more pleasant now. He reached for the glass of water, always placed on the bedside table in the same spot. "Divine," he thought as the cold liquid flowed down his throat, cooling his entire body.

After sitting for a few more minutes and fully coming to his senses, Ominis was about to get up and prepare for breakfast when Sebastian returned to the room. Every muscle in Ominis tensed again, and he even thought about pretending not to notice him, but immediately dismissed that silly idea because Sebastian definitely knew how acute his other four senses were.

"Oh, you're already awake?" Sebastian asked first. Water dripped from his hair, and a large towel was wrapped around his hips, reaching almost to his ankles. For some reason, Sebastian felt a profound sense of relief and even joy at seeing Ominis.

"Try sleeping when you slam doors like a forest troll," Ominis replied, surprised at how easily and quickly those words escaped his lips. After all, years of friendship become a habit, and no matter what emotional state you're in, teasing each other is sacred.

"Getting snippy?" Sebastian asked with a sly grin, taking a few steps towards his friend, intending to play a prank, and then abruptly stopped. The weight of last night's events hit him with renewed force. The anxiety twisted his stomach as if he had been eating chocolate frogs for a week. What if Ominis regrets everything that happened? Will he tell him about it, or will he simply stay silent and pretend nothing happened? What if he distances himself? Dozens of questions flashed through Sebastian's mind in just a few seconds. He took a resolute breath, finally approached Ominis, and sat down on the bed next to him.

"Listen, about yesterday..." he began, not even sure what he was going to say. He wanted to convey to Ominis that it meant more to him than a drunken whim, but he didn't want to frighten his friend with undue insistence if Ominis wanted to forget about it. He noticed how Ominis tensed up and clenched his fists.

"I... I don't know. Um," Sebastian hesitated, which was quite uncharacteristic of him, but then blurted out in one breath, "Just answer me one question, and that'll be more than enough. Did you enjoy it, or do you want to forget about it altogether?"

Silence filled the room. Ominis knew the answer to that question; he didn't need any time to think about it. But he was afraid to voice it. The answer could either negate all the years of their friendship or help them take a step towards something more significant. "What are you thinking, Sebastian?" he desperately thought. Ominis felt the heat spread throughout his body, and his head became unbearably heavy as his throat went dry. "I'll just answer honestly, whatever happens," he decided.

"I... I enjoyed it," he said very softly, lowering his head to the floor.

He heard Sebastian breathe a sigh of relief, as if he had been waiting for exactly that answer. There was a quiet chuckle and the creaking of the bed. Nervously, Ominis swallowed, unsuccessfully trying to get rid of the lump in his throat. But now, he felt that the anxiety that had haunted him almost every minute since last night, became less oppressive when he allowed himself to say what he had even been afraid to think. The tension that hung in the bedroom was gradually dissipating.

Sebastian felt a light and somewhat intoxicating dizziness. An overwhelming desire to touch Ominis right now, more consciously than yesterday. To kiss? Yes, and perhaps to kiss as well. He stole glances at Ominis as he got up from the bed and began smoothing out the wrinkles on the sheets. How his slender fingers brushed through his hair. How he opened the dresser to grab a fresh towel. Had he always been so mesmerizing?

Ominis, fussing a bit too much with some items in the dresser, hesitated to say anything more. He expected a more obvious reaction from Sallow, but he remained silent. Biting his lip and fiddling with some trinket in his hands, Ominis suddenly turned around, fully determined to ask Sebastian the same question. As he turned, his face almost collided with Sebastian's, who had silently approached from behind. For the first time, Ominis's usually heightened senses failed him. He felt a terrible awkwardness and the urge to step back, but there was nowhere to retreat. His heart skipped a beat when Sebastian said:

"I enjoyed it too. And I won't ever forget it."

Thoughts swirled in their heads, their bodies pulsating with each heartbeat, and the air became disastrously insufficient. Sebastian's lips pressed firmly and demandingly against Ominis'. Startled, Ominis jerked and accidentally dropped the trinket from his hands. Sebastian, gently but persistently, began moving his lips, kissing every inch of Ominis' mouth as if this kiss were their last, as if Ominis' lips were water and he was a thirsty wanderer in the desert. His hands wrapped around Ominis' waist and pulled him closer. Their breaths were about to run out, but Sebastian had no intention of ending the kiss so quickly. Ominis, not expecting this turn of events so soon, tensed every cell of his body, but finally relaxed a little and began responding to the kiss with slow, sensual movements of his lips. His hands delicately embraced Sebastian's neck and shoulders. Today, it felt even more thrilling and pleasant than yesterday. They didn't want to stop, but the lack of air gradually made itself known. Ominis pulled away from Sebastian's lips and gasped for breath before leaning back in for a short, light kiss, their lips meeting once again in a brief and tender embrace.

"What are you doing?" Ominis whispered, barely breathing and burning with awkwardness.

"I'm kissing you," Sebastian replied just as quietly, their foreheads still touching.

"Why?"

"Because I want to. And because you want it too."

Ominis remained silent in response, and that silence held far more significance for Sebastian than any words could convey. He brushed his lips against Ominis' forehead and then traced his fingers slowly along his cheeks, jawline, savoring and memorizing every feature of that beautiful face.

"We need to go down for breakfast," Sebastian said softly.

"We need to?" Ominis asked, not releasing his hold on Sebastian.

"Yes. I want to talk to you about the scriptorium. In a different setting."

"Again, Sebastian?" Ominis' mood shifted abruptly. He tried to pull away, but Sebastian's strong embrace remained firm. Then Ominis placed his palms on Sebastian's chest, attempting to push him away, but that too was ineffective.

"Please, just listen to me. No one else will help me. No one will help Anne, except us," Sebastian fervently pleaded with Ominis, tightening his grip around his waist.

"I can listen, but I can't agree to get involved with dark magic, you know that. And I don't want you to get involved with it either," Ominis replied, continuing his attempts to break free.

Sebastian loosened his grip, and Ominis silently made his way to the bathroom. It hurt him that Sebastian was disregarding all his arguments against using dark magic, failing to understand that it could ruin his destiny just as it had ruined Ominis'. He had vividly described to Sebastian all the pain he had endured as a member of a family of dark magicians, exposing his old wounds just to try to reason with his friend, but nothing seemed to affect him. Anne couldn't be healed, and Sebastian knew that very well. It was evident in his voice and in his delicate behavior around her, treating her like a fragile porcelain doll. Yet, he stubbornly continued seeking ways to alter the cruel reality. Unfortunately, these pursuits had led him down the wrong path.

Standing under the hot water in the shower and contemplating this, Ominis hissed with frustration. His hatred for anything related to dark magic was as strong as his attachment to Sebastian. His soul oscillated between revulsion and devotion, and with each passing day, it became more painful. He would give much to lift the curse from Anne, but not at the expense of Sebastian, not at the expence of his pure and innocent soul. "For now, pure and innocent," he silently added, sensing that it wouldn't last much longer. But it was his soul that had to be sacrificed. He turned off the shower, wrapped himself in a towel, and returned to the bedroom.

***

The food get stuck in Ominis's throat as he listened to Sebastian talk about how he finally figured out the entrance to Salazar Slytherin's scriptorium.

"It was right under our noses the whole time, you know? We passed by it every day. Even today. I'm certain that if we find anything that can help Anne, it'll be there. Who else but Salazar Slytherin would possess the most extensive knowledge of dark curses?" Sebastian spoke passionately, presenting numerous arguments in his favor. He was so excited that he didn't even touch his breakfast.

"Sebastian, stop. You know what happened to my aunt when she tried to unravel the scriptorium's riddle during her time at Hogwarts. She just vanished. And I wouldn't rule out it wasn't in the most humane way. Do you think Slytherin will allow two foolish students to touch his knowledge? And even if he does, you have no idea what the consequences will be," Ominis tried to reason with his friend, but he realized it was in vain. In Sebastian's voice, he heard only unyielding determination and unwavering confidence in his own righteousness.

"Just tell me, will you come with me or not?" Sebastian hesitated, afraid of hearing a refusal.

Silence descended over the table for a few minutes. Ominis wanted to scream at Sebastian, to hit him, to somehow wake him up and bring him to his senses. But externally, he looked absolutely calm, as if he was contemplating whether to take a walk or go to the library. Only his heavy breathing revealed the internal struggle. Sebastian took his hand, clasping it tightly, and pulled it closer, pressing his lips to Ominis' hand.

"Please, Ominis. You're all I have," he whispered softly.

"Don't try to manipulate me," Ominis freed his hand from Sebastian's grip. "I'll go with you, but only to prevent you from making the situation worse."

***

The sun slowly set outside, and night began to creep in just as slowly. The boys sat in the living room, immersed in tense silence. Sebastian had spent the entire day studying a particular book and cross-referencing it with his notes, while Ominis, pointing his wand towards his friend, silently observed him, turning away whenever Sebastian noticed.

A couple of times, Sebastian tried to initiate a conversation with Ominis, but the latter responded with brief and reserved answers, showing his disapproval. At some point, the tension became unbearable for Sebastian, and he almost abandoned his plan. He constantly sent pleading glances towards Ominis and felt remorseful, understanding that his actions were dragging his friend back into a past he had spent his whole life trying to forget, feeling like he was using him. But he couldn't see any other way. Without the heir of Slytherin, he doubted he would have access to the scriptorium.

When the clocks struck midnight, and the entire castle fell into a sleepy silence, the friends left the common room, applying the disillusionment charm on themselves just to be safe. Sebastian led confidently ahead and stopped in the middle of one of the underground corridors. After counting something silently, he approached the wall and touched the cold, damp stones. A couple of minutes into his investigation, he exclaimed, "I found it!" In front of him, on one of the stones, there was a tiny etching of a snake.

"I think we need to use some kind of spell on it. None of the books mention which one exactly, but considering it's like a door... Alohomora!" he aimed his wand at the snake, but nothing happened.

"It seems I know what to do here. Salazar Slytherin was a Parselmouth. You can't enter his possessions without speaking Parseltongue," Ominis moved Sebastian aside and leaned closer to the engraved snake on the stone, hissing softly.

Sebastian was captivated, listening intently. He knew that Ominis could speak Parseltongue, but he had never heard him use it. It was one of the signs of great potential in dark magic, which is why Ominis preferred to keep his gift a secret from everyone.

Ominis whispered a few phrases, then stepped back towards Sebastian. The ancient stones, laid here centuries ago, shifted and knocked against each other, parting in different directions. A cloud of age-old dust rose into the air, and Sebastian coughed softly, but he kept his eyes fixed on what was happening. The small gap in the wall gradually transformed into a vast arch adorned with bas-reliefs depicting the entwined snakes. From the room beyond the wall emanated a musty and cold smell, and the darkness seemed to swallow any light that entered, making it appear utterly impenetrable. Sebastian's heart started pounding, and he turned to Ominis. He saw how Ominis tensed up, assuming a defensive stance with his wand at the ready. Sebastian approached him, resting his head on Ominis' shoulder, and whispered softly:

"Thank you. I will never forget this."