HALO⌘

As if a protective shield is casted to separate the premise from the rest of the world, the rush hubbub alongside the wave of people right after crossing the bridge are so subtle and overwhelming. Every store is playing their own music outside the doors, contributing to the chaotic sound experience. Such an environment is undoubtedly the biggest nightmare for some.

Nonetheless, the smell of butter and cinnamon still lures more and more people to go deeper into the village like a vortex. Everyone is flooding into the streets for their seasonal shopping needs. Some villagers mutter under their breath about having trouble stepping out of their own doors while some other villagers are more than happy to enchant decorations and signs in the mid air to attract any potential customer to their stores.

Garreth tiptoes in the middle of the crowd and yells to the back. No signs. The sea of people is blocking his view and his voice is not loud enough. He decides to raise and wave one arm in the air for his companion to see. This time a brunette jumps up from the crowd for a mere second and gets flooded by the many other heads again.

Hurried to the spot, Garreth finally manages to retrieve the brunette by grabbing his hand.

“This is nuts!” Sebastian shouts, holding onto the hand tightly while pushing their way forward together with Garreth leading at the front. “Didn’t you hear me, Weasley?”

“Hear what? I can barely hear myself.” He turns his face slightly towards Sebastian in case his voice fails to reach his ears. “Let’s go this way!”

To be honest, Sebastian doesn’t even bother to ask where they’re heading now. He just hopes Garreth is not leading them to an even more crowded spot to suffocate themselves to death. If their hands disconnect and lose each other again, he might just apparate back to Hogwarts and call it a day.

The two finally squeeze out of the crowd and stop at the end of an alley. Some people are also navigating the village through these passages, but feelings are relative. Compared to the chaos at High Street they’ve just escaped from, this stinky filthy alley is literally a diving bell in the deep sea. Both boys sigh in relief.

“Phew! That was quite an experience.” The ginger head puts his hands on his waist. Big smile on his face showing how proud he feels to have made their way out alive.

Sebastian is not that amused on the contrary with his knotted eyebrows and balled fists. “Whose idea is it to go shopping in the week before Christmas? Am I the only one who thinks it’s common sense to not visit Hogsmeade right before the holiday?”

Garreth is a bit uneasy to see an upset Sebastian, but he’s also aware that his friend’s accusation isn’t pointing at him. “Well, you already knew so I don’t feel the need to explain further…”

The brunette sighs. Of course he knows. That’s why he didn’t turn down the request when the Professor approached him.

He’d always known the Weasley family is big, but he didn’t know they also have relatives living in Manchester. Unfortunately, Garreth’s father - the organiser of the party only came up with the idea of also inviting their relatives to join two days ago, making the quest outrageously urgent. With their house-elves being all busy running around to decorate the venue, Garreth is the one being assigned to shop for extra beverages and presents, and Sebastian is the outsourced helper and advisor considering the amount of supplies on the list.

As a reward, one day of pending detention will be wiped off on Sebastian’s side in return. It’s definitely a tempting offer, as he doesn’t want to be cleaning the boys’ lavatory or serving as a temporary night-shift nurse in St. Mungo’s anymore.

“…Let’s get this over with as soon as possible. I’m tired already.”

“That’s the spirit! I’d say we should start with what’s clearly specified on the list first.” He fishes out a folded parchment from his pocket at the back of his pants and opens it.

Two bottles of Firewhisky, three Mulled Meade and a carton of punch…

The Three Broomsticks is just sitting adjacent to the spot where they’re standing at the moment, parted by the High Street, but it’s unwise to be carrying that much liquor all the way through their whole trip. They’re going to be heavy and it would be tragic to try to squeeze them through the crowd of people.

Sebastian suggests making a reservation at the pub first and doing the same to the rest of the groceries before Sirona finishes packing them. This way they can retrieve them on their way back in a beeline without waiting. Garreth disagrees, expressing his concern that it is only going to be even more crowded when evening comes, and they may not be able to return to the same stores even with empty hands.

“Trust me. Things are gonna be resolved by then. I have an idea and it’s much more efficient this way.” The Slytherin said dismissively but also convincingly while looking right into the Gryffindor's eyes.

For a moment, Garreth almost believes these words mean sincerity. Now is one of the occasions when his usually trusting nature is questioned by the small voice of his instinct.

Sebastian had always looked friendly and open. The soft fluffy hair and the innocent face had helped him befriend almost everyone he met. That is until troubles were caused which reveals his mischievous nature. The Sorting Hat didn’t just throw everyone in the houses randomly.

However, speaking of troubles, Garreth didn’t cause less in the past years so he can’t really judge the Slytherin by the number of detentions, and the hidden goal of this trip as specified by his aunt cannot be threatened by differing opinions on such small things. Garreth stops himself from being sceptical and calls it a misperception quietly.

He agrees to the proposal. The shopping trip goes smoothly. Store after store they have been crossing out the items on the list gradually. They carry the smaller ones in their arms before moving to the next stop as long as they don’t occupy much space.

When the sun starts to set and they’ve finally finished shopping for the specified items, Hogsmeade is still flooded with people. Fortunately, tea time has certainly kept some of them seated in cafés and bars, allowing some fresh air on the streets.

The two use this opportunity to catch a breath outside a café with a cranachan in Garreth’s hand. Securing the paper bags between their legs, they start digging inside the small cup simultaneously. It would have been much better if they didn't have to share. Garreth is only given the necessary amount of money for the shopping list and Sebastian claims to be uninterested in sweets especially when the prices have skyrocketed during the season to a robbery level. Garreth took two teaspoons anyway.

The brunette’s gaze follows a couple of gentlemen who are passing by with some big wooden boxes and props in their hands, “Hmph. Looks like there’s going to be an event tonight.”

“That’s not good. Wonder if we can make it out of the village before it starts?”

“I heard someone mentioning six o’clock in the café. Not sure if it’s what they’re talking about though.” Another scoop of cream from the bottom of the cup. Sebastian’s eyes are fixed on the dessert all the way when he talks.

Looking at the top of the brunette’s head and his hand holding onto the cup, Garreth can’t hold back a big grin on his face in silence. Someone has a sweet tooth. “Maybe we should ask the locals. Wait for me with the groceries. Here. Take the cup and finish it.”

“Gladly.” Sebastian pretends to be nonchalant but he couldn’t hide the faint smile and the delightfulness in his tone. He sweeps the bags to the roadside with his legs.

Once the door closes behind the ginger head, he finally reveals his true cravings towards the cup, savouring the sweetness and fluffy texture of the cream fully with pure enjoyment. Merlin - he almost drooled all over the floor when they arrived at the front of the display cases earlier. He’d always loved the desserts from Hogsmeade, but the budget is simply too tight for him to buy confectioneries considering there are still school lunches to pay for next month.

When Anne was still around, he used to buy some from time to time to share with her and Ominis in the Undercroft. His uncle didn’t give them much pocket money back then. He was raising two kids with only two hands after all. And with the new patrons - he’s been receiving even less now.

He’d always been aware of how important money is so he doesn’t feel right every time someone shares something with him. It’s like owing someone a favour and he’s expected to pay them back soon or later. The world has been working around him like that since he was small and works well if he follows the rules.

With Weasley though, well - his family is big with Matilda being the headmistress of the school. Surely they have some fortune, right? In this case, he feels more rightful and comfortable to accept anything Garreth gives.

“Bad news. A parade is going to start at six and crowd control will be at four.” Garreth pushes the door open with another hand pointing towards the way he comes from.

The brunette lets out a surprised “Oh”, “Not entirely. At least we can get out of this chaos sooner.”

“And with literally only half an hour left to shop for the rest!” He frowns with worries written all over his face. He doesn’t like to be rushed as he tends to make wrong decisions under such circumstances. He already starts to panic imagining his cousins’ disappointed faces when they open the presents.

“You haven’t come up with one single idea of what to buy yet, have you?” Sebastian narrows his eyes with a smirk. It’s fun to see the Gryffindor freaks out at such small problems. Just like a big puppy, mature on the outside but simple on the inside.

“I was in detention yesterday. You knew that. Didn’t even have the time to do my Herbology homework.” He sighs, sounds defeated, but his mood is suddenly lit up with an idea sparkling in his head. “Wait. Isn’t that a good opportunity to test and promote my new concoctions? There are dozens of them still waiting for more data from different subjects…”

Sebastian blinks, watching the ginger head stroking his own chin with one hand, legs pacing back and forth while enthusiastically considering the viability of this idea.

Finally comprehending what he’d just heard, a chilling streak of fear suddenly spikes up along his spine. The massive tragedy of the Gryffindor common room being flooded with rainbow vomit on the floor caused by his newly “improved” version of Wiggenweld Potion last week is still on the top surface of his memories. He could imagine the nauseating smell even though he was not physically there, and watching Natsai retching for the whole week with tears in her eyes whenever she tried to eat had definitely made him feel sorry for her.

He bears no grudge towards the Weasley family - even though he doesn’t know every single one of them in person, but no one deserves such cruelty on Christmas. This shit is no joke.

His gaze follows the pacing Weasley who is about to commit an act of unintentional domestic violence towards his own family. “- Are you sure, Garreth? You don’t get to meet your relatives a lot during the year. I reckon they will be more happy to receive something that lasts longer and not consumable - at least not with only one sip.”

“Ohhh they’re certainly not getting only one sip. I’m going to use a bigger cauldron and brew at least one carton for each of them.” The young Weasley beams with stars in his eyes, so excited that he stretches out his arms lively to illustrate the size of the cauldron.“This is even better. The error value can be minimised with the repetitive sampling of results.”

Sebastian is about to open his mouth to interrupt his thoughts, but the ginger head is quicker by sprinting to his footside and picks up the paper bags.

“Weasley - “

“We need to hurry. J. Pippin’s is on the other side of the village. I must go grab the ingredients before he runs out of supplies!” The determined Gryffindor is like an unstoppable hound now. Energy surges through his whole body, making him restless and excited. He shoves one of the paper bags in the Slytherin’s chest and yanks him to the crowd by the wrist.

“Blast - Wait!“ The deafening noise of the crowd surrounds them so he has to literally shout. The sudden raise of volume gets the ginger head’s attention who stops on his track and turns his head around, dumbfounded as he has no clue why the usually untroubled Slytherin suddenly looks genuinely concerned. “Uhm - As you said, J. Pippin’s is too far away. That’s a huge detour. Let’s stick to our original route for now.” He tries to shift his focus from his precious inventions bit by bit. This potion maniac’s mind cannot be changed swiftly with just a few words.

“But what if - “

“Pippin had restocked more this year. Very reliable source. It’s gonna be fine.” Lie. “No need to rush. Don’t you think it will be best to escape the busy area by making J. Pippin’s the final stop? The parade is going to start around that time anyway.” He purposely adds a luring tone in his words with a confident smile to fake his intention. 

Garreth thinks for a while when the crowd keeps pushing the boys to different directions. Sebastian lets him think, but he decides to act earlier. He spots a shop and improvises by snaking his arm around the Gryffindor's so that he can avoid being pulled away by the boy. He hates himself for being a juvenile when the sea of well-built adults keep towering over them and pushing them to all directions.

“Oh look! Flutes and Lutes!” Sebastian fixes his eyes on the target and points at it with another hand, successfully guiding Garreth’s attention to look at the same thing. “Let’s get inside. I got something I have wanted to buy for a while now.”

“Uhm, okay?” Although confused, the ginger head agrees after being yanked to the music store.

Sorry, Garreth. I’m not going to help you, but I’m saving your arse.

After buying an enchanted music box (with Garreth’s money) and walking out of the store, they see a thin layer of smoke separating the street into two lanes. Crowd control had slowly started.

The ginger head panics but is soon being pulled to the next store. This time to the Gladrags.

Before he even realises, a bucket is shoved into his hands and the brunette had already started throwing things inside joyfully, suggesting them to be wonderful gifts for his relatives. It almost looks like the brunette is randomly picking up things, but he claims it’s the store that’s packed with people and they need to hurry.

Looking at the Dancing socks that Sebastian is inspecting, Garreth frowns in concern, “Are you sure these are proper for Christmas presents? I mean…I saw people wearing these before and I reckon they are only for pranks…”

Absolutely angelic, compared to your products of creativity.

“Well, that explains why Slytherins are always more fun to hang out with.” The brunette huffs with a smirk, stuffing the socks in the corner of the basket. “Trust me. It’s gonna be the BEST gift they’ve received in their life”

The ginger head chuckles, fires back in an inviting tone. “Are you saying we Gryffindors are boring? I gotta sneak you in our common room next time. Bet you wouldn’t want to go back to Slytherin anymore.”

Sebastian cocks an eyebrow at him, interested. “Is that a challenge? Well I’d be the judge of that.” Speaking of the Gryffindor’s common room, he suddenly feels like it’s the right timing to school this potion maniac a bit. “...but if it’s going to be flooded with vomit then I’d rather stay away. Still want to eat what I paid the school for, you know?”

The mention of last week’s incident catches him a bit off guard. He raises both hands in the air. Surprisingly, not in defence but in excitement. “Oh! About that, I’ve already figured out what went wrong. I just have to change the recipe a little bit and stir it in a slightly different manner…”

The Slytherin is awestruck. How in Merlin’s name can his classmate be so enthusiastic and pure-minded? He expected the sarcasm could at least make him think twice before doing his human experiments. Now the statement only helped fuel his motivation to continue.

“...I really want to see how your family has been raising you, to be honest.” Sebastian feels defeated. He lowers his head to compare the garments in front of him.

“Don’t be like that. I see a lot of things in common between the two of us, you know?” The Gryffindor nudges him, speaking softly by his ear so that no one else can hear.

“Oh? How so?” He looks up at Garreth with narrowed eyes, wondering if it’s an admiration or an insult.

“Well, we both get a lot of detentions and always for only one reason. For you it’s always the library. For me it’s always the potions. And you were daring and brave enough to have borne the blame for Sorcha last year. That’s something most of my Slytherin friends wouldn’t do.”

“Okay…?” Sebastian cringes a little bit, not expecting to hear “compliments” in such a manner, especially for that little event with the new fifth-year. Most of his house members deemed his action stupid (especially for someone who’s from another house) and even started shipping the two teasingly. Thanks to Sorcha’s aggressive attitude towards the rumours, they were stopped rather quickly.

“Not just Sorcha, a bunch of Ravenclaws would DIE to sneak into the restricted section, you know?”

“Speaking of Ravenclaw, don’t you think you can learn something from them when you design the next potion recipe? I’m sure they’d love to recommend some research for you.”

The Gryffindor snorts, “I’d rather not. Too much planning and reading. By the time they finished researching, I'd already created something for trials. If I have the mood, I’d even proofread every single potion book in the library. There is simply too much false information written inside.”

Always act before planning. Typical Gryffindor. Sebastian sighs. He rarely judges his schoolmates’ shortcomings by the stereotypes of the four houses, but as far as he sees, those with such recklessness are usually from the house of lion. “Surely you can try balancing things out a little bit…”

“Talking shites about Ravenclaw, aye?”

Surprised by the female voice, both boys spin around to see the devil they’ve been talking about.

The cornflower-haired girl walks in a lazy posture towards them, one hand holding a paper cup and another throwing a roasted chestnut towards her mouth. Sebastian fishes one for himself from the paper cup when she passes it to his direction.

“Fancy seeing you here. I thought you’re not staying around during the holidays.” The brunette greets her cheerfully.

“That was the plan but I changed my mind.” Speaking in a languid tone, her eyes swim around the store slowly, taking in the fabulous decorations that can’t be usually seen and smiles sheepishly. “This is the first proper Christmas I can enjoy in the wizarding world and just look at that, I don’t miss London anymore.”

Is she high on Euphoria again or simply suffering from insomnia?

“Are you alone? You can join us.” The friendly Gryffindor invites when he doesn’t see anyone around the girl.

She eyes him and considers the offer for a mere moment. “Nah, thanks. I enjoy loneliness - I mean freedom, more precisely.” And then she smiles mysteriously to both of them from left to right. “‘ight. Enjoy your date, pups. Seeing you two may have significantly changed my mind from casting Infringo on this facking crowd here...”

She grits her teeth when she mentions the crowd before floating away. The murderous glare towards the people around her is hidden behind the fancy pink lenses but not entirely invisible.

Unlike Sebastian, she never likes to be in crowded places or interacting with strangers. That reminds him why even after considering her as a close friend, they rarely hang out together. Ominis was similar given his eye condition and his sensitive hearing. Anne had always been the only one who was more than happy to go to fairs with him.

He wonders what they are going to do on Christmas? Does Ominis have to go back to the Gaunt house? And Anne, he doesn’t even know her whereabouts…

“Interesting lady, isn’t she?” The ginger head smiles, eyes following the back of the Raveclaw’s head. “I heard a lot about her dealing with the Ranrok royalists and trolls last school year, and she’s always ready to help me to do the ‘difficult’ parts for my inventions. Her bravery would fit into Gryffindor as well.”

Surprised that his companion is still on this topic, the Slytherin laughs, “I doubt if you’d still think the same once you found out the true intention behind those actions.” 

“Are you bragging about the intimacy between you two? Okay. I’m curious now.”

“Nothing to tell. If you want to earn the privilege, consider treating me better from now on.” The snake replies in a cheeky tone, lowering his head to continue comparing the garments in front of him half-mindedly.

“I believe I’ve been doing a good job on this matter?” Garreth scratches his head, puzzled, replaying the interactions between the two in his head.

The questions keep him occupied all the way to the cashier, so when the brunette turns to him with a bright smile after Mr. Hills tells them the sum of money, he fishes out his wallet naturally.

Too easy. Weasley is too easy to manipulate.

The Slytherin smirks, proud of himself when he walks towards the exit. With so little galleons left in Garreth’s pocket, he won’t be able to buy much for his lovely potions at the end of the day.

Just when they set their foot outside the attire shop, a big firework explodes right in front of the door step, shining blue and orange light on their faces. They are caught in surprise and fringe at the sudden blow of light. An arm catches Sebastian’s shoulders.

“Sorry about that. Are you alright, young men?” A man comes close to check on the two with a big smile on his face, asking both of them but eyes fixed on the brunette at the end. They swiftly turn to look at him, and then they see a woman smiling apologetically at them behind the man in a distance while bending down to grab the little tube in a child’s hand. That’s where the fireworks came from.

Sebastian blinks. “- Yeah, I’m good. No worries. You good, Weasley?” He throws the same question to the boy who is still holding his shoulders, for some reason looking quite serious on the face.

“Are you sure? You don’t look like it.” There is concern written on the man’s face.

Before understanding where the doubt comes from, Sebastian gets pulled away from the doorstep to the closest alley. Garreth’s grip is tight but gentle. It’s the strange gesture that makes him a bit uneasy.

“What? What is it?” The brunette pushes his arm away when they slow down on their path.

“You should see your face. You look terrified!” The Gryffindor looks a bit anxious but keeps his voice low, as if a normal voice would startle his friend to jump. “It’s okay to be scared. You don’t have to pretend to be tough.”

“I’m not pretending to be tough, and I’m not scared of a blasted firework. At least not now.” Now he feels a bit offended. Why are they even talking about this right now?

Out of all the possible futures, he can never foresee his face being cupped by the ginger boy. The initial thought is that Weasley’s got really warm hands, but the sudden physical contact still makes him stunned and cringed.

Weasley takes a deep breath before looking at him firmly in the eyes. Voice lower than usual. “If you say so. Just remember we can leave the place anytime if you don’t feel right. Okay?”

“Without a doubt.” He hesitantly removes the boy’s hands from his face slowly. Garreth’s gaze is so intense that it forces him to break eye contact. He knows this annoying conversation will only continue to no end if he keeps denying so he stops. Garreth retreats his hands then. 

Still no idea what the fuss is about.

“But damn, your face is freezing. Shall we get inside?”

Sebastian shrugs. Well, that’s what he was going to suggest anyway.

Zonko’s would be the perfect destination for exploiting the very last bit of what’s left in Garreth’s pocket.

He had memorised the prices for each item faintly as it’s one of his favourite stores in the village. He seldom buys from the store though. Usually just browsing. There are times when the shopkeeper suspects him to be stealing as he always leaves empty-handed. Sebastian feels lucky to not be spotted by the shopkeeper when they open the door as he’s busy running around between customers.

The new products showcasing in the mid-air are stunning. No wonder why so many people keep flushing into the store. The owner is well-prepared for the season.

Sebastian squeezes through the crowd, searching for one specific item according to his memory. On his path, a giant mirror is placed behind a little orb that emits light beams to form a pattern of a milky way, making the light show seem boundless. He looks into the mirror and is shocked by what he sees - his face is paler than usual. Red rims under the eyes like they’re about to cry. And the eyebrows - angling down that makes his face look scared. He frowns at the scene and tries to readjust the muscles on his face to no avail.

“Hey, look what I’ve found!” The cheerful Weasley comes back with a box of something that breaks the thought of the young Slytherin. His excitement is soon replaced by a look of concern when he sees the boy’s face. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you.”

Finally understanding the cause of the sudden change of attitude on the Gryffindor’s side, the snake feels kind of irritated and embarrassed. His face is nowhere reflecting his current state of mind - at least not the kind of emotion he wants to show. He doesn’t like to be seen as fragile because it means weakness.

“I assure you I’m -“

He cuts himself off when he spots something in the distance and hurries himself to pick it up. Unfortunately, someone picks it up slightly quicker than he does.

He looks up to see a young adult who's probably in his twenties, not much older than him. A child is sticking close to his robe who’s probably his son. They’re now looking at each other in the eyes awkwardly and the gentleman looks like he’d fallen into a dilemma for an instant when he sees those puppy eyes.

Garreth follows him to the spot and inspects what’s in their hands, “Is this what you want? A mini mannequin?”

“- Yeah. It does some tricks but also works like a normal mannequin…”

“Be careful. That is the last one.” The shopkeeper happens to be passing by with a tower of boxes and hears what they said.

Damn it. Gotta change my target then.

Just when Sebastian thinks of giving up, the gentleman says with an empathetic smile, “It’s alright. Please, take it.”

Seeing the mannequin being pushed into the brunette’s chest, the little child urges his father to take it back in a crying tone. The man just crouches down and picks the child up in his arms and soothes him by telling him to pick something else instead. He bids his goodbye to the two boys with an apologetic smile.

What the…fuck?

He thinks of one possibility and starts checking the mannequin. Garreth sighs with a gentle smile, “I don’t think it’s about the mannequin. It’s about you.”

“What does that even mean?” Sebastian frowns, frustrated that there are now even more questions to be answered. Garreth just takes the mannequin from his hands and heads directly to the cashier and pays. “Wait, what are you -“

Sebastian doesn’t get to receive the answer and they are already out of the store.

“This is for you, Sebastian.” The young Weasley turns around and smiles at him. “Merry Christmas.”

Sebastian widens his eyes and feels his face heated in embarrassment right away. Why in Merlin’s name would he be buying him a Christmas present? Could it be that he’s teasing him with his secret plan?

“I was to suggest you buy this for the party.” Sebastian confesses, secretly panicking and embraces himself for Garreth’s revelation.

“That’s right. So by that logic, you’d better show up at the party.”

Sebastian is totally in shock now, never had he expected himself to be invited to a classmate’s family party - not to mention a Weasley family party.

“I don’t know about your plans for Christmas, but my family would be very excited to see you there.” Garreth continues. The eyes are so caring like he’s not looking at his classmate of the same age, but more like looking at a small stray animal, especially after seeing him being all alone since the new school year and that he’s zoning out more than ever.

He’d heard Ominis and him are not friends anymore and they are not seen talking to each other when they return to the school. The way the usually cheerful and outgoing Slytherin still tries to act like nothing happened just looks…sad (and it’s indeed showing on his face).

Hence when his aunt proposed this shopping trip and the party to him, he almost hugged her for this genius idea.

“What? No! It’s gonna be a family party. I don’t want to be an intruder.” Sebastian rejects without hesitation. Even though he considers it as a thrilling idea especially when it’s gonna be his first lonely Christmas, he just doesn’t think it’s a proper thing to do.

Seeing the brunette deep in his thoughts again, Garreth pushes,“I got to get you to the party. I’m not allowing you to skip our parties after all the help I received from you.”

“Well, you can pay me in other w-“

“Sebastian - please.” Enough of his stubbornness, the ginger head cuts him off and smiles warmly, stretching out one hand to hold onto his shoulder.

Those emerald eyes are full of determination and an equally unwavering stubbornness. Sebastian had suddenly realised they’re always clear like crystals. Never had he once seen them in a muddy colour. Now with the warm street lights casting a hint of orange on them, they simply look magical and yet match Garreth so much. Like fire under the cauldron.

For half a second, he feels sorry to have used lies to manipulate this pure human.

But then, he really feels repulsed by those eyes looking so firmly into his, like penetrating deep into his soul.

“Guess that I have not a choice then.” Speaking in a weak voice, he tries to keep a straight face but breaks eye contact shyly for the second time today. “But I don’t go to parties without blowing things up.”

Garreth is stunned for a moment. Is that a joke? But he realises either answer is not important. If it’s not a joke, then the invitation has become even more important. He laughs, “I’m sure my dad and Aunt Matilda will bring their wands along.”

Sebastian smiles hesitatingly at the answer. They look at each other in awkward silence with Garreth’s face beaming bright, looking like he had achieved something unimaginable. “That’s it, then! You’re coming to the party!”

“Look at you. If I haven’t been in this conversation, I’d think you’ve won a lottery.” The brunette huffs out a laugh, but can’t stop smiling even if he wants to. This little lion’s smile is infectious.

He looks back to the crowd and notices the sun had fully set. Darkness had enveloped the sky but the candles and glowing decorations in the village had lit it up further. The parade should start soon. They must leave.

Luckily enough for them, the paths separating by crowd control happen to be moving towards the same direction to their final stops. The last part of their journey is finished rather smoothly.

Now, to think about how they’re gonna bring all the bags back to the castle.

“You said you have an idea. I’d like to hear that now.” Carrying the packages on his shoulders and arms in Three Broomsticks, the ginger head asked, smirking.

“Don’t you worry. Our solution is on the other side of the bridge.”

Leading the both of them to their starting point of this journey, Sebastian walks straight to a carriage and starts loading the bags on it by the bridge.

Garreth is amused, “You’ve reserved a carriage? That’s incredible!”

“Do you really think I got galleons to book such a luxurious service?” The Slytherin spares him a glance without stopping his hands. He gestures to Garreth to tell him to load the carriage as well.

The Gryffindor blinks, tries to think what it means before asking, but then is shocked by his guess. “YOU’RE STEALING IT!?”

“BORROWING. I’m gonna return it once we’re done. Whoever owns this carriage wouldn’t be getting out of the village soon anyway. They must have come for the parade if they still haven’t returned now.” The Slytherin shrugs, smiling confidently. “Besides, they won’t be able to get out of the village soon. You saw how chaotic it is inside.”

It sounds kind of…reasonable? But something doesn’t feel right. Garreth had stolen things before, yes, but only from Honeydukes and it was something insignificant to the owner. This carriage though. Look at the soft and silky cushions and luxurious carpets inside…Out of all the carriages parked at the same spot, this Slytherin actually walked straight to the most fancy one. (We're so going to be arrested once the owner finds out without a doubt) His original idea is to use the one eye statue secret passage and transport the bags by hand. Might not be very practical thinking about the broken bridges, but they can take the things out one by one anyway (Wingardium Leviosa?). However, the carriage is indeed the most efficient and handy tool to help achieve the same goal.

“Wait wait wait. Give me some time to think. Surely we don’t have to…” Garreth turns away from the carriage and starts massaging his aching glabella. The idea of using such an expensive carriage sounds intriguing, but the possible punishment he’s going to receive from his aunt is also terrifying…

With one leg already stepping on the carriage, Sebastian yells, “There is no better way. Trust me.”

No response. He doesn’t really understand why it takes the ginger head so long to agree with the idea.

Finally, after some anxious pacing, he turns around and sprints towards the carriage with a kind of anxious determination on his face. “Okay, okay. Just make sure we’re going to get things done quickly.”

Sebastian watches him load the carriage at light speed and a strange kind of satisfaction fills his chest. He grins smugly, excited to have coerced the Gryffindor to jump over a hurdle.

Taking the leash in his hands, he leans into the nervous ginger who’s sitting stiffly by his side. “It’s gonna be fine. If anyone asks, just say Sallow forced you on the carriage and you have tried your best to stop him.”

“What? No! I’m not gonna do that.” The young lion frowns in shock. What sort of man does his friend think he is!?

Sebastian just turns back to the front and smiles. This one is helpless, but who is he to say that when his chest got warmer with those silly words?

“Hold tight, Weasley.”

He flaps the leash to send the thestrals dashing in the night sky with the carriage behind them. Being pelted by the December night breeze in the face on a speedy carriage is no fun, but the excitement of flying in the sky with everything they have on their back is worth everything.

When the people on the ground are turned as small as dots of ladybugs and the stars start to glow above their heads, Garreth takes in the fantastic night view in his eyes, appalling at what a wonderful idea it is, but why does he feel something is missing?

“My potions!” He exclaimed, suddenly sitting straight again from the relaxed position. “We forgot to go to J. Pippin’s!”

“Next year, Garreth. You got no more galleons left anyway.” His companion replies calmly.

“Right…” He sighs and falls back to the back of the seat. But how come… Oh.

Feeling someone’s eyes on him, the Slytherin looks back. One trying hard not to break out a laugh while the other one is grinning with a knowing smile.

“Am I still granted the privilege of entering the Gryffindor common room after tricking you and lowering your moral standard?” The snake asks jokingly, showing no signs of regret.

“Well,” The young lion drawls with a mischievous smile. “Not when there is only one subject left for my mere amount of concoctions.”