he's a forest fire

sebastian cornelius wilkes  29 august, 1957–26 june, 1982 beloved son, friend, teammate

Closed for @scbwilkes​

She liked to bake.  Offering baked goods to someone didn’t mean much to her – she was simply sharing the extra bits she had laying around the kitchen.  But this was different – she had known Seb for most of her life, and she cared more about him than she did most people.  So she spent far longer putting together a goodie basket for him – this was complete with quaffle shaped cookies and her best brownie recipe.  This was an exciting day, and it wasn’t hard to get into the locker room when she flashed a bright smile and her Ministry credentials.

“Sebastian!” She called, dodging past a particularly smelly player.  She held the basket in front of her as a greeting.  “I just wanted to come tell you good luck!”

he couldn’t believe they’d gotten here.  really, sebastian couldn’t.  the falcons had done so horribly at the beginning of the season, but they managed to turn it around just in the nick of time.  it was still a little surreal.  he’d been coming to the quidditch cup finals for years, had dreams of playing in them someday, but now that it was actually here?  for the first time in his quidditch career?  he was speechless.  sebastian was in the middle of hyping himself up when he heard his name called.  he was barely dressed and instinctively covered himself when he saw freya, despite the fact that they’d seen each other naked plenty of times.  after realization dawned, he dropped his arms.  “freya?  i don’t think you’re supposed to be here,”  he said, laughing.  graciously, he took the basket from her.  “but this is awesome.  thank you.”  seb carefully put it in his locker so it wouldn’t be disturbed.  “you didn’t have to do that.”

Sebastian Wilkes​:

“most people have,”  he admitted.  it wasn’t a very difficult thing to achieve.  “yours were a lot more colorful than most people, though, i must say.”  at least bilius was finally playing along.  sebastian was beginning to wonder if he was going to have to do all the work himself.  “mm, what kind of reminder might that be?”  he asked, subtly placing a hand on his ex’s lower back.  the feelings might have gone away, but that didn’t mean the attraction did.  so what?  “try doing what?  joining society every once in a while?  i can’t let them get too used to me.  gotta keep up that air of mystery, you know.”

“It’s probably just an occupational hazard, being in Quidditch after all.” If Sebastian was implying anything else, it was lost on drunk Bilius. The only thing he could think of is how both athletes and fans tend to run their mouths with expletives ones their teams aren’t doing so well. “Huh, maybe I am remembering some.” Seb was the plan who placed his hand on Bilius’ back but it was Bilius himself who pressed himself against his ex. Merlin, he’ll regret all of this tomorrow but for now, he just wanted to have fun with someone equally willing. Bilius pressed his lips onto his ex’s ear. “The one I’ll feel until tomorrow morning.” He stepped back. Bilius managed to grab his ex’s hand while they were close in proximity. After passing his bottle to a random stranger Bilius began to pull Seb. It wasn’t long until it became apparent that they were going inside a bathroom. The one that was rarely used at the back. “So why don’t we keep that air of mystery and both disappear?” As soon as they reached a stall, Bilius locked both of them in and buried himself in Sebastian’s kisses.

“Have I called you worse?” Thoughts of what Bilius called Seb when things particularly get rough popped into his head. Now, Bilius was just flat out teasing and flirting. At least he could say that he didn’t start it. Was that a smile that he heard in Seb’s voice? Nevertheless, it definitely brought one to Bilius’ lips. “Not. At. All,” Bilius retorted with his own whisper, feeling pretty pleased with himself. He shrugged as if he didn’t care. “Guess I would need a reminder.”

“It’s a sight, I’ll tell you that,” Bilius joked. He would have loved to spend the entire night cajoling and taking nothing seriously. But as always, the alcohol managed to seep through the cracks of his walls and reveal his vulnerabilities. “It looks good on you,” Bilius said. A genuine smile was on his lips. “You should try doing this more often.”

“most people have,”  he admitted.  it wasn’t a very difficult thing to achieve.  “yours were a lot more colorful than most people, though, i must say.”  at least bilius was finally playing along.  sebastian was beginning to wonder if he was going to have to do all the work himself.  “mm, what kind of reminder might that be?”  he asked, subtly placing a hand on his ex’s lower back.  the feelings might have gone away, but that didn’t mean the attraction did.  so what?  “try doing what?  joining society every once in a while?  i can’t let them get too used to me.  gotta keep up that air of mystery, you know.”

“Perhaps just St Melaina’s Hospital. It seems rather superfluous to say it is a hospital for magical maladies and injuries. What else would we be healing?” It seemed to happen a lot, Melaina had noticed. Ministry of Magic. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Personally, she would vote to change that. Superiority should mean they weren’t the ones who had to qualify everything in their life. “You would be surprised how many Quidditch players come through this hospital who would probably try and convince us they could still play with all their limbs hanging by a thread.”

sebastian thought it over for a minute.  it did seem rather redundant, didn’t it?  spells gone wrong, bad potions, attacks from magical creatures.  even his tumble was magical in nature, given that it was off of a broom.  “hm.  i never thought about it that way, but i suppose you’re right.”  still, he thought st. melaina’s hospital had a better ring to it anyway, although he wasn’t quite sure how anyone went about becoming a saint.  he was pretty sure being a death eater might have excluded either of them, though.  “well, all my limbs are hanging just fine.”  she had a point.  he knew plenty of players that wouldn’t get off the broom if their lives depended on it.  he was sure he’d probably been one of the players she was complaining about.

The shocked smile on Bilius’ face appeared instantaneously. “You cheeky bastard,” he remarked. Sebastian and Bilius were definitely old news. And they certainly didn’t make a habit of bumping into each other, let alone flirt. Too bad Bilius wasn’t sober enough to know better. “Have I said that before?” His eyebrows furrowed together in fake confusion. “I don’t remember,” he teased. Two can definitely play that game. “Well you’re out here, aren’t you?” Bilius joined him taking a shot by drinking a swig from his bottle. “That kinda counts.”

“i’ve been called worse,”  sebastian said with a shrug.  and it was entirely accurate, not that he was exactly proud of it.  but if cheeky bastard was the worst thing someone said to him tonight, it’d be a win.  he leaned in close, muttering in weasley’s ear.  “if i remember correctly, it was more of a moan.  does that jog your memory?”  sebastian would be mortified if he remembered saying that in the morning, but for now he was enjoying teasing his ex far too much.  “hm.  i suppose you’re right.  look at me, suddenly having a social life.”

Sebastian was nice, for putting up with her, but she knew that her barging into his apartment was more than he’d bargained for. After all, it was late and he surely had more important things to do than stand her and try and help her worry less. Even at his words, though, she knew she’d still be searching. Still, she nodded, arms crossing over her chest. “Yea,” she said softly. “Except, funny thing is, I’m already panicking.” A raised brow seemed to prove her point. That was why she was here, after all. 

“He’s not my…” Marlowe started, trying to defend herself. But for what? Sebastian wasn’t going to kick her out because she cared about Amycus. And, either way, it was pretty obvious how she felt. At least at this point. It was a wonder that someone else hadn’t guessed it before. “Oh, bloody hell. It’s exhausting keeping it a secret sometimes.” 

“you don’t say?  i’d hardly noticed.”  another cheeky grin, and then he returned to the cabinet.  after rummaging for a few moments, seb pulled out a couple different vials.  “that’s why i’m telling you to sleep it off.”  he held out both to her, using a free hand to gesture to each as he explained.  “this one calms your mind, and the green one will calm your body.  shuts your brain off long enough to relax and fall asleep.  it’s been a long day, marlowe.”  a small knowing smirk cracked across his face as she finally relented.  he’d been pretty oblivious about it before, but now that she came out with it, it did make sense.  he’d have to remember to rag on amycus about it the next time he saw carrow.  “can’t say i see it, but then again i never saw him with anyone that wasn’t his hand.  as long as you two lovesick kids make each other happy, who am i to judge?”

“A whole three hours,” she deadpanned. “You know, the muggles are saying you should get eight. My brother’s girlfriend–” The words died in her throat, her lips sealing shut. She didn’t know, didn’t think but… Sebastian was a Wilkes and they weren’t known to be like the Weasleys or the Potters. Not known for their tolerance. Was it safe to mention her brother’s girlfriend who was studying to be a muggle doctor? “Good, bad… I think either can lead to drinking enough to forget. And the bartenders don’t skimp on their pours.” She shrugged. Not many people knew. Unless they caused trouble, they didn’t usually notice her – and by the point they were causing trouble, they were generally to drink to recognize her. “Had to get a job somewhere.”

“one time i really went wild and allowed myself a whole six hours of sleep.  scandalous, i know.”  he was mostly joking.  on days when he didn’t have morning practice, sebastian tended to sleep into late in the day.  what else was he going to do?  his life was mostly practice, game, practice, scrimmage, fundraiser, match, practice . . . the occasional night out with the teammates he tolerated.  there wasn’t much time for a personal life, not that seb really had any need for one.  “yeah.  i’ve definitely noticed that.  who doesn’t appreciate a heavy pour?”  he asked, forcing a small laugh.  “i get it.”  he certainly didn’t, but he liked to think he was able to empathize.  he gave her a curt nod in response to her shrug.  i won’t say anything.  “glad to see you’re doing well for yourself.  at least — i assume you’re doing okay.”

“So you think I won’t be able to embarrass you first?” Emilie loved games, though inherently childish, they were the divinity of life. Making the mundanities of the menagerie of days that blended together fun again, this little back and forth between herself and Sebastian was invigorating. “To her credit, I did end up with an unsightly fringe,” laughter caught on the end of her confession. 

Before her on a tray laid several fine rings covered in glass. One in particular spoke to Emilie in a way that she knew her mother would appreciate. An ornate and carved golden ring with a ruby set in the centre, the ring though flawless was not the deep crimson associated with rubies. It had a peculiar garnet colour that she was sure her mother would adore. Pointing to it through the glass, Emilie looked to him, “Do you think that’s too unassuming a gift?”

“are you trying to make this a challenge, emilie?”  he cocked an eyebrow.  sebastian didn’t realize that running into her outside of the store was going to lead to the threat of a drinking contest somewhere in the near future, but stranger things had happened.  hell, if that was the worst thing that happened today?  so be it.  “oh, i can only imagine.  i’d love to see a photograph of that at some point.  you should recreate it, for old time’s sake.”  seb crouched a little bit to get a closer look at the ring she was pointing at.  “well, if your mother is anything like mine, then no gift is going to be right,”  he muttered under his breath, straightening back up.  “but if it speaks to you, you should get it.  you certainly know her better than i do.  hopefully she appreciates any gift that comes from you.”  he was pretty sure that’s how parents were supposed to react, anyway.

“Aww, Seb, you’re too much.” Bilius laughed. Maybe Bilius was being a little bit too good-natured to his ex, if that was even possible. No doubt that the alcohol helped him reach that state. “I guess we did.” With the bottle back in his hand, he twisted the cap back on. The night was still young and Bilius was still planning on gracing more people with free booze. Seb’s teammates in particular. It might be weird accepting alcohol from a friend’s ex but come on. It’s still free alcohol.  “So how has your life been outside of Quidditch?”

“that’s not the first time i’ve heard you say that.  eh, weasley?”  though sober sebastian would rarely make such obnoxious innuendo in such a public forum, he currently was perfectly drunk enough to flirt with his ex-boyfriend, even giving bilius a clap on the shoulder to puncutate his joke.  “oh, the usual,”  seb said, letting out a dry chuckle.  he picked up a shot from the bar and tossed it back.  “what life outside of quidditch?”  he was choosing to ignore his extracurricular activities with the death eaters, as he often tried to do.

Marlowe knew he would start asking questions. It was only natural, of course, since she’d come barging in without very many answers. “I don’t know,” she said, a bit of frustration in her tone. She realized, though, that it had come out harsh and she quickly backed down, looking down sadly. “I don’t know…” This time the words came out as a whisper.  A deep breath followed and her arms wrapped around herself, eyes scanning the floor before she spoke again. “No, they don’t know,” she said, finally, looking up to meet his eyes. “His wanted us betrothed, although I doubt they’d be so happy at this point. I mean it’s not important, you know? I just… I care.” A deep breath followed and she shook her head. “I don’t know. Maybe I’m just panicking. But he always answers my owls. Always.”

sebastian’s eyes narrowed, almost imperceptibly.  he was trying to make sense of all this, though he was coming up empty.  amycus wasn’t exactly the most forthcoming individual, but to go completely off the radar seemed strange.  and clearly he always kept in touch with marlowe, as he was finding out.  seb was discovering a lot about their relationship, whether he liked it or not.  he’d never paid much attention to any sort of betrothals that his cohorts had lined up over the years.  his mother, for all of her flaws, had yet to set him down that path, and for that sebastian was thankful.  “i understand your concern, i really do.  but i don’t think panicking and doing anything irrational tonight is going to help you find him.  go home and sleep on it, and if you haven’t heard by morning, then you can panic.”  seb walked over to a cabinet across the room and opened it up.  “i’ve got some sleeping draughts, i’m sure you’ll be up all night worrying about lover-boy otherwise.”  despite the tension, he still couldn’t pass up a crack at her expense.

“Nope.” The single word reply was accompanied by a telltale laugh, it was not the playful giggle that clung to her words among men of higher stature, rather an honest laugh. Sebastian carried zero bullshit in most of what he did and for that Emilie was thankful, she did not need to play games or follow rules to be his friend. She needed to be nothing more than honest and what she felt in any given moment. “Why might I regret it?”

Her hands ran over the fine china pieces as she lead him towards the jewelry. There was an engraved jewelled cuff that she knew her mother would die for, even if her adoration for purity usually lead to a disdain for anything different than what she was used to. “Do you think this is too chic for a woman whose last act of modernity was letting me cut my hair?” 

“you’ll regret it because one drink will become three or four, and then i’ll make it my mission to embarrass you.”  it was merely a joke.  though not as high-profile as some of the more respected players, especially the seekers, sebastian was still too much in the public eye to be making a fool of himself every time he drank.  did that stop him from imbibing?  not hardly, he merely just had to exercise some responsibility.  “well, it depends — ”  seb replied, fingers dragging across a couple items before his eyes found what emilie was holding.  “ — did she know how short you were going, or did you tell her it was just a healthy trim?  because if she expected you to come out looking like one of your childhood portraits, it doesn’t count.”

“you know, one would think that, but there’s actually a special muggle repelling charm, and if for some reason one makes it past, there are plenty of guards,” he explained, a smile still present on his face. achille had always considered himself to be creative, and this story was certainly putting that to the test, but so far he hadn’t struggled for any ideas, making his story somewhat convincing. though, something told him sebstian wilkes wasn’t the type to actually believe him. “what can i say? we french enjoy being over the top,” he offered with a small shrug, a laugh escaping from his lips as he studied the other male. “a baguette shop?” he repeated, “we have bakeries in france.”

“still, it seems pretty easy for a muggle to get through.  do you often find muggles living amongst your witches and wizards?”  he paused for a moment, realization dawning over sebastian’s face.  “i suppose that would explain your team’s performance this season, hm?  a couple non-magiques found their way around a broom and onto the quidditch pitch.”  sebastian knew exactly how the french national team had played this year;  however, their success or failure mattered little when he was presented the opportunity to poke fun at the expense of a competitor.  when he was corrected, he only shrugged in response.  “oh, as if there’s a difference.”

setting: the apothecary, late afternoon who: alecto and ?

“I’ve a bit of a cold, you see,” Alecto says, crossing her hands over her throat. She grins, her eyes going cold as impatience sets in. The attendant she’s talking to seems not to notice, rolling his eyes as if she were a normal customer. Alecto smiles wider. She turns her head just so, eyeing the man at the cashier, whose eyes widen in alarm. 

“Miss Carrow, what will you need from us today?” he says as he brisk-walks toward her, his voice shaking. Before Alecto can say anything more, the bell at the door chimes and he looks toward it. 

for someone who tried to avoid speaking to their mother at all costs, sebastian seemed to be running errands for her with increasing frequency.  if he had to guess, she was probably doing it to make sure he wasn’t fucking off somewhere.  or testing his loyalty to her — as if there had ever been any.  this time, he was stuck fetching her some ingredients from the apothecary.  business was finally taking off again as the world returned to normal after the events of the past few months.  it only took one look to realize alecto was in the store, and if the chime hadn’t announced his arrival, he would’ve left and come back another time.  oh well. “carrow.  it’s been so long.”  sebastian spared a glance at the frightened clerk.  “mr. johnson, how are you today?”

Olivia should have know this would happen, but when Evangeline tugged on a strand of her mama’s ponytail and pointed excitedly at the storefront yelling, “Yummydukes! Yummydukes!” She had no choice but to make an unplanned stop. She sighed, but it was a dreamy kind of sound, smile curling on the edges of her lips as her daughter tried to grab just about everything within reach.  “Kids, am I right?” She mused to no one in particular, eyes following the toddler around the shop. It wasn’t that long ago when Livvy was trying to coerce her daughter into taking her first steps. Now she had regrets as she chased her around the candy store. “I think I should just quit my job and work here. I spend galleons on confectioneries anyway and I bet they get a wicked discount.” Not that she needed it, but…

sebastian had a meeting scheduled that afternoon in hogsmeade, but when he arrived at his destination he realized he was over an hour late.  so rather than go home and come back, he decided to just loiter around the village.  it had been a long while since he’d spent any amount of time there — during the day, at least.  popping in for a drink, on the other hand, was certainly not unheard of.  “hm?  oh.  sure.”  he hadn’t expected anyone to start talking to him when he was in honeyduke’s, but not every day was lucky.  only after sebastian muttered in agreement did he even realize there was a child nearby.  two and two added together and his tight lips formed the smallest hint of a smile.  “if that’s the case, you might as well put her to work.  make her earn her keep.”

who: open! where: a cute outdoor cafe when: afternoon

It was finally starting to feel like summer in England, the sun being out for what seemed like ages. Angel had stumbled on this place in her first week in England and seemed to return to it like clockwork. Everyone there knew her by now and the couple of times she had skipped a few weeks because she had been in France and forgotten to inform Samantha (the owner who ran the place along with her wife) she had been in for a lecture of a lifetime when she finally did come back. “So anyway, it was this close-” Angel was chattering excitedly to the person she had gotten hold of, indicating with her thumb and forefinger just how close it had been, “I was aiming for the Puddlemere Chaser but their Beater was aiming for me and I didn’t see but Laurie did and he pushed me out of the way-” She laughed. Her and Laurie did make one hell of a team and had saved each other countless times, “Which is why he’s my hero because otherwise I would not be sitting here. It worked out because I managed to take the shot and it gave us enough time for our Seeker to catch the Snitch and- we won!” she shrugged, a grin spreading across her face, clearly delighted. “Which is what matters.” She took a sip of her iced coffee, “But that’s enough about me - tell me what you’ve been up to.” 

sebastian rarely had any interest in making small talk with people.  he didn’t care about their day, or how their family was doing, or what the weather was supposed to look like later.  one thing he did hold an interest in, however, was quidditch.  so angel was quite lucky that she had chosen that for the topic.  and for her career.   “merlin, am i glad we already faced you,”  he responded, offering a polite smile.  mentally, he was taking note of everything she said — why not, when your would-be opponent was offering it to you on a silver platter? — but sebastian was listening intently.  “i wouldn’t want to get caught in the crossfire of you and your brother again.  thought i was going to lose my head for a moment last time.”  he merely nodded when she mentioned the win.  it wasn’t new information.  obviously, he kept up with the rest of the league.  “yes, of course you won.”

Bilius didn’t even mind that Sebastian maneuvered the bottle from his hands. He might have been a little… distracted lately. That’s why he hasn’t been up to date with anything Quidditch related. But that doesn’t mean he won’t be up for some Quidditch celebration. “Congratulations then!” He saw whom Sebastian was indicating to. Bilius laughed and cheered along with his ex’s teammates. Bilius then looked back at Sebastian. He was genuinely happy for him. Once the other man finished, Bilius outstretched his hand, asking for the bottle back. “Oh, I just came across a couple of galleons recently. Had a couple of coins to spare so I decided a night with bottles and good company would be fun.”

“what a giving man you are.”  sebastian smirked, although he meant it genuinely.  could never be him, though.  if he were ever feeling generous enough to buy drinks for someone else, it was going to be because he had an ulterior motive.  certainly not out of the goodness of his heart.  but then again, he supposed that was the difference between a wilkes and a weasley.  well.  one of them, anyway.  “congratulations to you, too.  i guess both of us have had a lucky day, then.”