Goblet of Amortentia

Enoch waited beside the entrance to the Great Hall, watching different students enter with their dates. He hadn't seen Sebastian since morning, and was worried he wouldn't show up after all. Enoch wasn't even sure Sebastian had a date to come with.

“Hello, Enoch,” greeted Poppy who had approached him from the stairs. He had turned to look at her, prepared to greet her in return, but was taken aback by the stunning look of her dressing gown, which was coloured a beautiful mix of white and gold, with floral embroidery swirling down the wide skirt, bleeding into the hem at the bottom. She looked... different. Enoch couldn’t put his finger on exactly why and what made him speechless, but compared to the dress she wore at the masquerade, this was just different. She looked as if she was shining brighter than any candle in the castle.

“Poppy,” Enoch started, searching for his words. “You look very nice.”

Poppy smiled and shyly looked down, fiddling with her thumbs. “You look great, too.”

Enoch wasn't too sure how to traverse a ball, wondering how he even got through the masquerade feast. With Garreth’s potion, truthfully, he thought to himself. He thought he ought to take Garreth’s new fizzing whizz-beer soon, and maybe it would calm his nerves.

“Do you... would you like to go in?” He asked nervously.

“Sure,” Poppy said with a smile, extending her arm. Enoch hesitantly took a hold of it and placed her hand around his arm, leading her to the giant doors.

It felt like deja-vu to Enoch, after having the masquerade feast for Halloween just two months ago, but now everyone was clad in extravagant outfits fit for a celebration of the three brave champions of the competing schools. It was beautiful, down to the vinery that decorated every furniture piece to the lighting that made the Great Hall look like a totally different room that didn't belong to Hogwarts castle.

The hall was full of clamour and conversation, Enoch already feeling more nervous than he imagined he would. He didn't see Ominis anywhere, and felt a bit worried about him. How nervous he would be. This was a celebration for him after all.

Enoch and Poppy stayed in the crowd, mingling with whomever they saw, Poppy complimenting everyone’s dresses. The entire time Enoch kept his eye on the doors, waiting for either one of his friends to arrive. It didn’t take long until the champions eventually made their grand entrance.

In first came Teodora Popova of Durmstrang, who sported a gorgeous dutch braid down to her lower back and a beautiful maroon gown. Her date was a seventh year Gryffindor, who honestly didn't compare to her beauty at all.

After them came Aloysius Belrose, looking ostentatious with his suit a gaudy blue. Enoch froze when he saw his date was Imelda Reyes, in a deep blue dress. He was already getting a headache just thinking what Sebastian would do if he saw her with Aloysius. 

“Are you kidding me?”

Both Enoch and Poppy jumped at the sudden voice in their ears. Sebastian stood behind them, snarling and hands shoved deep in his pockets. 

“There you are!” Enoch exclaimed, happy to see his friend. “I was looking all over for you.”

Sebastian ignored him and continued staring at Imelda. “I can't believe she's with the Beauxbaton’s pompous prick. She turned down Ominis for that?”

Speaking of Ominis, he had entered right behind Imelda and Aloysius, walking stiffly and looking miserable. Yet despite the discomfited look of her partner, Natty appeared confident and composed.

“They look so great together,” Poppy said happily.

Sebastian stifled a laugh  “Ominis looks like he's one second away from dropping dead.”

“He's just nervous,” said Enoch. “Can you blame him? I'd hate to be the centre of attention, too.”

“None of you have any confidence,” Sebastian muttered before walking away from them.

The Ball began with a first dance by the champions and their respective dates. Most of them glided across the floor with grace, while Ominis danced like he was falling ill. Regardless, Natty looked cheerful and gladly took control of their dance so as to not fall behind the others. Enoch couldn't help but feel a bit proud of his friend. despite the trouble it looked like he was having.

“Would you like to dance?”

Enoch was brought out of his thoughts by Poppy who stared up at him with gleaming eyes. He didn't know if it was the brightness of her gown, or maybe the candlelight shining across the hall, but she looked to be radiating in a way Enoch had never noticed before. It was as if she was taking his breath away.

“Sure,” Enoch stuttered, nervously giving her a smile. “Of course, Poppy.”

Enoch grabbed Poppy’s small hand and led her out towards the crowd of other students now joining in dance. He placed his hand on her waist and his other hand joined with hers. 

They spun around in unison with the other couples, the melodic sound of the music leading them in a beautiful portrait. Poppy’s dress bounced at each step, and Enoch was almost finding it difficult to keep up with her, as she floated across the floor with such ease Enoch was shocked. 

Enoch got a glance at Ominis as they passed and smiled at the sight of him. He had both his brows furrowed so tightly as if he was taking all his power to concentrate on the dance. Natty didn't seem too worried, and she seemed to be flowing nicely alongside Ominis’s lead, with such a glow to her Enoch couldn't help but stare.

The sonata ended and everyone bowed to their partners before the chorus began again with a different melody. 

“Would you like to take a seat?” Poppy asked with a smile.

“Of course.” Enoch then remembered the vial of Garreth’s potion in his coat pocket. “You go on ahead, I'll be right there.”

Poppy nodded and headed off toward their table. The night had just begun, and Enoch figured it was time to test the potion. He had to admit even he was a little bit weary about it, having known the effects that happened last time. But he truly trusted Garreth, and he felt as friends this was something he could do for him.

Enoch walked away from the crowd behind a pillar and took out the vial from his inner coat pocket, examining it in front of him. He had a moment of hesitation, wondering if he truly was making the right decision by following Garreth blindly as such. But he was his friend, and if Enoch was anything to his friends, it was loyal. He took in a breath before opening it, leaning it closer to his mouth.

But before he could drink it the vial was quickly taken out of his hand. His eyes widened in shock as he watched Sebastian take it in his own hand and down the potion quickly.

“Sebastian!” Enoch exclaimed incredulously, shocked he would do such a thing.

Sebastian cringed at the taste and popped his lips. “That tastes awful without juice.”

Enoch still stared at his friend with his mouth agape. “Why would you do that?”

“Because I'm not about to babysit you again. Consider this a favour.” Sebastian shoved the now empty vial into Enoch’s hand with a smile.

“You're mad.”

“And you're not? You're the one who agreed to drink it to begin with. This isn't the maddest thing I've done this week alone.”

Enoch shook his head with a laugh at his friend. “I guess I'll have to babysit you, right?”

“A man like me doesn't need babysitting.” Sebastian patted Enoch’s shoulder before walking away once more.

The potion was out of the way, but now Enoch was nervous about Sebastian. Truthfully, he didn't know exactly what Garreth’s potion would do, and the thought of Sebastian downing the whole thing really worried him. He would've felt a lot better if he just had to deal with it alone. But what's done was done, and he'd just have to keep somewhat of a close eye on his friend for the night.

An hour or so had passed, and the ball was in full session. Enoch found himself getting lost in conversation with other classmates, usually alongside Poppy. She seemed to flush any moment a classmate commented on her partnering with Enoch, as much as he could take notice. 

After a long conversation with a Hufflepuff sixth year student, Enoch realised he hadn’t seen Sebastian in a while. He glanced around the hall in search of his friend. Throughout all the fancily-clad students that filled the room, Sebastian was nowhere to be seen. He began to get nervous, thinking back to Garreth’s potion that Sebastian stupidly drank on his own. Enoch knew he had to find him.

“Ominis,” Enoch said as he approached his friend sitting by himself at a table. He wanted to ask if he had any idea where Sebastian had gone, but was more concerned why he was all alone. “Where’s Natty?”

Ominis sighed. “She’s chatting with her friends. I told her I wanted to be by myself for now.”

“Can’t handle all the attention?” Enoch smiled.

“I’d leave for our dorm if Professor Weasley hadn’t told me I’m not allowed to leave until the Ball was over.”

“It’ll be over before you know it, don’t worry.” Enoch attempted to reassure his friend. “By the way, did Sebastian ever tell you if he was leaving early?”

Ominis furrowed his brows. “No, is he not here anymore? We talked a bit earlier, but he didn’t say anything about leaving.”

“I’m not too sure myself. I’ll go look for him. Will you be alright here by yourself?”

“As long as no one else tries to pull me into conversation, yes.”

Enoch chuckled. “Good luck with that, Ominis.”

“You too.”

Enoch exited the Great Hall and began to look around for Sebastian. He wasn't anywhere near the front steps, or down the hall towards the grand staircase. He hoped he hadn't gone far, and decided to try looking out in the courtyard.

He exited the main door and out into the piercing, cold air. He held his arms close to him as he noticed his breath as visible as day coming from his mouth. If Sebastian was truly out here, he'd be mad.

Then, down by the stone fence that overlooked the Black Lake below, Enoch spotted Sebastian. Letting out a breath of relief he didn't know he was holding, he walked over to his friend.

“Sebastian,” Enoch said as he stopped behind him. “I've been looking all over for you.”

Sebastian took a second before he turned around to face Enoch. His cheeks and nose and ears were all red from the cold air, and the breeze was blowing his hair out of place. He looked back at Enoch expressionless at first, but then began to look solemn.

“Let's go back inside,” said Enoch, already freezing. “It's too cold out here.”

“Why?” Sebastian asked in return. “So I can watch you dance around with Poppy like monkeys?”

Enoch’s brows furrowed. “What?”

“Nevermind. I forgot you don't ever listen to me.”

“You're not making any sense, Sebastian. I'm sure it's just Garreth’s potion. Maybe we'd be better off getting you back to the dorm.”

Enoch reached forward to grab Sebastian’s arm but he pulled it away, staring deeply at Enoch.

“No matter what I do, or say, you never listen.” Sebastian huffed, but he somehow sounded more despondent than angry. “You never listen...”

“What are you talking about?”

They both stared into each other’s eyes, Enoch trying to figure out what his friend meant, and what he was doing. He couldn't read the emotion on his face, and it didn't help that the wind was blowing his hair over his eyes at that point.

Sebastian stayed silent for a moment before responding. “You only care about Poppy.”

His voice was so low Enoch felt like he had heard him wrong. He looked down at the stone beneath their feet in confusion. “Poppy?” He looked back up at Sebastian. “What does she have to do with this?”

Sebastian took a couple steps closer to Enoch very slowly, not looking away from his eyes. “I've tried for so long.” He let out a shaky breath, the cold air forming it into a smoke billowing into the wind. “I've tried getting my point across to you, but you are too dense to ever understand it.”

Enoch stared back in silence, hoping Sebastian would continue. 

“Do you like Poppy more than me?”

Enoch was so befuddled he let out a small laugh. “What? What's that even supposed to mean, Sebastian? You're my friend.”

“I don't want to be your friend.” Sebastian’s voice fell into a low, taut sound that made a shiver go down Enoch’s spine.

“What...” Enoch trailed off. “What do you mean?”

“I don't...” Sebastian’s voice fell quiet. His eyes shifted and met the ground, taking in a deep breath. “I want to be... more than that, to you.”

Enoch began to shake his head. He felt like he was starting to understand it now, but couldn't possibly believe that was it. Sebastian couldn't possibly be meaning what he thought he meant.

“You’re not...” Enoch paused. “You don't mean...”

“I mean it. I've been meaning it.” Sebastian’s voice grew louder and steadier. “This entire time I've tried everything to get it through your thick skull and, and you've ignored everything. You shut your eyes to me and go feed kneazles with Poppy or have walks with her and spend all your time with her when, when I'm right here.” His eyes began to shift and his face contorted into a different emotion that Enoch was having trouble reading. “And I'd watch you two together and, and seethe. And you'd come back so happy and pleased with yourself. And you never understood me. Ever.”

“Sebastian...” Enoch felt like he was at a loss of words. 

All he could do was stare at his friend's eyes, which were burning with some type of fire he never noticed before. Sebastian’s lips were formed into a teetering scowl that looked unstable with his eyebrows knotted so deep. 

“You should go back to the dorm. Maybe rest for the night.”

“No,” Sebastian quickly said as he looked back up at Enoch. “It's not the potion. My head is clear, I swear. My head is clearer than it's been all year. I want you to... to understand me.”

“I'm trying to understand, Sebastian, I really am. I...” Enoch stopped, trying to search for words to say. 

Sebastian shook his head and huffed. “You don't understand me. You never have and you never will because I know you never cared about me like I care about you.”

“I care about you Sebastian, you're my best friend.”

“Not like that!” Sebastian yelled, causing Enoch to flinch. Sebastian bit his lip and continued more calmly. “When I look at you, it's like my world upends. It's like nothing around me matters but you. I want to be around you, I want to protect you. And I want you to look only at me.” He paused, taking in a breath. “For months I've questioned my own sanity and every time I try convincing myself I don't have those feelings for you they just grow stronger.”

Listening to Sebastian confess left Enoch completely speechless as he stared back into his glossy eyes. He struggled to find any solution in his head. He couldn't form a thought anymore, as too many questions flooded his brain too quickly for him to catch any.

“So, go back in there. Go dance and be merry and continue living as if I don't exist or matter. Because I know you truly don't care. And I know you would never feel the same way I do.”

“Am I interrupting something?”

Both the boys jumped at the sound of a third voice coming from behind them. As they turned they saw a bored-looking Imelda Reyes standing with her arms crossed.

“Oh,” Enoch said, catching his bearings. He self-consciously straightened his coat and backed away from Sebastian, pointing himself towards Imelda. “Imelda, no. No, you're not interrupting.”

Imelda walked closer with a raised eyebrow. “Ominis told me you two walked out. How thoughtful to abandon your friend on the ballroom floor.”

“What do you want?” Sebastian spat. Enoch nervously took a glance at him, seeing the fire in his friend’s eyes burn brighter.

She halted near them, exhaling loudly. “It's about Aloysius Belrose.”

Sebastian scoffed. “You mean our enemy whom you’ve chosen to cosy up to?”

She glared at Sebastian. “He asked and I accepted. But that's besides the point. I thought you two ought to know some of the things he has been telling me about Ominis.”

“Things?” Enoch asked. “What things?”

“Pretty dreadful things, actually. A bit worrying.”

“Get to the point,” Sebastian demanded.

Imelda glared at Sebastian incessantly before continuing. “To be quite honest with you he hasn’t told me much, but I have heard a little. It’s little things, here and there. How he wants to put him in his place, teach him to not play with the more stronger and capable wizards.”

“Ominis is capable!” Sebastian yelled.

With contempt, Imelda looked back at him silently before continuing. “I never said he wasn’t. Aloysius did. If only you had the patience and wisdom to open your ears and listen when other people talk.”

“Why are you telling us this?” Enoch asked.

Imelda took in a breath. “Just a warning. It really sounds like he’s planning something.”

“A warning?” Sebastian asked this time. “After you betrayed your own school by accepting his invitation. Why care about Ominis now?”

A loud laugh left Imelda’s body in response. “I can’t believe I share a house with some of the most deliberately obtuse wizards of our time. I could've not said anything at all. And with this hostility, I wish I had stayed quiet.” And with that, she turned on her heel and headed back to the doors.

“Wait,” Enoch called out, causing Imelda to stop and turn back to look at him. “You're really telling the truth?”

“Why wouldn't I be? I am competitive after all. If my own house doesn't win this cup, I don't think I'll ever be able to show my face to any other witch or wizard again.”

Imelda left the boys standing in the cold, winter weather. Enoch glanced up at Sebastian in an uncomfortable silence, feeling an unfamiliar twinge of nervousness in his gut. His thoughts were still swimming around his head and he couldn't catch any of them. And as if his conversation with Sebastian wasn’t enough to make him go mad, he now had to worry about whatever Aloysius Belrose could be planning against Ominis.

“I think I'll head back to the common room,” Sebastian muttered as he kept his head low and began to walk past Enoch.

“Wait,” Enoch called before thinking. Sebastian stopped and looked back, waiting patiently. Enoch still couldn't find the right words. “I'll... I'll go with you. You still have that potion in your system, I just want to make sure you get back okay.”

“I'll be fine,” Sebastian responded quietly. “Go check on Ominis instead.”

It was an uncomfortable feeling watching Sebastian walk away. Enoch’s thoughts still were jumbled around in his head and the ever growing pit in his stomach seemed to still be sinking.Truthfully, he had no idea how to think about Sebastian’s... confession. Ever since he got to Hogwarts Sebastian had been his closest friend. Sure, they’ve had bumps and hardships, but he never stopped considering him his friend. But now Sebastian’s confessed he’s had feelings for him this whole time? None of it was making any sense to Enoch. He still had Ominis and Poppy inside to worry about, so he decided to save the endless questions for later and went back inside.