Chapter Text
21st August, 1897
London
Everett Clopton scanned the room as he sat at a corner table in the local pub. Men reeked of liquor and cigars, laughing and singing quite obnoxiously while being serviced by the lovely ladies who provided them with food and beverages. Everett did not understand why Amit wanted to meet him at this pub of all places when they could have easily just met at his office or his home. He took out his pocket watch and checked the time: twelve o’clock. Midnight. With a heavy sigh of frustration, Everett returned his pocket watch back into his coat. He was late. How odd.
“Care for another round, love?”
Everett glanced up and gave a friendly smile to the waitress holding a pitcher and shook his head, his hand waving in dismissal. “No thank you, my dear. Say, by any chance have you seen a young man stumble inside?”
The waitress furrowed her brows. “A young man?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Everett nodded. “He’d look my age, with dark hair and copper skin. Should be wearing a gray tailcoat. Amit Thakkar is his name. Have you seen him?”
The waitress pondered as she listened to the descriptions presented to her. She inevitably shook her head, offering Everett an apologetic look.
“I’m sorry, but I haven’t. Would you like me to leave a message for anyone who may come in with those descriptors?”
“You know what? Nevermind, love. Here…” Everett fished out some Muggle currency and held it out for the waitress to take. “Take this. You young lasses are working hard. Too kind to us blokes.”
The waitress stared at the money given to her in awe and glanced up at Everett. Her shock turned into gratitude and smiled at him. “Thank you, kind sir.”
“You’re welcome,” Everett nodded at her before he got up and collected his bowler hat off the table. “Good day to you.”
As Everett crossed through the crowds of hollering drunken men and sultry women, he kept an eye out for Amit. Everett had hoped that he might have missed his old friend, and that perhaps they just could not find each other in such a place. Now by the pub’s entrance, Everett turned around and gave the room one last look. No sign of Amit anywhere. With a roll of his eyes, Everett opened the door and stepped outside, starting his stroll back towards his home.
Along the way, Everett could not help but take note at how strange it was that Amit wrote to him about the pub being the meeting place. After graduating from Hogwarts, Everett had taken a publishing job. Admit had approached him after his book about his adventures at Hogwarts was finished. Everett sat down with his old housemate and shared laughs at the memories with Admit, finding simple pleasure in reliving the past within the pages of a novel. It wasn’t until he got to the later chapters when Everett started to feel disturbed. He shivered while reading about the goblin mines, and most of all, the events that took place in their seventh-year at Hogwarts. It had been five years since the beginning of their seventh-year at Hogwarts. Four years since they all finally graduated, as well as Vincent Sallow’s peculiar disappearance.
Everett was a tad uncomfortable when reading about Vincent Sallow, but Amit assured him that Felix and Sebastian both gave him their blessing. They wanted their story to be told. Thus, In And Out of The Shadows by Amit Thakkar had been published, thanks to the help of an old classmate and friend. Sometime after that, Amit wrote a second book — one on Astronomy. It became a best-seller alongside his last novel, and as a result, was hand-picked by Professor Shah to replace her after her retirement. Amit Thakkar had officially been Hogwarts’s new Astronomy Professor for about a year now. Tonight was the night that they were going out to “celebrate”, as Amit put it plainly in his letter.
Just as Everett had finally reached his home, he was surprised to find a letter nailed to his door. With a groan, Everett tore off the parchment and opened it, eyes narrowing as he tried to make out the writing in the dark.
Everett,
I am terribly sorry for not being at the pub. I have been a bit distracted. Come meet me at the alleyway behind your house.
Amit
Everett frowned. This has certainly been a rather odd night. As much as Everett wanted to unlock his door and retreat into his bed for the rest of the night, he promised to meet his friend. Still, why bother planning to meet if he was not going to show up at all? Why leave a note and then go somewhere else? Something did not seem right.
Then again, Amit always loved puzzles. Perhaps this was a throwback to their earlier days in the Ravenclaw common room? Deciding to humor him, Everett crumbled the parchment and stuffed it into his pocket before turning around the corner in search of the alleyway mentioned in Amit’s note. Once he found him, Everett would lead Amit back to his house for some tea. Late or not, Everett still wanted to see him.
Once Everett had stumbled upon the alley’s entryway, he cursed Amit’s name. It was pitch black in there. The only light provided were a select few oil lamps and the moonlight. Sadly, it did not help very much. Just as Everett was beginning to have second thoughts, another piece of parchment flew towards him. Everett blinked, startled by the floating parchment before reaching out and took it into his hands. He then unfolded it, eyes darting back and forth.
I see you, Everett. It’s me. Come on in.
Everett furrowed his brows and looked up to stare into the dark abyss. Eyes narrowed, he could make out a lone figure standing by an oil lamp.
“Amit?” called out Everett. He adjusted his glasses, eyes still glued onto the figure. “Amit, is that you? If so, then come out of there! We can talk inside my house…and not this dark, creepy alley…” he muttered that last part quietly to himself.
When the figure did not move or say anything in response, Everett became even more uneasy. What was wrong with Amit? Why was he ignoring him? In fact…was that even Amit? Was Everett simply conversing with a random stranger? They probably thought him to be mad. The sound of approaching footsteps alerted Evertt, turning his attention to his left to see a couple taking a stroll down the road. They both glanced at him cautiously as they walked past, making Everett feel even more awkward.
As Everett turned to apologize to the lone figure, his face contorted into confusion when he noticed that they were no longer present. Figuring they’d left already, Everett was about to turn around and leave for home, before the sound of trash cans collapsing startled him. A cat appeared around the corner, holding a dead rat in its mouth.
Everett scowled. “Cat…” he sighed.
Turning around, Everett gasped when he came face-to-face with a masked person. They were wearing dark attire with matching pants and gloves. They had on a cloak with a hood, and their mask was a white ceramic. The dark hollowed eyes and emotionless expression made Everett vastly uncomfortable. Before he could say anything, the figure raised its hands, a blast of magic sending Everett flying into the alleyway. He crashed into a wall with a pained grunt.
“Was that wandless magic?!” Everett thought to him as he felt the air kicked out of him.
Just before Everett could fully stand up, the masked person reappeared in front of him, knife now in hand. Everett let out a blood-curdling scream as he felt the knife forcibly jabbed into his lower stomach, the blade being twisted and pulled upwards as his attacker pinned him against the wall. Everett’s hand eventually stumbled across his wand poking out of his pocket, and quickly grabbed onto it before casting Depulso on the masked person. Everett’s retaliation had the effect he had hoped, believing that his attacker did not see that coming.
Everett coughed and stumbled as he made his way down the alleyway, desperate to at least return to the safety of his own home. Sadly, that did not happen. Everett screamed as he felt a magical force pull him back into the darkness and slammed against a stoned corner. Everett was now gushing blood, crying as he felt his bones broken from the forceful attacks. He looked up at the masked person and tried to find the strength to raise his wand to protect himself, but his attacker was quick to disarm him with a wave of their hand. Everett was shocked. He had never seen wandless magic in action.
“P-Please…” he begged, clutching onto his large stab wound. “Spare me. I’ll give you anything. What do you want?”
The masked person did not move or say a word as they stared down at Everett’s weakened body. Then, they slowly raised their hand, traces of green magic beginning to swirl around their fingers. Everett looked back up at them, his tired expression turned into that of terror. Then, just before the green blast struck him, Everett heard a voice…
“To send a message.”
Felix’s blue eyes narrowed as he studied the rock formations in front of him and glanced back down onto the sketch he had been working on in his journal. He sighed with satisfaction before shutting the journal and stuffed it back into his satchel. This was the place, just as Sebastian’s notes described. He was wearing a white long-sleeve shirt with a blue vest and dark green pants with tan boots. Felix’s strawberry-blonde hair – which normally reached to the bottom of his neck – was tied into a ponytail with a dark blue ribbon. Felix gripped onto his satchel and pulled out his wand. He was close.
What led the former Ravenclaw student into this cavern? Poachers.
After graduating from Hogwarts, Felix had received an owl just as Professor Weasley had promised. He was happy to receive the help, sure, but the Ministry just was not suited for him. That much was proven when Felix kept getting into trouble amongst his colleagues. During his time at the Ministry of Magic, Felix learned that Hogwarts was fully-staffed again. When he contacted Professor Weasley, Felix was met with an apologetic response. The Deputy Headmistress had informed him via owl that Professor Black had gotten quite annoyed with the constant nagging and pleading from various teachers for a replacement for Professor Fig. He had received many applications over time, and the Headmaster just decided to randomly select one. While it was a miracle that Professor Black finally did something about the Magical Theory position, it still made Felix feel disheartened. He was hoping to return to Hogwarts, but there was nothing else for him now.
Deciding that he did not want to be chained to an office job at the Ministry, Felix decided to venture out into the world and become a researcher. Now self-employed, Felix had traveled across the Highlands and the rest of Europe in hopes to learn more about magic. He even traveled to America and Japan, finding the magic in those areas fascinating.
Now, one may think that researching magic on his own time would keep Felix busy. That was incorrect. The more Felix explored, the more dangers he encountered, including the likes of poachers. It was a thrill that the former Ravenclaw student craved. Felix felt like he was young again, remembering his times as a fifth-year student and rescuing innocent beasts. His actions had eventually come to the attention of the British Ministry of Magic, who had even offered him a chance to become an Auror. Felix denied them on several occasions.
What led Felix to this particular poacher hideout was the documents founded in Sebastian’s office. Every once in a while, Felix would pop into the Ministry of Magic and pay his husband a visit; usually to have lunch together. Their latest rendezvous earlier in the day was when Felix took note of the documents Sebastian had spread out on his desk, rumors of a poacher camp in hiding near the Clagmar Coast. Poppy Sweeting – or Poppy Thakkar now, as she and Amit married – had requested that Sebastian would look into it. Their alleged prey consisted of Hippogriffs, mostly offspring. Sebastian could tell what his husband was thinking when he caught sight of his work, and he was quick to shut down any thoughts of going out there.
“Don’t even think about it, love,” Sebastian firmly scolded. “This is Ministry business. You know they don’t like it when outsiders get involved.”
Felix rolled his eyes. Ministry business? As much as Felix loved his husband, he missed Sebastian’s sense of danger and forward attitude. Ever since he participated in the three-year Aurorial Appraisal, Sebastian changed. Matured vastly, even. It made Felix unnerved. Of course, Sebastian still had his same boyish personality and charming demeanor that made his lover go weak. Felix was still grateful for that. However, when it came to adventure, Sebastian had become more cautious and stubborn. He was like this even after the Vincent Sallow incident. Felix only hadn’t noticed until their honeymoon in America. Being an Auror had only made Sebastian even more protective. Felix honestly didn’t know if he should kiss his husband half the time, or slap him.
“It’s bad enough you’re traveling the world alone,” Sebastian would lecture. “I cannot fathom the risk of losing you, too.”
Sebastian only meant well; Felix knew this. However, it was his overprotectiveness that made Felix crave the risks. He loved to explore, even more so now that he was no longer chained to the watchful eyes of the Hogwarts professors, dark wizards, or even goblins.
Felix continued through the cavern, his footsteps as quiet as possible. The sounds of voices soon caught his attention. Felix peered around the corner, hiding behind some large stalagmites as he entered an opened room. A poacher’s tent was put up on display, with two wizards standing guard. The wizard on the left was small and round. The other was tall and lanky. Felix’s eyes narrowed as he began to eavesdrop on their conversation.
“So, you think he’ll be interested?”
“Who? Adrien?”
The wizard on the right side of the tent’s entrance nodded. “Yes. We caught these baby Hippogriffs in hopes of making easy money. Do you think he’ll take them?”
“Do you jest?” the smaller wizard rhetorically asked. “He’ll be over the moon! Hippogriffs are one thing, but their offspring? Now that’s worth Galleons galore!”
“When’s he supposed to be here, again?”
“Soon,” the other replied. “I heard he’s coming from Feldcroft. Found a Niffler den, and of course, he just had to chase after his lead.”
The taller wizard snorted. “He’s always doing this. Can’t he be on time for once?”
“I don’t care what the boss does,” the smaller wizard quipped. “As long as we get paid.”
Felix frowned as he listened to the two going back-and-forth. At this point, he was no longer paying attention to their squabble. Felix gripped his wand’s handle tightly and casted the Disillusionment Charm on himself before quietly sneaking out into view. Luckily, the two blokes were too busy chatting amongst themselves that they did not even notice him. Felix was quick to take them both out with Petrificus Totalus.
Once the two wizards were taken care of, Felix hummed in with satisfaction. He quite enjoyed being sneaky; he preferred the thrill of stealth as opposed to his husband’s love of jumping right into the danger head-on. Felix smiled and suppressed a giggle at the thought of Sebastian sprinting right into a goblin camp back in their fifth-year. Despite their arguments back in the day, they still had fun fighting side-by-side. There were times where Felix missed that.
“Now, to deal with the others and free those Hippogriffs…” Felix thought as he entered the tent.
Despite being a wizard since he was fifteen, Felix still found himself amazed by magic and how things never seemed how they appeared. The inside of the tent he had just infiltrated reminded him of Horntail Hall. It was a massive space with multiple rooms and at least two levels. Felix snuck around the tent’s interior, being cautious as he hoped to not get caught. It was not an easy feat, as Felix noted how poachers have gotten smarter about their rounds over time. They used to be separated as they patrolled their hideouts. Now, Felix observed, they were usually in pairs of two or three. The Disillusionment Charm was not as effective as an Invisibility Cloak, but it still got the job done. Felix just had to remind himself to be careful and think about his strategy wisely. He would use a basic cast to separate the buddy system that the poachers adopted, making it somewhat easier to pick them off one-by-one. The real issue began once they had started to suspect someone who was not amongst their ranks was inside.
It took a lot of work and patience, but Felix was proud to have finally cleared out the tent of every poacher he could find. A sigh of relief left his mouth as Felix removed the Disillusionment Charm on himself and headed straight to the large number of cages in the lower level, where the baby Hippogriffs were being kept against their will.
“Hey there…” Felix soothed as he approached one of the cages. The Hippogriff offspring all watched Felix with curiosity. They began squawking and flapping their wings, showing signs of distrust. However, that all changed once they noticed Felix pulling fish out of his satchel. When he started traveling, Felix placed a charm on practically anything he carried with him. This allowed him to carry a significant amount of items.
Felix tossed the fish through each of the cages to help calm the Hippogriff offspring down. Having the effect that he had hoped, Felix pulled out his wand and approached the lock on one of the cages. He was just about to cast Alohomora until a voice echoed through the tent’s interior.
“Well, look what we have here – a snake in the grass!”
“Shit!” Felix thought to himself. He lowered his wand and slowly turned around to gaze up at his unexpected company.
A tall man who appeared a little older than Felix’s own age with dark skin, and short black hair stood at the top of the stairs leading down into the pit where the cages were kept. The man also had a short, neatly trimmed beard that rested upon his face. He wore a dark purple overcoat over a blue vest and white undershirt. He had black pants and wore matching purple boots. His dark brown eyes gazed down at Felix, an amused grin on his face.
Felix did not show any signs of being intimidated. He had dealt with the likes of Victor Rookwood and Vincent Sallow. He could handle someone as pathetic as a poacher ringleader. Felix stood his ground and observed the man who had interrupted his rescue mission; other poachers began entering the tent and took their places around the wrapped-around balcony. They all had their wands pointed at Felix, hoping to strike fear into their uninvited guest.
They were sorely mistaken.
“Adrien Price, I presume?”
A chuckle slipped through the man’s lips. “And I take it you’re the buzzy bee who petrified half of my hired help!”
“And I’ll do the same to you if you don’t get out of my way.”
An uproar of laughter echoed throughout the tent as both Adrien and his men found the humor in Felix’s – what they assumed to be – empty threat. Felix remained unphased as his enemies laughed, his grip on his wand tightening as he prepared to make due on his promise.
“That’s a good joke, lad…” Adrien wiped a tear from his face. “However, you seem to be sadly mistaken. Look around you – completely outnumbered! I suggest you leave now while you still can and allow me to continue my work.”
“I’m afraid I can’t do that,” Felix replied. “I came here to free these Hippogriffs, and that’s exactly what I am going to do.”
Adrien frowned in confusion. “Are you deaf? Leave – now. I will not ask you again.”
“I have dealt with men worse than you,” Felix challenged. “I have faced dark wizards head-on, and had killed every single one of them. It should be you leaving while I still have a nice bone left in my body.”
Adrien gawked at him. He then grinned, as he soon found the humor in this situation once again.
“My, my…quite ballsy, aren’t ya?”
“No,” Felix shrugged. “Just tired of dealing with your kind’s shite.”
“And I’m tired of you,” Adrien retorted. He waved his hand and motioned down towards Felix. “Open fire!”
The inside of the tent was soon filled with the sound of numerous spell-casting and the cries of the Hippogriff offspring. Adrien stood there and grinned, watching as debris filled the air as he assumed his enemy had already fallen. There was no way that one singular wizard with a hero’s complex could survive a barrage of attacks like that. Once he felt like their enemy had enough, Adrien raised his fist, commanding his men to halt.
The tent was now completely silent, debris filled the air and cloaked the pit below them. Adrien and his men frowned and stared, hoping to see any kind of movement through the clouds of dust from the sandy floors. Then, to everyone’s surprise, the sound of a voice, followed by a string of magic latching itself onto an unexpected poacher came into view. The unlucky poacher yelped as he was forcibly yanked down below, colored blasts and cries of pain heard shortly after.
Adrien furrowed his brows and pulled out his wand. With a wave, he cleared the debris, shocked to find Felix standing there unharmed and unphased. The poacher who he had just yanked down to attack laid next to him, unconscious. As if to mock his enemy further, Felix dusted off his shoulder while making direct eye contact with Adrien, clearly unimpressed with what had just occurred. Now furious, the poachers’ leader raised his wand up and started to open fire, restarting the barrage of spell-casting.
Felix was quick to block the attacks both Adrien and his lackeys sent flying his way. He used his teleportation technique that he harnessed through his ancient magic and quickly aimed his wand above him.
“Bombarda!” Felix shouted. His attack struck the balcony and sent a large chunk of it crumbling down, sending a good amount of Adrien’s poachers with it. Felix then turned and shot down a lighting bolt downwards, hitting the other balcony on the other side of the room directly. Like the other side, it crumbled and obliterated the group of attacking poachers.
“What the bloody hell was that?!” one of the poachers exclaimed in pure terror, suddenly afraid of their target.
“Who cares?!” Adrien snapped back. “Just kill him already!”
Felix smirked. He loved using his ancient magic to freak out his opponents. It was – as Sebastian put it – one of his many “lovely qualities”. Adrien stood there and gawked as he witnessed more of his men getting taken out by Felix’s odd use of magic. Who was this man?!
As soon as Felix finished off the rest of the poachers who attempted to surround him, his attention turned towards Adrien himself. The two men were now standing off, both had their wands aimed directly at the other.
“You’re an even worse pain in the arse than I anticipated,” Adrien observed. “I actually respect that.”
Felix scuffed. “Your kind is such a nuisance. Capturing and caging innocent beasts – what kind of life is that?”
“The kind of life that pays,” retorted Adrien. “I’ve made enough money to purchase at least three entire castles from poaching magical beasts alone! All in one day, in fact!”
“Quite the accomplishment,” Felix dryly replied. “I’m sure mommy dearest must be proud.”
“Oh, she wouldn’t,” smirked Adrien. “That self-righteous witch never gave a damn about me or my aspirations. Say…” he lowered his wand and gestured to the both of them. “Why fight each other? I’ve seen what you can do. Why not use your…odd magic…for better use? Let’s work together, hm?”
Felix rolled his eyes. “I have a better idea…” he then quickly turned around and fired a blast out of his wand, directly hitting the lock off of one of the cages.
Adrien gasped in shock as the Hippogriff offspring began racing out of their cages and flew directly at him, their claws scratching his suit and cutting his skin. The poacher yelled in pain and dropped his wand onto the ground. Felix finished releasing the rest of the baby Hippogriffs before turning to watch Adrien being attacked with a satisfied grin. Eventually, the Hippogriff offspring stopped and started racing out of the tent, either by tearing through the fabric or via the main entrance.
Felix sighed with relief, glad that the Hippogriffs were alright. His attention then shifted towards Adrien, who laid on the ground with multiple slashes on his body and was panting heavily. The sound of voices and multiple spell-casting from outside soon caught both of the young men’s attention.
“W-What…is…is that?” Adrien asked.
Felix frowned as he listened to the commotion outside. He then felt his blood run cold and began to flush with embarrassment. Felix recognized those voices all too well. He nervously shifted his footing and began to walk away from the injured poacher ringleader.
“That…is my cue to leave,” Felix announced. Just as he was about to make a run for it, Felix’s foot got tangled in with some rope, followed by him being yanked up into the air. He yelped in surprise, looking down to see that he must’ve accidentally caused this trap while destroying the tent’s interior during the one-man battle against the poachers. Felix had accidentally dropped his wand by the sudden suspension, and he did not know the proper hand movement for any wandless spells to undo this. He was a sitting duck, just like Adrien Price.
To make matters worse, the tent’s entrance flapped open, followed by a tall man entering the large interior. Felix’s upside down view was soon locked onto this new arrival, and he felt his cheeks flaring up. The tall man wore a dark green vest over a white long-sleeve shirt and black pants with matching boots. His usually messy brown hair was neatly combed, and his freshly-shaven face perfectly captivated shock and amazement as he observed the damage done inside the tent. His gaze found Adrien, his face now showing signs of a question being answered. The Hippogriffs must’ve gotten to him on their way out. Now, the only question was, how did they–
Sebastian Sallow stopped dead in his tracks once he saw his husband hanging upside down, their eyes meeting. His lips twisted into a frown and exhaled while he crossed his arms. Shaking his head, Sebastian’s expression screamed disappointment. He should have known.
“Sebastian? Sebastian! The Hippogriffs have been accounted for! Leander and Natty have them round up now, ready to be returned to their mothers.” another man stepped through the tent’s entrance. Ominous Gaunt used his wand to help navigate him and came to a halt right by his partner’s side. His blonde hair had grown slightly since leaving Hogwarts. While it wasn’t as long as Felix’s, it was about as messy as Sebastian’s. He wore a navy blue tailcoat and a gray vest over a white long-sleeve shirt. His pants were a matching shade of blue with black boots.
Ominis frowned. He sensed the tension that was practically radiating as he stopped right next to Sebastian. “What is it?”
“I believe I have found the source of the freed Hippogriffs,” Sebastian dryly responded, his dark brown eyes not leaving Felix’s embarrassed hanging form.
“What?” Ominis asked, an eyebrow arched.
“My husband.”
Felix sat awkwardly in his chair. Aside from the ticking of the wall’s clock, silence filled the small room. Felix felt a wave of deja vu, feeling like he was being scorned by one of the professors back at Hogwarts. In light of this situation, Felix almost wished that were the case. This was somehow worse. Much worse.
Across from Felix, Sebastian stood. His body leaned against his desk while he stared down at his husband with crossed arms and fingers drumming on his biceps. He did not look pleased. Felix did not dare to meet his husband’s gaze, thinking the embarrassment of how they reunited earlier was punishment enough. Unfortunately, Felix was mistaken. He inevitably looked up at Sebastian with timid movements and opened his mouth to start some kind of an apology. However, Sebastian caught on quickly, and interrupted.
“No, you do not get to say anything.” he scolded.
Felix quickly shut his mouth and stared up at Sebastian. He truly did feel like he was back at Hogwarts, or at least being lectured by his own mother when he acted out as a child. Being scolded by his own husband was something else entirely.
“Do you have any idea what could have happened to you?” Sebastian went on. “What the bloody hell were you thinking?!”
“I was thinking about rescuing some beasts,” remarked Felix, finding the confidence to respond. “Which, I succeeded in doing.”
“Unbelievable,” Sebastian pinched the bridge of his nose with his eyes shut tightly. He breathed in and exhaled before reopening his eyes and crossed his arms once more. “Darling, have I not made myself clear? Ministry business alone, and no one else’s. Do I intervene with your research and meddle where I shouldn’t?”
Felix gaped. “Meddle?! Sebastian,” Felix stood up and glared up at his husband. “I handled it! I took down Adrien Price, for Merlin’s sake!”
“You’re lucky he hasn’t died,” Sebastian retorted. “St Mungo’s is having a field day with that man. If those Hippogriffs were fully-grown, they surely would have killed him.”
Felix rolled his eyes. “I stand by what I said. I took him and his poachers down, and I freed the Hippogriffs. That was the mission, right? I did you a favor by taking a task off your hands.”
It was Sebastian’s turn to look taken back. “I beg your pardon? Felix…” he sighed in frustration. “Why did you deliberately disobey me? What are you trying to prove?”
“I’m not trying to prove anything,” Felix replied defensively. “I only did what I believed to be right!”
“You’re not an Auror!” Sebastian firmly remarked. “Had you actually stayed with the Ministry, you-”
“Ugh, not this again!” Felix exclaimed with frustration. “This has nothing to do with what happened with my Hogwarts offer!”
“I never said it was,” Sebastian deflected. “I’m only suggesting that you stay back and let me handle these things. I don’t want you potentially getting hurt while intervening with my job.”
Felix’s eyes narrowed. “I killed Victor Rookwood and your git of a cousin,” he argued. “Vincent Sallow died by my hands! I can take care of myself!”
“And you think that’s something to be proud of?” Sebastian inquired. “Felix…I know you can handle yourself.”
“You don’t act like it,” retorted Felix. He folded his own arms across his chest and looked away, his face softening. “Not anymore…”
Sebastian frowned. “Felix…” he reached out, his hands resting on both of his husband’s shoulders. “Is that what you think?”
“Don’t be so daft,” Felix argued. “You’ve been overprotective of me ever since the incident with your cousin. Becoming an Auror only made it worse.”
“I’m protective because I love you,” Sebastian reminded. “I want to protect you. After Anne died, you and Ominis became the only real family I had left. You're precious to me.”
Felix sighed. “I know that. I understand that you only have the best intentions, Sebastian. However…” he looked back up at him. “I feel…weak, compared to you. I have magic no one else can see or wield, for Merlin’s sake! I’ve been using it a lot more ever since what happened in seventh-year.”
“I worry, alright?” Sebastian replied. “Look, I am sorry if I ever made you feel like you needed to prove your strength to me. I do not doubt that, nor do I doubt your magical abilities. I’ve already lost Anne. I cannot fathom losing my husband, too.”
Felix sighed in frustration. “What about me? I worry about you a lot too, you know. Being an Auror comes with great risks, and I worry about you every damn time you leave the house. I have stayed up every night, waiting for you to come home without so much as a mere second of shut eye. I want to know that you're alright, too!”
Sebastian grinned. “Hmm…seems you understand where I’m coming from.”
Felix’s confusion morphed into realization and growled. “I hate it when you do that.”
“Do what, love?” Sebastian smirked.
Sebastian Sallow had gained a habit of twisting Felix’s own logic against him. It was one of the many talents he learned during his extensive three-year training to become an Auror. The mind games that Sebastian played with his husband were subtle, and it was always a treat to see the look of realization as it dawned on Felix’s face. As anyone could imagine, Sebastian often won most of their arguments.
It was true: Felix Sallow worried a great deal for his darling husband. As much as Felix hated to admit it, Sebastian was in just as much danger as he was whenever he ventured out into the world and researched magic. Being an Auror was a hazardous career, and Sebastian was always making his husband worry. There were times where Sebastian wouldn’t return home until around two or three in the morning. Sometimes Felix would be barely awake and sitting on the couch, and other times he’d be asleep, sloppily sprawled out in the living area or dining table as he waited. It was touching to see Felix await for his husband’s safe return.
Knowing that his answer was written all over Felix’s flushed face, Sebastian grinned and pulled his husband close.
“You worry about me just as much as I do for you.”
“Alright,” Felix admitted. “Look, I’m sorry. I just…wanted to help, alright? You’ve been working late a lot recently, and I had hoped that if I…well…I wanted to…”
“Shh,” Sebastian soothed. “I understand. It’s alright, love.”
Felix sighed. “I’m sorry…”
“It’s alright,” Sebastian reassured. “And I’m sorry if I was ever the reason for your actions.”
Felix turned around and looked up at his husband and returned the smile that was given to him. At that moment, they were alright. Sebastian’s grip on Felix’s waist tightened as he pulled him in for a passionate kiss on the lips. Felix closed his eyes and got lost into the kiss, moaning as he wrapped his arms around Sebastian’s neck.
The mutual feelings of desire were crystal clear. Soon, their lip lock turned hungrier, as hands were now roaming each other’s bodies. Felix’s hands gilded downward and touched Sebastian’s firm chest, feeling himself heat up as his fingers traced the muscles that were underneath his husband’s clothing.
“Thank Merlin for Auror training…” Felix lustfully thought.
Felix moaned louder into the kiss once he felt Sebastian’s hands reaching his butt, a firm squeeze followed suit. The two pulled away from their heated kissing and stared into each other’s eyes. Lust and desire were written all over each other’s faces. Both were panting to gain back the oxygen that they had both lost, and their skin was flushed red as they felt themselves heated up. In the midst of Sebastian working longer hours and rarely seeing his husband, the married couple had become pent up.
They both wanted a release. Needed it.
“You can either bend me over this desk, or you can take me home right fucking now, Sallow.” Felix demanded with sultry.
Sebastian smirked, his eyes darkened. He pulled Felix in for another kiss before pulling away and growled into his ear, “Home, love.”
Felix shivered. He grabbed Sebastian’s hand and headed straight for the office door. Before the married couple could leave, however, the door opened on its own, revealing Ominis. Felix and Sebastian stopped in their tracks, faces flushed.
“O-Ominis!” Sebastian cleared his throat, calming himself down. “W-What are you doing here?”
“I came to- wait…” he stopped and listened closely, hearing the heavy panting coming from inside the office. His face twisted into disgust. “Ugh! Were you two just-?!”
Felix’s eyes widened. “N-No! But…we were just about to head home…”
“Honestly,” Ominis huffed. “Sebastian, if I ever come in here while the two of you are shagging, I will raise hell.”
Sebastian smirked. “Wouldn’t be the first time, mate.”
“Sebastian…” Ominis warned with a growl.
“Sorry, sorry!” laughed Sebastian.
Felix blushed at the memory that his husband was referring to and turned back to Ominis with an apologetic expression. “Was there something you needed, Ominis?”
Ominis nodded, his expression grimaced. “Y-Yes…there is, in fact. Sebastian…” he turned his head to look at his friend. “There’s…something that we need to discuss. It’s sensitive, I’m afraid.”
Sebastian frowned at the mood shift and let out a sigh, understanding that more Ministry-related business was going to intervene with his pent-up desires. He looked down at Felix and gave him an apologetic smile. “Head on home, darling. I’ll be there after I’m done.”
Felix sighed. “Right…”
“Hey, now…” Sebastian murmured. He then leaned down and whispered huskily into his ear. “Don’t fret, dearest. I fully intend to make sure you can’t go anywhere after tonight.”
Felix shivered once more. He hated it when his husband did this to him; such a tease. He glanced back at Sebastian gulped, wishing he could just tear his clothes off and have him right now. But alas, he knew that it would be no use. Felix understood by now that anything “sensitive” when it came to Sebastian’s job was code for “later”. Whatever this was, it had Ominis on edge. Felix nodded at his husband and collected his satchel from the floor.
“I’ll see you home, then,” he leaned up and kissed Sebastian’s cheek. “I love you.”
“I love you, too,” Sebastian smiled. “I’ll be home soon.”
Felix nodded in response. As he turned to leave, he bid Ominis a “goodbye” while walking out the door and down the hall. Once the coast was clear, Sebastian pulled Ominis into the office and shut the door behind him.
Ominis shivered in disgust. “You two are like cats in heat, I swear.”
Sebastian grinned cheekily as he walked around his desk and took his seat. “What can I say? I’m in love. Now, what’s all this about?”
Ominis grimaced as he took a seat in the chair in front of Sebastian’s desk.
“Do you remember Everett Clopton?”
Sebastian nodded. “Yes, he was in Ravenclaw. He helped me in search of the love potions that Vincent was giving Felix in seventh-year. Why do you ask?”
“He also became a publisher and got Amit Thakkar’s novel out there,” Ominis added. “But more importantly, the reason I asked is because…well…”
“Yes?” Sebastian asked with an arched eyebrow. “What is it?”
Ominis sighed. “There’s no easy way to say this, but…he was murdered.”
“What?!” Sebastian leaned forward in his seat, eyes widened. “H-How do you know?”
“A duo of Aurors reported it back in sometime after we returned from Adrien Price's poacher hideout,” Ominis replied. “He was found this morning in an alleyway behind his home. He was…stabbed. It was gruesome. Some of the local Muggles are even fearing the worst, rumors circulating of Jack the Ripper’s return.”
“Oh my…” Sebastian was at a loss for words. While he and Everett never really saw eye-to-eye on most matters back in school, he was still a friend of Felix’s. Sebastian knew that he had to tell Felix this information, but he did not know how he had the heart to.
“There’s more…” Ominis continued grimly.
Sebastian looked back at him. “What?”
“Notes were found on his person,” Ominis explained. “Letters from Amit Thakkar.”
Sebastian’s face paled. “Are you suggesting that Amit murdered his former classmate?”
“No,” Ominis replied. “I spoke to Natsai, and she does not believe that he is the guilty party. Amit is a respective member of society and a passionate teacher at Hogwarts. No motive exists. Besides, there was another note found on Everett…or rather, in him.”
“What?” Sebastian asked in bewilderment..
“Another note was found – this one was in his stab wound.”
Sebastian frowned, his face contorting into disgust. “What…exactly did it say?”
“It was a page out of Amit’s book,” Ominis informed. “Or rather, a section of a page. It contained Felix’s name.”
Sebastian’s face darkened. “Did the killer do this as a threat against my husband?”
“It’s a wide possibility,” Ominis explained. “The page out of Amit’s book is evidence that he could not have been the killer. Why would he not only kill an old housemate from Hogwarts, but also imply to harm his best friend?”
“Makes sense,” Sebastian acknowledged. “So, what do we do now?”
“We’re going back to Hogwarts this year and act as security,” Ominis declared. “As I’m sure you’re aware, Amit has been the new Astronomy Professor for a year now, since Professor Shah’s retirement. Someone seems to be targeting both him and Felix. Natsai and I had already contacted Professors Black and Weasley, and we came to an agreement. That being said, Felix will be receiving an acceptance letter to join the Hogwarts staff before term begins. We’re going to be keeping an eye on both of them while looking out for any potential future attacks.”
Sebastian felt his heart ache. He knew for a while that Felix wanted to be a professor at Hogwarts. When Professor Black went ahead and appointed someone else as the new Magical Theory Professor, Felix felt crushed. He felt like the plan that was set out for him was unfairly thrown out the window. Now, here he was: getting his dream job. If only it weren’t under such grim circumstances.
Ominis frowned when he didn’t get a response from his partner. “Sebastian? Are you alright?”
“I’m not sure,” Sebastian replied. “I can’t believe that this is happening. How am I going to tell Felix?”
“For now, nothing,” Ominis could practically see the shocked expression on Sebastian’s face. “I know, I know. I don’t like the idea either. For now, this needs to be a secret. Having Felix or Amit believe they’re being targeted will cause panic. We need a proper strategy before letting them know the full story.”
“I’m not sure if I can keep something like this from my husband,” Sebastian retorted. “Felix deserves to know.”
“Everything that I am telling you has been asked to remain between us,” informed Ominis. “Asides from you, me and Natsai, we shall also be accompanied by an additional small team of Aurors.”
Sebastian frowned. “What team?”
“The team has not been selected yet,” Ominis replied. “But please, Sebastian. For now…keep this a secret. We will let Felix know the truth eventually. It’s just…”
“We don’t want to cause a panic,” Sebastian sighed heavily in defeat. “I understand. How will we go about keeping our intentions a secret while at Hogwarts?”
“A cover story,” Ominis explained. “We’ll be seeking out potential Aurors-in-training for recruitment this year.”
Sebastian nodded. “Alright.”
Ominis frowned at Sebastian’s tone of voice. “I truly am sorry, Sebastian. Minister’s orders.”
“Of course…” Sebastian sighed. “Thank you for letting me know, Ominis.”
“You’re welcome,” Ominis nodded as he got up. He walked over towards the door and stopped. Turning around, Ominis gave Sebastian a reassuring smile. “We’ll keep them both safe, Sebastian. Felix is lucky to have you.”
Sebastian returned the smile. “I know. Now, if you’ll excuse me…I need a moment to myself before heading home.”
“Understood,” Ominis replied. “Goodnight, Sebastian.”
“Goodnight, Ominis…”
As soon as Ominis shut the door behind him on his way out, Sebastian was lost in his thoughts. He still could not believe that Everett Clopton had been murdered, and that Amit and Felix were in potential danger. Sebastian did not know which was worse: lying to Felix about the true reason why he was getting his dream job, or lying about Everett’s death. Sebastian and Felix made a vow to each other during their first year of marriage: no secrets. Even though this was classified information, Sebastian knew it was wrong. He could not lie to Felix about what had happened. What was going to happen.
With a heavy sigh, Sebastian rose from his chair and collected his own satchel before exiting his office, locking the door behind him on his way out. For now, he would honor Ominis’s request to keep this between them. Sebastian will tell Felix the truth eventually. For now, he wanted to keep Felix safe and secure. As Sebastian exited the Ministry via floo powder, he made a vow to himself.
No matter what happens, he was not going to allow a repeat of their seventh-year at Hogwarts. Sebastian would stick by Felix’s side the whole time and keep him well-guarded.
No one was going to harm his husband ever again.