oldestcharm

Title: Honeysuckle
Fandom: Bartimaeus, Hogwarts Legacy
Rating: G
Length: 650 words
Content notes: —
Author notes: Finally, I'm not missing the deadline! I think I might incorporate this ficlet into my longfic one day.
Summary: The scent of honeysuckle does not surprise Sebastian, but Nathaniel's words do.

Honeysuckle.

No surprise there.

Sebastian has known for a while that his interest in pretty and useful things would get him into trouble. It is only fitting then, to have the heady scent of it drift from the cauldron, wrapping itself around Sebastian like a thick, suffocating blanket, possessing none of the subtlety of the man it is trying to imitate. It is as though someone has made a perfume, soaked a club in it, and then whacked him over the head in case he somehow managed to miss the obvious.

The potion appears to have decided Nathaniel requires the same treatment, because he recoils from their cauldron, eyes wide, and barely manages to direct the following sneezing fit into his elbow. Predictably, it draws a few eyes, but even the most curious of their classmates don't have time to spend on them when they have their own potions to contend with.

"Are you all right?" Sebastian asks mildly, taking over the stirring while Nathaniel gasps for breath. Professor Sharp does not bother checking up on them, perhaps fearful he will hear more concerning conversations between the two of them. Sebastian thinks he's overreacting. Even he cannot think of anything alarming he could say while brewing Amortentia.

"No," Nathaniel says irritably, and turns to scowl at the textbook as though it has personally insulted him. "Please tell me this settles down, I cannot work like this."

"It should soon," Sebastian says with a shrug. Then he smiles. "Alternatively, you may want to reconsider what you find attractive."

Nathaniel shoots him a scathing look, aborts it midway through, and pulls a face.

"Incense blends?" Sebastian guesses.

"Get bent," Nathaniel says, annoyed, and returns to grinding pearl dust.

Sebastian is left with the vicious satisfaction of getting yet another thing right.

"Why do you think that?" Nathaniel asks sulkily, looking oddly self-conscious.

"It's power," Sebastian says. "Even if for you it comes in the shape of benzoin and chalk dust."

"Benzoin?" Nathaniel asks faintly.

Sebastian shrugs. "Whatever it is you set on fire when you're doing the S-word."

Nathaniel's eyes flick towards Ominis at the next table, whose lips have curved into an amused smile. "See, this is why there are rumours."

Sebastian highly doubts Nathaniel would prefer him to casually discuss summoning demons in class. "Visual problem-solving then? I believe you tried that once."

"Better," Nathaniel says, measuring out the correct amount of pearl dust, and when he steps closer, Sebastian catches the honeysuckle on his skin beneath the fading perfume of the potion. "What shape does it come in for you?"

"Ozone," Sebastian says once he catches up with the trail of his thoughts. "It lingers after casting certain battle spells."

Nathaniel watches him curiously. "Is that all?"

Sebastian offers a weak smile. "I can't tell you all my secrets, can I?"

"Maybe you can one day," Nathaniel says softly.

Before Sebastian has the chance to register his meaning, Nathaniel is already back to slicing up ingredients.

"Can you?" Sebastian asks, his mouth dry.

"I think you already know all my secrets," Nathaniel says, glancing at him. "And, for now, we have work to do."

"Rob the Muggle government, yes," Sebastian agrees, wondering, not for the first time, whether Nathaniel is aware of the implications.

Cure Anne first and then— Sebastian has several things he wants to do. Nathaniel must have some idea. Probably. He is not clueless nor is he stupid, which is why Sebastian likes him in the first place.

Professor Sharp stops dead in front of their desk.

Nathaniel smothers his laughter.

"I'm going to pretend I did not hear that," Professor Sharp says after a long pause, and limps off. He says nothing of the potion, which means they can bottle their sample and clean up their station.

The potion's perfume fades once in the hallway, but the honeysuckle on Nathaniel's skin remains a constant reminder.