Work Text:
“Professors say it’s not an appropriate spell to teach students,” Sebastian tells him, with that mischievous smirk that Everett has come to adore so much.
He looks away quickly, turning his gaze up to inspect the ceiling as he scoffs, “A—a proper magical education ought to include all magic. We’re fifth years— do they really trust us so little?”
“My thoughts exactly!” praises Sebastian. The excitement in his voice is contagious. “A spell like Confringo is only truly dangerous in untrained hands. Such spells should be properly taught, not banned.” He pauses for a moment, before his grin widens, “To be fair, I’m admittedly partial to more… fiery forms of magic.” Everett raises an eyebrow, but before he gets to comment, Sebastian says “—But you should learn it! I can teach it to you safely here.”
Everett shrugs, moving to stand where Sebastian directs him, “I don’t see why not. It’ll probably come in handy suh-s-sometime soon.”
Sebastian gives him a questioning look, but says nothing.
Sebastian stands next to him, inspecting the way he’s holding himself. A bead of sweat trickles down Everett’s neck, and he swallows. The air is stuffy in here, so that’s probably what’s messing with him.
“It may take a while to get the feel for it,” Sebastian informs him, seemingly satisfied. “You’ll see what I mean. Mimic my wand movement. The incantation is Confringo.” He does a quick flourish with his wand. Quick, sharp, and confident. Just like the boy himself.
“V—e. Very—very well,” Everett mutters, cursing internally. Why was his stammer spiking now? Could it not wait just 10 minutes? He sneaks a quick glance at Sebastian, but if he’s noticed Everett’s slip-up then he’s not showing it.
The movement is a quick, slashed “z.” Simple enough.
“Cuh—con-cu—” He clamps his mouth shut, feeling his face burn.
“Are you alright?” asks Sebastian, tilting his head slightly to the side with a confused smile. Everett manages a carefully crafted smile.
“I’m fine, just a bit tired.” Sebastian seems pleased with his answer. Everett clears his throat.
Opens his mouth again.
“K—” but now his tongue seems to get stuck in the back of his throat, and he chokes and gags as he tries to get a breath in. Tension builds in his face, in his jaw, and it’s suffocating. He can barely open his mouth, it takes effort. Fuck, it hurts, and when he manages it not a sound comes out.
Now Sebastian is looking at him weirdly, and panic strikes Everett like lightning. With a trembling hand, he raises his wand again— he cannot fail this. He cannot lose one of his closest, and only friends. Sebastian is one of the few people he’s really been able to connect with in his time at Hogwarts. Tripping over his tongue can’t be the thing that messes everything up. It is unacceptable.
He opens his mouth but nothing comes out.
“It’s ‘Confringo,’” Sebastian reminds him gently, unsure. Everett feels like a child. The corners of his eyes prickle as he steals a moment's glance at his fellow Slytherin. He’s looking at him with concern and a great deal of confusion. But Everett can’t find any traces of pity or disgust.
Not yet, anyway.
“Did you— did you get cursed?” Sebastian prompts. “A tongue-tying curse? But no— you were just fine. Are you nervous? I know it might seem like a freaky spell, but I can assure you it’s nothing too bad. I’ve only gotten hurt doing it a few times, and those were when I was– you know me, being stupid. You’re wildly good at magic, you’ll be fine.”
Everett watches him ramble helplessly, trapped in his silence with dread coursing through his veins. It was only a matter of time. Sebastian will find out. The entire school will. Their attendance and being here was already weird enough, starting as a 5th year. People had enough issues with him already, and he certainly didn’t need this childish inability to speak like any other person adding to it!
He’d hoped to escape the disgusted remarks, and judgmental glances, and pitying, patronizing attempts to help him. Counselors who were all too eager to fix him. All those stupid breathing exercises that did absolutely nothing. Everett has escaped that life, into this magical new world. He has no intention of going back, nor letting it infect his life now.
You’re supposed to outgrow stammering.
Right?
“CON—cu-cc— oh what the FUCK!” he yells. Magic pounds in his chest, stirred by all the damn emotions swirling through him right now. He does his best to push it down.
Everett nearly breaks his wand in half, clutching it so tightly. His outburst rids his face of the tension, and leaves him exhausted and shaking. He stares blankly at the makeshift targets.
The room goes silent for a moment. The ambience of the room feels loud and jarring. Everett just wants nothing, wants it all to disappear. But that’s not how this works.
“Everett?” Sebastian asks after a pause that feels slightly too long, slightly too scared. “You… alright?”
“I’m fine,” Everett snaps, keeping his words short and clipped and easy. “I w-wasn’t focused. I can try again.”
“...Maybe you should wait a bit,” Sebastian suggests, light-hearted in tone but firm. “You looked a little freaked out there and–”
“I’m not a freak, Sebastian. Goddamn,” Everett mutters, running a finger along the length of his wand. It provides a shred of comfort for a moment. But then it just reminds him again of how out of place he is here.
“Hey! That’s not what I said! Don’t put words in my mouth!” Sebastian insists, soft tone abandoned for the sake of defending himself.
Everett doesn’t respond. He stares at Sebastian, and the other stares back, just as stubborn.
After a moment of hesitation, Sebastian speaks.
“What… was that, anyway?” he asks, bluntly. He’s never been one to hesitate much. If he wanted answers, he usually got them.
“None of your business.”
“I’m just asking! You don’t like, owe me an explanation but it’d be kind of nice because I am confused and–”
“I’ve had a s-s-stammer since I was younnnger,” Everett says, shortly. That damn N sound. It’s not worth arguing. It’s not like he can hide it anymore. The cat’s out of the bag, as they say. He’s going to have to explain at one point or another, so what’s the point in trying to push back?
Despite the casual way he says it, Everett’s hands start to feel clammy as he watches for Sebastian’s reaction.
Said boy blinks, then narrows his eyes just a smidge. Everett’s heart drops.
“..w-what?” he demands.
“I mean, nothing, I guess. I haven’t noticed it until today,” he admits, shrugging. Shrugging???? Seriously?
“Yuhhh…you don’t have anything else to say?” Everett asks.
“You did a good job at hiding it, if that helps. Congrats! Er, is that something I should congratulate you for? Or is that insensitive? I’m not the best at this stuff. Is it good to not stammer? Well, objectively, yeah, but from your persepctive—”
Is he seriously still talking?
“Sebastian, shut up.”
“Right, sorry.”
Everett looks at him again, and raises an eyebrow. “You seriously don’t care?”
“No? Why should I?” Sebastian asks, genuinely. “Don’t get me wrong, it sucks that it messes with your magic, but I have bigger problems than how you talk, man. Unless it’s bad for you? Is it a curse, or just–”
“A n–neurodevelopmental issue,” I recite, cutting him off again. “Or, maybe I hit my head a bit too hard as a kid. They’re not sure exactly what causes it but… no, it doesn’t endanger me. Just makes my life a smidge more miserable.”
“Oh. Nice.”
Everett sputters. “W– Nice?!”
“It makes your voice sound more interesting,” Sebastian admits. “Unique, maybe. I don’t think it’s a big deal. Your situation is weird enough, it’s just another… thing about you.”
Everett… just blinks. Geez. Thanks for the reminder about how much a weirdo he is, Seb. Honestly? He can’t tell if this disregard is easier or harder to handle. It’s certainly not what he’s used to.
“Well… okay,” he says finally, but nothing else. He doesn’t really know what else to say.
Sebastian shrugs. After a moment of silence, he speaks up again.
“You wanna try that spell again? I know I said you should take a break, but you look calm enough now that I trust you not to blow both of us up.”
Everett exhales, slowly, and some of the lingering tension drains out of his shoulders.
“Sure.”
He steps up again, and readies his wand. He stares those damn candelabras down with a special intensity and–
“CONFRINGO!” he shouts.
A loud boom sounds throughout the Undercroft and rings through Everett’s ears. A small but mighty flame ignites above his head and he allows a small smile to crack across his face.
“Nice work!” Sebastian cheers, grinning wide with that chaotic glint in his eyes that's only slightly unsettling. “How’s it feel?”
“Hot,” Everett laughs, relief flooding through him. The fire flickers above him, creating dark shadows in the corners of the room. He doesn’t even notice.
Sebastian snickers. “Yeah? You’ll get used to it.”
“Y-you bet I will,” Everett chirps. His freak-out from a few minutes ago feels completely worthless compared to this new, fiery excitement. A minor setback, but nothing he can’t get past.
“You’ve done better than I did my first time,” Sebastian admits. “Ominis and I singed our eyebrows off.”
Everett snorts. “N–nnnow, that’s a look I’d want to see.” His tongue sticks to the roof of his mouth, elongating the N sound and creating quite the uncomfortable sensation. He winces.
“I wouldn’t recommend it. Hey, get the other one!” Sebastian points to an identical candelabra on the other side of the room. Everett shakes off his discomfort.
He lifts his wand again, earlier confidence regained.
The light of the explosion in Sebastian’s eyes is worth all the trouble.