Risk // Sebastian Sallow

Chapter 2: Sunrise

I was finally able to wake on my own accord on my second day back at the castle. It did make me feel perkier and give me a slight pep in my step. Who needed friends, I could just study hard and go and get myself a really good job and find a hot wizard husband, maybe an Auror or something. Hm. Yes, that sounds like a good plan.

I bathed myself and brushed my dark locks, pinning most of it back and out of my face. I donned my Slytherin robe and walked elegantly down the stairs before almost tripping right into Ominis Gaunt who was waiting in a rather inconvenient spot at the bottom of the stairs.

"Oh, shit. Ominis. Sorry." I stammered, catching myself before I completely knocked him off his feet.

"No, I apologise. I didn't realise I was so close to the stairs." Ominis said, steadying himself.

"No, it's fine." I said, turning to walk the other direction.

"Wait, Olive." He called after me, his hand reaching for my arm to stop me.

I swivelled back around and gave him my full attention.

"I wanted to thank you for last night. You didn't have to help Sebastian but I'm glad you put aside our differences for him. I don't know what would have happened to him if it wasn't for you and your superb potion skills."

Our differences? What differences? I didn't even know we were feeling indifferent towards each other because I certainly wasn't.

"Oh, no problem at all Ominis. I would have done it for anyone."

"Here, some money for the potion." He said, extending a hand with small gold coins in it.

"What? Ominis, I can't accept that! It was just a silly potion I whipped up in class. Please, keep your money."

"No, Olive, I insist..."

"Ominis, I won't accept it." I closed his hands around his money and pushed it back towards him.

"Ugh. Fine. You've always been so stubborn. Anyway, thank you again. I'm certain now he'll be stocking up on a batch of potions himself. He had refused to take them all summer apparently. But I think you changed his mind after the sleep he managed to get last night. He's almost as stubborn as you."

I snorted back a small laugh, wanting to diffuse the tension but realising that what Ominis had just told me was pretty crucial to knowing how Sebastian was faring. It sounded like nightmares were a common occurrence for him and I suddenly felt the dreadful pull of guilt deep in my chest realising that he had probably written to me about it all.

When my mind stopped wandering, I noticed Ominis had already left. I couldn't see him anywhere.

So I continued on my way, taking myself to the Great Hall for breakfast. I was quite early this morning and found the Slytherin table empty except for the one person I was uncertain about seeing. In a similar scene to yesterday, Sebastian sat at the table with his copy of the Daily Prophet, his attention fully on the newspaper while he ate a pastry and sipped his tea.

I cautiously sat myself down the opposite end of the table, deciding to allow him to approach me when and if he was ready. I began to serve myself some toast and pour myself a boiling cup of tea but in my haste to stay as discreet as possible, I knocked over the entire pot of boiling brew, the pot making a large clang as it spun across the table and onto the stone floor below.

I bit my bottom lip hard and cringed until the clanging of metal against the floor subsided and opened my eyes to try and quickly clean it up. The eyes of the very few people in the hall were all drawn to me. Including Sebastian who turned away quickly again when I brought my eyes up to meet his.