Risk // Sebastian Sallow

Chapter 6: You Love Her

Sebastian apparated us back to the outskirts of Hogwarts, this time with no splinching, much to my delight. Though I did pat myself down as we arrived to make sure I had all of my extremities still attached.

He walked quickly and in silence, not paying me anymore attention. When we got to the castle, it was well and truly after curfew. Sebastian dug the cloak out of his bag and tossed it over himself, continuing to walk onwards, leaving me behind.

He said we had things to talk about, was he expecting me to follow him?

"Sebastian!" I whispered loudly, but he didn't listen.

I had no choice but to cast disillusionment on myself and follow him through the castle. To my surprise, he didn't go to the Undercroft, and instead went straight to the common room.

He removed the cloak and tossed it back into his bag as he kept walking towards the back of the common room, stopping at the expansive windows that looked out into the lake. He raked his hands through his hair and threw the bag onto the floor and began to pace, though he didn't look at me once.

I stood a fair distance away for a few minutes, waiting and waiting and waiting to know when to speak.

"Sebast—"

"Why didn't you tell me about your mother?" He interrupted me before I could even finish saying his name.

"What? When was I supposed to? You haven't given me a moment to do so all year!"

"What about last year? We were pretty fucking close then, Olive. You were practically my best friend and you never told me your mother was a squib!"

"I don't owe you anything, Sebastian! How much I choose to divulge to people is just that... my choice. I'm not proud of it. I'm fucking ashamed. The way she carries on about me being magic, she makes me feel like I'm not worthy. Like holding this power is disgusting, it's awful, it's something to be embarrassed about. I don't want her stupid, ridiculous ideals forced onto anyone else. That's my problem to hold. Why would anyone want to hear about it anyway? I'm just another tragic story."

"Well, that makes two of us," Sebastian huffed, "You know everything about me. I thought we were close. I told you everything, I trusted you with my secrets, I broke rules for you, I killed for you. Everything was for you, and you can't even tell me why you never wrote back to me all summer?"

I tried to bite back, but his words cut me deep. Everything was for me? What did that mean?

I stood before him, my chest rising and falling quickly as I struggled to take in any air. His eyes were staring at me and I caught his chest moving just as quickly as mine was. He made the first movement, taking slow steps towards me. I took a deep breath in and felt my lungs hold it as his tall stature stood over me. He grabbed both of my upper arms with his large hands and squeezed them gently.

"Everything I ever did. It was for you." He told me again with a breathy exhale, his lips slightly parted.

He stared into my eyes. I wasn't sure whether to feel intimidated or not, but my body betrayed me, sending all my blood to my cheeks, no doubt they became rosy and he had to have noticed. I'm certain he did because I felt his feet inch slightly closer to me, his face moving down as his eyes moved back and forth between mine.

"I... I—" I tried to speak, but my lips wouldn't let the words come out as I struggled against my legs that were suddenly turning weak. I didn't know what to say.

"Sebastian!"

He quickly dropped the grasp on my shoulders and stepped back, spinning around to see Ominis standing near the fireplace, his expression changing instantly.