endgame // sebastian sallow

3: Quidditch Tryouts

Chapter 3: Quidditch Tryouts

"You got that James Dean,
daydream look in your eye."

The coincidence of dreaming of Sebastian Sallow the first night of sixth year was brutal, nearly embarrassing for my inner-self.

Dreaming of Sebastian Sallow.

Sebastian Sallow.

His laugh,

His freckles — oh, for fucks sake.

I spend all Tuesday morning trying to trick myself that this particular crush — no, is it a crush? — liking...or this attraction was a temporal phase, like the seasons, right?

It might've been because I didn't see him all summer. I didn't understand the ongoing mythical saying that if you dreamt of someone it was because they were thinking of you.

Merlin, if he did, I would've received an owl back and -

"Hey Elle!"

The fork in my fingers cling against my untouched breakfast plate in the Great Hall from the singing voice. It wasn't actually singing, but the way she spoke; it was soothing.

"Oh! Did I scare you—"

"Poppy!" I cleared my throat, pretending as if my thoughts weren't consisted of an ignorant student, and flashed a false smile at Poppy Sweeting. "Hey..."

I watched as Poppy squeezed herself in between Natty and I, a few 'excuse me's' murmuring in her small mouth as she kept her smile and turned to me.

"You aren't perhaps...busy this afternoon, are you?" Poppy spoke, but I could hear the voice of guilt in her tone.

I couldn't sit here and act confused about why she sounded that way. Endless favors were asked of me for the entirety of last year. I don't even know how I passed my OWLs in the short span of time from how many favors I had.

I didn't blame Poppy for feeling like she was about to be my last catch of free-time from her upcoming words.

My eyes stayed on my untouched food, the fork still plastered from falling and then I pursed my lips. "Hm? Uh, I-I don't think so. My last elective ends at 2."

Poppy nodded, but kept her brown eyes on her fidgeting fingers under the table within my view.

I sighed and hid a small laugh as I turned to her. "Okay, Poppy."

Poppy lifted her head, eyes glowing. "Huh? But I-I haven't even said anything,"

"Surely, anything you have in mind is harmless, is it?" I joked. "Is it?" I wondered.

Poppy wondered, but had a hard time defeating her smile as she laughed. "No! No! It's just that Professor Howin mentioned in Beasts Class that she'll give extra marks for anyone that collects Puffskeins for the next lesson."

I nodded, thinking.

"You'll get marks too if you participate-"

"Alright." I kept my smile at her.

Poppy squealed. "Is that a yes?'

I spent most of my summer days with Poppy Sweeting. The Hufflepuff was no harm. If anything, my trails with her were the least harm. How bad can it get?