Silver and Green with Envy: A Sebastian Sallow Story

Chapter Seven

I told Ominis I would try to stay up and wait for Sebastian with him, but I ended up starting to fall asleep not too long after that, half curled up on one of the couches. I don't know what time it was I stirred some, hearing the common room door open and close, and a grumbling afterward. 

"Sebastian. Where were you?"

"Looking for Elena."

"For four hours!? Furthermore, how did you even know we couldn't find her, you haven't been here."

"I was in the library, heard Xander come looking for her. So I started looking myself. Snuck out and went to Hogsmeade. Sirona said she'd been there but left a while before I'd shown up."

"And why didn't you come right back?"

"Don't worry about it."

Ominis started getting agitated but quieted quickly when Sebastian cut him off. "Shut up, you'll wake her."

"We have to anyway, we can't let her sleep all night out here."

"I got it, go to bed, Ominis."

"But-"

"Go, Ominis."

~~~Sebastian

I watched Ominis leave the room then turned toward Elena. I had a feeling she wasn't sleeping after that conversation, but I didn't have to let her know that. I didn't want her walking to her room alone.

I wanted her in my arms, even for a moment. It was the only way I could pretend she didn't loathe me.

I walked over and carefully scooped her up like a bride. Her head leaned against my shoulder and I nearly stumbled as her perfume invaded my senses. That fucking perfume.

Coffee, the paper in a new book, the barest hint of lavender. 

It made me freeze in front of the Amortentia earlier today but it was so much worse now.

I walked slowly, carefully. She didn't stir any further, so maybe she really was asleep. I looked down at her face in the way I was unable to otherwise. I missed looking into her eyes, the way they cut into mine, like she could see through me.

But I didn't want to see the anger in them. I didn't want to see the pain I caused her, the disappointment. Not like it mattered, I was about to cause her so much more.

Sneaking into her room, I kept even quieter, though if the other girls could sleep through Imelda snoring, I doubted my footsteps would wake them.

I laid her down in her bed and just sat on the edge of it for a moment as she shifted a little. 

Reaching out toward her face, my thumb trailed over her bottom lip as I cupped her face in my hand. She whispered my name and I pulled my hand back before realizing she had to have been dreaming.

Of me? I'd never believe it.

She was perfect.

I hated it.

~~~Elena

Sebastian wasn't in the common room by the time I'd woken up and changed. Neither was Ominis. At least I wouldn't be accosted this morning, especially after last night.

I was a little hazy, remembering the conversation and being put in my bed the night before. But the more I tried to remember the more my brain was telling me to stop thinking about it.

You had to have walked back half asleep, I told myself. Sebastian didn't...

I stopped that train of thought before it could pull out of the station and headed down to the hall to just grab something quick before class. 

Beasts was first today, and I spent time with Poppy feeding Kneazles but not much else. My mind started to wander again and one of them nipped at my hand. I handed it the pellet I'd been holding. 

"You really need to stop that."

"What?"

"Getting distracted so easily. You keep that up you're not going to have any fingers by the end of the year."

I'd already forgotten Poppy with standing next to me when the Tentacula took a bite, and I laughed. "You aren't wrong. Lot on my mind, I guess."

"Here, brush them instead. I'm going to go see Highwing after class if you'd like to join me. I'm excited to tell her how my summer went. Grandmother and I took a trip to Romania and I got to see so many wonderful dragons."

"I figure you'd be less than keen on dragons after that Horntail."

"That all worked out in the end though, didn't it? It wasn't the Horntail's fault."

I laughed again, finding the sound almost alien to me. "Far be it for me to get in the way of your thrilling conversation. I'll go visit next week with you."

"Alright. Is it Sebastian?"

"What?"

"What's got your head all filled up to distraction. Is it him?"

"Why is that automatically the first thing people think? It's only the second day of class!"

"Well normally I'd have figured it was classes or something like that, but you looked right panicked when Professor Garlick sent him with you to the hospital wing and he's been staring at you all class when you aren't paying attention, so..."

I sighed and sat down the brush so I could rub my face in annoyance.

"Has he spoken to you yet?"

"Barely. Mostly just to try and boss me around."

"Must be a trend, I heard him giving Ominis all sorts of hell for trying to date you this morning."

"What!?"

"Something the matter, Miss Varris?"

"Uh - N-No, Professor Howin."

Poppy looked at me, sheepish. "I'm sorry, Elena, should I not have said anything?"

"No, it's fine, Poppy."

~~~

I headed straight to lunch after class, sitting down heavily and reaching for a glass of juice and a sandwich. I still didn't really have an appetite but knew I needed to eat regardless. 

Someone sat down next to me and leaned over, kissing my cheek. I went red and turned to see Ominis, who whispered. "Play along."

I barely nodded as Sebastian sat across from us, slamming his books onto the table and glowering. I ignored him. 

"Elena, I hear the Ravenclaws are throwing a party Saturday night to kick off term. Slytherins and Hufflepuffs are also invited. I was wondering if you wanted to come with me."

A little known fact that about Hogwarts the administration didn't advertise, was the amount and frequency of house shenanigans. If it was on a weekend and away from school grounds, no one really cared, provided people didn't get hurt.

Xander and a few others had sat down at that point, also talking about said party. Apparently this one wasn't going to be any sort of secret affair, though I wondered how put off the Gryffindors were going to be about not getting invited. I suspected it had something to do with them ratting on a party the year before, which caused a handful of students to get into quite a bit of trouble. It didn't stop the gatherings, but that house had been snubbed pretty badly since then.

"I could certainly use the entertainment. I'd love to go with you, Ominis."

"Perfect. I'll collect you in the common room Saturday evening."  

I was barely aware of Sebastian's hand shaking so badly his pumpkin juice started sloshing over the sides.