Invisible String - Sebastian Sallow

Chapter Six: Restless Sleep

It was dark and cold as I stood the passageway with Sebastian, our hearts thumping excitedly, our nerves on edge. We trekked through darkness, emeralds glinting on the heads of stone snakes as we wandered through dusty passage after dusty passage, the path becoming more and more confusing.

Sebastian was close by me, his hand brushing mine, our fingers dancing around each other. He was so close I could smell him, the new favorite scent of mine. Leather, cinnamon and parchment. He was so close and then he was gone. I looked around but couldn't see him, couldn't feel him anymore.

A small laugh escaped my lips. Nervous.

"I don't know why Gryffindor's get all the credit for being brave," I called out to him as yet another wall swallowed us up. This time, I could only see the faintest of red glows at the end of the passage, but when I tried to focus on it, it would vanish, like it was flickering in and out of reality.

And then, he was there too. At the end of the passage, wand drawn, pointed at someone. It took me a few steps to realize it was pointed at me.

"We need to do it to get out, do you trust me?" I felt myself nod, felt myself brace for the impact of the curse that was sure to come.

"CRUCIO!" His voice shouted, anger and hated seeping into his tone and the scream that ripped through me echoed through the corridor, sparks flying around madly while my body convulsed violently, seizing and jerking.

The pain was gone.

I was standing again, Sebastian holding me, cooing in my ear how sorry he was, how he'd never hurt me again, and guiding me gingerly through the now open corridor wall.

But instead of being in another dark chamber of Slytherin's design, I was standing in a damp brown rocky catacomb. I could smell the earth around me, feel the humidity on my skin. My vision was still blurry from the pain and I blinked rapidly, trying to clear my head and focus on something- anything.

Sebastian was gone again.

"Seb?" I choked, then clutched my throat, it still burned from my screams.  He wasn't anywhere I could see, no sign of him, no familiar cinnamon scent. I walked deeper into the catacomb searching still, rounding corner after corner, going room into room. When I finally rounded into the largest room, he stood at its center, surrounded by an army of Inferi.

My heart stopped, eyes locked on the relic in his hand.

"Sebastian! Sebastian, we need to go," I begged, running to him, stumbling at my limbs protested still screaming with pain from the curse he'd cast on me only moments before. I took handfuls of his robes into my hands, clutching at his chest. He wrapped one arm around my waist, securing me closer to him.

"Why? We have the control here, you and me," he said, voice low, his lips brushing against my ear as he spoke. A shiver went through my body and my eyes closed. His lips were against my neck then, pressing soft kisses all the way down to my collarbone. Fire flowed from his lips as they pressed into different spots on my skin and I found myself drowning in the feeling.

I didn't want him to stop. I wanted him to move his attack from my neck to my lips. But even as I wanted that, alarm bells were ringing in my ears. This wasn't right.

"Seb," I sighed, trying to fight for control over my body and the way his touch sent fireworks through me. "Seb, please, this isn't how this happens. We- we have to go." It comes out breathy, whispers of moans trying to leave with my words.

"But it can be, Abbi. We can do anything, be together, if you just relax."

His lips were inches from mine now, his breath hot on my face. We were looking at each other, eyes flicking from each others lips over and over. His voice had gone even quieter, huskier, as he spoke to me, and his hand that was free of the relic moved from my waist up to my head. He tangled his fingers in my hair and pulled me towards him, kissing me roughly. I felt my eyes close as he kissed me and I opened my lips further for him, deepening our kiss. My hands tangled in his hair, feeling myself push my body into his, he groaned at the sensation.