Shots of Gold & Green / S.Sallow x MC

Restricted Lessons

I had expected my seventh and last year at Hogwarts to be the most demanding, considering I would be getting into the most advanced aspects of magic and its uses. The workload was certainly heavy, depriving most of us from more of our precious free time. But there was something else that was making things a lot more challenging for me. Something I could not really complain about. As the days went by, I found myself growing more and more distracted by Sebastian. It wasn't just his good looks or charming personality - it was the way he made me feel, the way he ignited a fire within me that I had never felt before. Lately, our encounters had taken a new shape, something very different from the early days of our friendship. The charming boy I duelled back then was now a man, a man who knew exactly what he wanted. And how to get it.

Keeping focus on my studies had become quite the challenge. Even during class I would have trouble paying attention. He, on the other hand, had no trouble staying ahead of each class. I envied his ability to absorb knowledge so easily, even when he wasn't really paying attention.

It was our last class for the day, history of magic. A lost battle in my books. I sat as far from Sebastian as possible, in a failed attempt to keep him off my mind. Instead, I sat with Ominis, in hopes that he would keep me in check. But shortly after the class started, he fell into a deep slumber, leaving the doors open for his best friend to draw all my attention.

I tried to focus on the lecture, but he gave me those looks that I couldn't just ignore, and reminded me how helpless I could become.

As the class wore on, the tension between us grew palpable. Every time our eyes met, a spark seemed to pass between us, igniting a fire that threatened to consume us both. I had to stifle my feelings, to keep them under control, but he was making things so hard.

When the class was over, I jumped off my seat and left the classroom as fast as I could. However, he caught up with me before I could get too far.

"I'd like to know why you're trying so hard to avoid me." he confronted me in the hallway. "Is this about your focus again?"

"I'm not avoiding you, Sebastian." I lied, "But yes, not all of us can keep up as easily as you."

"Hold on now, it's been almost two weeks without seeing each other after class. Wasn't that enough to catch up with your studies?"

He had a point. When I told him I needed some time to focus, he respected my wishes and gave me space. I thought putting some distance would be beneficial to my academic endeavours, but I couldn't have been more wrong. I was struggling to keep him off my thoughts, and often found myself fantasising about our next meeting.

"It's... not that easy." I replied.

"Hmm. Why don't we go to the library and I help you study for an hour or two?"

I didn't think that could work. But I had tried doing so on my own and failed already. Besides, I really missed being close to him.

"Fine. But you'll have to be patient."

"Please, I'll be the best tutor you could possibly ask for."

We strolled down the stairs and made our way to the library. Being a Friday afternoon, it wasn't nearly as packed as it used to be. Some students were picking up reading material for the weekend, others just gathered in small groups around the main tables. We, on the other hand, made our way to the east wing of the library, right by one of the tall windows. I pulled out my potions textbook and lay it on a narrow table. We sat there, surrounded by towering shelves filled with ancient tomes and textbooks. The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the room, casting a warm golden glow on everything it touched. Including his skin.