In The Shadow Of His Love (Reader vs Sebastian Sallow)

Chapter 38 - When tempers collide

It's been three weeks since the events at Feldcroft and Marunween, and Riley has retreated to the Room of Requirement to find solace. Sebastian and Ominis are constantly bickering, but she can't afford to be distracted. Her O.W.L.s are looming, and she needs to ace all nine subjects to succeed. Riley is particularly concerned about Arithmancy and Transfiguration, as she lacks confidence in these areas. Though she has little interest in Arithmancy, she is determined to improve her Transfiguration skills. Thankfully, it seems that Professor Weasley is pleased with her progress, as Professor Hecat did not mention anything to the contrary. 

Riley has also found a new interest in Herbology and has been carrying plants with her everywhere she goes, learning as much as she can along the way. Her initial worry about the subject has subsided, and she feels more confident than ever. 

Deciding to leave the Room of Requirement, Riley makes sure she has the permission slip for Restricted Section. The book Professor Hecat advised is very useful for her self-studying of Ancient Runes, but it also contains a lot of dark material. Still, Riley is not sure why it is restricted.

As she turns the corner, she nearly collides with someone. It is Sebastian, a person whom she has been avoiding since a weekend that had left her feeling uneasy. Riley is surprised to see him there.

"Seb - Sebastian? Why are you here?" Riley asks when she regains balance. What a weird place to run into him.

"Waiting for you?" He answers and smiles gently. They have not been spending a lot of time together, as Riley has been avoiding him a bit. She has not forgotten about that weekend. And she's not sure if she can.

"For how long?" She asks as she's heading down the stairs and Sebastian follows her.

"Around four hours?" He admits sheepishly. Riley tries to hide her smile, but she gives up when she sees how nervous he is. 

"Sebastian..." She tries to speak but gets interrupted.

"Listen, Riley, I am really sorry. The things I said and did were not okay. I shouldn't have done that. The emotions got the better of me. Please, can you at least try and forgive me?" Sebastian pleads, holding Riley by the shoulders and looking at her earnestly. 

She's been giving it a lot of thought. Despite Sebastian's evident efforts to smooth things out, Riley's been haunted by persistent doubt. The question that keeps creeping into her mind is whether he's genuinely interested in her or if he's merely attracted to her power. Does he really misses her and doesn't want to lose her, or is it all about ancient magic?

"Stop apologizing, Sebastian," says Riley with more irritation than she intended. "Act upon your words instead. You keep saying one thing and doing another," She adds.

"Then stop ignoring me. I know I made a mistake and I can't undo it. I know I let you down, but I can't lose you. Not you too, please..." Sebastian responds, and Riley grabs his hand, leading him back to the Room of Requirement. Sebastian follows without protest, almost clinging to her hand.

"I'm not ignoring you. I just needed some space. There's been a lot going on lately," Riley explains as they enter the room. Sebastian looks at her, concerned.

"I understand," he says and cautiously moves closer to her for a hug. This time, Riley embraces him back, and it brings back memories of their subtle flirting, trips to the library, dates, and hanging out together. She misses it all, and she misses him. She wishes she could turn back time and make things right, forever.

As they break apart from their hug, Riley takes a deep breath and decides to voice her doubts. "Sebastian, I need to know something. Do you really want to be with me, or is it all about the ancient magic?"