Secrets of Mr. Sallow

6. Nervous

Nervous isn't a word used to describe Sebastian Sallow. He's over-confident and cunning, but not nervous.

Yet, he and Ominis rested in the Slytherin common room, Ominis sitting down on one of the emerald green couches while Sebastian paced. They weren't alone, but they were far enough from other students not to be overheard.

"For the love of Merlin, stop pacing!" Ominis groaned.

Sebastian had been pacing for a little under an hour, really deciding whether or not to somehow throw Garreth off his plan.

"I can't Ominis." Sebastian rolled his eyes.

"I can sense your nerves, Sebastian. I don't need to hear you as well." Ominis exhaled.

"I'm going to kill him." Sebastian stopped.

"Oh Merlin. Who has incurred the wrath of Sebastian Sallow?" Ominis asked.

"Garreth Weasley." Sebastian growled.

"Okay, that's not surprising." Ominis chuckled.

Sebastian glared at his blind friend, wishing that he could see the mixed emotions on his face. Right now, Sebastian was feeling a mix of anger and nerves, and his face was trying to display those feelings at the same time, but failing horribly.

"He had the perfect blackmail and didn't use it." Sebastian scoffed.

"Did it ever occur to you that he's not in Slytherin? The chances of a Gryffindor actually blackmailing someone is slim. Everyone believes that Slytherin students are more likely to blackmail." Ominis shook his head.

———

Sebastian became enraged at the thought of Y/N spending even a second with Garreth. It killed him to find Y/N talking to Garreth, whether they were in class working on a potion or out in the Transfiguration courtyard. What didn't help was the real reactions that Y/N was showing. He'd make stupid - and borderline horrible - jokes, and she'd laugh. Before she lost her memory, Sebastian used to make jokes around her while they were exploring and she barely laughed. She'd make a comment before moving on to a more pressing issue.

Deep down, he didn't know if he could really lie to make himself more appealing to Y/N. She was clearly happier around Garreth, and he wondered if he was in over his head.

Stop it!

His nerves were getting to him. He realised that Y/N had fallen in love with him, even after everything he had done to and for her. He had taught her the unforgiveable curses and she was happy to learn. He put her in dangerous situations and she was still willing to help. She even admitted to him that while they had done many dangerous things together, everything she did, every spell she learned, every place they explored, it was all for him and Anne. She wanted to make Sebastian happy by helping him cure his sister.

That changed his tune. He just needed to remind himself that she had fallen in love with his dark side, so he could make her fall in love with his light side, a side he rarely showed and needed to improve on. Unfortunately, the way he improved his light side was by lying to the girl he loved.

He needed to find Y/N alone. If he wanted to win her heart and her love, he needed to do so in a respectful manner, while still lying to her. He knew - based on the fact that they shared all of their classes - that Y/N would be free for the whole afternoon. Luckily, at 1 PM, he found Y/N sitting alone on the flying class lawn, watching some other students compete in a round of summoner's court.

"Hello, Y/N. I was just about to head to Hogsmeade and I was wondering if you'd like to join me?" Sebastian asked, watching as she looked around, possibly deciding her answer.

He was really nervous at this point. She had been spending a lot of time with Garreth, and Sebastian worried that she preferred Garreth's company over his company.

"I'd love to." She nodded. His nerves had subsided, grateful that she had chosen to join him.

"Perfect. Hogsmeade's a charming little place. Self-contained, too." Sebastian smiled. This whole situation reminded him of when Y/N had chosen him to take her to Hogsmeade for the first time at the beginning of their 5th year.

And so their journey began. He walked with her to the entrance of Hogwarts and they walked calmly through the courtyard to reach the North exit.

They walked along the path that led directly to Hogsmeade. Y/N stopped when she saw a yellow plant that rested just outside the castle walls.

"This is an excellent spot to gather lacewing flies. They're pretty to look at, but if you stew them long enough they make a powerful potion ingredient." Sebastian informed Y/N, who looked very interested in what he had to say.

The further they got down the path, the harder it was for Sebastian to look at Y/N without being reminded of their past. She may not have remembered, but he'd never forget.

"If you look to your left, you'll see the entrance to the Forbidden Forest. It's out of bounds to all students. They believe that it's too dangerous, but I think that if they really trusted us - which they say they do - they'd allow us to go there." Sebastian exhaled, shaking his head.

"They trust you, Sebastian. I'm sure they trust all Hogwarts students. I think their main concern is the fact that some students aren't yet ready to face the possible dangers that lie within the forest. They might believe that some students aren't yet confident enough in their spell-casting to properly defend themselves." Y/N smiled, looking at Sebastian with a spark of hope in her eyes.

"I guess you may be right." He nodded, understanding Y/N's point of view. At this very moment, his nerves about losing Y/N to Garreth had disappeared. He had never seen Y/N look at Garreth the way she was looking at him right then.