Invisible String - Sebastian Sallow

Chapter Twenty-Six: Slytherin vs. Gryffindor

The energy in the castle was tense as the week drew to a close, bringing with it the ever looming Quidditch match of Slytherin versus Gryffindor. Sebastian had offered to focus on our essays on the Cruciatus Curse for me, as Imelda kept bursting in to the library and ripping me from the chairs to drag me to get another last minute practice in.

He did it with a smile, and a knowing wink each time she did this, knowing I'd meet him in the common room late at night to review what he was learning.

I would often find myself waking up on a sofa in the common room, head rested on Sebastian's lap, his hand running through my hair, a small smile tugging his lips, a book held open with the other hand.

"What Dark Arts secret did you find today?" I'd ask, playfully.

He'd smirk down at me, "Oh, a little of this, a little of that. Nothing super helpful in our department though. Unless of course, you count a helpful silencing charm that you can place around any room."

I would blush furiously, he would lean in and breathe in deeply by my ear, brushing a delicate pass of his lips over them.

Given the rigorous schedule of Quidditch practice and secret Dark Arts review sessions every night, I was exhausted by the time Saturday morning rolled around. Sebastian had insisted I sleep in my own bed the previous night, so when I wake shaken awake by Imelda, the green tapestries around my four poster bed pulled back to allow light into my small cave, I was disappointed not to be met with warm brown eyes.

"The whole team is meeting for breakfast in twenty minutes, we need to be the first ones there," Imelda said, dropping the entirety of my Quidditch House Team robes onto my lap.

"I'm up, I'm up," I laughed, seeing the exasperated expression on her face.

"Get dressed! I need to find someone to make sure the boys are awake."

"I'm surprised you aren't just going to burst into their dorm yourself," I said as she walked to the door and I stood up, rubbing sleep from my eyes.

She made a hurry up gesture with her hands and left the room, robes whipping dramatically behind her. I dressed quickly, throwing my robes over myself and lacing up my boots, hair flowing freely for the time being. I was just looking for my gloves when a knock sounded on the door.

"It's open," I called, my head currently under my bed to search for where I'd tossed the gloves.

"You know, you could just summon whatever it is you're looking for," his voice met my ears and I jumped in surprise, head smacking the bottom of my bed.

"Ouch!" I grumbled, clambering out from under my bed, standing up straight and whirling around to meet his eyes.

Sebastian Sallow was leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, a soft smirk plastered across his lips. He was dressed in his usual dark robes, a pop of a Slytherin House knit sweater just barely showing underneath.

"Sebastian! I- I have to hurry, or Imelda is going to kill me for being late-"

"I ran into her in the hall, she told me I better not keep you. But I do have something I want to do."

"Oh? What's that?" I said, still searching my room for my infernal gloves. He stepped into the room, pushing himself off of the wall and walked over to me, pulling a small box from deep in his robes.

"It's two fold, really. This is the first," he held the package out to me. It was a thin package, wrapped in brown parchment paper, a small green ribbon tied into a tiny bow. "Open it."

"Seb, I- what-"

He laughed a little before shoving the package into my hands. Blushing furiously, I did as he said, opening the package. Inside the small box, was a pair of brand new emerald green gloves. I snapped my eyes up to him, searching his face. He was grinning rather smugly, like he knew what I had been searching for and he would be the knight in shining armor.