Invisible String - Sebastian Sallow

Chapter Thirty: Aurora

Plates and goblets cleared from dinner, Sebastian and I worked our way towards the Room of Requirement, with Ominis and Poppy agreeing to meet us in an hour. Ominis smiled lightly as Poppy looped her arm in his once again, allowing her to be his guide towards the Hufflepuff common room. I pointed out the smile on his face to Sebastian, who chuckled.

"You know, I never expected him to attach himself to a Hufflepuff," he said, shrugging. "Suppose I shouldn't be surprised though."

"Why's that?"

Sebastian snorted, shrugging my bag from my shoulder and taking it along with his own. "I keep forgetting you haven't been here since first year. He wailed on and on and on for years that he wished he were in any other house."

I suppose this should be something that I knew, even though I hadn't known Ominis Gaunt for six years as Sebastian had. He constantly told me in fifth year how much he hated his family and detested being associated with the Dark Arts. Being a descendant of the Slytherin House founder, it was not surprising to me that he'd be looking for ways out of that reality.

"At least she's not a Gryffindor," I said as I watched a group of fourth year Gryffindor girls glare at us as they walked by, heading off to their common room. "I could have introduced him to Natty."

Sebastian rolled his eyes, "I doubt she'd have caught his attention that same way Sweeting has."

"What do you know about it, Sallow," I teased, bumping into him lightly, for any excuse to touch him.

He shrugged, looking at me slyly. "A man never tells."

"Poppy won't tell me anything unless I tell her what's happening between us," I said grumpily as we continued up the marble staircase, slowly making our way to the astronomy tower and the seventh floor corridor we needed.

He glanced sideways at me, a flash of concern across his features. I nudged him playfully.

"Not that," I said, voice low as more students rushed passed. "She seems to think I'm hiding some secret relationship with you from her."

He cracked a grin at this, wiggling his eyebrows at me. "I see. And what evidence does our dear Miss Sweeting-" I laughed at the imitation of Ominis's voice, "-have of her theory?"

I tapped my finger to my chin as we wound higher still, the marble turning to rougher stone as we got closer to our destination. Sebastian's body was closer to mine as the spiral staircase wrapped upwards. The back of his hand brushed mine with every few steps.

"Well, I believe I said to her that Ominis doesn't follow just anyone around, and she said that you don't either. I told her we were just friends."

"And what she say?"

"If we were just friends, then she was a Kneazle."

I glanced at him here, trying to gauge his reaction to my words. He had that stupid smirk plastered on his freckles, a small blush just visible on his cheeks. He was biting back a laugh when he spoke next, "Said that, did she?"

"She did," I laughed. "And then we were so rudely interrupted by Black that I wasn't able to berate anything out of her."

His smile had fallen. The mention of Arcturus Black cast a dark aura over our previously light and happy conversation. I instantly regretted mentioning him, wanting nothing more than to go back to the innocent flirtation of our walk.

"What did he even want?" Sebastian asked, his face darkening.

"He was being a prat," I said, glancing around to make sure there were no students nearby.