A Night On the Floor | Sebastian Sallow x Fem Reader

In the Shadow of Revelation

You thought spilling your heart out to your diary about your predicament would ease your mind, but it didn't. Later that night you found yourself staring across the room towards Garreth during dinner in the Great Hall. Of course, he was surrounded by his teammates and adoring fans.

You were sure you weren't letting your anxiety show until Ominis spoke up from beside you. "What has gotten into you? I can feel your leg bouncing on the floor. Usually that only happens before an exam or quidditch game."

Refusing to take your eyes from your rumored beau, you quickly apologized to Ominis and stopped fidgeting. It has always been a habit you'd possessed your whole life. Sometimes you found yourself in perfectly calm situations and still wringing your hands or bouncing your leg. Naturally, you thought your symptoms would subside considering you didn't have to worry about Ranrok or Rookwood anymore. However, your anxieties remained unchanged, if not even amplified in times where there was no need for it.

Across the room, Garreth continued holding court, likely cracking a joke that caused an uproar of laughter around him.

"And what is going on over there?" Ominis continued. "They sound like a wild pack of hyenas".

Sitting across the table, Sebastian finally took time to stop devouring his dinner and look up at the two of you. "What's a hyena?" He asked.

Still staring elsewhere, you answered, "A beast known for making a high pitched laughing noise."

 

While you were educating Sebastian on the communication techniques of a hyena, Garreth decided to look your way and make eye contact. You didn't expect him to stop his conversation and send a wave accompanied by a smile across the dining hall. Quickly you raised your hand back in acknowledgement, suddenly feeling like the whole room's eyes were on you. You were supposed to be dispelling rumors, not encouraging them.

Your expression faltered from the encounter. Across the table Sebastian positioned himself back into your view and waved his hand across the table to break your gaze.

"Hello?" He turned, following your eyeline and zeroed in on Garreth.

He snapped back around. "Why are you waving at Garreth?" he asked with an accusatory tone. Merlin's beard, will everyone just shut up about Garreth.

"We're. Just. Friends." You answered through grated teeth. "Although everyone seems to think there's something else going on. There's not."

"News to me," Ominis said playfully while picking at his food. "Or is it? I might have overheard a certain Gryffindor talking to his teammates about asking a certain Slytherin to be his date for the Yule Ball."

Both you and Sebastian practically jumped out of your seats at Ominis.

Before you could even try to pry more information from your source, Sebastian beat you to it. "Really Ominis? Why didn't you tell me?"

Eyebrow arched, you turned back to Sebastian. "Tell you? Why didn't he tell me? I'm the one that has to deal with the rumors!"

This had to be a joke. Perhaps Ominis and Garreth were in on something to mess with you. Swiveling back to Ominis you pleaded, "Tell me now if this is all one big jest. If somehow you, Poppy, and Garreth are trying to make me loo-"

Ominis held his hand up to cut you off. "Unfortunately, no, this is not a prank. We have enough of those in this school with Peeves floating around."

You wished it had been a prank. Now you were left with the truth that Garreth really has been wanting to ask you to the ball. Were you so caught up in schoolwork that you hadn't realized he had been hinting at something during your business dealings? You wracked your mind trying to figure out when something between the two of you could have shifted.

"That doesn't make sense," Sebastian muttered. "Why would he even ask you?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" You crossed your arms in defense. "Why wouldn't Garreth want to take me?"

"That's not what I meant!" Sebastian said as he placed his fists onto the table for emphasis. "I just mean... I don't know why he would even consider you an option."

Now your blood was boiling. Of course it was against the rules for you to even be perceived as desirable. Why would anyone see you as more than just a friend to take advantage of when they needed help?

"Right." You scoffed. "I forgot for a second that I'm only good for people to use to solve their own problems."

"You're being irrational." Sebastian fired back. Standing up from your seat, you threw your napkin down onto the table. Perhaps you could really give him irrational.

"Where are you going?" Sebastian asked. He looked like he was starting to get concerned. Good. You always got enjoyment out of making people grovel, especially Sebastian after all the stress he put on Ominis and you last year.

Ominis, ever the peacemaker between you and Sebastian, tried to make him see reason. "Sebastian, sit down. You're only making this worse."

"It looks like you two boys are fine now. No problems that I can see. And we only know I'm good for one thing, so I'm leaving."

As you walked away, Sebastian called out for you. Without turning you yelled back, "Send me an owl when you need me!" The students around you had all hushed to witness your "irrational" behavior. You didn't care, they were probably whispering about you and Garreth before you began embarrassing yourself anyway.

You tried your best to keep it together on your way back to the common room. Sebastian seemed so impassioned earlier that you were partly surprised he didn't follow you just to rub his opinions in more. You only started crying once you got back to the safety of your room. You weren't crying because you found out the whole school was spreading rumors about you or that now they'd really be talking after the events of dinner. No, you found yourself crying over how cruel Sebastian's comments were. Deep down, something inside you, something you kept under lock and key had been wounded.

Like a hurt puppy, you cried all night.