In the Shadows - Sebastian Sallow x reader (English)

Chapter 20

Ominis and I spent the entire Sunday in the hospital wing until Nurse Blainey ushered us out again. We spent every free minute at our unconscious friend's side for the following days. We either told him about our day or I read something to the two Slytherins. It's almost become routine. When I trudged into the Hospital Wing after class on Wednesday late afternoon, a copy of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice tucked under my arm, I had no idea what awaited me there. Professor Black and Professor Weasley were standing by Sebastian's bedside talking to the battered brunette who was sitting up in his hospital bed. I dropped the book in shock. He is awake. I hesitantly put one foot in front of the other until I fully realized what I was seeing. And then I started sprinting. Ignoring the two professors, I threw myself on Sebastian's neck and pulled him into a tight hug. Tears of relief ran down my cheeks. Sebastian drew in a sharp breath. "Ouch! Careful, Speedy, I'm still fragile." Chuckling to himself, the brunette wrapped his arms around my trembling body and hugged me back, surprisingly strongly for someone who has been in a coma for four days. He pulled me onto his lap and pushed me even closer to him. Without breaking physical contact, I leaned back a little to look into the Slytherin's hazel eyes and cupped a hand on his cheek. "You're awake!" I sniffled. Sebastian put his hand on mine and pressed it further to his face. "Is this so awful that it makes you cry?", he laughed. "No, dumbass!" If he wasn't covered in bruises I would have slapped his chest. "I'm just relieved." Sebastian wiped the tears from my face with his hand and smiled softly at me. "This is absolutely inappropriate, Miss Y/LN! Throwing yourself at a male classmate like that. That's not right!" Professor Black raged behind me. "Oh, leave her alone, Phineas! Miss Y/LN is just worrying about Mr Sallow", Professor Weasley defended my action and Sebastian rolled his eyes in amusement. "We'll leave you alone then. Get well soon, Mr Sallow." With that, Professor Weasley disappeared from the otherwise empty Hospital Wing, dragging the protesting Headmaster behind her.

"You're worried about me?" Sebastian gave me a crooked grin and my heart leapt. "Of course you idiot! How could I not? You got a fucking Bludger in the head. I saw myself at your funeral." One last, slightly angry tear slipped from my eye and the Slytherin wiped that away, too. "Why did you catch the Bludger in the first place? It was addressed to me. From someone on your team." Shortly after the game, Imelda kicked the beater who had thrown the Bludger in my direction loudly out of the team. He was rumoured to be terribly upset that Sebastian had intervened and helped me win. Statements like It was supposed to hit the mudblood, and Sallow only did it so he could fuck that bitch later, are said to have fallen. "Better my funeral than yours", whispered Sebastian. "I couldn't have borne losing you, too. That's why I caught the Bludger." "And you mean I could have borne losing you? If I didn't know, I'd ask if you got hit on the head." "I'd do it all over again, Y/N." I didn't answer him further, instead leaning back forward into our embrace. The scent of cedar wrapped me like a cosy, fragrant blanket on a snowy winter's day and I inhaled deeply through my nose.

We stayed in each other's arms for a while until Sebastian broke the silence. "What did you drop earlier?" My eyes widened to plate size as I remembered the book. I jumped off Sebastian's lap and ran to the book, which was lying open, pages down, on the floor. "Crap! If it's dog-eared, Cressida will kill me! I borrowed it from her." As I picked it up, I inspected it for damage, but I was lucky. Relieved, I returned to Sebastian's hospital bed, where the Slytherin had already moved a bit to the side so I could sit next to him. Grinning, I made myself comfortable in the small bed and showed Sebastian the book in my hand. "Pride and Prejudice? Do you want to give me some kind of moral sermon?" I looked at him disappointed. "Do you already know the book?" With a gentle smile, Sebastian put his hand on mine, which was resting on the book in my lap. "Already forgotten? I read every book I can get my hands on. So there aren't many novels that I don't know about yet. But Jane Austen was an excellent writer. So I don't mind visiting the Bennett family again." With that, Sebastian laid his head on my shoulder and, heart pounding, I opened the book. " It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife. Wow! A woman as an object to secure one's sex? How derogatory." Sebastian played with the hem of my skirt. "Yes, that was standard in Jane Austen's lifetime, that marriage and sex were only for procreation and to enjoy a certain status in society." I shook my head in bewilderment. "Well, if I ever get married, then it should be for love. Spending a lifetime with a person I can't stand or didn't even know until the altar? No thanks!" Sebastian chuckled to himself. "Marry for love? You come up with wild ideas. You want to go to work, too?", he joked in a sarcastic tone. "But funny. The main character, Elizabeth, is of the same opinion as you. If you get married, it's only for love." "How do you see that?", I asked the Slytherin next to me. "When I get my life back on track, I want to get married, too. And to a woman I love." I nodded understandingly. "And how do you feel about... well... sex?" Sebastian lifted his head from my shoulder and rested his hand on my thigh. He looked me straight in the eyes. "I see it similar to marriage. I also only want to sleep with the person that I love. I don't want to experience that kind of intimacy with just any random woman. But why wait to get married and only do it to have children? It's too much fun for that." He winked at me on that last sentence and I felt my face flush. Does he have any experience? But I had to agree with him. "I don't want to wait for marriage either. But it's supposed to be the one I love." We looked deep into each other's eyes for a moment. I could have counted his freckles that close to his face. I would love to kiss you and rip off the rest of your clothes too. Then I had images of Sebastian rolling in the sheets with other girls and my stomach clenched. Was I really jealous of girls I didn't know and didn't know if they really existed? Hell yes, I was. Embarrassed, I broke eye contact and went back to the book in my lap. "I'll read on then", I announced with a lump in my throat and Sebastian laid his head on my shoulder again.

I had just finished the first chapter when Sebastian laid his head on my lap and dozed off. His regular breathing calmed me down and I wanted to lie next to him. Careful not to wake the dozing Slytherin, I set the book down on the end table and absentmindedly began running my fingers through his soft auburn hair, earning a relaxed sigh. "Mmmm. Can you always do that from now on?", he mumbled in my lap. "I thought you were asleep", I chuckled softly, taking my hand out of his hair. "I slept for four days, Y/N. At some point it's good. But you're welcome to continue. I envy every cat you've petted before. In the next life, I'll be one, too." "In the next life?" I huffed once. "Sebastian, you're sixteen! The next life is far from waiting for you." The Slytherin rolled onto his back and gave me a serious look. "It can go quicker than you think. Who knows? Maybe I won't wake up tomorrow." I met his gaze in horror. "Sebastian Sallow! I don't even want to think about that! And neither should you!" "But isn't it called memento mori?' Damned smartass. "Memento mori my ass! I just don't want to think about your death, okay? I can't bear the thought. The last few days have been enough for me. That was enough excitement for a decade." "Okay." Sebastian sat back up and took my hands in his. "I'm sorry for worrying you." At that moment, Ominis walked through the door. He seemed to have heard Sebastian's words because he rushed towards us, a mixture of anger and relief on his face. "Sebastian 'I have to save everyone' Sallow! You gave me a fucking scare! Don't ever do that again or I'll kill you!" At the end of his tirade, the blond Slytherin had arrived at the bed Sebastian and I were sitting on and stretched out his arms. "Come here, you asshole!" Sebastian leaned over me and the two best friends collided in a tight hug, making Sebastian briefly howl in pain. "You let your soft side hang out, Ominis", Sebastian grinned as they broke apart. "Shut up, Sebastian. Just enjoy it while it's still here." With a slight smile on his face, Ominis sat down on the chair next to the bed. "And how much longer does the school have peace from you?" "Oh, now don't pretend you don't miss me, Ominis." Sebastian sat down next to me again and put his arm around my shoulders. "I don't do. I'm so glad I didn't have to listen to your stupid talk for a few days." The two are like an old married couple. "I'm supposed to stay here until Friday for observation. That should be enough rest for you." "Just about", laughed Ominis. We spent the evening together again and Ominis and I visited Sebastian in the hospital wing until Friday afternoon when he was finally dismissed.

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