Secrets of Mr. Sallow

39. Refuge for Sebastian and Y/N

Sebastian was adamant on returning to school. He wanted to prove that he wasn't at all affected by the rumours, the whispers, the glares. He wanted to show everyone just how tough he could be. And he did just that...although, his façade slowly came crumbling down.

When he first arrived back at Hogwarts, he opened the large doors that led to the Bell Tower Wing, and began his journey through the castle. Breakfast had come, which meant that everyone was in the Great Hall. The journey through the school was eerie. Y/N was glad to have her boyfriend back, since being at school without him had made her physically sick.

Neither Sebastian, nor Y/N had warned Natty, Poppy or Ominis that the charges against Sebastian had been dropped. So, when Sebastian opened the doors to the Great Hall, the entire hall went silent. Everyone turned their attention to Sebastian, who immediately felt self-conscious with over 100 faces looking at him. Y/N watched as Natty and Poppy nudged Ominis, who immediately stood up and ran toward Sebastian. He may have been blind, but Ominis could recognise Sebastian's footsteps - hell, even his breathing. Ominis wrapped his arms around Sebastian, and Y/N nearly cried at the sight. Ominis and Sebastian were brothers. They may not have been brothers by blood, but they were brothers nonetheless.

Luckily for Y/N and Sebastian, Ominis, Natty and Poppy had been sitting at the end of one of the tables, so there was no need for them to walk past anyone to find a seat. Y/N and Sebastian tried their hardest to ignore the students around them. They just wanted the year to be over so they could graduate.

The pair thought that the hostile atmosphere around them would end when they returned to their common rooms for the night, but they were wrong. By 11:30 PM, Y/N and Sebastian sat in the Undercroft, both of them snuggled together on the couch.

"Everyone just stares at me like I'm about to cast an unforgivable curse. I fucking hate it." Sebastian growled.

"It's no better for me. Half of the Gryffindor students think I'm still the saviour of the magical world, and the other half...they hate me because I defended you." Y/N looked at Sebastian, who exhaled.

"I hope Ominis is doing okay. He might get as much hate as I do, I mean, he did hug you in front of everyone in the Great Hall." Y/N bit her bottom lip.

"Ominis will be okay. He's a Gaunt. People know that disrespecting him will not end well, even if he refuses to associate with his family." Sebastian reminded Y/N, who nodded.

"Sebastian, we can't stay down here forever. I mean, as much as I'd love to just hide here until graduation, we still have to attend classes." Y/N explained.

"Well, there's no way I'm staying in the Slytherin common room. I'm pretty sure many of my fellow Slytherin classmates would love to burn me at the stake." Sebastian warned.

"I do have an idea. Follow me." Y/N smiled as she and Sebastian exited the Undercroft. Using the Disillusionment charm, Y/N and Sebastian snuck around the school, making sure to avoid the Prefects who would no doubt give Y/N and Sebastian the cruelest of punishments if caught.

Y/N wasn't going to mention that Garreth had been in the Room of Requirement.

———

Soon enough, the pair made it up to the Astronomy Tower, disengaging the Disillusionment charm when they knew no Prefects would catch them.

"Why are we in the Astronomy Tower, standing near a tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy attempting to teach trolls ballet?" Sebastian questioned, confused.

"Just...watch." Y/N insisted, making sure Sebastian could see a door form in front of them.

"What the fuck?" Sebastian's eyes widened, his mouth slightly open in confusion.

"Sebastian, you introduced me to the Undercroft, and now it's my turn to introduce you to the Room of Requirement." Y/N opened the door, letting Sebastian inside first.

"Miss Y/L/N? Deek is confused as to why you are here so late at night?" Deek asked as he walked up to Y/N and Sebastian.

"Evening, Deek. My boyfriend, Sebastian, and I have found ourselves in a bit of a dilemma. You see, neither of us feel comfortable staying in our common rooms anymore due to...recent events." Y/N explained.

"Ah, yes. Professor Weasley warned Deek about that. Not to worry, the room will accommodate any changes you wish to make. You know what to do." Deek smiled, nodding. He knew that something had happened between Y/N and Garreth, and most likely knew that Y/N wouldn't want him mentioning that Gryffindor student around Sebastian.

Y/N closed her eyes and made her wishes known. Within minutes, the room expanded. The main part of the room remained the same, with all the vhvariums staying in their places. Y/N walked down the stairs, Sebastian following her in utter surprise. She looked to the right of the downstairs room and noticed that the Enchanted Loom hadn't moved, and neither had her potting tables or potion tables. That's when Y/N looked to the left. A wall had formed with a door. Opening the door, Y/N was greeted to the sight of two beds, two bedside tables, two desks and two lamps.

"You and Sebastian needed refuge, so the room provided the necessary changes." Deek smiled.

"The beds will form one large bed if put next to each other...if that's what you prefer." Deek noted before leaving Y/N and Sebastian alone.

"This place is truely amazing, just like you." Sebastian kissed Y/N, who smiled.

"Let's push the beds together. I think they look rather lonely when separated." Y/N noted.

"Accio." Y/N flicked her wand, watching as her bed moved toward the other bed. Within seconds, two beds had turned into one bed, and neither student cared. In fact, they were both happy with how everything looked.

"I promise that I'll show you around tomorrow, because right now, I'm seriously one blink away from falling asleep." Y/N exhaled as she flicked her wand again, watching as her trunk apparated into the room.

"How in Merlin's name did you do that?" Sebastian asked, curious.

"I wondered if it was possible for other things to disapparate and apparate besides humans. Turns out, it is possible." Y/N smiled.

"I'll give it a try." Sebastian nodded. He imagined his sleeping quarters in his head and imagined the trunk disappearing. He flicked his wand and within seconds, his trunk apparated into the room, landing near the desk.

"Holy...shit. That was cool!" Sebastian smiled.

Sebastian turned around to see his girlfriend already in bed, her eyes closed. He exhaled, getting into bed beside her. He gently placed a kiss on her forehead and whispered a soft "goodnight", before falling asleep himself.