In the Shadows - Sebastian Sallow x reader (English)

Chapter 32

It was finally Christmas Eve. Most of the students had travelled to their families over the holidays. I wandered lost in thought through the deserted castle without having an exact destination. The whole castle was festively decorated. Small Christmas trees were everywhere; red bows adorned every pillar and staircase. And here and there, mistletoe hung from the ceiling. Outside the windows, snowflakes danced in the dying light of the winter sun. I stopped and watched the spectacle for a while. My thoughts turned to my parents, who were visiting my aunt in Hammerfest over the holidays. How much snow do they have now? I would have liked to spend Christmas with my family, but the north of Norway was simply too cold for me at this time of year, and I could easily do without meeting my cousin. We've never gotten along well, and when my parents proudly told my aunt about my powers, Emily's hostility toward me only worsened. Since then, I have avoided attending family gatherings where Emily might be.

I sighed and continued to wander aimlessly through the castle. I missed my parents very much, and my heart became heavy. At some point, I would invite them to Hogsmeade. Maybe I'll introduce Sebastian to them, too. The thought of Sebastian being teased by my father made me smile. The two would get along excellent. Before I knew it, I was standing in front of the entrance to the undercroft. I didn't know why my aimless journey had brought me here, yet I felt the urge to climb through the clock. On the way into the undercroft, I heard a quiet sob that stabbed me in the heart. The rattling of the gate startled Sebastian, who had been crouched against a pillar opposite the Pensieve. He eagerly wiped the tears from his face but didn't bother to get up. "Hey, what's wrong?" I asked him and walked towards him. Sebastian shook his head and pulled his knees closer to his chest. The sight put a big lump in my throat. Sighing, I sank on the cold stone floor next to Sebastian and leaned against his shoulder. "It's the first Christmas without Anne," he managed between sniffles. "We've spent every holiday together, and now..." He shook his head and rested it on his knees. I wanted to help him, do something to make him feel better, but I didn't know what. So, somewhat helplessly, I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him tightly. Sobbing quietly, the Slytherin sank into my arms and buried his face in my shoulder. "She hates me, Y/N! My own twin sister hates me." Sebastian's body shook, and I felt the fabric of my sweater slowly becoming soaked. But that didn't matter to me at that moment. All I wanted was for Sebastian to get better. I hugged him tighter as if I could protect him from his feelings. I held him in my arms in silence. Anything I would say would be no comfort. Anne had written in her farewell letter to Sebastian that she loved him but would probably never be able to forgive him for what he had done. And there was nothing to sugarcoat it. Besides, I didn't know Anne enough to speculate whether she might forgive her brother after all. I could only assume that she missed him at least as much as he missed her. I gently pressed a kiss to Sebastian's soft, auburn hair and breathed in the scent of cedar wood deeply.

We sat on the undercroft floor for a while in silence, hugging each other before Sebastian broke away from me. "Sorry. I soaked your shoulder," he mumbled, trying to wipe his tears from my sweater. I stroked his cheek and searched his eyes. "There is nothing to apologize for. Sometimes, you just have to let it out." Sebastian looked at me with wide eyes. Against the red whites of the eyes, the hazel brown appeared much darker. "I miss her, Y/N." "I know," I whispered, fighting back my own tears. I knew how bad it can be to miss someone. But missing a person who you didn't know whether they would ever forgive you, whether you would ever see them again, or whether the person was still alive - that was a completely different story. Sebastian leaned back against the stone pillar again and exhaled deeply. Looking for some comfort for both of us, I rested my head on his shoulder and laced my fingers with his. "Why did you stay anyway?" the Slytherin asked out of nowhere. "Why didn't you betray me? Why did you stick by me?" I stared at Sebastian, taken by surprise. "Because I couldn't," I explained. "The thought of losing you and seeing your face on the front page of the Daily Prophet..." I shook my head. "I wouldn't have endured that, and you wouldn't have deserved it. Maybe it was a little selfish." I shrugged. "But I would do anything to protect the people I love. And you did that, too." Sebastian nodded silently and lowered his gaze. "I know you persuaded Ominis and Anne not to hand me over to the Ministry." My mouth dropped open. "Ominis had thrown it at me in an argument. We argued a lot over the summer," he explained to me. "I... um..." I didn't know how to answer that, let alone react, but Sebastian already did that for me. He gently stroked my cheek and kissed me. "Thank you for being so selfish. I don't deserve you at all." He kissed me again. "You are the best thing that has ever happened to me." My heart skipped a beat. I wanted to tell him how happy he made me, how much I loved him, but I couldn't make a sound. Instead, I gently pressed my lips to his. Sebastian returned my kiss and pulled me onto his lap. Our kiss was passionate, and yet it was different than any before. Instead of being filled with desire and lust, this kiss was filled with trust, vulnerability and love. We kissed not just for pleasure but to show each other how much we meant to each other. The tenderness that Sebastian gave me made my heart beat in a completely new rhythm. I wanted this moment to never end. But Sebastian pulled away from me with a sigh. "Would you mind if we found a more comfortable, warmer place? My butt is getting cold, and I feel like my ass bones are slowly but surely poking through my pants." He gave me a crooked grin. Giggling, I stood up and offered him my hand. "Come on, I know a super comfortable bed calling our names."