Out of the Shadows // Sebastian Sallow

Chapter Sixteen**

**Warning: This chapter contains mild sexually explicit adult content.**

Omi quickly steered me up the stairs toward my Ancient Runes class. I was trying to breathe deeply to slow my heart rate and not give away my shock.

Once we were far enough away, he asked. "Are you ok?"

"Yes." I answered far too quickly. "Why wouldn't I be ok?"

"Because we just saw your best friend kissing someone and from your reaction, I take it you didn't know they liked each other."

I scoffed. "Sebastian is NOT my best friend... I couldn't care less what..."

He cut me off. "I was talking about Imelda." His voice tinged with sorrow.

"Oh. Well, of course. Um. I guess I had a feeling last spring that something was there... but I thought..." I couldn't finish. I was so embarrassed.

"Well, you should talk to her. She's probably dying to but too nervous because of... your history... with him." He stuttered out.

"That's a good idea. I can ease any of her fears and just do girl talk! Thank you, Omi. You always know the right thing to do." I tried to push up on my toes to give him a quick peck but he turned away quickly.

"I'll pick you up after class," was all he said as he lit his wand again and walked away.

Shit. I felt so bad. I had hurt him with my reaction to the whole thing. And then with my assumption that he was talking about Sebastian.

I huffed out air and went to class.

--

After dinner, I was in the dorm studying when Imelda came in and threw all her books down on the floor and even kicked some.

"Argh! I HATE Hogwarts!" She exclaimed. "I simply don't have time for all this homework when I have the season starting on Saturday. This is ridiculous!" She threw herself on the bed and sighed heavily.

"Bad day?" I said, turning in her direction.

"Well, no, not really. Just... they are PILING on the assignments 'preparing us for N.E.W.T.s' they say and I'm just overwhelmed, I guess. But it does sort of make for a bad day when I have to reschedule practice because everyone's so swamped."

"Well, I will say, it looked like a pretty good day to me. When you were kissing Sebastian under the stairs in Central Hall." I said with a big smile, so she knew I saw and wasn't mad about it.

Her head snapped up violently like a jack-in-the-box. It was almost comical.

"Y... you saw?" her brow was furrowed and her eyes switched back and forth between mine.

"Yes. Omi and I both did." I was still smiling, waiting for her to explain. But she didn't.

So, I got up and rushed over to plop on her bed next to her, just like she had with me asking about Omi kissing me.

"So, spill! How long has this been going on?" I said, being enthusiastic to show her I was happy for her.

"Oh. Well, just a few days really." She was scrutinizing my face. I helped her along.

"Go on... how did it start?"

"Well, we were arguing after practice one evening and finally I looked around and noticed everyone had left because we were being so disruptive. He looked around too. And we both started laughing about it. And then I kissed him." Her cheeks were pink.

"H... have you had feelings for him for a while?"

"Um, I guess. I kind of did last year too but he was... not interested." She took a breath. "But when he suddenly showed up again this year and... my god, have you seen his muscles? UGH I just thought he was so cute and smart and... so, I went for it. Is that ok? I mean I know you two were close last year but..." she was worried for MY feelings.