Out of the Shadows // Sebastian Sallow

Chapter Seventy**

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

Sleep never found me that night. The day dawned rainy and cloudy like my mood. The girls got up and started their day, chatting with each other. How I envied their worries. N.E.W.T. exams approaching. What was for breakfast. Unruly hair on a Monday morning.

Not having to save the world. Again. Not having to kill their own twin brother. Not having to break up with their current boyfriend. Not to mention being pregnant with their ex-boyfriend's twins. How in the holy fuck had I got myself into this?

Once they left, I opened the bed curtains and grabbed my washroom bag and clothes and headed out. I was not in the mood to deal with anything today. But deal with it I must.

The washroom was empty and I took the opportunity to look at my naked body. It looked the same. My small, round breasts were the same. My stomach was still flat. My hips jutted out like normal. My curves were just as they always had been. Maybe she was wrong? No. No. My mother wouldn't have trusted her to be the Secret Keeper and gone to such lengths if she were wrong. And I knew it. In my heart. I knew it was true.

I sighed deeply and ran my bath. Today was going to be a bear. I needed to try to start it off on the right foot.

--

I entered the Great Hall timidly. I felt everyone could see it on my face or something. The anxiety and panic were trying to force their way through me and I tried hard to swallow them down.

"Hey, sleepy head. Thought you'd never wake up. Want to join us?" Imelda patted the bench next to her and I sat.

"So, it went well with Will yesterday?"

"Um. I guess. We had a good chat. Vicky showed up though and made it perfectly clear she doesn't like the two of us together. I let them leave."

"Oh. What did you do afterward? You came in late."

"Oh, just wandered around, thinking. You know. Lots on my mind. Exams coming up and everything."

"Oh, I know. It's literally all I've been thinking about..."

Imelda and Anne started off on their hardest subjects and what they needed to know. I took the opportunity to try to eat something. As long as they weren't grilling me, I could focus on eating and not throwing up.

"Hey, Rach. Get some sleep?" Sebastian sat down roughly across from me, smiling and being friendly enough. I still had trouble looking at him.

"Yeah. I feel much better."

"Really? Because you look like you didn't sleep a wink." Merlin, he knew me so well.

"Just stress you know. I'll be fine. Hey, do you have some time later? I... need to talk to you."

"Sure. What's up?" He looked concerned.

"Oh. Um." I looked around at everyone's eyes on us, looking more than simply curious. "Oh, just that Ancient Runes assignment. I think I finally figured it out." I was so lucky he and I were the only sevenths in our house in that class. It was turning out to be the perfect excuse. But I hated that I was getting too good at lying.

His eyes widened slightly and then he cleared his voice. "Of course. I thought we had it covered but if you found something new, I'm all ears." His Sallow Smirk was in place.

"Ok. Sounds good. Thanks." I stuffed some eggs in my mouth and chewed. They were hot and good. I had a totally empty stomach and was much hungrier than I thought.

Breakfast went by with no further incident and I was starting to feel a little better. I just needed to tackle one thing at a time.

Just as I reached the doors, Garreth arrived. "Hi there, Buttercup. Walk you to class?"