GOSSIP GIRL. ( remus lupin )

ᴄʜᴀᴘɪᴛʀᴇ ϙᴜᴀᴛᴏʀᴢᴇ

SEBASTIAN LIKED TO SAY that popularity had its advantages. People would be so ridiculously starstruck by his holy presence that he could easily have them do what he wanted ━ and he could easily weasel out of quandary by popping a question that would catch them off guard. It was too easy, really ━ people were too easy to manipulate.

But if there was one thing he loved most about his immense popularity was the attention.

He thrived in the attention. He always had the attention, and will always have the attention ━ simple fact. When he was in Ilvermorny, everyone practically worshiped the ground he walked on, and nothing changed at Hogwarts. Wherever the tip of his robes could dust, people would do a ritual to gain his affection and he enjoyed it. He credited it all to his spectacular features that he had inherited from his Italian father: his shiny hair, his dazzling smile, everything. He liked holding the power over his fellows.

And yet, while he loved attention from most, he absolutely hated it from some.

"Will you just get your blasted selves out from behind that pillar?"

His dark eyes lifted from the smooth roll of words of the Transfiguration textbook he was reading and to the white pillar standing near him ━ where he knew fully well the four Marauders were trying to spy on him. He slammed the book shut, the scowl already straining on his face.

"Oh good, you're oily brain actually knows something." Sirius Black exited from behind the pillar, sauntering over to Sebastian, his dark shaggy hair swinging to the side. "I'm surprised, Aguillar. I thought that bludger would've permanently damaged all your brain cells."

Sebastian looked coldly at the boys flanking Black before his eyes flicked back to Black's dark ones. "And I thought losing to Miss Devereaux would make your ego stand down, Black. I suppose I was wrong. But then again ━" he stuffed his book into his book bag carelessly ━ "If I had the desire to kill myself, I could really just jump from the height of your lovely ego down to your nonexistent IQ."

James Potter lunged forward, growling but Lupin pulled him back ━ causing a cocky smile to spread on Sebastian's face as his eyes landed casually on the scarred boy's face. "And Lupin, still sore that Devereaux would rather look at me than you?"

Lupin visibly froze. The werewolf turned to the Aguillar boy with a dark look.

"Attention has really got to your head, Aguillar, it's making you delusional," he snarked back, his grasp loosening over James' robes. "I suggest taking a better look at things ━" Sebastian's full hearted laugh made everyone narrow their eyes. The boy threw his head back, shaking it vigorously as if Remus Lupin had said the most funny thing there was to say.

"Really? So the heart eyes you've been given her are my imagination?" Remus' jaw clenched, his arms falling by his sides, clenched in tight fists. "But that means nothing," scoffed Sebastian with a smug smile, "Means nothing compared to the fact that I'm the one who earned himself a second date," Remus Lupin didn't get easily angered ━ but now, face to face with Aguillar who spat annoying statements in his face, the Gryffindor prefect couldn't help but turn a beetroot red from anger.

The werewolf tried to pick on any signs that Sebastian might be lying, just to spite him. But he was no Estelle, he was not the person who could pick up on things so easily ━ Remus Lupin assumed Aguillar's lack of facial expressions meant he told the absolute truth.

Before Remus could snark back a response to Aguillar' obnoxious face, Sirius stepped up, pressing a firm hand on the werewolf's shoulder for a brief second, "Truly delusional, Aguillar. Remus and Devereaux? Yeah, sure, it's more likely for me and Malfoy to kiss rather than that happening. Right, Moony?" Sirius slapped the werewolf's forearm in anticipation. Remus snapped back to reality, giving his friend the much awaited reply.