Amortentia || Sebastian Sallow x Reader

Chapter 1

I could not accept that such a thing was occupying my head this way; I had positively spent nearly half an hour explaining to Cressida how troubled I was about this whole situation. We sat outside in the school's yard next to the quidditch stadium, away from any crowd. 

"And this is a problem how?" Cressida sat on the grass, seemingly unsurprised by the information I had just admitted to her. 

"I'm simply not sure how to go on about this" I looked down, somewhat realizing how insignificant this problem was compared to all the other problems looming over my shoulder. 

Cressida perked up, "I am not even stunned at the notion that you think you might fancy Sebastian Sallow; what I am confused about is how this is a bad thing. I mean, I've seen you two spend a lot of time together, and he seems to like you as well, in my opinion."

"I mean I know he likes me as a companion but-"

"Ah, you're afraid he doesn't fancy you back"

I nodded. 

"How did you even start liking Sebastian? Not to seem harsh, but every time I see him, he's either bickering with somebody or getting in trouble with Mrs. Scribner."

I thought for a moment. 

I think the first moment Sallow made my heart skip a beat was when he took one for me in the library. I thought it was rather noble of him, not to mention when we got caught by Peeves, he was so quick to stand in front of me with his wand out, so quick to protect me. I found it endearing that even though he probably knows I could protect myself perhaps even better than he could, he still rose to the occasion without a second thought. 

Perhaps it is foolish of me to get a crush on someone so quickly, seemingly for no reason other than them possibly just being nice. But ever since, I couldn't help but pay extra attention to Sebastian when I saw him passing by in the corridors, or when I saw him lounging around in the common room. 

I had a preconceived idea of who Sallow would be, a character in my head that fit the role of the mean troublemaker who would probably want to make my life miserable after I dueled him on the first day of class and beat him. But even after possibly embarrassing him in front of the whole class, he still accepted my helping hand when I reached out to him on the floor after the duel. And he seemed exhilarated to have lost to me...I just couldn't figure him out. 

These passing thoughts were far too sappy for me to say to myself out loud, even less admit this to Cressida, who was still waiting for a response. 

"I'm not sure when it happened, I mean, I'm still not even sure if I like him like him, I just..."

"You're in love with him, I get it" She mocked. 

"No!- Ow, I regret telling you" I giggled.

She laughed. 

I smiled while standing up from our comfortable spot, "Please don't tell anyone about this. People already gossip about me as it is"

"I promise on Merlin's beard I won't tell a soul" Cressida followed. 

________

After pouring my heart out to Cressida, I headed down to potions class. I wasn't sure if it was luck or bad luck that the subject of my misery would be present in said class. 

...why am I even thinking about him so much, I have so many other more pressing matters to be putting my head into...

I walked into potions and immediately, my eyes look around the room in search of him, but as expected from Sebastian, he was fashionably late as always. 

I sat next to Garreth Weasly, for a Slytherin, I seemed to be making many Gryffindor friends. Garreth and I had been getting quite well these days, perhaps I did have a thing for troublemakers after all. 

I saw someone enter the classroom; considering everyone else was already there and seated, I knew it was Sebastian. I stopped breathing for a second until I finally looked up and quickly gazed at him. His eyes were too buried in the ground for him to notice. 

"Alright, students" Professor Sharp interrupted my consciousness, "Today we will be working on a simple healing potion..." 

The class started, as usual, I opened my book and started following what it said step by step.

"...If you're doing it right, a light green cloud should hover above your cauldron..." Professor Sharp continued lecturing.

Before I knew it, my cauldron turned bright pink and started bubbling. "Oops, that's not supposed to be happening..."

I turned to Garreth for some assistance, but his cauldron was exploding with fireworks and all types of wrong. 

"Weasly! What have you done?!" Sharp ran up to Garreth, trying to figure out how he could have possibly messed up the potion so severely.

I looked around the room to see if anyone had already gotten it right, and of course, to no surprise, it had to be Sallow, the only person in the class with a perfectly looking green cloud over their cauldron. 

I shook my head slightly and smiled, he took notice of this.

"What? You might have beaten me in a duel, but I still could beat you in one or two other things" He said, grinning. 

I walked over to him, crossing my arms, "Sounds like someone is still not over their defeat"

"Sounds like someone's healing potion turned out bright pink; trying your hand at love potions now are we?"

My cheeks instantly turned bright red. I hoped to everything he wouldn't notice, but his smile got bigger, making me believe he had caught a glimpse of the state I was in.

"I'm not even certain of where I went wrong with my potion" I said still somewhat flustered. 

Sebastian glanced behind me at the bubbling pink cauldron, "Perhaps you stirred too quickly"

I let out a defeated sigh.

Sebastian turned his eyes back to me, his demeanor changed, and suddenly his voice became a tad softer, "I could be of some help, I don't mind staying after class to assist you with this"

"I would really appreciate that Sebastian" I tried to stay composed. The thought of Sallow and I being in a classroom alone together was exhilarating, yet I wanted to keep cool. 

"I'll see you after class then" He smiled. 

-

-

-

-