Consuming Darkness: Sebastian Sallow

Chapter 12

**mention of sexual content**

-Ronnie-

I walked into the Undercroft, half expecting to see Sebastian there as well as Ominis, but he was not. I couldn't ignore the slight pang of disappointment in my heart. I missed him, and being in the Undercroft without him felt wrong.

"Hello Veronica," Ominis welcomed. "I'm sorry for being so secretive about all of this. I'm sure you know why I wanted to talk to you, and ,seeing to the subject matter of the conversation, I thought it was best to discuss it in the privacy of the Undercroft."

I wasn't sure what he was wanting to talk to me about. Sebastian? Had he told him what we had done? Our fight? Did he want to talk about class? No... that wouldn't need to be a private conversation. "Okay. You've peaked my interest Ominis. What did you want to talk to me about?"

His face looked puzzled as he stared in my direction. "I wanted to talk to you about your nightmares and your use of dark magic. Sebastian was telling me that you have been having a hard time ..."

Rage boiled up inside me. "What?!" I spat out. "He told you?!"

Ominis held up his hands. "Ronnie, I'm sorry, he said he was going to tell you that he spoke with me."

"We'll he didn't!" I yelled, struggling to calm myself down. "Obviously. Or I wouldn't be so angry."

Ominis walked over to me and put his hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry Ronnie. I didn't mean to cause you any strife. He told me three days ago, and said he would speak with you the next day. He hasn't been very responsive to me and I couldn't sit by another day knowing that you are struggling. I can't stay quiet when I could be trying to help you," he said calmly.

I sighed. "I'm not mad at you Ominis... I'm furious with Sebastian. I told him those things in confidence. Not that I don't trust you, it's just a complicated thing to discuss," I admitted. "And you wanted to send Sebastian to Azkaban for using the unforgivable curses, so I didn't know if I could talk to you about this or not."

"Well Sebastian is a a fool... he should have talked to you, and when I tried to ask him about it he was very dismissive. He seems off right now... in one of his moods I suppose. I try to give him space when he gets like this. He'll talk to me if he needs to but when I get invested and then he just ignores my advice..." Omnis shrugged.

"Yeah... that's probably smart." I agreed. It was probably best for their friendship if that was now the nature of their relationship but I could not help but feel bad for the both of them. "He did try to talk to me... at least I think that's what happened... it didn't go well."

Ominis shifted, and then spoke. "What happened?"

"He didn't tell you?"

"Obviously," he responded sarcastically.

I thought he would have at least told Ominis that we had kissed. That he felt something for me. "It doesn't matter..." I muttered.

"Veronica..." Ominis spoke, his voice softening. "What's wrong?"

Something in the tone of his voice caused me to get choked up. Tears threatened to spill out, and I tried to sniff them back.

"You don't have to save face for me Veronica, I can't see remember?" He teased, but his face looked concerned.

I laughed but then the tears spilled out. I couldn't stop them. I reached out for Ominis and he hugged me tightly. He had gotten taller and he enveloped me in his arms. I couldn't stop crying. I felt so foolish. What must Ominis think of me. I know he couldn't see me but he could hear me. And now that he was holding me he could feel me crying.

I wasn't just crying about Sebastian, it just felt like the final straw that made all of my emotions over flow. I was heartbroken about everything that had happened last year. I missed the girl I was before I had come to Hogwarts. I missed my innocence, my ability to trust people, my ability to be happy. I felt hollow. Every new depressing thought that came to my mind caused a new wave of sobs.

   Ominis stroked my hair. "I'm sorry, Ronnie. I wish I could take some of this away from you." He said softly into my hair.

"Ronnie?" The sound of his voice made my stomach drop, and I moved out of Ominis' arms to look at him.

Sebastian's face was riddled with confusion and hurt but then he looked at my face. I know I must have looked a mess. I didn't want him to see me like this. He didn't get to see me like this. He hadn't done anything to prove that he deserved to be with me when I was so broken and raw.

"Ronnie..." he moved closer, reaching for me, but I backed away.

"You don't get to touch me," I warned. I was so mad he was here! I didn't want him to see me cry!

"Please Ronnie!" He begged. "I'm so sorry... I came here looking for you. I know that our conversation didn't go well but-"

"You haven't talked to me in two days Sebastian!"

"We can talk through this," he said almost as if it was a question.

I shook my head, and looked down at the ground.

"I can't lose you... please," he whispered grabbing my arm.

"I can't do this with you right now," I responded. I don't know if I could lose him either but I also didn't know if we could be together like I wanted to be.

"But you can do this with Ominis?!" He accused.

"Do what exactly Sebastian?" I snapped back.

"You also chose to not talk to me for two days Ronnie and then I see you crying to Ominis?! Why didn't you come talk to me?" There was so much pain in his voice that he was trying to mask with rage. I wonder if my words were as transparent as his.

"Ominis reached out to me! He is my friend! I'm allowed to talk to other people about things, especially when they can have a mature conversation." I knew I was poking him, I was trying to rile him up at this point. I wanted him to see through it. I wanted him to grab me and hold me and tell me he was sorry. Tell me he cared about me. That maybe despite all my anger, when he had seen everything ugly about me that he could still chose me.

"Sebastian, you haven't told me anything that was going on other than the fact that Veronica was struggling. I just wanted to see if she was okay," Ominis butted into the conversation walking up next me.

Don't say it. I knew I was going to say something I regretted. He should have done what Ominis did. "That's what real friends do Sebastian!" I said it. I regretted it, but I didn't show it. Why was I like this?!

"Are you bloody serious?! I tried! You are so bloody stubborn! You just get mad at me all the time unless I have my fingers inside of you!" He shot back and then his eyes widened and he looked at Ominis.

My stomach dropped and I quickly looked at Ominis. His eyes widened but other than that he looked frozen.

"Ronnie... I-"

"Get the hell out Sebastian!" I screamed, tears stinging my eyes.

He hesitated, looking almost as if he had been petrified.

"Fine." I said, my voice cracking. "I'll leave then."

I walked out of the Undercroft.

"Ronnie!"

"Veronica wait!"

They both called after me but I walked out.