The Badger and the Snake: A Sebastian Sallow x reader

Chapter 24: Awake

A loud hum rang in my ears with the muffled sound of voices around me. I fluttered open my eyes and was met with the blurry sight of poppy reading aloud out of her herbology text book, Something about mandrakes. I smiled slightly knowing what I had used that word for in the past. "Mandrakes." I chuckled softly my voice catching in my throat followed by a cough.

She looked up at me with wide eyes shock across her face. "Sebastian!" She yelled looking frantically across the room. My eyes started to focus as he quickly appeared in front of me grabbing my hand. "There you are." he said with a soft grin. "I'll grab the nurse." Poppy said stepping out of view. "What happened?" I asked in a husk voice I barely recognized as my own.

"You've gave us quite the scare." Nurse Blainey chimed as she approached my other side. "How are you feeling dear?" She asked "alright, I think?" I replied as I tried to get my mind to focus. "Well you're not an official quidditch player until you end up in the hospital wing." I heard Imelda's voice joke from towards my feet. Quidditch.

"Who won?" I asked groggily ribbing my fingers into the side of my head. My skull was buzzing. "No one."  She chuckled back. "Couldn't bare to play without you...well that and my keeper refused to come back" She smiled. "How long have I-" I started to ask. "Almost a week." She cut in as she glanced over at Sebastian, "well, we will come check back later." She nodded her head to the door grabbing Poppy's arm noticing the tension growing from Sebastian. Poppy shot me a little wave and smile as the exited the hospital wing.

He came and sat near me where Poppy had been before. "You came too? " I asked happy but a little surprised he was here. "I never left." He said softly grabbing my hand. small flashes started entering my memory. He had brought me here. He had slept in that chair next to me all week. "I'm Sorry Seb..." I said realizing he probably hadn't had much rest.

"You have nothing to be sorry about...but I do." He said sorrow washing over his face. "I should have listened to you, and Ominis. It shouldn't take something bad happening to you for me to understand that." He added grabbing my hand again. "Ominis..." I whispered recalling what I had discovered before my accident. "what?" Sebastian said releasing my hand. Pain across his eyes, He thought I was calling out for him.

"No, not..." I rubbed my forehead out of frustration. " I need to speak to Ominis." I said swinging my legs off the bed. "Hey woah. Easy now. Whatever it is can wait." Sebastian said putting me back in the bed. "No it can't wait! It was Adelaide, the polyjuice potion." I said eyes wide looking at him as rage burns over me again.

"We figured as much. Imelda is...taking care of it." He said shaking his head. I didn't know exactly what that meant but my mind didn't have to wander far to guess. She always had my back when I needed it. Which brought me back to the second realization I had that day and I cringed.

"Sebastian, I know we aren't together anymore but I do need to talk to you about something else. Something important...I don't even know where to start..." I said not really sure I even wanted to. "You're not." He said and I looked up to meet his eyes with confusion. "Don't worry, nurse Blainey checked...You're not pregnant" He stroked my cheek.

I sighed a bit of relief. "You knew?... how?" I asked a bit happy that I didn't have to be the one to find the words. "Imelda" we both said in unison Laughing a bit after. I was happy I wasn't, But a part of me was a bit sad as well. I was ready to settle for having even just a small part of him in my life if I couldn't have him...

"Your color is coming back nicely!" Nurse Blainey said interrupting our small moment both of our heads turning to face her. "You might be able to break free of here tonight if you keep it up." She smiles  down at me. "About damn time if you ask me" Sebastian said giving my hand another squeeze.

"How free are we talking?" I asked Sebastian chuckled at my eagerness to leave. "Well, let's start with you eating something, and I'd like you observe you for a bit but then I'd say you're fine to go about your normal activities." She smiled

"Can we meet, later? I want to talk about it. All of it. But not here." I said turning to him hoping he would agree. "Of course, focus on getting better. I'll go get cleaned up and meet you later." He pressed his lips against the top of my head. It was a familiar feeling that had been too distant recently. I was worried I'd never feel the touch of them again."Blainey! You'll alert me if anything happens?" He asked pointing at the nurse with a raised brow walking backwards out of the room. "Yes Mr Sallow." She sighed rolling her eyes at his antics as if she was glad to finally be rid of him.

Sebastian POV

I had left her only a handful of times the past week, and only for one thing, a shower.
I always made sure to leave someone else there with her but I still worried every moment I was away. Tonight was only slightly different. Worry still clouded my mind but I knew this time she was going to be ok.

I threw open the door to our dorm causing Ominis to jump slightly as it slammed against the wall. "Sorry, I need clothes..." I said throwing things haphazardly around my side of the room. "I know I can't see you but please tell me your not running around our room naked." Ominis squinted I don't think he actually wanted to hear the answer. "Not totally naked... usually." I said behind a grin. He threw a pillow at me hitting me directly in the head. "Nice shot." I said between laughs.

"How is she doing? Imelda said she woke up." Ominis asked changing the subject slightly. "They are releasing her tonight, she wants to meet with me to talk." I said nervously still looking for something to wear. "I need her back Omimis, I can't bare being without her" I said as I button up my shirt. "She never wanted you gone In the first place." He said back pointedly. "Idiot." He huffed under his breath.

"I know, I'm just not good at this...I dont deserve her...her love." I stuttered. "I know that." He said harshly. His agreement stung a little "But you have it, Merlin only knows why she wants you but she does...So at the very least give her back what she deserves." Ominis was right. I was going to fix this no matter what it took. I would do anything for her.

I sat down at my desk to write her an owl letting her know when to meet. I decided the undercroft was the safer choice seeing i didn't know where she stood on us. I didn't want to assume she would take me back, and the room of requirement seemed more...intimate.

I grabbed my quill and a small black vile of ink out of the drawer. I dipped the tip and pulled it out letting the excess liquid drip off the end. I attempted to start my letter taking notice that the ink color was lighter than usual. Not black almost a dark...pink?

I dabbed a bit on my fingers rolling it around between the thumb and pointer for a moment. The motion causing a scent to drift up to my nose. I inhaled deeply bringing my fingers closer to my face. Warm amber, and vanilla. With no self control I brought my thumb to my mouth pressing it to my lower lip and licked, tasting it slightly and bit down on the tip. Suddenly the door to our doom flew open. It was Imelda. she was already too late.

"Damnit Seb!" She walked over to me snatching the vile of ink off my desk before smashing it on the ground. Ominis jumped again slightly. "Imelda? What is going on! why are you in our room!" Ominis asked frantically. "Because this idiot just took a love potion. Hold this" she said shoving something into his hand.

Omimis touched it slightly "is this.... Hair?" He asked running it though his fingers making a disgusted face. "It's collateral damages...but yes, technically it's hair." She said walking over to me with determination. *SLAP* the sting of her palm radiated across my face. "Hey, get that stupid look off your face" She said looking into my eyes snapping in front of them a few times. I already was gone.