Me and the Devil: Sebastian Sallow

Chapter THIRTY NINE - XOXO

"No one is going to believe her Atley." Ominis was currently trying to calm my nerves. "You said that she saw you with a Slytherin tie in your bag, a tie she cannot link to anyone specifically aside from a particular house, made assumptions and now just because we were laughing and I was touching your arm - she thinks we are a thing. Is that correct?"

"Yes."

"Well darling, believe me, Imelda has said much worse before."

"But- I just don't want any rumors spreading that aren't true."

"I'm flattered you feel the idea of the two of us together is so terrible," He teased "but honestly sweetheart, rumors will spread no matter what you do."

I cupped my face in my hands, groaning deeply.

I couldn't focus much after that. Ominis helped me finish my brew to an acceptable level which Professor Sharp checked off with a suspicious glance and we were dismissed.

The eyes of a few Slytherin girls eyed Ominis and I as we walked out of class side by side and I tried to keep my face forward. Rumors really did spread like wildfire, or maybe it was just my imagination.

We arrived outside the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom and sat on one of the nearby benches to kill some time before class. I had been bouncing my knee up and down, worrying a piece of string from my uniform when Sebastian strode up, pear and knife in hand.

"Barlowe?"

"Huh?" My eyes snapped up to his.

He glanced at Ominis before looking back to me. "I just asked if you wanted a slice? ...What's gotten into you?"

"Nothing-"

"Imelda is spreading rumors." Ominis interrupted, flipping his wand around his fingers, leaning back against the wall nonchalant, ankles crossed.

Sebastian paused mid bite. "What kind of rumors?"

"Well I don't know exactly what she's saying, but she thinks Ominis and I-" Words slipped my brain, Ominis took over.

"She may believe Atley and I are involved... Intimately."

Sebastian quickly covered his ears, pear still in hand, nose scrunched. "Uh ew Ominis. Please never say that word around me ever again."

"Which? 'Involved' ?"

Sebastian gave the blonde boy a deadpan glare and Ominis' lips tilted up, no doubt knowing exactly how Sebastian was reacting.

"What would give her the idea?" He brought the pear back down and focused intently on cutting off slice after slice, knuckles squeezing against the knife.

"We were just talking in potions class and laughing and Ominis touched my arm and she happened to see and now thinks the Slytherin tie I had in my bag belonged to Ominis..." I took a breath, the words had fallen out and consumed the last of my air.

"That seems like a stretch... Also, hold on- Ominis was smiling and laughing? In public?"

"Oh sod off Sebastian."Ominis kicked the brown haired boy's shin.

"I'm being serious Sallow."

He swallowed before looking back up to me. "Don't worry about them. I- We won't let the rumor get too far. Right Ominis?"

Ominis just continued to play with his wand, clearly over the conversation.

I held his stare. "Easier said than done."

"We'll see." He shrugged and handed me a slice of pear.

----

As the time for class approached, the three of us sauntered in and up to our spots, each of us tucking our bags against the backs of our respective seats.