Consuming Darkness: Sebastian Sallow

Chapter 24

-Sebastian-

The next day came and went. The rest of the students arrived at Hogwarts and it was a fairly busy day of everyone unpacking and talking about the holidays. I didn't see much of Ronnie or Ominis and I knew that something was off with Ronnie. I was tempted to wake her up in the middle of the night to get a chance to talk alone with her but with everyone newly back at school and classes starting back up tomorrow I didn't want to risk it. I was also worried that I would wake her up when she already had such a hard time sleeping.

Monday was very busy too with it being the first day of classes. We had Quidditch practice and while it wasn't so weird for Ronnie to be preoccupied with everything else going on... it felt intentional.

After Quidditch practice Ronnie walked up to me. She looked so cute in her Quidditch uniform.  I swung my arm over her shoulder and pulled her closer to me. We began waking off the field together. "What's up? Why do you seem so... off?"

"I need to tell you something..." she said without meeting my eyes.

"That I smell great after practice?" I teased.

She looked up at me and her face was so serious and worried. "I'm serious Sebastian," she said firmly.

"What's up?" I asked and stopped walking.

"I don't want to talk here," she said looking around at all our teammates. I saw Imelda's eyes intensely watching us and flashed her a not so nice gesture.

"Alright," I agreed. "Where then?"

"Room of Requirement or Undercroft?" She asked.

"Are we okay risking Ominis walking in on this conversation?" I wondered, already knowing the answer.

"Room of Requirement," she agreed.

Part of me wanted to shower before we had this conversation but I needed to know what was going on.

We walked through the castle not really talking and I felt my heart dropping with each passing moment with thing feeling the way they were. Finally after what felt like hours we made it into the Room of Requirement.

She asked Deek to leave for a little bit and he did. I wished that there was a cozier place in this 'Room' that was more suited to talking. I didn't want to see the bed were we'd slept together in while talking about something that was making her act this way.

All of a sudden the right side of the 'Room' opened up. We both looked at each other in shock and walked over to see what had happened. Through a new hallway where the wall had been there was a dark room that almost seemed to be lit by moonlight. There was a cozy fireplace and the walls were stacked with books. In front of the fire place there was a couch and to the left of it a comfy reading chair. In between them was an antique looking side table with a lamp on it.

"This is incredible!" I admired.

"Did you do this?" She asked in wonder.

"You didn't?"

"I don't think so," she responded as she walked over to the couch and ran her fingers along the armrest. "And it feels like...." She turned to me and smiled. "Well.. like you."

"Makes sense that I couldn't get my own Room of Requirement," I chuckled. "Had to just be an extension of yours."

She laughed and then she turned away from me sitting on the couch. I felt the mood change. I went and sat next to her and stared at the rug that was on the floor between the couch and the fireplace.

"Sebastian..." she hesitated.

I waited patiently but I felt sick to my stomach.

"I don't know how to tell you this... I don't know what to..." she groaned in frustration and looked at me.

"Please just tell me!" I begged. "Its better than sitting in this moment."

She looked into the fire. "Ominis and I kissed..." she said quietly. I felt my stomach drop and I swear my heart stopped beating.

She tuned to me with tears in her eyes. "I'm so sorry Sebastian... I just I don't know what happened... it just... happened! I don't.. I mean-"

"I know what happened," I interrupted her, my anger rising. "You flirt with him all the time! Of course he thinks he can kiss you!"

"Sebastian's... please listen-"

"Did you pull away?! Tell him you were with me?! Tell him to knock it off?!"

She didn't answer, and I saw tears well up in her eyes.

I felt as if I had been punched in the stomach.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner! You have every right to be mad at me-"

"You're right! I do! You kiss my best friend the day after you wake me up, in the middle of the night, so you can fuck me and sleep better?!"

Tears rolled down her face. I knew my words were probably too harsh and seeing her cry made me want to back down immediately. I couldn't get the image of Ominis kissing her out of my head and it made me resist every urge I had to comfort her.

"I'm so sorry... I didn't know what to do! You guys are best friends, practically brothers! I already came between you last year and things finally felt like they were getting better..." she paused, her voice pleading. "I didn't want to lose you guys. You are my best friends... I just... I'm sorry..."

I didn't know what to say. I couldn't look at her for fear that I would lose all of my resolve to be mad at her.

"I don't want to be with Ominis. I want to be with you! I want you Sebastian... please! You must know that!" She begged. I felt her hand on my arm. "You are more important to me than anyone... I can't lose you... please... I'm so sorry..." her voice cracked as she cried.

I finally looked at her. My anger left and all I felt was the crushing weight of her betrayal... and Ominis... why would he do this to me?! I felt tears sting my eyes and blinked them away. After everything we'd gone through together!

"I can't... I..." I didn't know what to say. I couldn't put into words what I was feeling. I had no idea what this meant for our relationship, or whatever semblance of a relationship we had. I stood up. "I can't do this right now!" I said loudly and walked out of the room and out of the Room of Requirement. Ronnie didn't follow me.

I needed to be alone so I went to the Undercroft. I knew I would probably run into Ominis. In fact I hoped I would.

He wasn't there when I arrived and I began destroying the room with every spell I knew. After a while, I wasn't sure how long, I heard the Undercroft doors open.