Delicate // sebastian sallow

FIVE

This one is a long chapter (4k+ words) and I just want to put a disclaimer here, that some heavy topics are mentioned throughout, so, please, proceed with caution.

"I heard you and Sallow are on speaking terms again." Garreth's voice whisper behind my ear. "Is it willingly or is he blackmailing you?"

I spat out my breakfast, at the ridiculous notion, trying to hold in my laughter. Garreth took a seat beside me, his elbows leaning against the table.

"Well now you look exceptionally lovely." He grinned, a wide smile lighting up his face.

"Garreth!" I poked his shoulder, embarrassed that my oatmeal was all over the book I was reading. "Look what you made me do!" I couldn't hold the laughter any longer.

I giggled at his mischievous smirk, as he put his hands into the air in a defensive stance and theatrically said. "That is not my fault at all!"

"You can't just sneak up on me like that." I exhaled, cleaning up the spit from the pages.

"Well that never bothered you before." He stuck out his tongue." I'd say it has more to do with a particular Slytherin."

Shoot. I felt a blush creeping into my cheeks.

"You're ridiculous." I stated, trying to hide how flustered that made me feel.

"Ridiculously right." He smirked, quite amused at my reaction. Damn, he knew what he was doing, and he obviously enjoyed teasing me like that. "He is watching us by the way."

"What?!" I frantically turned around, just as Garreth waved at Sebastian over at the Slytherin table. He was sitting there between Ominis and Imelda, towering over both of them. He definitely outgrew these student tables as well.

"Why do I have a feeling he doesn't like me that much?" Garreth questioned Sebastian's grumpy expression.

"Well, perhaps he didn't sleep well." I shrugged, noticing Sebastian's messy hair, as if he just woke up. His tie was undone, just lazily thrown over his shirt.

Maybe he really didn't sleep well. A while ago, in that vulnerable moment in the Undercroft he confessed to having haunting nightmares, just like me. I was actually concerned, how much he had to go through alone during last year. I was lucky to be surrounded with friends, who always cheered me up - one ginger boy in particular.

I gazed back at Garreth, his eyes frowning.

"I don't think it's just a bad night's sleep. He's been eyeing me with such expressions for a while now." He murmured, making me unsure if the sentence was even meant for my ears.

I glanced back at Sebastian, locking in his gaze. I smiled and waved at him, to greet him. His expression softened, yet for some reason he averted his gaze in a different direction.

"So did you come just to poke fun at me or do you need anything?" I turned my attention back to Garreth.

"Well - both." He laughed. "No, but seriously, I need someone to help me with my Theory of Magic homework, so I figured, why not ask my very clever Ravenclaw friend?" He brushed through his rose gold locks with his hand, eyeing me in the process.

"Doesn't only girls go to Magical Theory?" I asked bewildered. "What are you doing in that class?"

"Well there is no better opportunity to meet new ladies than in this class. So me and Leander signed up." He smirked, proud of his genius idea.

"Heavens, Weasley, you really should just hit it with someone already. You are not fifteen anymore to chase girls in classes." I laughed at the fact they actually signed up only for such a reason, given most girls were there only for the charming young professor.