Sinner // Sebastian Sallow

TEN

It seems strange that, within a couple of days, you'd both confronted and been confronted by someone else, but you can't think of any other reason besides the fact that Ominis pulled the details out of Sebastian in the Slytherin dorm that same evening.

You think about it in Charms in great detail while Professor Ronen natters on about revision practice for O.W.L.S; so much so that even Natsai struggles to get your attention.

"You're away with the fairies," she chuckles during a break in the teaching. "What's got you like this?"

"Oh, it's nothing," you wave your hand dismissively in the air. "I've been dreaming a lot lately, that's all. A little tired."

She smiles sympathetically, turning over a page in her textbook absentmindedly, "Poppy told me about your nightmares, it gave her quite the fright."

The memories of Poppy's worried face storming through your dorm flash to the front of you mind, and you nod sheepishly, your eyes falling towards your shoes, "Yeah, they're not too bad now, think it was a bad day. I'll deal with it in my own way...Professor Weasley is helping me."

That must be the biggest lie you've told all year, but one of your best friends trusts you so strongly that the information you give is satisfactory enough. You should feel guilty, but lying is second nature to you now.

"I understand," she says. "But, I'm always here if something's worrying you."

"Thanks, Natty." And you mean it, well and truly.

She contemplates silently for a few moments, and you take the time to sift through some of the information in your own book. Most of the material you need to brush up on, but a couple of hour's worth of study will do the trick you think - or, you hope.

"Did you want to come to Hogsmeade with Poppy and I at the weekend?" she asks, causing you to jump out of your skin. Her voice is a siren in the stillness of the potions classroom, so much so that even the Professor gives her a quick glance.

The offer she makes is tempting all the same, though. You don't even remember the last time you paid the village a visit, so you nod along and accept the invitation without second thought. After one weekend alone, one spent in the company of friends may do you good.

"Poppy wants to be there for around ten in the morning," Natsai adds, eyes trained to her textbook, a satisfied smile across her face. "She wants the afternoon for Highwing."

You nod your head once and spare a glance in her direction. Most of the classroom has settled into a more comfortable silence by now, and your voice reduces to a whisper, "Do you want to meet there or at the gate?"

Natsai thinks about it, but out of all the decisions she's made this is by far the easiest one, "Gate. It'd be nice for us to walk down together."

You actually feel quite excited now. Hogsmeade carries most of your most interesting memories, and the nostalgic feeling of friendship. Your butterbeer craving kicks in almost immediately at the thought; as does a warm and fuzzy feeling you can't describe.

Raising your head, your eyes catch Sebastian's across the room. He's eyeing you warily, a glint in his eye you can't distinguish, and his gaze doesn't falter under your stare. All of a sudden, it's just you two in that room, white noise of the classroom fading out into nothing. His eyes catch the sun, turning a murky green into a colour full of vibrancy, and his freckled face becomes dappled in patches of light streaming through the window. Despite everything, Sebastian Sallow pulls off the innocent look almost perfectly.

You smile awkwardly, not sure what else you can do in that situation, and rub your hand on the back of your neck in an attempt to calm the uneasy feeling falling over you. To your surprise, Sebastian gives a tentative smile back, and there's no way in telling that your last exchange filled with animosity and tension.