He Couldn't Be That Bad? // Sebastian Sallow and You (spicy)

8. Room for More Room? (very spicy)

We walk up the final flight of stairs to the hallway where the Room of Requirement entrance sits patiently.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about this sooner. It was the only place here that felt like it was truly mine. But I'm excited to share it with you now." I reach over and place my hand over Sebastian's, squeezing lightly and I take a deep breath before saying. "I was given a place to study and catch up, I figure you could use it too."

As the last students trickle down the corridor, Sebastian gives me a look thick with skepticism. "I always figured you'd go mad."

I scoff, bumping his shoulder with my own. "Just be patient."

Waiting for us to be fully alone before the swirling iron pressed out from the stone wall. The wooden door materialized in sweeping tendrils until the entire frame pressed forth from the wall. Finally the door knob clicked out with a metallic ching , ready for me to turn it.

With a familiar melodic creaking sound, the door swings on its hinges and I quickly step across the threshold.

"Perhaps I've gone mad." Sebastian says under his breath as he follows me in.

We're greeted by a moment of darkness before the threshold opens up into the glorious room.

I haven't been in the room for a while and there's a little swarm of paper butterflies that flurry around me, I giggle as they rise up from under my cloak and tickle my chin as they sweep up and away. "It's good to see you too!"

I turn to Sebastian with a smile and he practically has to scrape his jaw off the floor as he takes it in. "This is– more than brilliant. It's–" He can't even find the words.

Turning to the grand room I shout up to the domed ceiling, the artificial sun shining down on us. "This is Sebastian Sallow. He is a welcomed guest of mine. Please allow him to come here any time he likes."

A single paper butterfly flies down and gently lands on Sebastian's shoulder. It casually opens and closes its wings a few times before fluttering off again.

I smile, clapping my hand on his shoulder to shake him from his stupor. "Invitation accepted."

"How does it know?" He narrows his eyes, peering around the room for signs of sentience.

"No idea. It just always knows what I need." I strut off, past one of my vivariums, and show him my potions stations, potting tables, loom, and my decor.

Sebastian pointed to the brightly sunny dome, adorned with green plants and hanging purple wisteria. "I thought it was close to dinner."

"An enchantment controlled by Deek, another house elf." Scratching my head, I add. "I should warn you. It's easy for time to seem unreal in here if it's always day or always night. But it's my favorite in the winter, I can come in here and still get some warm light. It never fails to lift my spirits."

Looking at the potting tables, Sebastian says offhandedly. "I wish we'd had these during winters at Feldcroft. Would have been nice eating something besides potatoes and cabbage all season long."

"You're welcome to grow anything you like. Just conjure a potting table and feel free to plant it." I summon a small table and using my wand, I made the cloth napkin squeeze through the strawberry goo till I have about a fistfull of small seeds. "I've been growing magical plants, so these strawberries are my first mundane produce."

"Hmm." Sebastian considers this thoughtfully and doesn't stop his inspection of the room around us, examining everything with a keen eye.

Levitating a little spade, I dig a little hole and sprinkle the seeds in the soil, then close the hole. An enchanted watering can floats over, sprinkling the new seeds with a pleasant rainfall before continuing down the line of my other potting table.