Passionate Professors || Sebastian Sallow

Part 1 | Ch. 12 - Partner *

Ignoring the kink in my neck and exhaustion from last night, I dove into my work, jumping ahead in what was due to Garreth. I made a note to teach my sixth years about how to properly slay a Dark Mongrel when we got to that chapter. I'd be damned if anyone pulled the same mistake Sebastian did last night under my watch.

My muscles ached, not from the attack but from the sheer tension living inside my body by being around Sebastian. Any time he was in close proximity, my nerve endings fired off, warning me of a threat. I was in a constant state of fight or flight when it came to him.

Our rendezvous did not go how I planned, in fact, it had gone the exact opposite way. I'm not sure why part of me thought we'd talk civilly and make up, but I was stupid enough to think so. And after the way he talked to me last night, I knew there was no chance we could reconcile what happened between us. My cheeks burned red-hot at the thought of him and not like how they used to. I hated how I lived my life missing him, longing for him, when he turned into someone so mean. That was the most difficult part to come to terms with: the man I loved was no longer the man he used to be.

"Knock knock," a woman's singsong voice interrupted my focus. I looked up to my office doorway.

"Profes- Herita, please come in!"

"Hi Gianna, so sorry to interrupt," Herita Longbottom smiled warmly, a stack of parchment tucked neatly under her arm.

"No, not at all. What can I do for you?" I finally put my quill down after hours of writing notes, my hand cramping. I stretched out each finger, rubbing them under the desk.

"I hope you're catching up, thankfully your predecessor was extremely detailed." Herita pulled up a chair, sitting down opposite of me.

"Yes, she was amazing at what she did and I'm grateful for that." I said, acknowledging the truth to her statement. There was a somberness in her eyes when Professor Hecat was mentioned, a topic I decided not to broach with her in such a happy mood.

"So good to hear. I don't want to waste your time so I'll cut to it. As you know, each professor is paired with another during the school year." Herita leaned forward, placing her hands in her lap.

"No actually, I was not aware." I said before she could continue, staring blankly at her.

"Oh? Surely the Headmaster told you." She said, tilting her head to the side in confusion. "It's a program that I run to make sure everyone is supported and has a partner to go to. It can get tough with the students, they can be so...adolescent-y sometimes." Herita's eyes fixated on my green and silver House banners hanging from the walls.

"No, Garreth never mentioned it, sounds like it could be helpful. Who's mine?" The words came out before I already knew the answer and my heart dropped into my lower belly.

"Professor Sallow!" She nodded with excitement, "with you two being the only Slytherin professors here, it made the most sense. Plus I find that Defense Against the Dark Arts and Potions go well together. What a funny coincidence that you both graduated Hogwarts in the same class."

"Yes, how funny." My face paled. I planned to do my best avoiding him during the school year, but this would make it impossible.

"So the expectations are that you meet every week and discuss challenges you're having, come up with a fun way to join your classes together at some point this year, and lean on each other for guidance." She went on passionately, "mine is Professor Ronen, we've been working closely together for years and it's been great to have a partner. Charms and Magical Theory are so fun to mix!"

"Thank you Herita," I said in a daze, wracking my mind for a shortcut or a way out of the arrangement.

"I told Professor Sallow to initiate so be on the lookout for an owl from him for details about your first meeting. I expect that one of you will turn in the details of your conversations by the end of each week." She hurried out the room, completely unaware of how horribly this partnership would go, despite her best intentions.