Passionate Professors || Sebastian Sallow

Part 1 | Ch. 21 - Spiked Coffee

Sebastian and I's second heated exchange left me breathless. I rushed to my Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom to allow the embarrassment to leave my cheeks and pick up a few things. Professor Herita Longbottom was just leaving when I reached the doorway.

"Oh hello dear! I just dropped off your updated class roster." She said cheerily before looking me up and down and taking in my disheveled aura, "you look a mess! What did you get yourself into?"

I blushed, "I was helping Sebastian with some of the potions he had to brew for the Hospital Wing and Ministry."

"That's sweet of you, dear. I do hope you two have mended whatever it is you mentioned a few weeks back." She said, hoping I'd elaborate.

"We're getting there. Thanks for dropping off the roster, I'll look through it now." I really needed a moment to myself to cool down, my blood was still flowing red-hot, yearning for Sebastian's seductive touch. The thought of his hands exploring my body was almost enough to make me erupt right on the spot.

"Pay close attention to your sixth year list, my nephew is on there. He's going to love your class, his dream is to be an Auror some day." Herita beamed, "he's George's brother's son, so same last name as me."

"Of course, I look forward to it." I said, grabbing for the pile of parchment she left behind. Herita waved goodbye on her way out

I skimmed through years one through five, recognizing a few last names from my time as a student, Blume, Thakkar, Brattleby, and Noke. Years two through five had their houses listed and year one did not, they weren't sorted yet.

I finally reached year six and scanned through the list, the first names were in alphabetical order. Albie Longbottom - Gryffindor, Herita's nephew. I continued to read down, stopping at Octavia Gaunt - Slytherin. Ominis' little sister would be a student in my class. I squinted at the name, remembering something from when I first went through Professor Hecat's old notes.

I ran up the stairs to my office and dug through my desk drawers before finding what I had vaguely recalled reading. She had scrawled the name 'Gaunt' down on a piece of torn parchment, reminding her to check in on them over the summer. I now understood that Gaunt to be Octavia.

I'd only met Octavia a few times. The Gaunt's insisted on dropping Ominis off at King's Cross Station at the beginning of the school year and she always came with them, each year growing a little taller, face slowly maturing. She was so silly and sweet, a young innocent mind that would play at her mother's feet. I hoped she'd follow in her big brother's footsteps, determined to break the long line of dark wizards in the family tree. Unfortunately, I had a sinking feeling that the Gaunt's only wanted another child after Ominis disappointed them with his lack of interest in practicing the Dark Arts.

At the platform before my sixth year, I'd caught Ominis' dad, who we were only allowed to refer to as Master Gaunt, leaning into other Slytherin student parent's ears, probably whispering about the student who took out Ranrok, Rookwood, and Harlow. I remember his chilling eyes landing on mine, swore his mouth twitched into a ghost of a smirk when I didn't quiver under his gaze.

I wondered how Octavia had grown, what her interests were, how she would be in my class. Sebastian must've known she'd be entering her sixth year at Hogwarts, I was surprised he didn't mention it, considering he's still best friends with Ominis. Now that I thought of it, he hardly mentioned Ominis at all.

The brown owl soared into my open office window, dropping a letter on my messy desk before swooping out quickly. It was from Poppy Prewett.

"Hi G,

I'm dying to hear how the last few weeks have been. Want to meet up for coffee in Hogsmeade tomorrow at 11:30am before the school year starts?"

Love you,
Poppy"