Passionate Professors || Sebastian Sallow

Part 1 | Ch. 37 - Duels & Decoctions

I didn't exactly expect Sebastian to be happy when I told him everything that had been going between my mind, Ominis, and Willow. But I also didn't think he would just kick me out of his classroom without a further conversation. His pained expression was painted into my thoughts, colors of red and black swirling in fury. His two words "Get. Out." repeated over and over in my ears, growing louder each time.

I jogged through the dungeons, the stone and torch-flanked walls suffocating me as they wound by. I tried to put space between Sebastian's words, his reaction. Part of me was afraid that he might angrily chase after me but in his true fashion, he didn't. I couldn't tell if he was mad because he thought that what we talked about was a complete lie, or because he knew deep down that they were the truth.

I finally reached above ground, pausing to rest my palms on my knees and heave heavy breaths. The area was clear of students, free of prying eyes with most of them having dinner in the Great Hall.

Sebastian was the type to brood about his problems instead of face them head on. He just needed time to digest everything. At least, that's what I told myself to stay sane. I'd give him the space to do so trying to avoid upsetting him further.

——

On Wednesday, the next morning, as I was leaving my room to head to breakfast, the crumpled ball of paper had moved, meaning Sebastian had opted not to go back to the manor. Odd, considering how infuriated he had been last night. This meant he either believed me and didn't want to face Ominis and Willow or he was just avoiding me again. I didn't see or hear from him for the duration of the day.

Tonight was the night that the students would be filing into my Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom for the first meeting of Sebastian and I's Dueling Club. We hadn't thought of a name for it or a plan as to what we would teaching them. I figured we'd have plenty of time to discuss it during the week, not factoring in that he was going to be spending his days trying to do anything but run into me.

I bounced nervously around the room, moving the desks aside with my wand. I dusted the shelves, lit a few more candles, and readied the space for what would be a busy evening. Hopefully Sebastian would be early so I could see where his head was at from our conversation. It'd be nice for things to not be awkward between us in front of everyone.

Right on cue, he sauntered through the door, holding a small wooden crate filled with tiny labeled vials. The colorful liquid inside sloshed around and the glass bottles clinked with each step.

"Hi," I smiled weakly, fidgeting with my hands.

"So what's the plan for tonight?" Sebastian strode across the room, eyeing what would be our dueling stage once the students rolled in. He lowered the crate to a stray table and began unpacking the contents, laying each vial out in an organized pattern. The folds of his black button up tugged around his shoulders with his movements. He paused his work, fingering each button at the wrist before rolling the sleeves up.

"I think we should just reaffirm their knowledge of 'Expelliarmus' but have the opponent drink a potion of their choice in defense?" The statement came out as a question. I hadn't given much thought until five minutes before he walked in, hopefully he liked the idea. I wasn't in the mood for more arguing.

"That works for me." He finished his display of available potions, all brewed by him no doubt. "I brought Thunderbrew, Erudus, and Invisibility as options." He pointed to the neat rows, five of each had been laid out. His lips were pursed in a thin line, void of any emotion.

I watched as his gaze drifted to the nearby window. He slowly walked over to it and stared up into the cloudy night sky.

"I have proof of it all." I blurted out, his attention didn't avert to me as I spoke but became more intent on the world outside the window. Sebastian shifted his weight, placing his palms on the sill, his face so close to the panes that his breath fogged on the glass.