Me and the Devil: Sebastian Sallow

Chapter ONE OH SEVEN - Miss You

Relief and confusion flitted around inside my chest like golden snitches or (more likely) rogue bludgers. The mattress below my body foreign and hard. The air dull and borrowed.

Though I didn't jolt awake as suddenly as I had from previous nightmares, the unsettling slap back to reality gripped my bones and shook my muscles. I laid there with my nose to the ceiling and fingers fisting the blankets for a few moments, letting my pounding heart settle back into place.

The Gryffindor bedroom was completely empty aside from me, apparently the other girls were still out enjoying their holiday. The small crackle of the stove in the center of the room flooded memories of the Sallow fireplace back among my thoughts and I instantly felt more at ease. The light outside the window blue with tiny tinges of pink that traced the windowsill. I forced my legs up off the bed and let the rest of my body slither down to the floor after them. Now sat rightly on my butt I let my head fall back against the bed - all energy seemingly disintegrated.

Though I didn't feel hungry, the small grumble at the base of my stomach said otherwise. Perhaps I could grab something from the kitchens. Something for Ominis and Sebastian too. Though I wasn't sure Sebastian would eat anything either.

It was worth a shot.

He had done it for me.

Using the baseboard of my bed to haul myself up, I was surprised to find just how off center my balance was, needing to pause for nearly a whole minute before I felt truly steady on my own feet. I tugged my suitcase out from under my bed where it still slept, entirely unpacked and would probably remain for the next week or so if I was to be honest with myself. Unless perhaps the house elves found it. I still wasn't sure how that all worked.

I tugged Sebastian's green sweater quickly over my head, hints of cedar wood and quill ink wrapping around my chest, hugging my thoughts back together. I quickly pulled on a pair of light brown, corduroy trousers and brown boots and walked to the bathroom to brush my teeth and freshen up. Upon returning, I pulled my book bag with ancient text and poem book onto my shoulder, the familiar weight another slight comfort.

And out I went. Feet swiping quickly over the common room floor and out the portrait hole as quietly as I could.

It seemed forever since I last crept through the halls by myself. There was something so comforting yet disturbing about that thought.

I rounded my way along the walls as the sun outside slowly slid above the horizon, lights brushing my every footstep. Cool stone under warm glow.

The kitchen was filled with life and the hustle and bustle of busy little bodies. Thick smells of oatmeal, cinnamon, syrup, bacon... it was enough to make even the most unhungry girl's mouth water.

Guilt immediately crashed through my lungs and I took a step to turn back, feeling terrible for interrupting the elves' work.

"Good morning Miss Atley."

Tooby's quiet and crinkled voice would up from my knees.

I smiled down at my friend.

How is he always so quick to spot me?

"Good morning Tooby. I'm so sorry to come by while you all are working so hard- for interrupting. I wasn't thinking. I'm terribly sorry."

Tooby stuck out his tongue and made the oddest noise I had ever heard in my life. 

"Tooby has been waiting for his owl and her friends to come by regularly again since the beginning of break! Tooby has missed them dearly! Tooby will never find his owl's presence an interruption!" He crossed his arms and made a sort of "hmph" noise to signify the end of his point.

His attempts at being serious foiled by the wide grin across his face.

"Tooby is going to go grab three breakfast bags right now." 

I grinned down. "Thank you Tooby. If- it's not too much, could I possibly get a couple of pears?"

He winked but said nothing else, turning on his heal and nearly skipping away among the breakfast rush.

He returned not five minutes later with three large brown bags, black ribbons and our own unique scribbles on the sides. He tucked them quickly into my hands and informed me that he needed to see "the other two" sometime soon because he missed them. He then sprinted back into the kitchens and disappeared behind the giant cauldron.

I climbed quickly up the stairs and through the castle to the hallway down to the undercroft entrance, sweet smells from the bags kissing my nose. I hoped the boys wouldn't be too much longer, I could feel the heat of something warm in one of the bags and didn't want it to grow too cold. Though perhaps there was magic for that?

I didn't have to worry long, Sebastian's shaggy hair was already sprawled among the pillows, book raised high over his head as he read.

"Good morning." I hummed and he glanced gently over his body to me, eyes landing on the bags.

"'Morning."

I silently noted the lack of a "good" at the beginning of his greeting, hoping I was just overthinking things.

I wasn't able to say anything else as a rather disgruntled Ominis nearly toppled into the room. His wand raised and red, other hand clutching something small and white while he scowled ahead.

"Looks like someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?"

Bits of relief flicking through my heart, though Sebastian's tone was was lacking the entirety of his usual playful nature, the banter was a good sign.

Right?

"I was just brutally assaulted by an owl outside the undercroft!" He tossed the small white rectangle in our direction and it skidded across the floor, landing a few paces away from my feet. 

A letter. 

With a familiar penmanship stretched over the back flap.

"Ah! Earl must have gotten lost." Sebastian eyed the letter through squinted lashes. "That's for you Atley."

"Me?"

He lay back into the pillows, holding the pillow back over his head and humming confirmation.

Ominis grumbled something inaudible, and brushed his hand furiously through his hair, straightening his shoulders and walking back behind us.

Setting the bags against one of the larger pillows by Sebastian's feet, I tipped my fingers down to the floor and pulled the letter to my chest. I settled in against the pillar closest to Sebastian and turned the paper over in my hands.

Scribbled just over the back-

I miss you.

My eyes flicked up to him, already finding his eyes on mine and a smirk so small I nearly missed it.

"You don't have to open it... there's actually nothing in the envelope, I just wanted to send you a note last night after you left..."

He dropped a hand to his side, fingers outstretched to me and I clutched them quickly, smiling to his eyes.

Something rolled along the floor at the back of the room and Ominis whined.

"For Merlin's sake Sebastian. I assume this mess belongs to you? What did I say about keeping your things off the fl-" His sentence clipped and I glanced up to him, nose immediately scrunching and muttering a short string of curse words under my breath.

Sebastian's grin widened slightly, brow raising as he looked confused to my words.

Ominis tugged his hand from the table so quickly I worried he might knock himself out.

"IS THIS TABLE BURNT- 

...Oh..."