Entombed // Sebastian Sallow

forty three - reconciliation

I dressed myself and returned to the Gryffindor common room quickly to clean myself up before dinner, giving myself a cold shower to try and wash away how filthy I felt for what I'd just done.

Did I seriously just put out to someone who said they hate me? When did I start to respect myself so little?

Only when I went to brush my freshly washed hair in the mirror did I notice the bright purple marks he'd left in a trail down my neck... including marks from his teeth.

"Fuck..." I muttered to myself, running my fingers along the sensitive and painful area, unsure how I was supposed to hide them. It was Spring after all, so a scarf was out of the question.

With a heavy sigh, I resigned myself to wearing my hair in a way I had never done before. I let it hang loose, cascading in front of my face, effectively concealing the marks on my neck. It was an unusual style for me, but I had no other choice if I wanted to keep my secret hidden.

Luckily, attention wasn't on me at dinner because Sebastian had walked in apparently moments before me without making a stop to change and still only wearing his white button-up on his upper body.

"What the hell happened to your back?!" I heard Imelda Reyes' pitchy voice scream loud enough that everyone's attention was pivoted to the Slytherin table.

I peered over on my way to the Gryffindor table to watch the commotion and saw Sebastian's crisp white shirt stained with blood all over the back. From my nails.

Oops.

I snickered as I sat down, knowing at least I marked him as well as he marked me. I was just smart enough to cover it. I could have sworn I heard Sebastian try to blame it on a Niffler but we were all aware he'd skipped Beasts class that day.

"Evening, Lara." A voice called from next to me.

Henry Finch.

"This seat taken?" He asked, pointing at the very obvious space that was unoccupied next to me.

I glanced over at the table and felt Sebastian's eyes piercing in my direction now he had Imelda off his back.

"Not at all." I finally answered, shuffling over slightly to make room for him.

Henry started talking about the N.E.W.Ts or something. He was a year below me, so I think he was asking what classes he should be taking, but I honestly didn't notice as I watched Sebastian scramble to cover his back to avoid any more questioning, a sweet taste of revenge for how he'd treated me earlier. Every minute or so, I'd catch him glancing at me and narrow his eyes at Henry.

"I think you need to just do what you're interested in." I finally responded, making sure I looked at Henry with a wide smile on my face.

As I continued to engage in conversation with Henry, I couldn't help but notice Sebastian's growing frustration from the corner of my eye. While I didn't  like Henry at all after he got into a fight with Sebastian, I saw an opportunity to use him as a means to further provoke Sebastian since these were the types of games he wanted to play.

As the conversation progressed, I deliberately kept my attention focused on Henry, ensuring Sebastian caught glimpses of our probably too-overly-friendly interaction. I laughed at Henry's jokes, lightly touched his arm at a point, and leaned in slightly, creating an illusion of intimacy. Each time I looked back at Sebastian, I could see his irritation intensify.

Eventually, dinner came to an end, and the students began to disperse from the Great Hall. As I rose from my seat, I made sure to brush against Sebastian subtly, causing him to flinch. It was a small act, but it conveyed the message loud and clear, that I wasn't going to let him off the hook so easily.