Life Goes On

Chapter 22: Acting on Instinct

Sebastian wasn't wrong about rumors spreading fast. When we walked into the great hall for dinner nearly everyone went silent and turned to look in our direction. I could see the judgmental looks they shot our way. My face instantly turned red, but Sebastian smiled, he held his back up straight, threw his arm over my shoulders, planted a kiss on my cheek and looked around the hall with a smug smirk. He was enjoying flaunting our relationship way too much.

As we sat down, I shook his arm off and elbowed him in the ribs, "what the bloody hell was that?" I whispered under my breath as quietly as I could.

I saw several eyes darting away as I scanned the people at our table.

"What?" He started piling food on his plate, "I can't hug and kiss my girlfriend?"

I kicked his shin under the table making him drop the biscuit he was grabbing.

"Ow! And what was that for? I'm just being honest." He kissed my cheek again.

I nibbled my food quietly, catching many curious stares only to have them look away and whisper to their friends when I stared back. I wasn't sure that I really wanted to know what they were saying, my stomach felt in knots.

The looks and whispers continued as we made our way back to the medical wing. Sebastian continued to throw his arm around me or hold my hand as we walked no matter how much I tried to shrink into myself and slapped his hands away. Before we made it to the faculty tower, Sebastian pulled me over to an alcove in the hall. He pushed me against the wall and leaned on it, trapping me.

"What's the matter?" He demanded.

"Nothing."

He grabbed my chin with his left hand and turned me to look at him. "I might not be able to feel your aura like Ominis can, but I know something is wrong." His eyes squinted at me.

I instantly felt guilty. "I'm sorry, I just...I wasn't really thinking when I ran in to see Ominis and kissed him, and once I did think, I realized, that the last time we talked about our relationship we'd agreed to keep things private and of course now the whole school seems to know and...I... I guess I don't really know how to explain us... to everyone." I suddenly got really dizzy, my anxiety was now bubbling out of me.

"Ophelia, look at me." I looked into Sebastian's eyes. "Ominis and I love you, we always have and always will. Whether you want to keep this behind doors or if you want to yell it out to the winds. Although... I guess at this point we might've missed..."

I didn't let Sebastian finish his sentence, I threw my arms around him and kissed him hard. Sebastian wrapped his arms around my waist and picked me up off the floor.

As we left the alcove and continued towards the faculty tower I noticed a few students standing about and whispering to each other. The rest of this year was going to be quite interesting.

***

Ominis was released from the hospital wing the next morning. Sebastian and I picked him up and we all walked together to professor Weasley's office. As we walked into her classroom Garreth was leaving. His face was red and his eyes were glued to the floor, surely, he'd just received an earful, the poor bastard didn't even turn to look at us. The three of us looked at each other anxiously, professor Weasley was not going to be in a good mood.

"Ah, the Hogwarts heroic trio. Please sit down." She exclaimed as we walked in.

Shit. She really wasn't in a good mood.

Professor Weasley gestured us closer. "So, Ominis tells me that the three of you had a mishap with your apparating practice?"

"That is correct professor." I quickly answered.