In the Shadows of Romance/Sebastian Sallow x MC

Chapter Eighteen

Ominis and I had ended on good terms, and shortly after he had managed to muster the courage to confess to Anne. I had yet to say a word to Sebastian due to the lack of his appearance in the library and the inability to find him. Though I had yet to find him, I still planned to go to the ball. Poppy, Icarus, Natty, Ominis, Anne and I were all gathered in Hogsmeade, the lot of us in search of our ball attire.

"I can't believe you." Icarus sighed softly as he and I walked a bit away from our group of friends. "You and Ominis ended a year long relationship, but for what?"

"For the simple fact of both of us being in love with different people more than we were in love with each other." I answered softly.

"So you and Sebastian?" He mumbled.

"Nothing yet, I haven't told him that Ominis and I are no longer together." I answered. "He's thrown himself into researching for us. I think it's become his new obsession after searching for a cure for Anne for the amount of time he did."

Icarus nodded. "I don't like the idea of you together, but I'm accepting that he's changed."

"He has." I answered softly, watching our friends before us, all cracking jokes and just overall enjoying their time with one another. Anne and Ominis were side by side, pinkies interlocked with one another in an innocent new love. Poppy and Natty had their arms intertwined with one another as they walked ahead of the couple. "Have you thought of asking anyone to the Yule Ball?"

Icarus was silent, but when I looked up at him I saw that his eyes were already watching our friends and I could only hope his eyes were on a little Hufflepuff. It took him a moment to register my words and then he was speaking. "I don't plan to ask her."

"Who? Why?" I questioned. There was only one name I would accept and if her name wasn;t Pippy then I wouldn't be interested in where this conversation led.

"I've been so worried about you and then my own magic that I hadn't thought of anyone else." He sighed heavily. "That's a lie, she was one of the few people who could bring me from any worry. She was someone so...so...she's my sun."

"Who is she?" I was beginning to get awfully curious, my brother has never once called a love interest his sun and I knew that word and meaning held a lot of weight for him. "She must mean a lot to you. Why don't you wish to ask her?"

"I don't think she feels the same as me." He sighed once again. "Poppy is too good for even me."

I smiled at the confession of the name, the same girl had told me of her own feelings toward my twin and I knew what I needed to do. "Before Hallowween we talked about who we wanted as our dates and if they'd have the courage to ask. Natty was undetermined at the time and Anne was in love with Ominis. But do you know what Poppy said?"

"She probably would want someone like Garreth or Leander, though now that I think of it Leander is nothing but a cocky bastard." Icarus grumbled under his breath. "And Garreth, no, she's just not someone I can see for Poppy."

I laughed softly. "Sunny, she wanted you to ask her. She's been smitten with you for the longest and I know you have been as well."

"Smitten? With me?" He stopped walking, shock filling his features. "You must be mistaken."

"Poppy!" I called out to our friend, making the group turn and find that we had stopped following. "The rest of you go ahead without us, we'll meet you there but Poppy I need to speak with you for a moment."

She nodded, unlooping her arm from Natty and walking toward us while the others went on ahead. "What is it?"

"Icarus is too scared to ask the girl he's smitten with to the ball." I told her and I watched as her face fell slightly at the thought of it not being her. "I'm trying to help him come up with ways to tell her. Do you have any suggestions?"