Run Away ✧ Sebastian Sallow

*chapter nineteen

Bang The Doldrums by Fall Out Boy

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Mature Content Warning

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Fifth Year

Sebastian wasn't sure why he bothered coming to the house party that night. His time likely would have been better spent anywhere else. It wasn't like any of his friends were around to hang out with and he mostly found himself alone wandering around the crowded common room of the Gryffindor dorms looking for anything else to do. 

It was the return from winter break when everyone had arrived back at the castle, although for him, he had never really left. Six lonely weeks when he felt like the new castle ghost. There were some trips back to Anne, but with his uncle unwelcoming of any return, his visits were limited. Ominis returned a week early and that had helped. 

Mostly he was just alone. Being in the crowded party was overwhelming after weeks by himself. 

It had been weeks since Sebastian had seen Antheia. And he quickly learned that he hadn't taken the heartbreak well. 

"I can't be with Seb," Antheia had tried to explain to him after their kiss, "It's not personal. But with everything going on right now we can't be together. I am going to be a Keeper to protect ancient magic, I can't get you any more involved than I already have." His heart broke every time he remembered the conversation. 

He didn't understand any of it: ancient magic, the Keeper, their power, but mostly her. 

Weren't they in love with each other? Kindred-spirits? 

Sebastian had been so confident that Antheia felt the same, although that hadn't been the first time he made that mistake. It was one thing to argue about her magic. It was another thing to argue about whether or not they should be together.

When her owl arrived on the first day of winter break it took him another week to open it. Being rejected after that had been difficult on him emotionally. Nothing she said could make him feel better. 

Only once did he write back to Antheia during their weeks apart. It wasn't completely that he hadn't meant to write more, time was flying by and he kept losing track of days. Sebastian had been losing hours of his day without noticing it. At first, he thought it was just that he was struggling to find the right words to say, but he wasn't aware yet of how much his head had changed from someone's else control. 

When he had overheard that Gryffindor was hosting a welcome back party he thought maybe he should go find her. Talk to her in person and see what things felt between them. 

An hour later, Antheia Wytners hadn't been seen. She hadn't been in the Grand Hall earlier during any of the meals. Nor did she stop by the Undercroft, although she only ever went when he was there. He circled around the castle so many times looking for her that he had lost count entirely. Everywhere he looked he hadn't been able to find her.

Is she avoiding me? He thought.

"Coward," His head answered back.

Sebastian looked down at his cup before giving it a safety sniff. Nothing stood out, but if it was a Gryffindor party and he didn't fully trust the punch bowl when Garreth Wealsey was around. His head had been feeling awful the past few days and the last thing he wanted to do was add alcohol to the mix.