Acceptance: Hogwarts Legacy Continued

Chapter 13- Sebastian

Sebastian heard her voice before he saw her; her laugh carrying down the stairs. As he looked up to see her turn the corner, he spotted first a mess of red hair with the ever obnoxious red lined robes. Sebastian glared at Garreth and continued his scowl even after making eye contact. He thought Natty was going to be with her today, why was that nitwit with her now?

He huffed as Garreth skittered away and left Diana in front of him, looking like she might run away as well. Why did she look so scared, and why did he feel so upset right now? Honestly he didn't even know what he was doing here. Poppy had come to him at breakfast to let him know Diana was leaving the hospital wing today, and that Natty would be helping her back to the Hufflepuff common room. After hearing that Sebastian had spent the whole time since then standing next to those damned barrels. He had been here hours at this point, and with all that time, even with all the time since she last talked to him- he didn't know what he was going to say to her. He just knew that he needed to see her and talk to her.

"So um, come here often?"

Sebastian turned to her, her face absolutely cardinal, and he felt his discomfort barrel out in a bark of a laugh.

"Sorry that was so stupid, I was just trying to think of something you would say" Diana stuttered out, looking down, wholly embarrassed.

"No, that was great," Sebastian chuckled. "Removed the tension, very witty, and highly inappropriate for the circumstances- couldn't have done better myself."

Diana smiled awkwardly at that, still not making eye contact. Of course she had tried to make things easier for him, Sebastian thought, only she would risk embarrassment to make someone else feel more at ease.

"Diana listen, I need to talk to you, is there somewhere we can go that's... private?"

"Um I mean my common room is always kind of full, and you aren't allowed in the girls' dorms so um.."

"Can we go to the undercroft" he countered.

Diana hesitated, continuing to look down at her feet. Sebastian had never seen her like this, in all their adventuring together she was always so put together and capable, albeit quiet. Now she seemed flustered and unsure. He watched though as she finally met his eyes and nodded in agreement.

So together they walked back up the stairs and through the corridors to the entrance to the undercroft. They didn't talk on their way, Sebastian felt like he didn't know what to say, and honestly felt maybe Diana didn't want to hear anything from him anyway.

Once through the doors, they were met with blackness. Sebastian casted confingo with a flick of his wrist at the few candles around the room and promptly turned back to the girl behind him. Diana jumped from the abruptness, but Sebastian felt if he didn't start talking soon then he never would.

"Listen, I'm sorry. I'm sure you've been hearing that from quite a few people, but I need you to hear mine. What you said to us, to me that night- it opened my eyes to a lot of things. I didn't realize how badly I had been treating you, how I had been treating everyone really. I just cared so much about helping my sister I... I didn't care about the cost. And it seems that my actions really cost me everything; my sister, my uncle, my best friend, and now I'm afraid it will cost you too. I don't know if I can handle losing the only person I have left in my life..."