Side Effects |a Sebastian Sallow story|

Spiral

Content Warning: brief depictions of PTSD, panic attacks, alcohol use, and struggles with sexuality.

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Kathryn Knight had been the center of some interesting rumors since she started at Hogwarts. Some speculatory  about her past or why she began schooling so late. Starting as a Fifth Year when everyone else in her class already had four years of education and friendships was bound to start some gossip. 

Naturally during her exploits that year, rumors began starting as something simple like Kathryn being an undercover ministry agent sent to spy on them or something more sinister like secretly in league with Rookwood to help him gain access to the school. 

The gossip amongst students at Hogwarts always revolved around who's courting who, so and so did something scandalous, someone is planning a prank or something embarrassing happened to someone. 

Kathryn was used to the rumors but nothing could have prepared her for this. 

The sun was barely peeking out over the horizon when the voice of Lenora Everleigh pierced through her eardrums. The dark orange and blues of the early morning sky barely visible through the half circle window of their dormitory. 

"You have better explain right now! Is it true?"  Lenora shouted, exasperated at something she heard as she plopped herself onto the foot of Kathryn's bed. 

Reaching out from under the blankets to pull the spare pillow over her head, Kathryn groaned at the interruption before hiding herself away. 

Lenora snatched the pillow from Kathryn's grip and glared at her barely awake roommate. "Tell us if it's true! The entire castle is absolutely buzzing about it." she tried again, voice getting higher pitched after each word. 

"Is what true?" Kathryn mumbled beneath her blankets, having pulled them up to replace the stolen pillow. 

Another dip in her mattress caused Kathryn to groan again, already mourning her lost sleep. 

"That Sebastian Sallow apparently killed his uncle." Adelaide Oaks chimed in from her newly appointed spot. 

Kathryn sat up in alarm, pushing the blankets away. "What?!" she shrieked, strands of hair sticking up erratically and a thundering pulse picking up beneath her skin. 

Lenora blinked at her roommate. "Anne Sallow told everyone at the Slytherin party last night that Sebastian killed their uncle. At first we thought it was a joke, because those two always had a darker sense of humor, but then Henry confessed to spiking the punch with the truth telling potion and the party kind of ended after that. Anne looked horrified and that Gaunt kid seemed to drag her away quickly." 

"People also saw Sebastian get escorted away by someone who looked to be an Auror. Which naturally is helping the story take more truth to it. So question is, did he do it? The two of you were practically glued to each other Fifth Year, that's when his uncle died, right?" Adelaide supplied, sitting up straighter as she looked between her friends. 

Kathryn paled at the conversation happening on her bed so early in the morning. When she was asleep, it was easier to pretend Sebastian being dragged away was just a bad dream, she could wake up and it would be back to normal. 

She almost could have pretended to see him in the great hall shoveling food into his mouth at breakfast. Kathryn used to chide him on his lack of table manners. 

"N-no. Of course he didn't, don't be ridiculous." Kathryn stuttered out, giving an awkward laugh because really, of course this would be happening now. 

Adelaide and Lenora didn't look convinced and both opened their mouth's to say more but were interrupted by a scowling Poppy entering their room. 

"I thought I told you two not to pester her about the gossip!" Poppy said in warning, narrowing her eyes at the two girls who were doing exactly that.