Book of Disgrace (Sebastian x OC)

School Arc - 2

Even though the first thing Raven felt as soon as she awoke from her blissfully ignorant sleep was her stomach aching with worry, the moment her brother came out from behind the curtain it was all forgotten. Even if only for a moment. "My, how lovely you look!" She chimed, an overwhelming sensation taking over her, one she could only imagine to be motherly pride, or at least some replica of that.

"What do you mean 'lovely'?!" The boy lifted his arms, showing off all the loose fabric of his uniform dangling around his skinny frame. A pang arose in her chest. Even the smallest size they had it in wasn't small enough for her brother. "I can't believe I have to go in like this!"

"I've told you already that Miss Nina will be done tailoring the other ones by tomorrow." Sebastian sighed. "It's only one day, Young Master."

"Why couldn't you send the one I'm wearing to her too?! I'd rather just go in regular clothes at this point!" He raised his voice at the butler.

"But that is not an option, as, again, I've already said. This one will get fixed soon enough too." His voice stayed patient, but Raven could already see the warning signs of anger, a frown forming on his face.

"Don't worry about it, okay?" Raven stepped closer to her brother. "I know it isn't ideal, but it will be over before you know it." 'And, don't forget, you were the one so eager to go and leave me behind, so don't fuss about it', she'd have liked to add, but she knew she had to be the bigger person here. Besides, it was hard staying mad at him with how cute and innocent he looked now.

He denied her a reply, instead just kept staring silently, reminding her of an angry kitten.

She smiled. "But even despite the size, you look great." She gave him a kiss on the forehead.

"Raven!" He looked at her, eyes wide, face flushed, as if she just committed some kind of horrendous crime. Raven almost instinctively looked over at Sebastian to share a good-natured eye-roll, and immediately hated herself for it. She started the day with promising herself not to show him any amount of attention. Not after what he'd done, or rather, had not. But she couldn't help it, it was but second nature at this point. 'I'm terribly sorry, even right now I'm too busy to talk,' she remembered him saying, a fleeting moment in the dark hallway. 'But soon, Lady, I promise.' he took off. She had muttered something like 'go to hell' back then, and she was glad now, that he most likely didn't hear it. She's been feeling pathetic for caring so much ever since. And what made the matter worse was the fact that right now he was smiling, amused at the scene the siblings put on, almost touched if she didn't know any better. Could this be him trying to make amends? Hardly. Raven had to come to her senses quick. Another look, inspecting. She should stop, turn away, focus her attention on her brother who clearly needed the help. But she noticed how the demon's lips curved in the corner of his mouth. A warm, human emotion that she could not recognize, had seldom or not seen at all, not on him. Then again, whatever it was, she had other matters to attend to. And he definitely didn't deserve her attention, definitely didn't deserve to see the soft blush on her face, from the embarrassment of staring for too long.

"Oh, but you look so handsome!" She waved her hand dismissively, turning back to her brother. This forced her previous smile to reappear after just a short break, her face beginning to hurt, all thoughts of Sebastian wiped clear from her head. "Mother would be happy to see you like this. And Father too, you're going to Weston after all."

"Whatever, you still don't have to be so over the top about it..." He said, his voice almost a whisper, shrunk from embarrassment. But Raven thought she could see a little sliver of optimism on his face now too, maybe finding her comments encouraging.

Sebastian cleared his throat, smugly calling all attention to him. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but Young Master, we should really get going soon, unless you wish to be late."