Forbidden Request

Chapter Five: Lingering Thoughts

As we approached the castle, the weight of what we were doing sank in. It was now well past curfew, and sneaking through the halls at this hour was a guaranteed way to land ourselves in trouble. I shot a glance at Sebastian, who seemed completely unfazed by the risk.

He caught my look and smirked. "Worried Atlow?"

I frowned. "Aren't you?"

He shrugged. "Not particularly. I've snuck around this place plenty of times. Besides, the trick is to act like you're not doing anything wrong. That way, if we do get caught, we can just... talk our way out of it."

I wasn't convinced. "You might be good at talking your way out of things, but I'm not exactly great under pressure."

Sebastian chuckled softly, the sound echoing in the quiet corridor. "Stick with me, Jude. I promise we won't get caught. I've got a knack for this sort of thing."

We crept through the castle's dimly lit halls, the stone walls casting long shadows in the glow of our wands. My heart pounded in my chest with every step, my ears straining for the telltale sound of a patrolling professor or a prefect. Sebastian moved with an ease that almost made me envious, like sneaking around at night was second nature to him. Every now and then, he'd glance over his shoulder at me with a reassuring smile, as if to say, "Don't worry. I've got this."

But I couldn't help it—my nerves were on edge. Every creak of the floor, every flicker of a shadow made me flinch. It felt like we were walking a tightrope, and one wrong step would send us plummeting straight into detention. I just hoped Sebastian's confidence wasn't misplaced.

As we neared the central staircase, the familiar creak of footsteps echoed down the corridor. My heart leaped into my throat.

"Someone's coming," I whispered, gripping my wand tighter.

Sebastian's expression shifted in an instant, from calm to alert. Without warning, he grabbed my arm and pulled me into a nearby alcove, pressing us both against the cool stone wall.

I barely had time to react as he positioned himself in front of me, our bodies suddenly much closer than I expected. I could feel the warmth radiating from him as his hand gently settled against my shoulder, his breath warm against my cheek. My pulse quickened for reasons that had nothing to do with getting caught.

"Shh," Sebastian whispered, his voice barely audible as he peeked around the edge of the alcove.

I held my breath, nerves and adrenaline coursing through me as Professor Weasley's familiar figure passed by, her footsteps slowing as she scanned the hallway. My heart pounded in my ears, and for a moment, I thought I saw the professor glance in our direction. I stiffened, instinctively pressing closer to Sebastian.

His eyes flickered down to meet mine for the briefest of moments, a glimmer of amusement in them, though he remained perfectly still. I swallowed hard, trying to ignore the way his closeness made my skin tingle. Time seemed to stretch as we waited, neither of us daring to move.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Professor Weasley continued down the corridor, her footsteps fading into the distance. I let out a shaky breath of relief as Sebastian leaned back, still smirking.

"See? I told you we wouldn't get caught," he murmured, his voice low and teasing.

I blinked, trying to focus on the fact that we'd just narrowly avoided getting detention instead of the fact that Sebastian was still standing so close. I stepped out of the alcove, feeling my cheeks warm despite the cool air.

"Right," I muttered, clearing my throat. "Let's just get back to our common rooms before anything else happens."

Sebastian grinned, falling into step beside me. "Lead the way, then. And try to relax. You're safe with me, remember?"