Under Your Scars || Sebastian Sallow x MC

Chapter 48 - No Time for Tea*

I fill you up, drink from my cup

Within me lies what you really want

Come lay me down

'Cause you know this, 'cause you know this sound

In the middle of the night, in the middle of the night

Just call my name, I'm yours to tame

Middle of the Night 

-Elley Duhé

____________

Sebastian POV

The 22nd of December marked the eve of the highly-anticipated Yule Ball. Hogwarts played host to guests from Durmstrang, Beauxbatons and even Uagadou thanks to the collaborative efforts of Professor Onai. The castle was abuzz with chatter and excitement as classes drew to a close that afternoon.

The addition of our guests had been both a blessing and a curse, as getting my students to focus on something other than the bevy of international heartthrobs was like stealing gold from a niffler. My gentleman students were so busy passing enchanted notes across the room to the Beauxbatons ladies, it was a miracle any of them passed their examinations.

Though I had to admit, they gave me some ideas.

After Friday's final exam, my lovely assistant busied herself by erasing the blackboards for the last time before the holidays.

Her skin glistened with the sweat she worked up dueling our seventh-years as part of their examinations. Her hair, once neatly braided and tied with a blue ribbon, was coming undone with some pieces hanging in front of her face. She had ditched her cloak two classes ago, putting every curve of her body on-show as her clothes subtly clung to her in all the best places.

I scribbled an invitation on a scrap piece of parchment, folded it into a crude bird, then enchanted it to flutter across the room to land on her shoulder.

Tea today, Professor Fontaine?

She read it and chuckled to herself.

"The kids are gone, Seb. You may speak freely and drop the formalities."

"Fine, if you hate fun. Juliette, will you join me for tea today? To celebrate?"

"We do tea every day, mon couer. What would be so celebratory about today?" she asked as she joined me at my desk.

My brain reeled with at least at least a dozen ways to make tea more celebratory. It had been nearly four days since the last time we were intimate, so my mind naturally went there.

It was not any fault of our own, though. Intimacy had become less and less frequent in the two weeks since starting her 'sessions,' as we had come to call them. She was tolerating them admirably, but it was taxing both mentally and physically.

The ramp-up of final examinations also meant I had more students demanding my time, leaving very few afternoons in which it was only the two of us. By the time we returned to the Room in the evening, we were both too exhausted for any extracurricular activities.

She collected her cloak and strode past me toward my office, her sweet lilac scent lingering behind her and beckoning me to follow. Once inside, she whirled around but my eyes did not move quickly enough from where I had just been staring.