Always || Sebastian Sallow x Reader

Chapter 11

You spread your entire body comfortably across your mattress. Your back sinks into the curvatures of the bed, your body radiating heat. It was one of those nights that you were too hot to sleep underneath the sheets. You run your fingers delicately across your lips in fascination. Your eyes trace the patterns of golden birds and vines on the ceiling of your dormitory.

"Please," Sebastian's voice rings through your head. Your face warms and you flip over, grasping the pillow above your head and slamming your face into it to muffle an involuntary shriek from the memory.

Why did I do that? You think to yourself. Your blood rushes to your head as you remember how helpless he was, how soft his hands felt on your face, his lips.

You groan and flip over to your other side. A sigh escapes your mouth as you try to fall asleep again.

"Can you shut up?" You hear shuffling from the other side of the room. You flip over once again, recognizing the voice. "I have an extremely important practical exam in Herbology tomorrow and your constant groaning and shrieking is keeping me awake." Zenobia whisper-shouts in your direction. She was sitting at the edge of her bed now, her auburn hair in a messy top knot. Her pajamas draped over her shoulders, her pants longer than her legs. So much so that the bottoms of them curled under her feet when she would stand.

"I'm sorry Zenobia, I just can't sleep. And I just..."

"Have a busy mind?" She finishes. She reclines backward into her bed again with a sigh. "I get that. I don't know if you've noticed but, I usually stay awake most nights." She turns onto her side to face you, her freckles invisible in the night.

"My body begs for sleep but my mind won't let me." You recall the first time that you met her, dark circles rung deeply into her skin under her eyes.

"Sometimes talking about it helps me doze off..." She says.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She asks hesitantly, running one of her thumbs across her pillow case.

You smile softly. If there was anyone that you felt you could trust, Zenobia would be one of them. Most students despise her. The main cause being that she can be extremely annoying, but other than that, she is a good person. Better than most people you have encountered here at Hogwarts anyway.

"I kissed Sebastian," you say with a sigh, running your hands over your face in embarrassment.

"What!" She shouts in excitement, practically falling out of her bed.

"Shush!" You whisper, "You'll wake the others." There's no need to make them hate you more than they already do, you think.

"Apologies..." Zenobia says in a hushed tone and she creeps across the sleek wooden floors toward your bed. You sit up and turn your body to face the foot of the bed and cross your legs, leaving space for Zenobia to climb up and sit with you.

"Sebastian Sallow?" She inquires, her eyes glittering with curiosity.

"Yes. But it was more like he kissed me?" Your eyes dance around the room for a moment. "I don't really know." You say.

"You don't know if he kissed you?" She asks plainly.

"No Zenobia, I know he kissed me, I just-"

"Don't know how you feel about it." She smiles softly.

"Precisely," you run a hand over your neck.

"Well," she pulls out both of her hands and raises one. "Did you enjoy it?"

You're taken aback by her question, even though you practically walked right into it. She tucks a loose strand of hair behind her hair.

"Most definitely." You laugh.