Hidden in the Shadows // Sebastian sallow X Mc

.{2}.

Sebastian's Pov

Duelling was always something I excelled in. Spending most of my nights; If not in the library reading, enhancing my skills. My parents were even greater then I. I had watched them my whole life. I would give anything to see my mother outsmart my farther like she did back then. Oh how it entertained me. I dream of it sometimes. Envisioning the way they would cast what I learn. It helps me... 

She stood there crossed armed. nimble fingered. in one hand she held her wand. tightly by the base, imprinting the grooves onto her fingers. the other  fiddling with the loose wool of her jumper. Not noticing the thread becoming looser and looser. she was focused. I had been head of the class two years running now. She seemed adamant in changing that. her eyes examine every twitching muscle of the duellists. noting down their every movement down to their breath before casting. How I would kill to know what she was thinking right now. 

I approached slowly, not wanting to ruin her trail of thought or any thought at all. "For someone so interested with duelling I'm surprised you've not gone up" "I could say the same for you" I let out a small snigger under my breath. She didn't break her gaze, still captivated by the tells and tricks of Gareth's (attempting) to put a show on for the new girl. Never before was he so swift with his movements. I watched as her posture straightened, hands dropping. As if only now noticing her bodies movements, not that I minded them.  "I wouldn't call this up to my standard. as the best dueller in school its hard to find competition that is." Her mouth curling at the ends "I guess that's why I'm here"

Her taunts weren't as hollow as our follow Slytherins usually were. There's consisting of belittling your confidence in hopes of you not seeing through theirs. she was confident. naturally. No need for an act of harshness. not in the way that overshot herself, no. Instead having truth in it. You could tell by the calmness in her threats alone. She was going to be something. She had finally broken her gaze. looking up to me with a innocent smile. as if two seconds prior she hadn't tried to scare me into a duel. 

"Seems like we have two volunteers for our next duel" 

Mayas Pov

"morning freshie" I looked up from the book in my lap as she approached the table. Smiling from ear to ear "Imelda please refrain yourself from saying that ever again"  Imelda was showing to be one of the nicer souls of Hogwarts. Most of the night in our door was spent in her endless sentences. on exchange on her passionate thoughts on quittage and Hogwarts as a whole. Having just as much excitement for the school as she did having a new face around. She was lovely. 

"I'll try my best.. How did you get that?!" Her hair was wind swept from her morning practice. I only knew of this cause she spent the entirety of breakfast trying to convincing me to join. "What this?" she grabbed the book off the table. Aggressively flipping through the pages. Examining every detail of it. "Sebastian let me borrow it" I think he let me borrow it? I'm not sure in all fairness. After my win against him yesterday; I tried to speak to him but some of my classmates were to excited for his defeat. By the time I escaped through their crowd he had vanished. The book had been placed within the books i' brought to class. it must have been a conscious choice to put it there. no accident. 

"I've practically begged and bribed him to get this for years! And it took you a day! This is the first time we've even touched!" "Theirs a reason for that Imelda" His arm swooped past me to get the book. Delicately wiping the build up of dirt and food she had left in her short time of holding it. 

She pulled a face at him as he sat down next to me. Ominis opposite. Ominis looked so put together in comparison to Imelda. Not a hair out of place or a wrinkle in him uniform. Even his hands looked fresh, never having done an ounce of hard work in his life. No cuts, calluses or cracks in his nails. I'm not insulting this of course. Ominis was a pleasure to be around, its just rear to see in the muggle world. 

He placed the book back Infront of me as he sat down. Sitting with a leg either side of the bench. body facing me. His hands lingered in the air for a moment, not being sure where to put them having realised how close they were to me. Trying not to touch me but being clearly to uncomfortable in his own lap.  "Pull faces all you want but leaving it with you means I wont get it back in one piece" Imelda slouched back onto the table, staring at the book longingly. merlin knows what she thought was in here. was she that bad at duelling? did she think this was the book of all books on it? if only she realised there was another in the library. 

"your notes are practically useless considering your no longer the best duellist" Ominis sat smiling as he spoke. knowing how to get under Sebastian's skin entertaining most of his time here. "I cant believe it either, he's refusing to talk about it to me, acting like it's not bothering him when it's be eating him up inside" Imelda's smirk was met with a hand full of bread from my side of the table. looking up at Sebastian who had now gone red in the face. I began pilling my books away to the side. Making room for the boys and their breakfast. "Its just a duel, a bit of beginners luck if you ask me" I had only been using magic a couple of weeks now. I remember my farthers face when professor fig came to get me. never had I seen a man more filled with rage then he was. Within the hour I was transported to Hogwarts. Many teachers having agreed to help catch me up until school started. I only knew what came from books or my adventures around the forest.  

Soon Imelda and Ominis began rambling to each other. bickering about the food Imelda was stealing from him. Swearing that she wasn't whilst grabbing toast and fruit from his plate. "so I see your finding it useful" the redness in his face had clamed now. Still not taking his eyes from his hands. Was he that embarrassed that he lost to me? "Oh definitely, thank you, for letting me borrow it. I promise you can get it back by nightfall" He scoffed as I began flicking through the book again, looking back on where I was before Imelda's interruptions. "no need. after my defeat ill be starting over." He seemed defeated though trying not to show it, straightening himself out as he began picking at his breakfast. "its not that your notes are wrong, Some are perfect actually. I think your missing the aspect of foes other then humans. experience in all areas would do you the world of good" 

His face lifted as I moved the book back over to him. Finally looking at me instead of around me. His eyes were heavy as they had been the past couple days. clearly a boy who didn't get much sleep. 

"True I suppose... it's not as though I'm able to get much experience in this place" "Come with me?" Ominis and Imelda had finally silenced themselves. id only noticed as the food was no longer being flung around the table. Sebastian looked up from his plate again.  choking back on his food slightly as I had asked. "There's a cave up north, I wanted to go before term started but thought it to be too dangerous to go alone, come with me.." there was jolt of the table and a loud thud from under it. "Fuck-" shooting a sour look at Ominis who was already staring at him eagerly.  

"yea- sounds great." he brought his leg up slightly as he gripped his ankle, rubbing it aggressively as to where something had hit it. Guessing from that noise id say Ominis. "I'll owe you one for this" he said through the pain though he thought he was hiding it. "unless you can get me into the restricted section, there's not much you could owe me o-"Another fud from under the table cut me off. Sebastian's sharp inhale following. a faint 'fuck off' was mouthed to Ominis. 

"Sebastian's been exploring the restricted section for years now. haven't you Sebastian?" Ominis was smirking cunningly at him. sitting himself up straight, hands folded. if I hadn't known better you'd think they actually hated each other from how they acted. "wont we get caught though?"

 "Sebastian is in their most nights. He can protect yo-" Omnis's face turned pale. almost throwing up what of his breakfast he'd eater from the shock of pain. His hands lowering under the table to grip his shin following another loud thud. notably louder then the one before. Sebastian's angered gaze softening as he looked back to me. Hoping now that their aggressive game of footsies was over "I don't know about protection but I can cover for you... the librarian loves me" "Doesn't She hates you?" my mouth began to curl as he stumbled on his words. Watching the slight embarrassment from Imelda's interruption.

"Okay so maybe not "love" me exactly but I know how to avoid her... tonight?" He fiddled with the hair on his neck as he spoke. twirling the curls that sat on the back of his head. He averted his eyes once finished. only now noticing how long he'd been looking at me. as if I had minded. "tonight it is ..."