Sebastian Sallow: Duel of Hearts

Chapter Six

Sebastian's POV

Finally, freedom. I have finished my classes and feel relieved to have a break as I make my way through the busy halls of Hogwarts. The past couple of days have been a whirlwind of classes and assignments, and I've been struggling to keep up with everything. On top of all that, I'm trying to find the time to research different curses so that I can cure my twin sister and earn her forgiveness. It's been weighing heavily on my mind, and I'm hoping to make some progress today.

As I walk, the image of Ella laughing with Hunter haunted me, causing a knot of jealousy to tighten in my chest. Every time I thought of Ella with someone else, a wave of envy twisted my stomach, making me feel sick.

She was the reason I wasn't locked up in Azkaban right now, suffering from the consequences of my actions. I owed her so much, and I knew that I had never properly thanked her for everything she had done for me. She had even convinced Ominis to spare me, despite my betrayal to our group at the end of our fifth year. But that wasn't the only reason I was grateful for Ella's friendship. She had also been there for me when I needed her the most, telling me the truth about what had happened to my sister Anne after I had treated her poorly.

I cherished our friendship more than anything in the world, but lately, my feelings for her had become something more. Since the first time we duelled, Ella had captured my attention in a way that no one else had. She was the best thing that had ever happened to me since I came to Hogwarts. She had always believed in me, even when I didn't believe in myself, and I was willing to do anything in my power to protect her.

I longed to hold her, comfort her, embrace her. When I embraced her after her duel win with Hunter, I didn't want to let her go. The feeling of her body pressed against mine, the scent of her hair, and the sound of her breathing made me forget everything else for a moment. But as I pulled away, reality came crashing back, and I knew that I had to tell her how I felt before it was too late.

Every time I see Ella, my heart raced with nervousness, I couldn't bear the thought of losing her. My train of thought was interrupted when I can't help but overhear a group of girls giggling and talking about Hunter. I don't understand what all the fuss is about. Sure, he's charming and outgoing, but there's something about him that rubs me the wrong way.

I had been noticing how Hunter kept looking at Ella in the few classes we shared, and it made me uneasy. There was something about Hunter's gaze that seemed possessive and malicious, like he thought he had a claim on Ella. I didn't like it. I shake my head and try to focus on my own thoughts, making my way to the library.

The Library was quiet and still, with the occasional sound of pages turning and quills scratching against paper. The warm, dim lighting cast a cosy atmosphere, but I found myself unable to focus on my studies. Instead, I sat at a small wooden table tucked away in a corner, I tried to focus on reading Curses and Counter-Curses book to give me some insight or information to finding a cure for Anne, but it seemed impossible. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Ella's face.

Just then, the sound of footsteps drew my attention, and I looked up to see Ominis making his way towards me. His wand, held aloft in his hand, cast a soft glow guiding him on where to go.

"Hey, Sebastian," Ominis said, taking a seat next to me. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing much, just catching up on homework. And...... reading trying to find a cure for Anne". Ominis tilted his head, I know he believes it's useless, but I can't give up on my sister.

"Sebastian, you do realise I know you. I can sense when there's something in your mind and it's not only Anne."

I looked up from my book and met Ominis's gaze. Even blind, I still don't get how he had always been good at reading me, and it was no different now. I hesitated, unsure if I wanted to open up about my feelings for Ella. But I knew that Ominis was someone I could trust, someone who would listen without judgment.

"It's just...Ella," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

Ominis moved his way to find a seat in front of me and leaned in, his interest piqued. "What about her?"

I took a deep breath, the words tumbling out before I could second-guess myself. "I think I might have feelings for her. More than just friendship, you know?"

Ominis arched his eyebrows, his expression conveying curiosity without conveying surprise at my confession. It was clear that he had suspected that something was developing between Ella and me, and he couldn't help but smirk. "Sebastian, I've had a sense since our fifth year that you and Ella had grown exceptionally close since the first day you met," he said. " Whenever we talked about you, Ella always seemed anxious, especially when it came to your interest in the dark arts. I also sense the way how both of you were helping each other with more than just finding a cure for Anne."

My face flushed as I heard his words. I had never considered my feelings for Ella in a romantic sense, but as Ominis pointed out, there were signs that I couldn't ignore. "I mean come on, even the time when I was speaking Parseltongue to open the Scriptorium door, don't think I didn't notice there was jealousy in your tone saying you were as I recall 'starting to feel left out'," he chuckled. " I'm finally delighted you're becoming aware of your feelings for her."

As I processed and chuckled at his comment, I realised that he was right. My feelings towards Ella had always been there, but I had never stopped to actually acknowledge them. "Have you told her?" Ominis asked, breaking me out of my thoughts.

"No, I haven't. I don't want to ruin our friendship, you know? And I don't even know if she feels the same way."

"Give it a shot. Even if she doesn't reciprocate your feelings, she'll still cherish your friendship too much to let it get ruined. Plus, I've been hearing rumours about Hunter and Ella. People have been saying he's been spending a lot of time with her, flirting constantly. Knowing Ella, I doubt there's any truth to it, but I wouldn't wait too long to make a move." Ominis said, encouraging me to confess my feelings to Ella.

I sat there, stunned. Rumours about Hunter and Ella? "What rumours?" I asked, my voice shaking slightly. Ominis shrugged. "Like I said it's just rumours."

Ominis leaned forward and finding my shoulder and placed a reassuring hand. Ominis stood up getting ready to leave, "I'm going to grab some food from the Great Hall. Want to come along?"

I declined, telling him I wanted to stay and read for a while longer. As he left, a feeling of unease settled in the pit of my stomach. What if Hunter really did have feelings for Ella? What if she reciprocated them? I tried to push those thoughts to the back of my mind and focus on my reading, distracting myself from the possibility of losing Ella.

Despite my efforts, my mind kept wandering back to her. Finally, I closed my book and stood up, feeling my heart pounding in my chest. It was time to tell Ella how I felt. I headed to the common room, hoping to find her there, but she was nowhere to be seen.

As I waited for her, I settled into one of the armchairs, gazing out towards the Black Lake and trying to read. I couldn't help but wonder how long it would be before Ella arrived.