Invisible String - Sebastian Sallow

Chapter Twenty-Six: Slytherin vs. Gryffindor

An audible groan rolled through the crowd as I screamed in pain. "Malfoy, damn you!" I searched around through the tears for the beater who was supposed to be protecting me and saw him laughing with Arcturus as they shot off down the pitch.

I found myself hoping Sebastian would curse him when this game was done.

As suddenly as they shot off down the pitch, a shrill whistle sounded through the air.

"Slytherin Seeker Nerida Roberts has caught the Golden Snitch! Final score, Slytherin two-hundred and forty points! Gryffindor, sixty!"

The pain in my leg didn't matter anymore. The stadium burst into applause, louder than I had heard yet today, louder than anything I had heard in years.

I waited, trying to smile through the pain in my knee as Imelda raced over to me, slinging her arm around me. "We did it! I could kill Malfoy for abandoning you to that Bludger."

"I wanted to," I grumbled, gripping my knee lightly. Pain seared through my limb, causing a low hiss to escape my lips.

"You won't be able to walk on that thing. Sallow is gonna kill Malfoy," she sighed. "Let's go."

"You'll both have to get in line," I laughed as she guided us down, the swarms of Slytherin and Hufflepuff students already flooding the pitch.

I spotted him first, face pale, freckles standing out sharply, racing towards us as Poppy and Ominis followed, all three continually tripping in their haste.

"You two were amazing!" Poppy shouted eagerly as she approached us.

"Poppy told me you led quite the maneuver there, Abbi," Ominis said, a slight impressed tone to his drawling voice.

"Thanks," I breathed, hissing through my teeth as another wave of pain rolled up my leg. "I- I need to get to the hospital wing-"

Without another word from my lips, Sebastian stepped forward, practically pulling me from Imelda's side and gingerly holding me in his arms.

"Reyes, if you don't deal with Malfoy-"

"It's already done," she cut him off, spotting both Black and Malfoy watching with slightly nervous expressions from a few yards away. "Get her healed, Sallow, and then get down to Hogsmead. We've got a victory party to attend."

To both our surprise, she smiled at him once before turning on her heel and marching angrily over to Ignotis Malfoy and Arcturus Black, yanking them both off the pitch by their hair.

Sebastian turned towards the castle, carrying me in his arms as we went, his face twisted in anger.

"Seb, I'm fine," I said as he pushed open the castle doors, his fingers clutching me tightly.

"He hit it at you," Sebastian said darkly. "I could have killed him."

"It's just my knee, Seb, really, I'm okay," I coaxed, looking away from him. I didn't want to admit how much pain I was really in, and I certainly didn't want him to do something stupid because of my knee.

He shook his head, squeezing me tighter to his chest, and reaching up, pulling one hand away from me and jerking my chin up so I was looking at his intensely dark eyes, he spoke slowly.

"Anyone who hurts you has me to answer to. I'll make sure the next person regrets it."

A shiver ran through me, warm protection wrapping around my body as I stared into his dark eyes. I could see that he meant his words, and I suddenly found myself lost in their dangerously dark pools. He'd meant every word.

I nodded slowly and he pressed on. Climbing the steps two at a time, he rushed through the castle, glancing down at me any time I made a sound of discomfort or groaned in pain.

"Thank you, Seb," I whispered as we climbed the final set of stairs to the hospital wing.

His jaw was set, clenched tightly and I could see him fighting with himself to stay calm. I sighed softly as I leaned into his chest, clutching his robes between my still gloved fingers, grateful to have him. He pushed into the hospital wing, gingerly set me on a bed and placed a kiss to my temple.

"I'll go get you a change of clothes, alright? Stay here once she's finished healing you."

Raising my hand to my forehead, I gave him my best salute. "Aye, aye, Captain," I said, a slight grimace taking over my features as the caretaker shoo'd him away and started to mend my shattered knee.

He smirked at me, winked once and left the room, my mind wandering back to that dangerous and wildly protective look in his eyes.