In the Shadows - Sebastian Sallow x reader (English)

Chapter 18

On Friday morning I sat with my friends at breakfast and scooped my beloved scrambled eggs into my mouth. Sebastian sat absent-mindedly across from me at the Slytherin table, picking at his food. I had hardly seen him all week. He seemed so focused on his search for Anne that he forgot everything else around him. "Hey, Sallow!" Imelda stood in front of the brunette, fuming, waving a hand in front of his face. She was so loud that I could hear her clearly from ten metres away. "Get your shit together, I need you tomorrow!" The next day was the Slytherin vs. Gryffindor Quidditch match. A few weeks ago, Hufflepuff had beaten Ravenclaw by a score of 170 to 50. So we also had to keep an eye out for the badgers. Having the opposing Keeper so distracted could have played into our hands, but I was worried about my friend. Sebastian answered the black-haired with an annoyed facial expression in a normal volume so that I couldn't understand him. "Y/N, on a scale of one to ten, how badly are we going to screw up Slytherin tomorrow?" Nellie grinned at me from across the table. "Eleven", I laughed back, popping another fork of scrambled eggs into my mouth. Nellie's grin spread even further across her face. "That's what I wanted to hear!"

After breakfast, Potions were on the agenda. Sebastian and Ominis were walking a few yards in front of me as they exited the Great Hall and I sprinted alongside the brunette Slytherin and elbowed him. "Hey, how's it going? Have you been able to find out anything about Anne's whereabouts?" Ominis inconspicuously fell back a bit and Sebastian winced and drew his eyebrows together and clenched his hands into fists. "I'm very close. I can feel it! If only it wasn't for the Quidditch game tomorrow..." Sebastian had deep shadows under his eyes again, which only made them look even darker. He stayed up all night. I smiled at him encouragingly. "Maybe tomorrow's game won't be so bad after all. You could use a distraction. Just clear your head for a moment so you can concentrate again." Sebastian sighed. "Maybe you're right." "Of course I'm right." I stepped in front of him and grinned defiantly at him. "Also, I want to see your face when Gryffindor gets Slytherin to cry like little babies." With a dismissive "Pah", the Slytherin crossed his arms over his chest and returned my grin. "That won't happen, because we're going to make you cry." "You two are driving me crazy!" Ominis cursed next to us and continued on his way to Professor Sharp's classroom. Sebastian and I exchanged mock looks and followed our friend towards the dungeon.

Professor Sharp had prepared the potion of the living dead for this lesson and we were to brew it. I was about to add the juice of a Sopophorous bean to my cauldron when a piece of parchment landed in my place.

I'm looking forward to mopping the floor with you tomorrow.

-S

With a cheeky grin, I looked at Sebastian, who was working in the seat next to me and surreptitiously glanced at me. I inconspicuously stuck my tongue out at him and immediately got a smile, which made my heart beat a little faster. How am I supposed to focus on the potion now? I began stirring the potion counterclockwise when it suddenly turned from dark purple to poison green and black vapour rose. "Holy shit! What's going on now?" I called out, startled. In a split second, Garreth was with me and yanked me to the ground. Not a second too late, because my cauldron exploded in all directions and gave the classroom a new coat of paint. "Are you okay?", the redhead asked on top of me. "Yes. Thanks, Garreth." The Gryffindor stood up and offered his hand to help me up. "No problem. You forgot the valerian roots. That's why your potion blew up in our faces." Just as I was about to take his hand to get up, another, freckled hand reached out to me. Sebastian dripped the green soup from his hair and with his eyes he stabbed Garreth next to him. "Are you okay?", he asked worried. "Yes, everything is fine." I sighed and stood up without accepting either hand. "Class is over!", Professor Sharp exclaimed, annoyed. "Miss Y/LN, one word, if you don't mind!" Shit, shit, shit. The others whispered while gathering their things together and spilt out of the classroom. Head down, I shuffled over to the large desk where my teacher was sitting. "Not so fast, Mr Sallow!" Professor Sharp waved him over as well, and the green brew-soaked Slytherin padded beside me. "Miss Y/LN, I must say that I am deeply disappointed with your performance today. Normally you are an excellent student. But I get the impression that Mr Sallow seems to be distracting you. I have nothing against young love, but if you don't stop flirting in my class, I'll feel compelled to set you apart." Young love? Flirting? Both Sebastian and I turned bright red. "I'll let you off with a reprimand today." With a flick of his wand, Professor Sharp cleaned up the mess my failed potion had left in the classroom and on Sebastian. "But I've got an eye on you both! And now you'd better go wash yourself. You smell like mothballs." We left the classroom, still bright red. "Thanks for the distraction, dumbass." I punched Sebastian in the shoulder and glared at him. The Slytherin looked back at me, but we couldn't keep our straight faces for a long time and started laughing out loud. "Why are you distracted so easily in the first place? Are you afraid that I'll be right?" "Pah! Be careful not to hit your head as you soar, Sallow! At least I don't have any vermouth in my hair." Frantically Sebastian tried to shake the piece of vermouth out of his hair but without success. I giggled and rolled my eyes. "Come here, I'll help you." I carefully fumbled the unruly leaves from his tousled brown hair. Meanwhile, Sebastian put his arms around my waist and grinned mischievously at me. "Maybe I should distract you more often in class if something like this comes up." The blood rushed to my face again. "Shut up, Sallow." When I'd gotten the last of the leaves out of his hair, I pressed them against his chest. "You really stink like mothballs." "We could help each other wash up", he winked at me. Yes, please! "I don't think so! You'll have to settle for your imagination, you perv", I laughed. "And that's after we flirt so much. You break my heart, Y/N." Sebastian clutched his chest dramatically. "Dumbass", I giggled, and continued on my way to the washrooms, shaking my head. "Don't run away from me, mo ghaol!" Sebastian ran after me with outstretched arms and made kissing noises. "You're totally doo-lally!", I laughed over my shoulder and disappeared into the girls' washroom.

The next morning I went early for breakfast. I sat down in my standard seat and happily bit into a piece of toast with jam. "Ready to lose?", teased a familiar voice behind me. I turned and looked at Sebastian with raised eyebrows. "Are you talking to yourself, Sebastian?", I countered, promptly earning laughter from the surrounding Gryffindors. With an arrogant look, Sebastian took the slice of toast from my hand and took a big bite, whereupon I looked at him with a puzzled look. "This is a foretaste of when we snatch the Quidditch Cup from you", the Slytherin teased, taking my toast to his table. Shaking my head and laughing to myself, I made a new slice of toast.

The two teams hurried to finish breakfast in order to get ready for the upcoming game in the dressing rooms and to get changed. Nellie repeated our key tactics. "And don't forget the Falcon Head Attack Formation! Sallow is a damn good Keeper. Maybe that'll intimidate him." The other two hunters nodded. "And Thomas and Cillian! I really hope for you that you don't screw up the Beater-Double-Defense today! Otherwise, you'll get to know me!" The black-haired fourth-year twins looked at each other with wide eyes. "Well then, Gryffindors! It's time to spank those snakes' asses!" The changing room answered in unison with a battle cry and marched through the door proudly and energetically. Just as I was exiting the dressing room, my gaze met Sebastian's and I stopped abruptly. The emerald green Quidditch gear flattered his physique immensely and I couldn't help but study him up and down. He had his brown helmet tucked under his long arm and was looking at me with soft eyes. Since we still had a few minutes before the game kicked off, I walked up to him and tried to keep my expression as cool as possible. "You owe me a toast." "And you still owe me a butterbeer in the Three Broomsticks", the Slytherin grinned mischievously. "Point for you." "One of many today." The laugh that escaped my throat was nastier than I expected. "Dream on, Sallow!" "Y/N! Come on, we've got a game to win!" Nellie waved me over impatiently. Sebastian quickly pulled me into a short hug and planted a kiss on my forehead. "Good luck, M'eudail." Cheeks flushed, we each joined our team and stepped onto the Quidditch pitch where Madame Kogawa was already waiting. The grandstands were packed. On one side the spectators formed a sea of red and gold, on the other side green and silver danced together. The sight was overwhelming and no matter how hard I tried to spot a familiar face or two in the crowd, I couldn't. "Captains, shake hands!" Madame Kogawa shouted. Imelda and Nellie came up to her and shook hands. You could practically see the daggers shooting out of the girls' eyes as they tried to kill each other with their gazes. "Players, to your positions! Get your brooms ready!" My heart started racing and I could hear my pulse in my ears. The black-haired flight instructor released the Snitch and Bludgers and finally threw the Quaffle up. This was the signal we had all been waiting for. All fourteen players pushed off the ground and sped across the field. Sebastian took his position in front of the goal hoops and I tried to locate the tiny golden ball in all the commotion before the opposing seeker could.

Both teams didn't spare anything. The Beaters were relentlessly brutal, tossing the Bludgers around like garden gnomes you're trying desperately to get rid of. The Chasers did everything they could to get the Quaffle in their possession and through the opposing goal hoops. The Keepers used full physical strength to deflect attacks. "Oggspire got the Quaffle", commentated Lucan Brattleby. "She's about to attack, but Sallow has already targeted her. Oggspire dodges and... GOOOOOAAAL! Ten points to Gryffindor!" Half the crowd roared while the other half cried out in disappointment. I couldn't help but laugh and gave Nellie a high five as I passed.

The game went back and forth for a while. It was 70 to 50 for Slytherin. So I had to catch the snitch and win the game. As I flew over my team's goal hoops, I suddenly saw a glimmer of gold at the other end of the field. Leaning forward with all my body weight to get maximum speed out of my broom, I sped toward the Snitch at breakneck speed with the enemy Seeker hanging from my neck. "Y/LN seems to have spotted the Snitch! Wow, what a pace! Hunter is hot on her heels!" Just before Sebastian's gates, the snitch was within reach. I stretched out my arm and leaned forward a little more. Just a little more! "Y/N, watch out!", I heard Sebastian call out. Nice try, Sebastian. I don't get distracted that easily. Not so close to victory. When my fingers were only a few millimetres from embracing the golden snitch, Sebastian raced towards me. "Sallow lunges at Y/LN. Is that going to be a foul?" Too late, dear. The victory is mine! I got hold of the little winged ball. It was only then that I realized a Bludger was heading toward me. Sebastian had meanwhile reached me until... BANG!

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I just wanted to make clear, that I had the Idea before I hit my head :D Thank you