Risk // Sebastian Sallow

Chapter 2: Sunrise

I was actually slightly annoyed now. I had helped him last night when I didn't need to after the cold shoulder he'd given me and I'd seen him in his nightly struggles, yet he couldn't even do as much as pass me a smile let alone say thank you.

My wand made quick work of the spilt tea and I collected the kettle and put it back on the table, deciding to take my toast on the run and eat outside in the gardens to save further embarrassment.

"Oh, hey Olive. I haven't seen you since we came back."

I turned my head to see Garreth Weasley approaching me.

"Hi Garreth. Off on a morning walk?"

"Just returning, actually. It is nice to get the fresh air. You should join me one morning."

I smiled. Garreth and I had always had a funny relationship. I extorted him for money after he made me get him some Fizzing Whizzbees from a secret passage, but he always took it in his stride and I frankly enjoyed the banter. He never held a grudge unlike someone. I was also appreciative that someone was actually approaching me and being nice to me.

"I'd like that, actually." I smiled.

"Really?" Garreth's eyes widened. "Didn't take you for a 'morning walk' type of person."

"I wouldn't know, Garreth. I've never done it. But why not start." I shrugged.

"Well then, I'll come past the dungeons tomorrow morning and show you where I go, you get fantastic sunrise views over the lake."

"Sounds great. Thanks Garreth." I smiled softly at him as he turned in his heels and walked back into the castle.

I smiled softly to myself. Finally someone was being kind to me and it was evident I hadn't pissed off everybody. Just two particularly stubborn Slytherins... well, one particularly stubborn Slytherin. The other one seemed to have turned a corner.

I was incredibly grateful I didn't have any classes with Sebastian today, in fact, we didn't really have many together at all. We'd selected vastly different electives and we only crossed paths in Potions, Defence Against the Dark Arts and Arithmancy. I was actually truly regretting selecting Arithmancy, I picked it because Sebastian told me I'd be good at it and he promised to help me.

I did wonder if I could call him out on that promise...

But these classes didn't run on a Tuesday, so besides the awkward encounter in the Great Hall this morning, I managed to avoid him all day.

I even managed to fall asleep and actually sleep until I woke up before the sun for my morning walk. I silently casted lumos and tried to open my trunk as quietly as I could to avoid stirring my roommates and slipped on tight brown pants and boots and a sweater. I completed the task successfully and got out of my dorm unscathed with all three of the girls sleeping peacefully.

Though, I wasn't going to get away completely with sneaking out. As if he never slept, the brown-haired boy I'd managed to be actively avoiding was sitting awake on the lounge in front of the fire.

I tried my best to be quiet and not draw attention to myself, but my footsteps down the cool, hard stairs could only be muffled so much. I must have startled him while he read quietly to himself because he whipped his head around quickly.

"Merlin, Olive, you scared the shit out of me." He finally spoke, sliding back across the lounge to get a better view of me.

I noticed he was still in his pyjamas.

"Sorry." I mumbled, careful not to get my hopes up too much wishing we would actually have a conversation.

"You're up early." He said, closing his book and placing it on the table in front of him.