Vacuity (Sebastian Sallow) | on pause.

Ch 13 | Giving Up

I wasn't often close with Natsai Onai, but we shared many classes together and played Quidditch practice in the sixth year, so she did get a handful of knowledge of my struggles.

My eyes flickered from three tables behind her, watching Sebastian sit there in his seat, numbly, unaware of the lesson Isabel taught him.

I expected someone to mentor Sebastian Sallow if he ever came back. That someone was me, I knew I would drop everything to help him in any way, but the outcomes took a twist, and now I found myself eyeing him get help from the worst person to expect.

I taunted myself with the thought that Sebastian once fancied the Ravenclaw girl. Even if it was only for a second, he fancied her, so with a mindset that I was a monster now and she wasn't in his head — it was sickening to me.

"Y/n?"

I had lost my train of thought glimpsing at the brunette man from two tables ahead in the Great Hall that afternoon.

Sebastian sat awkwardly beside Ominis Gaunt. Imelda Reyes sat across from them babbling something that I wasn't able to hear due to the distance, but Sebastian seemed so uninterested.

I turned, watching Poppy Sweeting beside me, "Sorry?"

Poppy's face wasn't as joyful tonight as regular days. She tried reading me like a book, but I was closing. I was more like a diary now to her.

"Is there something you're not telling me?" Poppy tilted her head, noticing.

I hadn't told Poppy anything. Since Sebastian's arrival, I haven't interacted much with any students, really. It wasn't on purpose, but the situation fogged my mind too much to even speak.

I scratched my nails below me, fidgeting with them as I wanted to curve her answer.

"Not really," I sighed.

Poppy stood silent. She was never silent for this long, so it made me force up my head again to stare at her.

She shuffled in her seat a little, but grew closer, speaking her mind, "You two haven't spoken since he arrived."

Correct.

"And...his arrival yesterday didn't seem to shock you the way I predicted it, Y/n," Poppy pointed out, "You seemed like you expected it."

The fidgeting in my nails stopped and I nodded, not even wanting to hide. Soon enough, the entire school would connect the dots too.

"Because I did, Poppy," I confessed in a low tone, "I've already seen Sebastian a few months back."

"He was released a while back then?"

I looked around hoping the intense conversation wasn't getting the attention of other Hufflepuff students before proceeding.

"Yes," I said, "And...well," I couldn't even open up properly, "It changed him."

Poppy sighed loudly. I never heard a sigh sound so smooth and soft. I also sighed with her.

"Oh, Y/n...I can't be sure about what might've happened between you, but whatever it is," Poppy set her hand over my hand, "I'm here to talk. Not here, in the Great Hall, but, I am here."

Poppy Sweeting was supportive and optimistic. She is always seeing the best in people and lifting them up. I don't think anyone deserved Poppy. Her generosity and compassion was powerful.