In the Shadows - Sebastian Sallow x reader (English)

Chapter 41

The chime of my grandfather clock in the corner announced it was time for dinner. We were so engrossed in our kisses that we didn't realize how late it had already become. With a disappointed sigh, we broke apart and hurried to the bedroom to change into our school uniforms. I fixed my dishevelled hair and glanced at Sebastian, whose hair was sticking up in all directions, which didn't seem to bother him in the slightest way. He leaned against the side of the wardrobe and grinned at me. "What is it?" I asked, confused. Sebastian shrugged in response. "I just like watching my pretty girlfriend try to cover up all traces and overlook the obvious." With a nod, he pointed to my neck. I frowned in surprise and pushed my hair to the side. "What in Merlin's name is that?" I cried when I saw the dark bruise on my neck and pulled my collar down a little. I moved closer to the full-size mirror and took a closer look at the hickey. "Well, when I made it, you liked it," Sebastian tried to defend himself. "I didn't know it would look like this later!" Horrified, I pointed to the hickey. Sebastian pulled out his wand. "Come here, I'll get rid of it." A mischievous smile still graced his lips, and I briefly considered wearing the hickey with dignity. No, absolutely not. Then, you become even more of a target for questions. I turned to Sebastian and stuck out my chin. He gently brushed my hair aside and pointed the tip of his wand at my neck. "Episkey." For a second, a searing pain shot through the bruised spot, and I instinctively reached for my neck. In the mirror, I saw the bruise getting smaller and smaller and finally disappearing completely. Astonished, I turned to Sebastian, who just shrugged casually and put his wand back in his pocket with a wry smile. "Thank you," I murmured, trying not to let on what his smile was doing to me. "Shall we?" he asked, holding out his hand to me. I looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Don't you want to fix the nest on your head?" Sebastian quickly looked in the mirror, and his grin grew even wider. "Oh, that's fine." I rolled my eyes and shook my head. A slight smile crept onto my lips. Such a weirdo. I stood on tiptoe and combed his messy hair with my fingers, trying to tidy it up just a little bit. I looked at my work with satisfaction, and now it was Sebastian who shook his head with a smile. "Now we can go," I grinned and quickly kissed his lips before taking his hand and strolling out of the Room of Requirement with him.

As we reached the final landing of the Grand Staircase, we could see the massive stream of students trotting into the Great Hall. An excited babble of voices filled the air. They probably all had a lot to tell each other. Sebastian and I glanced at each other briefly before we plunged into the crowd and let ourselves be carried away by the flood of students. We didn't let go of each other's hands the whole time. Sebastian stopped just before the massive door and pulled me aside, out of the river of young witches and wizards. "We will have to sit at our house tables soon," he explained. I totally forgot about that. Sebastian carefully placed one hand on my cheek and wrapped his other arm around my waist. I reached out to him impatiently. Our lips met tenderly, and for a short eternity, I only noticed him. The warmth of his body, his scent that completely enveloped me, the feeling of his skin on mine.

Suddenly, Sebastian stumbled against me and inevitably pushed me against the wall. The momentum caused the back of my head to hit the stones, and I saw stars dancing before my eyes. Looking for support, I clawed my fingers into Sebastian's cloak, and he held me against him when he had his balance back so that I didn't fall. "Are you okay?" I heard Sebastian ask as if through a wall. Groggily, I rubbed the back of my head and squinted to clear the stars. "Y-yes," I replied, stuttering. Sebastian looked at me, worried. Gradually, the ringing disappeared from my ears, and I heard the chatter of the other students around us more and more clearly. "Sorry. Some idiot bumped into me," Sebastian explained, stroking my back lovingly. I nodded. "It's okay. It's not your fault. Maybe we should go inside." Only then did I realize that I still had one hand clutched in his cloak, and I smoothed out the material I had crumpled. Sebastian nodded. "I guess we should." He pressed another kiss to my forehead before we rejoined the flood and entered the already-filled Great Hall.