Invisible String - A Sebastian Sallow Story

Chapter IV

In the following weeks since their visit to Feldcroft, Sebastian found himself always lingering next to her when he could. Sure she still had Ranrok and the keepers to deal with, occasionally joining Natsi or Poppy out of the castle for endeavors to take down the goblins or criminals, but he was there when she was free. Moments to and from class he found himself walking along side her, tucking her school supplies and in under one arm while the other was stretched out towards her. Despite still continuing their playful banter, he would find himself rushing ahead to hold doors, pulling out chairs for her to sit or offering his robe when she got cold. A flirty gentleman some would say.

The attention had not gone unnoticed by those around him either. Their house mates and friends obviously were quick to notice, as they saw more of the pair in places like the common room cuddled up next to the fire or at dinner when he'd offer the last roll to her. Poppy had clocked her crush on Sebastian quite early, as in one of their magical beasts class she caught the Slytherin girl staring longingly at the boy who was cuddling up next to a niffler.

Even some of the professors had noticed not just the pair, but the shift in the resident trouble maker as well. While he had always used a strong sense of manors around adults, they slowly started to notice the lack of finding him in precarious situations. Madam Scribner slowly started leaving the Restricted Section of the Library with its normal enchanted lock, and now no longer finding it tampered with in the mornings. Professor Sharp saw the way the boy was always quick to grab her often heavy advanced potions books and supplies, treating them with such care. One comment from professor Garlick almost sent her into a coma as the sweet herbology professor noted that it was "such a lovely thing to see young love blossoming at Hogwarts", encouraging Sebastian to feel free to select any of the flowers he wished from her muggle section of the greenhouses. While he groaned at the embarrassment he still took her up on the offer anyway, often slipping them behind her ear from time to time.

After Ominis walked in on Sebastian and her laying in the undercroft one night sharing sweet words and stolen pecks, she decided she ought to show him the room of requirement. Deek had sworn to not tell professor Weasley of Sebastian's presence as she had done so much for him and the magic creatures around hogwarts. Deek himself thought the calming nature that Sebastian brought the often stressed young girl to be a lovely thing. She truly did need to stop trying to carry the weight of the world on her shoulders.

Sebastian had slowly realized as time went on that they could possibly save Anne with her ancient powers so his trips to the restricted section became less and less frequent. He slipped into an almost normalcy with her, in the most proper and respectable of ways. Something the mischievous boy would never have seen coming months before if you asked him. However, she had reigned him in much like she had the wild magical creatures she kept in the vivarium.

Sebastian had grown to love nothing more than sneaking off with her to the secret room after dinner and laying in the grass of her vivarium as she stroked his still growing brown locks. While he was still unsure quite how they worked, given his slowly growing tan, he would assume they acted as a port key of sorts, bringing them to a place almost always warm and sunny. The sunlight that brought him a slightly darker complexion was bringing out more of the freckles that she loved so dearly, as well as turning some of his brown tresses into a color similar to honey. She couldn't help but love what the sunlight brought out in the young man.

Today they had migrated inside the back rooms of her private area, laying on a sectional she conjured months before. Her magic abilities in the brief amount of time she had known of them still impressed him. She set a book they had found in one of Isadoras's workshops on the arm rest of the chair reading over the notes. He laid his head in the almost permanently claimed spot of her lap, soaking up the now normal affection of her petting his hair.