All My Life// Sebastian Sallow

5- Rumors or Truth

"You alright?" Poppy questioned from my right, brushing her mousy hair from her fragile face.

"Hmmm?" I hummed, slowly meeting her eyes with the fake smile I seemed to have mastered these past few days.

"Well you and Sebastian Sallow seemed to be having a stare off for....well, four days now?" she asked, pointing straight where my eyes were and I refused to follow her finger now. I had a feeling the chocolate eyes were still on my face.

We were in the library for study hall on the last day of classes for the week. Poppy had come to sit by me before either of the boys could so we sat there and compared Transfiguration notes for a while, but not before I kept catching Sebastian's eyes from the table across the room. We hadn't really talked since that night after we saw Anne and the tension between us was at an all time high, waiting to explode. With another visit to Anne approaching, a top was surely going to blow soon.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I whisper innocently, slowly gathering my parchment together and stuffing it messily into my bag.

"Oh please, you two have been brooding for days now. Lovers quarrel?" Grace Pinch-Smedley scoffed from the end of our table and both our heads snapped to hers. She hadn't said more than hello to us since she sat down, but now we had her full attention. She had a smirk on her lips, leaning back in her seat. "You can cut the tension between them with a knife in the common room, Sweeting. Imelda thinks they've broken up," Grace informed Poppy.

Poppy, to her credit, shook her head. "Rumors, that's all it is. They aren't together."

Grace trained her eyes on me instead, quill tapping on the table. "Is it? A rumor that is?"

"Sebastian just has his head too far up his own ass," I shrugged, not caring how loud my voice was. "That's all. No quarrels or lovers."

She chuckled, shaking her head before returning to her work. "Whatever you say, Grey."

"I have Arithmancy next, Poppy. Want to walk with me?" With a smile, she gathered her things quickly before we headed out, nodding a quick farewell to Grace. I felt a pair of eyes burning the back of my neck as we left the library. I didn't spare a glance back. If he wanted to talk, he knew how to reach me. This is on him. Poppy questioned me a few more times on our walk about what was going on between us, but I just brushed it off with some well rehearsed words and a smile. After a bit, she sighed and gave up before parting with me to head to Beasts class.

The rest of the day passed slowly. Arithmancy was just as mind numbing as I remembered it, with Professor Flint continuing to look at me with disdain but this time it was probably because I spent most of the class rubbing my temples to try and ease the ache that never eases. I have been pulled aside three times this week due to my magic being stronger than usual, twice by Professor Weasley and one by Professor Hecate. Today was no different when Professor Ronan pulled me aside when I ended up turning two other students purple as well as the object I was given to practice on during our review of color changing charms. It seems he took Professor Weasley's advice and will be giving me a private space to practice until I hone my magic.

After classes, I had about three hours before I needed to meet Sebastian and Ominis to go visit Anne so I decided a walk around the grounds was exactly what I needed. Honestly, this visit is something they probably should be doing without me. I didn't really know Anne that well, I can count on my hand the times I've spoken to her including earlier in the week. The only reason I have been so caught up in curing her was mainly because of Sebastian and I can't even begin to explain the fire he fuels in my because I don't understand it myself. 

Selfishly, I didn't want to see her because watching her suffer and Sebastian suffer, the magic burning under my skin feeds off of it and threatens to destroy me the more my own emotions become attached to what is happening around me. I was grateful that last visit we had managed to keep it pretty light for Anne's sake, but every time I looked into those dark eyes and saw the devastation in them, it was sending striking pains to my cells. The fight after with him? I puked most of the night in the bathroom stall from the pain and anger that was filling my body. Mainly anger and feeling neglected. Why was everything so complicated with Sallow, why did he constantly get these emotions swirling out of control with just a look?