The Call of the Void (Sebastian Sallow x F!MC)

II: R u m o r s

"Did you hear about Cooper and Weasley?"

"Which Weasley?"

"The older one, with the red hair."

"They all have red hair!"

"Well, then—the taller one! Anyways...Adelaide told Evangeline, who told Samantha..."

Sebastian Sallow is not one to pay attention to gossip.

As enthusiastic as the chattering girls at the Slytherin table are, rumor and hearsay simply do not align with his pursuit of knowledge. No, Sebastian very much prefers facts—the truth. One might argue that gossip is knowledge, the kind that can be used as currency to climb the social ladder. It's certainly how many witches and wizards within the Ministry of Magic earned their power, but Sebastian isn't interested in social politics or participating in the student hierarchy that is as fickle as a Hippogriff.

Instead, Sebastian focuses on his studies. He is by no means a perfect student—and the record number of detentions is proof of that enough—but he is knowledgeable, and always manages to score well on tests and practice O.W.L.s, despite his behavior. He's always been a curious boy, something his parents fostered, and something his uncle chastises. All the more reason to keep his nose in a book, if only to keep his parent's memories alive, and antagonize Uncle Solomon—even if it means sleeping in the storage shed behind their Feldcroft cottage as punishment.

This year, however, Sebastian has even more incentive to hide himself away in the library, and it has nothing to do with getting a head start on next year's N.E.W.T.s. He glances up from the book spread out before him, frowning at the space on the other side of the table where his twin sister Anne should be. No doubt she'd be excitedly gossiping away with Grace-Pinch Smedley and Violet McDowell, but Sebastian wouldn't mind because it would mean she was here and healthy at Hogwarts, instead of cooped up in Feldcroft with Uncle Solomon.

Cursed.

This year, Sebastian is determined to find a cure, regardless of the sacrifices he must make. No matter the cost to his well-being, or how many more detentions with Professor Binns he'll need to endure, he will find a cure for Anne.

It is precisely why instead of paying attention to anything Headmaster Black is saying as he monotonously welcomes students to the opening feast, Sebastian is reading his latest find, a book procured (and definitely not stolen) from Tomes and Scrolls. At least he is trying to read, but it is already difficult enough to translate Latin, harder still when all he can hear is girlish giggling.

He glowers at the pair. "Do you mind?"

"Do you?" Grace scoffs, rolling her eyes. Sebastian supposes she could be considered pretty, if she wasn't such an arrogant snob, all because of her family name. "Only you would bring an old, smelly book to the sorting ceremony, Sallow."

Violet's expression is just as conceited. "Are you sure you don't want to sit with the Ravenclaws instead?"

The two girls look over their shoulders and Sebastian follows their eyelines to the next table over, a proverbial sea of blue. One of the Eagles, Amit Thakkar, notices the group and eagerly waves. Grace and Violet swivel back, not even bothering to stifle their snickering. To his left, there is a soft smirk, and Sebastian turns to see his friend—his best friend—Ominis Gaunt, biting back a grin.

"Et tu, Ominis?"

"They have a point," he replies, tilting his head in a way that signifies he wants to hear what the Headmaster has to say.