Sebastian's POV//
I could feel her trembling under my touch as my hands cupped her face. Her breaths were short and shallow, and she seemed at a loss for words.
I knew what I wanted. I wanted her close to me. I needed to feel her pressed against me.
With all of the confusing thoughts that have been plaguing me since I learned that my memories had been tampered with, I was only sure of one thing.
The more time I spent around this girl, the more that this heart inside my chest was aching for her. Being close to her felt like something familiar and instinctual, and all I wanted to do was claim her as mine.
I knew she had her own thoughts regarding these things as well.
I'd had a conversation with Ominis just before I headed out into the commons. He told me that y/n was my girlfriend, and before that, we were really good friends. He said there was a lot of history, and those things were better left explained by y/n's memories we would view in the pensieve.
She felt like I didn't know her. Which if I was thinking rationally at all, that much was true. But my heart was speaking for me, and it was telling me that I've known this girl for my entire life. She was meant to be mine.
As I cupped her face, I ran my thumb along her bottom lip, tugging at it playfully.
"Will you let me kiss you?" I asked her, rather suddenly. A soft exhale escaped her lips as I pressed my thumb harder against her lips. They were so soft and so perfect, and they were only ever going to be mine. I looked into her eyes, which were clouded with doubt and fear, but I knew that she wanted me just as much as I wanted her just by the way she moved under my touch.
"You can do whatever you want with me," she whispered, her voice barely audible.
I didn't let myself hesitate any longer as I closed the very small gap between us and pressed my lips against hers. My hands instantly found her waist, my fingers digging into her sides to pull her as close to me as I could get her. As I brought her against me, I dropped to my knees and her legs instantly parted to let me close the gap between us entirely.
Her lips parted ever so slightly and I took that as an invitation to explore her mouth with my tongue. Soft little moans found their way from her mouth as our tongues fought for dominance. Y/n tangled her hands in my hair, pressing my lips against hers even harder.
I didn't want to stop, but after a few moments, I pulled away. I looked at the girl in front of me, wanting more. But, at the same time, I knew that I still needed answers. I didn't want to let myself get too caught up in her before I figured out who she really was.
"Can I see another memory?" I asked her. "I have a specific moment I want you to show me."
"Which one?" she asked as she scooted back in the chair and parted her body from mine. She grabbed the paper from behind her back and folded it into her pocket, and I made a mental note to ask about that again later.
"I want to see what happened that night," I replied. "When you took my memories."
She didn't respond for a moment as she thought about my words. As she sat there, I watched her run her tongue over her bottom lip and I physically had to look away, or I might've had to kiss her again.
Merlin's Beard, why does she make me feel this way?
"Very well," she said. "Do you want to go now, or later?"
"Now please."
She sat up from the chair and I stepped back, allowing her to pop up to her feet. I followed her across the common room and up the stairs, and I couldn't help but to admire her backside as she walked up the stairs. I could feel my cheeks getting red, and I tried as hard as I could to not look, but I swear the way she walks, she knows.
"We're going to have to be extra cautious," she whispered, as we reached the common room exit. "Professor Weasley has been keeping an extra close eye on me as of late, and I can't afford to get caught out of bed again."
"Understood," I nodded.
We made our way through the halls and to the defense against the dark arts wing of the castle, and then into the Undercroft. We used the disillusionment charm on our way there, keeping close to the shadows against the walls and staying out of sight of ghosts passing by. We nearly ran into Peeves, and I thought it was over then and there, but we managed to get away before he realized who we were and where we were going.
Once we were in the Undercroft, we relinquished the cloaking charm and let out a breath. I watched y/n as she made her way over to the pensieve. She held her wand up to her temple and closed her eyes, bringing forth a memory strand. I approached her as she let the strand fall into the pensieve below.
She looked at me with an odd expression before asking me if I was ready.
"Yes," I replied, "I need to know what happened."
"Okay, here we go. After you."
I bent down towards the pensieve and as my face reached the pool, we were whisked away and found ourselves at the edge of the Forbidden forest. I watched as memory y/n revealed that I'd been following her. After a short conversation, she told me to stay low and not reveal that she was following me under any circumstances.
While I didn't get to see what events led up to it, they managed to catch me. I watched as they used my presence against her. They threatened her, and to hurt me if she didn't do what she did. I watched as I begged her not to do it.
I looked over to non-memory y/n, who had her back turned to this interaction with her eyes squeezed shut.
After the spell was performed, the forest around us and the people before us turned to smoke and we were back in the Undercroft.
Again, I looked over to y/n. After witnessing that, I knew now why she felt like she had to do it. I still don't agree with it, as I am still reaping the side effects of it having happened, but I understand.
She was in pain now, I could tell that much. Her arms were wrapped around her sides and her breathing was shallow as she turned away from me in an attempt to hide her grief.
I understand now that she might've lost something just as important that night. She lost me, and she was still grieving that loss, and I'd been too blind to see her pain before now.