The energy in the castle was tense as the week drew to a close, bringing with it the ever looming Quidditch match of Slytherin versus Gryffindor. Sebastian had offered to focus on our essays on the Cruciatus Curse for me, as Imelda kept bursting in to the library and ripping me from the chairs to drag me to get another last minute practice in.
He did it with a smile, and a knowing wink each time she did this, knowing I'd meet him in the common room late at night to review what he was learning.
I would often find myself waking up on a sofa in the common room, head rested on Sebastian's lap, his hand running through my hair, a small smile tugging his lips, a book held open with the other hand.
"What Dark Arts secret did you find today?" I'd ask, playfully.
He'd smirk down at me, "Oh, a little of this, a little of that. Nothing super helpful in our department though. Unless of course, you count a helpful silencing charm that you can place around any room."
I would blush furiously, he would lean in and breathe in deeply by my ear, brushing a delicate pass of his lips over them.
Given the rigorous schedule of Quidditch practice and secret Dark Arts review sessions every night, I was exhausted by the time Saturday morning rolled around. Sebastian had insisted I sleep in my own bed the previous night, so when I wake shaken awake by Imelda, the green tapestries around my four poster bed pulled back to allow light into my small cave, I was disappointed not to be met with warm brown eyes.
"The whole team is meeting for breakfast in twenty minutes, we need to be the first ones there," Imelda said, dropping the entirety of my Quidditch House Team robes onto my lap.
"I'm up, I'm up," I laughed, seeing the exasperated expression on her face.
"Get dressed! I need to find someone to make sure the boys are awake."
"I'm surprised you aren't just going to burst into their dorm yourself," I said as she walked to the door and I stood up, rubbing sleep from my eyes.
She made a hurry up gesture with her hands and left the room, robes whipping dramatically behind her. I dressed quickly, throwing my robes over myself and lacing up my boots, hair flowing freely for the time being. I was just looking for my gloves when a knock sounded on the door.
"It's open," I called, my head currently under my bed to search for where I'd tossed the gloves.
"You know, you could just summon whatever it is you're looking for," his voice met my ears and I jumped in surprise, head smacking the bottom of my bed.
"Ouch!" I grumbled, clambering out from under my bed, standing up straight and whirling around to meet his eyes.
Sebastian Sallow was leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, a soft smirk plastered across his lips. He was dressed in his usual dark robes, a pop of a Slytherin House knit sweater just barely showing underneath.
"Sebastian! I- I have to hurry, or Imelda is going to kill me for being late-"
"I ran into her in the hall, she told me I better not keep you. But I do have something I want to do."
"Oh? What's that?" I said, still searching my room for my infernal gloves. He stepped into the room, pushing himself off of the wall and walked over to me, pulling a small box from deep in his robes.
"It's two fold, really. This is the first," he held the package out to me. It was a thin package, wrapped in brown parchment paper, a small green ribbon tied into a tiny bow. "Open it."
"Seb, I- what-"
He laughed a little before shoving the package into my hands. Blushing furiously, I did as he said, opening the package. Inside the small box, was a pair of brand new emerald green gloves. I snapped my eyes up to him, searching his face. He was grinning rather smugly, like he knew what I had been searching for and he would be the knight in shining armor.
Gingerly pulling them from the package, I looked them over. Emerald green, with black grips on the knuckles and palms, they were simple enough Quidditch gloves. It was upon looking closer at the cuff of each glove, I noticed a small line of silver embroidery.
For luck S.S.
Next to his initials, a small serpent was circling a four leaf clover.
I blinked at the gloves, a smile spreading over my lips as I took them in. Who cared if he'd stolen my gloves? He'd replaced them with the only pair I would ever want to wear in a game again.
"You don't really need luck. I've been watching you fly. But I just thought-"
"They're beautiful," I said, cutting him off. His face was split into a wide grin now, clearly happy he had given me something that I liked. "Thank you, Sebastian."
He held his arm out to me, and I gratefully took it, looping my arm through his. "The second item on my morning agenda, is to walk you to your breakfast."
I allowed him to steer us, my hands clutching my gloves tightly as we walked through the common room, a few heads turning to look at the pair of us. I looked up at Sebastian, laughing lightly at the smug look on his face. We climbed the stone stairs, exiting the common room and making our way in comfortable silence up to the Great Hall. A murmur of voices met our ears, excitement filling each voice as they talked about the upcoming match at eleven o'clock.
I spotted Imelda halfway up the table, her hair pulled into it tight ponytail, her robes perfectly pressed, her expression stony. She was focused, and I knew she wouldn't calm down again until the game was won. Sebastian marched us right over to her and gave her a tight smile.
"Your co-captain has made it on time, Reyes," he said, his voice light, but not quite his usual tone. I was reminded instantly about how little he genuinely cared for Imelda- he neither hated nor liked her very much. He was simply indifferent, and had to tolerate her kidnappings of me in the name of a sport he generally disliked.
"Thank you, Sallow," she clipped back to him. Apparently, the feeling was mutual.
The voices of the rest of our team trickled up the hall, and I saw them all as I turned my head to look. Arcturus Black was leading the team, his shoulders tall, a swagger to his step I couldn't help but roll my eyes at. Sebastian's arm tensed around mine, his eyes flashing darkly as the fellow Slytherin approached.
"It's fine, Seb. Where's Ominis?" I hoped the mention of his best friend would calm him.
"He's collecting Poppy."
I blinked in surprise, noting that this was unusual behavior on the part of Ominis Gaunt. He never collected anyone except Sebastian. I'd be sure to ask Poppy about that interesting interaction later.
I squeezed his arm and moved to sit next to Imelda. Sebastian didn't seem to want to let go as the rest of the team started to fill in seats around us, but obliged nonetheless. I looked up at him and right when I did so, he lowered himself to be level with me and pressed his lips firmly on my forehead.
I distinctly heard Imelda and Nerida giggle behind me. I blushed.
"Kick Weasley's ass for me, alright?"
And then he was gone, walking down the table and throwing himself out of the doors to the hall, fists clenched, and a smug expression on his face.
"You and Sallow, then?" Arcturus Black's voice drew my attention back to the table. His eyes were roaming over me, his expression a mix of anger and curiosity.
"I don't see how that matters the slightest when we have a game to win. Eat," Imelda barked at him. I smiled at her as he ducked his head, missing her wink.
~
It was the fastest I had ever flown in my life, ducking and dodging as Bludgers were hit at me left right and center, shooting the Quaffle through the rings at the end of the field, the screaming of students a hundred feet below me ringing through the air.
"It's all tied up! Sixty points for Slytherin; sixty points for Gryffindor!" I heard the commentator, a sixth year Gryffindor student I didn't know, call over the field. "Crane has the Quaffle, and seems to be calling out a play to her teammates."
He was right, I wanted now to be the moment we secured a lead. Nerida was swooping through the pitch, on her hunt for the Golden Snitch and the game had been too close for my liking. Imelda caught my eye and nodded from across the pitch, and within seconds, my teammates were closing ranks on me as I shot across the pitch towards Garreth Weasley. Malfoy and Black flanked behind me, Malfoy just barely managing to keep two well aimed Bludgers from making contact with me.
"Oi! Mind your club, Malfoy!" Imelda shouted from behind me as we rocketed across the field.
"I am!" He shouted, displacing another Bludger from Gryffindor beater Eric Potter, a bespectacled boy with rather messy black hair.
Rolling my eyes, I glanced at the Quaffle in my gloved hand, smiling at the silver embroidered message on them.
For luck S. Sallow
"Mind the distance to the hoops!" I shouted, heart racing as I rocketed across the field, getting within range. Turning my head I saw Imelda and Flint had fallen in right on queue, closing in tighter and I knew it was time to make my move.
A burst of speed, shouts from the crowd below, and a startled look on Garreth Weasley's face as Imelda shot out from the tail end of our moving serpent formation was all the fuel I needed to push forward and rocket the Quaffle through the middle of the three hoops.
"Ten points to Slytherin!" The crowd below shouted as I rounded the goal posts, watching Arcturus catch my throw, the other Gryffindor chasers circling trying to get in close enough to take the Quaffle right out from under us.
Arcturus managed to get the ball right back into Imelda's hands and she launched it through the shortest hoop, right past Garreth's left ear, his freckled face whipping up to me where I had caught Imelda's throw and immediately rocketed around to throw it back to him as Imelda shot off down the field, Flint in hot pursuit to continue to safeguard her from any Bludgers.
"Another ten points! Slytherin leads eighty to sixty!" The crowd roared in delight. "And what's this? The Slytherin Seeker Nerida Roberts appears to have spotted the Snitch!"
Arcturus whipped his head over to me, concentration lost. I could have murdered him right there.
"Throw it, you idiot!" I shouted as I blocked two Gryffindor Keepers from him. He blinked and turned towards to goal post, released the Quaffle aiming at the tallest of the hoops, Garreth shooting across to meet it-
It went through, Katie Wood, seventh year Gryffindor chaser on the other side to catch it.
Thirty point lead secured.
I smirked, wheeling over to take off down the pitch and guard our own turf, when I was met face to face with a Bludger.
"Shit!" I bellowed, pulling up hard on the handle of my broom, climbing even higher. The Bludger followed in its violent pursuit, and I wasn't fast enough. I felt the ball make contact with my knee- a roaring pain searing through my leg as a very loud crunch ripped through the air.
An audible groan rolled through the crowd as I screamed in pain. "Malfoy, damn you!" I searched around through the tears for the beater who was supposed to be protecting me and saw him laughing with Arcturus as they shot off down the pitch.
I found myself hoping Sebastian would curse him when this game was done.
As suddenly as they shot off down the pitch, a shrill whistle sounded through the air.
"Slytherin Seeker Nerida Roberts has caught the Golden Snitch! Final score, Slytherin two-hundred and forty points! Gryffindor, sixty!"
The pain in my leg didn't matter anymore. The stadium burst into applause, louder than I had heard yet today, louder than anything I had heard in years.
I waited, trying to smile through the pain in my knee as Imelda raced over to me, slinging her arm around me. "We did it! I could kill Malfoy for abandoning you to that Bludger."
"I wanted to," I grumbled, gripping my knee lightly. Pain seared through my limb, causing a low hiss to escape my lips.
"You won't be able to walk on that thing. Sallow is gonna kill Malfoy," she sighed. "Let's go."
"You'll both have to get in line," I laughed as she guided us down, the swarms of Slytherin and Hufflepuff students already flooding the pitch.
I spotted him first, face pale, freckles standing out sharply, racing towards us as Poppy and Ominis followed, all three continually tripping in their haste.
"You two were amazing!" Poppy shouted eagerly as she approached us.
"Poppy told me you led quite the maneuver there, Abbi," Ominis said, a slight impressed tone to his drawling voice.
"Thanks," I breathed, hissing through my teeth as another wave of pain rolled up my leg. "I- I need to get to the hospital wing-"
Without another word from my lips, Sebastian stepped forward, practically pulling me from Imelda's side and gingerly holding me in his arms.
"Reyes, if you don't deal with Malfoy-"
"It's already done," she cut him off, spotting both Black and Malfoy watching with slightly nervous expressions from a few yards away. "Get her healed, Sallow, and then get down to Hogsmead. We've got a victory party to attend."
To both our surprise, she smiled at him once before turning on her heel and marching angrily over to Ignotis Malfoy and Arcturus Black, yanking them both off the pitch by their hair.
Sebastian turned towards the castle, carrying me in his arms as we went, his face twisted in anger.
"Seb, I'm fine," I said as he pushed open the castle doors, his fingers clutching me tightly.
"He hit it at you," Sebastian said darkly. "I could have killed him."
"It's just my knee, Seb, really, I'm okay," I coaxed, looking away from him. I didn't want to admit how much pain I was really in, and I certainly didn't want him to do something stupid because of my knee.
He shook his head, squeezing me tighter to his chest, and reaching up, pulling one hand away from me and jerking my chin up so I was looking at his intensely dark eyes, he spoke slowly.
"Anyone who hurts you has me to answer to. I'll make sure the next person regrets it."
A shiver ran through me, warm protection wrapping around my body as I stared into his dark eyes. I could see that he meant his words, and I suddenly found myself lost in their dangerously dark pools. He'd meant every word.
I nodded slowly and he pressed on. Climbing the steps two at a time, he rushed through the castle, glancing down at me any time I made a sound of discomfort or groaned in pain.
"Thank you, Seb," I whispered as we climbed the final set of stairs to the hospital wing.
His jaw was set, clenched tightly and I could see him fighting with himself to stay calm. I sighed softly as I leaned into his chest, clutching his robes between my still gloved fingers, grateful to have him. He pushed into the hospital wing, gingerly set me on a bed and placed a kiss to my temple.
"I'll go get you a change of clothes, alright? Stay here once she's finished healing you."
Raising my hand to my forehead, I gave him my best salute. "Aye, aye, Captain," I said, a slight grimace taking over my features as the caretaker shoo'd him away and started to mend my shattered knee.
He smirked at me, winked once and left the room, my mind wandering back to that dangerous and wildly protective look in his eyes.