"Hey," Sebastian said sitting down next to me and almost causing me to spill my tea on my newspaper as he sat down abruptly to get himself some breakfast.
"Jesus, Sebastian. You scared the shit out of me!" I said, clutching my heaving chest.
"Sorry. Thought you might like to know that Nellie has been let down as gently as possible." He said, taking a plate and serving himself food.
"You what?" I asked, a little shocked as I had firstly forgotten he'd actually kissed her and secondly hadn't asked him to do that.
"I've caught her giving me fuck-me eyes all week. So I ended it this morning when I passed her in the halls and she tried to ask me out."
I cringed a little, knowing what was going to be asked of me next.
"How did she take it?" I asked.
"Eh, better than I expected but not well. She may have punched me in the chest and screamed at me for leading her on."
"She punched you!?"
"She's not the first girl to do it. I recall you having had a similar reaction to me at some point. Anyway, I let her do it then apologised and left."
I took another bite of my toast praying he'd forget I was still technically with Garreth...
"I was hoping we could go out on Friday night if you like?" He finally asked me.
"Yes! Please! Here I was thinking you'd never ask me on a second date. I thought I'd done something wrong."
"I just needed some time to plan. But, I do have one request," he said, "I'm going to need you to end things with Weasley. For real this time."
Ah, there it was. I knew in my gut it was coming, but I was hoping it wouldn't.
"Sebastian..."
"I don't want to force you to do anything, Olive. But I'm putting a lot on the line and I'm seriously stepping out of my comfort zone here. The least you can do is show me your heart is in it... I don't want to be a second option."
I fully understood why Sebastian was asking me to do it. I would feel awful if he was dating someone else while he was with me... but I was terrified and I'd let it drag on so long I just knew I'd be breaking Garreth's heart.
"Alright. I will do it." I sighed.
"Thanks. Before Saturday though. Or I'll make it a fourth date rule." He smirked.
Like hell he would!
"Fine, I'll do it today... or tomorrow..."
"Olive, I'm serious! I need to know you're really in this and I don't really fancy you snogging him on the side. Unless you'd prefer him." He said, his voice sounding slightly strained.
"Absolutely not! I will always choose you. It's just... going to be difficult. I think he genuinely likes me..."
"Good. And when that's done, there's nothing that can stop me from kissing you right here at the table." He whispered, leaning in slightly closer and sliding his hand up my thigh, giving it a squeeze.
"Sebastian! Knock it off!"
He smirked as he pulled away and drew his attention back to his food.
I managed to catch Garreth alone in the hallways after lunch. It needed to be now or I would never do it.
"Garreth?"
"Olive! Hey! How are you? I haven't seen you in a while, is everything alright?" He said as he pulled me into a tight hug I sort of reciprocated.
"Y-yeah, I'm fine. Uh. I wanted to talk to you."
His face changed and he nodded, letting me pull him off to the side, away from the crowds of students.
"Are you alright, Olive?" He asked, his eyes looking at me softly.
"I... oh god, I don't know how to say it..."
I could feel my heart damn near beating out of my chest as my brain struggled to find the words to put this nicely.
"You're going to tell me we can't be together."
My eyes moved from the floor up to meet Garreth's and he had a sympathetic look on his face.
"It's alright. I think I've known it's been coming for a while." Garreth smiled softly at me.
"What?"
"Grace Pinch-Smedley has been telling people you and Sebastian have been a thing for a while. Apparently saw you both snogging in the common room late one night. I didn't want to believe it but I think deep down I always knew she was right."
I felt my stomach drop as I realised perhaps Sebastian and I weren't as discreet as I thought we were. And that not one person had the decency to tell me Grace was spreading rumours around about us.
"Garreth, I'm so sorry... I never meant to hurt you, I... didn't mean for any of this to happen." I said, my voice laced with the guilt I felt knowing he knew I was stringing him along.
"It's fine, Olive. Truly. I had a great time with you but I think I always knew your heart wasn't in it. But I would love to still be your friend. It's been nice having someone to walk with."
I released the air I was holding in my lungs, a sense of relief washing over me, though my soul still held onto the guilty feeling.
"You're not mad at me?"
"Not at all! Navigating feelings can be hard but I'm glad you were able to figure it out."
"Thank you, Garreth. I truly am sorry."
"Don't mention it," he said, pulling me into his arms and enveloping me in a comforting hug before bidding my farewell with the promise to invite me on another morning walk soon.
Later that evening, I found Sebastian sitting by the fireplace in the common room, engrossed in a book. Not surprising. I approached him and sat down, almost sitting directly on his lap I was so close.
"Hey," I said softly.
He looked up from his book and smiled at me. "Hey. Everything okay?"
"Yes, everything's fine," I replied. "I just wanted to tell you that I did it. I ended things with Garreth."
Sebastian's eyes brightened with a mix of relief and happiness. "You did? That's great, Olive. Thank you. How did he take it?"
"Actually... really well. Too well. There is something you should know."
He raised a curious brow and turned to face me, his forearm resting on the back of the lounge.
"Apparently he knew it was coming. Grace Pinch-Smedley saw us that night when we were sat here snogging. She's been telling people."
"That bitch! That's why she sat with me at Quidditch!" Sebastian exclaimed.
"What? You hate Quidditch?"
"Yes, usually but I went to the game to see you. And she just sat next to me which I thought was so random. But now it makes sense. She was spying on me! I suppose it probably ruined her theory when you were kissing Garreth on the pitch..."
"Well, Grace Pinch-Smedley isn't anything we need to worry about. So what if she spreads rumours? It's not a rumour if it's correct..." I said, dragging my finger along the side seam of his pants.
"I suppose not." He said with a small smile, squirming a little as my fingers caressed his outer thigh, "What are you doing?"
"Distracting you. You don't need to worry about her. Let her watch."
My hand wandered higher up his thigh until I had reached his waistband, I untucked his shirt at the side and moved my hand underneath, squeezing and caressing his hip.
"Olive, I told you. Date three." He whispered as he fidgeted.
I groaned loudly, "Ugh, fine."
I sunk back into the lounge and let him continue his reading until I decided to take myself back to bed, looking around to make sure we weren't seen before giving him a very quick and light kiss goodnight.
Friday evening finally came around after days of class and exchanging nothing more than flirty glances with Sebastian. We finished classes early with Arithmancy being our last class of the day. Sebastian walked me back to the common room and told me that something comfortable would be suitable for the date, but wouldn't give me anymore hints as to what he'd planned or where we were going.
Imelda was aware of what I was doing and helped me pick one of my simple baby blue dresses, quite similar in style to the dress I'd borrowed from her the other day.
"Sure it's comfortable... but did he mean comfortable as in pyjamas or something?" I said, having a crisis in front of the mirror.
"Oh for Merlin's sake, Olive. You stress too much. I'm sure he won't be expecting you to go on a date in your night wear..." Imelda rolled her eyes at me.
"You're right. This will do." I said, trying to press a few wrinkles out of the bottom of the dress with my hands.
"Good, now get out of here before you change your mind." Imelda said, pushing me out of the bathroom and almost knocking me down the stairs.
Sebastian was standing at the bottom waiting for me, and snorted back a laugh as he watched Imelda forcefully walk me down the stairs.
"Thanks, Reyes. I think I can take it from here." Sebastian laughed, grabbing a hold of my arm.
"Behave, Sallow!" Imelda left as her parting words before heading back up the stairs to our dorm.
"What on Earth possessed you to adopt her as your best friend?" Sebastian asked me as he led me out of the common room.
"Hm. Funny, she said something similar about you. It seems you two have a bit more in common than you think." I replied.
He visibly shuddered and explained his distaste for Imelda way too in depth for me.
"Alright! I get it!" I said loudly, putting a hand up in his face to get him to stop.
Sebastian led me deeper into the castle, which confused me greatly. Being a Friday night, people usually left the castle, not stayed and explored it.
"Where is this date?" I questioned as he linked our hands together the quieter the castle became.
"You'll know it when you see it."
I furrowed my brows but trusted Sebastian. He stopped in the hallway just before the Astronomy tower. The familiar door of the Room of Requirement appeared and he turned to me with a wide grin on his face.
"The room?" I asked, watching the curves of the door appear with a gentle rumble.
Sebastian didn't answer me and simply pushed the door open, pulling me inside with him.
The room looked vastly different to the times I had been in it. It was neither my large and expansive room filled with desks, books and vivariums, nor was it the empty room with a closet Sebastian had stumbled upon. This was something Sebastian had intentionally created.
My eyes wandered across the room, noticing how cozy and comfortable it looked. It felt like a small cottage home. A lit fireplace stood in the corner, surrounded by comfy lounges and a mountain of cushions and blankets. There was a small kitchen to one side, the shelves full of ingredients. And right in the middle, there was a curtain pulled to one side that revealed a dimly lit bedroom with a large bed adorned with enough pillows for every student in the damn castle.
"How did you get all the food?" I asked.
Sebastian laughed, "That's what you notice?"
"Yes, well... you know as well as I the room can't provide you with food." I said plainly.
"That I do. That's why I lugged it all up here myself this morning. Had to do some sneaking around the kitchens."
"Sebastian!"
"Don't worry, I did get caught but an explanation of what I was doing for the beautiful girl I was given the pleasure of taking on a date got me out of it and they let me take as much as I wanted."
I felt my cheeks flush and go hot, hearing him talking out loud about us was increasing my body temperature to uncomfortable levels.
"Anyway, let's not talk about how I got it and talk about why I got it." Sebastian said, taking my hand and walking me over to the small kitchen.
He began to pull items off the shelf and place them in front of me on the counter before throwing wood into the oven to heat it up.
"I thought we could try our hand at baking. Specifically your favourite baked good. I've made them before, though I wasn't very good."
"Scones? You're going to have us make scones? My favourite baked treat in the whole wide world and us two amateurs are making them?" I smirked.
"Well, when you put it like that, it sounds a bit dumb"
"I'm joking. I'm excited!" I giggled, feeling my heart swell with affection for Sebastian.
He pulled a handwritten recipe out of his pocket and laid it out for us to review before we began. For a student so bright and skilled in Arithmancy, he fucking sucked with the measurements. He piled the flour too high and decided to free pour the tiny amount of salt required. I could see it was too much, but he was adamant he had it right, so I kept my mouth shut, he'd figure it out later when he ate them.
I started to roll out the dough he'd made when he approached me from behind, his large hands wrapping around my waist, his chin resting on my shoulder.
"You know," he murmured into my ear, "baking with you is even better than I imagined."
"Oh, really?" I teased, playfully pressing my back against his chest. "Do you often imagine baking with girls?"
"No, just you," he replied with a smile.
I couldn't help but smile back as I leaned back into his embrace, letting his hands hold mine as he rolled out the dough.
"Okay, now we cut them into shapes," Sebastian said, his body leaving mine to go and pick up a heart-shaped cookie cutter.
I couldn't help but chuckle. "Really? Hearts? Are you trying to send me a message?"
He smirked mischievously. "Maybe I am."
He returned to his previous position of standing behind me and pulling my waist into his, insisting I needed help to get through the dough. I could feel our bodies growing warmer from the effort of rolling and cutting, combined with the heat from the fire beside us.
Sebastian pried us apart again to place the wonky shapes into the oven and undid a few buttons on his shirt to cool down before taking a seat on the lounge.
Fucking gorgeous...
"Come sit while we wait," he said, waving me over.
I obliged and sat next to him, but he wasn't satisfied. He moved an arm around my waist and tugged me in closer so my head was planted firmly against his chest. His fingers began to run through my long hair as he dipped his head to rest his chin on my own head.
He exhaled deeply and I felt his nose bury deeper into my head. I almost felt myself falling asleep from the rhythm of his heart beat against my ear and the soothing touch of his fingers on my hair and neck.
"We must stay awake lest we want to burn the castle down," He laughed as my body did a jolt, a sign that I actually was falling asleep.
"Hmm..." I mumbled into his chest.
I was glad one of us was alert as he gently slid me off him to go and collect the scones from the oven.
"How do they look?" I called out from the lounge I was now laying down on, unable to move from my sleepy state.
"Well, they're golden and look done... but they're less heart shaped and more like a fat arse." He said, scratching his head as he laid them down on the counter to cool.
I laughed deeply and watched as Sebastian located the cream and jam he'd collected from the kitchen. He arranged the scones on a plate and brought them over to the lounge, where I was still comfortably sprawled out. He settled down beside me, lifting my legs and laying them on top of his own. He insisted I stay where I was and prepared us both a scone with the fresh cream and jam, handing me one. They were still hot.
"Wait, we'll try them together on three, yeah?" He asked, his hand grabbing my wrist to stop me from taking a bite.
"Alright," I agreed, snatching my hand back.
He counted us in and on three the two of us took a large bite.
They were... disgusting.
"Oh, what the fuck..." Sebastian mumbled with a touch of disappointment in his voice, his mouth full of the bite he probably wished was smaller.
"I told you about the salt!" I said through laughter, forcing myself to sit up and swallow the bite.
"I didn't know it was that important!"
I couldn't help but laugh as I saw the expression of regret on Sebastian's face. His attempt might not have turned out perfectly, but it didn't matter to me. It was the thought and effort that counted, and I appreciated the gesture wholeheartedly.
"Lesson learned," Sebastian chuckled, throwing the scone across the room. "Well, at least the cream and jam are good."
"That they are." I said, taking a blob of the cream from my scone and scooping it into my mouth.
Sebastian's face twisted to a devilish grin and I furrowed my brows, not knowing what he was thinking but knowing it wasn't good. He shifted closer to me, pushing one of my legs off the lounge so he could squeeze between them. He took the scone from my hand and threw it across the room too, landing it in a similar fashion to his.
He peered down at his hands and looked at the jam and cream over his fingers, then brought his eyes back to mine. He took his fingers and popped them into his own mouth one by one, licking them clean.
"They're really good." He whispered..
As Sebastian's face drew nearer, my heart skipped a beat, and my cheeks flushed, more than they already were. His mischievous grin only added to the thrill of the moment. I could feel the warmth of his breath on my lips until he finally pressed our mouths together. The taste of the sweet jam lingered on his lips and I parted my own, inviting him in.
His hands moved to cup my face, gently squeezing my cheeks as he pushed my body backwards until my back was hard against the arm of the lounge.
The fire in the room seemed to intensify as our kiss deepened, and I felt a surge of desire coursing through my veins. I wrapped my arms around Sebastian's neck, pulling him closer to me, unable to get enough of his touch.
He moved his hands down from my cheeks, trailing his fingers lightly along my neck and collarbone, sending shivers of pleasure down my spine. Our bodies pressed against each other, and I could feel the heat of his skin through his shirt.
Sebastian's lips left mine for a moment, his mouth following the trail his fingers had left placing soft kisses along my jawline and down to my neck. Each touch ignited a spark within me, and I let out a soft moan, unable to contain the pleasure he was giving me.
His hands explored my body, gently and with care, leaving a trail of warmth wherever they touched. As he moved his lips back up to mine, he let out a small groan as he bucked his hips forward slightly.
"Wait," I said, pushing my hands on his chest to pry us apart.
"Are you alright?" He asked, a flash of confusion on his face.
"What about your third date rule?" I asked.
"Fuck the third date rule," He said with a breathy exhale, trying to press his mouth against mine again.
"Uh, nope. I'm going to hold you to your word," I said, flashing him a cheeky grin.
"What? You can't be serious..."
"I'm deadly serious. You'll have to wait, Sallow."
Sebastian let out a groan of frustration, but he couldn't help but smile at my determination. He tossed his head back, though the desire in his eyes was still evident.
"You drive me crazy, you know that?" he said.
I laughed softly, "Well, you started it with your 'third date rule' and all. Besides, a little anticipation can make things even better, don't you think?"
Sebastian sighed, running a hand through his hair, clearly struggling to control his impulses. "I'm sure it will. It's just hard to resist when you're so incredibly gorgeous."
I laughed and stood up, collecting the scones he'd lovingly tossed on the floor and discarding the rest of our incredibly salty baked goods.
"Should we head back?" I asked, now the kitchen was clean.
"I suppose, Ominis will probably wonder where I am." Sebastian sighed.
"Did you not tell him?" I asked as he took my hand in his own and led me out of the room.
"Nope, why would I? So he can bully me about it and tell me to get off his back about Anne? I don't think so."
I let out a small chuckle as we made our way back to the common room.
"Thank you for tonight. I actually had so much fun." I said, letting my head rest upon his arm as we walked.
He let go of my hand and wrapped his arm around my shoulder, tucking me in close, "Me too. I'm sorry I fucked up the scones."
"Don't be sorry," I replied, leaning into his warm embrace. "It definitely made for a memorable experience. It's certainly not a date I'll forget any time soon."
He laughed and led me to the bottom of the stairs to the girls dormitories, knowing he couldn't come up.
"One more date," He said, planting a kiss on my forehead.
"Yes, Sebastian. One more date." I laughed and rolled my eyes at him, knowing he was kicking himself for his stupid rule he created.
"Goodnight, Olive."
"Goodnight, Sebastian."
He leaned forward and kissed me on the mouth, not even caring who saw. I sunk into the kiss, my own reservations melting away.
"Get some sleep. I'm going to take you out tomorrow." He said, prying our mouths apart.
He turned away and left without another word, leaving my legs wobbly and my breathing hitched.
Tomorrow. Third date tomorrow...