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spaceyaceface · 11 months

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Snow, Scarves, and Schemes

Sebastian Sallow x f!Reader (unspecified Hogwarts House)

Word Count: 14.8k (oops)

Content Warnings: Slight angst

Summary: Y/N is sick of Leander Prewett trying to court her. Luckily, she has a best friend named Sebastian Sallow who would love to help put an end to it. They devise a plan to pretend to court up until the Yule Ball. Should be simple, right? If only.

Or, the classic friends to lovers, idiots in love, fake dating scenario.

Also available on AO3

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Y/N paced back and forth nervously in the Undercroft. This was a stupid idea. Utterly rubbish. She considered going back to her common room, but knew it was already too late–she’d sent him an owl, after all. A bloody owl with a bloody note asking for help and to meet her in the Undercroft. She couldn’t flee now; he’d just track her down and badger her about later.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when the door to the Undercroft opened with the boy she was waiting for waltzing through. He’d shot up in height the summer after their fifth year—he now nearly had to duck coming in the doorway. He’d been a twig for a brief moment after his growth spurt (a fact that Y/N had taken to her advantage and teased him with) but he had quickly filled out in the months that followed. Now, Sebastian Sallow stood tall and broad before her, the changes from the last two years evident to her eyes. It made her feel a little intimidated. Not that Sebastian himself was intimidating—she knew him too well to ever fear him. And he knew her well enough that she wouldn’t put up with any of his nonsense. The last two years of friendship had made them very close—of everyone in Hogwarts, Sebastian was easily the person she trusted the most, despite some of the difficulties throughout their time together. He’d really come far in proving himself redeemed—the fact that Anne now spoke to him attesting to his progress. It was her trust in him that led to this moment now.

“I got your owl, what’s happened?” He’d seen her nervous only a handful of times before. For the most part, Y/N was a girl who didn’t let things get to her—she made a habit of running headfirst into danger, thinking of the consequences only in passing. So, the way she was wringing her hands was most unusual. “You said you needed help, are the poachers back around Hogwarts?”

She shook her head quickly, finally meeting her eyes. “No, nothing like that. It’s just—oh this is stupid, I shouldn’t have sent that owl—”

“Too late,” Sebastian teased. “I know something’s afoot, I won’t rest until I find out what it is.”

“I know, I know!” She sighed. “You can’t laugh, alright?”

A signature smirk settled on his face. “No promises.”

She groaned. “Look, you know Leander Prewett, right?”

The events leading up to Y/N’s hastily scribbled note came back full force. Leander had followed her from her Herbology class down to Potions. Most of the time, Y/N had Sebastian and Ominis by her side, and could quickly dismiss the arrogant Gryffindor. But today, Sebastian had ‘accidently’ spilled a bag of dung all over Garreth Weasley’s feet, and Professor Garlick had insisted Sebastian stay behind to clean it up. Poor Ominis, guilty only by association, had been roped in as well. So Leander had taken his chance and walked out of the classroom with Y/N.

Because their conversations were usually cut off by Y/N running off to Sebastian and Ominis, Leander would typically ask how she was, make some snide remark about a Slytherin, and then ask her out. Sometimes she answered with a simple “No, thank you,” sometimes she made excuses of how busy she was, and sometimes, when she was really at her wit’s end, she’d pretend she hadn’t heard the question before claiming she saw Ominis’s blond hair up ahead and running off. But today she couldn’t find a reason to run.

And so, Leander strode up to her in the hall. “How are you, Y/N?”

“Just fine, thank you,” she stated simply, not even meeting eyes with the red-headed boy.

“Pretty low of Sallow to dump that dung all over. Typical Slytherin. Serves him right to have to clean it all up.”

She didn’t give him a reply this time, electing to roll her eyes instead. The whole Slytherin-Gryffindor rivalry had always seemed pointless and melodramatic to her, though she had to admit she disliked it coming from Leander a lot more than hearing it from Sebastian or Ominis.

“What would you say to a trip to the Three Broomsticks with me this weekend, eh? My treat, of course. Could make a date of it.”

She let out a sigh. “I’d say no thank you, Leander.”

He scowled a bit. It was no secret to the majority of the students in their year that Leander had been chasing after Y/N for some time now. Ever since she became the “hero of Hogwarts” (a title she loathed to be remembered by), he’d had his eye on her. She had always felt it was less than actual attraction and more of a claim to fame that had him on her tail. But he was persistent.

“Why won’t you let me take you out, Y/N? We could end up enjoying ourselves, you know. I pride myself in being good company.”

“Because I don’t want to , Leander.” She was growing exasperated with him quickly.

“Want to? Or don’t think you can?” Leander frowned at her. “I know your friends with Sallow, and if I’d hazard a guess, I’d say he’s trying to poison you against me.”

She stopped walking, aghast. “I’d say it’s yourself who led to any ill-feelings I have toward you.”

“Then why not give a chance at settling some of those ill-feelings?”

Her fists clenched at her sides, and before she knew what she was saying, the words came tumbling out of her mouth—the words she almost immediately grew to regret.

And now in the present, Sebastian's eyes narrowed. “That prat? What about him?”

Y/N couldn’t help but chuckle a bit at his sour reaction. “Well, it’s to do with him. You see, he keeps asking me out—”

“You’re not planning on saying yes, are you?” he asked, an edge to his voice. Ah, that Slytherin-Gryffindor rivalry.

“Of course not! Like you said, he’s a prat. A prat who won’t take no for an answer. Well, at least he wouldn’t, until I told him was already seeing someone…” She bit her lip, looking away from him.

Sebastian’s eyebrows raised. “You’re seeing someone? That’s news to him and me both, though I thought as your best friend I’d be a bit more entitled to that information.”

“That’s the whole problem, Sebastian! I’m not seeing anyone. I just needed a way to get him off my back, and now he’s suspicious, it was obvious he didn’t believe me—”

She was interrupted by a laugh. Sebastian was holding his arms over his stomach, nearly bent in half with the laughter shaking his body.

“You said you wouldn’t laugh!”

“I said no such thing.” He stood up straight again, still chuckling. “So, you need someone to pretend to be courting you, is that it?”

She blushed deeply, covering her face with her hands. “Yes, Sebastian. That’s what I need help with.”

“Well, I’m honored.” He grinned ear to ear. “What made you choose me over Ominis, if I may ask?”

“For one, most everyone has heard he’s courting Anne now, which would add some tension if he was supposedly courting both of us—”

“Ah, right,” Sebastian conceded. Ominis and Anne’s developing relationship was rather new, one that had completely blindsided Sebastian (which was ridiculous in Y/N’s opinion, she could see it from a mile away. The protective twin had simply been in denial), though he had approved nonetheless.

“And secondly, to be quite frank, Prewett… has a stronger distaste for you than for Ominis. I figured it would throw him off his game a bit more.”

“Strategic. I like it.” He clapped his hands together. “So, when do we start?”

Y/N brightened. “You’ll help me then?”

“Of course. You’re my best friend, Y/N, I’m happy to keep a slimy chap like Prewett off your back any day.”

She launched herself forward, tackling Sebastian in a hug. “Oh, thank you! You’re bloody brilliant, you know that?”

He gave a sly smile. “‘Course I do, though it’s nice to be reminded of it now and again.”

The two sat side by side, snacking on some of the nicked food they’d stored in the Undercroft. After practicing spells for a bit, they had gotten hungry and decided to take a break. Y/N broke a roll she was holding in half, setting one part into Sebastian’s outstretched hand. It was an unspoken system between them—always sharing what they ate.

“So,” Sebastian said between bites. “We should probably discuss the details of our arrangement, shouldn’t we?”

She glared at him. “You want some sort of payment for it?”

He put his hands up in surrender. “Not at all. I’m doing this out of the kindness of my heart. And seeing Prewett’s humiliated face.” He smiled at the chuckle this brought out of her. “I meant things like how long we plan to ‘court’, or how we want to go about… displaying it.”

She nodded, thinking. “Well, the Yule Ball is coming up. I think it’s part of why he’s upping his game.”

He hummed in agreement. “That’s in what, three weeks, is it?”

“Precisely. I figured we could court until a few days before the ball, then ‘break it off’. That way, you could ask whoever you wanted to be your date, and I could attend with Ominis as he helps me through my devastating heartbreak, like the true friend he is.”

Sebastian chuckled. “Sensible. Speaking of Ominis, you know we’re going to have to tell him we’re faking it, don’t you?”

“Oh, absolutely. He wouldn’t believe it otherwise. He’d call it out for what it was, and it’d all crumble before it started!”

Sebastian laughed. “He’s a decent liar. And he hates Prewett too, he won’t have any qualms with it.”

A chuckle made its way past her lips as she pressed another bit of food into Sebastian’s hand. “Now, as far as the ‘displaying it’ nonsense goes…”

Sebastian nodded solemnly. “This will be the most difficult part. I’ll have to tolerate your company, won’t I?”

The shove she gave him nearly tipped him over.

“Come on now! You know I’m joking!”

She rolled her eyes. “It’s me that tolerates you , we both know that. We’ll have to do a bit more than tolerate, anyway. I don’t imagine it’ll be too much, though. Perhaps holding hands, and occasional loving embrace, that sort of thing.”

“So I’m not getting a proper snog out of you is what I’m hearing?”

This time, the shove did tip him over. “You’re nothing but an overconfident rake, Sebastian Sallow!” Even as she said it, she smiled down at him.

“I’m not, and you know it. I’m a right and proper gentleman.”

“Right and proper gentlemen don’t talk about snogging in front of young ladies.”

“You’re my best friend, Y/N, you hardly count as a lady.”

There was a slight twinge of pain in her chest as he said those words. Since when did she not count as a lady? Sure, she preferred trousers to skirts and dresses, but they were simply more practical. She could out duel any witch or wizard who stood against her, but she liked to think she kept some amount of poise while doing so. And she thought herself quite respectable, at least until she got talking to Sebastian… perhaps he had a bit of a point. Most ladies would be aghast at arranging a fake-courting situation, and talking so plainly while doing so, but it was Sebastian . He felt more of an extension of herself at times than a boy she had met just over two years ago.

Y/N was in the middle of rolling her eyes when another voice joined the conversation. “What was that about snogging? Do the two of you need a moment alone?”

She grinned at the sight of Ominis walking toward them, his wand outstretched. “Oh, thank God you’re here Ominis. I don’t know if I could have spent another moment in the hell that is Sebastian’s company.”

“If that’s really how you feel, Y/N, our plan is doomed to fail,” Sebastian said, gathering more of their nicked food to share with the new addition.

“Plan? What trouble are you trying to get me into now?” Ominis asked as he sat on the floor beside them. Sebastian pressed an apple tart into his hand.

“Oh, nothing horrible, unless you think giving Prewett a heart attack is indecent,” Sebastian said.

“As… un-fond of Prewett I am, I still need to know what’s happening before I let anything proceed. What is it?”

Y/N sighed. “Well, Ominis, as someone who shares similar sentiments about Prewett, I… needed a way to get him to stop asking to take me out. I stupidly told him I was seeing someone, and Sebastian has graciously decided to step in and be that someone. Pretend to be that someone, I guess I should say.”

Ominis frowned. “And you need my help in what way?”

“Not in any way, really. Just go with it. Confirm it if people ask. Spread rumors when possible,” Sebastian said.

Ominis thought hard. Y/N could practically see the gears turning in his head, calculating every which way things could backfire. After a few moments, he seemed to come to the conclusion that nothing could go too terribly wrong. “All right. Whatever keeps Prewett at bay.”

Y/N threw an arm around him, startling him a bit. “Thank you, Ominis.”

He chuckled. “Anything for you. Now, if only I had someone to place bets with on how long the pair of you last.”

Ominis and Sebastian walked side by side back to the Slytherin common room. Y/N had departed a while before them, needing to catch up on a bit of her homework.

“Seems like an interesting plan the two of you have conceived,” Ominis said.

“Interesting indeed. Though I do have to say, it was pretty much Y/N who conceived it,” Sebastian replied easily.

“It’ll be… fascinating to see the two of you pretend to be a couple.” Ominis sounded thoughtful.

Sebastian frowned. “What do you mean by that?”

“Well, if I’m honest, there’s been times I thought the two of you might have something between you.” Ominis tilted his head to face Sebastian a little bit more. “Never certain of it, though. Should I have been certain of it?”

His frown deepened. “Are you trying to say that one of us has feelings for the other?”

Ominis shrugged. “More or less. Any truth to that?”

Sebastian found himself thinking about the thought of that. Truth be told, he hadn’t done much of it before. He enjoyed spending time with Y/N, of course. It was always fun to throw her off by saying something unexpected. What was more was how well she did the same thing back. It kept him on his toes, always letting him expect the unexpected. She was talented, too, of course. He’d never forget that first duel they had, nor the ones they fought side by side in afterwards. She was an incredible witch. Beautiful, too, though that was common knowledge among most of the students in their year. It was just a fact. A statement. Y/N was beautiful, talented, funny, and exciting. Sebastian knew all of these things–-that didn’t mean he liked her, did it?

He realized there had been a bit too much of a pause after Ominis’s question. He quickly spat out the conclusion he had drawn to. “No, Ominis. She’s my best friend, right beside you. I haven’t felt that way, and I seriously doubt she’d ever feel that way towards me. Purely platonic.”

Ominis nodded, seeming like he expected as much. “Figured. Was just curious if this whole arrangement would bring anything out of the two of you. Perhaps it’s for the best—if the two of you really did start courting, I have a feeling the very walls of Hogwarts would have their days numbered.”

“Are you saying we’d be an awful couple?”

“Awful, or perfect together. I don’t think the castle would stand a chance at your mayhem in either case.”

Sebastian chuckled before changing the subject. What he had told Ominis had been true… hadn’t it? She was his best friend. They were nothing more, never had been, and never would be.

So why was he so glad Ominis couldn’t see how flushed he’d gotten at the thought?

Y/N picked at her breakfast the next morning—she’d only eaten a couple bites of her tart before setting it back on her plate, moving her eggs around instead. She imagined this is what it felt like for those on the Quidditch teams before a match. It was only by sheer luck that none of her friends around her seemed to notice her unease; perhaps they figured she got a bad night of sleep or something. They talked animatedly to one another. Y/N tried to listen, but found herself distracted with constant glances at the door.

It was very usual for Sebastian to be late to breakfast—or at times to miss it entirely. With all his late night mischief, he tended to sleep in as much as possible before coming down at the last minute to grab some leftover pastry and rush off to class. She started to wonder if he would show at all before they had to start heading to Defense Against the Dark Arts.

As if the thought had brought him into existence, Sebastian Sallow strode through the doors of the Great Hall, Ominis trailing behind. He glanced quickly around the room before his eyes landed on Y/N, a smile appearing on his face as he walked over.

Seeing him let something settle in Y/N’s stomach. What was she so worried about? Of course he would show up for her. He always had, hadn’t he?

Sebastian arrived at Y/N’s table and didn’t hesitate to reach over her, grabbing an apple off her plate. “Lovely morning, isn’t it?”

Y/N scoffed. “Have you even looked outside yet? It’s a blizzard out there. I’m only grateful we don’t have to walk to Herbology in this mess.”

He shrugged. “Just because it’s snowing doesn’t mean it’s not lovely.”

A chuckle escaped her lips. “I suppose.”

He held out a hand to her, a prompting to head to class. “Come on then. Best we start our way over.”

The gesture wasn’t unusual coming from him, so she dedn’t hesitate to take his hand and stand. However, instead of letting their hands slide apart, his grip tightened as he laced his fingers between hers.

She turned away from him quickly, heading straight for the door. With their hands interlocked, he had no choice but to follow. She hoped she had turned quickly enough to keep him from seeing the blush that had crept up her cheeks. He had done that so… naturally. It stirred something inside her. She figured it was just her being impressed with his acting skills, and God knows Sebastian’s ego was already big enough—no need to let him know her astonishment of his actions to boost it further.

Once she felt she had collected herself enough, she turned her head to face him. “Did you finish your essay yet?”

He frowned. “What essay?”

“The one Professor Sharp assigned us in Veritaserum. Figured you’d find the topic interesting.”

His eyes lit up a bit. “Ah, yes, that one. Haven’t even started it, actually. Though I’m not nervous—I’d say the both of us know plenty to fill eleven inches of parchment.” He winked down at her, eliciting a smile on her lips. He was right about that. There was a period of time in their sixth year where Sebastian became determined to brew as many restricted potions as he could get the ingredients for. Veritaserum had been included in these, and the batch had resulted in an interesting night with Sebastian, Ominis, and Y/N spilling secret opinions on their classmates. “Perhaps we should brew another batch. I have a feeling Ominis isn’t telling me all the details of his letters with Anne.”

Y/N laughed and bumped shoulders with him, their interlocked hands keeping them both balanced. “Don’t torture your best friend for details about love letters, with you sister, no less.”

“Exactly! She’s my sister, I have a right to know!”

“I have the distinct feeling you wouldn’t want to know all the mushy things they write to each other.”

He rolls his eyes, but any annoyance comes across as ingenuine with the grin plastered on his face. “I’m not going to admit it, but maybe you’re right.” He leads them into the classroom, walking to the desk where Ominis already sat. Sebastian pulled out Y/N’s chair, allowing her to sit before taking his own beside her. A nice touch, she thought. Very in character.

Ominis chuckled to Y/N’s side. “The rumors have already begun. I overheard Poppy whispering about the two of you holding hands to someone, now that she’s got ahold of it, it’ll spread fast.”

Y/N grinned, meeting eyes with Sebastian beside her to see the smirk that had settled on his face. He stretched his arm above him, letting it settle on Y/N’s chair behind her. This was all too simple

The rest of the day continued on much the same. Sebastian was quick to hold her hand between classes, and with that the whispers around them became increasingly pronounced. It seemed too easy, really—Y/N supposed her close friendship to the boy leading up to this gave them some credibility as a believable pair.

By dinner, she couldn’t help but notice Leander Prewett positively fuming at the sight of them. He glared past all the tables, seemingly unable to tear his gaze away from Sebastian as he helped load food onto Y/N’s plate. She had to stifle a laugh.

“God, would you look at the awful sight of him?” she said, pulling her plate in front of her. “He’s livid.”

Sebastian smiled mischievously. “It’s beautiful to behold, really.”

Ominis frowned. “Well don’t leave me out of it.”

“Oh, you’re not missing much,” Sebastian replied, finishing up with his own plate and getting ready to dive into the meal. “Just Prewett tried to curse me with his glare alone. I suppose I should be grateful he never took to nonverbal spells.”

It wasn’t long until Imelda came over to the trio, Poppy and Natty trailing close behind her. Y/N held back a wince. Besides the two boys sat on either side of her, these three were her best friends. It was inevitable that they would confront her—especially with Imelda being, well, Imelda.

Her arms were crossed over her chest, a determined look in her eye. Natty stood off to one side, looking fairly unconcerned. Poppy, on the other hand, seemed nearly fearful.

“So,” Imelda said, looking between Y/N and Sebastian. “There have been rumors.”

Y/N raised an eyebrow. “About me? Pray tell.”

“About the two of you. ” She gave a tilt of her head to indicate Sebastian.

“I’m right here, you know,” he said.

“So am I,” Ominis interjected. “Though go on treating me like a broken broom, if you’d like.”

Y/N held back a laugh, trying to remain serious. Imelda rolled her eyes. “Just tell us if it’s true or not. Are the two of you… courting?”

Y/N shot a quick glance at Sebastian. The slight up-ticks in the corners of his mouth were all the reassurance she needed. “That we are. I’m surprised it took you all the entire day to ask me about it.”

Poppy let herself smile a bit behind Imelda. Funny, Y/N thought. She looked pretty happy about the development.

“We were surprised we weren’t the first to know,” Natty said.

“Well, to be fair, it’s a very new thing.”

“Long time coming, though,” Ominis mumbled.

Imelda’s suspicious eyes softened. “Well, alright. We just wanted to… confirm it, I suppose. It all seems a bit out of the blue, to be fair.”

Y/N shrugged, thinking fast. “These sort of things almost always are, aren’t they?”

“Not usually,” Poppy piped up.

“Well, this one was. In any case, I promise I’ll tell you all the whole story soon enough.”

“You better, L/N, or I’ll knock you off your broom,” Imelda said, smiling.

Y/N grinned back. “If you can catch me, that is.”

Imelda chuckled, waving a quick goodbye and leaving. Natty followed, but Poppy lingered for a moment. “She means well, you know. And for the record, I think the two of you complement each other.” After that, she scurried away.

Y/N turned back to Sebastian. Was his face a bit red? No, couldn’t be… though she admitted that last comment from Poppy had thrown her off a bit. “Well, the cat’s out of the bag.”

Sebastian smiled. “That it is. Seems like you have a story to come up with, too. I only ask you don’t make me too pathetic.”

Y/N groaned. “Bloody hell.”

When the next morning rolled around, Y/N somehow wasn’t surprised to see Sebastian standing at the entrance to the Great Hall. It seemed that his dedication to ‘courting’ her had trumped his need for a little more extra sleep. As she walked toward him, she watched his eyes scan the throng of students rushing back and forth. Something stirred in her stomach as she saw how intently he looked through everyone—the fact that his eyes were searching for none other than her.

How wonderful to have a friend who looked forward to seeing her that much.

Finally, his eyes landed on her. He… lit up, for the lack of a better term. A smile settled onto his face, and he pushed off of the wall he’d been leaning on, standing straighter. It was only a moment later he met her by her side.

“Morning, darling,” he said, as if he’d been waiting since the day before to say it.

That silly feeling in her stomach flared up again. “Good morning. I see the weather hasn’t gotten you down.”

His grin widened. “Down? You’re joking me, you know I love the snow.”

That much is true. She’d been teasing him all winter for that very fact; he’d looked like a child when Mr. Moon had started putting out the Christmas decorations—that elation only grew as the first flakes of snow settled on the castle grounds.

“It’s beautiful, Y/N, I seriously can’t see how you dislike it,” he says, taking her hand and leading her to the table.

“I don’t dislike it, it’s just… cold,” she replied. It was an honest answer. She’d always appreciated the snow from the distance; it was quite lovely to see Hogwarts and the surrounding hamlets covered in a blanket of snow. However, she wasn’t a fan of the chill–-it greatly limited her ability to go out and explore.

Sebastian sat down beside her. “Well then, I’ll take it as my responsibility as your companion to keep you warm.”

She wished she had something witty to reply back with. Instead, a blush fought its way to her face and she frowned. “You… yes. Do that, then.” She cleared her throat, looking around. “Where’s Ominis at?”

“Common room. He’ll be down shortly, he was just sending another letter to Anne before coming.”

She nodded. “We have Herbology today.”

“That we do.” He chuckled. “Merlin, am I excited to see Prewett’s face up close.”

“I hope it’s not too close. I wouldn’t put it past him if he were to try to duel you.”

“I almost hope he does,” Sebastian said, pulling some of the food off of Y/N’s plate. She slapped his hand away, but it was already too late. “I’d love to hex him onto his arse again.”

She shot him a warning glare. “Don’t you go starting anything. Ominis would kill us both if he had to pull his strings.”

He puts his hands up in a surrender. “Any spells I cast will be in self-defense only. I promise you that.”

It’s not long after that Ominis joins them, and then they were off to class. Once again, Sebastian’s hand found Y/N’s. There was still that slight pull in her stomach, a trace of unease in his fingertips. Normal things, she was sure, to have when holding hands with your best friend.

When they arrived in Herbology, the trio set themselves up at a table. The rest of the students came piling in and Y/N distinctly ignored the piercing gaze of Leander Prewett. She felt it on the back of her neck as class began and Professor Garlick gave instructions. It lingered as Sebastian pulled the pot they would be sharing onto the table, not giving her the chance to do it herself. And as the three of them spread soil into the pot, it bore into her still, not letting up for even a moment.

She felt she was about to combust from the heat of it when she noticed Sebastian’s grin beside her. Of course he was enjoying the whole thing—she’d have been a fool to think he’d feel any differently. She lightly slaped his arm with her gloved hand.

His eyebrows raised, not even phased by the ‘attack’, if one could consider it that. “And what was that for?”

“You’re enjoying yourself entirely too much .”

“Really? I was about to step it up a notch, I feel I’m not enjoying the moment to its fullest.”

And obviously, she couldn’t help but laugh at that. She always seemed to have a weakness for his quick remarks. His grin stretched further, if possible.

“Now, my dear, allow me to gather some seeds.” His face became terribly serious. “Don’t fret, I’ll only be gone a moment.”

She wanted to roll her eyes as he left, but instead, another chuckle made its way through her. Ominis let out a sigh. “And I thought he was insufferable before the two of you started this nonsense.”

The class carried on and Y/N found herself baffled again and again by Sebastian’s antics. First he insisted on not letting her leave the table for anything, running back and forth in the classroom to gather supplies. (Ominis didn’t complain about this aspect; he was completely content letting him weave through the tables like a mad-man.) Then he pulled the bag of soil away from her. When she tried to reason with him, he rattled on about how no lovely lady like her should get her hands dirty, to which she reminded him of all of the many, many times she’d proved herself most unlady-like in that sense. He didn’t relent. And finally, when class was over, he stood faster than a blink, offering his hand to help her up—to which, she rolled her eyes and took. It wasn’t this that surprised her—no, helping her up wasn’t extreme. It wasn’t something she would have even found outside of their friendship on a normal day. What caught her off guard was the bow he bent into as she stood, and the lips that pressed lightly, so very lightly , on the back of her hand. Her eyes widened.

He really was insistent on milking every last ounce of Prewett’s agony, wasn’t he?

In the bustle of students getting up and heading to the door, she doubted that many, if any at all, had seen this supposed display of affection. Even so, a tingle shot throughout her, settling right onto her warm cheeks. It was nerves, she reasoned. She was nervous about being caught in the scandal of one such as Sebastian Sallow being so physically affectionate toward her.

But as a figure stormed out of class, she realized the action had not gone completely unnoticed—as was the intention, she was sure. Leander Prewett strode past them, ears redder than the accents on his robes.

She’d have slapped the self-satisfied smirk off of Sebastian’s face if it didn’t look so bloody good on him. You know, in a completely platonic way.

Obviously.

They walked to Potions, and Y/N couldn’t help but notice that Ominis seemed in an awfully good mood, too. “I’m assuming the tantrum-like stomping I heard leaving the class was Prewett?”

“Tantrum-like,” Sebastian echoed. “A fitting way to describe him.”

“The two of you are awful, you know that?” Y/N said. She couldn’t help but be quite pleased with the outcome as well, though.

“‘Course we know that,” Sebastian replied.

Ominis grinned. “We’re not in Slytherin for nothing. Though to be a little fair to Prewett, I myself was getting a bit nauseous in there listening to the two of you. I only kept it together knowing it’s an over-the-top ruse.”

Sebastian scoffed. “Over-the-top. Not in the slightest, my dear Ominis. You just don’t know the first thing about romance.”

Y/N made no comment, though she was fairly certain Sebastian didn’t know much more about romance, either… He was doing a decent job at pretending to know, though.

They were fast approaching the classroom, and she winced to see Leander standing in the corridor leading up to class, arms folded and leaning against the wall in a sulk. His eyes shot up when he heard their footsteps, and he glared daggers directly at Sebastian. As they approached, he stood straighter, glancing between the three of them. She could see the nerves hidden behind his eyes.

“Could I talk to you, Y/N?” His eyes narrowed at Sebastian coldly. “ Privately?”

Sebastian tensed beside her. She was well aware of his protective streak. It was as deeply rooted in him as his charm, immovable as the freckles on his face. It was a part of her dear friend she both admired and grew tiresome of. But she was (almost) always good at talking him down, wasn’t she?

She tightened her grip on his hand. This time, it was a gesture of reassurance, not any sort of display for Leander–-though it could easily be taken as such. She looked up at him. “Go ahead into class. I’ll be right there, alright?”

He took a deep breath. It shuddered a bit on the way out. After a moment, he nodded. “Alright. But if it takes more than a few minutes, I’m coming back for you.”

He let go of her hand, and she found herself missing the comfort of the contact as he and Ominis continued down the corridor. She now faced Leander alone. “What is it you wanted to speak about?”

The red-head’s frown deepened. “It… seems,” he started, speaking as if each word physically pained him. “That you and Sallow are… involved. ”

About as much as she had been expecting. “And how is that your business?”

He gaped at her, as if she dare question his involvement in her affairs. “Because I thought you were a sensible person, Y/N. I still think you are, you’re just lost in this… nonsense.”

A small flame flickered somewhere in her chest. “Nonsense, you say?”

“Alright. It’s more than nonsense. It’s complete and utter rubbish. You’re blinded by Sallow, his false charm and party tricks.” Leanders fist clenched at his side, voice growing louder. “You’re better than this. Better than him. ”

Her jaw tightened. The flicker grew, sending heat down her arms and legs. “You’ll stop talking now, if you know what’s good for you.”

“No, Y/N. It’s I who knows what’s good for you. And what isn’t good for you is that conniving, sorry prick with no life ahead of him. He’s in detention every night. He’s ambitious for nothing but trouble, bound for nothing but a penniless life and an early grave.”

She hadn’t realized she’d pulled her wand out until it was aimed squarely at the Gryffindor’s chest. A raging fire burned inside of her, aching, needing to burst in a wave of fury. She had never felt anything like it.

It surprised her how steady the words were when she spoke them, how in control she was of the fire. “You are a fraction of the man Sebastian Sallow is. You know nothing of who he is, how it’s me who is undeserving of him . I would happily live a thousand penniless lives by his side before I ever even considered wasting a mere moment with you. So I’d suggest doing the greatest kindness you have the ability to provide, and piss off.”

Leander Prewett was stunned speechless. He stared at the girl–-no, the beast stood in front of him, at the wand poised to end him, and in the wisest decision he’d ever make, fled.

Y/N stood in the hall, just breathing for a moment. How dare he—how dare he even suggest he knew a single thing about her Sebastian? He saw only what he chose to, only what his jealousy allowed him. He was wrong.

It was a minute or two before she walked toward the classroom, still half-blind in her anger. It was this blindness that kept her from seeing the figure using a poor disillusionment charm, just a few steps down the hall.

Sebastian slipped into the classroom just after Y/N, charm dispelling as he entered the door. He saw Ominis’s head face toward them, and he’s sure he can feel the anger rolling off of her in waves. It was so tangible that there was no need for sight in sensing it.

She plopped into her usual seat next to Natty, not noticing how Sebastian sat after her at his own desk, even when he had been given very specific instructions to go on ahead of her.

As for his part in the incident, he was stunned .

He didn’t think he’d ever taken a Stupefy that had affected him as much as this.

While Ominis had continued down to the classroom, Sebastian had cast a disillusionment charm over himself and hid against the wall. He was very aware that this was likely an invasion of privacy, and that Ominis was right in scoffing and rolling his eyes at the action, but he was Sebastian Sallow, for Salazar’s sake. How could he resist listening in to a conversation bound to be about him, especially when the circumstances for eavesdropping were so simple?

(There was also the fact that something could go wrong. And if it did, he couldn’t leave the girl he was supposed to be courting to fend off Prewett on her own, as capable as she was.)

He’d heard every word leave Prewett’s mouth. He’d been ready to jump out and defend his honor when Y/N had done so for him.

And what a bang-up job she’d done, hadn’t she?

The words still echoed in his head. A thousand lifetimes… the ridiculous claim that she didn’t deserve him. He couldn’t wrap his head around any of it.

Ominis leaned over to whisper, pulling Sebastian out of his head and into the reality of Sharp’s droning about their assignment. “Seems like the conversation went swimmingly. Is she mad at you for butting in?”

“I didn’t butt in,” Sebastian whispered back. “She handled herself just fine.”

“It is Y/N we’re talking about, we’ve both known she’s completely capable for years now,” Ominis said. He frowned. “She’s still angry, though, isn’t she?”

“Oh she’s fuming. ” It was true. Natsai was looking quizzically at her friend, concerned at her stiff posture and clenched jaw.

“What is it she’s mad about?”

“She—” He found himself not wanting to say it. Not wanting Ominis to read into the things she had said, make them into something they weren’t.

He didn’t want to allow himself to read into it, either.

“Prewett was being a pratt. Said he knew her better, tried to convince her he knew better than she did. She told him to piss off. ”

That was enough of the truth, wasn’t it?

Ominis seemed to think so, giving a low hum. “Serves him right.”

Y/N didn’t calm down, even when the instructions were over and she and Natty went to gather the ingredients for their potions. Sebastian kept an eye on her, watching her chop ginger with much more force than was necessary. It doesn’t look like she told Natty anything–-the poor Gryffindor looked at her friend, completely at a loss. Blimey, he might’ve thought he was looking in a mirror. Sebastian decided he better do something about the situation.

He abandoned his meager start to the assignment and strided over to Y/N’s table, approaching her from behind. “I do believe the textbook says to cut the ginger into even slices, not to mutilate it.”

She gave a small start, turning to face him. He sees just a bit of the fury drop off her shoulders as they meet eyes. She let out a sigh, looking down at the ginger and wincing. “I’ve made a mess of it, haven’t I?”

“I bit, if I have to admit it.”

She groaned. “I’m sorry, he’s just… it was infuriating.”

“Don’t apologize to me, apologize to your poor ginger. Let’s put it out of its misery, shall we?” He pulled out his wand, vanishing the sorry mess on her table before summoning the untouched ingredient he’d left on his desk. He set it down, smiling at her. “There. A fresh start.”

“Thank you.” He can tell by the look in her eyes that it’s more than just the ginger she’s talking about

“No, thank you.” As if it had a mind of its own, his hand found hers, giving it a light squeeze. “I quite hope he takes your advice and pisses off for the foreseeable future.”

Her mouth dropped open, but before she could say a word, he winked and walked back to his table.

The next few days went off without a hitch. Y/N and Sebastian played the part of the ideal courting couple, and none were the wiser. With each passing day, it became easier to hold hands, to lean in close and share conspiring whispers, to flirt and blush and play pretend.

(Curiously, the strange feeling in her stomach didn’t stop, as natural as these things became. Always nervous someone would see through it, she supposed.)

The rumors that had once been the very exciting topic of meals and corridor whispers turned slowly into accepted truth. There seemed to be no denying it. And as the Yule Ball loomed nearer, Y/N felt more and more at ease that she would not be asked to attend with Leander Prewett. He’d kept his distance since the Incident, as she’d taken to calling it, but felt that she’d be celebrating too soon if she thought he was done for good.

The Incident seemed not only to have an effect on Prewett. She hadn’t foreseen the consequences of Sebastian overhearing what she said, but really she didn’t think she would go back and change a single word she’d uttered. It had all been true. She knew him very well, as a friend, and she’d spend a thousand lifetimes with him, as a friend, and she sure as hell didn’t deserve him, as the bloody brilliant and completely wonderful friend he was.

Sebastian knew that.

Neither of them had spoken about it. They didn’t need to. There was nothing to address. Prewett had been stupid, Y/N had defended Sebastian, like a good friend , end of story.

So why did she still feel the weight of it whenever she saw him?

She figured it must be the leftover anger that coursed through her when she thought of Leander’s words, or the guilt that he had ever had to hear such things said about him. Yes, that was it. She wanted to reassure him. Say it straight to his face that that prat Prewett had it all wrong, and that he shouldn’t ever even consider things he said as truth. But that would have been an awkward conversation, and it was all implied anyway, so each time she thought about the Incident, she’d push it to the back of her mind.

She had been doing just that when Imelda caught her arm in the courtyard. “There you are! We’ve been trying to talk to you for ages .”

Y/N smiled at her, seeing Poppy in tow. “Oh? What about?”

Imelda rolled her eyes. “Don’t play coy, L/N. You still never told us the story about you and Sebastian. I mean, it's increasingly obvious the two of you are courting, but how? When? Why?”

“And have you kissed him yet?” Poppy added, grinning.

Y/N’s eyes went wide. “Poppy!”

The Hufflepuff smiled not-so-innocently.

Y/N shook her head in exasperation. “Look, it’s not as exciting as you both seem to think it is. We were walking together one day, he said he cared for me a bit more than friends, I said I felt the same, and here we are. And no, we haven’t kissed.” She’d thought carefully about the story she’d tell them, coming to the conclusion that a short, safe story was best. Fleshing it out with extreme detail would make it outlandish.

It was also hard for Y/N to think about how she and Sebastian might get together, for some reason. It caused that silly feeling in her stomach to turn.

Imelda frowned. “If I’m honest, I expected there to be a bit more to it. It is Sallow we’re talking about.”

Oh dear. Y/N shrugged, trying to hide any discomfort in the action. “Don’t know what to tell you. Sorry to disappoint.”

“You two have been getting along, though, haven’t you?” Poppy asked. “It seems like you are.”

“Of course we have been,” Y/N answered. “I mean, we were best friends before. Most of it feels… natural, really. Just a few added things. It’s… nice.” She was surprised that she didn’t get that uneasy feeling she normally had when telling a lie at those words.

They stopped pestering her about Sebastian (thankfully, she wasn't as good at coming up with lies on the spot as he is) and instead caught up on other things—homework, poachers, Quidditch, the usual. It was good spending some time with them. She almost didn’t notice the cold of the courtyard. Almost.

She started shivering at some point—with just her uniform and robe, the chill was quick to settle in. The slight breeze didn’t help, either, whipping away any warmth before she could keep it.

“And just what are you doing out here without a proper coat?” a voice said from behind her. She felt a bit warmer already. Sebastian smirked from beside her, looking over her shivering frame.

“I wasn’t planning on spending a lot of time here, we just… happened to meet,” Y/N explained.

He gave a playful scoff. “Ridiculous. Here, take this,” he said, removing the scarf from around his neck. Her hand opened to grab it, but… there was no need. Instead, he stood directly in front of her, passing the scarf over her shoulders and tying it snuggly without a word. He ran a hand against it, smoothing it out and pushing her hair out of her face. “There we go. Color suits you pretty nicely, too.”

He seemed very satisfied with his handiwork, taking a small step back to admire it. There were several moments of silence until Y/N realized she should probably say something.

“Um, thank you. That’s… much better now.” She was in fact, very warm now.

He chuckled. “I’ll see you later, darling.” And with that, he left.

She didn’t feel the chill at all anymore. Her stomach fluttered with that silly feeling, and her head spun with the scent of old parchment and fireplaces.

The snow fell in gentle flakes around her, and she realized it really was beautiful when she could feel the cold.

The Yule Ball was now only ten days away. It had come up faster than Sebastian thought it would—very recently, three weeks had seemed like a lifetime. Now each day went faster than the last.

With the winter chill growing ever stronger, Y/N had taken to wearing Sebastian’s scarf constantly. She could have swapped her own scarf out and returned his own, but… she hadn’t. He reminded himself that it added a very believable level to their act. It was physical proof that they were tied together, present even when they weren’t standing side by side. When they were apart, Sebastian sometimes thought of her somewhere off in the castle, his scarf tied around her neck, and Ominis would have to tap his shoulder out of his distant thoughts.

He wasn’t really sure what that was all about.

But right now, Y/N was by his side, sitting in the grass as they listened to Professor Garlick’s lecture. Herbology was mostly a hands-on event, but as they progressed toward their N.E.W.T.s, there were some plants to study that even Professor Garlick hesitated to put in front of them. Today she had ushered them outside, insisting that if they had to listen to her ramble on, they should at least feel the sun while doing so.

The snow had melted over the last couple of days, leaving the ground drier than it had been all winter. Sebastian missed the white blanket that had coated the trees and fields. He hoped it would snow again before Christmas. While the sun was out, it was still rather cool. Which was why, even in her coat and scarf ( his scarf), Y/N had begun to shiver.

Sebastian chuckled. “Still cold, are we?”

She frowned, giving him a small glare. “What gave it away?” She looked back at Professor Garlick. “I don’t know how I’m going to make it through class without turning into a block of ice.”

“I’ve got an idea. Come here,” he said, scooting closer to her. Before she could protest, he wrapped his arm around her, pulling her softly into his side.

He wasn’t sure what had made him do it. Instinct? His natural and irresistible flirtatious charm? Who knows. But as soon as he had done it, the weight of it settled on him. Other things had become normal. But this, Y/N pressed against his chest, where she could likely feel his rapidly beating heart, this was new. His body stiffened at the realization. Was this ok? Had he gone too far?

For a moment, she also seemed surprised—but only for a moment. He felt her body relax a bit against his, allowing herself to lean into his warmth. He let out a breath he hadn’t known he was holding and did the same.

Class continued, and Y/N stopped shivering. (Sebastian found this very fulfilling.) He was hyper aware of her breathing; he’d never heard it so close for so long. Over and over again he found his gaze drifting down to look at her, eyes unconsciously following the slope of her nose and curve of her lips. As soon as he’d realize he was staring, he’d whip his head forward again, begging himself to keep it that way. It never seemed to work.

After what felt like eternity, class ended. Y/N moved to stand, but Sebastian was quicker, jumping to his feet to offer his hand. A mischievous glint twinkled in her eye. She laid back on the ground, reaching up for his hand lazily. “The class really took it out of me. I’m not sure I can go on.”

Sebastian feigned annoyance. “Are you trying to take advantage of my kindness?” He grabbed her hand anyway, attempting to pull her up. She acted like a limp doll. He couldn’t help but laugh at the way she slumped forward when he finally pulled her into an upright sitting position. She stuck her tongue out at him. Leaning down, he grasped her other hand, forcing her to her feet. Still halfway committed to her game, she rose off balance, and to steady her, Sebastian placed a hand on her waist.

When she finally stood straight, he noticed how close the action had made them.

He was still holding her hand, still gripping her waist. He could feel her breath on his lips—it made his heart lurch. For a split second, he could only think of getting closer, seeing how not only her breath felt, but her lips against his—

His hands dropped to his side and he took a large step back. He couldn’t look at her. Couldn’t see the expression she was wearing. He didn’t know what he wanted to find.

So instead, he cleared his throat. “Lot of work to get you on your feet. Come on, those potions won’t brew themselves.”

Smooth, Sebastian.

Ominis Gaunt was no idiot. In fact, he fancied himself pretty sharp, especially when it came to certain topics.

One of these topics happened to be Sebastian Sallow.

He didn’t need working eyes to see that something was changing . Well, less changing, really, and more uncovering what had been there all along. He could hear it in the tone of Sebastian’s voice when he spoke to her, the way it went all soft. He felt it in the way Sebastian froze in place every time she entered a room. There was this small stupid sigh he’d let out when he couldn’t walk her to her next class, a lingering frown that wormed its way into his speech every time she wasn’t around.

They were little things. But they were there.

And now, after that Herbology class, his friend walked beside him in silence . It was something he had scarcely beheld.

Ominis wasn’t completely sure—not yet. But if he’d hazard a guess, he’d say his best friend had fallen in love—he just didn’t know it yet.

It finally hit her when she realized she missed his smell on his scarf.

She’d worn it every day since he gave it to her—it was cold out, why wouldn’t she? Why not appreciate the gift her friend had given her?

Why not take the chance to always feel he was near her, even when he wasn’t?

Over the days, the scent of fireplaces, old parchment, and a trace of his cologne faded away. She sat in her room and took a deep breath, realizing in that moment that she had spent every moment she could basking in it. It was in the absence that she finally figured out that silly feeling in her stomach. And now that she had a name for it, it was painful.

She wasn’t supposed to feel this way for a friend—her best friend . She wasn’t supposed to be excited when he held her hand, wasn’t supposed to feel the burn of his hold on her waist, wasn’t supposed to wish he had closed the distance and kissed the life out of her .

She wasn’t supposed to be in love with him.

Because that’s what it had been all along, hadn’t it? She couldn’t even trace back to the beginning of the feeling, it was like it had been there all along, lingering, waiting to be discovered.

Now that she had, she worried it would destroy her.

There was no chance he felt the same—he would never have agreed to her stupid plan if those feelings had existed. He would have said something a long time ago. Perhaps he would have kissed her in Herbology.

Where was she supposed to go from here? How could she continue with their awful, awful plan, longing in every moment that it was the truth?

How could she give up the chance to pretend it was real, if only for a few days more?

She wouldn’t ruin this. The plan. Their friendship. She would continue on, and when the day came for it to end, she’d be heartbroken, and pretend to be that damn good at acting . She’d get over it, and she’d never let anyone know that she had ever been in love with Sebastian Sallow.

Ominis bounded into the Great Hall, which was a distinctly un-Ominis thing to do. Sebastian raised an eyebrow as his friend approached, grinning ear to ear. “Have you gotten a letter from Anne?”

“I haven’t checked my post yet,” Sebastian answered as Ominis sat in one of the empty seats beside him. Y/N hadn’t come down yet, which was a distinctly un-Y/N thing to do. Blimey, was everyone off today?

“Then I’ll do the pleasure of sharing the good news myself. She’s been feeling well these last several days, and if it keeps up, she plans to come to the Yule Ball!”

Sebastian understood his friend’s good mood immediately—his own heart soared at the thought of his sister enjoying herself and dancing the night away, and didn’t even feel bothered that it would likely be in Ominis’s arms (he had given his approval, after all). “Really? Have you asked her then, officially?”

“Of course. I’ll be right beside her, Sebastian. You won’t have to worry.”

Sebastian patted his oldest friend on the shoulder, grinning right back at him. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“This does leave a bit of a complication, though, doesn’t it?” Ominis said.

Sebastian frowned. “What do you mean?”

His friend sighed. “I was supposed to be going with Y/N after the two of you broke it off… it wasn’t official, or anything, but—”

“Don’t worry about it, Ominis. She wouldn’t want you to miss going with Anne.” Sebastian thought for a moment. “It is rather close to the ball, anyway. Perhaps it would be best if I went with her. Left the ‘breaking it off’ until afterwards.” Why did that thought make his heart beat faster? “If she’ll have me, of course.”

A strange expression crossed Ominis’s face. “That sounds like a wonderful idea. Why don’t you ask her once she arrives?”

“I will.”

For some reason, it became infinitely harder to eat after that conversation. Each bite of Sebastian’s toast had lost its taste, no matter how much butter he put on it. His pumpkin juice was the same.

What if she said no? What if she was disappointed to go with him, her longing lying elsewhere?

And why did he care so much if it did?

He pushed those thoughts aside as she arrived in the Great Hall, uniform slightly rumpled and hair askew. Had she stayed up too late studying?

In any case, he had a question he needed to ask. He rose to meet her, unable to wait for her to sit at the table. She started a bit, looking up at him.

“Morning, Sebastian,” she said.

“Morning. I had… a question to ask you.”

She tilted her head. He wondered if she heard the worried tone in his voice and quickly cleared his throat, trying to get it to leave.

“What’s the question?”

“Well, you see, there’s a bit of great news, and a little bad news that comes with this question.” Her eyebrows furrowed. “Anne is feeling well–well enough that she plans to attend the Yule Ball.”

Her eyes lit up. (He was glad he got to tell her, just so he could see that.) “That’s wonderful! I’ll be so excited to see her! What’s the bad in all of this?”

“She plans to attend with Ominis, who was going to be your date.”

She shakes her head. “That’s alright. I would never want to come between the two of them, I can stay in that night. Be heartbroken, and all that.”

Sebastian shifted on his feet, nervously. His arms came up to cross over his chest in a protective gesture. “But that’s where my question comes in. I thought—and, please feel free to say no to this—that we could go together? Most people would be expecting it anyways, and we could push off the end of our courting a bit, I wouldn’t mind. And it would keep Prewett trying to ask you last minute, I wouldn’t put it past—”

“Sebastian,” Y/N said, smiling. “That sounds wonderful. I’ll look forward to going with you.”

He held back a wide grin. “Good. I figured it would beat sitting in your dormitory being miserable.”

She laughed, and something shifted inside him. “That it will.”

And with that, he took her hand and led her to the table, his smile refusing to be hidden any longer.

The week leading up to the Yule Ball was a frenzy. Students were restless in class, whispering about who was going with who, figuring out if someone didn’t have a date yet, making plans on buying dresses and robes and discussing how to style hair. By the time the last class was out, a mere three days before the dance, the professors were sick of it. There was an excitement in the air—it was difficult not to get swept up into it.

It was inevitable, Y/N realized, that she wound up in the dress shop in Hogsmeade. Imelda, Poppy, and Natty were with her, all trying to find dresses of their own. Poppy had settled on a lovely gown with a light floral print. Natty found a deep maroon one, accented with flecks of gold–-the perfect dress for a proud Gryffindor. Imelda was set on a navy dress, a little less fancy than some of the other ones, insisting she needed to be able to move properly to dance.

Y/N, on the other hand, was at a loss. She felt like she had tried at least a dozen gowns on and hated every single one. She was nervous—more than she’d like to admit. She knew Sebastian didn’t feel the same for her as she did him, but she still wanted to put her best self forward. And part of that meant the perfect dress.

She sighed as the shopkeeper put away yet another reject—this one a frilly pink number than Y/N had nearly vomited on. She buried her face in her hands. “It’s hopeless.”

Poppy came to her side. “Of course it isn’t! We just have to keep looking!”

“What about this one?” Natty asked, pulling a dress forward for them to view. The Gryffindor had a proud glint in her eye, as if she already knew she had won. “I’m sure he’ll love the color.”

That much was sure to be true. It was a deep emerald green, one that Y/N thought would compliment Sebastian’s lovely brown hair nicely. She blushed at the thought, looking closer at the dress. “I can try it on and see.”

As the shopkeeper helped lace up the back, Y/N knew before looking in the mirror that this was the dress she would wear. It was a simple, but a little scandalous—the neckline allowed her collarbones and tops of her shoulders to be put on display, and the short flowing sleeves showed off her arms. It was lovely. She felt lovely.

When she was dressed, her friends grinned at her. “If you don’t get that dress, I’ll force you into it,” Imelda said.

“No need for force,” Y/N said. “I love it.”

She could only hope Sebastian loved it, too—even if it was just as a friend.

Sebastian’s fingers drummed on the table as he stared at the ground of the Undercroft. Ominis gave an annoyed hum. “If you don’t stop that tapping, I may have to blast your fingers off.”

He frowned at his friend, but stopped his tapping. “You act like I killed your puffskein.”

“If I had a puffskein, and you killed it, I promise I’d act much worse. ”

Sebastian rolled his eyes, trying to read the book on the table in front of him. The words had no meaning to him.

“You’re tapping again.”

Sebastian groaned. “I can’t help it.”

Ominis raised an eyebrow. “You didn’t used to get so antsy without seeing her all day.”

“Y/N’s been gone for hours . Aren’t you a little concerned?”

“She’s dress shopping, Sebastian. I hardly think that’s an event to worry over.”

Sebastian pouted, arms crossed to keep from drumming the table.

“I didn’t say who her was, by the way.”

His head shot over to look at Ominis. “What do you mean?”

“I never mentioned who you were antsy about not seeing. Could have been Anne. Could have been Professor Weasley, for all the context there was. But you thought of Y/N. ” Ominis smiled to himself. “I wonder if it means what I think it means.”

Sebastian swallowed thickly. “And what exactly do you think it means?”

He shrugged. “That you love her.”

It was like a fire ignited inside his chest. “What are you—why would—I don’t— ”

“With that reaction, I rescind my previous statement.” Ominis grinned. “It’s no longer what I think it means. It’s what I know it means.”

“You don’t know anything, Ominis. I’ve told you before, she's my best friend, I don’t…” he trailed off. He couldn’t say he didn’t.

“Are you quite certain of that?” Ominis closed the book he’d been tracing his wand over with a gentle thud . “Let’s review the facts before we come to a conclusion, dear friend. You’re nervous about the dance tomorrow.”

“It’s a ball, why wouldn’t I be–”

“Hush now, Sebastian. You’re going to listen to me for once in your life. You’re nervous because of her . Think back, is there anyone else you would have asked to the ball?”

Of course there bloody wasn’t. But that was a rule Sebastian made for himself, wasn’t it? Not to think about it? Not to let his heart race, his days revolve around her. Not to admit what these things meant.

“You’re insufferable when she’s gone—and believe me, I know the difference between normal Sebastian and insufferable Sebastian. You trusted her from the moment you saw her. You’d do anything for her, including torturing yourself by going along with this ridiculous scheme of hers. You lie to yourself, again and again, and for what? To protect her? To protect yourself? You love her, Sebastian.”

Sebastian held his head in his hands. He’d put up so many barriers, so many walls around that truth, that he felt himself crumbling. He couldn’t love Y/N, not because she wasn’t worthy of it, not because he didn’t, but because he couldn’t bear the thought of living without her. That was torture. That was insufferable.

The walls had been demolished. The rules all broken. The truth was out there now, spoken into existence by Ominis, and as much as Sebastian longed to put it back in the careful little corner he’d made for it, he couldn’t.

He was supposed to deny every word Ominis said. He was supposed to push these things aside and lie and go back to the way things were. But instead, his voice came out small, uneven, and raw.

“What am I going to do, Ominis?”

For all the snark he gave, Ominis truly cared for his friend. At the sound of his weak voice, he placed a gentle hand on Sebastian’s shoulder. “Telling her would be a good start.”

Sebastian gave a humorless laugh. “As if that wouldn’t ruin everything.”

“I seriously doubt admitting you care for her deeply would result in her hating you, if that’s what you’re worried about,” Ominis said. “If she had the capability to hate you, I feel you would have crossed that line long ago.”

“Which is exactly why she could never feel the same.”

Ominis sighed. “Sebastian, throughout everything, she has always been right at your side. I’d say that loyalty reflects feelings a bit deeper than friendship on her part.”

Sebastian didn’t have a reply to that. Admitting to Ominis, to himself, the feelings he had for Y/N had been challenge enough. To consider that Y/N might feel the same… It was too much. Ominis seemed to recognize that. “Look, just… think about it, alright? Go to the ball with her tomorrow. Let yourself enjoy it. Stop acting for one night, and see how it goes.”

Ominis gave him a pat on the shoulder, then rose to his feet. “I’m going to the dormitory. Anne is arriving tomorrow; it’s best if we both get our sleep.”

Sebastian scoffed as his friend left. As if he’d sleep at all after any of that.

The ball was only an hour away. After greeting Anne, Natty, Poppy, and Imelda had whisked Y/N away to begin getting ready. At first, Y/N didn’t understand why so much time was necessary—but as the minutes ticked away, she found herself nervously scrambling to pin her hair. They had all settled themselves in the Room of Requirement, figuring it was the perfect space for all of them to prepare. The other three girls had left just minutes ago, rushing off to see the other girls their year, and Y/N couldn’t help but admire their lovely gowns.

As she was leaving that morning, Y/N had hastily explained to Anne how to get to the room; she could only hope her instructions were clear. Evidently, they were—Anne came bursting into the room, bright smile on her face. She held a dress in her arms. Y/N tore her stare away from the mirror in front of her to turn to the girl. “Anne! You’ve made it! You haven’t left much time to get ready, you know.”

“Oh, I know,” she said, settling in front of the mirror beside her. “But I couldn’t tear myself away. It was wonderful seeing Ominis again.”

“I’m sure he made up for the hardship of seeing your brother,” Y/N joked.

Anne laughed. “And then some. Sebastian left a while ago to get ready. I’m glad he’s taking you, seeing as I stole your intended companion. Quite the plan the three of you had, hm?”

Y/N froze with a pin clutched between her fingers. “Ominis told you about it?”

“He did. I have to say, I’m sorry I missed seeing Prewett’s reaction. From what I’ve heard, you gave him quite the talking to.” Anne turned to the mirror, beginning the work on her own hair.

“O-oh? Well, um, yes, I suppose I did,” Y/N said, trying to distract herself by looking at her reflection. “I do appreciate Sebastian’s help with all of it.”

“He’s horrid, but he’s always there when it truly matters.” Anne glanced over at her. “Your hair looks perfect, why do you keep fidgeting with it?”

Y/N shrugged, trying to maintain a look of innocence. “I just want to look my best.”

“Nervous, are we?”

She froze. “W-why would I be nervous?”

Anne gasped, reaching out to grab Y/N’s arm. “You are nervous! Please, you must tell me, do you fancy him?”

“That… that’s ludicrous, Anne, he’s my best friend, you know that.”

The brunette smirked, and it looked much too like her brother—mischievous glint and all. “I won’t tell him.”

“I…”

Oh, what was the point? Why try to keep it in any longer—it was bound to drive her mad, might as well let someone know why she was doomed for an asylum.

“I do fancy him, Anne. In fact, I fancy him so much, I hardly know what to do with myself.” She sighed heavily. “It’s maddening . I’ve only realized it recently, though I now know I’ve felt this way for much longer than that. And now, with this idiotic plan—” She held her face in her hands. “Well, it’s easy to see how things… how it could be , if he only felt the same.”

She was too busy wallowing in her misery to see Anne’s grin widen with her words. “Perhaps tonight will change things.”

Y/N groaned. “I doubt that. He only asked me because he wanted to make sure Prewett didn’t.”

“And why would he want to make sure Prewett didn’t?”

“Because… because he’s a good friend, Anne.”

Anne shrugged. “I’m going to ask you to do something tonight, Y/N. Oh, quit groaning like you’ve been cursed, it’s not difficult —keep an open mind. That’s all. Try to see what’s there, and not what you’ve been so focused on avoiding. Let yourself be happy tonight.” Anne turned back to the mirror, finishing up her hair. “I won’t push you any more on the subject as long as you try to do that.”

Y/N didn’t think she had much choice but to accept.

As they walked to the ballroom, Y/N could only repeat the words don’t trip over and over again in her mind. Anne had gotten ready quickly, and she looked stunning in her blue dress. Her health had improved greatly in the past few months—a nurse and St. Mungos had been experimenting with different potions to ease her pain, and it had been working. Her face was no longer as thin, and Y/N could finally see her as the trouble-making girl she had always heard about.

Together, they turned the corner that led to the top of the stairs. Ominis and Sebastian stood at the bottom, speaking to one another. They hadn’t noticed them yet. The sight of Sebastian’s well-fitted black suit left her a bit breathless. She took Anne’s hand as they began down the stairs. Sebastian looked up.

If she thought she had been breathless a moment ago, now she was simply drowning . There was a softness in his eyes that traced over her, looking down at her gown and then back up to her face. For a moment, he seemed too stunned to move. And then, he smiled.

Oh, God, Y/N. Really don’t trip now.

He walked with Ominis to the bottom of the stairs. He didn’t take his eyes off of her. He took a deep breath, she thought, and then… relaxed. Something about his disposition changed, ever so slightly.

Her hand slid into his as he offered it. “I can’t begin to describe how wonderful you look.”

His words made her heart race. “You clean up nicely yourself.”

He grinned, holding up his arm to escort her. “Shall we?”

She looped her arm through his. Anne and Ominis followed them. Y/N smiled. “They look happy together, don’t they?” she said softly.

Sebastian hummed in agreement. “There’s a part of me that thinks I should disapprove, but really, I couldn’t ask for someone better for my sister.”

The ballroom was decked ceiling to floor in Christmas decor. Floating lights twinkled through the air, making Y/N stare in in wonder. “It’s beautiful.”

“It is,” Sebastian said quietly. She turned to face him, his own head swiveling away from her. Around them, couples were preparing to dance. He cleared his throat. “May I take this dance?” he said in an overly posh voice, bowing to her.

She laughed. “Careful, you’re sounding a bit like Ominis there.”

He grinned before taking her hand, leading her to the floor. A wave of nerves came over her—she wasn’t much of a dancer. Sebastian seemed to notice this. “Don’t worry, I won’t hold it against you if you step on my feet. For long.”

She hit him on the shoulder. Rolling his eyes, he brought her into position, stepping closer to her. His free hand came to settle on her waist. He held it softly—she could barely feel the weight of it. It wasn’t hesitant, but… gentle. It was careful. She brought her own hand up to his shoulder—only then did she realize how close they truly were.

She could have counted every freckle on his face—and wouldn’t have minded the time it took to do so. His lashes were longer than she remembered. And his eyes—had they always had those flecks of green in them?

The music started, and he began to lead her in a dance.

Any nerves she had felt faded away once she realized how competent of a dancer Sebastian was. He led her effortlessly, bringing her in and out of twists and spins with ease. She found herself getting lost in the motions; it was rather like a duel, in some ways. Her awareness of her body was heightened, having to be ready to react to each move Sebastian made. She and Sebastian had proven themselves to be excellent dueling partners—why would dancing have been any different?

He pulled her into the basic position as the song shifted from one to another. This one was slower, less complex. It allowed them to stay face to face. Y/N grinned. “You never told me you could dance.”

He smirked a bit. “You never asked. My parents taught Anne and I when we were young. Thought it would only be proper for us to know, they at least tried to raise a gentleman.”

She chuckled. “Their efforts have been noticed. Although, it does make me wonder what other secrets my Sebastian might be hiding from me.”

His eyebrows raised. “Oh? Your Sebastian, is it?”

Her mouth opened quickly and then closed. A blush fought its way to her face. “I… This is about you and your secrets, Sebastian. Don’t try to change the subject.”

He laughed. “All in due time, my Y/N .” He didn’t give her the time to reply, pulling her into a quick spin that left her dizzy.

Several more songs came and went, each leaving the pair more restless than the last. It was only with great hesitation that Y/N asked to stop for a drink, thoroughly enjoying the exhilaration of it all. Sebastian led her to a table, returning a moment later with Butterbeer for each of them. Y/N sipped at it eagerly.

“Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves, don’t they?” Y/N said, watching Imelda dance stiffly with the Ravenclaw boy she had come with. As well as she flew, she didn’t move nearly as well on the ground. However, this fact didn’t keep her from smiling and laughing as she danced.

Sebastian nodded from beside her. “It is a bit crowded, though, don’t you think?”

She couldn’t help but agree. The room was nearly stifling. “It is a bit warm.”

“Then let’s go somewhere to cool off for a bit.” He smiled down at her, twinkle in his eye.

“Oh? Do you have something in mind?” she asked with a tilt of the head.

“You’ll see in just a moment.”

He led her out of the ballroom, and even the hallway alone gave her some fresh air she desperately needed. But they didn’t stop there. Instead, he dragged her through hallways and up staircases (and she didn’t even care how far it was—she’d go anywhere with him) until finally, they were at the top of the Astronomy tower.

The cool air hit her skin as she took deep, appreciative breaths. It had been a while since she had been up here—she hadn’t pursued a N.E.W.T. on the subject. The view was astonishing—how had she forgotten it?

Sebastian sat on the ground, overlooking the world around them. He patted the ground beside him, a clear indication to join him.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been up here,” she said, sitting. The moon was dancing in and out of the clouds, its pale light reflecting off of the Black Lake below them.

“I still sneak up here sometimes, to think.”

“Isn’t that what the Undercroft’s for?”

He smiled. “Sure. But sometimes a little risk of getting caught makes things a bit more worth it. Besides, the Undercroft has nothing to this view.”

She hummed in agreement. The heat of the ballroom had disappeared by now, and she found herself starting to shiver in the cold winter air. At the very first trace of this, Sebastian removed his coat, leaning over to wrap it around her shoulders. She was grateful the moon had hidden behind a cloud, concealing the redness in her face. Old parchment and fireplaces. “Thanks.”

“Of course.” He laid back on the ground, staring up at the sky above. “I’m going to be sore until next Tuesday with all that dancing we did.”

She fell back, laying beside him. “Maybe that’s their plan. Tire us all out at the beginning of the break so we don’t have energy to cause any mischief.”

He snorted. “You really think a lack of energy is enough to stop me?”

“Absolutely not. But perhaps the professors underestimated you.”

“Then I’ll have to show them how wrong they are then, won’t I?” He shifted, bringing one arm up behind his neck, resting his head on it. The other—the one next to her— stayed stretched out by his side.

She mirrored his position. “Don’t go too far. Ominis might have your head if he has to save you from expulsion. Again. ”

“He’ll forgive me. He always does.”

It was then she finally felt the heat of his gaze. She turned her head to look at him, meeting his eyes. How long had he been staring at her? There was a softness there—one that had been there all evening. She hadn’t realized it until then, but it dawned on her that the uneasiness, the fear that she had felt before the ball, had disappeared completely from the moment he smiled at her. It occurred to her that she should do something with that courage. She looked him right in the eye, a voice whispering in her mind— tell him. Just tell him you love him.

But he looked away, back up into the clouds. She let out a small sigh, doing the same. Was it really all so hopeless?

A warmth overtook her fingertips as Sebastian took her hand in his. Their fingers intertwined. She could feel the calluses of his thumb brush against her knuckle.

“It’s snowing,” he said softly, barely more than a whisper.

It was. The flakes came down slowly in fluttering paths that made her head spin as she stared up at them. They caught the moonlight, flickering just like the lights in the ballroom.

“It is,” she said. “And you were right. It really is lovely.”

She half expected some witty remark, a Sebastian-esque reply of obviously , he’s always right.

But instead, he just tightened his grip on her hand and watched the snow fall around them.

Four days. That’s how long it had been since the ball, since something had shifted.

Y/N didn’t know how to explain it–-her and Sebastian hadn’t spoken about that night, yet the weight of it was felt in every moment they spent together. They both continued on, pretending to be more than friends, while toeing that very line in reality. The first day or so, this shift had given her hope. Perhaps Sebastian did feel the same. He had held her hand without the world watching. He had looked at her with that softness. It had to mean something, didn’t it?

But the days continued to pass and nothing else changed. If they were still following the initial plan, they were supposed to break the whole thing off any day now. And yet… neither of them had brought it up.

She didn’t know what to do. She couldn’t keep living with this in-between thing, caught between a blissful lie and a heartbreaking truth. With every passing hour, it felt heavier and heavier. The words between them piled up. She worried she would soon drown in them.

They were in the courtyard when it finally happened. With the Christmas break, most students had returned home—the quiet wouldn’t last long, though. They would all be back for class the next day. Maybe the thought of the coming hustle and bustle is what drove Sebastian to speak. Y/N had cleared off a bench for the pair of them to sit at, snow lazily falling around them.

“What are we doing?”

Her eyebrows furrowed at his question. “I thought we came out here to enjoy the snow. Isn’t that what we planned on?”

He shook his head, sighing. He couldn’t meet her eyes. “I think we both know that’s not what I’m trying to talk about.”

Oh. Oh. “I… I’m not sure, Sebastian. If… if you want to break it off before everyone gets back, I understand. It would cause less of a stir that way.” I don’t want to break it off. I want to start over. I want to do it right this time around.

“You really want to break it off? After everything?” Where had that softness in his eyes gone?

“I don’t know what you want me to say, Sebastian. Wasn’t that the plan?” Why was she getting angry at him? If he felt the same thing she did, why couldn’t he just say it?

“That damn plan. Is this really all that’s about?” His voice rose in volume. “Still some stupid ploy to keep Prewett away?” He stood up from the bench, moving to pace in front of her.

“I…” She faltered. She watched his movements, back and forth, the way his brow furrowed and his lips fell down into a frown. “I don’t know, Sebastian. Maybe this was all too much to ask from you, but you’re my best friend and I—”

He interrupted her with a scoff. “ Friend. Don’t you know how it kills me to hear you say that?” He turned to face her, eyes aflame. “Since that bloody ball, every time I’ve even thought about you in that way, it tears me to bits. Each time I look at you, all I see is that night in the Astronomy tower, you, and the snow in your hair. It took everything in me not to kiss you that night, don’t you know that?”

She swore she could hear each snowflake hit the ground in the silence that followed. “You… you wanted to kiss me?” Her voice was timid. “Why?”

“Because I love you, Y/N. That’s why.”

And there it was.

Like a dam bursting, the truth poured out. “You asked me to help you with Prewett, and of course I agreed. You’re everything to me, why would I not help you? But then I realize, well I realize it’s you, and it’s always been you. I want it to be real, Y/N. Every last bit of it. I want—”

He hadn’t processed her jumping up from the bench until her lips were pressed against his in a short kiss. He didn’t even have time to close his eyes before she pulled away. Her hand still held his cheek.

He gaped at the girl in front of him. “I… I want… what was I saying?”

She smiled— really smiled, one of those ones done more with the eyes than the mouth. “I'm pretty sure you were telling me that you love me. You kept going on about it, though, so I thought I’d interrupt to say I love you, too.”

He didn’t waste another moment before kissing her. His hands cupped her face, pulling her closer than she ever thought possible. Her own hand skimmed across his cheek and then on the back of his neck, and goodness, was his hair as soft as it looked . The other hand held tightly onto the front of his coat—she swore it was the only thing keeping her on the planet.

It was him who broke the kiss, and she instinctively leaned forward to chase after his lips. He chuckled, pressing his forehead on hers. “I’ve had a thought,” he said, breathless. “I think I’d like to court you, if you’re interested.”

She laughed as he kissed the corner of her lips. “We’ve gone a bit out of order, don’t you think?”

“I couldn’t care less,” he said, moving to kiss her again.

The last coherent thought she could make was that the snow made for a very, very lovely morning.

When the students all arrived the next day to continue classes, no one paid much attention to Y/N L/N and Sebastian Sallow. Old news. An obvious pairing, looking back at it. No one really cared that she wasn’t just sporting a Slytherin scarf around her neck, but a green sweater that was much too big on her.To most, there was no difference in the grins on their faces, the excitement in their voices. Well, no one except Ominis.

When Sebastian took a seat beside him, Ominis chuckled. “Seems I was right. Absolutely nothing to worry about.”

Sebastian rolled his eyes, but his wide grin countered any annoyance he might have felt. “Don’t start.”

As Y/N sat beside him, giving a quick kiss for good morning, he thought that maybe it was ok that Ominis was right every once in a while.

A/N: I really hope you all enjoyed this! I definitely had a lot of fun writing it. This is my first work with Sebastian, and I’m very much looking forward to writing more! I have plans for a few mores oneshots and a series, so stay tuned for those! Thanks for reading :)

#sebastian sallow x reader #sebastian sallow #sebastian sallow x mc #hogwarts legacy #sebastian sallow hogwarts legacy #hogwarts legacy sebastian #hogwarts legacy mc #ominis gaunt x anne sallow #fake dating au #fluff #angst #friends to lovers #idiots in love #first kiss

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lustytears · 5 months

Text

Be Quiet

no plot. just fucking tom marvolo riddle like there’s no tomorrow

afab!reader x tom riddle

2.2k words

warnings: SMUT. tongue play, blood kink, biting, spit kink, female receiving, p in v, wrap it b4 u tap it, public sex (in a school), hair pulling, unspecified house reader, shit i can’t think of bc i didn’t rlly proof read it, but it’s for you guys.

haven’t wrote anything in a hot minute so forgive me. first time seriously posting on tumblr. this was actually supposed to be a draco malfoy smut but i just switched it around mid-way when i was thinking of my best friend, who’s completely obsessed with this diary horcrux of voldemort just like me.

i will try and post a master list or something, give me time please.

You sat in your desk, pissed at how you were in this situation in the first place. It all happened because of Tom Riddle, who started arguing with you in the middle of potions—which you inevitably swore at him. Both of you were sent to detention to not only calm the both of yourselves, but for the disrespect and dishonor brought to Hogwarts. You were a good student, if anything a well-respected one at the most. It made you feel embarrassed knowing that you were “disorderly” but you couldn’t help but bite your tongue and put your foot down when it came to Tom Riddle. His smart remarks, his quiet demeanor, his attitude; all of it made me you want to pull at him, perhaps make him realize that he’s nothing to you.

He sat at his desk, both of your desks close between the both of you. “Would you stop?” He bore his eyes into you like daggers. His voice full of personal annoyance.

You placed your pen down, huffing. “How about you shut the fuck up, Riddle? It’s the only damn thing you’re good for anyways,” you crossed your legs, irritation came with your tone. You felt mad—perhaps upset at the fact that you were in this situation with him in the first place. He’s so fucking-

“I promise you,” he said with assurance. “I’m gonna make you regret everything you think. Every nasty glance, every remark.” Tom said, and the feeling of anger filled your head.

“Like I give a shit?” You held yourself back from laughing. “You’re actually so intolerable to be around that it makes me mad,” you hissed. “Fucking dog.” You fixed your black stalkings, the feeling of them rolling up at your thighs bothered you.

Who the fuck was she? With THAT tone? I don’t think so.

“You’re nothing to anyone, Y/N. You’re annoying, deranged, pissy, and disrespectful,” he leaned closer into your side, rubbing it into your face.

“And you’re obsessed,” you shot back at him. Your chest was stiff, but you inhaled. Your fists balled up, your face red.

“Half-bloods like you make me sick. You can’t ever give up, can you?” He smirked. “You love the attention. Fuck, it wouldn’t surprise me if you loved this. It’s your only way to get off, frantically throwing pointless insults at me?” He got up, walked to your desk. “I know you’re aroused. Aroused by the attention of a man noticing you for merely one second.”

“Oh, you fucking stupid b-“ He noticed you playing with your skirt. He pointed to it.

“That’s what I’m talking about,” his eyebrows raised with confidence. “You adore this moment.”

You launched forward, getting up from your seat where you previously sat. The desk was discarded and moved as you pushed it away when you got up. You backed him up into the nearest wall, your hands gripped his throat. Chokes and whines of disbelief came out of his mouth as you strained your hands on him. His eyes were half-closed, expecting some sort of offensive reaction to come from you.

“I fucking hate you. I hate your stupid, little arrogant, no good influence— I want to kill you, Riddle-“

He gasped, not expecting this sort of reaction to come from you. The last thing he’d expect is for you to actually come after him. “Y/N…”

Your hands were still, but the grasp was firm. His warm neck and erratically beating pulse made your hands shiver. You longed for this moment for years, but you let go. Apologies followed after your hands dropped to your sides. His brown eyes dropped to the floor, his mouth silent as the glooming atmosphere filled the both of you up.

“I-I’m sorry, Tom… I didn’t mean that,” your hands came to both sides of his cheeks. One hand drooped to his neck, caressing the spot where you held onto him for too long. His hand came up to his cheek, holding onto your wrist for a moment.

“What for?” The words shocked you. You didn’t expect Tom Riddle to be so… forgiving? He pulled you closer to him, lingering into your eyes for one moment too long. He dangerously held your hips, and by dangerously, his grasp was way too tight for you. As a result, the muscles in his hands flexed. You took notice of this, tilting your head back up to him, but this time, his lips were what you were looking at.

“You know, I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” you paused for a moment. “I’m sorry I took it too far. I-I should’ve realized you were uncomfortable.” His eyes stuck to you, watching your every slight breath as you hyperventilated, your chest quickly raising up and down. “I’m realizing how terribly I’ve treated y-“

His lips met yours. Starved. He switched spots with you, quickly turning you around too fast for you to notice. He backed you up into the wall, pushing you up against him and you only. Your eyes shot open for a second, bewildered and feeling like you were on a high you’ve never expected. His delicate touch made your eyes close with satisfaction. You knew this is what you wanted. After all, he could’ve chosen anyone—you were special.

Every movement, you felt your tongue desperately fighting with his. He picked you up, instinctively wrapping your legs around his waist. He sat you down on the desk, his lips moving down to your neck. Your shaky breaths made him chuckle. “How needy?” He asked, rhetorically.

He leaned to your stomach, this time, moving closer down to your pelvic area. You pulled at him., tugging his hair. “What if somebody comes in?” “Nobody’s coming in,” he whispered a quick locking spell, and you heard the doorknob jiggle and lock.

“Be quiet for me, and maybe, just maybe, I won’t despise you so much.” You nodded, allowing him to move closer and closer to your skirt. He pulled up your skirt, noting the dark-colored underwear that was now prized in front of him. He ripped your stalkings with his hands, tearing the nylon off as it hung around your thighs. He pulled your underwear aside, his index finger moving it to the opposite side of your leg. You breathed heavily, waiting for him to touch you. He stared at you, like you were a possession he gladly owned. His calloused fingers took a swipe of your pussy, carefully analyzing how your arousal felt on his fingers and stuck to them when he parted his index and middle finger.

“I’d bet galleons this is how you constantly felt around me, isn’t it?” You stared blankly, feeling like you were lost in your own thoughts. He touched your clit, quickly making your thighs shiver and jerk. You looked down at him, where his eyes met yours. You felt special. He made quick moves with your clit, rubbing it with his thumb as he saw how your eyes squeezed shut. He played with you, teasing as his other fingers played with your entrance, dipping in and out. He plunged both fingers in, desperately finding your g-spot as he pulled them back and forth between your entrance.

“Y-yeah, this—this is how I’ve thought of you. Fuck!” You exclaimed. He smirked, going at you with a much faster pace. His fingers made quick work of you, showing how talented he was considering he was making you feel this good only with his fingers.

“I.. I think-“ You moaned, loudly. He stopped, pulling his fingers out of you and his thumb stopped rubbing your clit. You pouted, begging for attention.

“If you’re not going be quiet, I’d advise you to pull your panties right back and your skirt down, and to shut the fuck up,” he said, emotionless. You were confused.

“Okay, I’m sorry, Tom… Please, fuck me. Okay? I promise- I promise I’ll be very good for you. Only you,” you pleaded, begging for him to continue.

He entered his fingers right back in. He fucked you at a much faster pace, squelchy noises emitted from the friction he was making as he continued fucking you at a speed that wasn’t known well to you. It was like he knew your body. You covered your mouth, holding it tightly as your legs wrapped against him. He pulled his fingers out, leaning in as his tongue substituted his fingers. He rubbed your clit in circles with his tongue, lapping up all of your juices. His hands grasped your thighs tightly as your legs wrapped around his head. Your back arched, rubbing against him for release.

Without a warning, he asked, “Cum for me, darling.” His tongue moved at a faster pace, licking your entrance as it quickly entered in you, eating your pussy out.

“Oh my God…” You exhaled, releasing all over his face. It didn’t take him long to use his tongue to lick all of your pleasure up. You moaned as he overstimulated you, licking you clean. “So fucking perfect,” he praised you. His jaw flexed, his eyes filled with pleasure.

He got up, off of his knees. “What are you doing?” You asked him, watching him unbuckle his pants uniform, unzipping his pants. He took his boxer waistline, taking both of his pants and his boxers right off. His cock sprung to his chest. His tip leaked with pre-cum. You eyed his cock, imagining how his girth would feel violating your walls.

“What’s that? You want me to violate your walls with my cock?” He exclaimed, chucking as your eyes widened with both fear and euphoria.

“Spit in my hand. Now.” You obeyed, a wad of spit pooled the middle of his palm. He moved his hand to his cock, lubing his cock with your saliva. He smirked, watching your legs widen and your pussy glisten with the mix of his tongue residue and your arousal. He continued jerking his cock, placing a hand on your thigh, the other hand guiding his cock to your entrance. He rubbed the tip of his cock up and down, noting how your legs tensed.

“Don’t be tense.… Let me pleasure you.”His hand touched your face carefully, moving down to your shirt. He fidgeted your buttons, unbuttoning your blouse and throwing it aside as he exposed your bra. Visioning how your tits would look, he quickly unbuttoned your bra, then moving your skirt and pulling it off. You helped him out, hopping off the table and doing the same by taking off his shirt, unbuttoning his uniform. You touched his tone body, admiring his chest.

Quickly, he turned you around, bending you over the desk. He leaned against you, lining his cock up to your entrance. He stuck his cock into you, causing your mouth to part an ‘o’. His movements became quick and aggressive, moving into you at a fast pace. You tried suppressing your moans, but he pulled your hair, yanking it back. It allowed him to continuously fuck your g-spot perfectly, making your grip on the desk turn your knuckles white. He pounded into you at an unforgivable pace, the sounds of skin contact made it unbearable—impossible, you noted. There was no way anybody couldn’t hear this.

“Fuck, you’re so.. so good,” you moaned, his hand tight, yanking your hair. Tears stained your cheeks from the combination pleasure of his cock ruining your walls and his hand pulling your hair towards him.

He violently snapped his hips into you. He took the opportunity to kiss your bare and exposed neck, biting down on your shoulder as he claimed you.

“Nobody’s going to fuck you the same. Nobody’s gonna love you the same. I’m going to be the one you think of when you dare touch yourself on those dark, dim nights alone. You’ll remember this moment like it’s the last thing you’ll ever think of. I am your permanent memoria.” He saw the dark mark on your neck, and he bit it again, piercing his teeth through your skin. You cried out, tears streaming down your face. Blood pooled, causing him to smile. He licked your shoulder like your blood was candy to him.

His hip movements became more unfocused, coming close to a sign that he was near to cumming right inside of you. He gripped your hips tightly, his fingers digging into you.

“I’m going to fucking- Cum-“ And like that, he released right inside of you. The hot liquid filled your inside as he pushed his cock to your cervix, painting your deepest points white with his cum.

You fell limp. He took notice of it, and took his now once erect cock out of you. He helped you get dressed, before noticing your stalkings were completely torn. He grabbed his wand, casting a spell that would fix your broken nylon stalkings. You thanked him with tired eyes, completely exhausted from pain and pleasure. He got dressed, fixing his belt as he kept an eye on you. He carefully unlocked the door, speeding over towards you to grab you, carrying your frail body into his arms. He kissed your forehead, walking through the empty halls to his Slytherin house, coldly staring at any suspecting and confused individuals who stared at the both of you with daggers, then to his room. He opened the door, placing you on the bed. He unraveled the cover, pulling it over you completely to keep you warm. Your eyes shut, head turned to the opposite side of him.

“Sleep well, beauty.”

#tom riddle #smut #tom riddle smut #voldemort #harry potter #harry potter smut #tom riddle x y/n #tom riddle fluff #fluff #aftercare #Spotify

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themanfromeire · 1 month

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Wolfstar's!Child - Mama Raised a Little Bitch

Parents!Sirius Black & Remus Lupin x Teenager!Reader (ft. Jegulily)

Reader's gender and Hogwarts house is unspecified

This is my first work of the series - if you have any suggestions or requests, let me know!

~~~

Fucked was not a strong enough word to describe how totally and utterly screwed you were now.

When you had first gotten your Hogwarts letter, your uncle Regulus had fallen to his knees (metaphorically) to beg you not to be like James, or your papa Sirius. Remus had joined in too, with both of them citing that ‘Sirius and James were bad enough’ as their justification.

With a promise you had intended to adhere to, you departed to Hogwarts.

In your defence, you believed you would never even come close to breaking it - you had been going strong for four years now, dedicating yourself to academia instead of continuing the Marauders’ legacy, much to the horror of your godfather and papa.

They had made a big deal about ‘disowning you’, opting to name Fred and George Weasley as their heirs, who were more than happy to accept. You believed it to be a joke. For the most part.

However, now there was a blot on your record - a spill of crimson Chardonnet on a white bedsheet if you will.

A blot that came in the form of Hera O’Donnell.

With her snide remarks and condescending attitude, she strutted around Hogwarts like she were the headmaster herself - as a lioness scoured a savanna for a deer to sink its fangs in to, she paroused her peers, searching for the easiest one to prey upon.

You were her chosen doe.

In her skewed vision, you wore shoes too big for you to fill - the weight of the Lupin-Black left you crushed by expectations and drowning in inadequacy, waves of failure washing over your head and coating the inside of your lungs with a thick layer of incompetence.

But your head remained firmly above water.

Despite her taunts and jibes being fruitless at first, Hera had hunted you down and separated you from your pack, and now, her teeth finally began to pierce your skin.

Logically, you should have informed someone. You were not alone - your dad and papa were forever on your side, along with your godfather James, godmother Lily, Uncle Regulus and all of your aunts and uncles, composed of your parents’ Hogwarts friends.

But Hera awoke a different part of you. Something more spiteful. Something more primal.

Reporting it would not be as satisfying. As gratifying. But revenge would be.

If anyone asked you about what had happened to Hera O’Donnell, you would simply claim something along the lines of how ‘her appearance had improved with the addition of a skunk tail.’ It amused your peers, undeniably, but the staff not so much.

Even as your head of house sat you down and informed you of the consequences of transfiguring someone like that and the numerous procedures that Hera was undergoing at St. Mongo’s, having been transferred there for more specialist care, you could not find it in yourself to care.

However, you absolutely did find it in yourself to care when a crimson envelope fell into your bowl of cereal the next morning.

You had expected your parents to be informed of the incident, naturally. But a howler? That you had not. Staring at the envelope, Hera’s words swarmed your mind. What if your parents now saw you just as Hera had?

With a quiet sigh escaping your lips, and sympathetic glances from your friends, you opened the envelope, hoping to get it over sooner rather than later. The voice of Sirius Black erupted from the envelope, filling the entire Great Hall.

‘MON AMOUR I AM SO PROUD OF YOU! TRANSFIGURING SOMEO- Oi, Rem, get off! I’m jus-’

‘I TOLD YOU OUR KID WOULD BE A FUCKIN’ GOD AT TRANSFIGURATION!’ Came a proud voice of Remus Lupin, cutting your papa off. ‘LOOKS LIKE YOUR PAPA AND GODFATHER NEED TO REINSTATE YOU AS HEIR AFTER ALL, SWEETHEART!’

As Remus declared that, two very loud and audible sighs of disappointment left the lips of Fred and George. The howler continued, and the sound of a door being slammed open was heard before the voice of James Potter joined in the chorus.

‘WERE NONE OF YOU GOING TO TELL ME THAT THEY TRANSFIGURED SOMEONE?!’ James cried out incredulously and overdramatically, however, he quickly forgot his dramatics in favour of the Marauders’ legacy.

‘NOW ALL YOU NEED TO DO, PRIY, IS TO BECOME ANIMAG-’ the sound of skin hitting skin rung out as Lily slapped a hand over James’ mouth to stop him from accidentally revealing that they were illegal animagi, despite the fact that they legally could register, but they all couldn’t be bothered. James and your papa said it was funnier this way.

‘Darling, as impressive as it is, please don’t transfigure anyone else,’ Lily chastised you gently. She had to at least give off the illusion that they were disciplining you, but you could hear the pride underlining her words and the smirk on her lips.

‘Now, I think it’s best we end this now, hm?’ came the still sophisticated voice of your uncle Reg. ‘Unless we want the entire Hogwarts populous to know James’ social security number.’ There was a chuckle from both the howler and the Hogwarts students at that remark.

‘I want you to know that I am proud of you. The family needed something a little more…Slytherin.’ Regulus remarked before the Howler burst into flames and tore itself up.

Silence filled the Great Hall as everyone took a moment to stare at you and process what had just happened. You looked up and your eyes caught Harry’s.

‘Good job,’ he mouthed at you, giving you a bright smile and a thumbs up from the Gryffindor table, beside a very peeved Fred and George.

Maybe you weren’t so alone or fucked after all.

#marauders #marauders reader #harry potter reader insert #james potter #sirius black #remus lupin #harry potter #regulus black #harry potter rewrite #jegulus #jegulily #wolfstar #harry potter fandom #marauders era #wolfstar raising a kid #wolfstar parents #wolfstar x reader

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talesofadragon · 1 year

Text

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐈 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭?

Summary: After a Quidditch incident, Draco ends up suffering from mild amnesia, unable to remember the events of the last few years. The situation proves to be quite bleak when he fails to remember that muggleborn Y/N Y/L/N, who he had always antagonized in the past, is his secret girlfriend.

Warnings: Memory loss, slight injury

Pairing: Draco x Muggleborn!Reader

Year and House: Unspecified

Word count: 3.8K

All Masterlists | Draco Malfoy Masterlist

𝐈𝐟 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐟𝐨𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦.

In all his years at Hogwarts, Draco Malfoy was notoriously known for his condescending sneers and abysmal behavior. A spoiled brat, many liked to say, he was so deeply rooted in his skewed and twisted ways that there wasn’t an ounce of redemption in him.

It was known around Hogwarts that Professor Snape finally being introduced to shampoo would have a relatively higher chance of occurrence than witnessing the Malfoy heir saying something nice to just about anyone. But if someone had the misfortune of stumbling upon the hidden alcove near the Great Hall, they would scurry away to Madame Pomfrey’s, seeking an immediate remedy for their unstable minds.

“Dray.” A gentle voice softly echoed around the alcove. “If you keep this up, you’ll be late.”

Draco rolled his eyes dramatically, letting his silver irises do a full turn before they settled back on the Y/E/C orbs he never ceased to fondly admire. “I’m their prized Seeker. They can’t begin a match without me.”

“You’re so full of yourself.” Y/N shook her head, hitting him playfully on the shoulder.

The Slytherin’s lips curled into a smirk as he put one foot in front of the other, causing Y/N to back away into the wall. “Perhaps, but that is one of the many things you love about me,” he said, twisting a strand of her hair around his forefinger.

“Idiot.” Y/N chuckled deeply, wrapping her arms around Draco’s neck. She placed a chaste kiss on his jaw, detaching herself from his arms. “Come on, Dray. You don’t want Harry to think he scared you into forfeiting, now do you?”

That seemed to affect Draco because his smirk immediately molded into his usual sneer. He stepped back, his nose scrunching in disgust at the mere memory of Harry. “Don’t say his bloody name, Y/N,” he commanded, looking at the amused girl.

Y/N shook her head delightfully, holding out her hand to interlace her fingers with Draco’s. “Go, love. Show him that you’re the better Seeker,” she encouraged.

Draco cradled her face and kissed her tenderly on her cheek. He caressed her skin once more before giving her a warm smile. “Meet me here tonight, yeah?” he asked, holding onto her hand and walking backward out of the alcove.

“Of course,” Y/N warmly replied, giving him one of her most beautiful smiles, reserved for no one but him.

“Y/N, over here!”

The witch turned her attention away from the Quidditch pitch to the source of the noise. She beamed, waving back at Hermione and walking over to her.

“Hermione.” Y/N hugged her friend tightly before she pulled away to greet Ron. “How are you both doing?”

“Great. We’d feel even better once Harry catches that Snitch and Gryffindor beats Slytherin’s arse,” Ron commented.

Although Y/N wasn’t here to cheer Harry or the Gryffindors, she curtly nodded, agreeing with Ron’s statement. “Do you mind if I sit with you two?” she asked politely.

“Not at all!” answered Hermione, scooting over to allow Y/N to sit down comfortably. “Do you remember the first Quidditch match we watched together? It feels so long ago!”

“I do,” Y/N replied with a longing look in her eyes. “It was Harry’s first match, too. I remember how you and I were gawking at the whole thing! It feels like such a long time ago.”

“I know, right!”

Y/N sat between Ron and Hermione, watching as the players began to fly into the pitch. She clapped when the Gryffindors appeared but refrained from wincing, cursing, or booing when it was the Slytherins that came into view.

You see, Y/N and Draco’s relationship wasn’t exactly out in the open, and if it ever were, the entirety of Hogwarts would speculate that either one of the two counterparts had drank Amortentia or that the whole school was struck with a Confundus Charm.

The reason was simple, their houses aside, Y/N and Draco never truly had gotten along, particularly due to their difference in blood status.

While the Malfoy heir prided himself in his pureblood family tree, Y/N prided herself in her muggle roots.

She had grown one house away from Hermione’s, and for the longest time ever, she had thought she was normal. Until, well, it proved that she wasn’t.

When she came to Hogwarts, the witch’s gregariousness aided her in making plenty of friends from different houses, but her closest one remained Hermione. The girls had spent countless hours together, but despite their closeness, Y/N’s secret was one not even Hermione knew.

Despite Draco’s horrendous behavior toward her, he had learned to change, and even though Y/N hated him with a burning passion, she also learned to give him a second chance and see past his façade.

Overtime, the two established a secret friendship that soon blossomed into something more. They had been together for over a year, and the two had never felt happier.

Y/N, with a bashful smile, deviated her attention toward the pitch. Her eyes landed on Draco’s, who mouthed her an “I love you” before zooming past Graham Montague after spotting the Snitch.

The witch was on the edge of her seat, anxiously peering to see if Draco was close to grabbing the little golden ball and winning the match. She noticed Ron groaning to her right while Hermione kept shouting words of encouragement, hoping Harry would hear her.

“Oi, that tosser Malfoy’s about to catch the Snitch! Fred and George, one of you do something!” Ron yelled in an attempt at catching his brothers’ attention.

Y/N crossed her fingers together, watching as Draco’s broom was inches away from Harry’s. The two began bumping into each other, completely oblivious of the events happening around them.

“Bole sends a Bludger Harry Potter’s way—intercepted by Fred, or maybe was it George? Who cares—Angelina Johnson steals the Quaffle from Pucey—Derrick sends a Bludger—intercepted yet again by Gryffindor’s most valuable beaters, serves Slytherin right for such a foul and outrageous move—Bludger flies dangerously close to the Slytherin Seeker. Merlin’s beard. Draco Malfoy gets hit!” Lee Jordan commented, sending Y/N’s heart spiraling.

Involuntarily, Y/N jumps to her feet among the crowd of Gryffindors, running to the edge of the bleachers. “Draco,” she whispers, eyes filled with tears. She clapped a hand on her mouth to muffle her silent cries.

With a heavy heart, Y/N was forced to watch as Draco tumbled down from Merlin knows how much distance until his body met the ground. She could hear him wailing in pain, but the fear of what just happened kept her rooted in place, unable to do anything but gawk like all those around her.

She watched as Pansy Parkinson and Theodore Nott rushed to their friend’s side, followed shortly after by Crabbe and Goyle.

“He deserved that, bloody git.”

“Piss off, Weasley!” Y/N screeched, the words falling from her mouth without her consent. Her eyes widened in shock as she saw Hermione and Ron’s expressions. Her lower lip wobbled as her gaze switched between them and Draco. “I mean… he’s hurt. No one deserves that, not even Dr—Malfoy.”

“You are too kind for your own good, Y/N,” Ron commented as he shook his head.

The witch ignored him, her eyes going back to Draco, who was now unconscious and being hauled onto a stretcher, completely oblivious of the pair of Y/E/C eyes worriedly studying him.

Y/N was feeling terrible. She hadn’t been able to eat dinner due to the knots in the pit of her stomach. Consequently, she decided to hide behind a tapestry next to the Hospital Wing, constantly peering to see if Draco’s friends had left for dinner.

Theodore Nott was the last to linger behind before he walked out the door. Y/N ducked behind the tapestry, keeping her ears on his footsteps and waiting for them to fade.

When he left, she immediately dashed toward the Hospital Wing, reckoning she had a few minutes before one of his friends came back to bring Draco dinner.

She walked closer to the beds in the back, her heart clenching at the sight. Draco had a bandage wrapped around his head and a cast on his left arm. One of his legs was supported by a pillow, and several bruises littered his face.

“Oh, Draco,” Y/N whispered meekly with tears forming in her eyes. She rushed to his side, bringing her fingers to caress his cheeks.

The contact made Draco’s eyes flutter open. As soon as he laid them on the girl, he yelled, briskly moving away from her touch. “What the bloody hell do you think you're doing, Y/L/N?”

Y/N gasped, recoiling back after his sudden anger. She peered to look around, trying to see if someone was there, which might explain her boyfriend’s hostility. “Love, there’s no one around.”

“What did you just call me?” he asked, disgust lacing his tone. Y/N’s heart broke at the way he spoke and how his silver eyes were looking at her with nothing but confusion and hate.

“I…” she stuttered, not knowing what to say. “Draco, are you sure you’re alright?”

Draco seemed about ready to throw a hex at Y/N and banish her out of the Hospital Wing. He looked at her incredulously, his lips molding into the most wicked sneer she’d ever seen him wear. “How dare you call me by my first name? You filthy little mudblood.”

Y/N stumbled back, dazed at the word that just came out of his mouth. She hadn’t heard him say it, not just to her, but to anyone for that matter, ever since their friendship had begun.

She knew Draco wouldn’t say it even if his friends were around because he ignored Y/N whenever he was with them instead of tormenting her.

“What’s going on here?” Y/N heard, whipping her head around to be met with Blaise Zabini. He placed the plate he was holding down on the table beside Draco’s bed, turning to look at the distressed witch.

“What’s wrong with him?” she asked, shaking like a leaf. Blaise’s brows furrowed while Draco loudly scoffed, making Y/N wince.

“Y/L/N,” Blaise said. “Why are you here?”

Y/N ignored his question. “What’s wrong with him?” she demanded, clenching her teeth.

Blaise looked confusingly at her, not sure whether to answer or not. “He has two broken ribs, a twisted knee, and a broken arm.”

“Why the bloody hell are you asking, mudblood?”

Y/N winced at Draco’s choice of words, closing her eyes before she could see Blaise’s brown eyes widen in shock. He hadn’t heard Draco say that word in a while. He was almost sure it had left his vocabulary.

“His head,” Y/N whispered, trying to hide her tears by rearranging her hair. “He hit his head, didn’t he?”

Blaise bit on his lower lip, unsure what to say. Eventually, he sighed and crossed his arms, peering at the witch. “He did. He has temporary amnesia. He doesn’t remember anything from the past two years.”

Y/N’s head shot up, her mossy eyes coming into view. “Nothing?”

“Nothing,” Blaise answered.

Y/N turned back to look at Draco, her heart breaking at the thought of him forgetting her. She wanted to ask when his memory might return or if there were any ways to stimulate it. But the only thing that came out of her chapped lips was a pained sob. She quickly muffled her cries with her hands and left the room.

Potions was by far her least favorite subject. She had always struggled with it, and frankly speaking, Snape always creeped her out. But having Draco as her Potions partner always made her mood switch.

The stolen glances and secretive touches the two shared made her heart jolt with anticipation. Unfortunately for her, Draco was still being retained in the Hospital Wing, so even his mere presence couldn’t cheer her up.

Y/N made sure to pay careful attention in class, deciding to take good notes and use it as an excuse to go see Draco. Although she was used to borrowing his notes, she decided that for once in her life, she needed to put all her energy into focusing on Snape’s lesson.

Once the class was done, Y/N was more than happy to have a free period. She breathed in deeply, mentally preparing herself for the insults Draco would throw her way.

Nonetheless, the witch squared her shoulders and clutched her notes, making her way to the Hospital Wing.

“What are you doing here, mudblood?”

Y/N cursed under her breath, finding Pansy Parkinson sitting on the edge of Draco’s bed, firmly holding his hand.

“Hello, Parkinson,” Y/N spat. She ignored the witch altogether, turning to her boyfriend. “I came to give you these.”

She extended her hand, handing him a copy of her Potions notes. “Why would Draco need your notes, Y/L/N?” Pansy made a disgusted face, scrunching her nose as she peered at the parchment papers.

Y/N inhaled deeply, trying her utmost best to remain calm even though she wanted nothing more but to strangle the Slytherin witch. She exhaled an even deeper breath, her emotions all over the place, not knowing whether she should cry or smile when she laid her eyes on Draco.

“I don’t think you remember, but you and I are paired together in Potions. And since you’re stuck here, I thought to give you those so you won’t fall behind.”

Silence fell over the three as Draco and Y/N stared at one another. The witch chewed on her lips, wishfully thinking that Draco might say something nice to her.

To her surprise, he threw the parchment papers aside and rolled his eyes. “If you’re expecting me to thank you, then you’re dafter than I thought, Y/L/N.”

Y/N sighed, clutching her satchel a little tighter. “I hope you feel better soon,” she whispered under breath, trying hard not to cry as Draco ignored her. He turned his attention to Pansy, and Y/N didn’t miss the way he clutched her hand, breaking the witch’s heart even more than she thought possible.

“You’ve been awfully quiet the whole class,” Hermione remarked, glancing at Y/N, “are you sure you’re alright?”

The girl sighed dejectedly, plastering on a fake smile. “I’m okay,” she replied, hoping this would be a sufficient answer to ease Hermione’s worries. But it didn’t seem to convince the muggleborn in the slightest.

“No, you aren’t, Y/N/N. You haven’t been yourself in over a week. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Y/N dismissed her friend, looking to see if Professor Sprout had heard them talking in her class.

Hermione bit on her lip, scooting closer to Y/N’s side. “Does it have to do with a certain blond?” she whispered so no one could hear, making Y/N’s eyes widen in panic.

Y/N would’ve loved to say no, but sadly, she had always been a terrible liar. Draco would normally wait for her to deny a claim or make up excuses to confront her until she admits the truth.

She resorted to opening and closing her mouth, letting out a loud exhale when no coherent thought nor valuable excuse came out her mouth. “Please don’t tell anyone.”

“I won’t,” Hermione assured, covering Y/N’s hand with her own. She smiled gently at the girl, her brown orbs glistening with sincerity. “Is this because he’s in the Hospital Wing? I heard he was getting out today.”

Y/N hummed, nodding in affirmation. “It’s just that Draco doesn’t remember me, Hermione. He has temporary amnesia, and all he remembers is that I’m this m-mudblood he met during his first year. It really hurts.”

“He used to treat you much better, I’m guessing,” Hermione said, and Y/N nodded meekly with tears on the edge of her lashes.

“I miss him.”

“He’ll get better. I’m sure he’ll remember you in no time. You’re unforgettable, Y/N/N, and I’m sure it won’t take long for Malfoy to remember that,” Hermione assured, making Y/N genuinely smile for the first time in a week.

That same day, Y/N decided she wanted to visit Draco again. But this time, she wanted to give him something that might help spark his memory.

She had walked up to Sprout and asked her if she could pick out some flowers. “My friend is in the Hospital Wing,” Y/N had said, knowing well that Professor Panoma Sprout was one of the kindest people at Hogwarts. “I’d really appreciate it if I could get him some flowers. Not too much; a couple is more than enough.”

Being her kind self, Sprout offered her to take as much as she wanted. So Y/N went to work, assembling a beautiful assortment of myosotis flowers.

She headed to the Hospital Wing, sending Draco a charming smile when she saw him getting ready to leave, his bandages all taken off and his bruises almost faded.

“I’m glad to see you’re better.”

“Mudblood,” he spat, buttoning his shirt. “Why are you so adamant about pissing me off with your presence?”

Y/N’s heart clenched at the words, but she decided against saying anything. She placed the flowers on Draco’s bedside table and took a step back. “I just wanted to give you these. I’m glad to know you’re alright. I hope you regain your memory soon.”

Before Draco could spit some more words, Y/N turned on her heels and left. Draco remained dumbfounded, staring at the flowers she had brought, his mind stinging for a moment.

“Why does it smell like Y/L/N in here?” Blaise asked as he walked inside the room, his nose scrunching.

“She was here a couple of minutes ago. Brought me these,” Draco explained, pointing at the flowers.

Blaise studied the bluish blossoms, his brown eyes scanning the assortment. “What the hell are these?”

“They’re called forget-me-not,” Draco said, reaching out for his green robes. “At least, that’s what the muggles call them.”

Blaise crossed his arms, tapping his foot against the tiled floor. “Why would Y/L/N get you flowers? These in particular.”

“I don’t know, mate. She’s been acting weird; it’s creepy.”

“Draco, maybe there’s something about her you’re forgetting,” Blaise remarked, slumping into the seat next to the blond Slytherin’s bed. “She seemed worried about you, and she visited you every single day you were here; she even brought you flowers.”

Draco raised an eyebrow, carefully looking at his friend. “What are you insinuating? That something is going on between me and that mudblood?”

Blaise cringed, looking away. “Mate, I don’t think I’ve heard you say ‘mudblood’ in over a year, especially to Y/L/N.”

Draco’s brows furrowed in confusion. “I would never be caught dead with someone as putrid as her.”

“I’m not sure. How did you even know what muggles call these flowers if you haven’t at least spoken to a muggleborn?” Blaise rolled his eyes.

Draco huffed as he walked over the flowers, inspecting the foliage. “We learned it in Herbology last year.”

“Hold on for a moment, mate. You remember last year’s Herbology lesson?”

Draco made a face. “I…” He paused, thinking back. “I remember these flowers. Someone told me what the muggles call them, but I don’t remember who.”

Blaise placed a hand on his chin, thinking back about last year. “Y/L/N!” He all but yelled, jumping to his feet. “That day, Y/L/N was your partner. I remember she told you something, and you kept staring at her after she said it.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Blaise. I didn’t stare at her. Besides, she was only telling me what those flowers symbolize to muggles,” he replied nonchalantly before his eyes widened, and he peered back at the flowers

Draco looked intently at the foliage. He vividly recalled how Y/N spoke about those flowers, explaining that they symbolized true love and fidelity. She had remarked that they came in different colors, but her personal favorites were always bluish.

Then his head started to throb slightly, and he clutched it at the same time her laugh echoed in his ears. He recalled those mystifying Y/E/C eyes and her luscious lips.

From hushed whispers to stolen glances to the brushing of fingertips against skin. Draco remembered it all. Most importantly, he remembered his Y/N. “Merlin’s beard, I’m a real wanker.”

Before Blaise could say a word, Draco had made a mad dash toward the crowded hallways. He rushed down the steps, looking left and right in search of Y/N.

It felt like eternity when it was merely a couple of minutes before his silver eyes landed on her slumped figure.

She was standing with the golden trio, completely lost in her own world. She had her book clutched to her chest as she gazed at the ground in an attempt at hiding her tears.

“Y/N!” Draco couldn’t help but say out loud, not only catching her off guard, but also managing to get everyone’s attention on them.

He marched determinedly toward her, ignoring how Harry and Ron’s noses crinkled. And before Y/N could do or say anything, he backed her into the wall and kissed her fiercely.

Y/N’s eyes widened significantly, the books in her hands toppling to the ground. Without hesitation, she wrapped her arms around Draco, her fingers trailing his neck until they found their rightful place in his platinum locks.

She closed her eyes, melting every time Draco’s lips delicately brushed hers, fireworks going off from the tips of her fingers to her entire body. She kissed him fervently, her lips moving carefully yet boldly against his lips as if it were a dance, and the two had perfectly mastered the steps.

“You remember,” Y/N breathed, a wide smile on her face as she rested her forehead against his.

Draco matched her jovial expression, pulling out a single forget-me-not from his pocket. “How could I ever forget you, my love?”

Y/N’s eyes picked with tears at the kind sentiment. She let him place the flower behind her ear. She encased him in her arms, filling him with warmth and affection just as much as he did to her.

“I love you,” Draco whispered, ignoring Ron and Harry’s grumbling.

Y/N’s heart fluttered in an instant, her soul being lit on fire, burning with a sudden passion she never felt before. “I love you, too.”

-----------------------

Originally, I had planned to write this with Theo's sister in mind. But I quite liked how it turned out! What are your thoughts?

For those who want to be tagged, head over to “The Owlery” section on my profile and send me a message!

Until the next one xx

#draco malfoy x reader #draco x reader #draco x y/n #draco x you #draco malfoy fanfiction #harry potter fanfiction #draco malfoy #draco malfoy x y/n #draco malfoy x you #draco imagine #draco malfoy imagine

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pleasantangelpaper · 6 months

Text

To Keep You Warm

so, there’s a lack of Remus Lupin fluff on here, and I need to fix that. So, here is a silly fluff oneshot about him <3 Also this is my first time writing like genuine fanfic so I hope it’s good! (Also ignore if my paragraphs are formatted weird, I wrote this on my phone)

Warnings: none :)

gender neutral! reader, Unspecified House! Reader

“Darling, would you like me to take you back to your dorm? you’re freezing” Remus Lupin whispered as he held y/n’s ice-like hand. The couple had been sitting in a cozy back corner of the Hogwarts library as Remus prepared for his D.A.D.A exam. It was a cold December afternoon as snow fell from the sky like salt from a shaker. Students drew shapes in the frosty windows as they got bored of studying and instead were dreaming of the winter break that would soon start. Remus’s lovely y/n sat by his side with their head rested on his shoulder as they read a muggle book called “Sense and Sensibility”. Remus’s eyes flickered over to his darling as they spoke,

“No, Rem, I’m fine, really, you need to study for your exams.” They spoke as they huddled closer to Remus inhaling the aroma of coffee and chocolate that seemed to swirl about him. Though they spoke with an air of confidence, Remus knew from their shivering that they would much rather be sitting in bed with a hot cup of tea than in the library, but it was a sacrifice they would make to be with him. Remus sighed and closed his book, a puff of dust from the desk below rose into the air. He gently tapped his partner so that he could push his chair out and begin to pack his things.

“Remus, what are you doing? Your exam is tomorrow. You need to study. I’ll be okay,”

He simply continued to put his books away as he grabbed their hand. Throwing his worn messenger bag over his shoulder, he gently pushed in his chair and ushered his partner to do the same. “Love, I already have made excellent marks in that class, but you will surely freeze if we are to stay here any longer.” He said with a tinge of worry and love in his voice. Y/n’s cheeks flushed at his remarks, and they quietly pushed their chair in as well and began to walk by his side. The couple walked through the corridors which were left empty due to the fact that most students were either huddled by the common room fires, or outside enjoying the winter weather. Noticing the guilt on his partner’s face, Remus let out a sigh and glanced at them, “You know I would do anything for you, dove.” “I know you would Mooney, but your grades are important, I don’t want you to fail out of the class you love the most just because I’m cold” Worry filled their voice as they stopped in their tracks. Tears prickled their eyes as they interlocked with Remus’s. He stopped and placed a slow kiss on their cheek. “Darling, I would fail every class if it meant I could keep you warm.” Y/n’s cheeks flushed a bright crimson red as they leant up and kissed Remus. His lips tasted like mocha with a hint of caramel, and warmth fell over the both of them as Remus pulled them closer, wrapping his arms around their waist. As they pulled away, Remus was now the one with flushed cheeks. The shy boy looked down at the ground, his hair flopping over his right eye. Y’n bent down to look into his eyes, and gently took his hand in theirs as they began walking to the Gryffindor commons once more.

The two walked in a comfortable silence together towards the Gryffindor common room, where their friends, James and Sirius, sat, bickering over something silly. “Sirius, you can’t catch a jumping frog in your mouth as it jumps, what if it tries to jump again while it’s in your mount??”

“ Yeah I can! Watch this!”

The boy caught the frog in his mouth and instantly spit it back out at James as it had tried to jump around in his mouth. The two continued their spat, until they noticed their friends’ entrance. “Mooney, why are you two back so early, I thought you were studying for your exam,” Sirius questioned, considering his best friend usually was quite the bookworm. The aforementioned boy simply continued to walk his lover to the grand red couch by the fire, “ y/n was cold,” he bluntly stated. The two other boys simply stared with their mouths agape. Their mooney was really head over heels for this person. James got up and awkwardly dragged a, still shocked, Sirius up to the boys dormitories as he muttered something about leaving the two alone. Y/n had turned a bright shade of fuchsia at the exchange. They laid their head on Remus and stared into the fire and wished that the moment could last forever.

#Remus lupin x reader #remus lupin is my male wife #remus lupin #remus x reader #harry potter #marauders era #marauders x reader #y/n #remus x y/n

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defectivevillain · 2 years

Text

wandering compassion

premise: The Head of Houses at Hogwarts react to you getting injured.

reader’s pronouns are unspecified.

relationships (separate & platonic): Severus Snape & reader, Filius Flitwick & reader, Minerva McGonagall & reader, Pomona Sprout & reader

author’s note: y’all i’m.. idk. i have no idea how i got this idea but the moment i thought of it, i couldn’t get it out of my mind. I absolutely adore the hogwarts profs,,,, sigh. i'm pathetic, i know.

severus and filius’s parts are from your point of view. minerva and pomona’s parts are from their point of view. :)

warnings: snape’s part is about you coping with the aftermath of a detention with umbridge, so there are brief mentions of the scarring on your hand (from the blood quill). in general, there’s also fainting and general exhaustion. other than that, this fic is fluffy.

Severus Snape

You mutter a goodbye and walk down the stairs from Umbridge’s office. Your hand is shoved in your pocket—as you don’t want anyone to see it—but the fabric rubs against your wound and it burns. You grit your teeth and walk faster, feeling your vision begin to blur with tears. You quickly rub at your eyes, trying your best to keep your composure. You’ll be fine. It’ll be fine. Everything will be fine.

You’re so busy trying to convince yourself of your own welfare that you don’t notice the other person walking towards you until you bump shoulders with you. You look up, only to find Snape himself staring down at you. “Sorry, Professor.” You grimace, waiting for an insult.

Sure enough, Snape’s mouth is moving, but you have no idea what he’s saying. You squint at him and try to process his statements, but his voice sounds garbled. The professor’s expression fluctuates from annoyed to irritated to pinched.

“What?” Your voice sounds strange and you feel wobbly all of a sudden, as if your sense of balance was suddenly taken from you. You clench your uninjured fist and try to keep calm. The last thing you need is to make a fool of yourself in front of Snape.

To your immense displeasure, that is exactly what you end up doing. Your knees buckle and you fall to the ground. You wince as you careen towards the ground, dreading the intense collision with the granite below you. Fortunately, your landing is... extremely soft. You have a gut feeling that someone casts a cushioning charm just before you fall. Unfortunately, you can’t focus on this—namely because your vision is fading at the edges and you’re drifting into unconsciousness. The last thing you see before you completely fall into an unwanted slumber is Snape’s wide eyes as he looks down at you.

You wake up in the hospital wing with a dark shadow at the edge of your vision. It takes a moment for your vision to clear as you sit up. When it finally does, you’re surprised to find Snape looming over you, an infuriated expression on his face. He crosses his arms over his chest and berates you for several minutes, until Madam Pomfrey takes notice and shoos him out of the room.

Despite Snape’s harsh words, you can’t help but feel grateful for his concern. You resolve yourself to thank him later for bringing you to the hospital wing. For now, though, you recline in bed and fall asleep once more.

Minerva McGonagall

Minerva is walking down the halls, lost in thought. She spent the past few hours grading her fifth years’ essays, and she has Transfiguration on her mind. In fact, the professor is so distracted that she nearly trips over you. At the last second, fortunately, she catches herself and stops in her tracks.

You lie on the floor, your back leaned up against the wall behind you. For an awful moment, Minerva thinks you’re not breathing. She quickly relaxes, however, after casting a quick diagnostic spell. It appears that you’re just... incredibly fatigued. In fact, she has to blink and reread the warnings given to her through the spell before recollecting herself.

It’s a miracle that you’re breathing. Your natural magic stores are deprived, not to mention, your energy levels leave much to be desired. Minerva frowns at the circles under your eyes and the furrow to your eyebrows. It seems that you’re not able to relax, even in sleep.

Minerva stands before you for a long moment, contemplating what to do. Eventually, she decides on saying your name. It only takes a few tries before you’re blinking your eyes open dazedly. Minerva resists a laugh at the panic that goes through you when you notice her presence.

“Oh, Professor!” You seem to be gearing up for a justification, so Minerva interjects before you can make up an absurd excuse.

“I must insist that I escort you to the hospital wing.” Suddenly, there’s a pleading look in your eyes and she sighs. She understands the sentiment, she really does. The hospital wing is always filled to the brim with students. No doubt you would raise some attention if you stayed there. Minerva pinches the bridge of her nose. “Fine. To my office, then.”

Minerva makes you some tea and offers you some Pepper-Up Potion. You claim that you’re not hungry, but when she puts out biscuits you eat them. She shakes her head in exasperation.

She makes sure to send you off with an order to go straight to bed. As you walk away, Minerva exhales slowly. She promises herself that she’ll check on you tomorrow morning.

Filius Flitwick

You’re making your Prefect rounds late at night. The castle is remarkably quiet. Throughout your patrol, you’ve only seen one student—and they were another Prefect. In the silence of the castle halls, you find your exhaustion beginning to catch up to you. Your eyes threaten to slip shut every few moments, and your eyelids even begin to sting.

Your walking pace begins to slow as you grow more aware of the tiredness pulling at your core. Even so, you continue to patrol the castle. It’s your job, after all.

You don’t realize that you’re beginning to nod off until it’s nearly too late. One moment, your eyes are closing, and the next your body is tipping and your balance is falling to the side. Just as you’re careening to the ground, you’re gently pushed back up to a standing position. To your surprise, there’s a bluish light under your left elbow. You turn around, only to find Professor Flitwick staring at you with wide eyes.

Filius says something in Gobbledygook and you startle. He takes in your wide eyes and uncertain posture before calmly asking you to follow him to his office. You traipse along at his side. Every few seconds, you notice the professor glancing at you, as if making sure you’re alright. You’re slightly embarrassed.

“Prefects need to take care of themselves, too,” Flitwick says once the two of you are situated in his office. He asks you some questions about your sleep schedule and your workload for your classes. When you mention that you’re taking seven classes, his eyes widen and he shakes his head in disbelief. “I’ll find another Prefect to cover your patrol tomorrow. Now, go get some sleep.” You nod, grateful that the professor doesn’t seem angry with you. He bids you a good night and you leave feeling considerably lighter. Once you get back to your dormitory and get into bed, you immediately fall asleep.

Pomona Sprout

Pomona is fiercely protective of all students, Hufflepuff or not. When she comes across you holding a hand to your side, face pinched as if in pain, she nearly snaps her wand in half. Pomona clenches her fists and makes her way over to you.

“Are you alright?” She already knows the answer to the question, but you try to nod your head anyway. Pomona sighs. Sometimes, students are needlessly prideful. Fortunately, she knows some minor healing spells. She makes quick work of healing your injury, before looking you up and down. You look disheveled and a bit confused. Pomona knows that asking you about the incident will not help, but she has one question that she must ask.

“Who did this?” You balk at this, your eyes widening. You remain silent for a few moments and Pomona sighs. “Tell me now, hon, or I’ll find out.” Something in her expression must give her convictions away, because you eventually tell her the names of the people that cursed you. Pomona makes sure to remember their names before she helps you to stand up.

Then, Pomona takes you to the kitchens and asks the elves for a light snack. The two of you chuckle as the elves give you far more than just a snack. After you eat, she’s pleased to notice that your shoulders aren’t hunched and you don’t look stressed anymore. Pomona makes sure to stay with you as long as you need. When you express your desires to go to sleep, she walks you back to your dormitory and makes you promise to go to her if another like incident occurs.

The moment the door falls shut behind you, Pomona sets off down the hallway. She has some bullies to take points from, after all.

#Harry Potter #hogwarts #hogwarts professors #platonic relationships #platonic x reader #filius flitwick #severus snape #pomona sprout #minerva mcgonagall #fluff #whump #hurt/comfort #fun stuff #yuh

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bearseulgs · 2 years

Text

Romance? In Potions Class? No Way

gn!reader x slytherin!jungwon

genre: fluff, hogwarts

wc: 455

warnings: potterverse, reader's house unspecified, food, this is for Me

Jungwon sat in anticipation, waiting for professor Slughorn to enter the room. As much as he loved potions, he wasn't the best at remembering them all, so each time he was called on was torture and excitement all in one. A potion that Jungwon didn't recognize sat atop the professor's table, and he noticed that the room smelled divine.

Right then professor Slughorn strode up to his desk 5 minutes late, clapping his hands and starting with, "Alright, class! Today we'll be studying a new potion. Many of you will know what it is, but it's difficult to get right, so please pay careful attention to my instructions!" Slughorn surveyed the room, looking for a student to call upon. "Ah, Mr. Yang!" shoot."Would you please come up?"

Jungwon hesitantly rose from his seat, walking up to the front of the room. "Yessir?" he said, acknowledging the professor.

"Mr. Yang, would you please smell this potion for me?"

"But professor, aren't we not suppo-" Slughorn cut him off.

"Yes, yes, I usually advise you not to inhale the fumes, but that's what today's topic revolves around. So Jungwon, would you please smell it? And tell us what it smells like." So Jungwon leant in, and man did it smell amazing.

"It smells like… wildflowers, potato stew, cats, peppermint, fire, and old books."

"Very well, thank you Mr. Yang. You may head back to your seat."

As Jungwon walked back to his stool at the back of class, professor Slughorn said that the potion being made today was amortentia.

"Does anyone know what amortentia is?" he called out, pointing to you as you raised your hand.

"Amortentia smells like what or whom you love the most," you said, face getting increasingly warm. It was then that Jungwon remembered you sitting with your friends amongst the wildflowers, picking bouquets to take back to your dorm. You always getting potato stew at dinner, a huge grin on your face as you spoon it into your bowl. Your cat always following you around the castle, you picking it up and giving it kisses on the forehead when passing through a crowd. You paying close attention to your peppermint plant during herbology, making peppermint tea out of it whenever you felt homesick. You sitting by a hearth wherever you can find one, basking in it's warmth whilst chatting away. You staying in the library late into the night, sometimes being caught by slytherin prefect Yang Jungwon who always let you get away with it.

Jungwon was in love with you, and now you knew it. And maybe that was okay, he decided as you spent the rest of class glancing at him with a small smile dancing on your lips.

a/n: omg Lilliane making a comeback?? 😱😱😱 back in my potterhead phase leggo

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ensnapemysenses · 2 years

Text

I Understand

Snape Fic SFW

Synopsis: Professor Snape notices you are failing his assignments all of a sudden and offers you accommodations to improve your grade before you graduate from Hogwarts.

Gender-neutral reader, unspecified student house association, student is of age, in their 7th year, and about to graduate

Warnings: mention of bullying, student x teacher interactions (nothing serious but I’m adding it just in case)

Word count: 1,629

Genre: Fluff

Masterlists

Professor Snape dismisses the class and you start to gather your things. It had been another awful day in your potions class and you had failed your assignment - yet again. This was the fourth assignment in a row you had miserably failed. You usually did exceptional in potions and it was your best subject.

As you finish packing up and turn to leave the classroom you hear Professor Snape say, “A word, (Y/L/N).”

You cringe and turn around to walk up to his desk. “Yes Professor?”, you say shyly.

“Would you care to tell me why you have been doing so poorly in your lessons lately?,” Professor Snape says with a slight growl and with a raised eyebrow.

You quickly look to the ground. “I have no idea Professor,” you manage to say in a very quiet voice.

You glance back up as Snape looks at you with a cold expression. “Now, (Y/L/N) I think you have some semblance of a brain in that head of yours. We can’t have you dismally failing my class near the end of term can we?,” Snape says with an annoyed hiss.

Professor Snape continues, “You happen to be one of my best students so I’m going to offer you a proposal.”

You remain silent and look at Professor Snape in confusion. Has he managed to figure out why your potions haven’t been up to par lately? There’s no way he would notice… right?

Professor Snape continues as he stares directly into your eyes as if trying to intimidate you, “I can offer you a one-on-one potions class with me every Saturday evening at seven o’clock in order for you to remake the potions you failed for an improved grade.”

You look at him with a shocked expression. The snarky and rude Professor Snape has offered you a way to improve your grade?

“T-thank you, Professor Snape,” you say with a stutter, “I will do my very best I promise.”

Snape takes a half step closer to you and stands with his hands behind his back. “I’m intrigued to hear that, (Y/L/N). Our first lesson will be this Saturday night. Don’t be late. I will see you at seven o’clock sharp.”

You nod your head in agreement and leave to head to your next class.

~~~~

You check the time as you finish up your dinner. It’s Saturday and you only have twenty minutes until your first one-on-one potions lesson with Professor Snape. You glance up at the professor's table to see that Professor Snape has already left the dining hall. With a groan, you bid your friends goodbye and stop by your dorm to grab your potion supplies. You then hurry down to the dungeons.

You arrive exactly at seven o’clock and take a seat at the front of the class. Professor Snape is seated at his desk reading a book. As you sit down, he closes his book.

Snape stands and begins speaking. “Today you will have the opportunity to improve upon your ghastly attempt at the draught of the living dead potion. I assume that you are aware that this is a very advanced potion that requires the utmost care in order to brew correctly. You have one hour and I would like you to use the ingredients in my supply closet,” he says gesturing towards the closet, “You may begin.” At the end of Snape’s sentence, he returns to his desk and continues to read his book.

You take a moment to compose yourself and reach into your bag for your potions book. You read over the list of the correct supplies and head to the supplies closet to gather what you need.

You glance down at the potion in your cauldron and it is now a pale lilac color. “Yes!,” you think, “now I just have one more ingredient to add.”

You add in the last ingredient just as Professor Snape tells you time is up. You glance down at your potion holding your breath and take a step back as you notice the color change to clear hasn’t occurred yet. You are very nervous as the Professor steps up to examine your potion.

“This potion is perhaps... the best I’ve seen from a student in a while. It is almost perfect.”

You glance at your potion in shock to see it is indeed the perfect clear color it is supposed to be. You look back up at Professor Snape with wide eyes. Did the dungeon bat Professor Snape really just praise your potion-making skills?

In a low voice Professor Snape continues speaking, “(Y/N), would you care to tell me exactly how you made this potion so well this time while using my personal supplies?”

You stare straight at the ground and mumble an answer. “Well?,” Professor Snape asks, “Miss Norris got your tongue? Please speak up so I can hear what you have to say.”

“W-well,” you stammer and look down at your shoes in embarrassment, “some of my classmates have recently started to steal my ingredients or tamper with them so I do my best using the ingredients they don’t mess with.” As you finally tell the Professor what has been going on, your eyes start to fill with tears.

Professor Snape takes a few steps until he is right in front of you. He opens his arms a bit and says “Come here, (Y/N).”

You step towards him closing the remaining space in between you. Professor Snape leads you into a hug and you bury your face into his chest. At this point, you have no more control over your tears and they start to flow out fast and heavy. Professor Snape gently caresses your hair and elbow as you continue to cry into his chest for a few moments.

When you finally have some composure back, you pull back from the embrace and apologize for getting your tears all over his robes. Professor Snape gently smiles in response. He takes a few steps away from you and begins to speak again.

“(Y/N), I’ve been noticing that you’ve been being bullied in my class for a few weeks now and it explains why my best student was all of a sudden failing assignments. Upon further inspection of your potions, I noticed a pattern in that the main ingredients always seemed to be missing. These were always things that I knew you would never forget.”

You nod and just keep silent. You really just don’t know what to say right now and you seem to have lost your ability to speak for the moment also.

Professor Snape continues speaking, “I understand how you are feeling and I will not stand for such nonsense, however I want to act in a way that will not draw too much attention to you as I would hate for the bullying to become harsher. I have already been discreetly taking points away from these student’s houses when I can.”

You think back to your recent lessons stunned to realize that Professor Snape really has been taking points from the students bullying you for the weirdest reasons. You don’t know how you haven’t noticed before.

“I have thought of several ways I can help you out further with these issues. I can either pull you from my class and we can do one-on-one classes twice a week so that you can keep up with your peers, or I can rearrange the seating chart and we can keep the one-on-one classes going just until you finish remaking the potions you have been making so dreadfully lately. Of course, I can also either continue to punish them as I have been or I can discuss punishments for them with their heads of houses.” Snape takes a breath and a small pause before continuing, “The choice is up to you and whatever you feel will be best.”

You nod and wipe your tears from your eyes. Knowing that Professor Snape understands what you are going through makes you feel a bit better about the whole situation.

With a soft understanding look in his eyes Professor Snape smiles slightly and offers you a cup of tea. He disappears into his office and reappears a few moments later with two cups of tea in hand. He holds one out to you and you accept it. Both of you sit in silence sipping on your tea.

After a few moments you begin to speak, “Professor?,” you hesitantly continue, “I would love to avoid the situation entirely and just do one-on-one lessons with you but… I feel as if that isn’t the best option. I’d like for you to try rearranging the seating chart first.”

“I figured as such,” Professor Snape says in a low voice. “In that case, be prepared on Monday to have a different seat in your potions class. I will rearrange everyone’s seats so it's not obvious I’m helping you out here.”

You thank him for everything he is doing to help you. Professor Snape looks at you with a look of compassion and just nods his head slightly indicating that he is accepting of your thanks.

“(Y/N), do not tell anyone about what I’m doing here to help you out. I’d hate for rumors to start that I have a favored student or even worse that I actually have a heart,” Professor Snape says sarcastically rolling his eyes.

You agree to never speak of this encounter again as crying into your professors chest, Professor Snape’s no less, is highly embarrassing anyways.

With this silent agreement, you both finish up your tea, and Professor Snape bids you farewell. Full of hope for the first time in a while you happily gather your things and head back to your dorm room for the night.

~~~~

#snape x student #professor snape fic #professor snape #snapedom #snape fic #severus snape #severus snape fic #pro snape #pro severus snape #pro severus #sfw #severus snape fluff #snape fluff #snape x student fluff

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slytherinboysappreciation · 24 days

Text

Infatuation - T.R. x fem!Reader

A/N: Here it is! Part two to Adoration! It took me a couple days to write coz I’m a slow writer lol, but I had a lot of fun with it. I hope it lives up to the first one! It has more plot to it than porn, so I hope that’s okay.

Gif is not my own; it was found on Pinterest, uploaded by Wattpad

No use of Y/N. Reader is Dumbledore’s daughter. Tom is in his seventh year for this fic. It’s mostly unedited and only my second time writing smut so please be nice 💛 Comments, likes, and reblogs are greatly appreciated!

CW: mentions of hatred; talk of revenge plans; descriptions of male arousal and such; sexual fantasies; a brief moment of nausea and self-hatred; religious trauma, I guess; Tom being a bit of a sub; (badly written) graphic descriptions of a blow job; praise kink; infatuation with the reader

Does contain mature content so NO MINORS PLEASE!!! Just keep scrolling!!

1588 words

Tom avoids you for a whole week. It’s hard to do. Every time he sees your smile or hears your laugh, his body reacts to it.

It’s the most uncomfortable he’s ever been in his life, forced to use all his tactics to will away his sudden unwelcome erections. After that first incident, he refuses to grant himself proper relief.

It diverts his attention from his grand revenge plan. It’s an almost perfect plan. He’ll humiliate you in public, make it so you never smile at him again. He’ll finally be free from the intense discomfort you’re unknowingly putting him through.

It’s almost perfect…

… except he can’t seem to make himself follow through.

It’s not for lack of hatred. He has plenty of that when it comes to you. Nor is it for lack of willpower. It takes more than a firm will to ignore just how achingly hard you make him.

It’s just… every time he sees your smile, something within him stops. It makes him look like a fool; just standing there, staring at you. And then you smile and wave, just at him, and he’s instantly hard again.

He hates it. He despises it. He wants to scream with rage every time it happens.

His grand revenge plan, ruined by your stupid smile!

He sulks in his room, plotting on how best to get his revenge.

Finally the idea comes to him. It’s a stupid idea; a last ditch attempt at revenge. Take advantage of your friendliness. Of your smiles. Get close to you, and then hex you so bad you can’t walk afterwards.

Tom clings to the idea like a lifeline. All he has to do it get close to you somehow. And then his problems will be over.

The solution presents itself a few days later. You’re in need of tutoring. And who better to tutor you than Tom Riddle himself?

His plan goes swimmingly. Perfect. Absolutely wonderfully.

Until your first study session with him.

He’s already hard.

It’s not even been twenty minutes and you’ve smiled at him four times. FOUR! Who even smiles that much?!

Tom grits his teeth and forces a polite smile as you ask him another question about your homework. He answers evenly, calmly; despite the raging erection he’s just managing to hide under the table.

It throbs with need, begging him to touch it, relieve it, do something about it. Tom refuses.

He’s trying so hard to pay attention to your questions, to focus on your homework, but it’s just so difficult.

You sigh and prop your chin on your hand, gazing at him with a look of confusion. “Tom, are you listening to me?”

He forces his thoughts away from unholy places, using all his willpower to focus on you. “Yes?”

“I asked if you know the wand movements for Silencio? I have a hard time remembering.”

A hard time…

Tom’s thoughts go right back to imagining your soft hands running along his cock… stroking it… whispering soft praises…

“Tom!” You rest your hand on his, snapping him out of his reverie. You’re frowning now. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” he forces out, moving his hand away. “You wanted to know the wand movements for…”

“Silencio. I know you make a swooping motion and then flick, but do I flick up or down?” You gaze at him expectantly.

“Down.” Now that you’re not smiling it’s easier for him to focus. He takes a deep breath and exhales, trying to will away his erection.

No such luck.

After scribbling down the answer in your notes, you cast the spell, summoning a bubble of quiet around the two of you. You beam with pride, and Tom’s stomach erupts with butterflies and heat.

This was a terrible idea. A truly, horribly, absolutely terrible idea.

“… Tom. Tom. Tommy.”

He blinks, refocusing on you. “What?”

You hide a grin. “Where are you going off to? In your mind?”

He flushes a bit. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

You lean closer. Tom panics a bit, resting his hands in his lap to hide himself. The motion makes you glance down.

“Oh.”

Tom’s face flushed hot, his stomach churning with anxiety. “It’s just a natural thing! It doesn’t mean anything!”

You tilt your head, giving him a look. He flushes redder and shrinks a bit in his seat.

You know his secret now. Even death would be better than this. You, his mortal enemy, knowing he has a uncontrollable—

“Do you want some help?”

Your words startle him from his thoughts. “What?”

You gesture to his lap. “Do you want some help?”

He stares at you, utterly baffled. You’re not mad. You’re not disgusted. You’re not shocked and appalled. You’re just…

“You want to…” Tom hesitates. It doesn’t seem like a joke, but he’s not too sure. “How?”

You smile and duck under the table. His breathing stops. You crawl over to him and gently nudge his legs apart, settling yourself between them. You smile up at him, and he stifles a whimper at the sight.

You look beautiful, your perfect features warm with a smile.

“Have you ever had a girl do this before?” You ask softly, resting your hands on his thighs. The touch is electrifying.

Tom shakes his head, not trusting himself to speak. You look a bit surprised, but your smile grows a little. “I’m gonna use my mouth.”

His brain crashes. Your… mouth…? Your perfect, wonderful, smiling mouth on his dick?

“Oh, yes, please,” he breathes out, a soft whine to his tone.

A pleased look crosses your face. You move your hands up to undo his belt, and your palm bumps against his erection. His hips jolt and he lets out a choked sound. Even just that small touch feels better than his own hand ever could.

You undo his belt and pull down his clothes enough to reveal his aching cock. The revulsion hits Tom immediately. He clasps a hand to his mouth, fighting the urge to vomit. He forces himself to look away, trying not to cry.

You were so perfect, wanting to help him; and yet here he was, a dirty disgusting person. Tom squeezes his eyes shut, the orphanage nuns’ words echoing in his mind. Tainted. Evil. Unholy. Devil-ridden.

And then—

“You’re so pretty, Tom,” you breathe, fingers reaching up to gently trace the veins on his cock. He whimpers at the touch, hips lifting up, seeking more of your touch.

His eyes open, peeking down at you. Your expression is awed. Hungry. Eager.

You look up at him and smile, leaning forward to lap at the tip of his cock. Tom moans, fingers gripping the arms of his chair. Your tongue is hot, warm, wet. The feeling is exquisite.

His mind melts to mush as you wrap your lips around his dick. He moans again, head falling back against his seat as you start to suck on his cock, ravishing it with your tongue.

You rest your hands on his thighs, keeping him from bucking up his hips as you bob your head up and down his cock. Tom tries hard to stifle his moans, but to no avail. You’re just too good.

You swirl your tongue around the tip of his cock, pulling back before taking him down again. Tom whimpers at the feeling, one of his hands falling to your head. He can’t help himself; it feels too good.

He pushes your head down a bit, making you choke on his cock. He stops immediately, panic flaring in his chest. You’re going to stop, or get mad, or something!

But instead you moan. You moan around his cock, making him shudder from the vibrations. You move your head down voluntarily, choking yourself on his cock.

Tom’s hand fists in your hair. He moans loudly, head falling back once again. Your mouth and throat feel heavenly, all hot and wet and tight. It’s so much better than his hand.

He can feel the familiar feeling build up. He’s going to cum. He tries to force a warning from his throat but all he can do is whine as he cums down your throat.

It’s like pure heaven. It’s a wonderful, haze-inducing release that leaves him breathless. Tom gazes blankly up at the ceiling, body twitching from the aftershocks.

You slowly pull off, pressing a kiss to the tip of his dick. It makes him jerk and whine again. He looks down at you. You’re sitting there, licking your lips. Giving him such a look of praise. It makes him melt.

“How was it?” You ask, gently running your hands up and down his thighs. He shivers and struggles to answer. It takes him a moment to gather his words.

“Perfect,” he whispers. “I— I didn’t know it could feel that good.”

You smile, clearly pleased with yourself. You crawl out from under the table and settle back into your seat. “Let’s finish studying now, alright?”

Tom nods and tucks himself away. There’s nothing on his mind but a lingering sense of awe. “Yeah,” he murmurs, a faint smile playing across his lips. “Alright.”

You reach out and give his hand a soft squeeze, smiling warmly at him. It sets off a warm glow in his chest that makes his body all tingly. His cheeks flush and he looks down at his hands.

Perhaps his plan can wait for now. If you’re willing to do that again… maybe there is some value in keeping you around after all.

Taglist: @jillian2003 (sorry it won’t let me tag you properly)

#tom riddle #tom riddle smut #tom riddle x reader #tom riddle x you #reader is from an unspecified hogwarts house #divider by cafekitsune #please be nice to me about this

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strawwritesfic · 2 years

Text

Teddy Lupin x Female!Reader: Thoughts

Summary: Time to meet the parents.

Rating/Warnings/Tags: All (Dead!Remus Lupin; Dead!Nymphadora Tonks; past!Remus/Tonks; past!Teddy/Victoire; past!Victoire & Reader friendship; Reader’s House is unspecified; Reader is the daughter of unspecified Death Eater(s))

Challenge: "115 Words" challenge by BonitaWolfSpirit on Lunaesence Archives.

Tag List: @imaginesfire

Thoughts

Most Hogsmeade weekends were cause for celebration. Seventh year students received so few breaks in their studies, after all. By mid-May, they saw none at all. You had, in fact, planned to stay in the castle to cram for your Divination N.E.W.T.s, rather than waste time going into town that day. The thought that you were not in your common room with a stack of books nagged at you throughout the morning. If not for your boyfriend’s insistence on your accompanying him that Saturday, you would have been there still.

Having got you outside for “a bit of fresh air,” however, Teddy seemed in no hurry to return to Hogwarts. He seemed in no hurry to get anywhere at all. First you trundled to the sweet shop, then the post office, then the Hogsmeade branch of Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes. From store to store he led you until there was nowhere else to go. And yet, as you left the Three Broomsticks after an hour of sipping gillywater, he continued up the main street.

“Teddy?” you said.

You saw his eyes flick in your direction. They were dark brown that day, and he’d turned his partially-buzzed hair violet.

“Teddy, where are we going?”

“Tired of my company already, [Name]?” he asked with a grin.

“Not your company, no. But I should be studying. As should you.”

“Exams aren’t for another three weeks! You study too much.”

“And you don’t study enough.” You tugged on his hand, which had been interlaced with yours since you’d left Hogwarts. “Come on. Let’s go home.”

“One more stop.”

“You said that after the last three!”

“Humor me. You’ve been so busy lately that I’ve hardly seen you. Pretty please?”

How could you say no to that adorable pout? “Fine.” You rolled your eyes good-naturedly. “But this really has to be our last stop. I promised Rose I’d help her study for her Herbology final, remember?”

“Last stop.” Teddy bent to kiss your cheek. “I promise. Would I lie to you?”

“Each and every day like clockwork.”

He chuckled, but the sound was subdued. Now that you thought about it, Teddy had been rather subdued all day long. Gazing at him intently all the while, you allowed him to pull you along, up and away from the typical hustle and bustle of the town. No further conversation passed between you.

The houses and shops slowly disappeared behind you as you moved on. Fewer students called out to greet you. Soon, you and Teddy walked alone together along the winding dirt path that led out of Hogsmeade. Just as you were beginning to suspect you knew where your final destination was, he drew to an abrupt stop.

A large expanse of flat land sat before you. Gray stones and bright bunches of flowers dotted the well-kept grass. He had brought you to the memorial cemetery installed for those that fell during the Last Battle of Hogwarts.

“What are we doing here?” you asked.

“You’ll see.”

His answer did little to calm you. Oblivious to your nerves—or ignoring them—Teddy pushed open the beautiful gate and stepped inside the graveyard. You followed hesitantly. Many Hogwarts students made it a point to visit this place, especially around that time of year. Being the daughter of a Death Eater, you’d never set foot in it. You were not welcome there.

“Teddy,” you whispered, “can we please leave? I don’t want to get stuck in the hospital wing this week.”

“No one is going to curse you.”

Clearly, he couldn’t see the looks those gathered kept throwing you. The iron grip he had on your hand forced you to keep going even though you could. Cringing, you scurried along next to him until, quite suddenly, he let you go.

“Huh?”

Teddy knelt in front of two graves, each bursting with flowers. He affectionately caressed each headstone before looking at you with a small smile.

“I wanted you to meet my parents.”

“Your—!”

Yes, you saw that now. Nymphadora “Tonks” Lupin read one marker, the other Remus John Lupin. Your hands lifted to cover your mouth as tears filled your eyes.

“There wasn’t much time left, you know,” he explained, “what with us leaving school soon.”

You nodded, unable to speak.

“I’ve been meaning to introduce you for ages, but it took me awhile to work up the nerve. I wanted to bring Victoire, but—well. You know how that went.”

“Yes.” You and Victoire Weasley had been best friends up until her very messy breakup with Teddy. That you were dating him now hardly helped matters.

As though he read your mind, Teddy grinned. “Don’t worry. She won’t come. I paid James off to keep her busy for us.”

“Oh. Good.”

Why were you so damn nervous? Teddy’s parents couldn’t do anything to you! Neither could Victoire, whether she made an appearance or not. All the same, you hung back to watch in silence. Then he motioned for you to quit dawdling.

“Come on. Dad made it a point not to bite, even in life,” he said.

Feeling awkward, you moved forward until Teddy was able to grasp your hand once more.

“Mum. Dad.” An uncomfortable laugh told you he felt just as anxious as you did. “This is my girlfriend, [Name]. You probably didn’t like her dad much, but…she’s great. I never got to know you myself, but I want you to know her. Harry says you can see what’s going on down here, so you probably already know that I love her. She’s going to stay with me for a long time, at least as long as she’s willing to put up with me.”

Tears filled your eyes. You dried them with your sleeve, but not quickly enough for them to escape Teddy’s notice. He let out a whoop of laughter.

“You actually crying, [Name]?”

“Shut up!” you snapped. “You’re not typically so serious.”

He winked. “Enjoy it while you can, babe.”

After that, he went quiet. It took him elbowing you in the ribs to make you understand he expected you to say something as well. What on earth were you supposed to say? That you were sorry your father had made their short lives so miserable? Wouldn’t that kind of ruin the mood? You cleared your throat to buy some time and still drew a blank.

“Er, hello, Mr. and Mrs. Lupin,” you began. “Um. I know my family has done some terrible things to yours, but…I love Teddy. More than anything. I’d never hurt him, and,” you shot him a smirk, “I intend to stick around until he gets tired of me.”

“Thank you,” Teddy whispered, squeezing your hand.

There wasn’t much left to do once the confessions were done. He cast a few cleaning spells, made sure the enchantments on the flowers remained in place, and spoke to his father about the map his godfather had passed down to him and that Teddy in turn would pass down to James. Then Teddy grabbed your hand again and headed for the exit, all at once his usual cheerful self.

“All right, now we can get back to your studies and my interruptions,” he said as the cemetery fell behind you.

“Do we have to involve your interruptions? Can’t I have one study session without them?”

“Absolutely not. As your boyfriend, it is my duty to ensure you have plenty of distractions to keep you sane.”

“At least promise me you won’t disrupt my studies with Rose.”

“Nothing doing.”

“Your funeral,” you muttered.

Grumble though you might have, you’d meant what you’d said to Teddy’s parents. As long as he’d have you, by his side you’d remain, distractions and all. You guessed his mum and dad wouldn’t have had it any other way.

#fan fic #straw writes #reader insert #second person pov #teddy lupin #harry potter #harry potter next gen #challenge fic #one shot #teddy lupin x reader #teddy lupin x y/n #harry potter x reader #harry potter x you #harry potter x y/n #teddy lupin x you #harry potter next gen x reader #harry potter next gen x you #harry potter next gen x y/n

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spaceyaceface · 11 months

Text

What Could Have Been

Sebastian Sallow x f!Reader (Unspecified Hogwarts House)

Word Count: 3.4k

Content Warnings: Heavy angst. This is not a very happy fic.

Summary:

She had been in love with Sebastian Sallow for some time. And she was afraid of having something to lose. After all, she knew all too well that good things always came to an end.

Now it was their last night together. What were they willing to lose?

Also available on AO3

"I don’t know how to mend it, When this chapter ended, When all of my plans have depended on you. But at least tonight we’ll still pretend, Hold each other close like it’s not the end.” - from "Dearly Departed" by Marianas Trench

Time had passed much too quickly. It felt like yesterday that she walked into the Great Hall for the first time, head spinning with the buzzing noise of students talking. The room still sounded the same—but it was now her last time sitting there as a student.

Tomorrow morning, the last term of her seventh year would be over. She had no more classes to attend, no more essays to write, no more detentions to be served. She knew at least part of her should have been excited, but all she felt was dread. Was she the only one feeling like this? Was it because she had had so little time to enjoy her time here, compared to the rest of her classmates? She’d found that being a student at Hogwarts was much more than learning magic. It was having a home, knowing there was some place to belong. It was building friendships that felt more like family.

She knew she was being a bit silly about all of it—after all, she wouldn’t really be leaving Hogwarts. Professor Hecate had offered her an apprenticeship; she had seen the girl’s talent in fighting the Dark Arts first hand in her fifth year, and thought she would make a wonderful Defense Against the Dark Arts professor when the time came. She wouldn’t be leaving. But nearly everyone else would.

As she looked around the Great Hall, her eyes rested on each of her friends. Garreth was beginning his own line of potions—he was already doing well. Poppy was going into the Ministry, working to preserve Magical Creatures. Imelda had been accepted to fly with the Holyhead Harpies. They all had adventures to go on, lives to live freely. This was their parting of ways—would they ever be all together again?

Her throat tightened as she saw Ominis and Sebastian sitting together across the room. Of all the friends she’d miss, they were easily at the top of her list. There had been a while she truly worried their little trio wouldn’t pull through. After Soloman’s death, Ominis found being around Sebastian almost unbearable—he felt a great deal of responsibility for the man’s demise. For that time, Sebastian was pretty much completely alone. But she had stepped in. She couldn’t let him wallow in his guilt (and there were times it had nearly consumed him) and tried to pull him back off the dark path he’d started treading. While not guilty in the same way, she a semblance of what he had been feeling—when Professor Figg died, she tore herself up for months afterward, grieving and regretting. Sebastian had helped her through it. They had learned to depend on one another when they weren’t feeling strong enough on their own. They had each other—and that was enough. Sebastian swore off the Dark Arts forever, and he was finally serious. There was no way to completely rid himself of the burden of his guilt—a guilt that had come from using an Unforgivable Curse. He never wanted to feel that way again.

After some time, Ominis saw the change in Sebastian. The two began talking again—and they had pulled through. She was glad. She didn’t know what she would do without them both.

Poor Ominis was going back home with his family, now that he was done with school—at least for a little while. He was planning on buying some little cottage and leaving them as soon as possible. And Sebastian—she had to look away from him as the memories clouded her head.

It had just been a month ago. He’d sent her an urgent letter, telling her to meet in the Undercroft. When she had entered the room, he’d been pacing back and forth. This worried her. Usually, Sebastian only paced when he was concerned or thinking hard about something. But as soon as he spotted her, his face broke out into a wide grin.

“I’ve got great news!” he said, marching up to her. “I’ve finally found a solid lead for Anne’s curse!”

Her mouth dropped open. After all that time, Sebastian had never stopped looking for a cure for Anne. They were hardly on speaking terms—or more send-the-occasional-letter terms, really—but he was still looking for the cure he was sure was out there.

“A lead?” she asked. “How? What is it?”

The whole story came spilling out of his mouth, and he spoke faster than she had ever seen him do. He detailed of the letters he sent, the books he had tracked down for mere sentences of information. But it had concluded in learning of some wizard who had extensive knowledge of healing curses.

“He’s agreed to help me. He’ll have loads to show me—to teach me. I’m sure something he knows will help Anne,” Sebastian said. “I leave for America at the end of the year.”

She swore her heart shattered.

Sebastian, gone to chase after a man in America? Why would he have done anything different? He’d always done everything he could for Anne—his care for his sister was still one of his driving forces. She loved that about him.

Yes, loved. She loved Sebastian Sallow with every bit of her heart and soul. He was a troubled young man—but one who persevered through his problems with an unyielding determination. He was passionate in everything he did. He was like a fire, spreading himself far and wide with a heat and excitement that astonished her. And there were those times he calmed down enough to be a focused flame on the wick of a candle—something warm and careful, a light when the world seemed black.

She had never told him this. Just as he had never told her how he felt. But it was there—present in every word, every moment they had together. It was there in the sleepless nights they spent in the Undercroft, fending away nightmares. It was there in the brushing of hands, the whispers of “are you ok?” It was there in aching embraces when it all became too much.

She couldn’t tell him. No, she had always told herself, it was better left unspoken. Better left in the dark, where it could fade away when it had run its course.

Better left where it wasn’t something to lose.

Because that was what she was afraid of, wasn’t it? Both her and Sebastian had already lost so much. Families, friends, innocence—it had all been whisked away from them. To place hope in something—to give life to something good—well, losing it could be the end of either of them.

That didn’t mean she didn’t want it—and God, did she want it desperately. There had been times she’d written it in a letter, only to burn it in the fireplace. Times she almost closed the distance between them, breaching the invisible wall they’d put up. There were nights she had stared up at the ceiling, deciding that tomorrow, tomorrow she’d throw all caution to the wind and let herself be happy for once, dammit.

But now, she was all out of tomorrows.

Tomorrow, he left for America. Tomorrow, he was no longer hers. Tomorrow, she would be alone.

There was no guarantee she would ever see him again. She’d run through every possibility in her head—it was all she had done since he’d told her his plans a month ago. He could go and find a cure, inviting Anne to join him across the sea. Maybe he’d find work there—be an apprentice to the healer, follow in his footsteps. Maybe—and this is what she feared the most—maybe he’d find some beautiful American girl, one who Sebastian for the dashing man he so obviously was, and he’d fall in love.

He could have asked her to come with him. It was that thought that hurt her the most. She already knew what her answer would have been—a complete and undeniable yes. She would have followed him anywhere, if he had only asked. But he didn’t.

How could he have asked that of her? To leave the home she had so recently found for some mere possibility? To leave a job that had been all but promised to her, to abandon everything she had come to know… No, no… he couldn’t ask that of her.

She still would have said yes.

She said yes that very night, after her thoughts had cleared. It wasn’t to America that he had asked her to follow—only to the Restricted Section of the library.

“For old time’s sake,” he said. He smiled down at her, his dark brown eyes enticing her.

She smiled back. It had been one of their first adventures together—might as well be their last, too. “How could I say no to an offer like that?”

And off they went. They waited together in the Great Hall until most of the other students had gone off to bed, following the rule of curfew—a rule both she and Sebastian had long since disregarded. She said goodnight to Ominis and other friends as they filed out, making them promise to send letters. She couldn’t think too hard about the goodbyes—it would break her. Instead, she focused on the Disillusionment Charm she cast on herself as she and Sebastian walked quietly through the halls. She heard Sebastian chuckle beside her. She looked over at him, only seeing a hazy blur of motion in the shadows.

“Something funny over there?” she said quietly.

“Do you remember the first time we did this? You didn’t even know the Disillusionment Charm, and yet you were ready to go barging into the library, no second thoughts about it.”

She smiled. “I was a bit brash then, wasn’t I?”

“You say that like you aren’t now.”

“Oh hush. I’m plenty brash. The difference is now I know enough to keep it from being my downfall.” She poked her head around the corner, eyes scanning for any prefects in the hall. She didn’t spot any, stepping forward. “Looks clear.”

Into the library they went, sneaking easily past the dim lights and empty tables. Scribner didn’t seem to be there. Turned in early, perhaps, to prepare for travel the next day.

At last they were marching down the familiar stairs of the Restricted Section. Even in her shortened time in Hogwarts, she was sure she came second to only Sebastian in the time any student had spent there.

Sebastian sighed in comfort, taking the charm off of him. He went to a nearby shelf, finger brushing over the spines of familiar books. “Sure am going to miss having my own private library,” he said.

“You’ll be miserable,” she told him. “I’d suggest packing enough books to keep you on your boatride over, but I doubt even an enchanted case could hold that many.”

He laughed. “I’d say you’re making fun of me for all my reading, but it’s too true to be much of a joke.”

“A proper and thorough education is nothing to make fun of, dear Sebastian.” She stood beside him, staring at the shelves. “You reckon you’ve really read every one?” “Twice over,” he said confidently.

“Then which one is your favorite?”

He thought for a moment. “It’s this way,” he said, leading her around the corner. Then he leaned down, staring hard at a lower shelf, arms crossed as he searched. Then he smiled. “Here we are!” The book he pulled out was intricately designed, with weaving patterns of gold decorating the cover. It was thick and clearly old, but well kept. “It’s a book of children’s tales. Some of them are quite gruesome, of course, and describe a bit too much of the curses and hexes in the stories, hence the being in the Restricted Section. The story I like is just fine, though.” He leafed through the pages, finally settling on a moving drawing of a maiden weeping, looking out a window.

“Seems cheery,” she commented.

“Well, it’s not for the most of it, but it ends alright. Happily ever after and all that,” he said, turning the pages. He was quiet at the moment, staring at the words the end on the last page of the story. “I think it’s the only one with a happy ending in the whole book. I don’t really remember much of the story.”

She didn’t know what to say to that. It was… too real. Too fitting. He had to be wondering the same thing she was—would either of them have a happy ending? Were they lucky enough to be the single story in a book of sorrow that ended well? If their lives leading up to this point were any indication, she was inclined to say no.

They spent a bit longer browsing books, Sebastian showing off some of the interesting spells and facts he had learned there. It was a walk down memory lane—one that she found comforting on that last night. Finally, they grew bored of already read books and parchment, and made their way back up the stairs. They had charmed themselves to fade away against the stone walls of the castle, and made their way together through them. She paused suddenly when she heard voices up ahead.

“I’ve still got to finish grading the last essays they turned in.” She recognized the voice, of course—Professor Weasley.

“That’s why I went with a practical exam for the final. Less papers to go through,” Professor Onai replied.

Sebastian grabbed her hand from behind her—they were just around the corner. It was much too bright in this corridor—the charm would do nothing to conceal them. So, she let Sebastian pull her into a classroom just beside them. Well, she thought it was a classroom until she tried to step back and found a wall directly behind her. It was a closet—barely big enough to hold them both.

Sebastian stood directly in front of her, trying to peer through the crack between the door and wall. He looked so awfully serious as he did—she couldn’t help the small laugh that bubbled up through her lips. Sebastian’s eyes widened at the sound, and his scandalized expression only made her laugh harder. He dove forward, pressing his hand over her mouth.

“Are you trying to get us caught?” he whispered. The voices of the professors had passed them by, leaving them in silence once again.

She tugged away the hand over her mouth. “What are they going to do? Expel us?”

Now it was his turn to laugh. “Honestly, I wouldn’t put it past Black to do something like that.”

“It would sure allow you to be remembered here,” she said. “Sebastian Sallow, the brilliant, troublemaking boy who made it all the way to his last day before getting kicked out.”

“Don’t forget his sidekick, who got the both of them kicked out with her ridiculous laughing.”

She gasped. “Oh, I’m the sidekick, am I?”

“Well, most stories prefer to have a dashing and likable main character, and I fit that quite well, I think.”

“I think you’re forgetting which of us wields a very rare kind of ancient magic.”

He waved a hand. “Semantics.”

They were grinning at each other, light dim in the closet. She adored that mischief in his eyes. It made her feel alive. But slowly, his grin faded, face becoming more serious.

No, she thought. No, he can’t say it. I can’t let him say it.

“Do you want to go down to the boathouse?” she asked, before he had the chance to open his mouth.

He nodded. “We couldn’t dare forget to say goodbye to our dear old friend, the squid.”

She playfully shoved his shoulder before opening the door to the closet. The both of them tumbled out and soon found themselves outside, cool breeze blowing over them. The night sky was clear; the stars glimmered in the sky.

Sebastian sat at the edge of the boathouse’s dock. She quickly joined him.

“I’m going to miss this view,” Sebastian said quietly.

It really was something. The Black Lake reflected the moonlight and stars, making her feel like she was surrounded by the night sky.

She felt Sebastian’s gaze shift to her. “I’m going to miss you, you know.”

She bit her lip. “Don’t say that.”

“Why not? It’s true.”

“Just because it’s true doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt,” she said softly.

It took him several moments to respond. “I know,” he finally whispered. He reached for her hand, taking it her own. “I don’t know what I would have done all this time without you.”

His voice was soft—softer than she’d ever heard it. She was so used to his confidence, his bravado. This softness scared her. It was too close to what they shouldn’t say. It implied too much.

But she decided to let herself have that moment. They would toe the edge without coming over. They’d get close to that line, but never cross it. She leaned against his shoulder, resting her head on him.

“I’m glad I met you, Sebastian. Truly.”

She felt his body tense at the words—she knew exactly what was going through his head. How could that be the truth? How could she be glad to meet him, after all the pain he had put her through? She stayed quiet, letting the words sink in. The sincerity of them.

“I’m glad I met you, too. Even if you had to knock me on my arse to do it,” he said quietly.

She laughed a bit, relaxing into him. If she could just stay in this moment—this one where she could pretend he wasn’t leaving in a few short hours, this one where they held each other close, as if the words had been spoken, as if it was how it could be, she would.

But she knew too well that all good things had an end, and this night was just the same. She didn’t know how long they had sat in silence, staring out across the water. It felt like lifetimes. It felt like seconds. Then they stood and began walking back to the castle.

He didn’t let go of her hand. She was grateful for the comfort—she needed every once of it. He led her to her common room as they unspokenly decided to get it over with; to let the night end.

With every breath, she felt her chest tighten. She had to let it go. He had never been hers—she needed to remember that. Nothing was ending, because it had never begun.

They stood, face to face, in front of her common room door. She let go of his hand and threw her arms around him, pulling him into an embrace. His arms didn’t hesitate to hold her tight against him—like he was afraid to let go. She felt the pounding of his heart, his warm breath against her neck as he buried his face into it. All too soon, they broke apart.

She stared up at him. Ask me. Ask me to come with you.

I’d follow you. I’d say yes.

But he didn’t say anything. Instead, he took a small step backward, letting the distance come between them. It was better this way, she thought. Of course it was.

He was just about to turn to go when she spoke.

“Seb-Sebastian,” she said. Was her voice really that frantic? He turned around, facing her again. There was hope on his face—paired with dread. Her next words came out soft. “Write me, will you?”

He nodded, still staring at her.

And then Sebastian Sallow ruined it all.

He marched up to her, placing his hand on her cheek, and before she could even think, he crashed his lips into her own. Her hands came up to grip his robe, holding him there, keeping them together. It was searing and haunting, soft and horrible. It was everything she had ever dreamed of, and that made it all the more painful.

They parted. His eyes were closed as he pried her hands off of him. And then he left.

She walked into the common room, shaking. She didn’t even have time to think if the room was empty or not before she collapsed to the ground, sob tearing out of her throat.

He had done it. The idiot had done it. He had given her everything, and now she had lost it. The taste of what could have been haunted her—she knew in that moment that she would never be free. It would follow her each morning she woke up without him. It would keep her awake each night. She had gotten too close to the flame—she’d let herself burn.

She wept, trying to forget the heat of his kiss—his kiss goodbye.

A/N: ... sorry about that, folks. This was heavily inspired by the song "Dearly Departed" by Marianas Trench, hence the title and quote above. I highly recommend giving it a listen.

Thanks for reading!

#sebastian sallow x reader #sebastian sallow #hogwarts legacy fanfic #hogwarts legacy #sebastian sallow imagine

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