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It's a wonderful sight that greets him this morning when he sees you come through the Great Hall's doors.
Your flushed face, wind-swept hair, messy robes, and the bright grin decorating your lips as you made your way down towards the Slytherin tables, chattering to someone caught his eye and kept it, too entranced at the view. Sebastian only had a brief second to close his mouth that had unwittingly dropped at your entrance before you were swinging a leg over the bench on the seat across from him and Ominis, your hand reaching out for the flash of water.
"Sebastian! Ominis! Good morning! How's breakfast?"
Beside you, Imelda’s swinging her own leg over the bench, her own face flushed and her robes messy.
Clearly, the two of you had just come in from some sort of broom-race if your features were anything to look at, one that it seems you had won from the victorious grin on your face and the grudging respect on Imelda’s face.
(He tries to ignore the other possible reason the two of you could look like that, knows that you had never particularly cared or liked Imelda and, besides, you would've told him if you'd developed a relationship with someone, right? Surely the two of you were close enough for that?)
It's only when Sebastian receives a rough nudge against his side (which, ow) does he realize he'd been glaring at his goblet of pumpkin juice and had yet to provide you an answer.
"It's well, thank you," Ominis helpfully says in Sebastian's place, his gaze directed at the table. He gestures towards Sebastian and looks absolutely gleeful as he explains, “Don't mind Sebastian. He just had a brief and rather disturbing thought hit him like a bludger. Thankfully, the thought is as impossible as a Merperson walking on land so there's no need to worry about him. He's just a bit out of it is all, but the Sebastian you know will be back shortly.” Ominis pats Sebastian's shoulder condescendingly before retreating back to his food.
Sebastian sends him a glare that he knows Ominis can feel despite him not seeing it and, judging by the smirk that grows on his friend's face, his message had been received. Clearing his throat, he glances back towards you and shrugs.
"Yeah, what Ominis said. Didn't get much sleep last night so I suppose my thoughts are a bit scattered,” he mutters then shoves a forkful of hashbrowns into his mouth to avoid speaking on it any further.
Unfortunately, you had adopted a concerned expression and didn't seem willing to let it go. Your brows furrow as your lips press against each other unhappily to the point that Sebastian starts to feel guilty for lying to you. "You didn't get much sleep last night? Oh, Sebastian, make sure you try and sleep early tonight, okay? We've got DADA first thing tomorrow and Professor Hecat was thinking of teaching us some new spells and having us practice them in a duel. Of course, I was hoping you would be my partner like always, but I’d want you to have a clear head for it.”
Sebastian sighs but nods in understanding, his fork playing with the rest of his hashbrowns. He supposes that means you wouldn't agree to his idea to sneak out to stargaze with him tonight. It's a shame, he'd started to enjoy the evenings the two of you would go out to watch the stars.
Initially, it had been a you thing, but ever since that night the two of you talked and he had draped his scarf around you — he still can't get that image of you out of his head and he thinks the fact that he received the scarf back with your scent all over it the next day only makes that evening a better memory — you had always invited him since to join you. You had mentioned the reason to be that you enjoyed his company when he had asked why, but the way your cheeks had reddened spoke a different story. Sebastian’s perceptive enough to note this and think that, perhaps, you were beginning to develop feelings for him as he were for you, but he's not looking to find out the answer any time soon.
There’s a lot on your plate right now and he didn't want to add more onto it. Besides, it was still far too early for anything to happen anyway. It's only been two months and so many things could still change between the two of you. Regardless of what happens in the future, he knows he’s going to stay by your side and offer you a place you can return to after each of your travels. He may have started to develop romantic feelings towards you, but you had been his friend first. It was the least he could do in exchange for your trust and companionship.
"Sebastian?" Your voice called out to him, causing him to break his stare — from his goblet once again — to meet your curious and worried gaze. "Are you okay? Imelda's been trying to get your attention for a while now."
When he looks at Imelda, she is indeed smirking at him. There’s also a knowing look in her eyes and Sebastian just knows she knows what exactly had kept him distracted throughout this entire conversation. "That's right. I wanted to ask if you wanted to join us next time we go for a fly."
"I'm not a big flyer. And anyhow, isn't that your guyses' thing?" Sebastian frowns, confused at the invitation.
Imelda Reyes, he knew, is the current Slytherin quidditch team captain and had taken to using the broom-races between you two as a way of training you to be a part of the team next year. He's not certain if you were actually aware of the upper year's plans or if you were just happy to humble Imelda in your quest to help Mr. Weekes develop his broom upgrades. Still, something tells him it’s the latter and that you’re helping Mr. Weekes more because you’re enjoying making Imelda eat her words and less because you wanted him to achieve his goals.
"Yes, but if you were paying attention, Sallow, you would've heard that I mentioned that your presence might act as an encouragement for others to perform even better than they already have,” Imelda says impatiently.
"Who would be encouraged by my presence?" Sebastian was starting to get more and more confused by this conversation. Perhaps he should've tried his best to listen earlier rather than daydreaming about you?
This time it's Ominis who responds, heavy amusement tinting his words. Sebastian thanks his friend for his timing as Imelda looked one step away from blowing up at him already, her face pinched with irritation.
"Sebastian, I know we've establish that you're a little slow today on account of your lack of sleep, but you know the answer to this." Here, Ominis gestures in the vague direction of you. It's only when his dark eyes meets yours and you flush, your gaze dropping down to your empty plate, does he realize just who Imelda was referring to all this time.
"Oh," Sebastian breaths out, causing Ominis to sigh, exasperated.
"Yeah. Oh,” Imelda huffs. With a roll of her eyes, she leans down to your ear, whispers something that he and Ominis don't catch but results in the darkening of your cheeks and wide eyes, before she's swinging her leg over the bench and striding off.
Sebastian really wants to know what exactly she had told you to get you to flush this nicely, but the nudge from Ominis stops him from opening his mouth foolishly.
Awkward silence falls in the space around your little group and, in the contrast of all the chatter surrounding you, the difference in noise is made all the more apparent. Ominis doesn’t seem to be bothered at all as he continues to take bites of his food, and Sebastian kind of envies him a bit. Across from him, you’re still staring at your empty plate, your face guarded. It doesn’t look like you plan to break the atmosphere that surrounds the three of you any time soon to reach for a plate of food, but classes were meant to start soon and you needed to eat and get some energy in you if you had any hope of making it through the busy day ahead.
Quietly, Sebastian slides along the serving plate of hashbrowns towards you, appeased when you jolt in surprise, but start to scoop some onto your empty plate. Your face is still withdrawn and Sebastian’s starting to feel a bit helpless and lost at the sight of it. Had he done something wrong?
"You still haven't given your answer to the question, dummy," Ominis murmurs as he leans closer towards him, his tone showing just how much he finds this whole scenario amusing. Sebastian only purses his lips in response. But Ominis is right and he really should give you an answer before you start to look more and more like a kicked crup.
Sebastian clears his throat, his heart melting a bit when you immediately looked up to meet his gaze, a hopeful look apparent in your eyes. "I'll come next time you and Imelda do your broom-race. No promises I'll be on a broom, but I'll be there to watch and cheer you on."
You beam happily at him, your face bright and warm, and Sebastian feels his breath stutter at the sight.
Actually, his brain comments, this might be an even better sight than the one he was greeted with this morning because this one was directed right at him.
"Okay!" You laugh as you reach over for the plate of bacon, your eyes sparkling with renewed energy. Sebastian helpfully slides this plate towards you as well, his lips quirking upwards at the grateful smile you send him in turn.
He watches, eyes soft, as you busy yourself with eating, and tries not to think of just how much he'd grown to like you.
Once again, Ominis leans over to whisper to him. This time, Sebastian's sure his friend is possibly snickering as he comments, "Whipped. You're absolutely whipped."
"Shut up," Sebastian hisses back with warm cheeks. He doesn't even have the grace to deny it, far too aware of his feelings to know he'd be lying if he does.
“By the way, what did you think of earlier that made you get all angry?” you ask offhandedly as you fork a bite of hashbrowns into your mouth.
Unfortunately for Sebastian, he was taking a sip of his pumpkin juice when you did so, and ended up spitting out what little he had sipped.
You yelp in surprise, ducking to the side to avoid the spray and glaring at him with offense as he quickly reaches for a napkin to wipe his mouth. “Merlin, Seb, watch it would you? Geez, it couldn’t have been that bad, could it?”
Ominis simply smirks into his own goblet, leaving Sebastian fumbling to find a believable excuse. This one, he thinks, he could leave his oldest friend to answer for himself. He’d already helped him plenty enough today.
Honestly, these two were the best entertainment Ominis has had since the time he found out Headmaster Black had a slight fear of Cornish pixies and, as a result, sent him anonymous gift with one inside of it. The screams of terror the man had emitted was funny, yes, but not funnier than two oblivious yet very intelligent idiots crushing on each other.
Oh, he couldn’t wait to see the chaos that would occur when one of them finally tries to invite the other out for a date.
He had a feeling he'd be teasing them about it for ages.