Work Text:
Turning seventeen had done wonders for Sebastian’s maturity, emotional and physical; the troubled boy you’d met last year was starting to turn into the well-rounded young man he never thought he could be. You were so proud of his progress: how quickly he’d abandoned the Dark Arts after it cost him his family, the amends he’d made for the hurt he’d caused you and Ominis during his quest to save Anne. Sebastian was channeling all of his frustration into Quidditch—he’d turned out to be a natural in the Beater position—and in his free time prioritized the relationships in his life that he hadn’t ruined. He was dedicated to making things right with you, trying to change the way he treated you instead of begging for the forgiveness he felt he didn’t deserve.
And it had worked, quite well, actually.
You felt like you were getting to know the real Sebastian- the one you saw a glimmer of before your fifth-year together was overshadowed by Dark Wizards, unbreakable curses, and Unforgivables that couldn’t be taken back. This Sebastian was kinder, more hesitant to act before thinking. You felt like you weren’t just a powerful ally to him anymore, but a real friend.
Now, halfway through your sixth-year, your friendship had become something stronger; the unbreakable bond you’d shared had started to turn romantic, your feelings coming to a head with hushed confessions in the Undercroft and a chaste kiss to seal them.
The next day, Sebastian had officially asked if he could court you.
It was still new, and none of your friends had realized anything had changed between you two. You’d decided together to keep it that way until the Valentine’s Ball; on that night, you would publicly declare your intentions with each other to your friends. A slow dance, interlocked fingers- you could swoon at the thought of Sebastian showing off your newfound love to the entirety of Hogwarts.
---
You anxiously smoothed down the front of your dress, a pale pink gown that had been your mother’s a few decades earlier, the same one she wore to her first ball at Hogwarts. Imelda was struggling with the ties on Poppy’s corset, pulling them as far as she could with the Hufflepuff girl squeaking, “Tighter, tighter!” You giggled, knowing that Poppy was aiming to look her best and catch the eye of your favorite blonde Slytherin- though her pretty yellow frock would fall on blind eyes, in his case.
As you watched yourself in the mirror, brushing at the loose strands of hair that escaped your updo, you understood your friend’s desire to be the only girl her crush noticed. Though you and Sebastian were officially together now, you couldn’t help but feel insecure at the fact that he was consistently the name brought up anytime one of your classmates talked about who they thought the most attractive boy at Hogwarts was. They were right, of course; Sebastian had always been handsome, a natural flirt and charmer. But the summer he spent training for the revived Quidditch season had done wonders to his physique, and you weren’t the only person at school who had noticed. You were the lucky girl, however, who got to be the object of his affections- even if your classmates weren’t aware of that yet.
Listening to Poppy gush about her excitement for the ball, and ignoring Imelda’s fake nonchalant attitude, you couldn’t help but get caught up in the rush of it all. Tonight, you and Sebastian would make your debut as a couple, something you’d been looking forward to for a month now. Everyone knew how close of friends you’d become since all that had happened in your fifth-year, and after this ball, you wouldn’t have to keep the secret of your courtship from your friends any longer. The anticipation was so exciting, though you worried about everything going to plan. You were to meet Sebastian at the doors of the Great Hall and enter together, presenting yourselves as a union. You secretly smiled at the idea of your friends not being shocked at all, no surprise in seeing you with him, hoping that everyone wouldn’t doubt the fact that you and Sebastian belonged together.
---
Your trio hurried to the Great Hall, fashionably late thanks to Imelda’s hesitation to put on a dress, claiming her regular school slacks were fine; eventually, Poppy wrestled the Slytherin girl into a simple frock that even she couldn’t complain about. As you made your way through the hallway, eyeing the grand doors that led to the ballroom space, you looked for the familiar brown mess of Sebastian’s hair. He had grown taller over the summer, making it easy for you to spot him when you needed to. As you approached the entrance with your friends, your boyfriend nowhere to be seen, you nervously chewed on your lip.
You had told Poppy and Imelda you wanted to wait for the boys, though your Hufflepuff friend wouldn’t complain, knowing that she’d get to walk in with Ominis. In the distance, you saw Sebastian’s body pushing through the students who casually made their way to the ball, his blonde sidekick taking his time behind him with the guidance of his wand. You giggled, blushing as Sebastian rushed up to meet you- he looked so lovely in his father’s old suit.
“Evening, ladies,” he said, nodding politely to Poppy and Imelda. “Sorry I’m late, darling, you know how Ominis can be with his hair. You look absolutely beautiful tonight.”
You let him take your gloved hand and leave a gentle press of his lips to it, the romantic gesture causing your knees to buckle. His eyes never left yours. Your friends quickly turned to each other; Imelda had to practically cover Poppy’s mouth to stop an inevitable squeal from slipping out, though the usually tough Quidditch player was cracking a smile as well. Ominis made his way over, the red glow from the tip of his wand illuminating his pale eyes.
“I heard what you said, Sallow. We both know it was your refusal to learn how to correctly tie a bowtie that kept us from arriving on time.”
He turned to your small, brunette friend, giving her a shy smile.
“Hello, Poppy.”
“Hi, uh, hi Ominis,” she let out, almost stuttering through the words in her nervousness. Her crush politely held out an arm for her, and she graciously took it without a second to waste. You and Imelda laughed as you watched your friend be led into the ballroom, Poppy turning back to give you both an elated grin.
“Time to explore,” Imelda said suddenly, eyeing you and Sebastian with a knowing smirk. Your boyfriend was playing with your entwined fingers, smiling at the flush that covered your face.
“You should go talk to Weasley, I heard he was working up the courage to ask you for a dance tonight,” Sebastian mumbled, his eyes not leaving yours.
Imelda seemed to get flustered at the mention of Garreth’s name; she sped off into the Great Hall, seemingly abandoning her plan to wander around. You watched her go with a giggle, then turned to Sebastian.
“Shall we?” you asked, gesturing to the beautifully decorated room that awaited. Sebastian let go of your hand and offered you his arm instead.
“After you, darling.”
---
As you entered the ballroom with Sebastian, nothing seemed to change. There were no gasps, no shocked faces- your arrival together went completely unnoticed. Maybe it was a good thing, you thought. Perhaps everyone assumed you were already courting? He did spend the majority of his time with you, after all. You chewed at the inside of your cheek, hoping that someone would realize that you were not attending the ball as friends.
Sebastian led you to a small table near the large fireplace in the Great Hall, having you sit down while he went to grab lemonades. He’d insisted, claiming that he was going to be the picture of a gentleman tonight, and that it was what a good boyfriend would do. The butterflies in your stomach swooped about at the word… boyfriend. He hadn’t used that term yet, at least not outside of the Undercroft.
You absent-mindedly watched your classmates enjoy the ball as you waited for Sebastian to return, mesmerized by the swishing dresses and shiny shoes that took up the large dance floor. Through swirling colors of fabric, you saw Poppy and Ominis shyly swaying at the edge of the room, a nervous Garreth chatting with Imelda by the refreshments. The sight of Sebastian on the opposite end of the refreshment table caught your breath. He was holding the lemonades he’d sought out to grab, but seemed distracted. Who was he talking to? Was that… Sacharissa!
Of all the girls that publicly swooned over your boyfriend, the pink-haired Hufflepuff was the worst. You’d wondered how she got sorted into the House of the kindhearted, knowing the awful intention behind that errand she’d sent you on to find bubotubers in the Forbidden Forest. Did she think you were one of the sad saps that needed her fake altruism? Would she think you were too ugly for Sebastian if she realized he’d fallen for you, not her?
You seethed in your spot, unable to look away. Of course someone would seek out Sebastian during the ball- it was Valentine’s, for Merlin’s sake! You should’ve insisted he lead you into a dance right away, leaving no room for interpretation on your relationship with each other. Were you going to have to kiss him in front of everyone to prove it?
Watching Sebastian stand still, listening to whatever nonsense Sacharissa was spouting at him, only made you feel worse. What if he wanted to be talking to her, appreciating her help in stalling any more time spent with you? Your pulse hammered in your ears as you got swept up in the negative cloud of jealousy; you had to calm down before you let it get any worse. Taking deep breaths, you tried to still your shaking hands by smoothing them over your dress, your clammy palms stroking the soft material. Sebastian was courting you, you reminded yourself; if he wanted someone else, he wouldn’t have asked you to stop being friends and start dating.
As your heart rate began to slow, the sounds of a hushed conversation hit your ears. It was hard not to listen, especially once you heard Sebastian’s name.
“Merlin, he looks so handsome tonight!” came Lenora Everleigh’s perky voice. You had to stop yourself from whipping your head back, your heart beginning to pound once more.
“He always does, but in that suit? I should’ve brought a fan,” exclaimed Nellie Oggspire. You cringed at the Gryffindor girl’s comment, hoping that something else would catch her attention. Should you interrupt?
“Nellie!” Lenora scolded her friend playfully. “I called dibs, remember?”
“Bloody hell, you can’t call dibs on a boy!”
“I can if my Housemate is going to flirt with him all night,” the blonde responded, an eyeroll evident based on her tone.
You turned again to the refreshment table, reminded of Sacharissa’s unwelcome presence in your mind- and Sebastian’s personal space. You could only hope your partner felt the same way about the Hufflepuff as you and, evidently, your classmates did. To your surprise, neither Sebastian nor Sacharissa stood at the refreshment table- even Garreth and Imelda had left. They must have wandered off while you were eavesdropping, you realized, chiding yourself for not keeping a closer eye on your boyfriend. Not that you needed to police his behavior, of course, but these girls were making you worry…
“You alright, darling?”
You jumped at the sound of Sebastian’s voice, gratefully taking a glass of lemonade from his outstretched hand. Draining it in a few sips, you hoped that the cool liquid would calm down the jealous heat that practically radiated off your body.
“Yes, uh, yes! Why wouldn’t I be?” you asked, anxiously gnawing on the inside of your cheek again. The metallic taste of blood mixed with the tart lemonade that coated your tongue.
Sebastian reached towards your forehead with the back of his hand, testing for your temperature as if he were a worried mother. If you weren’t so frenzied, you might’ve melted at the kind gesture.
“Love, you seem rather… flustered. Did I do something wrong?”
Looking into Sebastian’s brown eyes, you saw the worry that took over his expression. How were you supposed to explain this to him?
“You haven’t done anything, Seb, I promise. It’s just that…” you trailed off, unsure of how to address the subject. It was normal for you to feel jealous, you thought, but Sebastian had done nothing but talk to a girl who had engaged him in conversation. You suddenly felt quite silly.
Sebastian sat down next to you, taking your gloved hand in his. His eyes were pleading for an answer, not leaving yours despite the commotion of stringed instruments and overlapping conversations. It was becoming all too much for you, and the night had barely started.
“You can talk to me, love. I’m still your friend first, remember?” he whispered, giving you a kind smile. You felt the reassurance of his hand squeezing yours.
“It’s kind of embarrassing,” you admitted, trying to avoid his eyes. “I got… jealous.”
“Jealous?” Sebastian asked, his expression turning from concern to bemusement. “Of what, darling?”
“Don’t laugh,” you said, meeting his eye and holding out your pinky finger.
“Never.”
He took your pinky and wrapped it around his, bringing your hand to his lips for a chaste kiss that cemented his promise.
“I saw you talking to Sacharissa and…” you started.
“Sacharissa?” Sebastian barely tried to stifle the cackle that left his mouth. “You got jealous over her?” he asked, pointedly.
You playfully pushed him.
“You said you wouldn’t laugh!” you tried, hiding your relief that Sebastian seemed to find the idea of Sacharissa and himself unappealing.
“You didn’t say you were going to tell a joke! Darling, why would you let Sacharissa of all people make you feel jealous? I couldn’t get rid of her fast enough!”
“It wasn’t just that, it’s everything else,” you said shyly. You hadn’t let Sebastian know just how much it bothered you that he was such an attractive figure at Hogwarts, but now seemed as good a time as any. This hadn’t been what you imagined when you thought about your first ball together...
“Everyone is in love with you, Sebastian. They all talk about it, about you. And I can’t help but feel like… like I don’t measure up.”
You let your head hang, keeping eye contact with the smooth fabric of your pink dress. Sebastian gently brought your face up to meet his, leaving his hand to ghost your jaw as he spoke.
“You have no need to be insecure, love. I want you, only you. That’s why I asked you to be mine, isn’t it?”
You nodded, searching his eyes for the reassurance that you craved.
“Why would I want to be with anyone but my best friend? My favorite person, the Hero of Hogwarts,” he said with a light-hearted tone, poking you in the ribs. You let out a giggle, making Sebastian smile with relief.
“Even the ‘Hero of Hogwarts’ struggles with confidence, you know.”
“Well, you can be confident in this. In us,” Sebastian responded, taking your hand and gently rubbing circles around it with his thumb. You gave him a soft smile, leaning in for a short hug.
As you pulled yourselves away from the embrace, Sebastian quickly looked around the room, his eyes presumably roaming the crowd for any of the professors who had volunteered to monitor the ball. It was Valentine’s Day, after all…
“Can I kiss you, love?” he asked sweetly, his hand reaching up to your jaw.
Your heart fluttered, your body betraying you as you nodded excitedly- making Sebastian laugh again. He leaned in slowly, giving you time to meet him in the middle. As your lips touched, he sighed contentedly, your eyelashes tickling his cheek. You let it linger for a moment, relishing the public display of affection. A kiss in the center of a ball might not have been proper, but you had to admit that it made you feel better.
The clearing of a throat caught your attention, and you pulled away from Sebastian, much to the Slytherin’s disappointment. As you both turned to see who made the noise, Sebastian’s hand still resting on your cheek, you had to cover your mouth to hide your grin.
“Finally,” Ominis droned, Poppy still attached to his arm. “Bloody hell, Sallow, when did this happen?”
“I could ask you the same, Gaunt,” Sebastian responded, gesturing to Poppy with his free hand. Your brunette friend blushed, her face reddening to match the tip of Ominis’s glowing wand.
“At least I’m lucky enough not to have to witness the scandalous display Pop has described to me- in great detail, I should add.”
As you all turned to see what Ominis was referring to, Sebastian loudly guffawed. You grabbed Poppy excitedly, ditching your dates to gossip about the scene that lay ahead of you.
In the corner of the Great Hall, where only wandering eyes and chaperones would look, were Garreth and Imelda… kissing. No, not kissing. The appropriate word for it wasn’t… quite that appropriate. The redheaded boy seemed to be entangled with Sebastian’s Quidditch captain, no care as to whether his aunt was around to give him detention for his indecency.
“I knew Weasley would appreciate a wingman!”