halloween
My eyes fluttered open to see the light streaming into my room. The rest of the dorm had already woken up and headed to breakfast. I rubbed my eyes. It had been a couple of weeks since the steamy encounter in the Room of Requirement and I still was unsure how I felt about it all. I was not at all scared of intimacy with Sebastian, but I could not help the sinking feeling I felt in my chest when he stopped us in our tracks. I saw his point, but I still felt as if I had been somewhat rejected.
Sebastian seemed not to take notice of the change in my demeanor, the way I felt as if I didn’t measure up to people he had been with in the past. I shook the feeling off and stood up from my bed, my body feeling the soreness from training the day before. While Sebastian and I seemed to be falling back into the habit of friendship, he and Ominis had taken my training very seriously. The more I opened up to them about how unsafe I had felt, the things that I had done, and the people who could very well be after me, the more they seemed to push me in training.
I quickly got ready for classes today. It was a special day, after all, one that many witches and wizards loved, Halloween. I walked into the Great Hall shortly after getting ready and immediately found Sebastian’s eyes. I walked toward him, his eyes not leaving me. He took in my appearance and I could tell that he noticed that I put some extra effort into my makeup and hair for the holiday. My hair cascaded in loose curls down my back as I walked.
“Well, good morning, Willow,” said Sebastian as I took a seat next to him. My hand squeezed his quickly before letting go and grabbing food for breakfast. I thought about Sebastian and I so much that I was done worrying about what was going through his mind, or at least, I had resolved not to. My eyes scanned the room, I noticed quickly that a certain person was nowhere to be seen. The intuition spiked prickles up on my neck.
*SEBASTIAN’S POV*
Wow, she looks beautiful…
Words practically got stuck in my throat as I spoke them to Willow. Her eyes staring into mine made me feel a little weak in the knees and I was thankful that I had not been standing up for that very reason.
“Morning,” her sleepy voice replied to me. I had been trying to give her space the past couple of weeks after what happened in the Room of Requirement. I did not want to rush. I didn’t want to make her think that all I wanted from her was a physical relationship. Something about the way she has been carrying herself, especially the last few days, made me think she was reading into this.
“Are you going to tell her about it or not?” asked Ominis. I rolled my eyes at him and let out a breathy chuckle. This nosey git always had to beat me to telling Willow anything.
“Tell me what?” Willow said, her eyebrows raised, her eyes twinkled with something that resembled hope.
“They’re having a party in the common room tonight… since it's Halloween and all.” I watched her expression go from one of hope to one of excitement. I knew she would be excited. She loves Halloween.
“Really? I have never been to one of the parties… Well, except that one where you dragged me to in fourth year. I will never forget how horrid I felt the next morning.” Willow’s hand touched my leg under the table, her free left hand rested on my thigh. I felt heat spread from her touch. I grabbed her hand under the table to take the touch away from my lap, my cheeks presumably turning a slight shade of pink. I hoped she didn’t notice.
The day went by quickly and I found myself in the common room after dinner in the Great Hall helping set up for the party. Ominis was ‘supervising’ in the corner by the big window viewing the lake. He always loved to stand there, despite being unable to see anything. He never told me explicitly, but I had a feeling that the deep expansive water that was hardly able to be seen through just beyond the glass reminded him of himself. Maybe it made him feel less alone, or maybe he enjoyed the sounds of the creatures in the water that we could hear sometimes. Either way, I wasn’t going to pull him away from something he enjoyed.
“Bloody hell,” I heard someone say. I looked up and my eyes immediately raked over the figure walking toward us. Willow was in a short corduroy skirt and a tight green sweater cut in a v. Her outfit was only made sexier by lace floral tights and black boots. I couldn’t speak. I might have been experienced according to her standards, but I was still just a young guy, and my body responded like one. I found myself adjusting as much as I could without drawing attention. As if Ominis could sense my discomfort, I heard him chuckle from the window. I knew that bastard had a heightened sense somehow even without the use of his wand. He always seemed aware of the world around him in detail even though he lacked sight.
I got pulled in another direction before I could even face Willow.
*WILLOW’S POV*
The party was in full swing now. Somehow, I had become a wallflower, Ominis and Sebastian off with some other guys from Slytherin. I wasn’t about to pull them away. It was Halloween, a time to cut loose and feel the power coursing through our veins in a way that we didn’t allow ourselves most times. I took a sip of my drink, something that made my body feel warm. I watched on as people danced to the music playing, nothing extremely extraordinary.
I let out a sigh and looked down at my boots. I couldn’t help but be a little bummed that Sebastian had said nothing to me all night. I felt a tingle ripple down my spine and looked up just in time to see Sebastian eyeing me from across the room. His eyes looked like they were filled with heat, something that I was not used to seeing from him. Still, he stood away from me. He did not approach me despite the look in his eyes, so I downed the drink I had, my throat burning slightly. I got myself another drink, absolutely bored, trying to seem like I was having the best time with the other wallflowers in the common room.
“Yeah,” a blonde girl said next to me as I was pulled from my thoughts. “Apparently his family is nearby and needed him.”
“What a good guy,” another one said next to her. I listened in, their conversation piquing my interest. It was obvious they were talking about Everrett.
“Isn’t there a rule about people leaving school grounds that often though?”
“I don’t think so, plus, his family has money, so I am sure they pull strings for him.” I rolled my eyes. I didn’t foresee Everett and I ever truly being friends after everything he had done. I kicked off the wall and walked toward the bathroom. I took in my appearance, seemingly wasted on someone who did not even notice. What was happening? Two weeks ago he told me he loved me, and now it felt like we were right back to where we had been. I downed my drink quickly as I looked in the mirror, a little bit dribbled down my chin. I was toasted.
The door opens and I expect another girl to be standing there. My eyes trailed over to the door and I saw none other than Sebastian standing there gawking at me.
“Willow,” Sebastian said. “How much have you had to drink tonight?” His voice sounded like he was worried. My eyebrows furrowed, annoyance showing clearly on my face.
“I don’t really think it is any of your business.” I definitely had drunk enough as those words fell out without thought.
“I think it is my business. I am your boyfriend after all.” He walked toward me, shutting the door to the bathroom, seemingly unbothered by the fact that he was in the girl’s room. His fingers ran through the hair at the front of my face before tucking it behind my ear.
“Are you? The last couple of weeks you have basically been acting like we are just friends. You told me you loved me and saw my….” I cut myself off. I didn’t want to get into it all.
“I do love you. I was giving you space and letting you come to me. You have been so busy… We all have. We have been working on getting you trained with how scared you have been.” My mind suddenly just didn’t care anymore about the reasons. I moved to him and kissed him deeply. My arms wrapped around him and my hands moved up his back and into his hair. He pulled me in tighter, his tongue moving into my open mouth. I pulled back.
“I love…” I broke off. I sprinted to the closest toilet and started to get sick. Sebastian quickly came to my rescue, something that reminded me of the first time he helped me. His hand was rubbing comforting circles on my back as he held my hair with the other. By the time I was done, I had no energy to go back to the party.
“I… I’m sorry,” my voice came out in a raspy whisper. He shushed me gently and his fingers brushed through my hair.
“You don’t need to apologize. Everyone gets sick sometimes, but maybe be careful next time you drink something mixed by a bunch of younger years trying to get drunk.” He sounded so soothing. His sentence ended with a small chuckle.
“No,” I said quickly trying to correct him. “‘I’m sorry for the way I have been acting and not talking to you about how I was feeling.” His eyes looked into mine.
“Willow, I also need to ask for your forgiveness. You were right. I haven’t been acting the way I should since we are in a relationship. This is all new territory for me.” I nodded. I knew he had never truly been with someone before in a relationship.
“I forgive you,” I said quietly. He picked my hand up and kissed it.
“Let’s get you to bed.” With that, he picked me up off the floor and carried me out of the bathroom. Whistles came from the group of guys he had been hanging out with prior to coming to witness me lose my dinner. The sounds of chatter and music slowly were swept away as he carried me down the hallway, but instead of going to my room, he opened the door to his.
“I think I might have that shirt you wore in Feldcroft.” He said, his arms gently setting me on what I presumed was his bed. I sat up as he brought a shirt of his over, he still turned around despite what he had seen a couple of weeks before. I smiled to myself.
“You don’t need to turn around,” I said, my words still coming out in a fumble, heat in my cheeks.
“Oh, but I do. You’re drunk, Willow.”
“I am not,” I said a little too quickly. My tongue tripped over the words. He actually had a point. After I finished peeling my clothes off and putting on his shirt, he brought over a cup of water for me. He climbed into the other side of his twin-sized bed if someone could consider it the other side. I sipped the water and then laid down after setting it aside. I felt his arms wrap around me. I snuggled into his chest.
“Why didn’t you just take me back to my room?” I asked quietly against him.
“Because Ominis won’t care that you are here, and I wanted to be able to keep an eye on you.” My heart swelled at his words. I felt myself relax in his grip, the sound of his breathing soothing me to sleep.
When I woke up in the morning, the boys were already gone. Sebastian had left a note.
I left you a new glass of water. I figured we would give you some space to get dressed. Ominis is a gentleman. I love you. – Seb
I got up from his bed, pulling my skirt on lazily from last night, bringing the rest of my clothing in a heap under my arms. I walked to my room and saw others rushing past me, concern etched on their face. After a few more pushed past me, I decided to put my boots on and follow them out. It was the weekend so I didn’t need to be in uniform, though the outfit might draw some attention. I followed the girls who had rushed past me down and into the courtyard. There was a huge crowd of students standing around looking nervous. I spotted Sebastian and he immediately came to my side and held me close, pulling me tight to him.
“Don’t look,” his voice vibrated through me as he spoke. People were crying around me, the sound echoing in my ears. My mind was spinning at what could have happened.
“Everyone clear out!” Professor Weasley spoke loudly above the crowd. “Make room.”
That’s when I heard the whispers in between the cries as we moved through.
“She’s dead.”