Stay with me
In which a curse meant for Sebastian strikes you instead, and he refuses to leave your side until he finds a way to save you. Sebastian Sallow x reader “Do you really think the cure for Anne is hidden in this catacomb?” I asked carefully, earning a nod of agreement from Ominis.
“The more we search, the closer we’ll get to finding it, at least. You both need to stop doubting me” Sebastian said defensively.
Ominis sighed beside me. This was not exactly the first time we had tried to find a cure for Anne, nor even the first time Sebastian had dragged us somewhere dangerous in search of one. None of us knew if a cure truly existed, but Sebastian refused to give up.
As we went further into the catacomb, we were met with more enemies. Nothing too out of the ordinary. I had been through worse. I mean my journey to Hogwarts was least said, interesting.
But after we made it through a puzzle door, we found ourselves surrounded by nearly twenty dark witches and wizards.
We had been fighting for what felt like forever, which in reality was fifteen minutes. Exhaustion was beginning to settle heavily into my limbs. We had managed to take down every enemy except the two strongest. I could sense Ominis’s anxiety growing with every burst of dark magic that echoed through the catacomb.
After helping defeat one of them, I quickly turned my head toward Sebastian, who was handling the final wizard all alone.
Then I suddenly heard an unfamiliar spell.
“Mors Vinculum” the wizard hissed. His words echoed through the catacomb.
Just before the curse could strike Sebastian, I threw myself in front of him. I tried to raise my wand, praying I would be quick enough to cast protego, but there was not enough time.
The spell hit me directly in the ribs. A scream tore from my throat. The air disappeared from my lungs so quickly that I could not breathe. I began to hyperventilate, desperately trying to inhale enough oxygen, but every breath felt shallow and painful.
Then the entire catacomb went silent. Sebastian froze. Ominis froze. Even the enemy wizard looked startled.
Adrenaline rushed through my body, numbing the pain just enough for me to move. I still could barely breathe, but I refused to surrender. Not now. We’d been so close to winning this battle.
I weakly forced myself to my feet. My knees buckled immediately, and Sebastian caught me by my waist before I could fall completely. His hands stayed there for only a second before he pulled away, as though he was afraid he would hurt me.
“Don’t,” he said sharply. “You’re hurt” The look in his eyes was begging me to do as he said. But I was furious.
Ominis was still trying to hold off the final wizard, and I could feel something strange spreading through my body. It was unlike any pain I had ever felt before. With the last of my strength, I summoned my ancient magic.
Lightning exploded through the catacomb, striking the wizard with enough force to send him crashing to the stone floor. He surrendered immediately.
But the moment he fell, my vision blurred. I lost all feeling in my hands. My wand slipped from my fingers and hit the stone floor with a loud clatter.
Then my legs gave out. I tilted forward, completely losing my balance, but Sebastian caught me just before I could hit the ground. I was in terrible pain, yet I could not even scream. It felt as though something inside me was being pulled apart.
My hearing was still intact, but my sight and breathing was not. Through my blurred vision, I saw Ominis rush toward me as Sebastian crouched beside me.
“Hey—hey, it’s all right. Just stay awake, okay? Listen to my voice”Sebastian said as he took his hand and grabbed my chin firmly. I’d never heard him sound like that before. He was trying to sound calm and reassuring, but I could hear the panic trembling beneath every word.
“Sebastian, she’s been cursed,” Ominis breathed. “We need to get her back to Hogwarts. Now”
“Y/N, can you hear me?” Sebastian blurted out. I nodded carefully and managed to choke out a small, “Yes,” through my whimpers of pain. Ominis let out a shaky breath of relief when he heard my voice”
“Okay. Okay, that’s good,” Sebastian said quickly. “Just keep breathing. Do not fall asleep, understand y/n?”
I nodded again. Sebastian scooped me into his arms, one arm beneath my knees and the other supporting my back. I fell limp against his chest. I was so close to him that I could hear his rapid heartbeat.
Sebastian carried me toward Hogwarts while Ominis insisted that Floo Powder would be too risky in my current state.
“I know what she’s been cursed with,” Sebastian said suddenly. His voice was tight. “I read about it when I was searching for cures for Anne. It’s usually not deadly, but it causes fever, nightmares, pain when casting spells, exhaustion, fainting…” He paused, and I felt his grip tighten around me. “And if it isn’t treated quickly enough, it can cause permanent magical instability”
My heart began racing even faster. My breathing became more rapid, making the dizziness worse. I let out a groan.
“Good job, Sebastian” Ominis muttered dryly, clearly noticing that the terrifying information was only making me feel worse.
“I’m sorry,” Sebastian said immediately, his voice softer. “I’m sorry. You’re going to be all right” But I could hear that he did not entirely believe it himself.
By the time we reached Hogwarts, the dark mark beneath my skin had spread from my ribs across my side like black ink twisting through water. I was shivering violently despite the warmth of Sebastian’s arms.
“We can’t take her to the hospital wing” Sebastian said as we entered the castle. Hoping not to be spotted by anyone.
Ominis stopped beside him. “Sebastian, you can’t be serious right now!”
“They’ll ask what happened. They’ll ask where we found the curse. They’ll ask questions we cannot answer, and then Anne will never be cured!” His eyes darted down to me, filled with fear. “And I know where we can help her”
The Room of Requirement appeared when we reached the seventh floor. It opened into a quiet, warm space with a large bed, shelves filled with potions, and a fireplace already burning. Sebastian carried me straight to the bed, lowering me down as carefully as though I might break.
The second he let go, the cold became unbearable. “Sebastian” I whispered painfully.
“I’m here.” He was beside me instantly.
I grabbed weakly at his sleeve. “Don’t leave”
His expression shattered. “I won’t,” he promised. “Not for a second”
Ominis moved around the room, locating potion bottles and supplies by touch. “What’s the cure for the curse?” he asked.
Sebastian was already pulling old books from the shelves, flipping through pages with shaking hands.
“The curse feeds on magic,” he said. “As well as fear. Every time she tries to cast, every time she panics, it will make her worse”
I swallowed painfully. “So I can’t use magic?”
“For now,” Sebastian said, kneeling beside the bed. “You don’t have to do anything. Just let us take care of you” he said as he squeezed my hand quickly.
Hours passed in a blur. The fever came first. Then the nightmares.
Every time I fell asleep due to incredible exhaustion and pain, I found myself back in the catacomb, hearing the curse whispered over and over again. It was terrifying.
I woke gasping, my hands shaking violently. Sebastian was always there.
He would sit beside me, press a cool cloth to my forehead, and speak softly until my breathing slowed. Then he would squeeze my hand softly.
“You’re safe,” he would say. “You’re in the room of requirement. Ominis is here. I’m here”
At some point during the second night, I woke to find Sebastian asleep in the chair beside my bed. His head rested against the mattress, one hand still wrapped around mine.
Books were scattered across the floor. Notes covered the small table beside him. He looked exhausted, dark circles beneath his eyes and a crease between his brows even in sleep.
I moved my fingers slightly. Sebastian woke immediately. “Are you all right?” he asked, sitting up so quickly that the chair scraped against the floor.
“You haven’t slept,” I whispered.
“I’m fine.”
“You’re lying.”
His jaw twitched. “I can sleep all I want when you’re better.”
I looked down at our hands. “Sebastian” I started. “This isn’t your fault”
His eyes met mine. His eyes had a deep look of sadness and guilt.
“It was meant for me”
“I chose to step in”
“And I should have protected you”
His words came out broken. For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then Sebastian looked away, his jaw clenched as though he was trying to keep himself from falling apart.
“I keep thinking about Anne,” he admitted quietly. “About how I keep searching and searching, and no matter what I do, I cannot take her pain away” His grip on my hand tightened. “And now you’re here because of me. Because I dragged you into another dangerous place. Because I thought I could fix everything, I’m so stupid”
“Sebastian,” I said softly.
He looked back at me.
“You didn’t make me do anything. I went because I wanted to be there with you” I explained. “I always want to be with you” I admitted carefully, making my cheeks turn even warmer. But not from the fever this time.
His eyes softened, but the guilt remained. “I don’t know what I would do if I lost you” he whispered.
Before I could answer, a sharp pain shot through my ribs. I gasped, curling slightly as the dark mark beneath my skin pulsed.
Sebastian was on his feet immediately.
“The curse is getting worse,” Ominis said from across the room.
Sebastian turned back to the books, searching frantically. Then he went still. “I found something,” he said.
Ominis stepped closer. “A cure?”
“A reversal ritual.” Sebastian’s face had gone pale. “It requires someone to enter the magical tether and pull the curse out from her core”
“And what happens to the person doing that?” Ominis asked.
Sebastian did not answer. I already knew.
“No,” I said.
Sebastian looked at me.
“No,” I repeated, stronger this time. “You are not doing it”
“It’s the only way”
“It could hurt you”
“It could save you”
I shook my head, tears burning behind my eyes. “I won’t let you do this”
Sebastian came closer, kneeling in front of me.
“You don’t get to decide that alone,” he said gently. “Not when it comes to your life”
“And you don’t get to sacrifice yourself because you feel guilty”
For a moment, he looked almost angry. Then his expression crumpled.
“I am not doing this because I feel guilty,” he whispered. “I’m doing it because I love you”
The room fell silent. Sebastian’s hand reached for mine slowly, giving me enough time to pull away if I wanted to.
I did not.
“I love you,” he repeated, his voice shaking. “And I should have told you before any of this happened. Before I nearly lost you”
Tears finally escaped my eyes and slipped down my cheeks. “I love you too” I whispered.
Sebastian closed his eyes for a moment, like those words were the only thing keeping him upright.
Then he pressed his forehead gently against mine. “We’re going to get through this” he said.
The ritual began just before dawn.
My wand was placed between both of our hands. Sebastian sat beside me on the bed, his fingers intertwined with mine. Ominis stood nearby, ready with potions and counterspells if anything went wrong.
The room darkened as Sebastian began to cast.
The black mark across my ribs flared painfully.
I cried out, and Sebastian tightened his grip on my hand.
“Look at me,” he said. “Not the curse. Me” I forced my eyes open. Sebastian’s face was pale, but his gaze never left mine. The curse began to move.
Darkness crawled from beneath my skin, twisting around our joined hands. For one horrifying second, the black mark spread across Sebastian’s wrist instead.
“Sebastian!” I cried.
“I’m all right,” he said through gritted teeth. “Stay with me y/n”
The candles flickered wildly. The room shook. My magic surged painfully inside me, fighting against the curse as though it was trying to tear itself free.
“I can’t” I gasped.
“Yes, you can,” Sebastian said. “You are stronger than this”
The darkness tightened around us. Then Sebastian leaned closer, his voice barely more than a whisper.
“Think of something real,” he said. “Think of me. Feel my hand in yours. Think of the fact that you are not alone”
I focused on him. On the warmth of his fingers around mine. On the softness in his eyes. On the way he had stayed beside me through every nightmare.
The curse gave one final, violent pulse. Then it shattered. The room went still.
The black mark faded from my skin, leaving only a faint silver scar across my ribs.
I collapsed back against the pillows, exhausted.
Sebastian moved right beside me. The dark mark on his wrist faded more slowly, leaving a shadow beneath his skin.
“You’re hurt” I whispered.
“I’m fine” he said automatically.
I gave him a tired look. He let out the smallest laugh.
Then, before I could say anything else, he leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead.
“You’re impossible” he murmured.
“So are you”
He smiled softly, but his eyes were still wet.
“I thought I was going to lose you”
“But you didn’t”
“No,” he whispered. “I didn’t”
He carefully climbed onto the bed beside me, wrapping an arm around my waist without touching the place where the curse had struck. I rested my head against his chest, listening to the now steady beat of his heart.
Sebastian’s lips brushed against my hair. “I’m not going anywhere,” he whispered into my hair after pressing a soft kiss on my head.
And this time, with his arms around me and the morning light beginning to spill through the windows, I believed him.