How could I ever forget you? Chapter 12
Sebastian Sallow/Professor Sallow × f!MC / reader
Slow burn/fluff/angst, aged up characters 18-mid 20s
Somehow it had taken until your final day at Hogwarts to finally show Sebastian how you felt, and by then it was too late. Years pass and your distance grows stronger, despite your many efforts for him. A surprise encounter at a new job could change things forever. Finding each other once again at the very place you first met, Hogwarts.
Chapter 1: "I guess this is it"
Chapter 2: "Oh how I missed you"
Chapter 3: "Goodbye, Sebastian"
Chapter 4: " think it's time you move on"
Chapter 5: "Professor Sallow?"
Chapter 6: "Welcome Home"
Chapter 7: "You're my good luck charm"
Chapter 8: "I'm more of a butterfly person"
Chapter 9: “What have you become?”
Chapter 10: “I have something for you”
Chapter 12: “I can never stay away from you”
"Are you sure you're okay, MC? You're really not acting like yourself."
"I'm fine, Garreth. Really."
You were not fine. You were probably the furthest thing from it. But that didn't stop you from lying in the faces of everyone at Hogwarts, everyone but Sebastian that is. You thought that perhaps you'd been a bit too honest with him, that maybe things would be easier if you'd just let him erase that kiss from your recent memory. He was all you could think about, the shadow of that night consumed your every thought. So here you were again, strolling around the Hogwarts valley with your favourite distraction.
"If you need something, anything at all, you know I'm here. Would be best if that something is a potion though."
Garreth was truly trying his absolute best to cheer you up, and his efforts did not go unnoticed. However there was simply nothing in the world that could heal this particular wound, not a potion, not Garreth, and especially not Sebastian.
"Thank you Garreth, I promise I'm okay. Just under the weather is all," you lied.
You soon approached the wooden bridge leading back into the school, prompting the both of you to part ways. As you turned to Garreth, a warm touch gripped your waist, pulling into a tight hug. Your arms found themselves wrapped around Garreth's neck, head buried into his shoulders. It was nice, you needed it.
Pulling away, you stepped backwards onto the bridge, a little blush warming your cheeks.
"Duty calls," you smiled.
"Have a good day, Professor," Garreth smiled back.
You sat comfortably in your office, minutes away from the end of last period. You had not received a single knock at the door this particular day, until now that this.
The door slowly crept open, it was Robin. You were instantly filled with dread. The poor sweet girl always knew exactly how to ruin your day, despite never intending too, of course.
"Robin," you sighed. "I really hope you don't have any bad news for me, I've had quite the few days and I don't think I could handle it."
Robin stepped back behind the door. "Oh, sorry-"
"No- Robin! I'm sorry I didn't mean to snap like that. I'm just not feeling well, come in, please. You always have wonderful things to say."
"No, it's that... I do have bad news today," she stepped back into the room.
"I can handle it," you smiled.
Robin took a deep breath, looking rather distraught.
"Professor Sallow, he-" she stuttered.
Panic became you, your heart racing and stomach turning. He what?
"He told us in class today, this may be the last time he teaches us. He's my favourite teacher MC, do you know what's going on?"
"I'm sorry Robin. I don't"
The longer you lingered on the thought of Sebastian leaving, the more your heart ached. You truly had no idea how to feel. What he did that night was unforgivable. But that didn't change that he was born to teach, it was literally in his blood. You'd assumed you were of course the reason he'd decide to step down, you had threatened him after all. It seemed the torment must have been getting under his skin all long. It was all so.... confusing. You knew he can't have gotten caught for what he had tried to do to you, or he'd be gone already. You'd watched his life go by through struggle and pain to get to this point, teaching was his destiny, you couldn't let him throw it away. Especially not because of you. You had to change his mind.
You grabbed the parchment he had enchanted and scribbled a note across the paper.
'Sebastian, we need to talk'
A couple of days went by and nothing. Your note still remained etched into the parchment, unanswered. You had not seen a single sight of him, not once. Could he have left already? Or was he wandering the halls under a disillusionment charm in order to avoid you? You truly wouldn't put it past him.
That was until you stepped onto the grand staircase that night, looking up to see Sebastian standing a floor above you.
"Sebastian," you called up, grabbing his attention. He turned to you, meeting your eyes before turning away and continuing his way up the stairs. So this was to be a chase?
You picked up the pace, practically running after him. It seemed the school had your back, as the stairs came to a halt, not allowing Sebastian to climb any further. He darted across to the seventh floor, going in whatever direction he could in an attempt to get away from you.
"Sebastian, stop!" You called out, now only a few metres behind him.
"What do you want from me? You told me to leave you alone, remember?" He replied, pacing through the hallway ahead of you.
Suddenly Sebastian stopped in his tracks, staring up at the wall in front of him. You stumbled behind, setting your gaze on what had put a stop to his racing.
A door, revealing itself in the brickwork.
The two of you gave each other a quick look, as you now stood beside each other gazing up at the door. Without a second thought, Sebastian stepped forward, entering the room. You swiftly followed, far too curious to ignore what could be waiting for you inside.
As you entered, you faced a large mirror, a mirror you recognised right away. The Mirror Of Erised. The last time you had come to find it here you were only a sixth year, and you were rather curious to know if you'd be faced with the same reflection as before.
You stood beside Sebastian, both staring deeply into the hazy glass. The image reflected to you was nothing but what stood beside you in the room, Sebastian, just as he was.
Suddenly you watched as Sebastian's hand moved closer, gently taking ahold of yours. Your eyes darted to the real Sebastian, as a light tickle rushed against your fingers, all but an illusion. As Sebastian remained with his hands by his sides.
Quickly Sebastian flinched, moving his arm away and grabbing his own palm, staring at you in complete bewilderment.
Did he feel a gentle touch across his fingers too? Could it be possible ... he sees exactly what you do?
"MC... What is this?" He asked, turning his gaze back into the reflection. A single tear gently fell from his eye as his stepped closer, holding up his fingers up to the glass.
"What the hell is this?" His shaky voice whimpered, unable to hold back the need to cry.
"Sebastian, do you... see me in there?" You whispered.
"No I don't, I-" he stuttered, choking on his words. Immediately he turned around, darting straight back out of the room.
You ran after him, as he continued going higher into the castle, before reaching the astronomy tower.
"You can't run from me forever!" You called up to him from the wooden steps. Dragging yourself up further and further, panting through the elements.
You finally reached him, at the very top. He stood there, his hands on his knees. Teary eyed and gasping for breath. It was absolutely freezing up there. The cold wind rushed through the night sky, blowing Sebastian's hair in every direction, and sending ripples through his cotton shirt.
"She broke up with me. Is that what you want to hear?!" He cried out to you, turning away and leaning over the balcony edge.
Perhaps it was Ostara he saw in the mirror all along.
"No, I-" you shouted over the wind, slowly approaching him. "I wanted to tell you that you can't leave the school. You're an amazing Professor Sebastian, please don't give up. Not because of me."
"I'm not leaving permanently, even if I wanted too, I can't," he took a breath. "Oh MC, you do not understand the trouble I'm in."
"Then let me understand."
"I can't- I.. don't want to put you in danger I..... I'm an evil selfish bastard MC. You're better off staying away from me. Everybody is."
Your throat began to swell, your body limp, you couldn't hold back anymore. You were battered, bruised, exhausted. You had to tell him, you had to tell him with everything you had.
"I can never stay away from you, Sebastian," you choked. "I know you know that."
"I thought you... feared me. I've been trying to turn it around. I understand why, you've seen me... and then the night we kissed I- I'm-"
"What are you talking about? How could you ever think-" you stepped forward.
"The Boggart, MC. I haven't stopped thinking about it. I'm such a monster you-"
"I'm not afraid of you Sebastian," you reached out your arm to him. "I'm afraid of.... not being your happiness anymore."
Sebastian stepped back, smiling through the floods of tears. He raised his wand to the stars above, breathing so heavily the moonlight rhythmically glistened across his chest.
"Expecto Patronum," he cried into the night, a bright light glowing from the top of the entire castle. In an instant, hundreds of glowing blue moths appeared in an explosion of magic, fluttering around the tower like stardust.
You smiled so much at the sight that you could only cry harder, never feeling emotions with such intensity ever before. Everything in this moment was simply indescribable. Too good to be true, even.
"Sebastian," you whispered.
"There is never a world where you are not my happiness, MC," his voice soothed. He towered over you, gently caressing your cheek, analysing every inch of the face he adored so much.
His eyes met the ground again, as he turned away. "But," he paused, the tone of his voice rinsed with pain. "This is all so much bigger than the both of us." He backed away from you, looking back out onto the moonlit mountains.
"Why do you keep talking like this? I-" you were cut off, by the wing of an owl swooping in. Starling.
She dropped an envelope in your hands and glided back into the darkness. You peered down at the letter in your clasp.
Sebastian's letter. Natty must have finally sent it back.
Sebastian's eyes widened, realising what you now possessed. Your finger gently ran across the seal, ripping apart what had been kept shut for years,
"MC, wait! I can explain-"
You unfolded the parchment, finally revealing that long unanswered question.
Would you forgive me, if this was all for Anne?
"What do you mean, all for Anne?" You asked, a million thoughts racing through your head.
"I never meant for it to go this far MC, it was supposed to be so simple. I never wanted any of this, I never wanted to hurt you."
The two of you stared at each other, utterly broken. Nothing made sense, absolutely nothing. How was any of this for Anne?
"I... I made an unbreakable vow," he muttered.
"No-" he took a breath. "He's a dark dark wizard, I should never have meddled with this... I made a vow to find something for him, something hidden in Hogwarts. Something that belonged to Salazar Slytherin."
"Why...why in Merlin's name would you do that?"
It all came flooding back to you in an instant. Everything Ominis had said, about her father being a healer, about him losing the plot. Ostara's father dabbled in dark healing magic, the kind of magic Sebastian believed was enough to cure Anne.
"Does, does Ominis know about this? Have you been using him as a pawn in your little game?! Just like Ostara?" You were angry now, the fact Sebastian was willing to meddle with people's lives like this infuriated you. All the years of torment, and it was all to try and cure Anne?
"No." He said raising his voice. "This was all his idea. He introduced me to Ostara, so I could get to her father. All I wanted to do was woo her, not marry her. But that man, he was persistent... He wouldn't even talk to me unless I proved my devotion to her. That's why I'm here MC, that's why I fell off my broom, that's why I'm at Hogwarts."
You were speechless. You tried to reach for what to say, but no words came out. You just looked at him, standing there, hopeless in the wind.
"I didn't want to drag you into this, MC. It's been difficult to try and keep you, Anne and Ostara safe. But... Anne is my priority. I know what I'm doing is wrong, I know it's hurting people. If I was hurting anybody else I wouldn't care, but you... it is torture to know I'm hurting you. You've made this difficult for me, MC. You really have."
"It was Anne you saw in the mirror, wasn't it?"
The pain in Sebastian's eyes was hard to bare.
"It was. She looked so different, so well. I have to see her like that again, even if it kills me....and it might."
"What do you mean?" Your eyes widened, filling up with tears.
"I made an unbreakable vow, MC. If I don't go through with this, all of this-" he stared deeply into your eyes.
