An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Hi everyone! I think since I'm finally done with this story, I'm going to *try* and post a chapter every day so I can focus on my break. Anyway, here's chapter twelve hope you like it!! Thank you love you <333
pairing: garreth weasley × oc
rating: PG
tags: modern au; aged-up characters; garreth is a flirt :3
synopsis: a friend, a brew and a perfectly Gryffindor car
A/N: im continuing my modern au hogwarts legacy series :D enjoy! decided to add a little moodboard to add to the atmosphere (thx to amazing @pixopix for the divider ♡
'Drove as fast as I could. The roads are an absolute nightmare. Where's everyone rushing off to on a Friday? Merlin's beard!'
Garreth beamed the moment he climbed out of the car. His brand-new convertible gleamed in the sunlight—bright red, naturally. A glossy Gryffindor lion decal shone proudly on the driver's door, a little tribute to his old house. Cathy smiled warmly in return. Walking over, she gently ran her hand across the sun-warmed bonnet before stopping in front of Weasley, tilting her head back to meet his freckled face.
'It's been ages. It's so good to see you,' she said, lifting her arms to hug him. Garreth, of course, wasn't about to waste the opportunity. The instant she wrapped her arms around him, he slipped his own around her waist, lifting her an inch or two off the ground before setting her down again with exaggerated care. 'And it's brilliant to see you! I brought you some Cherry Fizzing Whizzbees brew. Thought of you straight away. Fancy some?' Releasing her from the hug, he gave her a playful wink.
Cathy nodded approvingly. 'How could I possibly say no? Shall we get in?' she asked, shading her eyes from the sun with the palm of her hand. Garreth shrugged and walked round to the passenger side to open the door for her, then slipped into the driver's seat once she was settled inside. With a soft purr, the engine came to life, and the car pulled away.
The moment she sank into the seat, Cathy practically melted. The cabin was pleasantly cool after the summer heat. A cheerful beach tune drifted softly through the speakers, while two heavy glasses of Garreth's signature brew clinked quietly together in the cup holders. A contented smile spread across her face.
'So? What do you think of the car? Like it?' Garreth eased onto the road, stealing only a quick sideways glance, unable to hide his grin.
'It's lovely. Had it long?'
'Not really. Only just got it. Figured I might as well treat myself after replacing my broom. The old one was only fit for chasing garden gnomes around,' he rattled off excitedly, gripping the steering wheel with obvious delight.
'Do you use your broom for delivering potions?' Cathy reached for the reddish drink. The thick glass felt reassuringly solid in her hand, though it was heavy enough that she soon rested it on her lap.
'Among other things,' he replied with a satisfied smile. 'Business is booming at the moment, so I'm constantly flying back and forth.'
Outside, the concrete jungle rolled endlessly past. Families and lone pedestrians wandered wherever there was room to wander; cars hurried about their business, overtaking one another; bright shopfronts and boutique windows beckoned devoted shoppers and curious passers-by alike.
'Funny lot, Muggles, aren't they?' Garreth murmured as he turned off the busy road into the quieter residential streets leading towards Cathy's little flat. 'Always rushing somewhere...'
'Oh, I don't know. Wizards aren't much different. They're always sticking their noses into something.'
Cathy shrugged and turned back to the window, watching the familiar streets, tower blocks and little shops drift by. Home was only moments away. Garreth's brew left a pleasantly cool sensation in her throat. 'This is really good. I like it.'
Spotting an empty parking space directly opposite Cathy's building, Garreth eased the car neatly into it and turned the key. The engine fell silent. Unfastening his seatbelt, he turned towards Cathy, resting an elbow on the back of his seat as his gaze travelled slowly over her, from head to toe. 'Knew you'd like it. I'd never have perfected the formula without you.'
Undoing her own seatbelt, Cathy turned to face him and gave a gentle shake of her head. 'You've become an excellent potioneer.'
For a fleeting moment, she thought the tips of Garreth's ears had turned pink, but before she could be certain, he laughed, and his unruly ginger curls fell forward, hiding them completely. 'Happy to impress!'
Silence settled comfortably inside the car. Cathy lowered her gaze slightly, taking another sip of her drink, while Garreth simply kept looking at her, as though trying to memorise every little detail—every curl, every eyelash. 'What are you up to today?'
'I'm calling Ominis this evening. We were planning to go to a museum. There's an exhibition by one of our favourite artists,' Cathy said thoughtfully, taking her phone out of her handbag to check her plans. Several messages from Sebastian were already waiting in her notifications.
— How are you? Made it there alright?
— If Weasley is holding you hostage, send up a flare.
She couldn't help letting out a quiet laugh.
'And what are you doing now?' Garreth asked, his voice softer than usual. There was an unhurried calm to his tone, and something almost wistful in his eyes. Cathy raised her brows slightly, lifting her gaze from her phone to him.
'Now? I don't know. Probably have a shower. It's roasting...'
'Want some company?' A beat passed before the corner of his mouth curled into an incorrigible grin. '...I could scrub your back for you.'
Cathy merely rolled her eyes, handed him the heavy glass and, before climbing out of the car, clicked her tongue. 'Go cool your head, Weasley.'
All Garreth could do was watch her disappear into the building before letting out a quiet sigh, starting the engine once more and setting off on his next adventure.
Teachers Pet - ch. 20 of 20
Pairing: Sebastian Sallow/Garreth Weasley
Rating: E
Status: Complete
Summary: Sebastian Sallow was under the impression he’d never have to see Garreth Weasley again.
He was wrong.
Now they’re both teaching at Hogwarts, both entirely insufferable, and somehow even worse around each other than they were at seventeen. Unfortunately, time has not made things simpler. If anything, it’s made them… complicated.
Genre Tags: enemies-to-lovers, slow burn
“I was going to tell you. I promise. I didn’t even realize she knew until this morning. That’s why she wanted to see me.”
“How did she even find out?”
The warmth grew hotter, his eyes drifted off to the side. “It’s my fault. My mum told her about Easter. I’m sorry. Please don’t be mad,” he grimaced and snuck a glance at Sebastian. He didn't look exactly mad, but he certainly wasn’t happy about it.
“As much as I like watching you squirm, I’m not mad,” he relaxed his shoulders and scooted a bit closer to reach out for Garreth’s hand. “If I wasn’t such a freak about my privacy I would tell everyone that we’re together.” He forced a frown when Garreth started to smile in response. “But I am a freak about my privacy so that will not be happening. Don’t get cocky.”
After the meeting with his aunt was done, Garreth left her office feeling both relieved and worried. He liked knowing that he didn’t have to hide from her, but the thought of how Sebastian might react was unsettling. Sebastian’s natural tendency to want to keep anything personal under strict lock and guard made him feel antsy. He wanted a distraction, and the weather was nice, so he decided to go down to the kneazle pen. He was walking through the quad courtyard when he saw Rosie. She smiled brightly and met him near the base of some stairs.
“Hey you,” she quipped, she crossed her arms and tilted her head at Garreth. “What are you up to? Meeting someone?”
“No,” Garreth said, a faint blush appearing on his face. “I was going to go see the kneazles. What are you doing?”
“Oh, you know, just looking for people to bother,” she replied with false innocence. “How was your Easter?”
Garreth shrugged. “It was fine. Yours?”
“Also fine,” she waited a moment, her eyes narrowed for a second before she spoke again. “You seem… more rested than usual.”
“Well,” Garreth shifted his weight and looked off to the side. “It is Saturday. So I didn’t have to wake up early just to hear complaining all day.”
“True. Got any… plans for tonight?” She asked much too pointedly for Garreth’s liking.
“No,” he said flatly as he crossed his arms. He opened his mouth to speak again when they were both distracted by an echoing laugh and footsteps from the top of the stairs.
“Did you really say that? That’s rather brazen even for you,” Sebastian laughed as he walked with Ominis.
“Well, after almost ten years of dealing with him, I’ve lost any sem—“ Ominis cut himself off when he noticed Sebastian had slowed nearly to a stop. “Sebastian?”
“Oh, hello, you two!” Rosie had turned towards the sound and called out to them from where she and Garreth stood. Sebastian looked a bit pale when he saw Garreth, and tried to recover quick enough to hopefully not draw too much attention. However, Rosie seemed to be quicker. She looked from Sebastian to Garreth, her smile widening into a grin when she noticed how they tensed up.
“Hi, Rosie,” Ominis replied. He walked with Sebastian down the steps and stood with his wand in front of him. He moved slightly to the side when he noticed someone else with Rosie, and was about to ask who it was when Garreth spoke.
“I’m here too,” he offered awkwardly, and began to wave but then quickly dropped his hand back down to the side.
At the sound of Garreth’s voice, Ominis raised his eyebrows and smirked. “Hi, Garreth. How have you been?”
“Uhm… fine,” he tried to keep his attention on Ominis, but could feel the uncomfortable energy radiating off of Sebastian. It also didn’t help that Rosie was watching them like a hawk, her eyes darting from Garreth to Sebastian as if waiting for one of them to sprout wings. “How are you? How’s the ministry?”
“It would be better if I didn’t have to work with a certain wizard who always insisted on butting into everyone’s business, but, you know.”
“Right,” Garreth chuckled nervously. He couldn’t help stealing glances at Sebastian, who had turned to stare at a tree nearby, apparently fascinated by the sight.
A few moments passed—well, dragged by. No one knew what to say, the weight of what they all might know becoming more unbearable. A faint smile teased at Ominis’ face, and Rosie’s grin had faded to an annoyed frown, her hands planted on her hips as she stared at Sebastian.
She sighed loudly before she spoke. “Well?” She turned from Sebastian to Garreth. “Are we all just going to stand here and pretend we don’t know?”
Sebastian had the audacity to look at her confused, and she rolled her eyes. “You two,” she pointed between Garreth and Sebastian. “Are together. Can we just admit it?”
Garreth felt a sense of unease in his stomach and his eyes met Sebastian’s for a split second, a nervous laugh tried to force its way out and he attempted to cover it with a cough. Sebastian inhaled deeply, eyes shooting from Garreth, to Rosie, then to Ominis, who was now facing towards Sebastian, head tilted down as he waited.
Another long moment passed as Sebastian chewed on his lip and his arms went from crossed to on his hips, then back to crossed. He glanced at Ominis, before rolling his eyes and exhaling. “…yes.”
Garreth felt the jumbled knot of anxiety loosen at Sebastian’s response. Before anyone could answer, Ominis threw his hands up and let his head fall back for a second. “Bloody hell—finally!” He rubbed a hand down his face and looked towards Sebastian exasperatedly. “Now, was that so hard?”
“Shut up,” Sebastian grumbled.
“No.”
Rosie grinned at Sebastian, then looked at Garreth and shoved him playfully. “Excellent.”
Garreth groaned quietly and looked over to see Sebastian stifling a smile. Their admission appeased their friends enough that it was left alone, and luckily the rest of the conversation continued as normal. Garreth left to go down to the kneazles, like planned, and Sebastian walked Ominis down to the apparition point. Garreth made sure to ignore Rosie’s staring as they parted ways, and her subsequent pouting when all she witnessed was a simple “See you later” between Garreth and Sebastian.
The rest of the day went along as usual. Any sense of dread about telling Sebastian that his aunt knew was slightly diminished when he saw how easily Sebastian had admitted their relationship to Ominis and Rosie. That evening after dinner, Garreth had gone back up to his room and was reading when Sebastian came in and quickly closed the door behind him.
“Hey,” Garreth smiled and lowered his book. He vaguely wondered if his stomach would ever stop doing flips when he saw Sebastian.
“Hi,” Sebastian replied, he sounded a little winded and looked frazzled. “I just had a very interesting conversation with your Aunt.”
Garreth’s stomach dropped down to his legs mid flip, his eyes widened a fraction and he closed his book. “Oh? Is that right?” He only hoped he sounded more casual than he felt.
“Mhm,” Sebastian raised his eyebrows and nodded as he walked over to Garreth. He perched halfway on his desk and folded his hands in his lap, looking at Garreth’s expectantly.
A dull warmth crept up Garreth’s face and he swallowed heavily. “I was going to tell you. I promise. I didn’t even realize she knew until this morning. That’s why she wanted to see me.”
“How did she even find out?”
The warmth grew hotter, his eyes drifted off to the side. “It’s my fault. My mum told her about Easter. I’m sorry. Please don’t be mad,” he grimaced and snuck a glance at Sebastian. He didn't look exactly mad, but he certainly wasn’t happy about it.
“As much as I like watching you squirm, I’m not mad,” he relaxed his shoulders and scooted a bit closer to reach out for Garreth’s hand. “If I wasn’t such a freak about my privacy I would tell everyone that we’re together.” He forced a frown when Garreth started to smile in response. “But I am a freak about my privacy so that will not be happening. Don’t get cocky.”
“Me? Never,” Garreth teased as he leaned up to kiss Sebastian. When he pulled away, he looked at Sebastian quizzically, who recoiled slightly at the expression.
“What? I don’t like that look,” Sebastian said hesitantly.
“You know, I’m going home again soon, and my mum—“ he wasn’t able to finish the statement because Sebastian had planted his hand against Garreth’s forehead and shoved him back against his chair.
“Do not finish that. It’s not happening!”
Garreth laughed and grinned at Sebastian. “What? Why not?!”
“You’re annoying.”
“I know,” Garreth leaned forward and pulled Sebastian closer. He wrapped his arms around Sebastian’s hips and rested his chin on his thigh. Sebastian looked down and smirked.
“While you’re down there…”
Garreth rolled his eyes, and stood up. He started to walk over to his bed, but paused and turned around when Sebastian didn’t follow.
“You coming or what?” He asked coyly, and seconds later he was being tackled down against the mattress.
~
The thought of audibly saying that Sebastian had been happier the past seven months than he had in years made him cringe, even though it was entirely true. Every so often, Rosie or Ominis would ask him how things were going, and the most they got was a simple “Fine”. However, if someone were to watch closely, they would see that things were much, much better than fine. Sebastian found that at any given time, there was a high chance that his mind was elsewhere. Usually that place was in a Garreth induced daze. He was more lenient with his students—within reason, of course. Even Rosie commented that he hadn’t had one of his moody days in a long while. Which, ironically enough, spurred on a bout of moodiness. Yet, it was short lived.
Things had been going so well that when Garreth invited Sebastian and Ominis to Thanksgiving at Leander’s, Sebastian didn’t even think of the disaster that happened the year prior until he showed up on the farm and was face to face with Leander and Cora. Embarrassment immediately took hold, and he kicked himself for not remembering beforehand. More so because he showed up empty handed. Leander eyeballed Sebastian, and was about to say something probably annoying, when Cora interrupted him.
“Thank you, for coming, you two! I’m so happy to see you guys again,” Cora smiled warmly and led them into the living area where everyone was mingling. Including Garreth and Rosie.
Garreth turned toward them when he heard Cora and walked over. He stood next to Sebastian, a hand placed on his lower back. Sebastian looked over at him accusingly.
“Why did you let me forget about what happened last year?” He asked, though his face did not match the bite in his words.
“I didn’t realize it was my responsibility,” Garreth chuckled. “You forgot?”
Sebastian shot Ominis a glare when he heard him stifle a laugh. “I know, but it’s not something I like remembering.” He looked over at Leander and Cora apologetically. “I really am sorry about that.”
Cora shook her head. “I said it last year and I’ll say it again. It’s okay, it’s not a real Thanksgiving without at least one fight. Besides, look at you two now! Makes the story even better,” she teased, which caused both Sebastian and Garreth to shift and look around awkwardly. “Really. I’m looking forward to actually getting to know you. Lord knows Garreth doesn’t shut up about you.”
“Uh—hey!” Garreth gaped indignantly, which was answered with amused looks from the other four.
She laughed and turned to walk into the kitchen. “Oh calm down, it’s cute. I’ll get you two some drinks, I’ll be right back.” She and Leander left for the kitchen. Rosie noticed them from the other side of the room and walked over to pull Ominis away, claiming she wanted to show him something. However, Sebastian noticed that all she did was bring him back to where she was standing and had positioned them so that she was facing Garreth and Sebastian and was watching them closely as if hoping to catch them slipping in some way.
“Why do you think Rosie is always watching us?” Sebastian asked, dragging his attention from her to Garreth.
“Dunno,” Garreth shrugged. “Maybe she just wants to see two men necking.”
Sebastian snorted and looked back at Rosie. He regarded her for a moment before he shook his head at her in mock disappointment. She frowned at him and looked back at Ominis to continue their conversation. The rest of the afternoon went on as planned, and once everyone had eaten their share, Leander suggested a few of them go outside and do some shooting since the weather was nice enough. Sebastian perked up at the suggestion, and the chance of seeing his fantasy in person. He kept quiet but hoped that Garreth would agree. Sebastian ignored the way his chest tightened when Garreth got up to follow Leander outside. Twenty minutes later Sebastian was standing outside with Ominis watching Garreth shoot some bottles and desperately resisting the urge to drag him back to his room at Hogwarts. He was so focused on Garreth he didn’t realize Leander had walked up to Ominis until he heard him speaking. Sebastian didn’t look over, not wanting to miss a second of the sight in front of him, but he eavesdropped on their conversation.
“So, Sebastian and Garreth… about time, eh?” Leander said amusedly.
A moment passed before Ominis replied, sounding as bored as ever. “Don’t try to relate to me.”
Sebastian covered up the laugh that tried to slip out by clearing his throat, but wasn’t sure if it worked because he felt the glare Leander shot at him.
~
That evening as Sebastian lay next to Garreth, sweaty and trying to catch his breath, he thought he would have to be nicer to Leander if only to see Garreth use a gun more often. After a few long minutes of them both recovering, Sebastian rolled onto his side and faced Garreth. His gaze drifted from his face down to his chest and he wondered how he went so long without noticing how attractive Garreth was. He felt a stab of regret and thought he would just have to make up for lost time.
“Thank you for coming, today,” Garreth said as he also turned onto his side and looked at Sebastian.
“Of course. Why wouldn’t I?”
“Well, for one, I didn’t realize you had actually forgotten about last year,” Garreth smiled.
“Ugh, I know. Don’t remind me,” Sebastian looked off to the side and sighed heavily. “At least Cora was nice about it… I like her.”
“Me too. She’s good for Leander.”
“She is. He doesn’t run his mouth as much around her.”
Garreth laughed quietly. “Give it time. He’ll grow on you.”
“Like some barnacle? Gross,” Sebastian muttered as he scooted close to Garreth. He took up his usual position of shoving his face against the crook of Garreth’s neck with his arm wrapped around Garreth’s waist and their legs tangled together.
“I’ve been meaning to ask,” Garreth said as he draped his arm over Sebastian. “How is that comfortable? You look like you’re going to suffocate.”
Sebastian’s voice was muffled as he replied, not moving an inch. “Worth it.”
Teachers Pet - ch. 19 of 20
Pairing: Sebastian Sallow/Garreth Weasley
Rating: E
Status: Complete
Summary: Sebastian Sallow was under the impression he’d never have to see Garreth Weasley again.
He was wrong.
Now they’re both teaching at Hogwarts, both entirely insufferable, and somehow even worse around each other than they were at seventeen. Unfortunately, time has not made things simpler. If anything, it’s made them… complicated.
Genre Tags: enemies-to-lovers, slow burn
Sebastian rolled his eyes. “How boring,” he smirked and gently patted the space next to him. “Come back.”
Garreth leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. “As much as I would like to, I know that you won’t let me leave,” Sebastian nodded as if Garreth was stating the obvious. “And I have to meet my Aunt in…” he paused to glance at his watch. “Twenty minutes.”
“Boo, no fun,” Sebastian sighed as he flopped back onto the bed. “However, I guess I don’t want to get you in trouble so… I suppose I’ll let you go.”
“How kind of you,” Garreth laughed. He stood up and went to sit on the edge of the bed next to Sebastian. “Now get dressed before my boyfriend comes back. He’s got a temper.”
The word slipped out before Garreth could stop it. He felt his stomach drop, but just waited to see how Sebastian reacted. He felt a wave of relief when he wasn’t met with flustered indignation from Sebastian. Garreth was then surprised when Sebastian simply reached forward to wrap his hand around the back of Garreth’s neck and pull him down close, their lips barely touching.
“I like my chances,” he whispered before he brought their mouths together.
Garreth lay on his stomach, head resting on his folded arms as he slowly began to doze off. Somehow, he and Sebastian had mustered up the energy to go for round two and now they were both thoroughly exhausted. Garreth knew Sebastian would be intense in private, but what he had just experienced (twice) was far beyond what he had expected. It felt like someone had flung him off a cliff and he had spent the last few hours falling so fast he didn’t have time to process anything. And now that he had reached the bottom, he found the fall to be almost addicting. He would happily climb back up and jump again. The calm quiet that enveloped the room was comforting, and also intimate in its own way. It made the awkwardness that had pooled in his gut feel more tolerable. Sebastian was lying on his side facing Garreth, his hand resting flat on the small of Garreth’s back, his forehead only a few inches away from Garreth’s shoulder.
“So… uhm,” Garreth’s voice was barely above a whisper, but he felt like he was yelling with how quiet his room was. “You can stay. If you want to,” he added hastily.
Sebastian didn’t reply right away, Garreth wondered if he had already fallen asleep. The groggy note in Sebastian’s voice suggested he may have already been halfway there.
“Okay,” he replied, he lifted his head to prop his chin on his arm and looked at Garreth. The look on his face was relatively new to Garreth: open, and a bit soft.
Sebastian’s response washed away whatever unease he had been feeling. Garreth smiled as a subtle giddiness took over.
“Ooh, sleepover!” He teased quietly, a low laugh slipped out when Sebastian grimaced.
“Shut up,” he moved his head to lay flat again and rubbed his hand up Garreth’s back.
As the quiet settled back in, Garreth let his mind wander again. He thought about how the polarity of Sebastian was a bit jarring. His intensity seeped into every aspect of his personality, the rigid self protection he displayed on a daily basis was counteracted by the accepting openness that he was currently letting show. Garreth had learned that he loved the duality, seeing the switch had been so interesting and incredibly endearing.
The minutes ticked by and Garreth felt himself inch closer to sleep. His thoughts weaved their way through Sebastian, the love he felt, and how it had been such an unexpected surprise the way everything panned out. And just when he was crossing the threshold into sleep, he noticed something that made the affection he felt swell. Sebastian’s hand was slowly drifting up and down the length of Garreth’s back. His nails just barely grazed his skin, just enough to leave goosebumps in their wake.
The feeling instantly brought him back to his childhood, and then to that night when he told Sebastian about how his mum used to scratch his back. Garreth was too sleepy to be shocked at how Sebastian not only remembered, but got it right. He was out before he even had a chance to comment on it.
~
The next morning Garreth was woken up by Sebastian roughly jostling him.
“What time is it?” Sebastian snapped.
“Too early for you to be yelling at me,” Garreth grumbled, frowning as he blearily opened his eyes and yawned.
“We’re going to be late!” Sebastian was sitting on the edge of the bed pulling his trousers on.
“Late for—?” Garreth began to ask, but then realized what Sebastian was talking about. “It’s Saturday.”
Sebastian stilled, tensing up for a moment before relaxing. “It is?” He asked quietly.
“Yes,” Garreth reached out to grab Sebastian’s hand and pull him back to bed. “Go back to sleep you lunatic.”
“Oh,” Sebastian let out a nervous laugh as he kicked his trousers off and laid back down. He looked up at the ceiling and fidgeted. “Sorry.”
Sebastian was quiet for a minute, then propped himself up on his elbows and looked down at Garreth, who was laying on his side with his hand resting on Sebastian’s hip.
“Why don’t you have a clock in here?”
Garreth shrugged. “Dunno. I usually just use my watch.”
“The one you never wear?” Sebastian deadpanned.
“Yeah… why are you interrogating me?” Garreth looked up at Sebastian, eyes still heavy with sleep.
“I’m not—whatever,” Sebastian conceded as he laid back down. He reached for Garreth’s hand and fiddled with his fingers for a second before he lifted Garreth’s arm and scooted closer. Garreth wrapped his arm around Sebastian’s waist and pulled him flush, Sebastian's face was nestled in the crook of Garreth’s neck. He settled in without another word, and as Garreth fell back asleep, he couldn’t help but wonder how Sebastian was able to breathe with his face buried the way it was. However, he couldn’t be bothered to care enough to ask.
Garreth woke up again a couple hours later, this time much slower. He was surprised to find that Sebastian had barely moved from the position he fell asleep in. His face was still tucked snugly against Garreth’s neck, arm wrapped tightly around his waist and their legs tangled together. The position made him think of a koala and he thought he would have to poke at him for it later. For now, though, he slowly peeled himself away in an effort to not wake Sebastian. Garreth sat up, stretched and reached for his watch on the small table nearby. His eyes widened when he saw it was nearly lunch. Garreth didn’t think he had ever slept in so late before. He turned his attention to Sebastian, and felt a small flutter in his chest. The thought of how different Sebastian was behind closed doors kept coming back every time he saw him at a slightly different angle. Garreth got up, put some clothes on and went to his desk to try to get some work done while Sebastian slept. It was about another hour before Garreth heard quiet rustling from the bed. He looked up and saw Sebastian stretch lazily before his gaze slowly drifted over to Garreth.
“What are you doing over there?” He asked as he propped his head up on his elbow.
“Working,” Garreth said as he sat up and folded his hands on the papers in front of him.
Sebastian rolled his eyes. “How boring,” he smirked and gently patted the space next to him. “Come back.”
Garreth leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. “As much as I would like to, I know that you won’t let me leave,” Sebastian nodded as if Garreth was stating the obvious. “And I have to meet my Aunt in…” he paused to glance at his watch. “Twenty minutes.”
“Boo, no fun,” Sebastian sighed as he flopped back onto the bed. “However, I guess I don’t want to get you in trouble so… I suppose I’ll let you go.”
“How kind of you,” Garreth laughed. He stood up and went to sit on the edge of the bed next to Sebastian. “Now get dressed before my boyfriend comes back. He’s got a temper.”
The word slipped out before Garreth could stop it. He felt his stomach drop, but just waited to see how Sebastian reacted. He felt a wave of relief when he wasn’t met with flustered indignation from Sebastian. Garreth was then surprised when Sebastian simply reached forward to wrap his hand around the back of Garreth’s neck and pull him down close, their lips barely touching.
“I like my chances,” he whispered before he brought their mouths together.
Fifteen minutes, and much dramatic grumbling from Sebastian later, Garreth opened his door to poke his head out and make sure no one was around. He leaned back behind the door and looked at Sebastian.
“No one’s around,” he said quietly.
“Good,” Sebastian placed a hand on Garreth's waist and pressed a quick kiss on his cheek before moving to walk out. “Say hi to your aunt for me,” he flashed a cheeky smile at Garreth as he quickly walked down the hall without looking back.
“Ha ha very funny,” Garreth rolled his eyes and he heard a low laugh from Sebastian echo off the corridor walls. He waited until Sebastian was gone from sight before closing the door behind him as he began to make his way to his aunt's office.
He was at her office ten minutes later and knocked before walking in. She was sitting at her desk and glanced up when she heard him come in, a warm smile gracing her features.
“Hello dear. Please,” she gestured towards the chair in front of her. “Thank you for making time for me. I know how busy you’ve been.”
“Of course, it’s no problem,” he replied as he sat down. She hadn’t mentioned why she wanted to see him and it had made him slightly anxious. It seemed her influence from when he was a student at Hogwarts still had some lingering effects. She must have picked up on it, because she smiled again and leaned forward slightly, resting her elbows on the desk.
“You’re not in trouble,” she said, an amused expression on her face. “I just wanted to check in. Like I said, you’ve been so busy and I wanted to make sure everything was going alright.”
“Oh,” Garreth exhaled in relief. “Everything’s fine.”
“Really?” She raised an eyebrow at him, and the anxiety set back in. He knew that look. “Nothing new? How have the other Professors been? I know you’ve made friends with Professor Shore.”
Garreth’s eyebrows furrowed for a second. He wondered what she knew. His Aunt Mathilda only asked such pointed questions when she already knew something. “They’ve been okay…”
She hummed quietly. “How are things with Professor Sallow? I know you two didn’t get along in school.”
“They’re alright…” he tried to keep a straight face while he scrambled for an answer. He couldn’t lie to her, she would see right through it. But he also couldn’t tell her exactly what had been going on. Garreth hadn’t taken the time to consider whether he and Sebastian would get in trouble for being involved, and now he was cursing his thoughtlessness. “It was… weird, at first, but… it’s fine, now.”
“Hmm, that’s good to know,” she eyed him closely. She had to know. Or at least have heard something. “Because I heard a rumor that there might be something going on.” She continued to scrutinize him, the intensity of her gaze made Garreth feel restless. He began to respond when she lifted a hand to stop him.
“You don’t need to say anything. I just want to let you know,” she looked at him over the rim of her glasses. “That if anything were to happen, that you two would be sure to remain professional. I’ve never had any issues with Sebastian's conduct, and I don’t expect that you would disrupt that.” Her face softened just a fraction. “Technically, that type of fraternization is not allowed, but… I might be willing to be lenient on the promise that it would not affect either of your behavior, hypothetically speaking. If only because I know how badly your parents want that for you… and someone could do much worse than Sebastian.”
Garreth felt his face heat up at her words, and he shifted in his seat. “Uhm… okay. Noted.” He offered an awkward smile as he glanced at her quickly and then looked away again. Suddenly, Garreth was hit with the realization that of course she knew. His mum absolutely would have told her after what happened at Easter. He turned back to his Aunt and grimaced. “I’m sorry. I just… it wasn’t…”
She looked at him knowingly. “There you go. I was wondering when you would realize how I knew,” she chuckled quietly. “Now that we’re on the same page. Everything I said still stands. Don’t make me regret it.”
“Yes, of course, thank you Aunt Mathilda,” he replied, a flush crept down his neck and his hands fidgeted in his lap.
“Now, I really do want to know how everything’s been. Please, tell me, how are you finding your classes? Students?”
Garreth sighed heavily, and made a mental note to remind Sebastian that while nepotism is not what got him his job, it did have its perks. He just hoped that if he told Sebastian that his aunt knew, it wouldn’t result in him pulling away again.
