DOUBLE TROUBLE (Sebastian Sallow x F!MC)

he said "i'm not a donor, but i'd give you my
heart if you needed it", she rolled her eyes and
said "you're a professional", he said "no, just a
good samaritan".

Sebastian hadn't held out much hope, so when he saw Daisy and Garreth hand in hand again days later, the sight of that didn't hurt him more than it would have regardless. He had resigned himself to seeing the woman he once loved with someone else, but he had no intention of chasing after her as Ominis had suggested and try to be her friend. What was the point, anyway? Daisy didn't want anything to do with him.

And yet... he had noticed the way her gaze lingered on him during their brief encounter in the Observatory, just as he had noticed how her body had reacted involuntarily to being called Little D, a stupid but affectionate nickname he had coined the night they first met, during their fifth year. Sebastian continued to curse himself for the scene he had caused that night and for ruining the first moment of apparent civility between them after months, but he hadn't been able to hold back. Sure, he never believed that Daisy would have stayed single forever after their break-up; he knew that the moment the Hogwarts boys found out about that, they would be flocking to her. But he hadn't expected to see her so serious with another man, especially if that man was Garreth Weasley.

Night came quickly, and after leaving the Great Hall post-dinner, he decided to head to the courtyard for some fresh air. The Dungeons could be... oppressive in that matter, so it was often necessary for Sebastian to spend some time outside the school before returning back to his dormitory. At that point, he pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his cloak and took one out, placing it between his lips and lighting it with a quick flick of his wand. He took a deep drag, savoring the sensation the nicotine provoked in him.

— You're literally everywhere. Are you following me, by any chance? — a voice, all too familiar, exclaimed behind him, and he had to stifle a laugh. He turned around and looked down, immediately meeting Daisy's big, dark eyes.

— To what do I owe this pleasure, Rosier? I assure you, I have no intention of running into you every time I walk around the castle — he said nonchalantly, exhaling the smoke.

— What are you doing here, anyway? Don't you have any Hufflepuffs to entertain?

Sebastian couldn't help the amused smirk forming on his face. — Watch out, or I might think you're jealous.

The truth was, Sebastian knew that the brief encounter with Adelaide on the train had bothered her, despite her pretending otherwise. And he knew that those public displays of affection with Garreth were just a way to make him pay for his actions.

— You'd like that. And since when do you smoke?

— I'm surprised you know what cigarettes are. Don't you come from a supremacist family that hates anything muggle-related? — he replied, taking another drag.

— You know well I don't share my family's ideologies, or else I'd be betrothed to the eldest son of the Nott family or, even worse, the Malfoys.

Sebastian chuckled before sitting on the bench behind him. Daisy glanced at the spot next to him for a moment, probably weighing whether to sit down or continue to maintain a certain distance between them.

— The Weasleys are still purebloods, so you shouldn't have particular problems with invitations to the wedding — the sarcasm was too sharp in that statement, and Daisy noticed, widening her eyes at the way he had once again brought up her relationship, but she chose not to react. — How did the first day of classes go?

— Fine, although Sharp and Shah didn't hold back on the homework. But I prefer to write fifty inches of parchment daily rather than stay at home. My parents keep throwing ridiculous balls to find me a "worthy" suitor and plan the wedding right after graduation.