The Wishing Relic
pairing: Sebastian Sallow x f!reader
warnings: Mild violence and bad language. Mention of having no control over your own actions.
word count: 9.7k
summary: Sebastian Sallow had been in love with you for as long as he could remember, but all you'd ever shown him, was friendship. After screwing up his one and only chance to confess, he discovers a washing relic, and makes one simple but life changing wish. Now, you must deal with the implications of what he's wished for.
A/N: hi! thanks so much to anyone who reads this!
It's my first time writing something close to the horror genre so I'm aware that it may not be my best work, but it's okay!
I want to say a huge thank you to @authorellasallow for helping with the idea and inspiring me to write this. This one is for you my darling <3
For as long as he could remember, Sebastian Sallow had carried the biggest weight on his chest.
No, it wasn't something dark nor mysterious. It wasn't something that could destroy his life, or something he necessarily had to be as stressed about as he was.
For the longest time, Sebastian Sallow had simply had a crush on his best friend.
You.
Well, crush was putting it lightly. It started that way but he's pretty sure at least a year ago it developed into true, romantic feelings.
He not only liked you. He loved you.
He fantasised about you in any, and every way, and with you both now eighteen, and about to leave Hogwarts, he felt that he was running out of time to tell you.
Despite his other best friend, Ominis Gaunt demanding that he calm down, because you had already reassured him that you would no longer be perusing your dreams of moving away, you'd instead be staying here, so he'd still get to see you. Ominis was adamant that Sebastian needn't rush to confess his feelings to you, because simply, he had all the time in the world.
Deep down, Sebastian knew Ominis was right, because Ominis was right. All Sebastian had was time, so he knew that he had to stop the worrying, the stressing.
But each and every time he saw you, it got harder and harder to keep his mouth shut. The temptation to blurt those seemingly forbidden three words was sometimes so overwhelming that he would feel physically sick, forcing them down.
And an incredible example of that was this current moment. He had been invited to the weekly trivia down at The Three Broomsticks, Sirona, the pub owner expected their weekly arrival, now pleased that she'd no longer have to sneak them in drinks illegally, thanks to them now being of age.
The table they had chosen to sit at, was the exact same table in which they chose every single week.
It was always the same round, log table, with ever so slightly comfortable, padded stools, accompanied with a bench.
It was always the same six people as well.
Sebastian, you and Ominis on one side, they always took the bench as you found it easier to curl up. The stools were always occupied by Poppy Sweeting, Garreth Weasley and Imelda Reyes.
The group was tight-knit, inseparable, a bustling friendship, and magically, everyone in the group knew about Sebastian's crush on you, everyone but you, yourself.
You were utterly clueless it was starting to destroy Sebastian.
Especially tonight. He couldn't help himself from sneaking little glances towards you. He kept finding himself smiling, whenever you'd talk, or laugh.
In his eyes, you were the most beautiful thing he had ever laid his eyes on.
"Sebastian? Did you not just hear a single word that I said?" You ask, breaking Sebastian out of his trance. He meets your gaze, smiling gently, his eyes instantly softening at the pure sight of you as you stir your fire whiskey with a straw, a habit he'd caught you doing almost every time you drank.
"Sorry I was lost in my own head for a second there, what was it you were saying?" He asks, trying to seem calm and collected. You roll your eyes, grinning. You stand up, dramatically wrapping an arm around Sebastian's shoulders.
To you, it was a casual friendly gesture, something familiar between the two of you, but to Sebastian, that one ounce of contact was absolutely everything.
"I was saying that I genuinely believe we'd lose this trivia every single week if you didn't join us. You're like our groups muse, if you're not there, we all suffer." You say giddily, leaning closer to Sebastian's face unintentionally. Sebastian chuckles softly, taking a sip of his drink. He nods. "I suppose you're right, I do hold the team together." He murmurs, meeting our gaze.
You grin. "That's that big headed ego I love." You joke, but Sebastian can't help but react as though you has flirted. His cheeks blushing, heating up. His heart beginning to race as that all too familiar feeling like butterflies fluttering in his stomach starts.
"Just for you." Is what he wants to say. But he doesn't.
He simply just smiles at you instead.
"Sallow. I think it's your turn to buy the next round." Garreth suddenly announces, patting him dramatically on the back, trying to break the obvious tension, which you were completely oblivious to. Sebastian groans in protest without any actual annoyance, before standing up with a dramatic sigh.
"Fine." He murmurs, beginning the short trek to the bar, not expecting to hear a set of softer sounding footsteps from behind him.
He turns, finding you approaching. You're smirking. "Thought you'd need the hand." You suggest. Sebastian can't help the blush that forms across his cheeks. "Is that so?" He says, staring directly into you eyes, quickly cursing himself out silently.
Don't be a creep Sallow. He reminds himself. He opens his mouth to say something else to you but is cut off by the rough sound of someone clearing their throat. You both snap your heads across to the bar to find the source of the noise.
"What can I get for ya?" A shabby looking bartender asks. His beard long, and slightly matted in places. He eyes you up instantly making you uncomfortable. You shift slightly closer which Sebastian catches onto immediately. He automatically shuffles closer, fighting the urge to wrap an arm around your waist, knowing that he can't overstep but the relieve that fills you at the closeness of him is palpable.
You glance at him, with an almost grateful look. Sebastian offers you a smile before turning back to the man. "Four fire whiskeys, and whatever-." Sebastian starts but you cut him off, slamming a few galleons onto the bar. "Make that five fire whiskeys, please." The man nods, with a slight grunt, scooping up the galleons before turning his back to them, to make the drinks.
"You know you didn't have to pay, I was going to do it." Sebastian states. You just smile, with a subtle shrug of your shoulders.
"And?" You quirk an eyebrow at him, waiting for his reaction, like a challenge. He shakes his head softly, smiling at you. "You're a dork." He mumbles. "Your dork." You respond without even looking.
God help me. He thinks, as the bartender slides the drinks onto the counter. You and Sebastian are quick to gather the glasses, heading back to the table.
You place the drinks on the placemats scattered around the flat surface, slumping back into your seat with a soft sigh. Sebastian sneaks one last glance at you before taking a seat himself.
~
The rest of the evening spent at the bar was filled with laughter and playful banter. Mostly from Sebastian and Garreth who kept bickering over who had the correct answer to a certain question, just to find out that both were wrong.
As the night closes to an end, yourself and the rest of the group stumble out into the cold, night air. Your heads are all fuzzy from the beer, your tummy's were warm and full.
"Right, shall we head to that nightclub near the corner of Hogsmeade? It should open soon." Garreth suggests enthusiastically, met with excited nods. But to you, that sounds like a nightmare. All you want to do is go home and go to sleep.
"No." You suddenly blurt, causing all eyes to cast down on you. "What do you mean no? It's a Friday night. We're here to get pissed. You never say no to getting pissed." Imelda complains but you shake your head.
"I'm tired, I had a long day. I just want to go home and go to bed." You respond. Imelda groans in protest, tugging at your arm. "Stop being lame. You are coming out with us." She demands but you refuse even further, shaking your head.
"Seriously, Imelda. Can't you guys just walk me back to the dorms, then go do your clubbing or whatever shit you're gonna go off and do." You suggest, desperate to shower, then lie in bed until you fall asleep.
Your feet hurt, you felt sweaty and disgusting and exhausted.
"Stop being boring!" Imelda pushes, your patience now beginning to wear thin. You glare, beginning to grow genuinely annoyed at her. You open your mouth to argue back, protest further but a voice stops you.
"I'll walk you." Sebastian offers loudly.. You glance towards the source of the noise, your lips curling into a smile as you meet his sincere gaze, lacking any doubt in his brown eyes.
Sebastian always did the right thing. He always wanted to help and protect everyone.
He looks slightly nervous, which was unusual for him but you brush it off, narrowing it down to the alcohol, and probably lack of sleep.
"Thank you!" You say gratefully, gesturing wildly with your arms, already taking a step towards him. He nods, burying his hands deep into his pockets. A nervous habit of his. Maybe it's the cold?
"Of course."
"Oh come on Seb. Don't encourage this boring behaviour." Garreth protests, reaching a hand out to seemingly stop Sebastian from stepping back any further. Sebastian shakes his head, throwing up a hand at Garreth, dismissively.
"Nah mate. She wants to go home, and honestly so do I. You guys continue, go to the club, have more drinks, have a nice time. We're fine, truly. You don't need us in order to have a good night." Sebastian explains.
Garreth rolls his eyes. "Seriously?" He interjects. Poppy swatts Garreth's arm. "If Sebastian wants to go home, let him." She says softly, offering Sebastian a shy smile.
You were convinced that Poppy had a thing for him, she was always taking his side, or trying to be close to him.
Sebastian returns the smile she directs at him, before Poppy pulls him into a gentle hug. Sebastian awkwardly returns the hug, patting her gently on the back, a friendly gesture. "Be safe." She murmurs. Sebastian nods, pulling away, turning to you.
Then, you were both gone, walking away from the group and down the cobbled path towards the exit of Hogsmeade and back onto the long path to Hogwarts.
"How come you didn't want to stay out? You're always the one who wants to stay back and get pissed?" You question him. Sebastian offers a quick glance to you, without slowing his pace. He seems to tense up slightly, his movements stiffening.
He shrugs. "I'm just tired." He tries. You scoff, not buying it. You stop in your tracks, directly in front of him, causing him having to stop too.
"What?" He asks amused, his lips curling into a tiny smile. "Sebastian Sallow. Quidditch star. Sebastian Sallow who can out drink the entire school faculty. You are telling me that rather than going out, to get absolutely shit faced and probably laid - you'd rather go home, to sleep?" You question, as if it's the most obscure thing you'd ever heard of in the entire world.
Because, in your mind, it was. Sebastian Sallow never got tired. Sebastian Sallow never wanted to just go home to sleep. So naturally, this version of him had you wondering.
Really wondering.
"Why, is it such a bad thing that a man just wants to sleep for once?" He feigns offence. You grin at him, taking a single step backwards, then another, and one more as you pick up a pace, keeping your eyes on his as you move.
He slowly follows you. "It's not a bad thing, it's just not something you do so it's weird." You explain. He smiles.
"Or maybe, I just wanted more time with my best friend." He whispers, quietly, almost too quiet that you barely register what you'd heard.
But you'd heard it and you instantly scrunch up your nose. "Ew. That was cringe, don't say that." You scold.
You absolutely hated sappiness. You didn't want anything bittersweet and him saying that, was cringey for you, and he knew that.
He chuckles, mockingly throwing his hands up either side of his head in defence as he speeds back up, to rejoin you by your side.
The rest of the walk is peaceful, mostly in silence asides from the shuffling of shoes against wet cobbles and concrete from the previous rainfall earlier that day.
"Alright." Sebastian murmurs as he stops in front of your dormitory door. "This is you, get some sleep, alright?" You nod, smiling. Sebastian shuffles from one foot to the other.
You turn around, your hand finding placement in your dormitory door. "Wait." He calls out. You pause, turning your head back to meet his gaze. "Yeah?" You respond. He sighs.
"You-. I mean-. There's a new cafe opening up, and I was thinking that maybe you and I, could go? Like during the week maybe?" He asks, nervously. You chuckle softly.
"You're such a dork. You want me to go to a new cafe with you?" He nods. "Yeah. I mean! You don't have to of course, if you're busy. Wait of course you'll be busy, you're a busy person. Ignore me I'm so stupid." He rambles to himself, frantically.
"Seb, you're rambling." You state softly. He doesn't relax though, he fidgets more insistently.
"I just-. Yknow what? Forget it. Forget I said anything." He quickly says, turning around.
In that moment. You knew you had to ask him. The one question that had been corrupting your mind recently, based on his behaviours.
"Sebastian, do you like, like me or something?" You ask, matter-of-factly. Sebastian freezes, his face contorting into pure panic.
"What? No, of course not. I just think we're great friends. That's all." He quickly rushes out. You raise an eyebrow, not fully convinced but you let it slide, nodding slowly.
"Okay." You breathe out. "Good." You then finally unlock the door, stepping inside, closing it.
Meanwhile, Sebastian, still stood outside of your door, palms his face, groaning in frustration.
"Sebastian you fucking idiot. Why did you say that. You had your fucking chance." He mutters to himself as he trudges back to his own dormitory, down the corridor.
He opens the door, and a soft glimmering captures his attention. He locks his door, before turning his attention towards the shining object.
He bends over into the corner between the windowsill and his desk, leaning down to retrieve the item.
It was a relic. An ancient magic relic.
Some ancient artefact he and Ominis had found a few weeks ago whilst searching the schools undercroft, desperate to recover anything of value before they left the school for good.
The relic had looked mysterious, and interesting at the time and thus, Sebastian had picked it up, without any ounce of an idea as to what you could even do with it.
When he'd picked it up at first, all those weeks ago, it had been plain black, boring, with engravings on it.
Yet now, it was shining an unmistakable white light, as if it was calling out to him.
Naturally, as anyone would, Sebastian bends down to retrieve it. A loud, sharp, musical tone starts almost the second Sebastian's hand makes contact with it.
He retracts, having had a slight fright from the sudden noise. But he bends down again, picking it up fully, analysing it.
"What the fuck?" He mutters, tilting the small object, to read the back.
There, in obvious, bold, white letters, were instructions. Instructions which one hundred thousand percent hadn't been there before.
One wish relic. Open the relic with delicacy. Once opened, simply state your one wish, then slam the relic shut. Everyone gets one wish only, there's no reversing your wish, so use it well.
Sebastian's eyes widen. He'd heard about these, in ancient runes. An old myth, filled with tales of voodoo and demonology, linking the wishes to something evil, but Sebastian was pretty sure that he didn't believe any of that.
How did they expect him to believe that an old random triangular thing
He bites his lip, thinking for a moment. He knew deep down it wasn't real, just a tale, and he needed anything to get his mind off of the fact he'd just destroyed his one and only chance of admitting to you how he felt.
So he grabs the relic again, opening it with ease, and a gentle care. He takes a deep breath, the impulsivity taking over.
"I wish that Y/N would love me more than anyone in the whole entire world."
Then he slams it shut.
At first, nothing happens, and he chuckles darkly to himself, thinking of how pathetic that was.
Eighteen years of age and he'd just used an ancient artefact to wish that his best friend would love him.
That was the kind of behaviour expected from a first year, who's just developed their first ever crush. Not an eighteen year old quidditch star in his final year.
He turns towards his mirror, to begin undressing for bed, completely unaware of the complications of what he had just done.
As he's pulling off his shirt, he almost swears that he can hear a creak, almost sounding like a door slowly opening, but he brushes it off, knowing deep down that it was just his mind playing tricks on him.
He closes his eyes for a second, breathing in the cool air of his dormitory, before opening them again, to take off his trousers.
But when he glances back at the mirror, his face falls, his heart rate rising, and he feels like he's suffocating.
His door, which he knew for a fact had been closed, and locked was now open ajar, and behind it, a figure.
You were stood there, in the same outfit as before. The shadows from the darkened doorway were hiding the features of your face, but you were unmistakingly you.
Sebastian's body reacts before his mind does, jumping at least a few feet in the air. He turns around abruptly to face you.
You're abnormally still.
"Y/N?" He asks, hesitantly. "Why did you leave me alone?" You whisper, so quietly, so unlike you.
Sebastian gulps. "Y-you said you wanted to go to bed." He responds, his voice shaking. You tilt your head, smiling, but it didn't feel right.
"But I don't want to be alone, not away from you." You repeat, in that tone again. "Listen, you're drunk, go to bed and we can talk in the morning." Sebastian tries to reason.
You take one small step inside his dorm, Sebastian finds himself instinctively backing up. "Oh don't back up sweetie. Why don't you come back with me? We can have some drinks, hang out." You suggest, your voice unwavering.
Sebastian takes another step further back. He was utterly confused, and truthfully, he was ever so slightly terrified.
"What? You literally-. Listen, it's late, you're drunk, do you need me to walk you back to your dorm?" Sebastian asks. Your eerie smile directed towards him widens by a fraction.
"No sweetie. Unless you'd like to come in?" You offer.
Sebastian was starting to feel extremely uncomfortable now. "Look, just, go back to your dorm, and to bed, please." He presses on.
You take two firm, certain steps inside his dormitory, closing the door behind you.
Then, slowly, you turn, to face him fully, your face contorted into a horrifying frown. The type that makes Sebastian flinch in fear, practically throwing himself up against the wall.
"Y/N?" He croaks out. "Come on Sebbie. Don't make someone as sad as me spend tonight alone."
He gulps, his hands trembling at his sides. "But you said you wanted to go to bed, I don't understand. You're starting to genuinely freak me out."
You approach him further, closing in on him. Your hand reaches out, to slide down his chest. "Come on, just a few drinks, a few laughs." You encourage. He shakes his head.
"Seriously, go to bed." He's stern now, voice firm. Your face hardens, as does the grip on his chest. Your frown intensifies as you lean in closer to him.
"Noooooo." You whine, face falling, your eyes were dark, darker than usual and Sebastian couldn't understand why.
All he understood in this very moment was that you were not acting normal. You were acting strange, and he didn't like it.
"Why not?" He breathes out. A tear falls from your face. "I can't be alone tonight. Please." You practically plead. Sebastian's face falls. He's utterly defeated.
He feels as though he no longer has a choice, for the first time in his life since he had met you, he was terrified of saying no to you, scared of what your next move would be.
He nods his head, so slightly that it was hardly noticeable.
"You can have my bed, I'll take the couch." He murmurs but you snap your head back to him, that same old sinister frown back.
"No! No no no no." You ramble, stamping your feet. Sebastian furrows his eyebrows, the fear was making itself at a home in a large lump in his throat. "Listen, I'm just being respectful, you're not in the right headspace right-." He tries to reason but you step even closer, jaw clenched so tightly.
"NO!" You roar, the walls practically trembling under the force of it. He scrambles back again, swallowing harshly. He nods. "Okay. Okay." His hands fly up, either side of his head for surrender. "Okay, just, it's okay." He reassures, slowly approaching the bed, never taking his eyes off of her.
"Do you need a fresh-." He starts but the focused glare she offers him cuts him off. His hands are shaking frantically as he pulls back the covers. "Whenever you're ready." He mumbles. You walk towards the bed, your movements quick, sharp. You sit down, kicking off your shoes, and curling into the bed, close to Sebastian.
Sebastian is practically frozen, his mind and heart racing. He has no idea what to even do or think. His best friend, his very drunk best friend was in his bed, close to him after getting weirdly aggressive at the idea of doing anything else that wasn't sharing a bed with him.
The same best friend who not even an hour ago had practically friend zoned him. To say that Sebastian Sallow was confused would be an understatement, but selfishly enough, he wasn't going to complain.
He'd always wanted this.
It doesn't take long for you to grow sleepy, your eyes drooping. You back yourself up further until Sebastian has no option other than to spoon you.
His hearts still racing, breathing heavily. He holds you tentatively.
"Goodnight." He mumbles, voice wavering. "Goodnight." You respond, drifting off.
~~~~~~
The clock reads 3:37 am when Sebastian first stirs. Something hadn't felt right, like he was being watched.
His eyes slowly flutter open, blinking against the sleep in his eyes, everything that had happened, rushes back to him. He turns, to check on you, but you aren't there.
A cold dread begins to seep through his bones as his eyes adjust to the darkness. He glances around, before noticing a slight black shadow in the very far corner of his dorm.
His heart beats out of his chest, his hands suddenly feeling clammy, sweaty. He feels like he's suffocating, every ounce of his body's nervous system is telling him to get the fuck out of there.
But he stays planted exactly where he was. He was way too terrified to move.
He was sure it was you, but that brought him zero comfort, because the idea of it being you, and doing something this creepy, this strange was even more terrifying than the idea of the figure being some form of entity.
"Y/N?" He calls out hesitantly, voice cracking ever so slightly.
There is no movement, nothing, the figure stays in the same position.
Sebastian shifts slightly. He's uncomfortable, his skin feels hot, and clammy, his shirt now sticking to his chest and back.
Sebastian Sallow was scared.
"Y/N?" He calls again, voice more steady this time. The figure shifts. There's the faint sound of something clinking.
"Y/N, seriously, it's late. What are you doing?" He asks again, voice raised. He was getting irritated.
You both had classes the next morning, and he was losing sleep because of whatever act you where pulling.
A terrifyingly low giggle erupts from the figure in the corner. Sebastian gulps, palms sweaty again, he shifts back against the headboard.
"Y/N, please-." He starts but he's cut off by a sudden step forward by the figure. "Shh." The figure says softly. The clinking noise starting back up again, this time louder.
"I'm watching you sleep, you're spoiling it." The figure murmurs, un-mistakingly your voice. Sebastian's blood runs cold, his suspicions correct.
"You're watching me sleep?" He asks nervously. You nod. "Go on, close your eyes, otherwise it won't work." You say eerily. Sebastian's eyes widen in fear. "What won't work? You're freaking me out here!" He yells.
You sprint towards him. Your hair dark, you're wearing his quidditch jersey, and you're holding a vial.
Not any old vial, it's a draught of the living dead vial.
"What the fuck?" Sebastian gasps in horror, springing out of the bed. You cock your head to the side, smirking. "What's wrong, afraid of the long nap? I just want to watch you sleep." You try to reassure, but your expression is as sinister as your intentions.
"Y/N. Please, let's just, talk about whatever this is, in the morning?" He pleads.
You seem to think about it for a moment, before dropping the vial, trudging back to the bed, flopping onto it and smiling directly up at him from where he was standing.
"You look so pretty when you sleep." You whisper. Sebastian can't even smile, or be grateful over the compliment.
You were scaring the complete and utter shit out of him, and Sebastian Sallow never got scared.
He stays still, as he stares down at you, in his bed, smiling like a madman, twirling the vial in your hands.
"Can you at least drop the vial please?" He asks kindly. You pout instantly. "Why?" You ask, challenging him. He sighs. "Please, you're scaring me. Just put the thing away." He asks again, this time less patient.
You offer him a cold stare, before dropping the vial to the floor, next to the bed, smashing it to pieces.
"Whatever you say." She murmurs, before turning into his chest, and her breathing evening out.
~
Sebastian doesn't sleep for the remainder of the night, terrified.
When you had woken up, you acted normal, as though nothing was wrong. You got up, left his dorm to go and get ready for the school day in your own.
You felt weird all day, funny, as though things had happened over night that you couldn't fully remember.
All you knew, was that you'd shared a bed with Sebastian and your heart had spent the entire morning fluttering over it.
The thought of seeing him, in class, in the halls, made your heart skip a beat. His messy hair, his brown eyes, his freckles, all of him.
You just wanted him to-
Wait. What the fuck. What the fuck was wrong with you.
Your brain begins to fight with you, because you had never shown interest in Sebastian Sallow and you most certainly wouldn't do it overnight.
Something was terribly wrong, you weren't thinking straight.
But then, like a switch, those thoughts vanish, and your head fills with images of Sebastian again, almost like you were possessed by a ghost .
It wasn't impossible, with the school being as big as it was.
You manage to make your way to potions class, Sebastian is already there, sat next to your good friend Poppy Sweeting. They always sat together, it was the seating arrangement made by Professor Sharp, but you didn't like this, one bit.
Your eyes narrow to Poppy, who's smiling at something Sebastian is saying. She's watching his hands closely as he stirs their cauldron.
The anger flares up inside your chest like a hot iron. You were absolutely livid, and betrayed by Sebastian.
How.
Dare.
He.
You storm over towards them, your arms folded, your face harsh like stone.
Poppy notices first, glancing up to you. Sebastian follows her gaze, his body tensing, and you notice the way he subtly pushes back his chair, as if he was afraid of you.
What on earth did you do last night and why couldn't you remember?
Better, why on earth were you so bothered about Poppy's presence.
"Oh, hi Y/N." Poppy says cheerfully, smiling softly at you but it isn't returned. You glare at her.
"Why are you sitting here?" You ask, harshly. Poppy flinches, staring at you, flabbergasted.
"W-what do you mean? I've been sitting here since the start of the year." She explains but you let out an abrupt, humourless laugh, cutting her off.
"And why? So you could get in his pants? I'll give you one second to fucking move away from my Sebastian before I hurt you." You mutter.
By now, at least half of the class was staring at you, confused at the outburst. You weren't usually like this.
"Y/N. What the fuck is your problem?" Sebastian asks angrily. You frown at him. "Don't shout at me." You say sadly, trying to show him how sad it made you that he was annoyed by you. Your eyes were now glistening with tears.
He rolls his eyes. "Seriously, I don't know what you've taken but you're acting insane. You need to chill, relax. Go have a day off." He pleads. This only fuels your rage.
You narrow your eyes at him, shaking your head slowly, laughing again, still devoid of any humour.
"And risk you locking lips with her the second I do? No thanks." You mumble. He groans in frustration. He opens his mouth to speak but you raise a hand, to silence him.
What he had to say wasn't your worry anymore.
Your worry was the fact that Poppy Sweeting had the nerve to remain seated on that stool, and you were done with it.
In one, brief, short-tempered moment, it was as though something takes over your hands, controlling them and you flip the cauldron over, the Smokey sickly green contents spilling over the desk, and directly into the hands of Poppy Sweeting.
At first, there's no reaction, then a sharp gasp emits from her, before a gut wrenching scream as she abruptly stands up, holding her hands in front of her.
Her once, pale, small hands had enlarged in size by at least two masses. They were a deep crimson red, and rather swollen. It looked painful and judging by the raw reaction emitting from the lungs of Poppy Sweeting, it was.
Everyone was staring at her in horror, then at you with disgust, and something close to fear. Everyone except Sebastian, who was staring at you, with a look of disdain.
He wasn't fussing over Poppy, ignoring the quick efforts by Professor Sharp to get the girl escorted over to the hospital wing. He doesn't move. He just stares, his hands trembling, likely from fury.
Your brain doesn't seem to register any of this. You don't respond to anything, not the reactions, not even the usual methods to help you become responsive. You don't even react as a student from your class spits at you, shouting something incoherent.
You respond to absolutely nothing.
Except one thing.
One little detail about the attack that had just taken place. The main outcome you'd hoped for.
The stool next to Sebastian Sallow was now vacant and that was mission accomplished. You smile in victory, stomping over to the now empty space, and dropping yourself into the seat, turning your head to smile at Sebastian.
He doesn't turn it, he backs his chair away slightly. "What the fuck was that?" He spits out in terror. You don't seem to care about his tone, continuing to smile at him, your stare unwavering.
He tries to move away, but you firmly grip his hand, your stare turning deadly. "Don't you fucking move." You grit. He flinches violently and he seems to think about it for a second, before he submits, moving his chair back close to you.
You roughly place your hand over his on the table, forcing him to intertwine his fingers with you. He can barely face the rest of the class, he feels humiliated, and terrified.
This was the most embarrassing moment in his entire Hogwarts career.
He had let himself be controlled, not by anyone. But by you, who was until this very moment, thought of as the sweetest girl in the school.
That reputation was out of the window.
~~~~~~~~
Sebastian Sallow had been in absolutely every single rush to get himself out of the potions classroom after it had finished. He hadn't even given you time to speak to him, he had simply bolted out of his chair and gone.
For him, everything was incredibly confusing. You were perfectly normal yesterday morning and all day, leading up to going out, and at the three broomsticks you'd been fine.
Until he dropped you off and-.
Sebastian suddenly jumps out of his bed, his eyes wide in fear, and sheer horrified realisation.
The relic.
He had fucking caused this.
He doesn't end up sleeping that night, he spends the entire time in the restricted section of the library, desperately checking ancient texts for any information on the relic and how it worked.
There happened to be an entire section, based on the matter. The relic was part of some very ancient magic, a voodoo, designed to grant your deepest darkest wishes.
Sebastian's heart had plummeted to the pit of his stomach at the announcement of the unwanted news.
This was all his fault.
He never should have made that stupid wish, he got ahead of himself, and now he'd messed up, badly.
He scans the aisle again, searching for any title that's related to ancient voodoo magic. He feels warm, too warm. His hands are clammy, he was nervous.
Nervous to discover more. He was terrified that he'd find another historic text which would reveal what exactly had happened to you for you to change.
His hands graze the different spines softly as he paces the restricted section, until, he one stands out to him. He pauses, his finger remaining on the spine as he leans closer to take a look.
The book is large, and quite roughly tatted, showing off its age. This book had been around for a long time. The title is slightly faded but it was still decipherable.
'The possession of Voodoo: An Ancient Magic Guide
Sebastian can feel the goosebumps already enveloping his body, he feels tense.
Possession.
That word, that simple fact behind all of this which he had feared most. He had been worried deep down this entire time that he had somehow managed to possess you, whilst still holding onto the hope that it was just him overthinking.
But now, the truth seemed to be dawning on him.
He carefully extracts the book from the shelf, grunting at the weight of it. He trudges over to a table, slamming the book onto it with a loud thud. He yanks open the first page, breathing heavily.
His eyes scan the contents page, before they land on his target.
'The use of ancient relic: The devastating and long lasting implications that come alongside it.'
"Shit." Sebastian mutters, opening the book to page 563, like the content page advises.
The first thing that catches Sebastian's attention when his eyes adjust to the page was the images on the top left corner.
They were of people, looking out of place. They seemed unhappy, like they were being controlled. The images settle an unsteady feeling in Sebastian's chest. "What the fuck?" He whispers as he scans the writing.
''The ancient relic, commonly referred to as 'The One Wish Relic' is a piece of ancient voodoo magic, designed to grant the user their biggest desire for no extra cost, other than one.
To correctly use the relic, one must wait for the flashing lights, then when appropriate to do so, simply open the relic and state their wish. Quickly slam the relic shut and seal it tightly then wait for the magic to do the rest.
If done correctly, the relic will have your wish granted within five to ten minutes. If not, it could take longer, not happen at all or cause devastating effects, so take care.'
Sebastian slumps slightly. He had used it correctly, so it should be fine right? Just some crazy magic shit.
Then he finds the side effects section.
'In order for the relic to grant your wish, one of it's hosts from the underworld takes the matters into their hands. They'll do the work whilst you wait. For example, if the wish includes another human being, the host simply takes form inside of their body and mind for the unforeseeable to ensure that the individual does what was request by the grantor.'
Sebastian's entire world turns upside down, his suspicions being confirmed.
He'd possessed her. He had actually fucking possessed her.
"IFUCK!" He yells, slamming his fist against the table, ignoring the soaring pain it ignites. He slums back down, his head in his hands.
"Fuck fuck fuck. Sallow you absolute fucking idiot. You sick fucking fuck." He mutters to himself.
He rummages through the pages, trying to find a section on cures, or ways to reverse the effects, but there was nothing.
He looks around, breathing heavily, before grabbing the book and rushing out of the restricted section, and back to his dorm.
If he was caught, he could end up in Azkaban for something like this. He couldn't get caught. He opens the door to his dormitory and stops dead in his tracks.
You were there, sat on the edge of the bed. You seemed neutral, in a simple but pretty floral sundress. Your hair was done nicely, curled naturally at the bottoms with slight makeup.
Sebastian gulps, almost forgetting everything else worrying his mind for a moment, despite the fact you were the main source of the stress in his head.
"W-what are you doing here?" He asks softly, as not to spook you, as he sets the book down into a drawer, closing it. You smile, but it's a kind smile, not the sinister one from days before.
"Look. I need to apologise. The other day, people were passing around new substances to try and I didn't want to seem boring so I tried them, and I guess it really messed with me and made me act incredibly weird for the past couple of days. I realise that my actions, in your room that night, and in potions the other day wasn't okay. I don't know what I took that caused those actions from me but I promise you I've gone home, I've reflected on it and I'm ready to move on and be normal." She explains calmly, very respectful.
Sebastian lets out a sigh of relief. His mind wandering. She didn't seem possessed. Maybe it wasn't real? Or maybe she had been possessed but is better now. Either way, Sebastian wasn't going to complain.
"Thank you for explaining. I won't lie, your actions were creeping me the fuck out, but your explanation makes a lot of sense. You were terrifying me, Y/N. You were like a woman possessed." He responds.
You giggle softly, covering your face in embarrassment. "God. I know, I know and I don't why I acted like that, but I'm sorry." You look down, taking a deep breath, one that didn't feel right, but you shake it off.
Not now.
"I need to tell you something." You blurt out, looking back at him. He stiffens, gulping. "O-okay?" He questions, confused and slightly hesitant?
You take another deep breath before approaching him.
"Listen. I am so sorry about how I handled everything the past few days. The truth is Sebastian, I really really like you." You start, not noticing the pure shock that flashes across Sebastian's eyes, and the internal battle that follows.
Instead, you continue.
"I've had these feelings for you, for such a long time." You add. Sebastian's chest is tightening at the words as he stares at you.
He should be happy, delighted and deep down, he was. This is exactly what he'd always wanted to hear but the book was occupying his mind too, the words still haunting his memory.
How he had genuinely believed he had possessed you, and deep down, he knew that the book wasn't lying, that nothing was adding up.
However, the adrenaline of the moment, the pure happiness that he feels just from hearing those words take over and he pushes any thoughts of doubts out of his mind.
He smiles at you, his eyes shining. "Really?" He asks, hopeful. You smile, but it doesn't reach your eyes.
"Really."
His posture relaxes as the word leaves your lips and he takes a single step closer to you. "I uh. I've been feeling the same way about you, for a really long time too." He admits, even if his mind is screaming at him to stop, and do the right thing.
He can't seem to.
After all, this was his wish. This is what he wanted, what fool would he be if he passed it up? After everything?
So he smiles at you, waiting for your reply.
You don't respond with words, you just step closer, pulling him into a tight embrace, your lips grazing his neck. "I'm so glad." You say, but it sounds blunt. Fortunately, Sebastian is way too happy to notice. He pulls you in tighter, breathing heavily.
He pulls back slightly, cupping your cheeks, a soft private smile, just for you. "I'm so happy." He murmurs, leaning in close, his lips centimetres apart from yours.
He's about to bridge that final gap when a sharp rapping against his dorm door breaks them apart. He curses, groaning in frustration. He gives you an apologetic smile before pulling back, to open the door.
He only opens it a slither, his face tensing when he sees none other than Poppy Sweeting. "Hey, Pops, are you okay?" He asks, trying to sound neutral.
"We need to talk. It's about Y/N." She says urgently. "Look, it's really not the time." Sebastian says sharply but Poppy seems to be unrelenting.
"I'm serious Sallow. Something is seriously fucking wrong." Your jaw drops slightly S you eavesdrop on the conversation.
Poppy Sweeting never swore. Ever.
"I know you've liked her for the longest time, but it's all weird Sebastian. She has literally friend zoned you, multiple times, then one night you walk her back to her dorm, alone and suddenly she's all over you? Like she's been smitten since she first met you. It makes no sense, it's like a switch flipped over night." She exclaims.
"For fuck sake Poppy. Why are you making it weird? I don't know why it's suddenly happened, but what I do know is that I won't question it because this is all I've ever wanted! She probably just felt shy, and has only just grown confidence."Â He tries to reason but Poppy scoffs.
"Don't be fucking thick Sebastian! She burnt my hands. She's not violent yet she was that enraged by the sight of us talking, and having a laugh that she purposely spilled a cauldron over me! Don't you realise how fucking insane that is?" She is yelling now, properly.
Sebastian sighs. "Look, I don't know what's happened okay, I'll talk to her." He murmurs and then he's stepping outside, closing the door fully so you can no longer hear the words, just the muffled sounds of their tense conversation through the thick wood.
But inside the dorm, you were stuck in your own turmoil, because Poppy Sweeting had been right.
That was not like you. At all.
You had never been a violent person, and you hadn't even registered what you'd done to Poppy until hours later and now looking back, it all felt weird.
Why had you done that? Why had you felt so enraged at the sight of them together. Especially as you had never seen Sebastian that way, and you had always respected Poppy.
Sebastian was your best friend but yet, you had shared his bed, you had almost kissed him.
Wait a fucking second. You had almost kissed him.
You internally gag as you suddenly remembered the brief interaction from moments before.
You try to rack your brain for any memory of the night he walked you home but you come up short.
All you could remember was the three broomsticks, the quiz, then Sebastian offering to walk you home. He'd gotten you home safely, and you had made it inside your dorm. You could even remember flopping onto your bed, exhausted.
Then it had felt like something else, something greater had taken over your mind, and your body.
You can remember moving, walking back to Sebastian's dorm. You could remember talking to him, how scared he looked. You could briefly remember getting into his bed, then closing your eyes to sleep.
Then, the next thing you had remembered was how you'd somehow teleported to the corner of his dorm, watching him as he slept.
What the fuck? Why had you even done that?
None of it made sense. It felt like whenever you were with Sebastian Sallow, your mind wasn't yours but when you weren't with him, everything was fine, normal.
You shriek in disgust as you register the room you're standing in, how close you had been to kissing him and you feel the violent urge to throw up and get out.
You had to make up an excuse, and you had to do it quick.
You rack your brain for ideas, just as he opens the door, entering the room again. His face was pale and he looked guilty, his shoulders stiff with a tension you couldn't name.
"Sorry about-." He starts but you abruptly cut him off. "I have to go, sorry. Professor Sharp wanted to see me, it was about the incident the other day." You quickly lie, not giving Sebastian a chance to respond before you're practically sprinting out of the door.
You had only half-lied. You were going to Professor Sharp's classroom, but not to be scolded. You need something.
Ingredients.
You knew that the only person who could potentially have answers for your sudden change in behaviour was Sebastian. He was the last person to see you before everything went strange.
And you knew just the thing for that.
The Legilimency Potion.
A potion designed to see into the mind of your chosen victim, but the victim must not be aware of taking it in order for it to be of effect. So you had to play this smart.
~
And you do, for the next few days, you avoid Sebastian Sallow at all costs. You knew that every single time you went near him, your mind took over and you did something awful.
It's easy enough to find the ingredients, the harder part was brewing the potion. It took time, a lot of time, something you were unfortunately short of.
Whilst it spend its days brewing, you conducted the rest of the plan.
You had to figure out a way to give him the potion without him actually knowing. You had to ensure that he drank the entire thing.
You had gone through many ideas, slipping it into his breakfast tea, but since the potions incident, you couldn't even enter the great hall without someone pushing, or spitting at you, calling you a psychopath, so that idea was quickly out of the window.
You had thought about during his Quidditch practices, but thought better of it.
Finally, your plan comes into place on a Tuesday, after defence against the dark arts class. A class you luckily hadn't shared with Sebastian. You'd endured an entire hour of bullying and was on your way to your dorm when you first see a flyer.
It's an open invitation, to a Slytherin common room party. Your own house, of course you hadn't been invited officially, as no one was talking to you. Not even Ominis, Garreth, or Imelda would pay you any mind, not after the Poppy thing.
They were worried you would simply attack them for even being friends with Sebastian.
The party was being held on a Friday evening, at eight pm. Bringing your own alcohol was deeply encouraged and you knew for a fact that Sebastian would attend, and bring his own fire whiskey as he always did.
You just had to make sure the potion was finished by then.
~
Luckily for you, the potion finalises its brewing four hours before the party was due to start.
You destroy any evidence that it was ever brewed and you store the potion in your bra, so no one could detect it by accident.
For your outfit, you opt for a simple black denim skirt and a dark red crop top, a stark contrast against your skin.
You looked good, really good.
Your logic was, that if you were about to potentially ruin a man's future as karma, you should at least look hot whilst doing it.
You also had to prepare though. You knew that in order to lace his drink with the potion, you had to get into close proximity with him again, which meant that you'd end up doing some weird shit again.
But to you that didn't matter, all that mattered was getting the truth out of him.
~
You arrive at the party a few minutes past seven, fully aware of the horrific stares you are met with as you tread your way through the common room.
You catch a glimpse of your old friend group, who quickly advert their gazes, wishing not to even look at you.
You find a place in the back corner to stand whilst you scan the room for your target. It doesn't take long for you to find him.
You spot him near the drinks station, looking older, as if he hadn't slept in days. He probably hadn't, as you'd been avoiding him and you knew that he had been asking about you.
He'd even tried your door multiple times, begging for you to let him in to talk and fix whatever it was that was going on.
If only he knew.
You take a deep breath, knowing that this was your best and only chance. You prepare yourself for the personality change as you approach him, sneakily extracting the potion from your bra and popping off the cap, you position it correctly in your right palm before reaching Sebastian.
"Hey." You say softly. His head snatches up and he looks pleasantly surprised, a shy, hesitant smile graces his lips.
"Hey, w-where have you been?" He asks. You smile, that usual fake smile you offer him every time you're close. "I'm so sorry! I've been attending daily detentions with Sharp as punishment for what I did to you and Poppy." You reassure him, leaning close. He relaxes slightly.
"Thank god." He breathes out in relief, his hand coming up to touch your left arm. He places his firewhiskey on the table in front of you.
Perfect.
"I was so scared you were angry at me." He admits, vulnerably, staring into your eyes. You smile. "Why on earth would I be angry?" You question, although it had spiked up your suspicion.
Because why else would he be worried that you were angry? Unless he knew something that you should be angry about?
He shrugs, suddenly nervous. "I-I I don't know. J-just overthinking." He stutters.
You clench your jaw.
"Oh my gosh, is that Ominis chatting up a girl?" You ask, pointing to Ominis Gaunt who was most definitely chatting up a girl. Sebastian follows your finger and he grins. You take this few seconds long opportunity, and you quickly tip the vial into his drink, watching as it dissolves into the same liquid as the whiskey.
Phew. It was done. All he had to do was drink it.
You shove the vial into your bra again before he can notice, and you smile at him innocently as he turns his head again.
He picks up the drink.
Yes. Yes. Yes.
He takes the first sip, his face scrunches up and for a second you grow worried that he could somehow taste the difference, but then he relaxes.
"That's a strong one." He simply states before taking a bugger gulp.
"Yeah." You say cheerfully, fighting with every fibre of your being to keep some of your mind, so you could execute this.
You turn to make a drink when you hear footsteps. "Sallow! It's nice to see you here." A feminine voice announces and your blood runs cold. All of your control fraying.
You turn around, to source the voice.
It's Samantha Dale, from Ravenclaw. She played quidditch, hence her connection to Sebastian.
But quite frankly you couldn't give less of a shit where she knew him from. She was in your space, near your man.
"Fuck off Dale." You grumble. Her eyes widen in fear. "I was just saying hi!" She says, confused but you shrug. "I'm serious." You glare but she doesn't move. She'd likely heard the rumours about your behaviour towards anyone talking to Sebastian.
She scoffs. "Anyways, Sebastian. I know we're on opposing teams but we were thinking of having a meet up, all four teams at The Three Broomsticks. Could be fun, a few drinks." She says friendly. Sebastian doesn't even have a chance to react before you're on Samantha Dale.
Your hands fly out to grasp at her throat as you pin her to the drinks table. "What did I fucking tell you, you bitch?" You spit. Her face is pale, her cheeks pink in contrast as she frantically swipes at your hand to stop.
No one moves to help her, not even Sebastian. Everyone was afraid of you, and what you'd do if they intervened.
"See, Sallow. Not even helping her are you?" You bark at him. "What the fuck have you done to me huh? This isn't me! We both fucking know that this ISN'T me. Yet it's my hands doing this. WHY?" You plead with him as you continue to pin Samantha to the table.
Your mind was coming back but you still lacked control of your hands.
Sebastian freezes, his face turning ghostly white as his mouth opens unwillingly.
"It was the relic." He blurts, face paling further as he fails to stop his mouth from betraying him. You stare at him, flabbergasted. "What fucking relic?" You ask, heaving as you let go of Samantha roughly, shoving her to the ground before beelining to your next victim, Sebastian.
You grip his shoulders dragging him through the common room and into an alcove, pinning him to the rough stone wall.
"An ancient one, that Ominis and I came across some time ago. It had seemed useless but that night I walked you home, and you sort of friend zoned me and god, all I'd ever wanted was to be yours. I got to my dorm, and it started glowing. It instructed me to make a wish. So I did. I didn't know what implications it would have! I swear! I was just a dumb idiot in love!" He tried to defend.
You push him further into the stone wall, your grip unrelenting.
"What did you wish?" You ask bitterly. He shakes his head. "Does the details matter?"
You lean closer, seething. "Yes it fucking matters! What. Did. You. Wish?" You plead, your demeanour breaking.
"I wished for you to love me, more than anyone in the world." He admits in shame. You scoff, dropping his shoulders.
"You're serious? You've destroyed my life! My reputation, so you could feel what it was like to be loved by me? Do you know how insane, how desperate that is!"
You were completely livid, now pacing. He pants softly, staring at you guiltily. "I know, god I know and I'm so sorry. I wasn't thinking." He pleads.
"Of course you weren't thinking! You're a selfish piece of shit! I can't be fucking near you, without losing my mind, having no control over my actions. That's not normal! And it's most certainly not fucking love Sebastian." You exclaim.
He slumps to the ground, his head in his hands. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry, forgive me." He pleads, looking up at you, brokenly.
You laugh bitterly, shaking your head.
"You ruined my life, you coward." You mutter. He lets out some sort of pathetic whimper as you back away from him.
The reality that he was losing you, after everything seemed to finally be registering within him.
You turn, to exit the alcove. You only had one destination in your mind.
And it was to get to wherever on earth was furthest away from Sebastian Sallow.
"Wait. Please." Sebastian pleads, still on the floor but you ignore him, breaking out into a sprint as you exit the common room, ignoring the disgusted looks from your peers.
You sprint down the corridors of the castle, until you reach the courtyards, then the gates, then you keep running.
You didn't know where you were gonna go, or how your future would pan out.
All you knew was that as long as you were as far from Sebastian Sallow as possible, then you'd live a normal life.
You just wouldn't be able to face Hogwarts, or anyone you'd known from that part of your life again, not after all you'd done.
But that was okay as long as you were away from him and his wish.
~~
The end.
