RIGHT WHERE I WANT TO BE : SIRIUS BLACK

RIGHT WHERE I WANT TO BE : ̗̀➛ SIRIUS BLACK

summary: it's only when lily accidentally spills amortentia on you and all you can smell is cigarettes and dog fur that you realize you're in love with sirius — probably the only person in the world you shouldn't be in love with.

"Oh, crap!" Lily seems on the verge of panic as she stares at the fresh stain on your clothes. "I'm so sorry!"

Somewhat shocked, you reach your hand to the front of your uniform and try to rub it away. It's no use. "It's okay," you assure her gently, relieved that the liquid didn't spill on the clean set of clothes you were folding instead, "it was an accident."

You put the clothes safely away in the trunk near your bed. They still have the fresh and clean scent of lavender. Your uniform, however…

Lily points her wand at your chest, and the stain quickly disappears. She had rushed through the entrance of the dormitory fast as lightning, crashing right into you and spilling…

Well, what exactly?

"Lily," you bring a hand to your own face, sniffing, then sniffing again. "What is this? It smells like a wet dog and-"

Your eyes meet and you immediately dislike the look on her face. Too much restrained excitement slowly bubbling up...

"-cigarettes…" you trail off, some sort of realization dawning on you way too late.

It can't be.

Lily bites her lower lip as if trying to hold back a smile. "Is that what it smells like to you?"

You also catch the scent of quill ink and freshly brewed coffee, so it can only be…

You put your hand away from your nose as if it's on fire.

"Tell me this is not what I think this is."

"If you're not thinking of Amortentia, then yes."

"Why would you brew Amortentia?!"

"For Professor Slughorn," she sees the confusion etched on your face and looks positively horrified. "Not for Professor Slughorn to drink! Ew! I said I'd like to try brewing one because it's, you know, a bit complicated and I've never tried before. He said he'd give Gryffindor some points if I succeeded. I didn't know you would… you know, smell Sirius."

"I never said I smelled him!"

"Okay! Okay," Lily raises both hands in surrender. Then, quieter, she adds, "You can pretend all you want."

You sigh. "Did you only have this vial?"

"Well, there should be some potion left in the cauldron, I think."

Great. An opportunity to escape this beyond strange situation. "I'll go get it for you."

"But I-"

You're out the Gryffindor common room before Lily has a chance to question your offer. The need to get away from that impending conversation is stronger than anything else right now.

Your heart is racing as you walk through the corridors of the castle, heading towards the dungeons, where Potions class usually take place. Each step is an effort to calm your turbulent mind and find some peace.

Upon reaching the Potions classroom, you welcome the silent space as you enter. The characteristic smell of magical ingredients and herbs fills your nostrils, bringing a familiar and almost comforting sensation… until you catch that smell. Amortentia.

You look around, searching for Lily's cauldron, which she mentioned leaving behind.

It's not hard to find; the smell is quite distinct, enchanting, all the things you love most in the world somehow united in a single aroma.

The cauldron is sitting on one of the workbenches. You approach cautiously, making sure not to knock anything over. Then you rummage through the shelves for an empty vial and pour some of the potion into it, feeling like you're doing something wrong even though Lily had Slughorn's permission.

The door opens, and you almost drop a row of glass bottles as you turn to look.

"What are you doing here?" he asks.

It's Sirius. Of course, it's him.

He closes the door behind him, and your heart skips a beat as it usually does whenever he's around. He's wearing the Gryffindor uniform, the first two buttons undone, revealing a patch of delicate skin just below his neck.

You don't need to wonder how he got there or why. Chances are, he extracted every piece of information he needed from Lily with little to no effort.

"What are you doing?" he asks calmly. You, on the other hand, don't feel calm at all.

"Nothing, just..."

"Just?" He takes a step closer, and you instinctively move away from the workbench, trying not to show the nervousness you truly feel.

"I just came to get something," you say.

Sirius gives a suspicious glance at the cauldron. "Is it a love potion?" He's a skilled wizard. Skilled enough to know the answer to that question, yet he waits for you to respond.

"Lily made it," you say defensively, holding up the vial containing the potion to illustrate your point unnecessarily.

"And what scent do you smell?" he questions, with a genuine curiosity in his tone that catches you off guard. "What does the potion smell like to you?"

"Lily told you," it's far from a question.

But Sirius has a knack for playing games.

"She told me what?"

"You know what."

This time, you step back as he advances, unable to help yourself, swallowing hard and Sirius notices. He takes another step forward, and you take another step back.

"Sirius," you warn.

In return, Sirius says your name, his tone lighter, more playful, soft as a feather. Then, another step.

You nearly bump your hip against one of the workbenches as you take another desperate step back. Sirius, being Sirius, raises an eyebrow, making no effort to hide his amusement.

It's unfair. It's simply unfair that he's so good-looking, starting at you without feeling the need to averting his gaze. "You don't have to do this," you find yourself saying.

Sirius seems genuinely puzzled.

"Do what?"

You steal a glance in your peripheral vision. The room won't go on forever; you need to say something to get out of this situation before he gets too close. You don't trust yourself near Sirius.

"Turn me down. Be all nice-" you stutter. He keeps advancing toward you. Back almost against the wall, you dodge another workbench and turn to the left, trying to prevent him from cornering you.

Sirius chuckles. "Is that what you think?"

"I'm a big girl. I can take rejection."

He glances in the direction of the cauldron. "Do you want to know what scent I smell?"

"No."

"Leather-"

"Sirius-"

"Gasoline," he raises his chin, nose in the air as if enjoying one scent after another. "Apple pie."

For a moment, you close your eyes. "Stop it."

"And lavender."

Your heart is pounding in your chest. He's not being serious, a little voice in your mind insists. It can't be serious. He's just teasing you... or maybe just being a good friend. Too good a friend.

It would be easier if he wasn't. If he were less kind to you, less handsome, less charming.

It's not easy.

You're breathless, trying to keep your distance from Sirius as he sets a slow advance, a constant tease. It's an internal battle between the desire to give in to the attraction you feel for him and the need to protect yourself — but the latter wins, for now.

"Sirius," you plead, your voice quiet, "stop"

He pauses for a moment, his gray eyes fixed on yours. "You think I'm joking, don't you? You think I'm just being nice?"

"I... I don't know, Sirius. It's so...confusing."

He takes yet another step towards you, his lips curling into a challenging smile. Always challenging. "Confusing or scary?"

The tension between you two is palpable, and you wonder if he can hear the rapid beating of your heart, threatening to break out of your rib cage any given moment. You know you're fighting your own feelings, afraid of surrendering to something that may - and probably will - end in heartbreak.

"It's not fair," you whisper, trying to keep your voice steady. "It's not fair that you're so... so-"

"So what?" he teases, closer. "So handsome? So charming? So... irresistible?"

You can tell he's somehow having fun. You don't understand how he can maintain a playful tone in a moment like this.

You catch a whiff of his cologne, feel the warmth of his body, and your heart races once again. If there's a way to prevent Sirius from getting what he wants, you don't know what it is. "So confusing," you finish, almost in a whisper. "You confuse the hell out of me."

Sirius pauses for a moment, his eyes locked with yours, and you momentarily catch a flicker of something deeper in this playful gaze. He slowly raises a hand and gently, gentler than ever, caresses your face, his fingers tracing a delicate path along your skin.

"I don't see how I could be confusing you," he murmurs, his voice soft and husky. "I thought I was being pretty clear..." It's teasing, of course it is; when it comes to Sirius, few things aren't.

But there's something else behind it, too.

The air grows heavier.

"You're not clear about anything, Sirius," you reply, your voice faltering slightly. "I never know what you're thinking. I never know what you really mean."

"Maybe you're just not paying attention."

You furrow your brow, confused by Sirius' response. He's playing with you, as he always does, but this time it feels more intense, more meaningful. You struggle against the temptation to give in completely, to say something you might not be able to take back.

"I do pay attention, Sirius," you respond, your voice showing determination you're not entirely sure you feel. "It's you who likes to make everything more difficult than it needs to be."

He moves closer once again, so close now that you can feel his breath against your skin, the tip of his nose an inch away from touching yours.

"Do you want me to be clearer?" he whispers, voice laced with a hint of his usual mischief. "Make it easier?"

You swallow, feeling your heart race. You know you can't admit your feelings for him, you can't let your defenses down. Not when he makes a point to hide comfortably behind a facade, away from anything that makes him feel vulnerable.

You need honesty.

"Yes," you whisper, your voice almost faltering. "Yes, I do."

Sirius pauses for a moment, eyes searching yours, and you can feel your breath catch in your throat. Then, slowly, he moves closer and closer still, until his lips almost touch yours.

There is a feeling that you can't quite put into words.

"I want you," he murmurs, an admission that hangs in the air like a charged electric current. "I want to be with you. I want you to be happy– I'll even accept your awful taste in music," he adds with a playful smirk, teasingly referencing your occasional guilty pleasure for a particular genre of music that he often mocks.

A laugh escapes your lips, a combination of relief and affection. His sincerity is pretty close to melting away any remaining doubts that linger in your heart. "I have great taste in music," you state playfully.

Sirius brushes the side of his nose against yours affectionately. "Sometimes," he gives in, voice filled with genuine warmth.

You lean into his touch, savoring the tenderness and intimacy of the moment. It's as if the world around you has faded away, leaving only the two of you in this bubble of shared emotions.

"Sometimes?" you raise an eyebrow, pretending to be offended.

He chuckles, a low and melodic sound that resonates deep within your chest, a sound you don't get to hear as often as you'd like. "You're lucky you're pretty," he teases, his voice filled with affectionate playfulness.

"Oh?"

"I have a soft spot for pretty girls."

You roll your eyes but can't help the smile that forms on your lips. "Flattery will get you nowhere, Black."

Sirius leans in and presses a soft kiss to your cheek, pulling away with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Who said I was trying to get anywhere?" he whispers, fingers trailing along the curve of your waist, drawing you closer. "I'm already where I want to be."

Your heart swells with warmth, and you can feel a blush creeping up your cheeks.

"Smooth talker."

It doesn't sound like an accusation when you're about to kiss him.

While Jace is cool tempered and holds himself like the true prince that he is. His betrothed is all fire and spite, and she loves putting people in their place who disrespect what’s yours.

i feel like jace would flourish in a relationship like this! especially with how much the show is highlighting his issues with self vs purpose!! stay with me, jace’s entire being lies within his want to ascend the throne after his mother. yet, his own being continues time after time to make his duty harder (“did you think i would have dark hair?”). in the case of a partner who is less mild than him, who will speak out if the prince is not respected, someone who, completely selflessly, is angered at his sake. who reminds him that it is okay to be mad, upset, seething—he’d finally have an outlet for all his rouge irate thoughts. there is that classic targaryen temper within him (rhaenyra is still his mother) but he sacrifices it most of the time because he knows that’s what an heir should do. i think jace would finally start to feel and act more affirmed just because of his partners passionate defenses of him. why would he seethe with his rage for hours on end when rather he can seek you out—he will listen to you, let you meddle through his anger, and he’ll gladly turn to the cool waters known to halt fearsome fires when you get too fierce over him.

sebastian sallowxreader and “tell me to stop, tell me or i won’t be able to.” “then don’t.” 😳

Tell Me to Stop // Sebastian Sallow x Reader

18+ Minors DNI All underage characters are aged 18+ Summary: 600 Word Count: Warnings: public intimacy, fingering, light degrading, edging, blood

Prompt: “tell me to stop, tell me or I won’t be able to.” “Then don’t.”

-----------------------------

Charms class drug on today! It was a lecture period, and Professor Ronen really made it feel like that. You thought by year 7 there would be nothing else to learn. Sebastian sat next to you, drawing doodles on your notes and bumping his knee into yours under the table. You locked your leg around his, holding him still. His hand dropped his pen, ink splattering on the page. He brought it down under the table, his hand brushed over your thigh reaching for your hand, your breath hitched, and he noticed smirking to himself. “What was that?’ he whispered barely even audible. He squeezes your knee, your reflexes kicking allowing his leg to escape. “Nothing, you mumbled, trying your hardest to focus on your notes again. He put his hand down again, letting it brush over your leg, this time you didn’t flinch. You felt it graze your knee, bare skin to bare skin. He pushed up, under the fabric of your skirt. You froze, your pen shaking over the paper. He pushed his hand between your thighs, resting it there. “Tell me to stop,” he whispered. You stayed silent, waiting in anticipation, his thumb brushed over your panty line, “Please tell me to stop,” he was practically begging, “or I won’t be able to.” “Then don’t” you whispered, letting your arm lean against his. He pressed his thumb against your clit, rubbing against the cloth of your panties. “You’re already so wet,” he moved aside your panties, his finger gliding along your slit. He pushed in a finger, slowly pumping it in and out. You grabbed the bench seat underneath you, biting your lip to keep from moaning. He pushed in a second, his fingers moving in a waving motion. Your body was tense, stiff like a board with pleasure. He removed his finger, moving it up to twirl circles around your clit. You jumped, grabbing onto his arm quickly. He smirked, pretending to write notes with his other hand. He adjusts his hand, dipping his fingers back into you, his thumb rubbing your clit. He was bringing you close, your hand squeezing tight around his forearm. He pumped fast, his fingers hitting your g spot. You bit your lip hard, suppressing any moan and whimper. You dug your nails into his skin, knowing it was going to leave a mark. “Seb,” you let out a sigh. He quickened his fingers again, fluctuating his speed. “Hm?’ he hummed in question. You closed your legs, squeezing them shut, Sebastian continued pumping his fingers. Your stomach filled with static, then the sense of euphoria, you put down hard on your lip, a sharp pain arising. You pulled Sebastian’s hand away. “Fuck,” you whispered a little too loud. Professor Ronan looked at you. “Ms. Y/L/N is everything alright,” she was walking towards your table. “Sorry that was me,” Sebastian began trying to make excuses, not aware of the blood running from your lip. “Mr. Sallow, that is quite enough,” Ronen shushed his excuses, “Please walk Ms. Y/L/N to the infirmary,” he looked over to you, your tongue running over the blood. “Yes ma’am,” Sebastian stood quickly, packing away his books and yours as well. He carried yours out the door as you held your lip.

“God you’re redder than my notebook,” he chuckled, noticing the color in your cheeks. His notebook was bright red, you could only imagine the color of your face. You were far too embarrassed to retort anything. You simply shook your head at his remarks, pushing through the doors to the nurse.

-----------------------------

God damn...I hope you enjoy!!!!

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Dating Sirius Black would include

A/N: The part 2 to this one. I have no excuses for taking so long to write it, except that my inspiration is as changing as Tonks haircut. Enjoy 🖤

- Let's be honest here, it would be a rollercoaster. Sirius was never taught how to love, not until he met the Marauders or the Potters at least

- And you cannot really call dating as many girls as possible before dumping them because they get too attached love

- However, with you, he would be surprisingly committed. When he loves, this boy loves with his entire soul

- Lots of PDA, or what James would call "disgusting couple things"

- (mainly because Lily keeps refusing him)

- Sirius would proudly wrap his arm around your waist or your shoulders everywhere. You would secretly hold hands in class, or he would wink at you and blow kisses across the room

- He would pay attention even less, much to the annoyance of McGonagall

- Instead, he would send you flying love notes or stare lovingly into your eyes

- "Black, you will not find the answer to my question in Miss (Y/L/N) eyes."

"Are you sure?"

- So.much.making.out

- Soft kisses, intense kisses, longing kisses, goofy kisses

- "You guys, I'm trying to eat here"

"Time to go to class, make out later"

- Sirius would be the best at finding amazing dates. He is definitely a late night date type of person

- Stargazing at the astronomy tower with cigarettes, stealing pastries from the kitchens, taking you for a motorcycle ride, showing you the most secret pathways in Hogwarts, or making him discover Muggle music like the Beatles or the Stones and he loves it

- Endless night talks about life in front of the fireplace

- Sneaking into his bed so many times than the other Marauders become used to it

- This boy craves for your attention. If he loses it, he will act like a lost puppy

- Trying to get him to study more with you but failing

- Sirius ending up distracting you from studying at the library by telling you dirty jokes, causing you to eventually burst out laughing. And get kicked out

- Life would be an adventure with him, and dating him is such a freeing experience, the boy would love you intensely

- However, Sirius' insecurities would come back real quick

- He would be so scared to lose you and would get jealous very quickly

- A lot of self sabotaging and "I'm not worthy of you" from his part

- Sirius doesn't open up easily, he hides his vulnerability and wounds behind a strong ego and easygoing, smug attitude. But if you are patient and soft enough with him, he will eventually

- Hair and scalp massages to calm him down and soothe him

- Secretly wiping tears and comforting embraces

- Depressive episodes when Regulus becomes a death eater

- Regular outbursts of anger because of his mother

- Being the first one to know when he runs away at the Potters

- You are a bit worried at first, but Sirius takes it surprisingly well. He says that he doesn't need them, he has you and his friends

- Always being this mix between a gentleman and a cocky, dirty talker type of person

- Whispering the dirtiest things possible in your ear everywhere, this boy has no filter

- Him trying to convince you to get your first tattoo

- Accompanying him when he gets another one

- Lots of "please get a room"

- A lot of sex (but I'll give more details on a potential part 3 maybe?)

- Eventually getting caught in an empty classroom and McGonagall awkwardly giving you the talk in her office

- Very awkward moment, and Sirius cannot stop showing the smugiest face

- Being the Hogwarts couple goal

- Sirius meeting your parents at the end of 6th year, and to say that he would be nervous is an understatement

- But his natural charisma and """"good education"""" would do the work for him and your parents would love him, also because they would see these special sparkles in both of your eyes when you look at each other

- Doing everything in your power to make Jilly happen

- Being very happy when it does

- Moving in together when class is over 🖤

(I know this isn't supposed to be a happy ending but one is allowed to dream)

can you write one where f!MC is being pursued by an annoying guy she doesn’t like who won’t take no for an answer. it annoys sebastian just as much as it annoys her, so next time it happens he pretends to be her boyfriend and suggests they start fake dating for good measure. eventually they make it for real.

thank you! i love the fake relationship trope sooo much and i’ve yet to see anyone write one with sebastian.

of course, lovely anon!! i haven't seen any fake relationship fic either so i'm happy to contribute a lil something! tbh i sincerely thought this would be a short ficlet but it ended up being just over 2.5k fluffy words of dummies in love 🤩

Title: rumor has it

Pairing: Sebastian Sallow x f!MC

Summary: Eric Northcott is relentlessly pursuing you, so Sebastian offers to act as your heroic boyfriend to get him off your back.

"Northcott," Sebastian greets him, leaning against your potions station and resting a hand possessively on the small of your back. "Is there something my girlfriend can help you with?" "Your girlfriend?" Eric asks skeptically. "That's new." "I suppose it is," Sebastian agrees, nonplussed. "Been a long time coming, though." Across the room, Ominis laughs under his breath.

Sebastian Sallow is an excellent young wizard. Clever, well-read, focused – by all accounts, he should be a brilliant strategist.

But sometimes he comes up with the worst ideas you’ve ever heard.

“You musn’t be serious, Sebastian,” you laugh, closing your potions textbook to appreciate the actual madness of what he’d just suggested.

“Why not?” he asks, raising an eyebrow.

You roll your eyes as you tell him, “You can’t just pretend to be my boyfriend.”

Earlier that afternoon, the two of you had met up with Ominis in the Undercroft to study after staging a quick exit from the library. While Sebastian was hunting down a book on ancient runes, Eric Northcott had cornered you in the stacks and tried for the second time to convince you to have a Butterbeer with him at the Three Broomsticks instead of “hiding that gorgeous face behind those dusty books like you always do.”

When Sebastian had returned, you were shoving the Gryffindor boy away from you with a tense look on your face, and if he hadn’t just finished a stint of evening detentions for slipping a Puffskein into Duncan Hobhouse’s schoolbag, he would have hexed the amorous git himself.

Since then, he’d been suggesting ways to make him pay, with each idea more fantastical than the last.

“Sure I can, and we can even make a real show of it,” he says with a charming grin. “If you want to get Northcott off your back for good, let’s allow him to think your handsome, roguish boyfriend is the type who would challenge him to a duel if he tries anything untoward.”

“That is a terrible plan,” you deadpan.

“It’s actually not a bad idea,” Ominis chimes in.

You glare at him, because Ominis never thinks that Sebastian’s ideas are any good – even the ones that aren’t completely bonkers.

“What are you playing at, Gaunt?” you accuse him.

“I’m merely suggesting that Northcott may actually accept your contempt for him if it’s for a reason that allows him to save face,” he explains with a secretive smile. “Simply telling him that you’re not interested hasn’t seemed to work thus far, so why not be creative?”

“Creative?” you snort. “Wouldn’t ‘creative’ be blasting him myself the next time he lays a hand on me?”

“As if you need any worse of a reputation,” Ominis drawls, and he has a point.

“Come on, let’s really mess with him,” Sebastian pleads. “You know he deserves to be taken down a peg or two.”

You’re not surprised that Sebastian is able to get you on board so quickly. Truthfully, you think you’d follow him on his harebrained schemes just about anywhere.

“Fine,” you cautiously agree. “But just to scare him off, alright?”

You swear you can see the gears in Sebastian’s head start to turn immediately.

He kicks off his brilliant plan the next day during your N.E.W.T.-level potions class. You’re supposed to be brewing an antidote to Veritaserum, and while the draught itself isn’t necessarily difficult, some of the ingredients are a little tricky to prepare.

You’re focused on trying to carefully slit open some Sopophorous beans when you felt a presence behind you, and then Eric Northcott is draping his arm across your shoulders.

“Need a hand with those?” he offers, trying to sound congenial.

“I’m fine, Eric,” you insist.

“I’m really quite good at potions, you know,” he reminds you, grabbing one of the paring knives off the table and haphazardly slicing one of the beans you’d laid out. “I’d be happy to give you some hands-on lessons if you’d like, one-on-one of course.”

“Sebastian,” Ominis hisses from across the room, having picked up on the conversation while the other boy poured over his notes on wormwood. “Now might be a good time to offer some gentlemanly assistance.”

His eyes narrow when he spots Northcott leaning over your cauldron, clearly trying to sneak a look down your top.

“Don’t let my antidote burn,” Sebastian mumbles as he storms across the room, as if Ominis would ever spare a thought for Sebastian’s cauldron when the show is about to begin.

You bite the inside of your cheek as you watch him notice your predicament, silently pleading him with your eyes to do something to get you out of it.

“Northcott,” Sebastian greets him, leaning against your potions station and resting a hand possessively on the small of your back. “Is there something my girlfriend can help you with?”

“Your girlfriend?” Eric asks skeptically. “That’s new.”

“I suppose it is,” Sebastian agrees, nonplussed. “Been a long time coming, though.”

Across the room, Ominous laughs under his breath.

“Really?” Eric asks dubiously, briefly glancing at your expression. “I was under the impression that the two of you were just ‘best friends.’”

“Well, shouldn’t a good relationship start out as a friendship?” you counter, though you don’t sound entirely convincing.

“Right,” he says slowly.

“Mate, you know how tough she is,” Sebastian says with a charming grin. “Took me ages to convince her to give me a chance, she strung me right along for months.”

You jump slightly when Sebastian slides his hand across your back to your waist, tugging you closer to his side – and out from under Eric’s arm.

“But she finally took pity on me,” he says with a lovelorn sigh, and you narrow your eyes at his dramatics.

“Oh, Sebastian,” you reply, laughing nervously. “You’re hopeless.”

“Hopelessly in love with you,” he says, quickly leaning in to kiss the corner of your mouth.

Before you can react, Professor Sharp wanders by and instructs you all to stop your dallying and focus on your draughts. Eric spares one more skeptical look at the two of you before returning to his cauldron.

Sebastian’s hand on your waist lingers for a moment even after he’s gone, but then he lets it fall.

“Sorry about that,” he says under his breath. “Had to sell it, you’re really a bad liar, you know.”

You think Sebastian doesn’t know the half of it.

(Sebastian’s just glad you avoided his gaze long enough to miss his deep red blush.)

—

As it turns out, the kiss wasn’t enough to convince Northcott that you were properly off the market.

The rumor mill quickly focuses on you and Sebastian – specifically whether or not it’s true that your platonic friendship has become something more.

“I don’t really believe it,” Nerida claims whenever the subject comes up. “Sebastian has always seemed like the bachelor type.”

“He could have had a girlfriend all this time and never has,” Violet agrees, trying to hide her bitterness. “I don’t think he really wants to be in a relationship.”

“Are you joking?” Imelda scoffs. “Sallow’s been a lovesick puppy over that girl for years, I’m just glad she finally came around.”

“She is very protective of him,” Grace speculates. “I remember when Samantha Dale asked him out last fall, I thought she was going to Depulso the poor girl clear across the courtyard!”

You do your best to ignore it, but Ominis stubbornly insists on telling you everything he’s heard.

“I would have thought that the two of you would be better at pulling off a ruse as simple as this,” he says, disappointment dripping from his words. “How hard can it be to pretend to like Sebastian? I don’t have to see him to know that the whole school thinks he’s handsome.”

“You don’t understand,” you sigh, walking alongside him on the way to arithmancy. “It’s… I don’t have to pretend, if you know what I mean.”

“Come now,” he says quietly. “I’m blind, not dim.”

“Then you do understand!” you whine. “How am I supposed to just let him pretend to be my boyfriend to ward off Eric and not go mad from knowing that it’s all a lie?”

“I suppose me telling you to be honest with him about how you feel would go in one ear and right out the other,” Ominis suggests, smirking to himself when you curse at him under your breath.

“Buck up, then,” he says simply. “I’m sure this whole thing will blow up in some spectacular way sooner than later – it is Sebastian, after all.”

—

As per usual, Ominis is correct.

Not even a full day goes by before Sebastian corners you outside the Hufflepuff common room and asks to walk you to dinner, taking your hand in his as soon as he notices some fifth-years studiously watching the two of you as you make your way to the Great Hall.

“I missed you this afternoon,” he tells you as he walks you upstairs, putting on a good show. “How come you didn’t want to study with Ominis and me after class?”

“I just needed to lie down for a little while,” you tell him, not wanting to admit to avoiding the way he’s been so unbearably charming lately.

“Feeling alright?” he asks concernedly.

“Yes,” you tell him. “Just… I don’t know. Out of sorts, I guess.”

“Anything I can do to help?” he asks.

You get distracted by the feeling of him stroking his thumb along your wristbone reassuringly.

“Um… n-no, I don’t think so,” you stutter.

“Surely there’s something I can do to help,” he says, and you wonder if you’re imagining the way his eyes look a little darker than usual, as if his pupils have entirely taken over.

“Like what?” you breathe.

Then he gets that look on his face that he always gets when he’s about to do something stupid.

“Come with me,” he says, tugging you over to a spot along the wall in the reception hall, next to one of those empty cabinets you’d looted for Nellie Oggspire back in your fifth year.

“Sebastian, w-what–” you stammer.

He presses you against the wall, one hand pressed to your waist and the other flat against the stone behind you, boxing you in. He glances around again and clearly spots whatever it was he was looking for, grinning mischievously before he leans in and traces his nose across your cheek.

“Don’t hex me for this,” he murmurs against your lips, and then he’s kissing you.

You melt against the cool stone wall, tipping your head back so Sebastian can tilt his head against yours and completely overtake your senses with his demanding kisses. Without consciously deciding to, you wrap your arms around his shoulders to hold him close to you, desperate to ensure he stays right where he is.

He kisses you well, you think. You know he’s always been a huge flirt, and that he has taken some girls in your year on dates to Hogsmeade over the years, but you’ve desperately avoided any post-date conversations with him because you did not want to know what he and those girls had gotten up to afterward.

Now you know, you think bitterly, but just as quickly you realize you don’t actually care. He’s skilled at this – nipping at your bottom lip to get you to open up for him, sliding his hand between your robes and your dress shirt so he can feel the curve of your waist, nudging a knee between your thighs to pin you even further to the wall.

“Bastian,” you murmur, tangling your fingers in his hair.

He groans against your mouth like he can’t help himself, and you whine a touch too loudly when he grinds his hips against yours.

Then you hear Eric’s voice call out, “Sallow!”

Sebastian looks like sin when he pulls away from you, and not just because his hair is a little mussed from your helpless tugging and his lips are red and swollen.

It’s because he’s smirking, and you quickly realize he’d planned this entire thing.

He’d pulled you to a spot where the Gryffindors on their way to dinner could easily see you being ravished, and it’s not just Eric he’s caught up in it – it’s Leander and Cressida too, some of the worst gossips in the entire castle.

…You are absolutely going to hex him for this, you think.

“Northcott,” Sebastian drawls as he turns around. “Can I help you?”

Eric looks furious, but at least he doesn’t look skeptical anymore.

“You might want to consider someplace a bit more private,” he offers, seething. “I am a prefect, after all. Could send you to detention for being so lewd in public.”

“Fair point,” Sebastian says easily. “In fact, maybe you ought to send us both. Hardly anywhere’s as private as the dungeons.”

You quickly smack Sebastian in the chest with the back of your hand, wordlessly begging him to stop before you actually do have to report to detention.

Mercifully, Eric simply throws a few choice words at Sebastian and stomps off to the Great Hall, Leander and Cressida on his heels to undoubtedly tell the entire school what just happened.

“You’re evil,” you hiss, still catching your breath. “You arranged all that just to embarrass Eric? To embarrass me like that?”

He frowns, confused. “No I didn’t, and I would never embarrass you.”

“You did!” you whine, shoving at his shoulders so he’ll step back. “They’re going to tell everyone and it’s going to make me sound like – like some pathetic girl who’s so desperate to avoid Eric’s attention that she’ll let her best friend feel her up in a busy hallway.”

“That’s not what they’ll think,” Sebastian argues. “And if anyone’s pathetic, love, it’s me.”

You scoff and wrap your arms around yourself, ashamed at how badly you wish you were still wrapped up in his arms instead despite everything you’re saying.

“You think I’m lying?” he asks derisively. “I’m a fool for you, and I would never hurt you. I kissed you like that because I wanted to, and if it happened to embarrass Northcott in the process, that’s even better.”

“Y-you wanted to?” you ask softly.

“I’ve wanted to for so long,” he finally admits.

His hands twitch at his sides like he wants to reach out for you, but he forces himself to behave.

“It’s the reason I came up with this stupid plan in the first place,” he sighs. “So that if anyone at this damn school gets to have the pleasure of walking you to class, or taking you to the Three Broomsticks or – or even kissing you senseless somewhere everyone could see, it would be me.”

You don’t have any words. But even if you did, there’s nothing you’d want to say to him that you couldn’t communicate by tugging him in by his collar and kissing him like you can’t think straight without his touch, so you do just that.

When you both break away to breathe, Sebastian quickly asks, “Are you actually hungry?”

“Not anymore,” you admit, your gaze still on his lips.

Sebastian barely manages to utter the words “Undercroft” and “hurry” in between kisses, but while he determinedly works a claiming bruise into the side of your neck, you whine, “Your common room’s closer.”

—

Once Ominis overhears Cressida waxing poetic about Sebastian Sallow practically mounting his new girlfriend in the hallway by the Grand Staircase, he doesn’t wonder why the two of you never show up for dinner.

Untamable Sirius doesn't listen when he's angry and usually shy , who commands him. "Sirius, sit down!"

Sirius had been pacing back and forth, ranting and raving about the 'injustice' of it all, his anger rolling off him in waves.

“I can’t believe that slimy git got away with it again!” Sirius yelled, his voice echoing off the stone walls. “He’s got it out for me, and Dumbledore just lets him do whatever he wants!”

Remus and James exchanged uneasy glances. They knew better than to try and calm Sirius down when he was like this. It was like trying to put out a forest fire with a watering can.

“Mate, you need to take it easy,” James finally said, his tone cautious. “You’re going to get yourself in even more trouble if you don’t cool off.”

“Cool off?” Sirius snapped, rounding on James. “I’m supposed to just let Snape walk all over me? You saw what he did!”

Remus stepped in, trying to be the voice of reason. “We all saw it, Sirius. But getting yourself worked up like this isn’t going to help. You know how Snape is; he wants to see you lose it.”

Sirius threw his hands up in frustration. “So what? I’m just supposed to sit here and take it?”

“You’re supposed to be smarter than him,” Remus said calmly. “Don’t give him the satisfaction. Plus one more detention and McGonagall's gonna get you off the team.”

“She can't do that!” Sirius turned to James for confirmation but the bespectacled boy looked away, “All because of that no-good son of a-”

It was at that moment that you decided to step in. You took a deep breath your voice cutting through the heated air, you just couldn’t stand to see Sirius so angry.

“Sirius,” you said firmly, your voice stronger than you felt. “Sit down.”

Sirius stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes locking onto yours. The room went silent, all eyes now on the two of you.

“What?” he asked, his voice softening, confusion replacing some of the anger in his expression.

“Sit. Down,” you repeated, not backing down. “You’re not helping anything by yelling and pacing. So, sit down and calm down.”

For a moment, Sirius looked like he might argue, but something in your eyes made him pause. Slowly, he walked over to a chair and sank into it, his anger deflating.

“Thank you,” you said quietly, your own nerves still on edge. “I know it’s hard, but you need to think before you act.”

Sirius ran a hand through his hair, sighing heavily. “You’re right,” he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. “I just… I hate feeling like I can’t do anything.”

“You can,” you said gently. “But not like this. You’re smarter than Snape. Don’t let him get to you so easily, like Remus said, it's all he wants.”

He looked up at you, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “I’ll try,” he said, sincerity in his voice. “For you.”

"Snape on the other hand can go to hell." He mutteringly added, James snorted at that and you shot him an unamused glare.

As you turned to go back to your seat hiding a grin, you could feel Sirius’s eyes on you, a new light of respect for you in his gaze. He was still Sirius Black of course: the wild, reckless, untamable Gryffindor that you dearly love, but in that moment, you had tamed the lion within.