Chapter 36: Memories

                                    

                                          
Anne was not looking forward to this discussion. The owl from Sebastian to meet in the Undercroft made her stomach churn, and it wasn't from her curse. No, Garreth's potions had done wonders for her queasiness, and she rarely felt sick anymore after starting to take them. She was nervous because discussions between the two of them were always difficult and awkward. 
Part of her desperately wanted Garreth to be there as well, because he'd sat with her for hours that night just silently letting her cry out her emotions. It had meant so much to her... no one had really done that for her. Sebastian was rubbish with that kind of thing, and Ominis turned so awkward. Garreth seemed to understand that sometimes she just needed to cry. 
When she made it down to the Undercroft she found him standing next to the table by the side of the room, looking rather nervous. Diane and Ominis were here as well, and she felt a bit ambushed because she didn't have moral support like he did. That really didn't feel fair. 
"Hey, Anne." Sebastian said weakly, wincing when he saw the stone cold look she had when she approached him. Yeah she was still angry. 
"You wanted to talk with me?" She asked coldly, crossing her arms. 
"Yeah... I wanted to..." he ran a hand through his hair uneasily. "Apologize." 
Anne blinked in shock, surprised he was actually saying that. Sebastian rarely apologized. 
"I know I went too far. I know I messed up... but it's just... weird seeing you with him. Weasley and I competed against each other for so long-"
"Garreth." Anne corrected. 
"Huh?" Sebastian seemed knocked out of his train of thought. 
"His name is Garreth. Not 'Weasley'." Anne said, still annoyed. 
"Right." Sebastian said anxiously. "Garreth and I competed against each other for years, it just feels weird that he might... be with you." 
"Why is that weird for you? We're not children anymore." Anne scoffed. "He's really nice to me, and-" she blushed a bit, looking away in embarrassment. "He treats me like a woman, and not a child." 
Sebastian sputtered at that, putting a hand over his face at the thought. "Anne-" he groaned in distaste at the thought. 
"Get used to it, moron." Anne said fiercely. "How do you think I feel when you're all over Ominis and Diane all the time?" 
Sebastian glanced over at the two guiltily. She did have a point. "Look, this isn't how I wanted this to go. I wanted... I wanted to say I'm sorry for being so hostile, and I wanted to try and... apologize for what I almost said."
"Thank you for the first apology. But the second apology is not accepted." Anne hissed. 
Sebastian looked stricken, his eyes wide. 
"You almost said that to hurt him and to stop what was happening, and you and I both know it." Anne said harshly. "You thought of the one thing you thought Weasleys wanted, and you were going to attack it, even if it hurt me." 
Sebastian looked down anxiously, because that's exactly what he'd wanted to do. 
"You need to control that damn temper of yours, Sebastian." Anne said in a softer tone. "It's going to make you enemies you can't deal with." 
"I know." He said quietly. 
"But I'm not forgiving you so easily. The fact that you almost brought that up when I confided in you... it really hurt. You know how much it scares me." She whispered the last part, wrapping her arms around herself.