In The Shadow of Love // Sebastian Sallow x Reader

Chapter 4 - A trip down memory lane

"Bloody prefects, we need to get past them. Do you remember what I taught you?" Sebastian whispers to me as we crouch behind the the balcony that overlooks the doors to the library. I let out a little laugh.

"What?" he asks curiously. 

"Nothing, just a wave of deja vu came over me" I reply quietly. We exchange smiles as we briefly reminisce on the beginning of fifth year when we first snuck into the library together. 

We cast the disillusionment charm and sneak our way past the prefects, as we head down the stairs Sebastian pulls me behind one of the bookcases. 

"Damned Scribner, I swear she never leaves this place" Sebastian says frustratingly "come on follow me" he continues, still holding my arm he guides me round the back of the ground floor of the library, he knocks one of the books off the shelf and the librarian instantly turns her attention to our direction. 

"Quick run!" I whisper, now leading us both back in the direction we came until we were out of sight and made our way to the locked gates of the restricted section. I cast alohamora on the lock and we quietly make our way down the stairs, making ourselves visible again. 

"I forgot how exhilarating it is to sneak around with you Archer" Sebastian laughs as he catches his breath. 

"There's never a dull moment, that's for sure" I say as I laugh with him "come on let's get looking and keep and eye out for Peeves" I add as we head deeper into the library, scouring the shelves for anything that might aid us in our search. 

Sebastian pulls a book off one of the shelves, its title reads The Study of Dark Curses. He starts flicking through the pages, in hopes that something will jump out at him. 

"Merlins beard! Come look at this" he says, I walk over to him as he shows me the contents of the book. Both our eyes start scanning the pages, it seems to provide research on different types of dark curses including information about what the symptoms are. 

I look at Sebastians face as he continues reading, it's filled with hope, a new lead on what could the answer to all of his problems.

"It might not be the answer, but if you can at least narrow it down to what the curse is, it gives you a better chance at finding a cure" I say to Sebastian softly, my hand resting on his shoulder, my way of showing him some compassion. 

He looks at me with a smile on his face before closing the book and turning to me. 

"You know I never got to thank you properly last year, you were the only person that stuck by me and really believed we could find something" Sebastian says. "I know we started off working together for selfish reasons, but you have to admit we make a great team" he continues.

I pause awkwardly, he never speaks to me like this, it might be the first time we've ever connected on a deeper level than sarcasm and witty jokes, I struggle to find something to say back so I start laughing.

"What's so funny?" He asks, a slight frustration in his tone. 

"I'm sorry Sallow, I'm not used to hearing nice words come out of your mouth like that, it threw me off a bit" I say, still laughing awkwardly. "You're right though, we do make a good team and you're welcome" I finally say. 

Sebastian shakes his head "I can be nice, sometimes, you just make it hard" he laughs as his hand rubs the back of his neck. 

"I wouldn't have it any other way, I enjoy it when you're mean" I smirk.

"You're not flirting with me are you Archer?" Sebastian replies with a raised eyebrow, I don't respond with anything other than a smile and a small shake of my head "you know I could have you if I wanted to?" he adds. 

"Oh really? How so?" I ask curiously. Sebastian walks over to me and pins me against the bookcase, he brings his mouth towards my ear. I feel my heart rate increasing, a warmth consumes my body as I feel his chest on mine. 

"Just like that" he whispers, in that instant my whole body felt like it melted, I close my eyes as I take in his scent, butterflies now flooding my stomach. I've never felt this way about Sebastian, it's always been a friendly platonic relationship, but in this moment something changed.

Sebastian takes a step back and I slowly open my eyes again "see, it's that easy" he laughs as he crosses his arms, staring at my flushed face as I stand up properly and readjust myself. 

"You wish Sallow, just caught me off guard that's all" I say as I let out a cough and roll my eyes.

"Mhm, I believe you" he adds. 

I turn my attention back to my search, with no luck we head deeper into the restricted section until we come across a small dim lit room with nothing but a desk and a few loose books. I find an ancestry book lying open on the table, I pick it up and sit on the floor casting lumos to use as a reading light. As I scroll through the pages I see my mothers name Althea Archer. There wasn't much that I remembered about my parents, they died when I was young whilst working a case for the ministry of magic, I spent a lot of my life growing up with Professor Fig and his wife Miriam, for some reason my memory before their death seemed non existent. 

As I keep looking I find my family tree, I see a familiar name Theophilus Harlow it reads. My eyes start frantically looking over the page as I begin to panic. 

"No, it can't be!" I let out. 

Sebastian lifts his head from a book he is reading "what is it?"

"Its..Harlow..He's, erm, my uncle" I say, my eyes still staring at the page. 

Sebastian walks over and takes the book from my hand, as he reads over the page he see's the diagram that shows a branch extending from my grandmother, linking him and my mother with their maiden hame Harlow. 

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

Author Note

Short chapter I'm sorry, but I always feel like it's good to end on a cliffhanger! Saucier Seb and Y/N scenes coming I promise. Harlow being your uncle is a bit of plot twist, but we love it. At least Y/N and Seb can connect on a deeper level about missing parents and terrible uncles aye?!