Invisible String - Sebastian Sallow

Chapter Forty-Three: Flawed and Free

Quills scratched along the surface of thick parchment all around us, whispered conversations and fits of giggles of younger students echoed through the library, the noises setting me on edge. It had been two days since Sebastian and I had gone to the Repository, and two days of feeling like I was about to snap.

Poppy was beside me, her nose buried in a book on magical creatures, while I held a book on dark magic from the restricted section. Secrets of the Darkest Art was definitely as interesting as I thought it would be, though I had to surpress the interest I felt in the book due to present company.

Sebastian had gone with Ominis to fetch food. We'd studied so long today that we'd skipped dinner, and Poppy was not one to mess with if she hadn't had at least three square meals a day. The look she'd given Ominis when he'd mentioned Anne was enough to make me terrified of her. Seeking to remove the tension, Sebastian had suggested they go and bring a snack.

That was twenty minutes ago, and I was started to get antsy.

The lack of food, combined with the longing to have gone with Sebastian myself for a moment of time to be alone with him, and the amount of Dark Magic I'd taken in two days ago had me cursing Sebastian in my head.

His laughter echoed up the stairs as he and Ominis returned, arms full of delicious food fresh from the kitchens, his eyes landing on me instantly as he rounded the corner. He smiled mischievously at me as he dumped the food on the table, planted a kiss on top of my head and stood up straight.

"Abbi, come with me for a minute," he said, eyes still raking over my body.

My hand, already moving for some of the fruit he'd brought, paused over the pile of peaches. I quirked a brow at him.

"What is it?" I asked, hand still hovering freely over the table. He leaned forward, his lips just centimeters away from my ear. His hot breath fanned over my face and neck, making me shiver in delightful anticipation.

"I've got to show you something," he whispered.

I grabbed my peach and stood up, looking at my bag and then to Poppy. She smirked a little, "I'll watch your stuff, don't worry."

"Where are you two going?" Ominis called after us, his voice slightly nervous.

"To snog, Ominis! Maybe take some notes!" Sebastian called out, making Ominis choke on his biscuit, his face impossibly red while Poppy laughed.

I giggled as we rushed pasted Madam Scribner, allowing Sebastian to lead me out of the library, through the courtyard and traced the familiar path to the Slytherin common room.

"Where are we going, Seb," I laughed, taking a bite of my peach, relishing the sweet taste.

Down we went, right to the entrance to the common room, but instead of continuing straight, through the large doors the snake had just revealed to us, Sebastian turned right and stopped walking right at a familiar sconce.

"The Scriptorium?" I whispered, a little confused.

"No one can possibly bother us here," he whispered, looking back at me, his eyes impossibly dark. His fingers still laced together with mine, he pulled on the sconce, just as he had those long weeks ago and the concealed exit appeared.

Sebastian led us into the Scriptorium, his hand wrapped tightly around mine, like he was worried that I wouldn't want to come in here with him again. I couldn't help the giggle that escaped my lips at the idea. Had I not shown him that this was a place I wanted to be too? That I felt comfortable here?

As soon as we entered the room, the concealed exit closed behind us, swallowing us in crushing darkness. Sebastian led me to what I thought might be the center of the room before he let go of my hand. The warmth of his body vanished from beside me, making me look around. It was too dark to see clearly, and just as I reached for my wand, his voice came from somewhere in the darkness.