Hiraeth | Sebastian Sallow Love Story

Chapter Seventeen: Blown Out of Proportion

Twenty minutes later, Gracie was severely regretting the drink. Sebastian had barely drank it and she'd downed the tongue-numbing and stomach-warming drink. She found herself writing down the same line twice as if she needed any assistance remembering.

"Are you alright?" He noticed her swaying slightly.

"Bugger off, Sallow."

Gracie was too busy jotting down the same line for the third time.

He'd been across from her and now she found him sitting beside her. When did that happen? With slow reflexes, she didn't even see his hand coming as his grabbed her chin between his thumb and forefinger. Gracie glared at him, her cheeks warm from the proximit-from the alcohol.

This close, she noticed that he had a thin silver scar on his cheekbone she didn't see before. It was half the length of her pinky and hidden among the freckles on his cheek. His lashes were long and dark, and she realized his right eyebrow was cocked.

"Shortcake, you're drunk. Your pupils are dilated." He rolled his eyes, "If you were such a lightweight, you shouldn't have taken my drink."

"I am not drunk." She was Gracie. Idiot.

Sebastian kept his hold on her, glancing around before subtly shrinking the books they'd checked out, and placing them in the satchel. "Change of plans. We'll go through the journal together on the train. Merlin fucking knows we have plenty of time since you don't want to fly." A wry grin fell on his lips, "And it'll give you time to sober up."

A laughed bubbled out of her as she stared past Sebastian.

"What's so funny, Shortcake?"

She pointed to the man strolling up the table. "Him. He looks upset with you."

He let go of her and Sebastian turned only to curse under his breath. His wand was in his hand in no time and he stood up to square off against the approaching wizard.

"Harlow. What a pleasant surprise."

Chapter Seventeen: Blown Out of Proportion

"Sallow." A bullish man wearing a bowl hat growled, "When I got the word of a slaughter in Basel, I should have known it was you."

"Ah yes, well." Sebastian shrugged nonchalantly, "I do quite enjoy killing things."

He scowled while Gracie laughed again. The tinkling sound caused the wizard to look past Sebastian, "What's so funny?"

"Has anyone ever told you that you look like a hippo?" She smothered her giggles behind her hand, "Harlow the Hippo."

A grin flashed across Sebastian's face, "Not now, shortcake. I'm sure Harlow here is on official business from the big boss. How is Rookwood these days? I hear he's got a bit of a limp now."

"Thanks to the bitch behind you." He snarled.

Sebastian's grin turned feral. "What did you call her?"

"A bit-"

Quicker than her hazy mind could follow, one moment Harlow was standing and the next he was slammed down to the ground with the Muggles running out of the library in fear. The floor cracked from the sheer amount of power Sebastian exerted. Gracie watched amused as even the librarian left, likely to go get help.