Out of the Shadows // Sebastian Sallow

Chapter Twenty

We girls didn't sleep in that late considering we were up almost until dawn. I think it was the smell of mum's sizzling, searing sausage and warm toasted loaves of bread with fresh cream butter that awoke everyone.

We four girls sat at the table, eating and talking until close to midday when they all announced they'd like to go to the Quidditch game.

I opted out in favor of family time and secretly not wanting to run into two boys that had recently broken my heart. So, I wished them farewell and said I would see them tomorrow.

I spent the afternoon with my family in the garden outside, preparing it for the oncoming winter and chopping wood to add to the pile.

We caught up and enjoyed the warm sunshine mixed with the cool breeze. It was so relaxing here that I could almost forget that my first ever boyfriend had broken up with me this week. And that my former best friend had insulted me so deeply that I slapped him across the face. I could almost forget... but not quite.

Our night ended the usual way, and as I was still exhausted from the previous week, an early bedtime was in order.

--

Sunday dawned chillier than the previous days. I could feel the changing of the seasons in the air, so I opted for an extra warm jumper today and vowed to stay in by the fire to do some reading before heading back to the castle.

Our quiet, relaxed Sunday was interrupted in the late morning by a gentle knocking at the door. Mum went to answer it.

She pulled open the cottage door and said, "Yes, can I help you?" Indicating she didn't know the person. I tore my eyes away from the book I was engrossed in to look over the back of the sofa and see who it was.

Sebastian.

He stood at my door. With a bouquet of wildly colorful flowers in one hand, the other hand out of sight behind his back. His wavy, bronze hair wildly disheveled to the side like always.

"Hello, Madam. I'm Sebastian Sallow. A schoolmate of Rachel's. May I speak to her?"

I ducked down on the sofa, not wanting him to know I was there, my heart racing and wondering what I should do. I was still so mad at him but he had caught me by surprise so much so that I was feeling those old stirrings inside me. I started to blush.

"One moment." Mum replied. "Rachel, dearie, there's a young lad here named Sebastian that would like to see you." She smiled that smile of mums who just KNOW. I secretly hated it.

I took a deep breath to compose myself and I said loudly enough for him to hear me, "Tell the boy that since I haven't invited him to my home, he may wait outside until I'm ready to meet him. Preferably, out back where the animals are kept." I spat the last part.

Mum smirked from ear to ear and then cleared her throat and face and turned back to him. "She asks that you wait outside until she dresses." And she shut the door.

She rushed over to me asking about him the way mums do when they really want to gossip about boys. "Oh, mum. It's not like that. Actually, he knows he really hurt my feelings the other day and I assume he's here to make amends considering we're forced to pair for an assignment." I sighed deeply, knowing it was true. He always has ulterior motives. But instead, I said, "He has a way of getting what he wants."

"Well, dear from the look of the flowers in his hand and the blush on his freckled face, what he wants is you." She patted my knee and returned to her busy work.

I tried not to let that comment stir me up and went to my room to find something decent to wear. Why was I suddenly so nervous for Sebastian to see me in my relaxing Sunday attire?