The Badger and the Snake: A Sebastian Sallow x reader

Chapter 29: Muggles

I followed my mom back into the kitchen "are those Grans apple tarts I smell?" Delight rang through my voice as she pulled them out of the oven. I grabbed Sebastians hand and pulled him with me into the kitchen a nervous and cautious smile look on his face.

I picked one still steaming off of the pan tossing it around a bit as it burned my fingers. My mother rolled her eyes at me handing me a small napkin. I broke a piece off "Try" I spoke softly holding it near Sebastians mouth. The corner of his mouth twitched into a smile and he took the bite. I licked the residue off my fingers.

His eyes widened at me as he tasted. "Brilliant." He said softly his face scrunching as he chewed through a smile. "You make them all by yourself?" He questioned directed to mum. "No house elfs here, it's all mum." I replied for her smiling. He seemed truly impressed. "Well they're wonderful! Possibly better than the elves. But don't tell them I told you." He joked and my mother and I both smiled at him.

"Help me bring the trunks upstairs?" I asked him as I made my way back to the opening. He nodded his head and we turned to go back to the stairs. He quickly turned back. "Thank you... for having me." He said to mum sweetly. "Of course dear, please make yourself at home. Let me know if you need anything at all." She replied as kind smile drew on her face. He walked in front of me. "He's cute." Mom mouthed giving me a wink. I blushed quickly exiting the kitchen.

We walked down the narrow hall to my bedroom. I turned to him with a pause before opening the door. "I've never had a boy in my room before..." He cocked his head inquisitively. I wasn't sure why I was nervous for him to see, it felt intimate somehow. I opened the door behind my back and stepped to the side.

Bookcases and shelves overflowing with my personal library lined nearly every inch of the room. The warm glow of the lantern on my side table danced across the pale yellow walls. He walked around taking it all in letting his fingers trace against the spines of my books as he did. He turned meeting my eyes again. His face was always so hard to read.

"Well...?" I asked breaking the silence. "It's just how I imagined it would be." He said taking a seat on the edge of my bed. He tilted his head picking up a small framed photograph from my night stand. "That's dad." I said sitting next to him. "The portrait... it's not moving?" He said looking at me again. "Yeah, I mean it's a muggle photo. They don't really do that here." I said sadness in my voice as I grabbed the frame from him. His eyebrows creased and he pulled out his wand pressing the tip against
The glass.

He closed his eyes briefly and whispered and incantation I wasn't familiar with. He opened his eyes and glanced over seeing me watching him. "Look" he said softly nodding down to the frame in my hands. The picture before me came to life; the moments it was taken replaying before my eyes. Me running into the arms of my father as a child being wrapped in a tight embrace. A tear rolled down my face. "Thank you." I quietly choked out. He pressed his lips to the side of my head. "Anything for you."

I wiped the tear and smiled standing up placing the frame back onto my table. "Alright Sallow. We have to go into town and pick up something before it gets too late. He tilted his head slightly. "I was just getting confortable." He replied laying back onto my bed. "There will be plenty of time for that." I said reaching my hand down to him.

The London streets were flooded with Christmas shoppers trying to get in before things closed for the evening. He seemed more at peace, relaxed here as we playfully walked hand in hand looking at all the different store window decorations. Watching him I remember the dream he once told me he had of us in the muggle world. It made me happy to help that dream realize itself in font of him now, even just temporarily.

We made it to the store front that I had needed. It was very crowded in and around it. "Wait here I'll run in and grab it and be right back." He tightened his grip on my hand slightly. " I'll be quick!" I promised with a smile. I presented my ticket to the shop keeper and he handed me a box wrapped in brown parchment tied with white twine. I weaved my way back to the exit out of the cramped store.

Someone bumped into me on my way out causing my scarf to catch in the wind and blow away. I followed it dipping into the side ally grabbing it quickly. I felt a tall figure standing behind me. I smiled turning around. "Couldn't stay away?" I joked my eyes traveling up to meet his. And the color drained from my face, they were not familiar eyes.

Before I could breath another word I was shoved against the cold damp brick wall behind me, a knife pressed into the soft spot between my collarbone and neck. "Now what's a pretty little thing like you doing alone out here at night." He hissed with a vile smile l slowly tried to reach for my wand fumbling it a bit.

"Not so fast!" He said snatching my wrist pinning it to the wall causing my wand to cascade down to the ground. "Please." I choked closing my eyes hoping that money was the only thing he would try taking by force from me. The grasp around my wrist suddenly released and I no longer felt the coolness of the blade pressed to me. I slowly opened my eyes to peak at the man, he was still standing there but now a different look in his eyes. A blank vacant stare with a glowing green met me.

A few feet away stood Sebastian the same green glow in his eyes but pure anger and darkness scrawled across his face. His wand tightly gripped in hand knuckles turning white around it. His nose wrinkled and jaw clenched repeatedly in response slowly the man raised the knife once pressed to my neck up to his own. the Imperius Curse.

"Seb..."I said slowly approaching him after retrieving my wand from the ground. "You have to let him go." I continued trying to pull his attention to me instead. "You can't use magic in front of muggles let alone on them." I said a little sharper grabbing his hand in mine manually lowering his wand. He took a deep breath in, turned his head breaking the curse. He grabbed my hand tightly pulling me away from the ally before the man could process where I had gone.

Sebastian POV

Intense uncontrollable anger flooded over every inch of me. "Seb your going to yank my arm out of place!" She yelled at me as I pulled her away from the Main Street. I turned to her, "what the hell were you doing?!" I snapped at her more pointed than I had intended. "Getting my scarf, I'm fine by the way." She scoffed walking past me. "Did he hurt you? Touch you?" I questioned aggressively. "No!" She shouted and then softened her tone a bit "no...you stopped him before he had the chance..."

A brief moment of relief came over me. Thank Merlin. "Seb...it's just a stupid muggle." She said breathily. "Just a muggle?! A muggle who tried to hurt you. Who would have hurt you had I not stopped him! I should have killed the bastard." I said between clenched teeth pacing a bit. "You promised..." she said somberly, realization of what I had done and said setting in with both of us.

I grabbed her swiftly pulling her into my embrace nausea flowing through me. "I'm sorry... I... I wasn't thinking, I couldn't let him hurt you. I haven't used them until now. not since that day... it just took over" I said slightly panicked. She was silent for a moment. She took a deep breath in and hugged me tighter. "I know." She finally spoke softly directly into my chest.

" I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." I said the words catching in my throat. "I try so hard to control these things, I know it's wrong I know what damage I can cause. But when it comes to you? All that goes out the fucking window. I would do anything to protect you. Use any means to keep you safe." I said pulling her chin up to look at me worried I would see disgust or fear. instead it was more a look of sadness, disappointment.

"I love you." She said looking up into my eyes. "I know you've been doing better I've seen it, everyday comes with its challenges and I will be here with you to face them head on." She said touching my cheek. I leaned my head into her hand kissing her palm. Her lips curled into a warm smile as she looked up at me. "Let's get you home before you freeze to death." I said to her linking my arm to her.

I grabbed the box out of her other hand to carry it then rest of the way home. It was heavier than I expected. "What the bloody hell is in there?" I laughed. "It's for you, you can open it if you'd like." She replied. "Shouldn't I wait until Christmas then?"  I asked. "This is not your Christmas gift. This is a requirement for a hallowed muggle Christmas tradition." She announced proudly walking me over to a small bench on the path.

We sat down and she nudged me with her elbow. I undid the string and tore into the brown paper. Lifting the lid i looked at her puzzled. "It's a shoe ....that doubles as a weapon?" I asked confused holding it up in the air. She giggled slightly. "No, it's an ice skate." She said raising her brows at me. I had no idea what she meant. "I'm going to teach you, on the pond by the house." She explained with a smile. My mind started piecing its use together. "Well if it's a proper muggle tradition, how could I say no." I replied leaning down to kiss her soft lips.