A Change of Heart // Sebastian Sallow

Chapter 38

"How could we be so stupid?!" Florence yelled, pacing her apartment up and down while Poppy sat on the lounge.

"This is what my parents used to nag me about and I was sure I would be the exception to the rule. We are sinners! This is why they don't let boys and girls be alone for too long! Because he's so fucking hot and I can't resist his advances, this is what they spoke about at my muggle school, giving in to temptations and this is the price I have to pay. Why did he make me do this?! Argh!" Florence yelled, her voice shaky and breathing becoming difficult.

Poppy sat and let Florence get out her frustrations. When she calmed enough to sit, Poppy spoke.

"Florence... there are ways to sort this out. Nobody has to know except for you, me and the doctor." Poppy assured her. "There are potions for this."

"I can't do that... Sebastian deserves to know. I couldn't live if I had to keep this to myself for the rest of my life."

"Alright, so... what's your plan? What are you thinking?" Poppy asked.

"I will wait. We don't tell another soul and when he's back... I'll tell him." Florence said, her head in her hands as she let go of the sobs she was holding in.

--

Florence tried her best to continue life as normal, working at the Ministry every day. Poppy never brought up the unexpected news again.

She arrived home on no particular Friday afternoon, and laid on the lounge and took a nap which was very common place these days. She felt very tired lately which was understandable giving the circumstances and had nothing to look forward to when she arrived home from work. So she slept.

She was awoken in the early hours of the evening by the sounds of her apartment door being moved. She jolted awake, turning and grabbing her wand tightly. As it open, she was ready to launch a spell only to see her irresistible, hot, sinner boyfriend-not-husband, Sebastian, standing in the doorway, bags strewn over his shoulder, his hair notably longer and a bit more unkempt than when he left.

"What are you doing here?" Florence asked, quickly jumping up from the lounge and facing him, dropping her wand in the process.

"We finished early. I didn't let you know because I wanted to surprise you." he smiled, holding his arms out for her, letting his bags drop to the floor.

She ran into them quickly, folding into him, unable to hold her tears back.

"God, I missed you so much." He said, snuggling into her hair, his strong hands squeezing her back. "Here, I have something for you."

He led her to the lounge and sat her down next to him. He dug into his bag, looking for something.

"I have something to tell you." Florence said.

"Can I go first?" Sebastian said, his hand still deep in the bag but he was now looking at her.

"I am incredibly grateful for you. I really am. Since I've known you, even back in school, you have been the most kind, selfless, talented and beautiful person I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. You've never owed me anything but you have always dropped whatever you were doing to help me. You saved me from the darkest time in my life. Spending so much time away from you, it made me realise something, Florence. I realised I never want to be without you again. I may be spending a lot of time away in the next few years for work... but, I can't leave again without letting you know how much you mean to me... so..." he pulled out something from his bag, looking at Florence. She noticed tears welled in his eyes, giving them a glistening glow.

"I wanted to ask you, if you'd like to marry me." He held out a ring in his hand, a gold band with a oval diamond in the middle, with smaller diamonds forming a halo around it. It was stunning and everything Florence had ever dreamed of when the off-chance came she'd thought of taking a husband, which wasn't very often.