A Change of Heart // Sebastian Sallow

Chapter 43

Florence paced the empty lobby of the Ministry of Magic back and forth, tears streaming down her face, making her vision blearly. She could barely make out Leyton looking at her, letting her process the events that had just happened.

"Will he be alright?" Florence asked, her voice croaky and barely making it out of her mouth.

"I think so, I-" Leyton said, cut off by Florence asking more questions.

"Where will they go?"

"I'm not-"

"Is he dead?"

"No, I-"

"He's going to die, isn't he?"

Leyton approached Florence quickly, holding both her shoulders tightly trying to ground her.

"Florence. I know as much as you do, I can't answer many questions. What I do know, is Gerard will keep him safe and he will do everything in his power to keep him alive and get him help." Leyton said, his piercing green eyes staring deeply into Florence's offering her comfort

"Okay." Is all Florence could muster.

"I believe congratulations are in order too, Mrs. Sallow." Leyton smiled, releasing his grip on her.

Florence smiled. She hadn't quite processed the knowledge that they'd just gotten married.

"I think I need to go." She said.

She left the ministry and began walking the streets of London, tucking her hands stained with Sebastian's blood inside her pockets. She noticed some stares as she realised her coat was covered in it too.

Eventually, she recognised the house she'd walked to. Her parents. She hadn't seen them in months. They'd been in touch via owl, but she had been so consumed in her life, she hadn't visited.

As if in auto-pilot, she approached the front door and gave the knocker a few taps.

"Florence? What on earth happened to you?" She heard her mother, Heather, say as she opened the door, noticing the blood over her clothes and hands.

"Can I come in, please?" Florence began to cry again.

"Of course!" her mother said, ushering her inside and leading her to the lounge.

She took the coat off Florence's shoulders, revealing her vest that had been also stained in blood. She didn't realise there had been so much lost.

"Are you bleeding?" Heather began to panic.

"No."

"So, what happened?"

"It's Sebastian's." Florence uttered, Heather's eyes widening.

"Is he alright?" she asked.

"I don't know." Florence felt herself getting hysterical again. "We've been on an assignment for work up North, trying to diffuse tensions between non-magic folk and dark wizards. It was all going fine until... today. There was an ambush. We got into a fight. He... was stabbed. It's bad... real bad... I... don't know if he's even alive or not." Florence sobbed.

"Oh, sweetheart..." her mother said, tucking her under her arm.

"There's more, mum... please don't hate me." Florence begged, trying to speak between sobs in her mothers dress.

She flashed her left hand towards her mother, showing her the ring that was now stained in blood.

"You got engaged?" Heather's eyes widened.

"No. Married." Florence said.

"What? What do you mean, married?"

"We were going to get married later on and tell you our intentions but... when he got hurt... we got married there and then. I think he knew he was dying." She sobbed.