Obsession || Sebastian Sallow x Reader

Chapter 27

POV Penelope

When I wake up it takes me a moment to realize my whereabouts. I lie on Sebastian's chest, seems like I haven't move a bit since I fell asleep.

I slowly start recalling events of I-don't-know-how-many days, and a tiny lump begins to form in my throat.

"Good morning, how are you?" Sebastian asks when he notices that I'm awake. He is reading some book and I immediately recognize the cover - our illegal copy of the Secrets of the Darkest Art.

"How long have I been asleep?"

"Well, you slept through breakfast and lunch...and through Imelda's memorial."

Imelda's memoriam...

I still can't acknowledge her death. She was so young, so bright...She had dreams, talents, like and dislikes. She had a personality, she was so lively that everyone knew her – either hatred or adoration, she was able to bring out emotions. Merlin, she even was able to get under my skin...

And all of that gone.

"I wonder if her family will come." I whisper.

"They will come tomorrow and take her body with them. Ominis said that Garreth told him that Professor Weasley told him that they want to cremate her and spread her ashes near the stadium of that Quidditch team she was a fan of. Garreth is now negotiating to make them give a half of her remains so that he could take them to that special place they wanted to go."

"Poor Garreth...It must be so hard for him..."

"It is hard for him, even terrifying. But he is not the only one." Sebastian says, gently stroking my hair, "How are you? You never answered."

"I-I don't know...I still can't accept it and..."

"I understand." He says. He slightly turns my head, making me look at him. "Please, I beg you, tell me what happened."

The more I tell the more he frowns. When I get to the part where Sharlene throws me he interrupts:

"Isn't that like a thing you do sometimes when you duel? You make an enemy lift up and slam them to the ground a few times."

"Well, if you think of it that way, maybe...Fuck." I jump up and walk circles, trying to find arguments against the realization I make, but never do. "Ranrok said that I know that trick...Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Please, not that, not that..."

"Nellie, please don't tell me that you thought what I just thought." Sebastian stands up and comes to me.

"She wields ancient magic?" I ask.

"She wields ancient magic..." Sebastian confirms, "Come on, don't panic, we'll get through this, she won't hurt you here." He tries to calm me down, but I know that he is concerned about the matter, even more than I am.

"But...how is that possible? Why didn't Fig find her? Did she hide it? Why did she hide it? Who could have taught her controlling it? It requires practice, and if no one knew about it until us, that means that her mentor tutored her before Hogwarts, so she comes from a family who have ancient magic in their blood, since she is so confident about it...and once...once she told me that her family is well-known..." I would continue my brainstorm if it weren't for me almost falling to the floor.

"That's enough." Sebasian lifts me up and puts me on the bed. Then he comes to his chest and takes out some blouse, trousers and a robe, all menswear, and tells me to get dressed. Afterwards he does the same and tries his best to keep me silent, "Penelope, you haven't eaten for two days, if you won't eat now you will most likely die."