Lost Devotion // Sebastian Sallow

Remembrance 🌶️

This chapter is mildly spicy but nothing too serious...yet.

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Time had become a blur as I continued to hide in the restricted section, hide from everything and everyone. The library was now completely silent which lead me to believe it must be late, possibly past curfew and the fact that Scribner and Peeves hadn't found me yet was quite astonishing.

The minutes stretched into an eternity as I sat there, my mind adrift, fixated on the floor. However, I started to grow bored after a while and I found myself drawn to the untouched books that slumbered on the shelves, collecting dust. My gaze flickered over a few of the spines and I wanted so badly to open them but I had to be careful to not pick up something potentially dangerous that would give my presence away. 

A few of the titles I came across were ones I had already seen among the many books in my father's library which didn't shock me in the slightest. These particular books were already deeply ingrained in my memory, as growing up in a household like mine inevitably breeds a familiarity with the darker side of literature.

Letting out a deep sigh, I carefully returned a weighty crimson leather book to its place on the shelf. As it settled, a tiny cloud of dust danced in the air, causing me to cough involuntarily. Frantically waving my hands in front of my face, I tried to disperse the particles while muffling the noise with my hand.

"You know, if you're going to hide down here you should probably be a little more quiet."

I jumped. No...I just about crawled out of my skin and almost knocked over a whole slew of books as I snapped my head around to catch the sight of Sebastian standing a little distance behind me, leaning on a bookshelf with his arms crossed. 

I was at a loss for words, trying to compose myself as I gazed wide-eyed at him. Why the bloody hell was he down here now? Was it coincidence or...?

As I thought about it, I couldn't help but stare at him and how he looked right now. His sleeves were casually rolled up, his tie was nowhere to be found, and a few buttons on his shirt were left undone. Even in the dimly lit room, surrounded by musty old books, he looked like a masterpiece.

"Yea well, scaring me is definitely a sure fire way to get caught when I scream out."

"Oh I had no intention of letting that happen, I would have clamped my hand over your mouth before you uttered a single syllable. Just like the last time we found ourselves down here, remember?"

A subtle warmth spread across my cheeks as I was reminded of that, prompting me to shift my gaze and discreetly clear my throat to try and change the subject.

"Why are you down here Sebastian?"

He didn't respond immediately, instead he stared at me with his deep eyes that seemed to always draw me in, even though I was trying so desperately to resist. Finally after a few more seconds he spoke again with a casual smirk on his lips.

"I could ask you the same thing. You've been missing since Potions class haven't you?"

His statement hung in the air, and our eyes connected, leaving me pondering how he could have known I was missing for all this time. Had he been searching for me this entire time and that's how he knew? It was the only plausible explanation that could account for his words so without hesitation, I made up my mind to confront him directly and get the answers I sought.