Magicis Par // Sebastian Sallow

10. Hungover

            "You look like hell."

Lifting my head, I tore my gaze from the flickering fireplace and directed it towards the smirking brunette standing near the opposite end of the oversized armchair where my feet dangled over the armrest. I groaned and let my head drop back against the chair.

"Leave me alone to die," I whined.

Sebastian chuckled and rounded the chair to squat down in front of me. "You missed breakfast."

I felt the bile rising in my stomach at both the mention and the thought of food. "Please, spare me. Nothing could remedy my inner turmoil." I rested the back of my hand on my forehead dramatically and squeezed my eyes shut to imitate death in the fakest manner possible.

"What about a steaming cup of coffee?" I squinted one eye open and peered from under my hand. Sebastian produced an emerald cup of coffee with a gold rim around it—standard issue for the Slytherin table.

"With two sugars and a splash of milk?"

"With two sugars and a splash of milk."

I abruptly righted myself and took the cup from his hands. "Gods, forget courting you. I could just marry you instead."

"One step at a time, darling." Now that I was sitting upright, Sebastian squeezed next to me into the armchair. "What are your plans today?"

I glanced at the time. It was just after ten in the morning. "I planned on going into Hogsmeade with Nerida and Violet. However, Nerida is dead to the world and had no plans of getting out of bed, and I haven't seen Violet since last night. Was she with Ominis?"

Sebastian shook his head with a snort of laughter. "Merlin, no. Ominis and her got in an argument just after you danced with him last night. She took off with some Hufflepuff shortly after, and she was at breakfast with him this morning. So, it appears that they hit it off."

I hummed in disbelief. "And Ominis is okay with that?"

"He was over the moon at breakfast. He left to visit Anne not long ago." I let my head drop against his shoulder as I returned to watching the flames. "I could escort you, if you'd like."

"To be honest, I may postpone the trip to tomorrow. I am violently hungover." It looked like he fought with a frown, so I quickly offered an alternative. "Though, I'd love nothing more than to spend the day with my betrothed." Sebastian let out another laugh.

"Oh, now we're betrothed?"

"The coffee was your proposal, was it not?" I turned in the chair to lean my back against the arm and lounge my legs over his lap.

"Take it how you will." He waved dismissively, but there was still a playful glint in his eyes. One of his hands came to rest on my shin, his thumb rubbing a gentle circle against it. "It's quite nice out again, and the leaves are starting to change. How about some time near the lake?"

"As you wish." I polished off the coffee and pushed myself up. "Though, I reek of stale spirits. So, let's reconvene in an hour."

"I'll be waiting."

Sebastian winked as I scurried off for my room. Nerida, still half-conscious in bed, asked where I was off to in such a rush and if it was time to leave for Hogsmeade. I told her we'd postponed the trip until tomorrow since I couldn't find Violet anyways. She sighed in relief and turned back over in bed.