DELGADO || Sebastian Sallow (Hogwarts Legacy)

Part 39 - Contracts and Poison

ꕀꕥ〡~𐀔~〡ꕥꕀ

❝So it's only fair to me to punish them for disobedience ❞

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-1 hour before-

"So, what will it be, Angelina Camilla Delgado? His life or yours?" 

How could I possibly answer that without getting someone hurt in the process? 

He was seriously expecting a nineteen-year-old girl to make a life-altering decision that would shape her entire future. 

Could I live with myself if I sent Sebastian to Azkaban? Before the summer, I had wanted to turn him in. But now... I wasn't sure. I could help him escape, of course, but what kind of life would that be? He would always be on the run, hunted like an animal, never knowing peace. And yet, if I made that choice, we could be together in the end. Mr. Gaunt had said I could marry whoever the hell I wanted. But was it worth condemning Sebastian to a life behind bars? 

Then there was Marvolo. I knew I loved him, that I wanted nothing more than to be with him. But I could never be part of the Gaunt family. Not for a million galleons. Especially not after learning that Mr. Gaunt had murdered my parents. The only possible silver lining would be Ominis—having him as my brother. But even he had warned me to run from his family, to escape before it was too late. 

"Well? What will it be?" Impatience flickered in Mr. Gaunt's eyes. 

"Can you give me some slack? You're asking me to make an irreversible decision. Just give me some time to think!" I snapped. 

His gaze flickered to Sebastian's bleeding body, a cruel grin stretching across his face. "Take all the time you want, Angelina... but I'm not sure he has that kind of time." He punctuated his words with a sharp kick to Sebastian's elbow. He remained unconscious, oblivious to the agony surrounding him. 

"Why can't you just leave me alone? Let me live my life in peace! What do you even gain from this? It's not like you'd enjoy having me as your daughter-in-law—I'd make your life a living hell!" 

A slow, mocking chuckle escaped him. "Feisty little thing, aren't you? Tell you what, darling, let's have one last drink together. And then you decide. In the meantime, I'll slow Sallow's death—fair trade, right? But if you don't choose soon, I'll make the decision for you." 

I watched as he strode to his desk. The spell restraining my body lifted, and I could finally move again. He rummaged through a drawer, retrieving a flask with a red label. A thick, black liquid poured into a glass. He set it on the desk before me, then poured himself a whiskey. 

"You have ten seconds to drink that," he said, his voice dangerously even. 

"Ten." 

I eyed the liquid. It was thick, foul-smelling, and far from appetizing. If anything, it looked like poison. 

"Nine." 

"Are you trying to poison me?" I scoffed, snatching the glass and hurling it at his head. 

He ducked, laughing as the glass shattered behind him. Without hesitation, he poured another. "Eight. Seven."