DELGADO || Sebastian Sallow (Hogwarts Legacy)

Part 64 - Dinner and A lifeline

ꕀꕥ〡~𐀔~〡ꕥꕀ

❝And behave, sunshine. Stay off the pills and the whiskey, if you want a future for us.❞

______________________________

"That's why I have these awful bruises," I told Sebastian, my voice barely a whisper. "He did this to me."

He stared at me, stunned, as if I'd just said something unthinkable about him. Disgust and disbelief twisted his face.

Rising from the bed, he towered over me, his shadow making me feel smaller than ever.

I tried to keep my emotions in check. "Please... say something."

His voice was rough when he finally spoke. "I, I don't even know what to say, Ang... This is horrific."

"I know," I nodded, my eyes dropping to the floor.

"Did it go further? Did he hurt you more after that?" he asked, his voice thick with a barely contained fury.

"I haven't seen him since," I said quietly.

"Lorenzo came running when he heard me scream. The moment he shouted my name, the magic released me, and I collapsed into the pool. When I looked up, Marvolo was gone. Only Lorenzo stood on the balcony. He ran off."

Sebastian's jaw clenched. "He better stay the hell away from us. If I ever see him near you again, he's dead. No excuses. Hitting a woman? Makes me sick."

"I didn't want to be right about him," he said softly, "but I told you so."

"You did," i admitted. "And I should've listened."

"You never do..." he murmured, then added, "But maybe you've learned now."

His brows furrowed in thought. "I know you told Lorenzo about this. But why didn't you tell your aunt? We have to tell her."

A spark of anger flared in me. The last person I could trust with this secret was my aunt. Not when I'd learned the Gaunts were responsible for her sister's death, my mother.

"No," I snapped. "Catalina can't know. She doesn't even know that Mr. Gaunt killed my mom. And I want to keep it that way. If she finds out, she'll hunt him down, and she'll succeed. Our family has powerful witches as allies."

Sebastian gently took both my wrists, pressing them to his chest, his eyes filled with concern. "Maybe that's what we need. She could help you... help us. This is bigger than we can handle alone, Angelina."

"You don't get it," I said, tears welling in my eyes. "She wouldn't make it. My aunt is my mother's twin. They look exactly alike. Gaunt wouldn't spare her."

Sebastian's grip tightened as his voice rose. "Then we need to find another way, fast!"

"And we will!" I shouted back, matching his urgency.

His forehead leaned into mine. "I just don't want you getting hurt again, sweetheart. I need you safe, far from their reach."

"Then we have to be more careful," I said. "And we definitely can't tell Ominis anything. He's a liability. His father used to dig through his thoughts like it was nothing."

Stepping in closer, I leaned into his comforting presence.

"If you think keeping it from him helps, we'll do it," he agreed. "You're safe here. As long as I'm around, I won't let them near you. That's a promise."

And with that promise, I crumbled. I buried my face into his chest, breathing in the spicy warmth of cinnamon and the faint, bitter note of whiskey. My arms wrapped around his torso like a lifeline. His held me tighter, both of us exhaling in sync.