Risk // Sebastian Sallow

Chapter 54: Space

Despite distinctly remembering falling asleep on the lounge, I woke up in my own bed the next day, tucked up and in my nightgown.

Either I was slipped something, or I was completely zonked when Sebastian did all of this, now knowing he could enter my room.

He was waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs when I had finally dragged myself out of bed in the morning but didn't say much before he took me down to get breakfast, catching up to Daisy and Lawson along the way.

"I heard you had your careers meeting with Birch yesterday." Lawson commented.

"Yep, we did." Sebastian said, obviously trying to dodge the subject.

"And? Verdict?" Lawson pushed.

"Auror." Sebastian said very matter-of-factly.

"Me too!" Lawson cried out, almost crash tackling Sebastian to the floor. "Is that what you're going to do?!"

"Nah, I don't think so. Olive did mention curse-breaking. Maybe that's something I could do instead. Being an Auror sounds awful."

"Really? I mean, I know you're studious and all, but gone for 6 months of the year? Facing death every single day? All that with a wife at home? You're braver than me, mate." Lawson said with wide eyes.

"Who said I'll be at home?" I cut in, defending myself.

That was one thing I was determined not to be despite my mother and I patching things up. And that was like her. She lost herself completely being at home. My father was her whole world and when he was gone... she was nothing.

"Well, then what about you, Olive?" Daisy's sweet voice piped up.

"They said I should work in the Department of Unidentifiable Magical Objects. Sounds a bit boring to me..." I brushed it off.

"No, that's good! I've seen you reading loads of interesting subjects in the dormitory. I'm sure it will suit you well!"

"Well, lucky we don't have to do what they say, right?" Sebastian cut in, desperately wanting to end the conversation.

"Right..." I mumbled.

Sebastian seemed incredibly tense the rest of the day, and no matter what we talked about, how much I put my hands on him, tried to hold him, he couldn't be snapped out of whatever trance it was that he was in.

And by curfew I'd had enough.

"Sallow." I barked at him from his bed.

We'd decided to study and instead of joining me on his bed with our legs tucked up and working together like we normally did, he sat on the floor and spread himself out, absolutely absorbed in a book and ignoring my questions.

He looked at me with a slightly mad but also bemused expression on his face.

"What, Sallow? I didn't think we'd ever be calling each other by last names anymore considering we share the same one now." He scoffed, barely diverting his eyes from his work.

"Well, when you're acting like a proper twat I'll call you whatever I please." I snapped.

He finally brought his gaze to me and locked our eyes together.

"A twat? Really?" He said with a small scoff.

"Yes, Sebastian! A twat. You've barely said a word to me all day!"

"What do you want me to say, Olive? We've been in class and now we are studying. Surely those call for quiet times."

I wondered where this man got the fucking balls to even try and defend his behaviour today.