How to Make a Villain - [Sebastian Sallow x F!OC]

[nineteen]

Sebastian took one look at the scruffy-haired stick figure she'd been doodling, made a sound that was both amused and incredulous at the same time, then threw himself on the sofa with a long, exasperated sigh. The deep-set cushions sagged under his weight, tilting him sideways until his arm pressed firmly against hers, as warm and strong as it had been the night he'd held her.

He made no move to right himself.

'If you're trying to drive me absolutely bonkers,' he groaned, pressing his hands over his face, 'you're doing a very good job of it. Did you listen to a single word I just said?'

Something of Aurélie's resistance had crumbled the night the unicorns bore witness to their moonlit embrace; if not a wall, then certainly a few bricks had fallen away, leaving a hole in her defences through which Sebastian could stick his hand and give her reassuring little pats on the head.

Like a newly adopted cat, Aurélie was wary of this newfound affection - but not entirely adverse to it.

'Are you regretting your offer to help me?' she asked.

His firm and immediate, 'No,' had her barely suppressing a grin.

Perhaps it had been an error in judgement to let herself be drawn to him — if she'd known how pervasive her thoughts about his arms were going to be, she would've thought twice before throwing her own around him that night. Or perhaps she was simply starved of affection, desperate for the comfort of another body to curl into. Whatever it was, Aurélie was tired, and Sebastian was warm, and so — just for a little while — she allowed herself to lean into him.

'Well, you're awfully grumpy,' she commented, drawing two angry little eyebrows on her stick figure's face.

'I'm not grumpy, I just want you to pay attention.' He rubbed his eyes wearily and looked at her. 'This is important, Aura.'

'But what's the point?' She dragged a hand across her flushed forehead. 'We've been at it all week, but all this research has yielded nothing we don't already know about my magic. Not that I don't appreciate it!' she added hastily, cutting him off mid-scowl. 'But we're making no progress! And we still don't know who's after me!'

Sebastian massaged his forehead with his knuckles but said nothing.

'The Auror's have no leads,' she went on, wringing her hands together. 'Neither the French nor the British Ministry know what to do with me except to put me in lockdown and hope for the best. It could be anyone.'

'It doesn't matter who it is,' Sebastian said tightly. 'French or British, the Ministry is useless. You wouldn't believe the kinds of things wizards get away with thanks to the gross incompetence of our legal system. Besides...' He stretched out his long legs with a groan. 'They're all corrupt to the core, brought and sold. You can't rely on anyone but yourself. And me,' he added, nudging her lightly with his shoulder.

'And you,' she echoed, nudging him back. 'Expert on everything.'

''Bout time you recognised my brilliance.'  Sebastian's smile eased some of the worry from his features, and, by effect, most of hers.

She averted her lingering gaze. 'I don't know... It just feels like we're just groping around blindly in the dark.'

To her surprise, Sebastian let out a mighty snort of mirth.

'You'd know all about groping in the dark, wouldn't you?' he said with a wicked grin.

Aurélie's mouth fell open, scandalised.

'Sebastian!'

'Oi!' He swatted her hand away as she aimed to smack his shoulder. 'All I'm saying is that next time, you only need to ask and I'd be happy to —'