Sallow's Soft Side-10 Years Later

Chapter 9 - Mixed Emotional Revelations

*Sebastian POV*

It's the next morning after one of the most intense evenings I've had in a long time-and not in the fun way. I lie in bed next to Y/N, while Ominus is sound asleep as well on the sofa. I'm trying to process all that just happened, and what Ominus will be telling us when he awakens and has his first real meal in what appears to be years.

Raven and Emilia were already expecting us by the time we arrived and had our room ready when we arrived. Raven's skill in divination warned her we'd be coming. She didn't know exactly why or how, but she understood from what she saw that we would be in danger. I can smell that Emilia is up already preparing a large breakfast. I kiss Y/N awake as I always do, and I walk over to Ominus to wake him up as quietly as possible. I try to ensure I don't startle him-Merlin nows what kind of hell he's been through. It was very disheartening to see my old best friend in such a dire state.

He is startles regardless of my efforts and sits straight up, breathing heavily.

"Ominus, it's okay, you're safe, it's me-Sebastian. I promise. You're safe." I say in the softest and most reassuring voice I've probably ever used for him. "Here, I've got Anne's wand you can use. Give it a go when you have a chance."

"Why...what...where is Anne?" Ominus asks me, causing my heart to sink when I realize there's no way he could have known that my sister passed away.

"I'm so sorry you must learn this under these circumstances. Anne passed away just over a month ago. I never did stop searching for a cure for her, but she eventually succumbed to the curse." I say with my head down. I glance back up at Ominus, who has a tear already gliding down his cheek. I sit next to him and put my hand on his.

"It was a loss for all of us, my friend. You may find comfort in knowing that she frequently asked about you. She fondly relived many stories involving you. If I didn't know any better, I'd think she'd even fancied you when we were kids."

"I don't know if I'd say that," he says with a sad smile. "I don't mind the thought of it, though. I guess we'll never know now."

"Let's go down and have you a real meal, shall we?"

He stands up right away and takes the wand from me. He takes a deep breath for concentration and waves it around in different directions in the room. "This will do quite well, actually. Thank you, Anne."

Whatever mysterious magic he uses to get around without sight must work just fine with my twin sister's wand. She would be honored to help him out. It makes my heart ache how much I miss her.

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We finish up a huge breakfast thanks to Emilia and decide to step outside so Ominus can enjoy some fresh air for the first time in years. It seems as though my friend is ready to explain what happened and what the Gaunts are up to. Y/N tells us she is going to stay in to help clean up, but that she'll be out to catch up soon.

"I will get right into it," Ominus begins. "I witnessed my father using the Imperius curse to force a goblin to let him into some other wizards vault at Gringotts. He thought he was being slick, but I could tell by how the goblin's eyes changed before he agreed to guide us there. When we returned home, I told him I was going to turn him in. I was tired of standing by out of fear while my father disrupted the lives of others. That is when he knocked me unconscious and locked me in that cage. He had planned to torture and kill me. His own son, Sebastian. He wanted to kill his own flesh and blood. However, when he came down after I woke up, he picked me up by the collar. As soon as his hand touched my skin, though, I had a vision. I've never had a vision before. Quite literally-I'm bloody blind!"

I blinked. Ominus had a vision? Ominus is...some sort of psychic? That is one of the rarest forms of magical abilities-it's almost unheard of.

"Is that why your father kept you alive down there? To use you when he wanted to see the future?"

"Precisely. He'd make friends pay him considerable amounts of money to come see me. He'd force me to hold the hand of these strangers and tell them what I saw. All of these strangers...they saw me in that cage. They knew I was down there. None of them did anything to help me! This has continued for the past six years. For six years I would have only water and one small meal of table scraps fit for a dog every day. My family would put all of the leftover food if they didn't finish their plates onto one plate for me. If they all finished their plates, I did not eat that day. Oftentimes I was scraping what's left of meat off of mostly finished off bones from whatever meat they cooked that night. Many nights I went to sleep wishing I would finally die of starvation."

"I'm so glad you didn't. With all of this happening, how did you send us the owl?"

"My father didn't personally bring me my food and water. I was not worthy of his time for that. He made the house elf, Gary, bring it to me. Gary never stuck around to chat like he used to-he must have been threatened not to. One night, Gary arrived with his large eyes nearly swollen shut and a makeshift cast wrapped around a very broken arm. He was covered in horrible bruises. He must have deeply angered my father or Marvolo. I came up with an idea that would help the both of us."

"Poor Gary. I wish people were not so cruel to their elves."

"Agreed. It dawned on me as I went to sleep that night that I am an adult man of the Gaunt Household. I too, am his master. Or, I was. The next time he came down with my meal, I cut a deal with him. If he brought me parchment and a quill, then sent it with an owl, I would give him a sock. If an elf is gifted a piece of clothing from their master, they are free."

"Brilliant! I must know...how did you know the address, and what does your family want with my girlfriend?"

"I saw it all in a vision one night as I slept. I feel it is best to wait until Y/N joins us to explain this next part-I feel that it will be quite a lot for both of you to take in."

We wait a short time and discuss other parts about the past decade. Before long, Y/N was making her way over to us on the dock. She's looking as fresh and beautiful as always. There is almost a bit of a glow to her-it must be the sunlight. Ominus and I get her caught up to what he just shared with me, and now it is time for him to explain her significance.

"Alright...I'm going to start off with quite the curveball. Alexander was not who you thought he was."

Y/N's face drains. "What do you mean?"

"My former family was plotting to kidnap you and curse you in order to force you to lead them to the source of the ancient magic you're protecting. Alexander was scouted before you met to seduce you and report back to my family of any information he learns."

Her eyes are cloudy with tears at this point. "I was such a fool to believe he ever cared for me."

"You weren't a fool, he was chosen for the job due to his known deception skills. The tools he created weren't just unnecessary self-cleaning everyday items. They allowed my father to listen in on conversations whenever Alexander thought something useful would come up."

"Why didn't Alexander just bring me straight to them?"

"He knew you were too powerful a witch to trick into coming there. He came up with a new plan that sounded much more useful to father. What I'm about to tell you next will change your lives forever, and what I tell you after that will increase the urgency to move forward for all of our protection."

Y/N and I share a nervous glance and nod for Ominus to continue.

"Y/N, you are pregnant. With two children. Not to worry, Sebastian is the father, not Alexander. There's no way you could have known it yet because well, you're only about three weeks along."

THUD.

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