Touched

Shadow of a Meeting - Sixth Year

Sebastian POV

Someone strange was here.

Sebastian had been in his usual morning session with Mrs Petrie when she had been whisked away by one of the guards, saying that someone was here to see her urgently. Sebastian was okay with that, because it meant he could stop thinking, and go back to lying here, on this uncomfortable mattress, staring at the wall.

Like that wasn't exciting enough, Petrie returned to his room with a man. He was wearing a long trench coat and a golf hat. He looked kind, smiling at Sebastian as though he was about to introduce himself. He had a twinkle in his eye that exhausted Sebastian without even having to talk to him.

He was tired lately.

"Mr Sallow," said the man, and Sebastian turned back towards him. Why was this man here to see him? He sat up straight and leaned forward onto his knees. "I'd like to talk to you, privately - if that's ok."

"I don't want to talk to anyone else," Sebastian responded, annoyed that his voice sounded like it came out of a child. He was turning seventeen late this year, he had to act like it.

"I promise it will be worth it," the man said, ignoring his request and pulling the rickety chair Petrie was sitting on over towards him. Petrie and left the room, Sebastian realised, and it was just him and the man.

However, this was the first time Sebastian had sat completely alone with someone in this room and he did not feel unsafe.

"Mr Sallow," the man repeated, lowering his gaze, pulling some parchment out of his pocket and lifting his glasses from his chest to his face. "My name is Professor Rowley. I am the defence against the dark arts Professor at Hogwarts this year."

"What happened to Professor Hecat?" Sebastian found himself asking. He didn't think that would be the first question he thought of, but naturally, he was glad it was someone different this year.

"She retired," the man - Professor Rowley - said.

"What are you doing here?"

"I was on the jury when they ran your trial at the ministry. I do not believe it was a fair trial and I've been gathering evidence to present it to a court."

Sebastian didn't say a word, realised his mouth had fallen open and he closed it, shuffling in his place uncomfortably.

"I have enough evidence to present now. About your uncle, and what happened. In addition to that I've been talking to your friends, Miss L/N and Mr Gaunt, and we've come to the conclusion that we're getting you out of here."

Sebastian looked over at the sixty six lines that he'd carved into the wall behind his pillow and laughed, a dark, humourless sound. He had briefly  flinched at his friends names. "How is that possible? I already declared in the court that I didn't do it in self defence."

"That doesn't matter," Professor Rowley shook his head. "Although that was stupid. We will be going with the story now that he attacked you first."

"He did."

"Exactly. The evidence I've found confirms that Solomon would've passed that day anyway. He made an unbreakable vow with your parents, that he wouldn't harm you."

"What do you mean?" His heart started to beat faster when the Professor spoke of his parents. Solomon was going to die anyway?

"I'll go through it with you in due time," the Professor told him, shaking his head. "But I only have twenty minutes with you today. I'm going to the court, to present your case. You'll probably be asked to be present. I will get you out of here. I promise."

"Why do you care so much?" Sebastian asked, feeling tears burn his eyes and threaten to spill over.

"Say it's a favour to your parents," the Professor smiled kindly towards Sebastian. "Don't worry, son. Everything will turn out okay. Just stick to what I tell you. It was self defence."

"Okay."

"You'll hear from me soon."

And with that, the man was gone. Sebastian was numb. He had almost no idea what had just happened or how that came about, but it might just be his lucky day. This man might be telling the truth.

What Sebastian didn't understand, is why his parents would've made an unbreakable vow with Solomon before they died. The only way they would've done that would be if they were aware of what was going to happen to them. Surely they couldn't have known. Sebastian remembered, finding them, on the floor - with Anne.

Sebastian stood up and walked over to the small circular mirror that hung on the wall. It was made of plastic, and it was tiny. He could just see his face, tired - a little sunken. But in his eyes and in his mind, there was a little ray of hope. He imagined he was in the Slytherin dormitory, he imagined his green and silver robes were on, he imagined he had his wand. He had his friends, he had his sister.

What he really needed right now was a friend. He longed for someone to tease, to have fun with, to forget things. But in here, he was forced to dwell over what he did every minute of every day. The limited contact he had was to people that would remind him of what had happened and were designed to make him feel terrible.

If he got out of here - if this man could get him out - how would he fare back in the real world? He didn't know if he could go back to Hogwarts and pretend nothing happened. Everyone at school most likely knew, he'd disappeared without a trace? Unless someone made something up, but they'd surely heard of his court date. Perhaps they'd heard about Anne.

He couldn't very well go back to Feldcroft. He was still underage and needed to live with someone. Not his uncle, or his sister. Ominis was alone now, but he might've gone back to his family's. Maybe he could stay with Y/N, wherever she went back to on the holidays.

Would he be forgiven by anyone? Would he ever forgive himself?

Y/N POV

Central hall was buzzing with people. You were making your way down to the Floo station to go to the care of magical beasts classroom. There were people everywhere. You had not yet had a year at Hogwarts where you'd focused on your classes.

Last year you were focused on Professor Fig and Rookwood and Ranrok, but now that that was all over you could focus on your schoolwork. You'd never realised how hectic Central Hall got on a Monday morning.

When you got to the classroom, you sat next to Poppy, who was patting a Puffskein in her lap.

"Good morning," she said to you, tucking her dark hair behind her ears. You smiled at her.

"Good morning," you replied. "And who's this?" You looked at the Puffskein. It was a cute little thing, with a small nose and tufts of chestnut hair. Poppy looked somewhat sad for a moment before she replied.

"This was Anne's Puffskein," Poppy told you. "It's seeming to go through some kind of separation anxiety. I'd sneak her in to see Anne when Solomon wasn't watching. She misses her, I think."

"Oh," you breathed, placing a hand on the Puffskein. "What's her name?"

"Mollie," she replied. "I'll keep her now. She's a very cute little thing."

"Did you and Anne have a long relationship?" You asked her.

"Oh yes," Poppy replied, thoughtfully. "Just over a year. I'm missing her bubbliness. Everything seems quite dull without her. But you know, I barely saw her last year. Only when I snuck in with Mollie. It was hard, with Solomon there. But I still treasure every moment I had with her."

"Did Sebastian ever know?"

"No, he didn't, actually," Poppy recalled. "I think Anne told Ominis, and told him not to tell Sebastian. When she got better, we were going to tell him then. I don't know why it mattered now. I should've yelled it from the rooftops to spend more time with her. It was nothing to have to hide."

You didn't say anything.

"She was beautiful," Poppy told you, and you nodded in agreement. "I'm glad you were there looking after her."

You looked down towards the Puffskein who was nestled in Poppy's arms.

You hoped they'd both be alright together.