Witch Hunt (Re-written)

Chapter 9, A Means of Survival

     It was now Sebastian's turn to snap about you leaving without being truthful of where you were going. Though it quickly turned when he saw Anne.
"What happened?"
Felix was already heading towards the girl's room, so you followed him, your long day of standing around made your feet hurt.
"Nothing happened. She's fine."
"Then why is she unconscious?"
Sighing you turned to face him, knocking into him when he didn't have time to stop.
You pushed him back a little as you stepped back. "Slow down, you're going to give yourself a stroke. She's unconscious from the strain of the curse leaving her body."
"What?" His attention moved to his sister. "She's cured?"
Felix chuckled as he pulled the blankets over Anne's body. "Yes, I saw it myself. Your sister is going to be fine."
You barely saw it when he yanked you to him, hugging you tight enough your lungs almost burst.
"Thank you!"
You gave his back a pat, before trying to move your head in a way you can breathe.
"I can't breathe," you admitted finally, getting him to quickly let you go, but the look in his eyes had your heart racing.
"Thank you. I owe you, well, everything."
Amused, Felix cleared his throat, instantly getting Sebastian to step back.
"Not really, but I'm going to head on to bed, I'm exhausted. I've been standing all day."
"Have you eaten?" Felix asked and frown when you sighed. "Go eat or I'll tell my mother."
Rolling your eyes, you did as he said. You weren't going to get involved when Granny was. You owed her too much.

Sebastian, after asking Granny's and your permission, decided to stay with his sister until she woke up. Though, he did leave long enough for you to get changed.
He moved to sit beside his sister once you were under the covers. Your mind wandering to everything that's happened since you came to Hogwarts.
"I'm sorry my mother killed your parents. Your life could have been a lot better if they were around."
"That wasn't your fault," he shot back, surprising you with his strongly he spoke.
"Yeah, but if she hadn't, you'd stayed with them-"
"There's no guarantee they wouldn't have died anyway. I don't blame you and I know my sister won't."
You shifted to face him, seeing him once again with a book propped up in his lap.
"Is that your uncle's journal?"
His brows bunched. "No, reading that once was enough."
"Should I read it?"
"No!" He cleared his throat when he noticed your expression. "Solomon wasn't lacking in depravity. You shouldn't read it."
You sat up, the movement getting him to sigh.
"Now I just want to even more."
He closed his book, stood and moved over, sitting on the bed beside you. "You really don't."
You held your hand out for it. "Come on, you know you can't fight me on this. You'd do the exact same. Hand it over."
Instead, he grabbed your hand, curling your fingers around his.
"Very well," he whispered, before he got to his feet and grabbed a book from under all the others. "Just remember, what ever you read, take it with a grain of salt."
He was hesitant, but once he let the book go, he moved back into his spot beside his sister.

At first it was just anger directed towards his job as an auror. Then came the knowledge of his brother and sister in law's death at the hands of your mother, who acted rashly out of jealousy. The Sallows were getting more attention from who she desired and she took it out on them, only for her to lose even more favor.
The Sallows were looking into ancient magic, even back then and with them gone, Spavin put it on your mother's shoulders. It was the only reason she took an interest in one Felix Williams, a distant cousin of the Minister. He was diligently working as an auror as well as studying ancient runes and magics. Though, she quickly realized Felix wouldn't share his secrets with just anyone, she began to flirt with him until he was in love with her. Once she had what Spavin wanted, she turned to Spavin, who then pushed her to marry De'lany to hide the betray she would bore. Not wanting his reputation tarnished with a spoiled brat being called his-
"Wait a minute," you whispered looking up to meet Sebastian's eyes, which never left your face the whole time. "Felix is my father?"
"Solomon suspected that was the case, but as far as Felix himself had told me, he wasn't sure. You could be his or De'lany's child."
"I guess it makes ending up with Granny have sense, but.....was I just a means to an end before I was even born?"
"No, of course not. That journal is the ramblings of an angry man."
You could tell he wanted you to believe it, to trust he knew what he was saying, but you couldn't. So, you just continued to read.

Solomon continued to tell the tale of his new world of being a guardian to two kids his stupidly careless brother left to him, one who acted the exact same. He spoke of his hatred towards his brother, now directed at Sebastian, even at Anne. At least until she was cursed. Then he found himself enjoying being called a good guardian for taking care of her. Only for it to go to his head enough that he didn't ever want it to end and Sebastian's determination kept threatening to destroy that.
When you got involved, Solomon became worse, especially since you carried the ancient magic that his brother was looking for and died for. He wanted to kill you for it. For forcing the twins to come under his care. The death of his brother. Anne being cursed, all of it was because of the magic, you now wielded.
"Our family just having a go at each other for decades, yeah?" Sebastian asked trying to tease, but it sounded too flat. "Not good reading material, is it?"
"All of this over magic?" You whispered, mostly to yourself.
"You look like you're thinking too hard on this. None of it was your fault, you were just a product of their greed."
"Yes, a product that's been used and discarded by nearly everyone," you mumbled, knowing he heard you say something, but not what it was.
"What did you-"
"I'm going to go to bed. I'm way too tired."
You set Solomon's journal down, before you laid down with your back to Sebastian.
He sighed softly, but didn't press it.

You had dreams you hadn't for a while. Green light surrounding your vision, before a blinding flash stole the only happiness in your life away.
Waking up with a jolt, you saw a wand pointed at your head, seeing Felix just beyond.
"What are you doing?"
"Legilimemcy," he answered readily and with a tone that didn't apologize. "Your nightmares are extremely vivid."
You pushed his wand away from your face. "That's fantastic, how about not poking around in someone's head while they're sleeping?"
He smirked, sensing more of De'lany in you as he got to know you. "You're not the type to share though. How else am I supposed to know what's going on in your head?"
"Try asking first?"
He chuckled before standing. "Don't trust those memories, time and feelings always alter them."
You glared at his retreating back until it disappeared.
"You should have hit him," Anne said drawing your attention. "You can't rightly yell at me when you let him get away with that."
"I won't," you said casting another glare at the door. "Anyway, how are you feeling?"
"Better than I have in a while, but what was that potion you gave me?"
"The cure."
Her eyes almost reminded you of a mooncalf. "Are you serious?"
"Hey, I may say cruel things in the heat of the moment, which I'm not proud of, but I wouldn't joke about this. Not when it's so important."
She smiled as her eyes drifted towards her brother, who was sleeping awkwardly in the chair beside her.
"You care for my brother?"
"I care for all of you, you're my friends. Even with all the good and bad that comes with you all, I accept it. All of it. That's what it means to be a friend."
She smiled as she took the book off her brother's lap carefully.
"I want to be friends too, but after everything. I'm more confused than ever about what happened. Sebastian, me, Ominis and you. It's all rather complicated."
"Life's complicated, I'm afraid. Good people make bad choices sometimes. Bad people can make good ones. The older I get the less my morality is solid."
She met your gaze, worry burning behind them. "What do you mean?"
"When I was a child, my mother cast Imperio on me and forced me to kill my father to impress her lover, who then killed her and moved to turn the wand into me, but left when something caught his attention."
"I'm so sorry-"
You smiled, though you shook your head. You didn't want her to feel sorry, you wanted to prove a point. "It happened a while ago. So, trust me when I say that when Sebastian used those curses, I was as torn about it as you were. However, the circumstance surrounding it-" you sighed, rubbing your forehead. "Solomon was only attacking me in that crypt. Sebastian saved my life as well as yours."
She chewed on the side of her cheek. "Do you hate me for what I did?"
Confused as to why she asked, you shook your head. "No, I don't hate you. I've never hated you. I understand you grew close to Solomon for your own survival. The same way Ominis avoids his family and I've tried to avoid my past, but that doesn't mean you get absolved of your part to play in what happened to Sebastian"
She sighed like a weight was lifted from her shoulders, before she straightened up. "Then how about the four of us try putting the past behind us?"
You hesitated, your eyes drifting to Solomon's journal on your nightstand.
"First, I think you should read this." You grabbed it as you stood up and held it out for her. "It's Solomon's."
She swallowed hard as she took it from you.
"I hope it brings you and your brother closer together, with a better understanding of what he had to face."