Aftermath | Sebastian Sallow

2: Chapter 6

Anne and I take Highwing to Irondale in the afternoon, looking for a few of our Holiday presents. The hamlet is known for their ironworks, hence the name. We're confident we can find a few things for Ominis, Felix and Sebastian.

We're strolling through the hamlet when Anne clears her throat at me. I turn my head to look at her.

"So, you and my brother. You're rather serious about each other?" Anne asks while we continue walking.

I smile at the thought. "Yes. I mean, I think so. I love him very much.. I know he loves me. With everything that happened, we haven't really talked much about it. We're only in our 6th year, I suppose pressing the topic would be premature." I turn to look at Anne, who nods in understanding. "I think I should be the one asking you about my brother."

She blushes and her eyes shoot up to look at mine, then she smiles softly. "I suppose we haven't talked much of it either. I do find him intriguing, and he makes me feel like I'm more than just the girl that was cursed by Victor Rookwood." I shudder at the sound of his name.

I stop walking and turn my body towards hers. "Anne, you are so much more than that. You are so very strong, for everything you went through." He eyes lower. "And brave."

"Brave?" She asks, looking up at me again. "I'm not the one that fought Ranrok and desecrated an army of dark wizards."

"I think bravery doesn't just lie in the actions you make. I think it comes from within." My thoughts drift back to the moment Sebastian talked to me in the Room of Requirement, when I was terrified of my magic. When I didn't know how to heal. "Someone once told me, that there are demons that lie in all of us. We each face our own battles. Whether it's with dark wizards, or the war within our minds." I grab both of her hands and squeeze them lightly. "I think you are brave, Anne, for choosing every day to fight. To stay alive no matter how much it hurt. And I think you're brave now, for taking back your life from the bastard that stole it from you."

"Thank you, Y/n.. Sebastian really has no idea how lucky he is." She chuckles and I laugh along with her, dropping her hands and we continue walking.

"I'm not the only lucky one."

I suddenly have an idea, my gift for Sebastian for the holiday. And I'll have to seek the help of a very friendly Goblin for it.

Sebastian POV

"Remind me again why I decided to come out here with you?" I say in frustration as I kick some rubble on the ground.

"Because, I'm helping you. You did ask for my help, so take it or leave it." Felix says, climbing off of his thestral onto the ground beside my broom.

"I asked for your help in finding a present for Y/n. And you bring me out here, of all places." I look around myself at the remains of Manor Glen. It's not in bad shape, but not the best either. "Why in Merlin's beard are we here, anyways?"

Felix stands still, surveying our surroundings. "Well, pretty boy, I'll help you. If you help me in return."

"I should have known it would come with a price." I grumble to myself. Felix looks at me.

"Pass up an opportunity to torture you? I don't think so." He looks back at the manor. "You're with my baby sister, Sallow. I have to keep you in line somehow."

I snort at his comment. "Ancient magic or not, I could still kick your ass in a duel. Any day."

Felix laughs loudly, I almost jump at the sound. I'm not used to hearing him laugh at all. "I can see why she likes you so much, same fiery attitude as hers."

This causes me to smile, much to my dismay. She does have a fiery little attitude, one of the things I first admired of her when we had our first duel last year.

"Snap out of it. It's time to get to work." Felix says, beginning to walk towards the Manor. "I'm going to retrieve the present you shall give to Y/n, and you're going to help me repair the Manor."

I snap my head in his direction. "Why the bloody hell would you want to do that?"

"I can't get to much of my old belongings when it's in this condition." We walk into the Manor through what used to be the front door, now a gaping hole in the wall. There are beams falling down and broken flooring, with blasted holes in the walls. Paintings are destroyed and some furniture tattered.

"Well, this should be fun. Where do we start?" I ask Felix.

"You start with the entrance and work your way in. I'm going to fix the main staircase so I can get upstairs and go from there." I nod at him in agreement. I should have just asked Imelda for help, but like an idiot I asked him instead thinking he might have some sort of deep rooted sibling insight towards this. After all, he and Y/n had spent so much time catching up lately. Much to my disliking, as he was taking up my time with her. I'm horrible with giving gifts, so I resorted to this.

I finish up the last of the damage and make my way up the now fixed staircase. "Felix."

"In here." He responds, I follow his voice down a long hallway.

When I enter the room he's in, I'm taken back. There are artworks, antiques, sculptures and loads of old books. Some of them look ancient even.

He follows my gaze. "Help yourself to my private collection, I've finished all of them." He says nonchalantly.

A medieval magic book. I take a look through the book while he rummages through a weathered chest. This one resembles the same edition Y/n has in the Room of Requirement..

"Ahh, here it is." He stands up and turns around towards me, opening a small black box encrusted with rubies. Pulling out his wand, he whispers an incantation that I cannot make out.

As it opens, he stores his wand and holds up one of the items from the box.

"It's perfect." I say, eyeing the small object in his hand.

"You don't know the half of it." He responds.