A Change of Heart // Sebastian Sallow

Chapter 44

Leyton took Florence to Gerard's desk, searching around and finding a scrunched up piece of parchment in the drawer. He took something out of it and stuffed it in his pocket before shutting the drawer and heading for the exit of the Ministry.

"Where is he?" Florence asked.

"I'm not sure... yet. C'mon. We've got to go back." He said.

He took Florence's arm and apparated away with her again, the pulling feeling making her feel nauseous, she put it down to not having eaten in a long time. She took in her surroundings, noticed they were at the town south of the Scotland border. It was completely empty and desolate.

"What happened after we left?" Florence asked, eyeing off the eerily quiet streets.

"I'm not sure. But I had heard it ended rather quickly. Not sure how they managed to get it under control." He replied.

They walked to the home they were housed in for the few days but there was no sign of Gerard. Leyton went to Gerard's room, seemingly looking for something in particular. Florence didn't want to pry and trusted Leyton's judgement.

"Alright, good." Leyton said to himself.

"Is there something I can help with?" Florence asked.

"Not really. Gerard and I have trackers we use occasionally, particularly when we are working apart. I had accidentally left mine at the Ministry, Gerard was livid. I grabbed mine from my desk. Thankfully, it looks like he's taken his with him." Leyton said, pulling a small, round crystal looking ball from his pocket.

"I'll show you how it works." He said, passing it to Florence. "Hold it in the palm of your hand and roll it around to warm it up."

He demonstrated the action, rubbing his palms together in circles, like he was moulding clay. Florence rolled the cool ball around and around in the palm of her hand. Suddenly, a small beacon of a warm white light began to emit from it, curving around the room before fading quickly.

"Well done. Nifty little things, aren't they? Now, we wait for Gerard." Leyton said.

Almost instantaneously, the crystal orb in her hand lit up again, the beacon of light reappearing and flowing out of the door.

"Only we can see that trail of light. It means he's responded by warming up his tracker. Now we follow it." Leyton said.

Florence handed the tracking crystal back to Leyton and he placed it snuggly in his pocket, the trail of light still weaving through the air. They walked out of the house, the dim light leading down windy, twisty streets. Florence walked carefully behind Leyton. The streets were eerily quiet and deserted. She quietly pulled out her wand in fear of someone jumping out at her. Luckily, they didn't have to walk far as the light was streaking through the door of a nearby home.

Leyton retrieved his own wand, opening the door which creaked softly.

"Stay close." He whispered with a finger to his mouth.

He crept into the house, his boots making soft landing noises on the carpet below. Florence noticed the light beaming upstairs. Leyton tread on the stairs first, stepping carefully to avoid making any creaking sounds. Florence made sure she placed her feet in the same spots he had to avoid making any extra noises.

A room at the end of the hall upstairs was where the beam of light ended. Leyton held out the palm of his hand, telling Florence to stay put for a moment. She stood at the landing, surveying her surroundings while Leyton crept into the room. She looked around and realised this home had belonged to a muggle family by the portraits hung on the wall. There were images of a little boy with his mother and father. Some were cracked and askew as they hung. It broke her heart to think about what might have happened to them.

Before Florence could become more upset by the family home, Leyton returned, ushering her into the room. She stepped lightly and quickly, to avoid being left alone for any longer than she needed to be.

"Florence!" Gerard said, jumping off the bed and pulling her into a firm hug. His arms felt warm and comforting.

"I'm so glad you're alright." Florence said, snuggling into his woolly vest.

"I take it you're looking for Sebastian?" Gerard said.

Florence nodded, feeling tears well in her eyes at the sound of his name.

"I need to know what happened. For closure." She said.

"What do you mean? Closure?" Gerard looked puzzled, releasing her from his arms.

"I saw his name in the Daily Prophet. He died." She said, allowing her tears to fall.

"What? As far as I know, he isn't. I dropped him to the closest hospital... with all the other patients. I managed to patch him up enough to travel and he was stable." Gerard explained.

"So, he's alive?" Florence's voice grew louder.

"He was when I left him." Gerard said.

Florence looked at Leyton who had a bewildered look on his face.

"Take me. To where you sent him." Florence demanded.

"Alright. I'll try. They were very busy when he got there. So many people killed or hurt..." Gerard said.

They left the house and walked the few blocks to the hospital Gerard said he'd taken Sebastian to.

"By the way, Florence. Congratulations." Gerard said, giving her a slight nudge.

"On what?" she asked.

"Your upcoming blessing." He said.

Florence stopped in her tracks, looking at Gerard with a look of disbelief.

"He told you?!" she said.

"He did. I told him to talk to me to distract himself from the pain while I patched him up with my wand. Unfortunately, I didn't have any pain relief on me. Funny though, everything he spoke about included you." Gerard said.

Florence felt herself smile slightly, the first time today.

"Anyway, your child is lucky to have such passionate and dedicated parents like you and Sebastian. They'll do well in life."

"Thank you, Gerard. That means a lot."

"Shall we?" Gerard said, his arm held out in the direction of the hospital beginning to walk again.

Upon arrival, Florence entered the hospital first with the two men behind her. She approached the receptionist who appeared quite flustered.

"Who are you here for?" she asked, her voice quite monotone.

"Sebastian Sallow." Florence replied.

"And you are?" the woman said, her eyes lifting from her desk, finally looking at Florence.

"Florence McC... Sallow. His wife." Florence said, her heart almost fluttering out of her chest as she said her name and new title for the first time ever.

"Oh. Sorry, sweetheart. Unfortunately, he is no longer here." The woman said, turning over pieces of parchment.

"Would you know where he is?" Florence asked.

The woman shrugged.

"Right. Thank you." Florence said, turning away defeated.

"Now what?" she said, looking at Gerard and Leyton.

"I may have one more trick." Gerard said.