Entombed // Sebastian Sallow

thirty four - anne

My day sucked. It was truly awful. I was carrying the weight of not only my own feelings and guilt, but Sebastian's too.

I couldn't fathom the thought of not visiting my deceased sibling for over twelve months. But, I had to understand that people dealt with things differently and Sebastian liked to ignore things until they went away.

"What's the matter with you and Sebastian?" Poppy asked me softly in Herbology. I had forgotten the two of us were stood next to each other at the potting table, not even interacting at all.

"Just a few personal things." I tried to shut her down.

"You're not breaking up, are you?"

"No, Poppy," I smiled softly at her "we aren't."

"Oh, good. I don't know how Ominis would take it. He's your biggest fan."

I cocked an eyebrow but placed my questions onto the back shelf of my mind, realising now was not the time.

After our day of relative silence, I met Sebastian outside near the flying class floo flame, ready to make our way to Feldcroft.

"Are you sure you want to go?" I asked, taking some floo powder out of the small bag he held in front of me.

"No. But, I have to." he said softly.

"You don't. You always have a choice, Seb."

"I know."

Ugh. Always so stubborn. I accepted his answer anyway and I travelled first. I stood in the town square by myself. For minutes.

If this man had ditched me in Feldcroft with no goddamn floo powder, I swear on Merlin's beard I'll-

FWOOOMP

He appeared.

"I'm sorry. I needed a moment." He confessed, stepping away from Ignatia's bust who had said something I truly didn't listen to.

"It's alright. Do you need more time?" I said, taking a few steps closer and taking both his hands in mine. This was the first contact we'd had since this morning in the Room of Requirement when we thought we were truly happy. Oh, how wrong we were.

"No. We need to do this. Let's go."

He continued holding onto one of my hands, though we had to keep readjusting them as they became slippery with his sweat. As we walked through the town circle, I could see he was trying to keep his head low. He led me past Solomon's old cottage without casting so much as a single eye on it and continued up the hill, past Isadora's abandoned home to a light smattering of trees. Underneath them, right on the edge of a cliff sat a small stone.

Anne Sallow

September 28th 1874 - February 17th 1893

A beloved daughter, niece and twin sister to Sebastian.

Forever young, forever loved.

I read the inscription through watery eyes, struggling to think that the Anne I had grown to care for because of Sebastian was laying just below our feet. No longer in pain. No longer suffering. No more curse.

Sebastian had stopped a few steps behind me and I could hear his rattly, shallow breaths. Then I heard sniffles and the hint of a sob.

I turned around and pulled him into my arms, neither of us daring to speak. He rested his chin on my shoulder and I could feel him looking at the small grave for his sister, his twin. His last relative.

"It... still doesn't feel real. It's like I could just go home to Feldcroft whenever I wanted and still see her there. I suppose I avoided this because it would end that for me. I'd realise she truly was gone. There's no pretending anymore. She's there. Right there in the ground."