In the Shadows of Romance/Sebastian Sallow x MC

Chapter Six (Redone:July 2, 2023)

Hogsmeade was a place I constantly went to visit while I was studying in my fifth year, but as time grew on those visits dwindled to only visiting with friends or when I really needed to. And though it was our summer away from one another, it wasn't uncommon for me to visit Hogsmeade just to visit with those I missed. In fact I had found myself visiting today, sitting in the Three Broomsticks with my brother, Ominis, Poppy, Garreth, Samantha, Amit and Natty.

"Sunny, don't be daft." I laughed softly, shaking my head at him.

The group laughed with me, before Poppy was perking up to look toward me, her voice soft as she spoke. "Forgive me, both of you, but I have always wondered as to why you call Icarus, Sunny. We have known you both for over a year now and you have yet once told us of why you use the nicknames you do. Even the nickname Icarus uses to call you, Daffodil. I'm curious and I'm sure the others are as well."

There was a round of agreement amongst our friends.

"Have we honestly never told you the reasoning?" Icarus asked softly, eyes bright.

"No," Natty piped up. "But now is as good a time as ever."

"Well I guess I will have to first tell you what my whole name is." I told them as they all leaned forward around the table. "My name is Avery Echo Grey, but because of our nicknames I had always been referred to as Echo rather than Avery. I also rather like the name Echo, regardless my brother's first name and my middle name are taken from Greek mythology tales. Where the story of Icarus was him flying to the sun, Echo was falling in love with a Daffodil."

"My nickname of Sunny and her's of Daffodil has always been our way of remembering the stories we were named after. Our parents as well thought of the names and it is a way for us to constantly remember our late parents. They were muggle borns who had taught those Greek tales we were named after."

"Your parents were muggles?" IT was Garreth this time, his face showing one of shock. Was it really hard to believe that a witch and a wizard born of muggles could hold the ancient magic we possess?

Samantha reached over to hit the male Gryffindor. "Don't say something like that, it's extremely rude of you." She then directed her attention to me. "Are you quite sure they were muggles? If I remember currently, neither of you knew of your magic until Professor Fig found you, but had he been the one to tell you of them being muggles? I find it hard to believe with how powerful the two of you really are."

"From what Fig told us, they were." Icarus answered as he leaned back in his chair, taking a sip of his butterbeer. "He had searched into our family line and had found there hadn't been a witch or wizard in our line for over five generations. He was in search of us, thinking we may possess magic when he found us by accident."

"How did Fig find you anyway?" Ominis asked curiously.

Icarus looked to me, I could tell he was asking my permission to speak but was I ready for that myself. If he started explaining the story then there was the chance of reliving that night, hell I had relieved that night each day after until more pressing issues had risen. As much as I hated what Ranrok had done, I was almost thankful dealing with him had pulled me from what had happened the night Fig found us. I took a deep breath trying to push down every emotion that surfaced, I had a lot on my plate. Adding this to losing Christopher and the restless night I had had after Ranrok and Sebastian's disappearance...it all seemed like too much but I think I was officially ready to put that part of my life behind me. What had happened was part of my muggle life not part of my magical life.

I shared a long look with my brother, his eyes turning from mine when he saw my nod. "We were in a foster care system. And before any of you question just what that is, it is a muggle system that houses children under the adult age without family or guardians. There are muggles all over the world that will choose to care for these children and house them like they are their own. But at the same time there are horrid situations of muggles that provide care just because of the benefits it provides. Houses and the muggles providing these homes are sometimes very two faced."

"Icarus and I have been in many homes, some good and some where we were starved, beaten or..." I shook my head, unable to say more.

"The night Professor Fig found us was the night our foster father tried laying hands on Echo." Icarus continued for me. "I had walked in as the man was holding her down and trying to strip her of her clothes. I don't know what it was that came over me but I was suddenly pushing him through the air and was setting his clothes on fire. I hadn't even realized I had done magic until after Echo and I had run from the house that was blazing up faster than it should have. Fig, who was visiting a friend in search of us, saw it all through the very open window. He offered us shelter and explained what I had done and after that he was checking Echo for magic and then training us."

Ominis took my hand, he always knew where to find me even without the help of his wand. "You've been through so much."

"I'm sorry I never told you." I whispered. "I've just had more pressing issues as you know."

"Don't apologize for the trauma you weren't ready to share." He told me. "But thank you for trusting us enough to tell us now."

"Is that why you freaked out on me last year when I started flirting with you?" Amit asked.

I laughed, shaking my head. "Merlin, no! I love you like a friend but you have never been my type."

"And what of me?" Garreth puffed up his chest trying to act cool.

"I suggest you look elsewhere, mate." Ominis warned as his body straightened. "She has been spoken for for months now."

"Gaunt, you lucky bastard." Garreth retorted, making the others laugh. "I could have sworn Echo would have had a liking for Sebastian before you."

I felt Ominis stiffen and at least two others at the table had stopped laughing as Ominis voice dropped to a deadlier sound. "Sebastian lost his chance the moment he chose to run after his sister."

***

That night Ominis and I were laying under the stars, and though the man could not see the night sky above us, he listened as I tried my best to describe everything I saw to him. It was weird when I had first found myself describing small things, that was during our fifth year, but now describing the way something looked had become like second nature to me.

Suddenly my attention went elsewhere as I felt a hand slide into my own, my head turning to face Ominis who had his head turned toward me already. "What is it? Am I too boring to listen to?"

He smiled, shaking his head. "Never, darling. You're absolutely stunning, your words paint a picture that I can only hope is right in my own mind. I hold onto every drop of your worlds like it's my own life line."

My face heated. "Such a sweet talker, but I know there is something more. Truly what is it that's bothering you?"

He sighed heavily. "That conversation with Garreth earlier today. Him bringing Sebastian up like that, it bothered me really. I know you may still have feelings for him but I can't very well be well with him after everything he's put you through. I fear so much of his possible return."

I reached up to trace the outline of Ominis' jaw. "I have you, that's all that matters to me at the moment. I am sad about losing Christopher, you would have loved him in place of Sebastian and a part of me wishes that things had turned out differently. But know that Sebastian is in the past as of now, I am wholly committed to this relationship with you."

"Committed to me? I like the sound of that." He breathed as he pushed himself up to where he was now leaning on one of his elbows, arm extended under him as he reached out to caress my own face. I stilled as I felt him map my features, familiarizing himself with every dip and curve that he deemed identifiable. And then he was moving close, lips finding my own as his thumb tugged gently at the corner of my mouth. He was kissing me, cherishing our first real intimate moment as a couple and I found myself leaning into our shared kiss begging for more.