Aftermath ✧ Sebastian Sallow

chapter forty-four

Sebastian's Perceptive

The sun was just beginning to set as we took the Floo to Feldcroft. Amelia carried Ophelia the cat sweetly in her arms as we began to head towards the center of town. No matter how much time I spent away from the hamlet, nothing ever seemed to change much.

"There's Ominis," Amelia said softly pointing over towards the blind boy leaning waiting against a post. 

He looked even more uncomfortable than normal waiting in the snow. In fact, I wasn't sure why he had been waiting for it all, I'd been to the Gaunt's house plenty of times, and there would be no need to meet us there.

Amelia trotted lightly ahead of me against the melted snow to greet our friend. As I watched them happily exchange greetings. 

Even their joy couldn't shake off the dread that had been washing over me. All I could think about was how mad Ominis was going to be with me. The best I could do was pray that we'd get a potion and get everything resolved before I told him about our accident.

But I also wondered if Amelia would be mad at me if she found out that I stole Ominis' memory. Even if it was for her safety, would she have done the same?

"We should get going before the sun goes down," Ominis said uncomfortably after a moment.

We simply nodded as we followed him across the town. I found myself staring at my feet as I walked in an attempt to avoid the sight of the town and all the memories that it brought back. 

My heart was racing at the idea of staying here for the whole break. It felt wrong to be home without Anne.

Ophelia's soft purrs were the only sound between the three of us as we pushed farther away from the town's center. 

Everyone must have been celebrating the holiday, still quiet in their homes, as there was barely a soul in sight. I was thankful for the emptiness. The idea of seeing an old neighbor and making small talk over the last time I'd be back to Feldcroft had filled me with dread.

"Seb?" Amelia seemed to whisper back to me. I didn't want to look up, I knew we were passing the house and the idea of seeing it empty made me sick. "Sebastian..."

Finally, I looked up. Then right past her to the smoke flowing from the chimney of the house.

My heart sank as I looked towards my old home. The place I assumed to be abandoned and empty. Lights flooded the windows against the darkening sky. 

There was a fire burning and someone inside.

I looked back towards Amelia, whose face shared a similar look of shock. Then Ominis as he looked down at his feet like he was pretending not to notice. But the way he chewed on his lip told me that he knew already. 

This had been the reason he begged me to come. 

The bags that I had been carrying dropped to the ground in a thump before I realized that I was the one that I had let go of them. My heart raced as I walked toward the wooden front door of the house. The smell of a burning fireplace lingered outside the wall. 

It took what felt like an eternity to force myself into opening the door and entering. I couldn't even remember the last time I'd been inside.

"Took you long enough," Anne Sallow greeted me as I opened the door.

My heart stopped beating at the sight of her. She was curled up in a chair close to the fireplace. 

The light of the flames hinted at how gaunt her face had turned since I'd last seen my sister. She had wrapped herself in a blanket despite sitting directly next to the fire, likely just to hide how sick she was getting. The small beam of sweat on her brow confirmed as much.