Aftermath ✧ Sebastian Sallow

chapter sixty-one

More to Me by Balance & Composure

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Ominis' Perceptive

It had been three weeks since Anne Sallow had died. 

Time hadn't healed the wound it left on us yet. Everything still felt fresh. There had been a small service held in her memory, although it felt wrong without her family. No one had heard from Sebastian since he left.

Graduation was days away and we'd all be leaving school. I had expected Sebastian to return before then, but with each growing day, I was beginning to accept that I was wrong. 

Every owl came back with the letters that we attempted to send. His own owl had been abandoned with the rest of his belongings. The home in Feldcroft should no signs of anyone stopping in.

It felt like both Sallow twins died.

Amelia barely left the Ravenclaw tower since the funeral. The night after we buried Anne, I had found her in the Undercroft past curfew. She had torn apart everything looking for the spellbooks trying to figure out where she went wrong and why she hadn't been able to save her. It took an hour to get her to calm down. Since then she has been a prisoner of her own making.

She even stopped attending classes. It had been days seen she came to the Grand Hall for a meal. It was like she was attempting to vanish too. I was thankful that plenty of the Ravenclaw students had been kind enough to help me sneak into the dorms to check on her.

"He's going to come back," I reminded Amelia again as I sat at the edge of her dorm bed. 

She didn't say anything back. Just continued to sulk under the covers of her bed as she waited to rot away. 

"Why don't you come to the Grand Hall and get something to eat with me?" I suggested, "I'm tired of having Natti and Poppy sit with me because they feel bad. Please join me?"

"I'm not hungry," She finally muttered.

"Then just come sit with me?" I asked instead.

Once again I was met with silence. In truth, I understood it. It never gets easier when people ask how you are doing or try to remind you of your loss. Somedays when it felt good just to sit silently and mourn together.

But that day was difficult, it was getting hard to sit by idly and feel like she was vanishing too. I didn't want to lose another friend.

"Samantha told me that you haven't been eating the meals she brings back," I tried to confront her, "You must be hungry."

"I don't want to go to the Grand Hall," Amelia snapped. It was progress, it was something new.

"Why not?" I pushed.

"Because I don't feel well, Ominis," She pouted, "The smell of food makes me sick. Everyone just stares at me, just like they did when Fig died like I'm the new school ghost. And the only thing that I can think about is the two empty chairs at the other table. I don't like it there anymore."

That point I understood. Even I couldn't bring myself to sit at my own house because of the empty seats. When I did go to join others there had been plenty of offers to sit at other tables. Away from the empty chairs.

But regardless of the fair points, I didn't want Amelia rotting in the room anymore. 

Finally, I asked, "What can I do to get you to leave your bed?"