The Damaged - Sebastian Sallow fanfiction

Chapter 1

Hello Ruth,

I hope you're doing great. I am excited to see you today again.

A. Sallow

Reading the words off of the pale parchment paper, the corners of my lips curled up into a soft smile. I folded the letter and carefully put it in my checkered skirt pocket.

I laced up my brown leather shoes and picked up my tatty old backpack, containing few Wiggenweld potions, knitted sweater and my wand.

With luck I managed to get on the nearest underground train and in matter of few minutes I got off on my stop. Thick-bricked pavements lined the wide streets of London, the weather was gloomy and dreary, and tiny drops of rain kept falling onto my face. Ah, the usual London atmosphere.

Nevertheless, I eventually found myself standing in front of my destination, which was a red-bricked condemned department store. It seemed to be rather plain-looking and a tad deformed. The window displays consisted of a few chipped mannequins with their wigs askew, standing at random. "Purge and Dowse, Ltd" the sign read.

Taking several cautious glances around me, making sure I am not watched, I fixed my gaze on one of the shabby mannequins and spoke under my breath: "I wish to see miss Anne Sallow." The mannequin nodded its head, which meant I was allowed to enter, so I walked through the window and was met with a completely different sight than the one on the outside. The Saint Mungo's hospital.

The sight of the hospital was not anything new for me at this point though. I had been visiting there loads of times the past month. Ever since the start of the summer break I have been exchanging letters with Anne quite frequently, and I have been coming here to visit her as much as I could.

"Ah, miss Deyanira. Hello again. You here to see miss Sallow, I presume?" a lady at the reception counter spoke to me with a polite smile.

"Yes," I replied plainly but politely.

"Well I am sure you know your way by now. Room 5, the fourth floor."

"Yes, thank you."

I followed through the double doors and along the narrow corridor, which was lined with portraits of famous healers and lit by crystal bubbles full of candles, floating in the air up on the ceiling. Healers dressed in lime-green robes were passing by as I was making my way up the stairs to the fourth floor.

When I managed to finally crawl up the last flight of stairs, I had to bend down and take a moment to catch my breath. I panted like my lungs were running empty on air. Oh Merlin, why does it have so many stairs??

After what felt like several minutes, I straightened myself back up and breathed slower and calmer again. As I started making my way towards Anne's room, I heard some talking coming from that direction. And it hadn't been any calm talking to be honest, more like yelling or shouting.

My mind immediately came up with hundreds of scenarios of what could be happening. My palms started to sweat, while my fingers coiled around the handle on my wand and gripped it tightly. I did not mean to impose, but I needed to make sure it's alright, so I rushed towards the door and put my ear to it, listening and observing.

"So you think that was the right thing to do??!"

"No no no, that is not at all what I am saying, Anne. I just wanted to apologize again, I just- I just wated you to know that I really mean it. And I never meant for any of this to happen. I just wanted to..."

What? That male voice sounded so familiar. But- no, no, it can't be him, this voice is a little deeper and more mature, I am sure it's not him... I kept on listening in to the heated conversation behind closed doors, paying close attention.