𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐃𝐎𝐖 𝐎𝐅 𝐇𝐄𝐑 || 𝐒𝐞𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰

Chapter Forty-Eight: Home again

Chapter Forty-Eight 

Matty woke up bright and early the next morning in order to get all of her things up and ready for today. Today was the day everyone was returning to their homes for the summer. The house elves graciously made sure to haul everything up to the Hogsmeade station, even after Matty insisted that she could help them. But their insistence that they could do it themselves gave Matty some more time to hang out around the grounds before leaving.

Most of the students spent their day with their best friends, not really caring about anything else besides wanting to be with each other before having to leave. Matty was doing her last checks for everything, making sure it was all in place. The Map Chamber was closed, the Room of Requirement was well hidden, and Professor Fig's office was locked for the last time on the last day of school.

While Matty was walking around outside, she heard footsteps come up behind her before a familiar voice filled her ears. "Mind if I join you?"

It was Sebastian. Matty looked over her shoulder to see him and nodded her head. "Of course," She said, giving him a small smile.

The two began to walk together down the cobbled paths of the school, exiting the flying lawn and out to the path leading to Hogsmeade and to the station. It was hard to believe that it had almost been an entire year since they had met that day in Defense Against the Dark Arts and so much had happened since then.

"It's odd, isn't it?" Matty asked. "How much we've done together this year since we met. I think I've done more this year than I ever have in my entire life."

Sebastian nodded his head. "I don't think anyone thought fifth-year was going to be nearly adventurous as it was. But then a certain girl came stumbling in late to the Sorting Ceremony and got everyone's attention." He said with a slight chuckle. "But it wasn't just us, was it? I heard about your little escapades with Poppy and Natty also."

"Yes, and that's a whole different story in of itself." Matty replied. "I'd definitely say ours was a bit more... How do I put it? Interesting?" She said with a bit of a sarcastic tone.

"It checks out." Sebastian spoke.

Matty's face broke out into a bit of a grin. It was the truth that they both had quite an interesting year with one another.

"Well, I mean, just think about all we did." She said. "We discovered the secret of Isidora's portrait, viewed her memories, and found out things about her that even the Keepers didn't know. And there's still so much we have to learn about her. It was quite interesting to see her side of the story."

Sebastian nodded his head in agreement. "I can't believe I live in the same place as her but barely knew anything about her. But this has definitely made me curious about her life and Feldcroft's history." He said. "Too bad you'll be gone and I won't get to research it with you."

Matty gave a small shrug. "It's not like we can't pick any of this up next year. After all, I'll only be gone for three months."

"Three months can feel like a lifetime without someone, Matty." Sebastian said. If he weren't so anxious about his feelings for her, he would've specified that it felt like a lifetime without her but he wasn't sure if she felt the same.

But in her mind, Matty was thinking the same time. Three months would feel like a lifetime without him but in her own mind, she was doing the same and doubting if he felt the same way about her. Neither of them could come to the conclusion that they both really liked each other because they thought it was "too soon" or that they weren't good enough for the other.

"We'll keep in touch, I promise." She promised him. "I don't think I'll last a summer without at least a few owls from you and the others."

"Trust me, I'll be writing to you a lot. Whether or not I decide to send them." Sebastian thought in his mind as he kept his gaze firm on her. He had a habit of writing his feelings down either in letters or just to let his emotions out but oftentimes, for letters, he never actually sent them and he felt as if he was going to be writing down a lot about Matty or writing to her but never actually telling her how he felt.