After The Shadows // Sebastian Sallow

Chapter 1

Solomon was dead

"I can't stay here, I need to find Ominis."

"Sebastian." Siren called after him, her words strangled in her throat.

"Please, I'm not myself right now. Let's meet later, at the Undercroft, alright?" Siren watched as Sebastian apparated. Leaving her alone at the tomb. She winced at her burnt hands, clutching them close to her. Her bag, full of wiggenweld potions, had fallen off of her sometime during the fight with Solomon and she had run after Sebastian without thinking. She wasn't going back in there now. She carefully grabbed her wand and the next second she was in her room of requirement. Stumbling from exhaustion she landed sprawled out on the floor, her back against the cool stone.

"Miss Song!" Deeks voice rang and he rushed to her side. "Is Miss Song alright? What can Deek do to help?" Siren carefully pulled herself into a sitting position.

"Hi Deek, thank you, I - I should have a wiggenweld potion brewing down stairs, could you please grab it for me?"

"Of course!" He dashed out of the room to her potion station. He quickly ladled it into a glass bottle and brought it back to her. She devoured it in a second and sighed in relief as the stinging from her hands immediately faded.

"Thank you Deek."

"Is Miss Song alright?" Deek looked at her, worry in his eyes.

"I'm fine Deek." her voice cracked, betraying her desperate attempt to maintain her composure. She felt tears start to trickle down her face. The tears she had been keeping in since that cursed spell had been cast. Without a word, Deek tiptoed closer to her and wrapped his arms around her in a hug. She did the same as she let the tears go. She released him from the hug and he stepped away.

"Thank you Deek. It has just been a very long day." she sighed, pushing herself onto her wobbly legs.

"Would you like Deek to get Professor Weasly?" he offered, but she quickly shook her head.

"No, thank you, I'm fine. I am just going to take care of the beasts for the night, I'll be fine. Deek nodded and made himself busy, understanding she was ready to be alone.

Siren made her way to the newest vivarium that had opened itself when she had brought the Phoenix back. Walking through, she let the air and smell of the earthy mountains consume her thoughts. The Phoenix cried out for her as it landed gracefully at her feet.

⊃🝐 ⠁⭒*.✩.*⭒⠁･｡ﾟ . *:｡･✧:*

She had continued on to each vivarium, feeding and brushing each beast. The last Vivarium was the coastal vivarium and she sat now in the sand, letting the niffler dig through the coins in her pockets. She couldn't hold back the giggle that escaped her lips as sea shells started falling out of its pouch with each new coin it shoved in. She gave the niffler a pat, and stood onto her still shaky legs. Taking a deep breath, she made her way up the slope, back into the room of requirement, and out the door into the astronomy tower. It was dark, way past curfew, so no one was in the halls. The Silence of the tower offered an odd mixture of both comfort and dread. Soullessly, she let her feet guide her where her heart didn't want her to go. She made her way down the stairs and over to the nook where the entrance to the Undercroft awaited her. She could hear their voices as she made her way down the stairs, and through the metal gate.

"She is devastated, she just buried your uncle, alone." Ominis's voice reverberated off the stone walls.

"I did it for her."

"Sebastian, Anne can't bear the thought of turning you in, but."

"What? Turn me in? She saw what happened?"