Erised ─ Sebastian Sallow

Prologue

Author's Note:
Hello Sebastian Lovers! I am absolutely head over heels for Sallow, I've wanted to write about him since I started playing HL. There will be a couple of mature themes (language, drinking, sex), so just be aware of your triggers!
Please comment, I love seeing what you guys think and it keeps me motivated to write! Thank you for choosing this fic :)
Much love, J xx

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

DAILY PROPHET: SEPTEMBER 2ND, 1891
S. SALLOW FOUND GUILTY BY DEPARTMENT OF MAGICAL JUSTICE

I stared at the newspaper, blinking in disbelief.

Across from me, Ominis could sense my body tense. "Keep reading," He spoke, pushing the paper closer to me. I quickly scanned the Great Hall, making sure no one was watching as I flipped the page and continued to read.

Yesterday, the Department of Magical Justice announced the verdict in the highly publicized case of S. Sallow, a minor accused of unspecified charges. After a thorough investigation and trial, the jury delivered a verdict of "guilty" on the count of murder. However, in a surprising turn of events, the jury also ruled that Sallow had acted in self-defense, citing the mitigating circumstances of his uncle's abuse.

Due to the sensitive nature of the case and the defendant's age, details of the proceedings remain confidential. However, sources close to the case confirm that the jury took into account the circumstances of Sallow's uncle's manipulation and the defendant's naivety in reaching their decision.

As a result of the self-defense ruling, Sallow will not face punishment for his actions. He will be under close supervision and is expected to return to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry promptly. The Department of Magical Justice has stated that they will continue to monitor Sallow's activities, but no further action is anticipated at this time.

I finished reading and looked up at Ominis in bewilderment. "Do you think he'll return today?" I asked, my voice coming out in a pained croak.

"I'm not sure. This is this morning's paper, I suppose we have the whole day to see."

I could actively feel the anxiety bubble inside of me. I swallowed it down, peering at the image on the front page- it was of Sebastian, looking away from the camera. His mouthed was downturned in a deep frown and his eyes were filled with pain. The sight of him caused a lump to form in my throat.

I met Sebastian and Ominis last year, and they quickly became my closest friends. Sebastian and I bonded instantly, meeting in the common room on my second day and then becoming inseparable ever since. Ominis, on the other hand, took longer to warm up to me, his initial suspicion and wariness slowly giving way to trust. Despite our rocky start, we grew closer, and now more than ever he was my closest friend.

I supported Ominis with his family troubles and I helped Sebastian try to find a cure for his cursed twin sister, Anne. In return, they supported me in my discovery of the Ancient Magic I could wield and helped me kill Ranrok and Rookwood.

One night, everything changed. Sebastian, desperate to save Anne, lost control of a powerful relic, threatening to unleash Inferi on Feldcroft. His uncle, Solomon, attempted to destroy us with Fiendfire and other fatal spells. In a split second, Sebastian defended himself and me, using the killing curse on his uncle. Soon after, Anne showed up, furious at Sebastian and his actions. She Apparated away with their uncle's lifeless body, refusing to even look at Sebastian.

That was the last time any of us saw Anne. A few days later, she was found dead. The curse had won.

When the news of her death reached Ominis and I, neither of us were with Sebastian. We frantically searched to find him, but it was too late: he was nowhere to be found. His things were hastily packed, and we had no idea where he went, or if we would ever see him again. He didn't even leave a note.

The next day, our worst fears were confirmed by the Daily Prophet: Sebastian had surrendered himself to the Ministry. The newspaper headlines that followed were a constant reminder of our powerlessness, as we watched from the sidelines while our friend endured a series of trials. Ominis and I spent the entire summer trying to reach out to him, but our attempts were met with silence. The distance between us felt like a chasm. We were helpless.

And now he would come back to Hogwarts. And I had no idea what to feel.

I looked at the rest of my breakfast, feeling no urge to eat. Ominis's plate was untouched as well.

"Why wouldn't he return to Feldcroft?" I asked, still staring at my plate.

Ominis frowned. "Feldcroft isn't his home anymore, Winifred. Solomon is gone, Anne is gone. He has no one left."

"He has you." I looked at Ominis. Even though they didn't get along sometimes, Sebastian and Ominis were so close they were essentially brothers.

"And he has you as well, Wini."

My heart twinged in guilt. I cared for Sebastian so deeply, but I was scared he didn't realize that. Last year I was so preoccupied with my magic, Ranrok and Rookwood, Poppy and Natty, and the Wizarding World that maybe I hadn't expressed that to him enough. Maybe that's why he didn't respond to our letters.

A silence overcame me and Ominis before I abruptly stood up. "We should go to Defense. There's no point staying here if we won't eat."

He nodded, and we quickly walked out of the Great Hall in a pained silence.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

By the time lunch had come around, the news had spread about Sebastian returning. When Ominis and I walked into the Great Hall, we could hear the whispers of the other students.

"Weren't they best friends with him?"

"He really murdered his uncle?"

"So tragic that his sister died."

"Have you seen him yet?"

I desperately tried to block out the constant whispering about him. I had enough on my mind. Ominis and I had made an agreement that we wouldn't speak about Sebastian until necessary, so I tried to go about lunch as normally as possible.

"Professor Hecat is a bit mad to assign this much homework on the first day of school, don't you think?" Ominis said, pulling out a piece of parchment.

"I do suppose there was a rise of Dark Arts last year," I joked, earning a small smile out of Ominis.

As I pulled out my homework assignment, I realized I left one of my quills in Professor Hecat's classroom. 

"I have to grab a quill from Hecat," I said to Ominis. "Don't be too hard on Dunkein Puffskein while I'm gone."

He gave me a small tssk as I left the table and quickly strutted down the Hall, trying to avoid all of the eyes on me.

As I closed the door behind me, I released a deep breath I hadn't realized I was holding, only before colliding into the person in front of me.

"Oh, I'm sorry-"

"Sorry, love." A familiar voice responded, causing me to look at the boy who I had just bumped into.

Sebastian's brown eyes were staring right into mine.