Tempest // Sebastian Sallow

Chapter 81

Rosie first grew suspicious when Sebastian missed their weekly phone call. She tried hard not to think anything of it, he did occasionally miss calling her. Time differences, he blamed.

But he would always call her the next day, or whenever he had a free moment.

That week, he didn't.

So she called him, multiple times. Blew up his phone, in fact. But it rang out every time.

"He's probably busy," Anne brushed off Rosie's concerns when she popped past after finishing work one day, just to see how her sister-in-law was going.

It was likely that Anne was right. She supposed someone working abroad during a conflict as both a Head Curse-Breaker and an Auror wouldn't have much spare time for idle chit chat. Even if it was their spouse who was on the verge of giving birth.

When another week had passed with no contact from Sebastian and she'd hit 39 weeks, she was livid.

Had he forgotten? Had he lost his phone?

But Rosie's worst fear was confirmed when the Daily Prophet arrived on her doorstep.

She discreetly stepped outside and paid 1 knut to the owl, giving it a soft scratch before any of her muggle neighbours spotted her, and carried it inside.

Once she'd managed to get herself into the most comfortable position a heavily pregnant woman could, she quickly scanned the front page.

Mass casualty event in Romania

Tensions in Romania have come to a head with reports of a major conflict, resulting in the death of many Ministry officials including Aurors, Curse-breakers and others. The exact number is unknown, with many unaccounted for.

She felt sick.

Then she ran to the bathroom and threw up.

Sebastian was dead.

She rang everyone she knew involved on that trip. Liam. Lucas. Phil, the guy who she once caught picking his nose during a particularly boring meeting.

Not a single one answered.

But despite her body's reaction to the news, throwing up two more times, she felt mentally numb. Sure, she was crying. But wouldn't one react harder to the news of their spouses likely death?

In the movies she'd seen people drop to their knees, unable to function, screaming, begging, all of that. But Rosie simply threw up, picked up her phone and dialled a bunch of numbers.

Perhaps it was because she subconsciously knew that their baby wanted to make their grand entrance the same day their father had died.

After hours of making phone calls, even to the Daily Prophet, begging to find the source they got the information from, the aching pain she had in her back she'd assumed was from her frantic running around and general need to stay busy got progressively worse and worse.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she reached for her phone again. She had one more person to call. One she hoped hadn't read the newspaper that day.

Because the thought of being alone knowing it was a high possibility Sebastian wasn't coming home was too much to bear. She felt a sob rise in her throat, but she swallowed it down and dialled.

"Anne..." she croaked as she heard the sound of her sister in law answering the call.

"Rosie? What's wrong?" Anne asked, sounding concerned at Rosie's trembling voice.

"I... I think I'm in labour," Rosie managed to squeak out.

"How far apart are your contractions?" Anne said immediately.