DELGADO || Sebastian Sallow (Hogwarts Legacy)

Part 97 - Safety And Falling

ꕀꕥ〡~𐀔~〡ꕥꕀ

❝I won't let you fall, Sebastian,❞

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Sebastian stood across from us, his mouth shut and his eyes weary. He turned his back to us and remained silent. Marvolo asked again, "Are you joining us or choosing your own fate, Sallow?"

I hoped he would come to his senses and choose the right thing. He could join us like we suggested. We could find him a cure, a remedy, something that would help him. Sebastian carried ancient magic like I did, and I could teach him to use it for good, not the way Mr. Gaunt taught him.

"Sebastian," I called, stepping toward him.

"Angella, don't go near him!" Marvolo warned, snatching for my hand.

I pulled back and hissed, "Let me go."

"Sebastian, please... come with us," I tried again.

"This is why keeping our distance was so important," he muttered to himself.

His body stood still. I only saw the rise and fall of his shoulders. He was fighting his own war, I could see it in the way his fists tightened.

"Sebastian?" I touched his shoulder.

"I told you to stay away from me. I warned you so many times. You kept pulling me back." His voice was low, raw.

"Sebastián, por favor mírame. (Sebastian, please look at me.)"

He turned so fast his hand locked around my throat, without tightening it.

"¡Te dije que te mantuvieras alejado! (I told you to stay away!)" His voice laced with something dark and unspoken.

"Take your hand—"

"Marvolo, let me handle this!" I stopped him before he could finish.

"¿Qué vas a hacer, Sebastián? (What are you going to do, Sebastian?)" My eyes burned with the same intensity. "¿Matarme? (Kill me?)" His grip tightened a little, but he did not press further.

"Eres tan agotadora, Angelina. (You are so exhausting, Angelina,)" he sighed. "Why couldn't you let me go? It's so hard for me to hate you."

"Entonces no me odies. (Then don't hate me.)" i said.

He shook his head slow. "Believe me, I tried."

His other hand ran through his hair. "Do you even know how hard it is to breathe when I'm not near you? I can't keep doing this. It's suffocating me. The magic is overwhelming."

"Then let me help you." I rested my hand on his.

"You can't."

"I can."

And then he whispered, "Estoy aterrorizado. (I'm terrified.)"

My other hand moved over his to make him release his grip on my throat. "Sé que tú lo eres, pero yo también (I know you are, but so am i)" His hand pulled back.

"I can show you how to use your magic in a good way," I promised. "We can get through it together, like we always do." My face softened when I saw the crack in his eyes.

"Please, don't let me fall again," he said, staring at the ground.

"Trust me. I won't."

I lifted my wand and aimed it. "Descendo," I whispered. Sebastian's body floated for a breath, then crashed to the ground. He lost consciousness and I knelt beside him. Pushing a few strands of hair from his face, I said, "I'm sorry, but it's better this way."

I stood and turned to Marvolo. "Let's bring him with us. I have an idea."

We apparated back to the summer estate. Marvolo had one arm around my waist, the other holding Sebastian's limp form as we stepped through the gate. The familiar hum of the estate greeted us, quiet and watchful beneath the evening sky.

Marvolo laid Sebastian's body on one of the guestroom beds.

He looked different now; the tension gone from his brow, the fury eased from his jaw. A man, haunted and lost.

"Where's his wand?" Marvolo asked.

I pulled it from his pocket and handed it to him. "Keep it somewhere safe. He won't need it until he's ready."

Marvolo nodded, then with a flick of his hand, a faint shimmer rippled through the air. The invisible border sealing the room like glass.

"He won't be able to cross it," he said, his tone calm but firm. "And neither will you." His eyes warned me before I could protest.

I stepped closer to the barrier, my fingers brushing the air where it buzzed with magic. "I know," I whispered. "Everything will be fine soon... I can feel it."

Marvolo came up behind me, his hands resting on my shoulders. "I hope so, darling," he murmured, though his voice carried the weight of doubt. "I can save him, Marvolo. I know I can," I said, turning to face him.

"Please, promise me one thing."

"What is it?"

"Promise me that once things escalate... promise me, Angel, that you'll let him go."

I hesitated, my throat tightening, but finally nodded. "I will. I promise."

Turning back toward Sebastian's still, unconscious body, I whispered, "But it won't escalate. I can feel him, Marvolo. Sebastian's still in there. I will save him—I have to."

"I know you will," Marvolo said, his voice low. "You're strong enough for that. But I don't want my wife ruining her life for a boy who isn't worth saving." His tone sharpened, venom threading through each word. "He wouldn't do the same for you, Angel. He brought you back to my father the moment he got the chance."

"It's the magic, Marvolo. It's taking hold of him."

He gave a dismissive hum. "Right..." And turned away, his footsteps echoing down the hall.

I stepped closer to the sealed border. My palm resting on the invisible surface, the faint hum of its magic vibrating beneath my skin. "I won't let you fall, Sebastian," I whispered. "I never do."