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Someone was knocking at the door, which was both surprising and worrying, because it was the middle of the night.
Sebastian turned in his bed, praying silently that Uncle Solomon would open the door quickly and that whoever was at the door wouldn’t wake Anne up - his sister had had a string of bad days, the pain of her curse assailing her without mercy, coming stronger and stronger. He had stayed with her through it all, holding her hand, wiping her brow with a soft wet cloth and making her cups of tea. The pain was finally gone, and she needed to rest now.
Finally, he saw a sliver of light and heard his uncle open the door. He conversed for a few minutes with the person there in hushed, urgent tones before stepping out and closing the door, muffling the sound of his conversation and extinguishing the light of his wand. Now this sounded interesting.
Sebastian slowly got up and crept towards the window. He opened it quietly, hoping that the rusted hinges of the old pane wouldn’t creak, and leaned towards the place where he could just make out the outline of his uncle’s form.
« Kidnapped… hide them… safe here… Ministry… Diplomatic Incident… »
Solomon’s answer was a low grumble. The man opposite him answered and the two kept arguing back and forth for a while, before finally stopping.
« Fine, » he heard his uncle say, « bring them here tomorrow afternoon. »
The stranger thanked him and Apparated. Sebastian hid in the shadows and waited as his uncle turned and entered the cottage. The older man closed the door behind him and used a spell to secure it - not a simple Colloportus, because it glowed a soft blue before disappearing - before taking a few steps into their main room. He stopped and looked towards Sebastian, still hiding in the shadows.
« You are too old to play spies. » He spoke quietly and sighed before continuing, « Go back to bed, I will tell you in the morning. »
Because Anne was resting and he didn’t want to wake her by fighting with his uncle, Sebastian nodded and went back to bed, even though it was some time before he could go to sleep.
——
Morning dawned, bright and slightly dewy. Sebastian came to in a haze, unable to shake the last remnants of his dream - pretty eyes looking up at him, a mouth pulled by a grin and a soft voice saying things that he couldn’t quite remember - and abruptly remembered that he had to talk to his uncle. He groaned and went to get ready.
Feldcroft hadn’t changed much since his fifth year, even though he had, he mused. During that year, his friends had single-handedly stopped his descent into the Dark Arts : Ominis and the new student had sat him down after the Scriptorium incident and they had a long, emotionally charged talk. They had told him how worried they were, and how guilty they felt for not intervening before and for not protecting him.
It was seeing his new friends’ tears that had convinced him, though, and he’d always remember the sound of her voice and the crack in her words when she’d said that she would never be able to handle the guilt if anything went wrong.
Then Ominis had intervened and said that he wanted to save Anne, he had to do it the right way and become a Healer.
Of course his friend had been right, he thought, and after finishing Hogwarts and completing further studies, Sebastian had started working at St Mungo’s. He loved it and being able to help so many people every day made him and his family proud. His relationship with his uncle was much more relaxed now and he was able to soothe and alleviate Anne’s pains while still searching a cure for his sister’s curse.
He was currently in Feldcroft for a well-deserved holiday, while Ominis worked at the Ministry of Magic and his special friend was preparing for her new position. She had told him that Professor Weasley had approached her to become the new Professor of Magical Theory at Hogwarts, but that she was hesitating, not knowing if she would be able to fill the void left by Professor Fig’s absence.
He had sat down with her in the sunny living-room of the house that she had bought after Hogwarts, surrounded by the smell of her perfume, and held her hand as he said that he wouldn’t see it as filling a void, but rather as a homage. She had smiled then - a breathtaking smile that caused his heart to miss a beat and whose memory has been inscribed in his brain since because it made the sun shine just a bit brighter - and had kissed his cheek. Two days later, she had told him that she had accepted the post and he had felt pride spark in his chest and wrap around his heart.
« Sebastian! » Anne’s voice rang through the cottage, « Breakfast! »
Torn from his daydream of you, he let the hazy image of a possible future float to the back of his brain and went to take a seat at the table.
— —
About half an hour later, when the tea and coffee had been drunk, the food consumed and the plates cleared and washed, Uncle Solomon sat them down.
« I have news, », he said, « and they are worrying. »
He explained that there had been a resurgence of Ashwinders lately, and that they were apparently looking for something. The Ministry didn’t know what, but the French Minister of Magic had been invited to consult. He had arrived two days ago with his wife and children, had met with various members of the Magic community and had been taken to a safe house for the night.
However, his uncle said frowning, when the Aurors tasked with the family’s protection had come back to next morning to relieve the night team, they had found their comrades’ dead bodies, a lot of blood, spell marks and two terrified children hiding in a closet.
« So last night, an old friend came to the house. As you might have heard, Sebastian, they need a quiet and safe place to hide these children while they look for their parents. They are afraid of sparking an international incident if the news get out, and they have asked me to take the young ones in for a few days. »
Anne gasped and sprung into action : « They can take my bed, » she said, « and I’ll go to the attic see if we still have clothes that could fit them. »
« Wait, » Sebastian interjected, getting up and placing his hands on his sister’s shoulders, « They’ll take my bed because you need the rest. »
As his sister started disagreeing, he looked at her and said : « I’ll get the tent from the attic while you look for clothes. Uncle Solomon, do you mind if I set it up next to the house? »
His uncle answered he didn’t and Anne, convinced, sat down.
« What can you tell us about the children? »
Their uncle sighed: « Not much. They are quite young, not yet ten years old. There is an older girl and a younger boy. And we are going to have a problem, because they don’t speak English. »
That was going to be a problem, Anne thought, because even if the Sallows did understand French (which they did, because her and Sebastian’s parents had loved taking them on holiday to the French countryside or seaside when they were still alive) they hadn’t kept the practice. They could understand it well enough if the person they were speaking to was willing to slow down and repeat themselves, but actually speaking it was a whole other pair of shoes.
On the other side of the table, Sebastian was remembering a conversation he had had in Sixth year with some of his friends. They’d all sat down in the shade under a tree and Imelda Reyes was telling them that her parents were pestering her to take up Italian because « it would be useful for her resumé », before adding that if she had to learn a language, she’d rather learn French because then you would be able to help her.
As they had all turned to you, you had blushed before explaining that your mother had been a governess and that she had taught it to you as well as German and Italian from a young age because she wanted you to be able to find a job someday if you needed it.
After that day, you’d started to meet several days a week with Poppy, Imelda and even sometimes Ominis (« Of course I speak French, don’t you know who I am? ») to practice. He had many memories of meals in the Great Hall being conducted entirely in whatever language you had chosen for the day, to the amazement of your fellow students and some professors. (Sharpe and Weasly had encouraged it, he remembered, and would sometimes stop by your table to participate.)
His uncle’s voice cut through his reverie : « I certainly hope that smile means that you have a solution, boy, because they’ll be here in less than two hours. »
Raising his head with an even bigger smile, he answered : « As a matter of fact, I do. I need to send an owl. »
——
You were in over your head, you thought as you looked at the ever-growing mountain of books, parchment, quills and ink on your desk.
You had received an Owl from Professor Weasley (« Call me Matilda, dear. ») a few days earlier, outlining the academic requirements for your classes at Hogwarts, and you had started preparing for your classes immediately.
You would be teaching years One through Seven, one hour a week for years One and Two, two hours a week for years Three, Four and Five, and three hours a week for the Sixth and Seventh years who had chosen Magical Theory for their N.E.W.T.S. - needless to say, you were swamped, exhausted and in dire need of a break.
You stood, stretching your back, and decided to make yourself a cup of coffee. You took the dirty cup on your desk and made your way to your sun-filled kitchen. You filled a kettle with water and coffee grounds and you were just setting it on the stove when a light tapping on your window panes caught your attention.
You turned and saw Sebastian’s owl on your windowsill, waiting patiently for you to open it and let it inside. You did and it perched itself on the back of a kitchen chair, dropping your letter on the table and clearly waiting either for an answer or for a treat (but probably both). You gave it some owl treats you kept in a kitchen drawer and it flew away as you sat down to open your letter :
« Hey, you.
I hope you are doing great. We have a bit of a situation here in Feldcroft. Would you mind stopping by as soon as you get this?
Thank you and see you soon,
Sebastian »
Now you were worried - why would Sebastian send an owl instead of coming directly to see you? And the tone was far from the one you were used to in his correspondence. Something must have happened, and it must have been serious.
You quickly got up, turning off the stove and closing the window, running out the kitchen to your entryway to put on your boots and a light coat before getting out and locking your door with a spell.
Outside, your neighbor waved at you and started to come over for some light conversation but you quickly passed by him with an apologetic smile, telling him that you had an emergency right now but would be delighted to talk another day before Apparating without waiting for an answer.
— —
« Were we so tiny when you took us in? » Sebastian whispered to his uncle, looking at the two children that had been delivered earlier by three exhausted-looking Aurors.
Said children were now sitting side by side in an armchair, sipping on some hot chocolate that Anne had made them.
They look terrified, Sebastian thought, watching the little girl gripping her little brother’s hand as if she expected them to rip him away from her at any minute. They still didn’t know their names, he realized, and he hoped his friend would be there soon.
« Yes, you were, » his uncle chuckled, « in fact- »
The end of his answer was cut by the sound of someone Apparating, followed by rushed footsteps coming to the front door. They readied themselves, hands on their wands in case of an attack, but relaxed when the door opened to reveal you, looking wildly worried and with your hair coming undone from its bun. You stopped in front of him and he caught your forearms, stilling you and asking you worriedly if you were okay and what the matter was.
« What- what’s the matter? Are you being serious? » you handed him a piece of parchment which he recognized as being his own letter, « This letter is the matter! I thought something had happened and that someone was injured or had died! »
There you stopped, both to take a breath and because you saw the children looking at you from their perch on the armchair, and Sebastian put his hands on your shoulders.
« I’m sorry, Sweetheart (That’s new, you thought as your heart skipped a beat in your chest, both from the contact and from the nickname), I should have been clearer. We’ve been given charge of these little ones for a few days, but they don’t speak English and our French is… rusted, at best. Can you help? »
You sighed and gave his forearms a squeeze before stepping towards the two children. Once you got to them, you knelt down with a soft smile.
— —
Seeing you smile at the little ones made Sebastian’s heart flutter and his mind wandered down a path that it hadn’t walked before. It conjured an image of you, in a similar position, smiling and talking to children that looked strikingly like the both of you - his messy hair and your beautiful eyes, and a dusting of freckles across the bridge of a nose that was a lot like yours.
Suddenly, the little girl’s face scrunched up and sobs broke out as big tears started to roll down her cheeks. Uncle Solomon winced - he had never been comfortable with tears, or with any type of emotion really - and said he was going to make sure the cottage was secure.
As his uncle left, Sebastian watched you hold out your arms and ask the little girl if she wanted a hug. When she nodded, you pulled her in your arms and she wrapped her own little arms around your neck. The boy said something then, and you sat on the armchair next to him, lifting one arm so he could join in the hug. Both children hid their faces in your neck and held on to you as you started humming a song for them.
In a desperate move to preserve his sanity and quiet his brain (She’s so pretty, how did I never see this before, and I love seeing her with children, and I would love to see her with…) he crossed the cottage to the kitchen, where he busied himself by making a fresh pot of tea.
While he was readying the cups, his uncle came back in and stood next to him.
« They seem to have taken to her quite quickly, » he observed.
Sebastian chuckled dryly : « She’s pretty and she smells nice. When you’re near her, you know that she’s safe and that she’ll fight for you if she has to. What’s not to like? »
With that, he added a teaspoon of honey in a cup and left his uncle to set it on the small table next to your armchair.
And how do you know that? Thought Solomon, surprised. At that moment, he resolved to keep an eye on the both of you, to see if the feelings he guessed were simmering under his nephew’s skin were returned. As Sebastian set the cup down and you raised your head, smiling softly at him, he thought that they just might be.
— —
Some time later, when the children had calmed down enough so that the Sallows could introduce themselves, had eaten and were gone to sleep, everyone sat down around the table to discuss the situation.
Uncle Solomon had brought you up to speed and you were now rubbing your nails along your fingers in what Sebastian recognized as an anxious gesture, which he stopped by catching your right hand in his and linking your fingers.
Thankful for the support, you squeezed his hand before taking a deep breath and summing up what you had learned : « The girl’s name is Béatrice and she is eight. The boy’s name is Arnaud and he is five. They are both very confused, and they clearly heard and saw things that they should never have. Béatrice told me that their mother hid them in the closet and used a vanishing spell on the door so that their assailants wouldn’t find them. The little boy didn’t hear or see anything, she made sure of it. »
« She’s a brave little girl, » said Anne, « I don’t think I would have been half as courageous as she was in her situation. »
« I’m sure that’s wrong », you answered as Sebastian protested.
« In any case, » Solomon said, « they are going to stay with us at least for a few days. » He watched as you stifled a yawn before continuing : « Would you very much mind… »
« Of course not, » you answered, not letting him finish his sentence. « Preparing classes or spending time with my favorite people? That’s a non-issue. » You smiled, getting up slowly.
« I’ll be back tomorrow with a few things to help with the little ones’ English. »
Sebastian also got to his feet : « I’ll walk you out. I’m testing out new sleeping quarters tonight. »
After saying your goodbyes to Anne, you found yourself walking outside with Sebastian and used the cover of the night to study his profile : dark eyes that you had grown to know better than your own, dark tousled hair in which you dreamt to bury your hands, a strong nose and a sharp jaw… Your eyes travelled downwards to his lips and you realized that he was talking to you : « -cold? »
Before you could answer anything beyond a surprised sound, he was divesting himself of his coat and settling it over your shoulders, closing the first button so that it wouldn’t fall off.
« There, » he whispered, looking into your eyes and smiling, « I can’t have you catching a cold now, can I? »
You had reached the fence that stood around Solomon’s cottage now and were facing each other. Before you could change your mind, you leant in, kissed Sebastian’s cheek, whispered a « Goodnight, Bash » and Apparated without waiting for his answer.
On his life, he would not have been able to say how long he stood there after you left before finally shaking himself out of his stupor and entering his tent.
— —
It was quarter to ten and you still weren’t there, which was worrying to Sebastian. The children were up and had had breakfast as well as a wash and Anne was entertaining them while Sebastian paced up and down the living room. Finally, Uncle Solomon grumbled : « For Merlin’s sake, Sebastian, sit down! I’m sure she had something to do and she’ll be there soon. »
Then, under his breath, he added : « And you’re not even standing at the altar yet… »
« Mmh? » Sebastian said before the sound of the door opening stopped him and you walked in, cheeks flushed and smiling.
« Good morning everyone! », you called out, setting a pack that was on your shoulder on the kitchen table. Then you turned, putting your hands on your waist, assessing the faces in front of you and stopping on Sebastian’s face.
« Oh dear, » you said nervously, « what happened? » (You shouldn’t have kissed him yesterday, your brain provided, now he’s angry with you and he’s going to ask you to leave.)
« Sebastian was worried because he thought you’d get there earlier », supplied Uncle Solomon, watching the two of you intently (They’re acting strange, he thought, watching you fiddling nervously with your hands and Sebastian rubbing the back of his neck embarrassedly).
« I stopped at Poppy’s early this morning and we worked on these, » you answered, taking your pack and extracting five little booklets from its depths. You gave one to Solomon, one to Sebastian and one to Anne, and they flipped through them, seeing little drawings accompanied with words in English and French.
« It’s an emergency dictionary! I had to tell her a small lie about one of my cousin wanting to practice to get her to draw those because I absolutely cannot draw to save my life, but I hope to be able to tell her the truth once this is done. », you babbled, embarrassed, until Anne looked at you with wide eyes and exclaimed that it was a great idea and that it would be very useful.
« You are already thinking like a teacher, » Solomon teased gently, smiling.
Sebastian stayed quiet, his fingers tracing the lines of your handwriting and how the ink had curled on the « S » of his name.
« The children’s are a little bit different, » you showed them and they saw that they had drawings but no words, just blank spaces. « If that’s okay with you, I’ll work with them for a little while before we take a break outside, » you told Solomon.
He agreed and you went to call the children, sitting with them at the table while Anne went to take a short nap (she would never tell Sebastian but she did feel a little tired with all this commotion).
Solomon went to tend his garden and Sebastien feigned opening a book that he knew he would not read, not when you were there and so much more fascinating than any story he might read at that moment.
You were facing him, seated between Béatrice and Arnaud, holding a quill and ready to write for the little boy while his sister had her own in her hand and was looking at you. You looked… breathtaking, he realized, and completely in your element as you softly corrected the little girl’s pronunciation of the word « name ».
You spent some time on basic introduction sentences and were soon able to send Béatrice over to him so that she could introduce herself in English. He thought that the way you obviously were hanging on the little girl’s every word, nodding encouragements and giving her gentle smiles was absolutely adorable.
With Arnaud, you worked instead on numbers and you were counting to ten together, making his little fingers dance with yours. When Béatrice had finished introducing herself to him (he had bowed and enthusiastically clapped at her, earning a screech of delight from the girl and a heart-stopping grin from you), she sat at her place beside you and decided that she wanted to learn how numbers were written.
And back to counting you went, quietly correcting and encouraging the little girl until-
« Alright, this one is eight. Now, there’s a little trick to remember how it is spelled, ready? Eight goes to the market, so it ends in G, H, T. »
And once again, Sebastian had to get up and distract himself, because his brain wouldn’t let go of the thought that he loved seeing you with children and that maybe, some day, soon, the children would be his.
Luckily for him, you decided at that moment that it was time to take a break and let the little ones run outside while you were tidying up the table and grabbing a book.
Finally, you turned and and asked him : « Are you coming with us? » - which, of course he was, obviously, so he took your hand and outside you went.
— —
The sun was shining and everyone was there. You were sitting in the grass, a child on each side of you, sometimes reading them stories from the book on your lap, sometimes talking with them, sometimes even just listening to their conversation.
He felt Anne sidling next to him but he couldn’t tear his eyes away from you.
« You know », she whispered, « if you want it to, this could be your life in a little more than a year. »
« Pardon? » he asked, because he really did not see that coming.
« Well, don’t take it wrong, but I’ve never seen you look at anyone this way. You’re both adults and you have enough funds to start a life together, if that’s what you want. » There, she stopped and smiled before adding, « I like her very much, and so does Uncle Solomon ».
Following his sister’s gaze, Sebastian turned to look at his uncle who was sitting on a bench reading some newspaper. Every so often, he remarked, Uncle Solomon would look up at you and the children sitting in the grass and it seemed like he would sometimes fight to keep a tiny smile from gracing his face, especially when you said something to little Béatrice and she exclaimed « No! » with wide eyes. You nodded, smiling, and he felt his heart leap in his chest. Could he really…?
« Anyways, » Anne softly interrupted his train of thoughts, « I have mother’s engagement ring. If you want it for her, it’s yours. »
There, Sebastian turned to her in shock : « I possibly couldn’t - Anne - it’s yours. It was mom’s, and it’s yours now. You should have something of hers. »
But his sister shook her head and smiled : « Nope, not your choice ! If she is to be my sister, I’d like her to know that I want her in my life as much as you do. »
Sebastian deflated, the sudden tension fleeing his shoulders as acceptance came over him. Finally, he whispered « I’ll think about it. »
At that moment, a pair of arms wrapped around his legs, making him wobble slightly. He looked down at little Arnaud, who smiled at him, pointed at the sheep in the nearby field and held his arms up. Sighing, he picked the child up, setting him on his hip, and made his way over to the pasture. Anne looked at him for a moment and then looked back at you, observing the way you were admiring her brother before finally catching your eye. There, she raised an eyebrow and nodded towards Sebastian, before snickering as you mouthed « Absolutely not! » and making her way to the cottage. She had a letter to write to a man about his two best friends.
« Do you think he knows ? » Uncle Solomon asked her as she passed by him and she turned to look back at her brother.
While she had been walking, you had taken Béatrice’s hand and led her to the apple tree that stood next to the sheeps’ enclosure, where Sebastian was holding little Arnaud up so that he could grab an apple. You had come up behind him and, as they watched, laid a hand gently between his shoulder blades. He was currently telling you something that they couldn’t hear but they heard your answering peal of laughter and saw Sebastian’s delighted smile.
« Well, if he didn’t, I’ve put that thought in his head. But honestly, I think he did, just not consciously. He’s never shown interest in anyone else, and she’s the only one that makes him smile like that. »
Solomon inclined his head, nostalgic : « Your father used to look like that at your mother, too. »
Anne looked a him, surprised, and her uncle shrugged : « He’s a lot like your father. I don’t talk about them but that doesn’t mean I don’t think about them, and I know they would be terribly proud of the both of you. »
She didn’t know what to answer, so she settled for a smile and went inside to write her letter.
— —
All in all, it had been a very good day, Sebastian reflected much later.
Once the children had tired of the apples and of the sheep, they had declared themselves hungry so you had gone inside to partake in the great meal that Anne and Solomon had cooked. Then, while the children (and Anne) had gone to lay down for a nap and Uncle Solomon had gone outside to check on his garden, he had some time to talk with you about his job, your new job (« It’s going to be a right mess, but don’t tell anyone », you had confided and he had delighted in taking some time to hear your fears and support you through them. He thought that it was a good sign that you wouldn’t hesitate to confide in him about matters that you would have kept from anyone else.)
At some point, you had gotten up and made him a cup of coffee, and he was surprised and thrilled to realize that you had made it exactly the way he liked it - with a dash of milk and a teaspoon of sugar. You had hidden a lovely blush when he had kissed you on the cheek, telling you that you were the only one beside Anne who could make it to his taste.
« I watched you prepare it every morning for three years while we were in Hogwarts, » you defended yourself, « it’s really not that complicated! »
The memory of your smile at that moment sent some warmth to his heart and gave him a reason to hope, thinking back to Anne’s words earlier. He had gone to her just before going to bed, and she had given him their mother’s ring. He took the box from his nightstand now and opened it, looking at the piece of jewelry.
Sebastian wasn’t a man much given to introspection. He had always liked action more than reflection, but that night while everyone slept and he could not, he had not choice but to think.
To think about you, more precisely.
He had never realized how truly important you were to him but, at that moment, all he could think and breathe was you. You were in the intervals of his heartbeats, and tucked under his breastbone. You were the most important person in his world, because you were his person.
Suddenly, it didn’t matter that he hadn’t known before, he needed to tell you as much as he needed to breathe, but he knew that would have to wait at least until morning.
Sleep took him by surprise, but he succumbed to it with a smile on his face and the ring in his hand.
— —
The next day, an owl arrived as they were finishing breakfast. The short message in your rushed script read « Have to meet Professor Weasley in Hogwarts today. Am alive but will be late. »
All of the anticipation that had been building up inside Sebastian since he had gotten up fizzled out and he had to keep himself from screaming in frustration. He apprized his family of the contents of your letter and, sensing his turmoil, his sister brought up the idea of spending the day by the shore with the children. You could join them there as soon as you arrived, Solomon added to cut Sebastian’s hesitations short.
But the day went on with no news of you. Even Solomon received news of his own : one of his Auror friends came to the cottage to tell him that they had received indications of the French Minister of Magic’s location and that an operation would be proceeding tonight in hopes to free his and his wife from their captors. They’ve worked well and quickly, Sebastian thought, and he took a moment to cross his fingers in hopes that everything would work out fine.
Finally, you appeared just as the afternoon concluded, walking down the beach to him as if you had been summoned from a dream and sitting down on the rapidly cooling sand next to him. For a while, neither of you said anything, until you sighed and laid down on the sand, looking up at him:
« I didn’t think I still had so many things to learn about Hogwarts. »
Sebastian turned and looked at you : « How so? »
You chuckled : « I had to take a tour of some of the places we never were allowed in when we were students. Did you ever wonder why you seldom saw the teachers coming and going to classes? Well, the answer is secret passages. Also, the teachers have a break room that is to die for, with a private library. »
« All in all a good day, then? » He asked.
« You could say that. I’ve seen my classroom and Matilda has gone over some academic requirements from the Ministry with me. Apparently they change every few years and I will have to keep an eye out for them. »
« My poor, poor Sweetheart, » he laughed before extending his hand to brush your cheek. You closed your eyes and leaned into his touch, making his heart flutter with hope. Now, he thought, I have to ask her now.
He opened his mouth, but before he could say anything Arnaud and Béatrice ran in, having finally spotted you, and the moment was lost.
——
That night, Sebastian took a deep breath and, after the children had been sent to bed, asked you if you’d like to take a stroll with him. As you smiled and agreed, he opened the door and stepped aside to let you pass - with a glance over his shoulder, he saw Anne giving him a thumbs up and rolled his eyes.
Once you both were outside, he offered you his arm (That’s strange, you thought, he’s never done that before.) and you went on your way up the hill, talking quietly about your day.
Once you’d arrived at the top of the hill, he turned to face you as you stopped, hesitating slightly before speaking : « I’ve been thinking about the future. »
You smiled even though you felt anxiety suddenly course through your body, making your heart speed up and your thoughts scramble and bounce around your head : oh Merlin he’s met someone and he’s going to ask her to marry him and he’s going to tell me that he is giving me some notice because I’m his friend and he wants me to come to the wedding and she’ll probably have his children and I won’t see him anymore but he will be happy and he deserves it and-
« Hey are you okay? », Sebastian said, looking a tad worried and leaning slightly forward to look at you in the eyes, « You’ve just gone very pale. »
You forced a smile and turned your head : « No, don’t worry, I’m fine. »
Then, because apparently you liked pain, you went on : « Have you met someone? »
He put a hand on your shoulder as he answered : « Well, yes. Or no, not recently, it’s complicated. »
You raised an eyebrow at him : « Yes, it must be, if you don’t know if you met her recently or not. »
Sebastian sighed and wracked a hand through his hair : « What I was trying to say is… » An explosion followed by screams cut him short. You both turned and looked at the village below.
« Oh no. They’re here and they’re going for the kids. » You looked at each other and took off at a run.
___
Feldcroft was on fire. Sebastian stopped and looked around him, trying to locate Anne or his Uncle. You didn’t stop, passing by him and preparing yourself for the fight. You quickly ran through the mental list of the things you might need - Wiggenweld Potion, wand, dagger - before charging at the first enemy you saw, making your way to the Sallow cottage. The man in front of you flashed you a dirty grin and pointed his wand at you. You stepped aside, dodging his spell, and cast one of yours - which did hit its intended target, sending the man flying against a tree before hitting the ground and staying there.
You saw a burst of light on your left and were preparing to be hit when an arm wrapped around your waist and lifted you out of the way, casting a very strong « Protego ».
Sebastian grinned at you « I’ve got your back, Sweetheart. Go get the kids. »
Even as your heart did a little flip in your chest, you kissed his cheek and kept going, knowing that he was protecting you and that you would be okay.
As you burst into the Sallows’ cottage, you saw two things : Anne standing in front of Béatrice and Arnaud, a scowl on her face and her hands empty, and a man advancing towards her, extending his hand to shove her away.
You couldn’t use your wand - they were all too close, you would hurt someone - so you did the first thing that came to your mind and grabbed a chair, hitting the man on the head with it once, twice and then a third time to make sure that he would stay down.
Then you got to Anne and, without thinking, handed her your own wand : « I’m glad you’re okay. Take my wand and stay here, I’ll clear a path out for you and the kids. When I say so, grab them and run - don’t look back, don’t come back, stay hidden and don’t stop. Can you do that ?»
Anne nodded and grabbed Arnaud’s hand without a word while Béatrice held on to her skirt. You kneeled to talk to them : « You are being very brave. Stay with Anne and stay together. She will keep you safe and so will we. »
(I’m going to Hell because of this kind of promises, you thought.)
You turned and went to the back window, quietly opening it. The sounds of the ongoing battle reached you and anxiety churned in your stomach as you thought about Sebastian. Please be okay. You went out of the window, tip-toeing behind an Ashwinder that was standing guard.
Releasing your dagger from its sheath, you grabbed his neck and sliced his throat in the same move, covering his mouth so that he couldn’t make a sound and dragging his body behind a nearby crate. Then you checked that the way was clear - it was - and you signaled to Anne, who hoisted first Arnaud, then Béatrice out of the window before following them herself. Quickly, you led them to the edge of the village, checking to and fro to see if you could see anyone or if someone had seen you, ready to defend them if you had to.
But you didn’t have to, and soon you were watching them disappear in the Highlands, away from you but towards safety. You breathed out, rolling your shoulders and turned again towards Feldcroft.
The first person you saw was not the Sallow that you expected. Solomon was fighting two Ashwinders at the same time and doing brilliantly - he even had time to look you way when you passed by him before telling you (or more like screaming at you) that Sebastian was towards the center of the village, helping people get to safety. Nodding your thanks at him, you charged on, dodging here a fist and there a curse.
One woman dared to come at you with a sword, but you were quicker and had more stamina, having just joined the fight. Soon enough, she was on the ground unconscious and you had acquired a very sharp-looking sword that you were just dying to use.
You kept trudging on, looking for a sign, any sign of Sebastian in the mayhem around you until finally, finally you spotted him, fighting alongside one of the village’s citizens. What you also spotted was the man making his way over to him, the tip of his wand already lighting up with a curse that was aimed at Sebastian’s back, and you felt your heart stop in your chest, several thoughts flashing in your brain all at once - no, I can’t lose him, I can’t let him die, do something, I love him.
In your head, the spell landed on his back, the light in his eyes extinguished, the mischievous spark that you adored gone forever and your heart rebelled against it. With no time to think, you ran over to him and did the first thing that came through your mind - which was throwing your sword.
Sebastian’s eyes widened as he watched the object fly past him and came back to you as he head the telltale sound of it finding its target and of a body falling to the ground.
He caught you by the waist : « Nice shot, but I feel that I must inform you that swords are very much not throwing weapons, Sweetheart. »
You smiled at him and raised an eyebrow, pushing the realization that you just had at the back of your brain for now, to be puzzled over later : « It worked, didn’t it? »
There, a few things happened all at once : from the corner of your eye, you saw a green flash aimed at you, and, in front of you Sebastian’s face lost all color as he threw himself against you to push you to the ground.
The spell whizzed over your heads and you didn’t think as you used your weight to roll over Sebastian while calling your Ancient Magic to you. A flash of lightning came down from the sky and blew the witch who had tried to kill you to smithereens.
It was then, of course, that you heard the telltale sounds of multiple Apparitions at the same time : the Aurors had finally arrived, even though they were fifteen minutes late and a Galleon short. The fight seemed to instantly die down, as the Ashwinders that could chose to disappear either by Apparating or by running.
After a heartbeat, you looked down to Sebastian (how long had his hand been on your waist?), until Uncle Solomon skidded down to a stop next to you and said : « I’d get up, if I were you. »
Red-cheeked and embarrassed (somehow, you knew that he wouldn’t let the both of you live it down), you stood, offering Sebastian your hand. He grasped it and also found his feet, before tugging you close.
Then you felt his hands ghost over your cheeks, your shoulders and your arms before settling around your waist. Belatedly, you understood that he was checking you for injuries.
Uncle Solomon rolled his eyes before whispering : « I’d better go talk to them. Don’t worry, » he looked at you, « I didn’t see anything, even though that was a nice throw. »
With a wink at you and a nod to his nephew, he strode away.
When you turned back to Sebastian, he was looking intently at you, and before you could speak, you found yourself wrapped in his arms, his left arm around your waist and his right arm at your back, hand buried in your hair and his cheek on the top of your head.
« I’m fine », you mumbled, hugging him back.
« I know, » he answered with a strange voice, « but you almost weren’t. »
He kept you close to him for a long time, as people walked around you to go back to their homes and assess the damage, as Aurors made their last arrests and took away to bodies and as dawn slowly started to lighten the horizon.
All this time, you waited, listening to his heartbeat and basking in his warmth, your head resting on his shoulder. All this time, he fought with his brain - she’s okay, she’s alive, she’s breathing - the words spinning again and again in his head as a thought that he had kept in the background finally came to the surface and won the race against all the others, and it wouldn’t let him go until he voiced it, and so he did, in the cold damp air of the summer dawn, as the light barely brushed your face.
« Marry me. »
You looked up at him, absolutely not expecting this, you who had silently been preparing you to lose him one way or another. You could barely mutter, in a broken-up voice : « Bash… »
He smiled softly and tilted your chin up with a finger so that he could look at you in the eyes : « If you say no, I’ll not speak of it anymore. I hadn’t realized before now, you know, all the ways that I love you. It’s the way you smell and how I know you’ve been there when I smell your perfume, it’s the way any room you walk into seems to brighten just a little, it’s the way you frown when you don’t agree with what I am saying, it’s the way you laugh when no one is looking, with your nose slightly scrunched up, it’s the way you always have a smile ready for everybody. It’s the way you care, very much, all the time, about the people close to you. It’s the way you know how I take my coffee and my tea, it’s the way you smile when you see me, even if you don’t know it. »
He sighed and the back of his hand brushed your cheek, coming away covered with tears.
« It’s also the way I seem to always be looking for you when I get somewhere, it’s the way I’d do anything to keep you safe. It’s the way I want you to be proud of me, and would do anything to make you so. It’s the way I cannot stand to see you cry and it’s the way I’d do anything to make you laugh. It’s the way I am ready to promise that I’ll do everything to make you happy. So please, please (there tried to take a step away from you, but you tightened you hold on him without a word, looking in his eyes and smiling encouragingly when you felt him falter and start to hesitate) marry me. »
There you had to blink away your tears, and he must have read your answer in your eyes, because you had barely enough time to let out a « yes » before he picked you up in his arms and kissed you.
A cheer went up nearby, and as he put you down you both blushed furiously, because you had apparently become the focal point of the people of Feldcroft and of the few Aurors who were still there and who had become the witnesses of your happiness.
You ducked your head and Sebastian laughed, taking a hold of your hand before jokingly bowing to your unintended public.
As he straightened up, he looked at you : « Ready to go? ». At your responding nod, he tucked your hand in the crook of his elbow and took you back to his Uncle’s cottage.
— —
Before entering the cottage, Sebastian stopped : « Wait, » he said, « I have something for you. »
Then he reached into the inside pocket of his coat and took out a small jewelry box. He opened it and extracted its contents : a beautiful ring with a blue-green stone surrounded by small diamonds.
Your delighted gasp made him smile : « I’m happy that you like it. It was my mother’s and Anne gave it to me so that I could give it to you. She said she wanted you to have it. »
He slipped the ring on your finger then, and you both watched as it glinted and caught the early sun’s light.
« Sneaky girl, » you whispered, your voice cracking at the realization, « she knew all along. »
« I think everyone but us knew, Sweetheart. » There, he wrapped his arms around you and kissed your forehead. « Are you ready to face the lions? » he added teasingly.
« With you, I’d be ready for anything, » you answered, and you both took the steps that would bring you back to your family and into your future.