Me and the Devil: Sebastian Sallow

Chapter THIRTY SIX - Trio

Anne rose quickly as we entered but was still delicately touching her stomach.

"I'm sorry about earlier. Those bouts of pain are difficult to bear." She laughed sheepishly. Ominis placed his hands onto Anne's shoulders, easing her back down into the chair, she reached her left hand up to hold his.

"Are you alright Anne?" I stood near her right and she looked up at me with Sebastian's deep brown eyes. "I didn't mean to intrude..."

"You didn't! Truly! I'm alright really. The pain from this curse comes in waves and often suddenly." She turned her nose to Sebastian who had sat in the chair across the table, reaching a hand out to his. "It's not anyone's fault."

She smiled up over her shoulder at Ominis and then back at me, a bit of a grin teasing her lips.  "And I hardly want this visit to be spent with you lot looking so solemn. Please," She gestured to the other chairs and pulled Ominis into one, I sank into the other. "tell me everything! I want to hear more about the school, more about those gullible first years, what trouble my brother has gotten into..." She smiled at Sebastian and a bit of light glinted back into his eyes.

"Don't even get me started on the fireworks..." Ominis hummed and Anne tilted her head curiously, squinting at Sebastian. "I don't recall reading about fireworks in your letters." Her eyebrow raised and stifling a grin.

"Ominis I hope you know I'm glaring at you right now."

"Oh I know."

"It was an accident really but... we may have...blown up the back of the fireworks shop in Hogsmeade..." I cringed at the words.

Anne's smile grew. "You were there too?" She leaned back in the chair and made a show of bringing her arms to cross in front of her body. "Oh I like this one."

"Me too." Sebastian's eyes glinted.

We all sat around the table, talking and laughing for hours. Sebastian pulled out two chocolate frogs from his book bag and snuck them under the table to Anne like some sort of drug exchange. She giggled and tucked them into some deep pockets in her skirt.

Seeing the three of them together was like watching a part of their hearts snapping back into place. They truly were the ultimate trio.

I had never seen Ominis smile so wide before, his cheeks practically pink from laughter.

Sebastian too watched his sister with a look I hadn't seen before. His smile wide but eyes soft, watching her as if, should he look away for too long, Anne might completely disappear. Even while she was talking to me, his eyes would follow our smiles. Two parts of his world finally in one place.

A thought tapped at the back of my mind, gently reminding me that Sebastian and I had wanted to explore Feldcroft a little closer, to look into why it might be mentioned in my book, but I couldn't bear to break up the limited time we had here already. We would have to come back another day.

This was too important.

The giggles and teasing continued on until Anne mentioned needing to move a few things in her corner of the house but not having the strength to do it. Sebastian and Ominis were all to eager to lend a hand, darting off behind the curtain to see what they could do.

Anne leaned in towards me, her voice a whisper. "I've already had Uncle Solomon move that bookshelf for me, but it'll keep them busy."

I giggled but was suddenly worried why she might want me alone.

She placed her hand over mine as if sensing my sudden frantic mind. She and her brother were alike in a lot more ways than I realized.

Sebastian peaked around the curtain then, only to smile and drop his eyes, tucking his body back behind to talk to Ominis and give us some space.

"You better stop your heart from racing so fast or you'll keel over before I do."

My eyes widened. "Anne!"

She playfully slapped my hand. "Oh please don't be as high strung about those jokes as the boys are. Allow a sick girl just a pinch morbid humor would you?" She winked and for the third time today I was reminded just how similar the siblings were.

She was incredibly kind, had an instinctual sense for the emotions of those around her, a mischievous heart and was just as quick quipped as her twin.

The corners of my lips turned upward. "I'm glad I was able to come with Sebastian and Ominis today. I really do hope you don't mind I tagged along."

"Are you kidding? Having another girl around has been one of the most refreshing things all month. Not to mention I've been wondering what this girl my brother won't shut up about is like."

"Me?"

"Well I should hope he doesn't have more than one 'pretty Gryffindor' friend." She elbowed my arm and smiled wildly.

I blushed. "He's being nice. We're just good friends."

"He may not be a Ravenclaw, but I know he's not that foolish. I see the way he looks at you."

I glanced over to the curtain he and Ominis had disappeared behind but there was no sign of either boy.

She tapped my hand again to bring my attention back to her. "I'm glad he has someone like you. Ominis too." She shook her head to clear the heavy air that was starting to settle. "Merlin knows they need a strong lady to keep them in check."

"And you? How do you fare here with your Uncle around. He seems rather... stern."

"Uncle Solomon is just... frustrated by what happened to me- and Sebastian for thinking he can fix it. They both mean well. I know they do... but my uncle is right. This curse cannot be undone. -I can feel it."

I watched her eyes closely, gauging my next words carefully. "I don't think you should be so quick to dismiss a possible cure."

She sniffed out a silent laugh. "I take it back, you might be spending too much time with my brother."

I attempted a smile but she could see the serious tone draped over my features. "I was cursed a couple of years ago Atley, if there was to be any progress made, I should think it would have already happened."

"Perhaps, or perhaps he's just been looking in the wrong places."

Her eyes darkened. "I don't want to cause him so much pain."

"You don't. He-"

"I know that's not true." She paused, eyed the curtain and lowered her voice. "Sebastian wrote to me after his turn in Defence Against the Dark Arts... said that his boggart turned into a 'Honeydukes without chocolate frogs'. He's always been a terrible liar but this one might be the worst." She sighed. "He never lies to me. So I know it was bad."

Her deep brown eyes were searching mine. "What did he see Atley?"

I could feel my muscles tighten and my body grow rigid.

I can't tell her the truth. It would crush her to know.

My brain flicked over every little word I'd ever learned, frantically cycling through any number of possible fears that would be far less painful than the truth but far more believable than Sebastian's lie.

"Your parents." The words slid down my tongue. "He saw their headstones."

She nodded but eyes continued to dart over mine, weighing my answer.

"What are you girls talking about over here?" Sebastian tapped over to us, Ominis at his heals.

"Boys." Anne chirped happily.

Sebastian's face scrunched and he looked to me quickly before turning his eyes back to Anne. "Gross."

"Don't be so harsh Sebastian. Boys are not all terrible." Ominis grumbled.

"Well none of them are good enough for our girls so... yuck."

Anne playfully shoved at his shoulder and he messed up her hair and bun.