Long Road Ahead // Sebastian Sallow x Reader

26

*knock knock knock*

I open the door to see a boy dressed in hufflepuff robes and a girl dressed in slytherin robes. The boy was taller than me, but no taller than Sebastian. He had a strong build with blonde hair. The girl was shorter than I was. Her hair reached to the middle of her back and was pitch black.

"Hello, I'm (Y/n)." I reach out my hand and the boy takes it. After we shook hands, I then shook hands with the girl.

"I'm Orion, this is my girlfriend Alexandra."

"Professor Howin had only mentioned one of you for the apprenticeship. Will you be joining as well?"

"Well ma'am, I'm a sixth year. I can't accept an apprenticeship position just yet."

"I graduate this fall, but Alexandra will return to her final year in the fall. After she graduates, we were hoping that she could join me here in Feldcroft." I looked between the two and sighed.

"Follow me." I walked past them, closing the door behind me. We walked through the town together as I showed them the smaller pens. "Working with magical beasts has been a mans job in years past. The work can be both rewarding and dirty. Alexandra. If you want to be an apprentice, you will be expected to do any and all jobs that the beasts require. Everything I do, you will be expected to learn how to do and be able to complete. Even during the spring when all the snow melts, the pens become very muddy. Are you willing to work in those conditions? I want to know if that's what you want, or are you just wanting to follow Orion?"

"Yes. I was actually the one who introduced Orion to the study of magical beasts. This was my passion originally, but now it's a love that we both share." I could see her face light up as she spoke and could tell she was being truthful.

"I believe you. Now, let me explain to you how this will work Orion. Alexandra, you will want to listen as well if you are to join us next year." I walked over to where the nifflers and kneazles were housed. "How this will work is you will get a small payment for the weekends you spend here. Once you have graduated, you will move here. We already have a house for you that you can start moving into immediately. Once you are working here full time, I will be paying you adequately so that you can pay for essentials that you need to get started. I will be putting you in full charge of two beasts. The niflers, and the mooncalves. Everyone in town has the most experience with those two as you will come to learn."

"May I ask who else besides you lives here? The town looks almost abandoned."

"Back when Ranrok's army was still many, there was an ambush here. The town was ransacked and the people left. All but three. The Sallows stayed, and so did Rose and Marcus. Marcus is the one who will be your neighbor, Rose lives in this house here. She has a soft spot for the nifflers, so I placed them next to her home. Marcus is is the same case with the mooncalves."

"Sorry I'm late. I was writing." Sebastian jogged over to us and stood next to me. "Hello, I'm-"

"Sebastian Sallow. Everyone knows you." Alexandra stuck out her hand and Sebastian shook it, quickly letting go and shaking Orion's hand.

"I guess we did only graduate last fall, so we aren't old faces at Hogwart's just yet."

"Orion will be my apprentice. Alexandra plans on joining after she graduates the following year."

"Feldcroft welcomes the both of you. Please make yourselves at home and don't be afraid to ask for anything. Rose and Marcus are just as excited to have you here."

"Alright, so as I was saying, you will be in full charge of the nifflers and the mooncalves. You need to start earning trust with all of the beasts here, but you will start with the two most trusting ones. I do have contracts with Ellie Peck in Hogsmeade that when there are offspring ready to be released, she has first pick to take any for the purpose of pets with magical families. Those profits will go to me. As for your extra income. Marcus uses products from the beasts here to make potions. When a beast has trust in you, they actually give you these things. You sell the products to Marcus, and you keep the profits." I walked over to behind my home where the pastures for the larger beasts were located. "As of right now, you do not have permission to visit the larger beasts alone. You will need to be with me or Sebastian if I am not available. The only exception is the thestrals. But absolutely not the hippogriffs. They will kick you."

"Have you ever been kicked ma'am?"

"Please, just call me (Y/n). I have been by a baby. I was in the process of gaining its trust when a thestral flew in and spooked the young one. It caused it to kick me and it hit my shoulder. I had a nasty bruise for weeks." I looked over Alexandra to see Rose was standing in her doorway. I nodded at her and she went back in. "Rose wants you two over for dinner tonight. She is ready now for you. We will get to work in the morning, is that alright Orion?"

"Yes it is. Alexandra will be returning to Hogwarts tonight after our meal."

"It was lovely meeting you Alexandra. Travel safe." They turned around and went to Rose's. They entered and I turned to Sebastian. "I like them."

"They seem like good kids. That Orion seems to have a good work ethic, so hopefully he proves useful."

"We shall see when morning chores start."