Long Road Ahead // Sebastian Sallow x Reader

30

I fed the thestrals and headed back to my home. Sebastian was sipping a cup of tea and another cup sat across the table from him. I sat down, holding the steaming liquid up to my nose. The steam washed over my face.

"Please, I need to know how you are here. I lost you... I've never felt pain like that before."

I looked down in to my cup and swirled it around. "I died." I looked up to meet Sebastian's eyes. They were glossed over, but I had his full attention.  "I met death, not figuratively, but literally. He thanked me for my work with the thestrals. Now that I think of it, I was going to thank him for the beauty that deaths creatures are." I smiled and looked back down to my cup, taking a deep breath. "He told me that my ancient magic was braided into my soul, but that was all he could speak of my specific. The rest I have to figure out for myself. Death also said that unlike others, I had to die in battle to find my specific, then he gave me this wand." I pulled the wand out of my boots and showed it to Sebastian. He picked it up and admired it, inspecting the core that could be seen through the glass.

"A wand made of glass? It's highly unusual. I've never seen or heard of one. And what is the core? A thestral hair?"

"Death said it was a thread from his cloak. I just don't know how this has anything to do with my specific." 

"Let's try to stick to the same plan as before, let it come to you naturally instead of chasing it."

"I agree. Death made it sound like it would come to me naturally in time. And maybe this wand is the reason I couldn't find it before."

"You should explain all of this to Prefessor Sharp when you have a little time to sneak away from the beasts. He may be able to help."

"I'll probably do that. Do you mind if I go to bed now? I'm exhausted."

"I'll actually join you. It's been a long day."

Two weeks later

I handed the delivery guy the payment for the beast feed and handed him an order form for the beasts that Ellie can take the pick of for the end of the month.

"What day would be best for me to pick up for her"

"If you don't mind, I will deliver this time. I need to make a few stops in Hogsmeade that day anyway."

"If you are sure. I'll get this form back to you next week with the rest of the feed. Sorry I didn't have it all this week."

"That's alright. I always make sure to order extra in case something like this happens anyway." I waved him goodbye and joined Orion who was stacking the heavy sacks of feed. When we finished, we breaked for lunch then got back to work. We were cleaning out all of the small pens today. It's hard work, but you always feel satisfied afterward. 

 I left Orion to finish up with the Kneazles alone so that I could go feed the graphorns. I rounded around my house to get their feed with a few buckets in my hand. I looked up to see that Sebastian was sitting in the middle of the thestral field, His back was sitting comfortably against one of the females. He had his book open and was writing in it. His curly hair was flowing in the wind and he had on a loose white shirt, and long brown pants with skinny stripes of a lighter color going down.

I gathered the graphorn feed and headed down to the field they were in. All three waited patiently for me to pour their food in the trough before snarfing it all down. I smiled at them at pet them before turning back towards the smaller beasts.

Orion was cleaning up the buckets and started spreading new straw for the kneazles. The babies were trying their best to climb up his back, one successfully did and rested on his shoulder. 

I put bucket down by the supply shed and turned to see Sebastian returning from the thestral field. I walked up to him and he held his book out to show me a page. It was a picture of the thestrals in flight with one of the babies.

"Is this what you were doing out there?"

"Yeah, I needed a break from writing."

"How is the book coming? You still haven't told me what it's about."

"It should be finished soon. A year in the making."

"It's been a busy year, hasn't it?"

"I guess you could say that." He smiled down at me. With all of the busyness of the last year, we had both changed. Sebastian's hair had gotten more of a golden tone in it and he even had one last growth spurt. I hadn't physically changed much besides my muscles growing from working constantly with the beasts. Feldcroft had changed since we both moved here as well. Now with five residents and our beast count slowly increasing. Marcus had also taken up a project with Rose to try and restore the rest of the homes for visitors or anyone else wanting to move here.

Rose even expanded our protection barrier further to include more pens for larger beasts, which Sebastian had been slowly building the fencing for on the weekends. We had gotten a couple of inquires from Ellie on some beast breeding programs for endangered beasts.

I went into the cellar to the vivarium to feed the snidgets and Fawkes. Fawkes flew right up to me and rubbed his head against my thigh. I leaned down and pet him before handing him a fresh fish. "We will find you a mate Fawkes, I promise. I'm sorry it's taking so long." He shook his feathers out and chirped at me before taking the fish and flying back to his favorite tree. I fed the snidgets who then fed their babies.

"Love, you'll want to read this now."

I turned to see Sebastian at the door to the vivarium holding an opened letter. I put my bucket down, wiped my hands on my pants and walked over to him. Opening the letter I noticed it was from Professor Sharp.

'URGENT

Please make your way to Bainburgh. Bring what you need for the capture of a large magical beast. NOTICE: Extremely Dangerous.

I will explain when you get here, I am waiting.

Aesop Sharp'

"I guess I better get going then. You want to come?"

"I'll wait for you here. I'll help Orion finish up whatever he has left to do."

"I think it's just the hippogriffs left for the larger beasts. Watch him with that bigger male we have, he likes to play tricks on Orion." Sebastian smiled

"I will, don't worry."

I headed upstairs and grabbed all my capture supplies. I then grabbed my broom and headed for Bainburgh. From what I remember, Bainburgh had been abandoned a long time ago and was a decent walk from nearby settlements, so hopefully whatever i'm flying into hasn't caused anyone harm.