Me and the Devil: Sebastian Sallow

Chapter SIXTY - Niffler Hate

"Look, all I'm saying is that Nifflers are terrible creatures."

"How could you ever think that?" I didn't hold back the bit of malice in my tone.

Sebastian had been ranting on ever since we had left the castle after classes, Ominis dragging his feet but adding in his two cents every so often.

"Please don't tell her that story Sebastian. It is regrettably and agreeably, quite sad."

"Uhm. No? He has to justify his reasoning for hating possibly the cutest magical creatures on the planet..."

Ominis crossed his arms. "Alright, well I did warn you."

"Fine." Sebastian sighed and rubbed a thumb over his brows, mussing them up before pushing the hairs back in to place. "It's not that much of a story really... its just- gah how do I even start this?" He kicked at a pebble as we walked and watched it roll ahead, bringing the toe of his boot back to it as we reached its resting spot and continuing the process all over again.

"When Anne and I were young, our parents used to do everything in their power to make Anne and I feel loved equally. We would get the same amount of birthday presents, haircuts on the same day, new clothes and books at the same time... everything. But, there was this one instance where my dad pulled me aside on our birthday and gave me a little black box with a green ribbon."

Sebastian's small smirk at the memory sewed stitches of warmth through my blood.

"He held a finger to his lips and whispered in my ear that this gift was specifically for me. It had belonged to my grandfather and his father before him. At the time, I didn't really comprehend how important it was to the Sallow family line, but I knew it was special. I tore open the little box so quickly that I got three paper cuts on my thumb alone!" He held his finger up laughing as if the little red lines could still be seen if you squinted hard enough. "I remember it was three because I told Anne later that I had gotten them from fighting off three separate Dugbogs all by myself. Of course, she didn't believe me but that's not the point."

Ominis smiled at the ground, arm linked through mine so his wand hand could rest for a bit. We often walked like this as a group and I was grateful for the closeness.

"Anyway, inside was the most beautiful little gold pocket watch I had ever seen. Not that I'd seen many by that age, but I mean, the detailing was impeccable. Little vines were engraved around the entire thing and when you flipped it open it had 'SALLOW' written just behind the little hands on the face. It was attached to a small chain that my father showed me how to loop through my vest button hole." 

His eyes gleamed in the sun and I could see the emotion growing behind them as he talked. His smile faltered as he continued.

"That same night, I set the little pocket watch on top of my favorite book next to my bed and went to sleep. I woke a couple hours later to the sound of rustling and when I opened my eyes..." His jaw tightened. "...this Niffler was sitting proudly on top of my book shoving the little watch into its pouch. The damn thing was too quick for me to catch, though Merlin knows I tried."

He dropped his head to his feet and the little rock he had been kicking was left in our footprints. 

"I'd never seen my father so disappointed before. Though he tried to reassure me multiple times that it wasn't my fault..." His nostrils flared and he wiped at his face. "That's why I hate Nifflers. Haven't been able to like a damn one since." He grinned without cheer, cheeks heavy.

The dirt and leaves crunched below out feet as we walked shoulder to shoulder. Ominis on my right and Sebastian on my left, the heat from their bodies draping my skin in a blanket but even through the warmth, I still shivered as Sebastian's fingers grazed mine. I wasted no time pulling them in to my palm and watched his chest rise and fall twice quickly before his breathing became normal again.