In the Shadow of Azkaban

Volume II: XXVI

Sebastian's Point-of-View
Outer Hebrides, Scotland
October 1893

I awoke to my head pounding. The room was dark. I peered around the chamber, and my blurry gaze locked on a figure next to me. My neck contorted to take a better look

I let out an audible gasp at the sight.

Antoinette was laying beside me.

Her body looked delicate scrunched up in a little ball while her hair splayed against the pillows. I had a feeling of longing for her that I couldn't explain. I reached out to touch her, and her body was not just a projection. It was made of substance, but perhaps it was not her. The Ministry might have been testing my loyalty.

What in Merlin's name was happening? I pressed the sides of my fists into my eyelids and returned my vision to the spot where she peacefully slept.

She was gone.

I debated if I should call upon Sharp. He had said to ignore it if it did not interfere with work, so I did just that. I scooted over in the bed and pulled another calming draught vial from the drawer. It was hot against the sides of my throat. Were visual hallucinations worse than auditory?

My feet were sore from yesterday when I swung my legs over the side of the bed. The duvet scrunched around my fingertips as I pressed my hands into the mattress to help me stand. I ambled over to the vanity and sat in front of it.

It was hard to recognize myself most days. I hadn't shaved in awhile, and the stubble encompassing my face proved that. Darkness circled itself around my eyes while my freckles appeared a mahogany hue in this lighting.

My gaze shifted to my right shoulder in the mirror. Antoinette had appeared behind me and was beginning to lean over to pull me into an embrace. Her touch was warm. I felt it. But when I looked away from the mirror at my physical body, her presence was nowhere to be found. I whipped my head back to my reflection when I heard her voice.

"Well, don't you look handsome today, Mr. Sallow." She smiled at me, and her hand grazed my cheek. She pulled me to face her, and I knew she would not be there. I closed my eyes and entertained the delusion. Our lips melded together while her touch began tracing all over me. I groaned at the feeling. But it wasn't real. I pried my eyes open against my own wishes. Antoinette was not there; she would never be.

Why did it have to be her? I could experience visions of Imelda or Iskra all day and encounter no issue. But there was something about her, in particular. I sighed and stood up to prepare for today.

Iskra was already downstairs in the kitchen, cooking as always. She handed me a plate of food, and I accepted it gratefully. The mental trials I was experiencing on my own appeared to be more exhausting than the ones I had been enduring for auror training.

The door burst open, and I found myself staring with my mouth wide open.

"What? No proper welcome for your sister, Sebastian?" Anne's voice felt foreign to my ears since it had been so long since I had seen her.

She was less muscular than before, and her hair seemed gray in this lighting. Her teeth had begun to rot while her skin appeared ashen.

There was nothing else I could say other than, "Anne..."

I stepped away from the counter and walked over to her. "Iskra? Are you seeing this?" I had to make sure another hallucination had not occurred.

"Yes, Sebastian. Your sister is here to visit before the trial, just in case this is your last goodbye." She spoke quietly, probably reminiscing of her own auror experience with Anastasya.

She climbed up the stairs to allot us some privacy. Anne's voice echoed through the cottage, "They gave me a multitude of potions. This is the best I have felt in over two months. I had not realized you joined the Ministry." One of her eyebrows raised at me, and she narrowed her eyes when looking me over.

"Where is Ominis? And the other girl?" She huffed and rolled her eyes when she spoke the word, "girl."

"I assume you mean Antoinette. She and Ominis had their engagement party a couple weeks ago. It had been truly good fun until Milton choked her and cast the Cruciatus Curse at me. Did you see him get sent to Azkaban? Truly insane. I think it will be about another two weeks until they are married." I shrugged my shoulders at the idea.

"I do not care about Milton Gaunt. I care about you, Sebastian Sallow. You let her get away? I held no regard for her, but I knew that she made you very happy. Happier than I had seen you in years." Her tone was like fire, building with each word as kindling.

"I haven't the slightest clue as to what you mean. She had been with Ominis from the start." I shook my head at her as the words automatically flowed through me.

"No, Sebastian. You insulted her and drove her away. How do you not remember...," she paused and gasped so loudly she began coughing. "They Obliviated your memories, didn't they?" Her jaw thrust forward at her own realization. I watched her hands ball up into fists.

"Those two send me to Azkaban and compromise your memories, and they think they can get away with that? Oh, hell no. Sebastian, you have to remember." She hesitated before she told me, "She loved you first, and I bet you she still has her memories." Anne swallowed loudly and waited for me to react, but I was afraid to tell her about the visions I had.