Pining for Evergreen | Sebastian Sallow x MC |

2 - Meals and Memories

As we rode up to the castle laughing and discussing our plans for the year I couldn't help but appreciate how nice it was to have the four of us together. After the events of my first year at Hogwarts, the now tight bond didn't come together easily.

After deciding to take the store of ancient magic into myself, I spent the following summer practicing to control my new abilities. At first I tried to go home, but my new found penchant for sleepwalking and nightmares made things... difficult. Professor Weasley gave me permission to come back to Hogwarts for the summer so the Keepers could help me with my training.

The Keepers were not pleased with my choice to keep the magic, but once I explained my hope that taking it would rid the world of it, they seemed to warm up to the idea. I failed to mention the fact that I also hoped to use the magic to help Anne, but what they didn't know couldn't hurt them.

At first it was chaotic and hard to control. Even the simplest of spells could have hazardous effects if I wasn't careful. There was just so much magic inside of me, and it seemed to jump at any opportunity to burst forth from me. I couldn't afford to let that happen, not again. Merlin only knows what havoc it could wreak if left unchecked by its goblin metal cage or the new cage it found in me.

By the end of the summer I was able to control the magic and my sleeping habits became less disruptive. That is to say, the sleep walking stopped but the nightmares didn't seem to be done with me just yet.

About a week before the start of my sixth year, I went to see Anne at St. Mungo's. Ominis' letters throughout the summer had kept me informed on her condition and when she admitted herself for palliative care, I went to see her.

I told her everything. All that had transpired during the last year. The ancient magic, Ranrock, Rookwood and my subsequent magical abilities. I told her the bad and the good that came with my choices, and with her fully informed of the possible consequences, I offered to try and help her. She hadn't accepted my offer right away. It was a lot to take in even for me, and I'd lived it. However, a few days later I was pleased to received her owl accepting my offer. 

The extraction of Annes curse went smoother than I had expected, and part of me was still worried there may be some dire consequences yet to unfold, but at least she was well again. All four of us were able to return to school for our sixth year. Ominis and I helped Anne to catch up on what she had missed during the fifth year, but she kept Sebastian at an arms length for a long time. It took nearly the entire year to convince her to give him a second chance. In the end, he was the only family she had left and she wasn't able to stay angry with him for long.

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Our carriage pulled up to the large wooden doors of the schools main entrance, and the door to our coach sprang open.

Sebastian stepped out first, quickly pitching his umbrella again. Ominis followed close behind and did the same. I ducked my head out the carriage door to find a hand held out in front of me.

"I don't want to have to catch you again, so consider it a precautionary measure." He teased, a devilish look in his eyes as that familiar cocky smile creeped onto his lips. I shot him an unimpressed look, but took his hand anyway. When I reached out I half expected him to pull it back and say 'gott-cha' but he didn't. I placed my hand over his fingers, and he rest his thumb atop mine as he guided me down.

We quickly followed the line of students making their way to the great hall and I found myself scanning the crowd for the friendly faces of Poppy or Garreth. No such luck as of yet, but they may be in the Great Hall already. From behind me Sebastian reached a hand over my shoulder, pressing his palm to the door ahead of us. He propped it open as our group shuffled through with the other students.