Invisible String - A Sebastian Sallow Story

Chapter VI

Dusty Boots... 

Anne was waiting by the town's communal Floo for them when they arrived. Immediately she jumped for his female companion, as in the few months, she had grown to adore the girl. It warmed Sebastian's heart seeing his sister getting along with any girl - since Anne's somewhat Tom boy nature was off putting to most of their female classmates - but seeing her with his girl meant the world. Anne even went as far as to threaten him when they were all there for Thanksgiving, warning if he screwed things up that she would help to hide his body herself. So much for twin love and support. He heard Anne comment about how the blue color of the best style corset really brought out the color of her eyes.

Ominis quickly cut in front of Sebastian, stealing his sister's affection before he got the chance as he huffed in response. Didn't these people know without him they wouldn't even know her? Why was it that he seemed to be the last in line for her attention?

Eventually Anne stopped musing over how Ominis had seemingly developed a new mole on his right cheek and turned to her brother. "Sebastian! Your hair!" She called out, immediately reaching to playful tousle it. His twins slender fingers immediately brushed through the now short sides of his hair. Before she got too far he stopped her saying "oh shut it will you, its just a haircut Anne" trying to sound casual given the small crowd of their neighbors that had accumulated due to his sister's loud shriek moments before. The small hamlet often worried for the girls health as everyone in Feldcroft was quite close.

Anne was one of the few people who knew it wasn't that simple for him. He simply figured if she was going to talk about it, he would make her wait till the others had gone to bed. Anne soon found herself wrapped in her now much taller twin's arms, his chin resting on the top of her head. She smelled the newer cologne he had taken to wearing as it mixed with the smell of the soap they always had at Hogwarts. Anne couldn't help but smile as she caught a brief whiff of the girls perfume lingering on his frame, letting her know recently the girl had been wrapped in her brother's arms. She was proud of him.

Removing herself, Anne pulled back to simply cup Sebastian's cheek in her palm. "You look so much like Dad" she whispered out, a slightly sorrowful look in her eye paired with the small smile she was developing. It was bittersweet, but they both knew she meant it with only the kindest of intentions. As he aged, it wasn't far fetched to imagine that he could take on the appearance of the deceased Sallow patriarch, but to assign that to himself felt odd.

Sebastian had wondered as his chubby cheeks and wide eyes of boyhood were slowly being shed as he developed into a man, where his father and mother remained. His own brown eyes and sly smile being the mark of his father, and unavoidable to not see the comparison when looking in a mirror. His unruly locks and his sea of freckles came from his mother. Beyond that Sebastian tried not to linger on how the shape of his nose or jaw were slowly changing as he grew into more and more an image of his departed dad. Hearing Anne confirm something he often wondered about made him stand up straighter.

Anne quickly walked away from him, and laced arms with the girl, before forcing them all over to the small home. In the back yard was a tent the 4 students to share over break. While Solomon didn't exactly love the thoughts of his nephew and the new girl sleeping under the same roof, he hoped that his nephew would never dare attempt something inappropriate while his sister or Ominis were around. Plus if he had to hear their late night chatter like he had over Thanksgiving, he would pull his ears off.

As they placed their stuff inside the tent he stood beside Ominis who was intently listening in on the conversation between his flame and Anne as they joined forces to make the tent more livable for the next few weeks. Ominis laughed and the girls, seemingly unaware to him listening, continued on. "Anything interesting?" Sebastian questioned, curious about their conversation, and willing to use his friend's impeccable hearing to gain insight.