The Mystery of You

chapter nine: back in feldcroft

The air felt nice on my face as I flew above Hogwarts quickly and towards the south. Guilt poured over me for letting Juniper duel in the first place. She had always been too immature to handle things like that. I should have known better. How could I have been so stupid? My thoughts took me far, far away and that is exactly where I wanted to be. I was a bad sister. I was a bad influence. I could not help but fly off the handle.

In the months after the killing in Keenbridge, I felt more protective over Juniper than ever. I had always felt a responsibility to take care of her, especially since my parents died, but this was all new territory. She was turning into a proper bully.

"Willow!" I heard a shout through the clouds. I stopped flying.

"Sebastian?" I yelled. He came flying towards me, almost colliding with me.

"Can we please land? I have been following you long enough that we are close to Feldcroft at this point!" I flew towards the ground and got ready to land in Feldcroft. I did not aim to end up there, but it had been where I was happiest this past year and it seemed like nothing was going okay right now.

I landed and immediately made my way to the spot we always went to during the summer, wishing for those times to return.

"Willow, you have to believe me. I wanted her to win without any of that."

"It wasn't that. I am just upset, all around. I am upset for letting my sister duel when I knew she could not handle it. I am upset that she thinks I am overbearing. I have done nothing but live my life to protect her for the last four years. Hell, I killed someone for her! She doesn't see it." I looked around to make sure no one had heard.

"She might not see it now, but she will. I heard what Everett said and I am sorry." He looked at me while putting a hand on my arm.

"I'm not mad at Everett, but I am mad at myself. Maybe she needs to learn her own lessons. Maybe I have been holding her back." A tear rolled down my cheek as I spoke.

"Maybe she does need to learn on her own. We both needed to learn our own lessons and look what shining members of society we are now." He chuckled while putting his arm around me.

"Oh yes, the two murderers." My body shivered in the cold air. The sun had quickly set while I was flying. My stomach growled. I had been flying for much longer than it felt.

"Well, it is pretty late. Shall we?" Sebastian said, getting up from his spot.

"It's too late to eat anything of sustenance back at the castle. You think someone here might have something for us?" He smiled at the idea.

"I think I know just the place." Sebastian walked to his neighbor's home and knocked on the door.

"Sebastian!" The woman said as she opened the door.

"Can we come in?" Sebastian said.

"We?" she asked while looking outside to see me standing off in the distance. "Of course! Come on in."

"I like to check in on her when I am in town. She and I are alike. We have no family in the area." He was speaking low so that she would not hear.

"Are you here for long?" she asked while stirring a pot of something that smelled delicious.

"No, just for tonight. We had an unexpected trip out here and I did not have time to grab what is needed for a meal. Would you mind if I borrowed something of yours?" Sebastian smiled and stood comfortably in the woman's home. I could tell that they had known each other for a long time.

"Of course, you know that I always make too much for myself. I made chicken stew!" I smiled, remembering the time that I had made my way here to teach Sebastian how to cook chicken stew with dumplings. Sebastian looked at me with a small smile on his face. My cheeks warmed at the realization that he was thinking of the same thing. My smile grew.