we shall be monsters

you have a new routine

Couldn't sleep. Beasts all fed and cared for. Went out swimming. Took Pickles with as lifeguard. Be back for breakfast. - Bast

You stared out the window to see if you could see Sebastian from your kitchen. It was impossible to see anything in the early morning sun so you brewed coffee, poured it into a thermos, and pulled on a coat.

It had been three months since Sebastian had moved in and he had mentioned a few weeks ago being interested in swimming in the water down off the cliffs of Feldcroft. He had presented his idea to you as if it were points of a debate: he swum there often as a boy, always enjoyed swimming whenever he had the chance when he was abroad, and perhaps it would do him good given how restless he was. You hadn't really cared one way or another, you had never really found swimming relaxing and were never very good at it, anyway. Besides, since when did Sebastian Sallow need anyone's permission to do anything?

You made your way down the winding paths that took you to the waterfront and conjured a blanket once you found Sebastian's towel. Pickles bounded toward you with such excitement you couldn't help but laugh as he leaped up to lick your face (a rather poor habit Sebastian encouraged and you had meant to talk to him about not encouraging it). You saw Sebastian's arms glide in and out of the water as he swam. Pickles laid next to you and stretched out, no doubt exhausted from watching his new best friend swim. You couldn't blame him- Sebastian moved so quickly it felt as if you blinked and he was already turning around. You sipped your coffee while he swam, grateful you were only slightly chilled on the beach and not in the freezing cold water.

"Come to join me then?" Sebastian called once he noticed you, his head bobbing in the water as he floated around.

"Not on your life," you laughed. Sebastian shrugged and held his breath as he went underwater, popping out a little ways away swimming again. He spent a little longer in the water before he made his way to the shore, shaking his head to get the excess water out of his hair and pushing it back with his hands. He still had the tattoos from Azkaban on his chest, now covered by a layer of chest hair. He was built well but it was clear he had lost a significant amount of weight in a short amount of time. You still found your eyes on him for a moment too long, his hands rubbing his arms as he jogged up to the blanket, where you had shaken out Sebastian's towel for him so it wouldn't be sandy.

"Would you like to take a picture?" He asked, panting from the effort. "I'm sure it will last longer,"

You scoffed, pretending like you hadn't noticed his smile as he brought the towel to his face and dried himself off. "That for me?" He asked, reaching for the thermos.

"I believe the right question is could I have some, please? " You held the thermos out of his reach.

"Don't start," Sebastian warned with a smile. You handed it to him and stood up, casting your glance at him again. Now that he was closer, you saw the scars on his body from the attack for the first time. Once one was infected by the Curse, they would heal easily from any injury or malady. It would take silver, or an Unforgivable, to kill him. The only thing that would never heal were the scars from the attack. Sebastian's left shoulder down to his chest had teeth marks, his right arm scratched up to his neck, with the scars on his face that you had memorized by now. Sebastian finished the swig he had taken and followed your eyes.

"I'm sorry, that's rude of me," you felt your ears grow hot as you vanished the blanket.

"I'm still getting used to it myself," he replied, his free hand tracing the bite. "It continues on my back. I don't remember what happened. My best guess is I tried to run, it scratched me on the back, and I turned once I fell with my wand out and it bit me. The rest is from struggling," His eye went distant again, his hand resting on the scars now as his skin broke out into goosebumps. "They tell you when you're an apprentice that curse-breaking is like being an Auror. Very few come out scar-free. But I would have never guessed this," Sebastian shook his head, as if startling himself back to the present, and wrapped his towel tight around his shoulders. You both walked back up the house in silence. Since he ran warm now the chilly morning had little effect on him, though you could feel it. But you couldn't tell if the shivering was from the cold, or picturing the attack.