Sebastian was right, Harris was ten times more unbearable when I was sleep deprived. But I was sleep deprived because of him.
Our assignment was going to be long. We were waiting for a group of Dark Wizards to make a move first. We had leads they wereimporting illegal dragon eggs and I began to suspect they may have known we were on to them, because they ceased their activities for the longest time. And when we had nothing to do, Harris had us researching anything and everything he could twist into thinking was relevant to the case. And that had me staying up for hours hunched over my desk and thumbing through book after book well and truly after Sebastian had gone to bed. He'd occasionally wake up for work himself and find me still at that desk, sometimes still working and sometimes losing the battle and falling asleep with my face between the pages.
"This isn't right, you know?" Sebastian said one morning, gently pulling my head out of a book.
"Mm. But what can I do?" I mumbled, collapsing into his arms with my eyes still closed, letting his body take my whole weight.
"You can tell him to piss off and that you're going home to spend time with your husband and sleep and not work outside your normal hours. Or I could do that for you." Sebastian said with a sliver of anger throughout his voice.
"No, Sebastian. Let me handle it." I groaned, pulling myself up off the floor.
He exhaled deeply, showing his disapproval. But he knew he couldn't change my mind.
"How can you be expected to go out there and take out these Dark Wizards on no sleep? He's going to get you killed!"
"I know, Sebastian. I know." I said, rubbing my temples.
I had a headache.
He took me into our bathroom and threw me into a cool shower to try and jostle some sort of energy into me and when I dragged myself out and got dressed for the work day, he'd made me coffee.
"My fucking hero." I said, taking the mug and drinking it a lot faster than I should have before pouring some more and downing that too.
"Not too much." Sebastian said, confiscating the pot from my grasps.
We headed out to the MACUSA building together with me less than impressed by my slim coffee intake this morning and split, heading to our small teams.
Sebastian's tasks seemed a lot easier than mine. They were merely helping a group of curse-breakers track down a dark artifact, making sure their path was safe and intercepting any Dark Wizards along the way.
Once he was out of my sight, I sighed heavily. And so did a voice behind me.
"You as fucked as I am, Olive?"
I spun around to see Lawson looking just as awful as me.
"Yep. Did you find anything in what he prescribed for you to look over?" I asked, though I already knew the answer.
"Nope. All useless. He's doing this to test us, you know." Lawson said.
"I know. Sebastian is pissed. I've barely slept in weeks and when I do, it's face first into a book." I said with a yawn.
"Yeah, Ominis isn't impressed with me either."
"Ominis?" I said with a raised eyebrow.
"I've been hanging out with him a lot. He comes and sits with me sometimes at night when I have to go over some work. It is nice to have the company."
"Hah. Don't let Sebastian find out." I chuckled.
Lawson laughed right back, "I don't think he'd mind somehow."
Now I was really confused. But I didn't press, I was too tired.
We entered Harris' office and sat in our usual spots, listening to his endless and incessant rambling about literally fucking nothing of substance. For hours. He demanded we tell him what we discovered which was, again, nothing of substance.
As I zoned out of the conversation, more worried about keeping myself awake more than anything else. I observed Barnaby Harris. He was a short, balding man with a pot belly. How he remained an Auror was beyond my comprehension. Maybe this is why he sat behind a desk and barked orders at us young, fresh and fit Aurors.
He was old. Wrinkly. His brow wrinkle got deeper as he spoke in an angrier tone. There was a vein in his neck that also poked out as he was basically yelling at us.
"Sallow!?" He barked, snapping me out of my sleepy daze.
"Hm? Sorry." I said, pinching my cheeks with a finger to wake myself up.
"I asked you a goddamn question!"
The vein was back and it looked angry.
"Could you repeat it?" I asked.
"Oh, you fucking young ones think you're soooo fucking smart, huh? Don't have to listen to us more experienced ones. You'll get yourself fucking killed out there with this attitude!"
"Actually, sir, with all due respect, what will get us killed is being forced to go out there and fight these Dark Wizards on three hours sleep across three weeks. That's if the tasks you're assigning don't kill us first." I said plainly.
"WHAT!?"
Hm. I may have made a poor error in judgement there.
Oh well.
"You dare speak to me like that? I've been doing this shit for 30 goddamn years and I won't let some puny little smart ass witch tell me what's right and what's wrong when she's two steps out of the training programme! Get the fuck out of here, Sallow!"
I sighed, standing up and nodding politely at Lawson as I left. He was as white as a ghost.
Now, Harris didn't tell me where to go exactly, so I meandered about the building until I ran into Sebastian and Chief Dodds also walking around together.
"O-Olive?" Sebastian said, doing a double take to make sure he was actually seeing me, "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be with Harris all day?"
"Yeah. I am... or I was. He kicked me out." I explained.
I don't think the gravity of what I'd done had kicked in yet as I just stared at them blankly.
"Why?" Dodds asked, a look of concern across his face.
"I just couldn't take it anymore. The sleep deprivation. I missed a question he asked and he lost it so I told him why I didn't hear him." I said.
"Sleep deprivation?" Dodds raised an eyebrow with confusion.
"He's had Olive and Lawson up all night for weeks researching for their case. I can't remember the last time she slept in our bed." Sebastian explained.
Thank Merlin because I was too tired to go over it again.
Dodds looked to be deep in thought.
"Leave it with me. Go home, Sallow. Get some sleep. I'll send Carr home too." Dodds said.
I was so relieved to finally have an understanding superior in Chief Dodds and it made me wonder if anyone had ever spoken up about how Harris had treated them before. "Thank you, Chief. I appreciate it."
As I walked out of the MACUSA building, the realisation of what I had done began to sink in. Challenging a senior Auror like Harris was probably not wise, and it could have serious consequences for my career that I'd only just started. But at that moment, all I wanted was to go home, crawl into bed, and finally get some much-needed sleep.
Which I did.
I barely even took off my boots before I climbed into our bed that I missed so much, tightly clutching Sebastian's pillows around my chest and immediately succumbing to rest.
I was awoken hours later, the room bathed in the soft glow of evening, and I could hear the sounds of what I assumed was Sebastian moving around in the kitchen. That or I was being robbed.
The aroma of a home-cooked meal wafted through the air making me realise it likely was Sebastian or a very generous criminal and I stepped out of the room, eager to have something more than the endless cups of coffee that had sustained me lately.
As I made my way to the kitchen, I found Sebastian standing over a bubbling pot on the stove. He heard my footsteps and turned to me as I entered, and his smile widening.
"Welcome back to the land of the living," he said, pulling me into a gentle embrace and kissing my head.
I returned the hug with gratitude. "I can't believe how good this feels. I didn't realise how much I needed sleep until now."
"Well, sleep is rather important." Sebastian said, "You did the right thing by standing up to Harris by the way. It might have consequences, but your well-being is more important."
I nodded and helped him prepare some bowls to serve up our dinner and curled myself up in a blanket as we sat together at our table and ate a meal together for the first time in weeks.
"This is nice." I said, the food warming both my stomach and my weary soul.
Sebastian nodded in agreement. "It really is. I've missed having a proper meal with you."
As we savoured the meal and the warmth of each other's company, what I did finally began to sink in.
"You think I'll have a job tomorrow?" I asked.
"Certainly. You might get a scolding, but torturing and abusing your new graduates probably isn't something MACUSA particularly wants out there for the public to know."
I hummed. I did agree, but I didn't think he was correct.
Sebastian put me in a warm shower while he cleaned up dinner and he joined me shortly after, cleaning me up and wrapping me in a warm towel.
It felt nice to be waited on and taken care of. Especially when I was so weary. The shower had me relaxed enough that I barely had the strength to pull on a nightgown before Sebastian was pulling back the covers of our bed and tucking me in.
When he awoke me to go to work, I felt sick knowing I had to now face the consequences of my fatigue-induced outburst.
"You'll be fine. Lawson got sent home too, I'm certain Dodds told him off." Sebastian tried to reassure me.
When I arrived, it was clear that my actions had caused quite a stir. The atmosphere was tense, and I could feel the curious and judgmental eyes of my fellow Aurors on me as I made my way to Chief Dodds' office upon his request.
I knocked on his door and entered when I heard his gruff voice giving me permission. Chief Dodds was a stern, no-nonsense man, but I had a feeling that he might understand my reasons.
"Sit down, Sallow," he said, gesturing to the chair in front of his desk.
I took a deep breath and sat down, trying to appear confident despite my churning stomach.
"I've had a talk with Harris, and he's been reprimanded for his treatment of you and Carr," he began. "No one should be subjected to that kind of exhaustion, especially not Aurors working on important cases."
I blinked in surprise. I hadn't expected such a swift and understanding response from Chief Dodds.
"Thank you, Chief," I managed to say, feeling a wave of relief wash over me, the feeling that I might throw up finally fading. I still had a job.
Dodds nodded. "However, I won't pretend that what you did was without consequences. Challenging a senior Auror in that manner is highly unprofessional and I can't go without addressing it."
I nodded, accepting the consequences. "I understand, Chief."
"Your actions will be noted in your personnel file, but I want you to take it as a lesson learned. We value your dedication and hard work, but there are proper channels for addressing concerns," he said firmly.
"Understood." I replied.
"Excellent. On your way." He dismissed me.
When I ran into Lawson, he told me that Harris had the day off. If was up to the two of us today.
Hallelujah!
"Wonderful. Shall we look over some files?" I suggested.
Lawson nodded and we went back to Harris' office, pulling out the file for the case. We sifted over everything Harris had written down, curious to see if there was anything he may have overlooked that our fresh, finally well rested eyes could spot.
We scanned over the files for hours, making notes and discussing our findings. It was amazing how much more alert and focused we felt after having some proper rest. It was clear that Harris had been working us to the bone without actually making much progress in the case himself.
Hours passed, and we were so engrossed in our work that we didn't even notice Chief Dodds entering the room until he cleared his throat to get our attention.
"This just landed on my desk." He said.
He passed me a letter with an anonymous tip. There was a shipment coming in tonight.
Dragon eggs.
"Should we find Harris?" Lawson asked, his face changing from concentration to concern.
"No. He's not able to be contacted right now. This is on you both. I trust you to create the plan and fast. We need to act tonight. I'll send through a few more Aurors for you."
Lawson and I exchanged glances, both of us feeling the nerves knowing we were alone on this and how imperative it was that we acted swiftly to intercept the shipment.
"Thank you, Chief," I said, taking the letter and the tip seriously. "We'll handle it."
"What the fuck do we do?" Lawson whispered.
"We plan."
I sprang into action, reading the tip off again and cross-referencing it with everything in the files including names and descriptions of the Dark Wizards we were looking for.
After thoroughly analysing the information, we began to formulate a plan. We decided to stake out the location mentioned in the tip and wait for the smugglers to arrive. Once they did, we would carefully assess the situation, gather intelligence on their numbers and defences, and then strike when the time was right.
The hours passed quickly as we finalised our plan and made sure we had all the necessary equipment and ran it be Chief Dodds who was impressed with our quick work and gathered the other Aurors together to go over the plan.
I gulped hard as Sebastian entered the room. I had hoped that when Dodds said he was getting us backup, he wouldn't send in his own partner... but he did.
And Sebastian didn't look at all nervous, in fact, he sat down amongst the others and looked at me with a wide, proud smile on his face as I prepared to speak.
I swallowed the lump in my throat and put on a front of confidence as I began to relay the plan to everyone despite absolutely despising public speaking, let alone in front of a bunch of grown men as a female junior Auror.
You can just quit. Sebastian said he'd get you pregnant if you needed an excuse...
No!
I needed to see this through. I was going to prove myself. Prove Harris wrong. This puny little witch could handle it.
Everyone was briefed on the plan and we were shifted to the location of the tip off point, each Auror taking the places assigned to them before we left.
Sebastian absolutely insisted he split Lawson and I up, citing that it was probably wise to have the two strongest Aurors separated to make the most of our shared ability.
"Did you have to be with me?" I asked as we took our vantage point.
"Yep. You didn't think I would let you deal with this on your own, would you?" He said.
Sebastian's presence next to me despite my initial reluctance was oddly comforting. He had an incredible ability to put me at ease, even in high-stress situations like this one and I knew he was there to support me, not to overshadow my leadership.
Sebastian's response to my question brought a small smile to my face. "I suppose not. Thanks for always having my back."
He grinned and put his arm around my shoulder. "Always, Olive. What kind of husband would I be if I didn't? I'm just glad you actually managed to get some rest before this tip off came in. Imagine doing this in the state you were in yesterday?"
"I don't even want to imagine that," I replied with a small chuckle.
As our conversation dwindled, our tip off came to fruition. A small boat sailed up in the distance, switching off the lights as they came nearer and figures emerged from dark alleys and corners.
Just as expected.
Lawson was going to give the signal for the ambush and Sebastian and I waited patiently, his hand snaking down my arm until his fingers intertwined between mine.
Feeling his touch kept me grounded and I squeezed his hand gently, taking comfort in his touch.
In the distance, I could see Lawson preparing to give the signal for the ambush as his hand raised slowly in the air.
Sebastian leaned closer to me and whispered, "Stay alert and stay safe, okay?"
I nodded, my eyes locked on the approaching figures. "You too, Sebastian. We've got this."
"That we do. I love you." He said, raising our interlocked hands and placing a soft kiss on the top of mine.
I dropped our hands and quickly threw myself into his arms, squeezing him hard and kissing him like I'd never be able to do it again.
"I love you too."
He reciprocated my advances, but dropped me quickly, his eyes still locked on Lawson.
And then, Lawson's hand dropped and the ambush began.
Sebastian yanked me out from our vantage point and we joined in the flurry of spells being tossed about. More and more dark figures emerged from the shadows and I suddenly realised that perhaps we were the ones being led into a trap here.
Sebastian and I exchanged worried glances as we continued to fight, our communication reduced to quick gestures and nods. We needed to find a way out of there, and fast.
"Where's Lawson?" I yelled at Sebastian as he ducked under a Diffindo that had been cast at him.
"I don't know." He yelled back.
We were now back to back, scanning the surroundings for any sign of Lawson and an escape route.
"There!" Sebastian said, swiveling me around so I could see him. Lawson was alone, locked in a battle with three Dark Wizards.
"Laws! Remember what we taught you!" Sebastian called out.
I wasn't sure if Lawson had heard him... until he yanked a large piece of metal out from one of the docks and threw it in front of himself, knocking all three Dark Wizards down with it.
"Fucking hell..." Sebastian said with an exasperated exhale as he grabbed my arm and ran. "I never get tired of watching that."
I would have laughed if I wasn't so scared for my life right now.
We finally reached Lawson who'd earned us a short reprieve from fighting with his quick use of his ancient magic abilities.
"What do we do?" I asked him, ducking down behind some debris.
"We can't leave, we're at work." Lawson said.
He was right, this wasn't just a regular duel, this was our job.
Lawson's words were a grim reminder of our duty as Aurors. We couldn't simply retreat and abandon our post.
"We just have to go down there and wait for backup. I'm certain Dodds has sent for it by now." Sebastian said.
I nodded and glanced at my husband, my heart filled with pride and fear. He was so bloody brave but I was scared for us.
As the dark figures closed in on us, we raised our wands, preparing to defend ourselves with everything we had. Spells and curses filled the air once more as the battle resumed.
Finally, in the midst of the chaos, the sound of apparition filled the air. Relief washed over me as I saw the coloured robes of the additional Aurors coming to our aid.
"Fucking finally!" Lawson cried out.
Dodds approached them, ready to give demands as we continued our fight.
But a flash of green light distracted me enough to lower my wand and turn around quickly. Just as it distracted everyone. The fighting stopped.
My eyes scanned around to see what the fuck had just happened when they fell onto Samuel Dodds lifeless body on the ground. His eyes stared blankly at the darkening sky, and the eerie silence that followed was broken only by the soft rustling of leaves in the wind.
Sebastian grabbed my arm tightly. "Olive, we need to move. Now."
I nodded, my heart pounding in my chest. This situation had taken a worse turn than I thought and now I didn't care about our job. We needed to get out.
"I wouldn't move too fast if I was you, Sallow."
Both Sebastian and I whipped our heads around to see Harris standing over Dodds' lifeless body.
"What the fuck, Harris?" I managed to choke out, "The tip off was you?"
Harris didn't respond immediately, his eyes locked onto Chief Dodds cold, dead ones. He seemed different, unhinged even.
Sebastian, his grip on my arm never ceasing, took a step forward. "What the fuck is going on? Did you—"
Before he could finish his sentence, Harris raised his wand, and in a swift motion, he cast a dark spell toward us. Sebastian reacted just in time, pushing me to the ground and shielding me with his body as the curse struck the spot where we had been standing.
The force of the spell sent debris flying in all directions, and I could feel the heat and power of it even from our sheltered position.
"Sebastian!" I cried out, fear gripping my heart as I struggled to get up from the ground.
Sebastian grunted in pain but managed to push himself off me. His face was contorted with pain, but he held his wand firmly.
"We need to go, Olive," he said, his voice strained. "Now!"
"Where's Lawson?" I yelled, tears now firmly streaming down my face as I looked around quickly, seeing no sign of him.
"I don't know, we'll find him later, we just need to leave!" Sebastian yelled back, almost begging me.
"Go on, children. Run." Harris let out with a chuckle.
Sebastian apparated us away quickly, taking us straight back to our apartment.
"Sebastian... we need to find Lawson, why did you take us here? I can't... breathe..." My heart began to race and now it was me suddenly needing Sebastian to calm me.
He guided me to a chair and knelt in front of me, holding my hands in his. "Take deep breaths, okay? In and out. Focus on your breathing with me and we'll count. One... inhale... two... exhale..."
Sebastian repeated the mantra I had done for him numerous times in the past... and it worked. My panicked breathing turned to soft sobs and I threw myself into his warm arms.
"Why did he just let us go like that?" I asked, my cheek nuzzling against his chest.
"I don't know, Olive," Sebastian replied softly, his arms wrapped protectively around me. "But I suspect that Harris has a plan, and for some reason, he wants us alive. We'll head straight back to MACUSA after you rest."
"Rest?! No! We might not have time!" I said, working myself up again.
"Olive, listen to me." Sebastian said, holding me back by my shoulders, grounding me again. "We can't do anything without any leads. There will be no one left at MACUSA right now. Everyone's gone home for the day or they were at the ambush and they've run off scared. We will go back first thing, I promise you. There is nothing we can do now. But I will owl Ominis and see if he's gone there if it makes you feel better."
I nodded, taking a deep breath and trying to steady my racing heart. "Okay, you're right."
I also wondered for a moment if he was actually aware of how much time Lawson and Ominis were spending together by his comment...
He gave me a reassuring smile and kissed my forehead. "That's my girl. It will be fine. We'll get Lawson back. For all we know, he simply left without us."
So I listened to my wise spouse and stayed put, at least making an attempt to rest. Though I couldn't. My mind was racing and I knew this was all my fault for trusting that tip and Dodd's death was now on my hands...