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slytherinsweety · 7 months

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Here is the second chapter, can also be read down below.

Chapter 2: And All of the Noise I Hear Inside

Entering through the double doors of the tavern, Sebastian guided her to the bar to be greeted by Sirona.

“Well look who just walked through my doors…It’s been a long while since I’d seen the two of you here together.” Sirona said with a sly smile.

Ella dipped her head to hide her grin. She and Sebastian had become regulars on the weekends when they weren’t studying for the OWL’s. Often spending time near the fireplace at the end of the tavern with a butter beer in hand.

“Your spot’s available just over there and I will be right over with some drinks and the special of the day.” Sirona pointed to the table off to the corner near the fireplace.

Sebastian had still not let go of her hand and continued to traverse to the back with Ella in tow. He gently released her hand and deposited her in her usual chair in the corner that was tucked against the wall and sat next to her keeping the main doors in his line of sight. As they waited for their drinks and food, Sebastian inquired how the shop was doing and about the customers she gets.

“It’s still a relatively new shop, so I still don’t get that many customers throughout the day. Oh, but just yesterday I had this mother and daughter come in looking for a gift for her husband. She said her husband worked at Gringotts as a curse breaker and she wanted to know if I had any special clothing items that could help with protection. So, I sold her this pair of gloves that could offer added protection against dark wizards. Her daughter, on the other hand, would not stop playing with the feathers in the window. I was afraid she was going to end up breaking them. You know if any of the feathers start to-”

Ella continued her story as she glanced over at Sebastian who was staring at her with a fond smile. He was listening diligently to her story as Sirona came to the table to deposit the butterbeers in front of them. She hadn’t even noticed the drink in front of her as she was animatedly going over her interaction with the mother and daughter.

Sebastian could see the reflection of the fire in her eyes as she discussed the various customers that stopped by over the last two weeks since the year ended and occasionally took a sip from his butter beer.

He hadn’t seen her get so invested in telling a story since she brought up several of her adventures that she had over the year when they spent time in her vivariums. Though, he had a sneaking suspicion that she hadn’t told him about every adventure she had. It had become a goal of his to learn about most of them, if not all of them. While he could never regret spending the time that he did looking for a cure for Anne, he did wish sometimes that he would have tagged along with Ella whenever she left the castle, if just to have a respite from the hopelessness he sometimes felt when trying to find the solution to the curse.

After the catacomb and nearly getting sent to Azkaban, he realized he had to be smarter. He also realized that he had to stop relying on Ominis to get him out of every mess he’d get himself and Ella into. It wasn’t like he ignored the fact that she was with him for nearly every lead he had. But he realized at some point, if they were to get caught, it wouldn’t just be him that would have to face the consequences. It would be her as well. He should have realized that when Solomon threatened to go to the Headmaster on both of them if he had inkling they were using dark magic.

Sebastian didn’t really know what he was thinking last year. He got so caught up in the idea of finding a cure for Anne, that he just assumed Ella would be willing to go to the same lengths as he would for it. And each time she was right there with him.

Never mind the fact that she was dealing with her own crisis and had actual enemies gunning for her to do who knows what to her. And even so, she still found time to help him and each time he took advantage of the fact she would come as soon as she received an owl from him.

He took her for granted.

It wasn’t until he felt the dungeons shaking and she was nowhere to be found that he realized just how easily he could lose her. He knew for a fact that those Keepers weren’t telling her everything. Making her go through trials, only to give her a slither of the information she needed to put the pieces together on her own rather than to just simply tell her. Her life was literally on the line, and they couldn’t find it in themselves to tell her what she may need to know until it was already too late, and their precious Repository was in jeopardy.

After hearing it was goblins that had attacked the school and finally getting word of her whereabouts, he ran as fast as he could to the infirmary. Sebastian was afraid of what he would find when he got there.

He was terrified he would find her clutching her stomach and learning she was cursed just like his sister was. It played on a loop in his mind until he could finally get to her. Part of him thought it would have been his luck.

To lose her as he lost everyone else.

He was elated to find that wasn’t the case. When he found her, she was just sleeping after consuming a calming draught. She only had a few bumps and bruises to show for the fight.

However, once he heard that Fig didn’t make it. A cold sweat came over him realizing just how close he had come to losing her. Watching over her, he had vowed to himself he would never let anything else happen to her and he would stand in the way of anything were it to come for her. After losing his sister and Ominis’ trust, he couldn’t lose the one person who had believed in him wholly and completely.

Ella was the one he had shown the darkest parts of himself to, and she had not run away screaming afterwards. He hadn’t lied to her that day when he showed her the Undercroft and told her he hadn’t shown Ominis and Anne every spell he’d learned of. Yet, he felt that he could show her and that he could trust her.

It was why he felt that he could show her the unforgivable spells. Though…he sometimes couldn’t tell if she was open to learning about it because she shared the same curiosity that he had for dark arts or if she just didn’t realize how dark the spells were and just wanted to learn as much as she could about magic.

He thought the latter was the reason why she was so open to learning those spells and he would sometimes feel guilty that he was probably taking advantage of the fact that she was new to magic. But Sebastian also knew a part of him just wanted her to know those spells for when she would be faced with going up against those who sought to hurt her. He knew they wouldn’t fight fair.

So, he thought, why should she?

Admittedly, that was a small part of him that believed he did it for her protection.

A large part of him that he wouldn’t admit to out loud, liked to think she was lured to the darkness just as much as he was. This was something he would never tell her and after what they both went through. He was content with having her never touch the dark arts again.

If it came down to using it to protect her and the ones he cared about though? He would use it again and he had no problem with being the villain if it saved them.

Sebastian shook the thoughts away as he took another sip of his drink and a bite of the shepherd’s pie that Sirona placed in front of them as Ella continued sharing her story. He focused his attention on the witch beside him who was mentioning a particular humorous story about a customer complaining of cursed socks causing them to uncontrollably dance.

“-and he said he would never go back Mr. Hill and that it was utterly embarrassing that he couldn’t stop dancing in the common room.”

“Okay, now I’m a little worried Mr. Hill might come for you for poaching his customers.”

“It’s not my fault my shop has the best of both worlds and Mr. Hill would stop losing customers if he stopped selling them clothes that only halfway do what they are supposed to. At least my items are crafted with the appropriate protections! What protection with having dancing socks do against a dark wizard?”

He laughed fully knowing she wasn’t at all wrong about the way Mr. Hill went about making a quick galleon.

“It’s not like he’d be much of an opponent if he were to say anything negative about it. I also believe he happens to be amused at having the competition.”

Sebastian smiled, realizing she was probably right. While almost unbearably proud, Mr. Hill probably still doesn’t see her shop as much of a competitor against his.

“Too right love. Either way, let me know if he does have anything to say about it.” She loved his protective nature, he showed that often enough to her that she was becoming rather use it. It still, however, caused her to feel the fluttering in her stomach again which was only amplified when he’d call her ‘love’.

“Oh? And just what will you do about it?” She leaned closer to him with narrowed eyes and her lips tilted upwards. It made him pause. The green of her eyes sparkling from the fire light behind him almost made them appear to glow. He always though her eyes were pretty, especially paired with her pale blond hair.

“Well, I’d…I’d have something to say about it, I’m sure. I will not allow anyone to say anything to disparage your shop.” Or you, he thought.

He stumbled on his words, not having a clue where he was taking this or having expected her to call him out on it.

Sebastian took another sip of his drink which was almost gone. He looked back over to her to find her tilting her head at him, probably trying to decipher what was going on in his mind. The same way that he was always doing with her. Ella placed her hand on his.

“Seb, are you okay? You look worlds away.”

The look of concern on her face couldn’t prevent his face from flushing at her shortened use of his name. Even though she’s called him that numerous times, he still quite liked hearing it come from her lips.

“I was quite surprised this morning when I didn’t have a owl at my shop door with a letter from you.”

He waved her off. “Like I said earlier, I decided rather short notice to visit you instead of a letter correspondence.”

“Sebastian, I know that’s not all there is to it. We were planning to meet up this weekend.”

Sebastian sighed. He knew she wouldn’t let it go. It was, at times irritating that she could tell when he was trying to deflect. He thought flustering her and inviting her for dinner would dissuade her from looking closer.

“Yesterday I finished going through the house and cleaning it. I was…startled at how it made it look like no time had passed…I was just waiting for Anne to pop up to force me to braid her hair as mum and dad were researching in the cellar…”

He paused.

“…Only no one was there. Not my parents and not my sister…I couldn’t stand being there alone a moment longer.”

Ella swallowed and took a deep breath that Sebastian had matched. She watched as his head was bent staring down to his plate. Neither felt like they had much of an appetite anymore.

Sebastian cleared his throat.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bring the mood down...either way, I knew what would make me feel better and I just knew I had to see you. You always have an interesting story to tell.”

She smiled sadly and took that as her cue to change the subject.

“Did I ever tell you about the time I spent disguised as Professor Black?”

Sebastian choked on his butterbeer that Sirona refilled for them.

“What?! When was this and why I have not heard of it?”

Ella laughed as she continued to tell him what she and Fig had done to complete the third trial. The trial itself had been daunting and one she didn’t like to ponder too often on.

Sebastian was floored to hear the shenanigans she had gotten up to.

“I swear, Garreth was so close to relieving himself, thinking he was being that closely watched by the headmaster.” Laughing so hard, she was clutching her stomach remembering it.

“Serves him right! He constantly took advantage of you. I would have paid to have seen him piss himself.”

“Sebastian! He’s not that bad.” She admonished.

He scoffed. “He tried to get you to steal for him right after he introduced himself to you. And did he ever let you try the so-called ‘Fizzing Whizz-beer’? No. Weasley was just trying to get you to do his bidding because you were new, and he thought you could get away with it. It also didn’t hurt that you’re gorgeous as well.”

She rolled her eyes but didn’t say anything to disprove his statements of Garreth’s actions. All while feeling her face get warm at his compliment. Ella chose not to say anything.

“I still would have loved to have been there. Why didn’t you tell me? You had time to mess with Ominis.”

“Oh please, I knew from the very start I had to avoid you. I saw you when I was making my way out of the DADA tower. If I had gone up to you, the whole thing would have fallen apart. You would have seen through it immediately and I wouldn't have been able to keep a straight face around you.”

Sebastian’s eyebrows tilted upwards at her last statement.

“Oh really? And why is that?”

“Well, we…tell each other everything and…and it really does not matter anyhow. I only had an hour with the Polyjuice potion, and I had a job to do.”

And with that she took a bite of her food, hoping that would be the end of it. As she swallowed, she felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. Remembering that she wasn’t being quite truthful at saying they tell each other everything. There was a rather large piece of information she was withholding from him. Several large pieces of information, if she was being truthful with herself. But there was one shred of information that only had to do with him.

She placed her fork down and took a deep breath to look over at him. Sebastian was finishing his meal and he seemed happy to be there with her. It had been a while since she uncovered the secret, and it was getting harder and harder to keep it to herself. Ultimately, he deserved to know.

“Sebastian. When you’re finished, would you mind walking me back to the shop? There’s something that I need to tell you.”

He glanced at her with a nervous smile.

“Of course, darling. I was planning to anyways for my charge and you know you can tell me anything.”

She smiled softly.

On the way back from the Broomsticks, Sebastian had grabbed her hand and wrapped it around his arm just like he had before. It was officially nighttime, and all the lanterns were lit casting a warm glow to reflect on the cobblestone path.

They had been silent the entire walk back, both were feeling anxious but for very different reasons. Ella was beyond nervous at telling him the information she had gathered about Solomon and Anne’s curse. Whereas Sebastian was thinking perhaps whatever she had to tell him may lead to a shift in their relationship dynamic. His nervousness was attributed to the excitement he felt at the prospect.

Over the last year he would find any reason to send an owl to her once she agreed to help him search for a cure for Anne and even before that he was intrigued by her. From hearing of her daring encounter with a dragon to seeing her walk into the Great Hall after the headmaster to be sorted into his house. There was something about her that made him pause. Of course, he dismissed it as he had other more pressing tasks at hand. Which was why he was so caught off guard when she came up to him in the common room the first day.

He was ready to dismiss whoever came up to him, only then to look up to the very person everyone was talking about. The fire casting a warm glow making her appear ethereal. He shook his head and continued to introduce himself to her. When he saw she was interested in the spells that weren’t taught at Hogwarts, he knew there was something more to her. Sebastian found himself correct in this notion when she beat him in their duel that very day and with a borrowed wand no less.

His interest in her was solidified when she came to him needing assistance in sneaking into the restricted section. Not only was she a kindred spirit, but also a woman after his own heart whether she realized it or not.

However, while he was interested in furthering their acquaintance, he couldn’t allow himself to deviate from his goal of curing his sister. So…he had to put those feelings in a box for the time being.

Focus on Anne.

And he did, which only led him down a path he only had himself to blame for taking. What was worse was that he grabbed Ella by the hand to join him on that path and the further he went down it with her, the harder it was for him to get them to step off it. He was so sure it was going to lead to a cure.

And Ella was the only one who believed in him.

Everyone else knew better.

He’s already admitted to himself it got out of hand. Though he can’t say he entirely regrets what happened with Solomon. Solomon wouldn’t be dead if some part of him didn’t want him gone. The killing curse wouldn’t have worked otherwise.

The ironic part of it all, now that Solomon was dead, he’s finally stopped looking into a cure in the Dark Arts. For the moment, that is. He hasn’t given up his search for a cure, not by a long shot. He may revisit the idea of Anne’s cure in the Dark Arts in the future if he doesn’t find it elsewhere first.

For now, he’s focusing on the witch who stole his attention at the start of last year. And just maybe he will allow himself to open that box he stuffed his feelings in a little more now after everything has settled. Sebastian couldn’t quite stuff those feelings in the box completely anyhow as much as he tried.

Once inside, he watched Ella dismiss Penny and tell her she was closing the shop for the day. And with a pop, Penny made herself scarce. Ella looked back at him with a nervous smile, which Sebastian couldn’t help but reciprocate.

“So, what was it that you wanted to tell me now that we are truly alone?” He tapped his knuckles on the counter after Ella walked behind it.

Ella didn’t know how he would respond to what she wanted to tell him. From her previous interactions with him any time she had to tell him something he disagreed with, he didn’t always handle it well.

Case in point, Lodgok. Sebastian did not deal with it positively when she told him she was working with a goblin. She knew he may be bothered by the fact, but she didn’t expect he would let it get in the way of finding answers or for him call her ignorant. Ella was far from ignorant, but she realized she may have been naive to just how large of a grudge Sebastian could hold. She understood his reasoning, she did. But she couldn’t find it in herself to generalize an entire species.

She took a deep breath and looked down at the counter. Ella knew how deep the hurt lie for Sebastian when it came to Solomon and Anne.

“I should have told you this sooner, I know that. At first it was just an inkling, a hunch. Then…it started piling up. The further I remembered the interactions, the more it started to click into place…something wasn’t right. I had to be completely sure before I brought this to you though.”

His eyebrows furrowed. He was becoming increasingly worried as she continued to ramble. So far this was not going where he thought it was going to go. He walked around the counter and took her arms in his hands to have her face him.

“Ella, you’re spiraling. Whatever it is, it’s going to be okay. You can tell me.”

With one hand, he lifted her chin so he could take a closer look at her expression while his other was rubbing circles on her arm. Sebastian watched as she tried to collect herself.

“It has to do with Solomon.” she said quietly.

Sebastian straightened.

“You can tell me.”

“Solomon was…he was…” she took a breath. “He was keeping Anne sick, sicker, then she actually was…”

He blinked several times and even felt his heart start stop for a moment. Confused by what she was saying, Sebastian let go of her.

“W-what are you talking about?”

“I didn’t realize it at first, and I think he was counting on the fact that I was young and new to magic. When you first brought me to Feldcroft to meet Anne. After you left the cottage, I spoke with her. She was apologizing for the outburst that happened and had made a throw away comment at how Solomon usually provides her with a potion to help ease the pain that he crafts himself.”

“There wasn’t a potion she was taking for the pain.”

Ella bent down to grab a box that was under the counter and began grabbing a piece of paper.

“I didn’t think much of it at the time and thought you knew. One day I visited Anne and Solomon was at the table brewing a potion. Anne was tired and she retired to take a nap. Before she did so, she said he was brewing her potion. As I was leaving, I saw the potion blow back up in his face.”

Sebastian shook his head as tried to make sense of it. He realized what she was trying to say without saying it and he said it aloud.

“Healing potions, even ones for pain, never have an explosive reaction. The ingredients themselves aren’t volatile enough to cause that reaction.”

Ella nodded her head.

“It wasn’t until one day in potions class after the catacomb, when Sharp was going over the various healing potions that I found out that little tidbit. I even asked Garreth if he knew of any potions that could blow back in one’s face that could be used for easing pain, and he didn’t know of any…But he did know of quite a few…poisons that could.”

“That doesn’t make any sense Ella.”

“I know it didn’t and I needed proof. So I went back to the cottage and looked through the brewing table to see if I could find the ingredients list. Solomon didn’t leave it out in the open, but I… eventually found it.”

She grabbed the piece of paper that was in the box and handed it to Sebastian. His eyes widened as he surveyed the piece of paper in his hands.

It was his uncle’s handwriting.

“I knew I couldn’t go to Sharp with it since he would be suspicious of me having that, so I went directly to Pippin…who confirmed it…it wasn’t a potion for healing purposes.”

“That doesn't mean this was the potion he was giving to Anne.”

He couldn’t wrap his mind around it. Ella tried to humor him.

“That could be the case…but then why did he have it to begin with? Pippin said the person who ingests the potion would be subjected to excruciating stomach pain and become physically drained…that sounds familiar doesn’t it?”

Sebastian started pacing. Nothing made sense.

“You, yourself said that at the beginning of her curse, she wasn’t doing that bad and didn’t even have to leave Hogwarts.”

That was true. Anne was fatigued in the beginning, which she continued to be but there was no pain like that at first. It wasn’t until after Yuletide that she had to leave. They had just come back to school when the pain started.

After they visited Feldcroft.

“This was just a theory still though. But then I started to think over all my interactions with Solomon and remembered the first time meeting him. You were barely through the door before he started on you. The shrivelfig…it can’t cure a curse.”

He paused, it felt like ice coursing through his veins. Sebastain knew that.

It was never to cure Anne’s curse. It was only to help with the pain. He had spent weeks growing it and immediately after showing Anne his hard work, Solomon disintegrated it.

“There was no need for him to shout at you for giving it to her and destroying it in front of you.”

Sebastian continued that train of thought. He was replaying that moment back in his head and started pacing in front of her.

“Solomon was an Auror. He would have had the basic knowledge to what ingredients were used for healing and easing pain…He would have known I didn’t bring it to cure her curse…unless-”

“It was a distraction.”

Ella paused, letting that sink in.

“He blamed you for Anne’s outburst of pain. You left immediately afterwards. Anne even confirmed that the outbursts happen at random. It wasn’t anything you did that caused it.”

He froze at the realization.

“But Solomon was quick place the blame on me.”

“And anytime you visited…he would disagree with you, start a fight. I thought it was odd at first. But Anne and Ominis both told me this was how your relationship with him was always like…but it was worse after she was cursed, wasn’t it?”

Sebastian nodded absently. He couldn’t seem to get his eyes to focus.

“My working theory was that he didn’t want you looking too closely in case you started to realize something wasn’t right.”

Sebastian felt nauseous. It couldn’t be right. It couldn’t possibly be right…But then why did it fit?

Solomon loved Anne. He didn’t like Sebastian. That was a universal truth he knew. But Solomon did try to take care of them in his own way. At least that was what he always tried to tell himself.

“Why would he have done this? What would have been his motive?”

“I don’t know…”

“How could you not tell me this sooner?”

He shook his head and looked at her in disbelief. Without waiting for her reply, he left her standing in her shop. She watched as he stormed out. Through the large store window, she saw him use the floo.

Ella didn’t stop him.

This was the part she was dreading. She knew it was coming however it didn’t stop her from tearing up. But she couldn’t keep it from him any longer. It felt like she was withholding information that he should know. She knew there might be a possibility that it wouldn’t help Sebastian any, but she also knew there was a chance that it could help with his search for his sister’s cure.

Even if it was the smallest chance, she thought it was her right to tell him. So, she swallowed her nerves and told him something that he deserved to know…even if it hurt to hear…even if he blamed her for not telling him.

She just hoped she made the right decision and didn’t wait too long to tell him. Ella also hoped she didn’t lose Sebastian from keeping this from him for so long.

As always please let me know what you think.

#hogwarts legacy fanfiction #Hogwarts Legacy #sebastian x mc #sebastian sallow #anne sallow #ominis gaunt #sebastian sallow x reader #sebastian x player character

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