Of Cunning Minds: Sebastian Sallow

Thea gasped from the icy water. She miscalculated their apparition into the Manor's gardens by a few meters and they had landed in a decorative fountain. Her drenched clothes stuck to her form as she tried to pull herself out of the stone bath, but Sebastian yanked her back sharply.

"What the hell was that?" he bellowed, grabbing her shoulders and forcing her to look at him. His body shook with uncontrolled rage. Thea twisted and splashed in the water trying to loosen his grip.

"Let go, Sebastian!" She managed to slip out from his grasp only to be tackled to the base of the fountain a second later. Water stung her eyes and filled her mouth as she thrashed against him. He secured each of her wrists and pushed her towards the mermaid statue in the center of the fountain. Her back collided with the hard stone.

"You said her name!" Sebastian shouted, tears twinkling in his eyes. "What was he doing? Why did you say Anne's name?"

Thea jerked and kicked her legs to no avail. "Let me go," she repeated. "He was just reading my mind! There was a memory from Feldcroft." Her voice softened and she stopped trying to break free of his grasp.

"You're lying," he spit out. "There's something else. Something about Anne."

Thea winced as he glared at her. His gaze was manic, like it had been in his cell in Azkaban. A terrifying glint glossed over his eyes as he increased the pressure on her wrists.

His body was ripped away from hers in an instant. Ominis was holding him roughly by the collar and had his wand pointed at his neck.

"What's going on?" he demanded.

"Oh, thank Merlin you two are alright." Anastasia hurried forward and helped Thea step out of the fountain. She shivered as the witch conjured a cloak to wrap around her arms.

"There was a d-dragon, and C-Clyde used Legilimency on m-me," Thea stuttered eyeing Sebastian carefully. His breathing had slowed down but his face was still glowering.

Everyone was quiet for a minute.

"Thea, you come with me." Ominis ordered. His voice was even more stern than usual. "Anastasia, darling, will you take Sebastian to his room and provide him with a sleeping draught—"

"But—"

"You will go with her and do as she says or so help me, I will leave you to freeze and rot in this fountain!" Ominis yelled. Sebastian yanked himself free of Ominis' grip and trudged after Anastasia who was glancing uncertainly between him and her fiancé.

"Come with me," Ominis said again to Thea. His tone was enough of an indication to follow him without protest. He led her through the gardens, to the back door of the estate, and into his study. He pointed his wand at the fire causing flames to burst to life as Thea sank into an armchair. Ominis took the one next to her and she was reminded of her first night at the manor.

"Do you know what I was dreading most about this whole mess?" he asked casually. He played with a loose thread on the cuff of his jacket.

"What?" Thea prompted.

"Having to tell Sebastian that his sister died. He had loved her so much and risked everything to find a cure. After spending years in prison isolated with only his thoughts, I was terrified the information would wreck him." He sighed and a frown pulled at the corners of his mouth. "I was prepared to bet galleons that she'd be the first thing he asked about once we granted him his freedom."

"But he didn't," Thea reflected on those moments after breaking Sebastian out.

"No, that's why I decided to bring her up. He wasn't at all shocked when I informed him that she had died. His brain had somehow been able to rationalize her impending death during his time in Azkaban."

"Well, like he said, he knew that she didn't have much time left when we were in our fifth year at Hogwarts." Thea gripped the edges of her chair nervously. "And after all that time in prison, it would be logical for him to assume—"

"You're right. After all that time, it would have been logical to assume that Anne had died." Ominis took another deep breath and twisted his wand between delicate fingers. "So why didn't you?"

Thea gulped. "What do you mean?"

"When I told you Anne was the one who turned Sebastian in, you were surprised, were you not?"

"I-I was."

"Do you remember what you asked me?"

Thea remained quiet as the color drained from her face.

"You asked if she regretted her decision now." Ominis folded his arms and furrowed his eyebrows. "It's been bothering me this whole time. Why did Sebastian, driven to near insanity in a prison cell logically conclude that Anne died, but you didn't?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," she stammered helplessly.

"Anne's alive, isn't she?"

Thea stared into the fire, watching the flames flicker restlessly against one another. Every once in a while, an ember would fly out in an attempt to find freedom on the floor of the study, only to sizzle and die against the polished wood. She wished desperately she could find peace, a feeling so unlike those restless and dangerous flames. But she knew running away would result in a fate similar to those feeble little embers. She exhaled slowly.

"Yes."