Risk // Sebastian Sallow

Chapter 85: Epilogue

Eight years later

"Dad, come on!" Eloise bellowed from the front door their home in Aranshire.

Sebastian almost barrelled down the stairs, rushing to put his shoes on to appease his eager eleven year old daughter.

"Alright. I'm here. Let's go." Sebastian panted, catching his breath from the exertion of having to lace up his shoes on the go.

As Sebastian and Eloise walked through the hamlet of Aranshire together, Sebastian couldn't help but sigh a little.

Memories spun through his head of all the happy moments he'd spent here with his first born. When the Sallows packed up and left Feldcroft behind him with a 2 year old Eloise and infant Emma and Archie.

Taking Eloise for strolls to pick up bread for the week.

Ellie's first incident of accidental magic when she got so mad that Sebastian wouldn't let her take home a stray cat, she shot a burst of a spell from her hand that singed the poor feline's tail.

As if my daughter has nailed wandless magic at the ripe age of 9... he thought to himself.

It did take him 22 years, after all.

But all those memories culminated to create a swell in his heart. He'd done what he always wanted to do. Have a family, and see that family through to starting Hogwarts. Something his parents didn't get to see.

Eloise's letter came just as expected on her 11th birthday, and instead of getting excited like most students would, she simply groaned and tossed the letter to the floor.

"What's wrong?" Sebastian said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You don't want to go to Hogwarts?"

"I do... but you teach there! It's going to be soooo embarrassing." Eloise said, throwing her head into her hands.

"I think it's great! I can't wait to go!" Emma said, her face beaming and she picked the letter up off the floor and began to read it. "With dad there, you'll never be able to get in trouble!"

"Hey! That's not how that works!" Sebastian chided.

Olive simply sat at the dining table and laughed. She did sympathise with Ellie, it would have been weird if one of her parents had been teaching at Hogwarts when she was a student, though she supposed if her in laws were still alive, they would have been teaching while Anne and Sebastian were enrolled.

"You'll be fine, let's go before all the good owls are taken." Sebastian said.

The pair travelled by floo powder to London. Could they have gone to Hogsmeade? Sure. But Sebastian said he wanted nothing but the best for his "baby girl" and Diagon Alley had better options.

Apparently.

They had Eloise's list of required items in Sebastian's pocket and a separate piece of parchment with a plan of attack laid out.

Owl from Eeylops Owl Emporium
Wand from Ollivanders
Books from Flourish and Blotts
Robes from Madam Malkin's
The rest from Wiseacres Wizarding Equipment

They made their way through the bustling town, trying to navigate around the other Hogwarts students also collecting all of their equipment for the start of the school year.

Sebastian's list was perfectly curated to ensure efficiency and get them back in a timely manner. Eloise rolled her eyes, as if saying no was going to change her stubborn fathers mind.

"So we'll get your books, then your robes, then get your owl and finally your wand." Sebastian said, drawing his fingers across the list as if he were mapping it out and heading straight towards the lesser shops, the one's that weren't as exciting according to him.