Risk // Sebastian Sallow

ALTERNATE ENDING - Epilogue

How did Eloise turn out after Sebastian and Olive's death, being raised by Ominis and Lawson?

Sorry this took months. I had blanked completely on what to write but I persevered. Enjoy the last installment of Risk :)

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"Eloise, darling, let's go." I called out from the bottom of the stairs.

Eloise groaned. I groaned. For some reason, the two of us seemed to clash so much more lately. She got along much better with Lawson these days.

It truly reminded me of my relationship with a certain one of her parents.

I loved her so dearly but by Merlin's beard did she frustrate me.

"Do we have to go?" Eloise asked as she marched down the stairs, still trying to wrangle with her almost untamable long, dark brown hair.

"Yes. You go to Hogwarts next week and you won't be able to see them for a while." I informed her.

She groaned again, but she obliged.

And as we did every Sunday, we walked out of our apartment and to the floo powder point nearby, taking us right to Feldcroft.

Eloise dragged behind Lawson and I as we walked the path we walked every Sunday morning.

"If you pick up the pace, I'll buy you a croissant and a blueberry muffin from the bakery on the way back." Lawson said.

I smacked him gently on the arm. "She doesn't need bribery!"

Lawson ruffled Eloise's hair with his hand "Sure she doesn't, but who am I to say no?"

I sighed hard and pushed ahead, making my way through the familiar shrubbery until we reached a clearing amongst the foliage.

As we did every Sunday, Lawson conjured a selection of flowers and formed two separate bouquets, handing them to Eloise to put on the graves of her parents.

"I still don't understand... I never met them." She sighed, getting up from her crouched position and folding her arms across her chest.

"You met them briefly." Lawson said, reaching down to run a hand across the headstones of his two oldest friends.

"I was a baby, how would I remember?"

"You don't have to." Lawson reminded her, as he did every week.

But today, I had a plan for her. Eloise had never really taken much of an interest in the lives of her parents. From what Lawson had told me, she had confided in him once that she resented them for abandoning her. Today, I was going to change that perspective.

When she was at Hogwarts, there was no more protecting her from the truth. People knew the last name Sallow. They knew Sebastian and Olive's story. So, despite Lawson's insistence all these years that I should tell her the truth, today, I was going to.

"Actually, Eloise, I have something for you." I said, rustling through my pocket.

I extended my hand and held out a ring and I felt her take it from my hands.

"Now, what I want you to do is turn it over in your palm three times." I directed.

Eloise sighed and did what she was told, turning it over. "Okay. I did it. What now?"

"Wait."

An eerie mist began to form and Eloise took a step back, bumping into me.

"It's alright. Watch." I prompted her, pressing a comforting hand to her shoulder.