#nolan strauss

[elisalsaa]

introducing the FINAL Seblisa baby, Declan Sallow !! 💘 Seb's mini me, but ginger lol. He is a huge sweetheart and very protective of those he loves. He is the youngest of the three! 💚 I was originally going to be done after Maisie, buuuuut 😚 he is still in development personality wise as is Maisie, but I am so excited 💖

And bonus below the cut - Sadie w her best friend, Nolan Strauss, who she drags into random crap all the time even tho he's like 'pls no' (they get married lolol)

[elisalsaa]

It's Always You

Summary: Sadie Sallow and Nolan Strauss have been best friends since their first year at Hogwarts--Sadie was always a feisty little firecracker who balanced out his more reserved nature. But this time, Sadie really gives him a scare.

Note: Another fic that has a bit of an emotional/angsty middle, but don't worry--they eventually get married. <3

Tags: Childhood best friends, impulsive x overthinker, Hufflepuff x Ravenclaw, anxiety, hospital

Word Count: 2k

Special shoutout to @rypnami for being my beta!!! <3 <3

Fic below the cut!!! <3

“Sadie, this is an awful idea,” Nolan said, hugging his robes together. “This is exactly the type of thing our Prefects warn us not to do, you know?”

This was a common utterance from Nolan Strauss whenever he and his best friend, Sadie Sallow, were together (which was just about all the time, really).

Sadie turned, walking backwards in front of him with a mix between an impish and silly grin. “Nol, you said you wanted to learn more about magical creature habitats, didn’t you?”

“Yes--” he agreed, shaking his head. “But when I said that I had a safe visual of, you know, a book. You know that thing we keep in libraries? Big, rectangular, words on pages?”

“Boring~” she chirped, spinning back around and skipping a little farther ahead, eliciting a sigh from the boy.

Nolan groaned, looking up toward the sky, which was now absent of the sun. “Merlin, why do I always follow you everywhere? No, better question, why do you always leave me no choice but to follow you?”

“Because you love me, and I’m your best friend, and I’m too curious for my own good, but I’m clumsy so you worry too much about me--”

“Alright, alright--” he cut in, his ears tinging red from his neck up. Thankfully she couldn’t see, he thought. “I get it, it was more of a rhetorical question.”

She laughed. “Ravenclaws and your overthinking.”

“Hufflepuffs and your dedication.”

And yet, despite all of his protests, the moment a nearby rustle made her jump, Nolan’s hand instinctively grabbed her wrist to pull her behind him just in case, eyes scanning through the darkness for any potential danger.

“You alright?” He asked, voice soft yet guarded.

She stared up at him, a strange warmth blooming in her chest. “Yeah,” she replied. “Completely.”

--------------

Things had been like this between Sadie and Nolan from the moment they met.

Back in their first year, when she first boarded the train with warm goodbye waves to Sebastian, Elisa, Maisie, and little Declan, she immediately stopped her search for a seat upon seeing him.

A boy, quietly sitting all alone as he looked out the window. Curly dirty blonde hair, a sweater vest—he looked like a nerd, she thought (although not in a chide way).

“Is anyone sitting with you?” she asked, smiling brightly as she decidedly plopped on the seat across from him.

He turned to look at her, his bespectacled grey eyes locking onto hers with a sense of uncertainty. “I... guess it doesn’t matter, since you sat down anyhow.”

She giggled, practically bouncing in her seat. “Perfect! Are you an incoming first year, too?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Well, my name is Sadie. Sadie Sallow!” She chirped, reaching her little freckled hand out to him.

He shyly reached out, shaking her hand in return. “Nolan Strauss. Your last name sounds familiar.”

“My mum is Elisa Sallow, she saved Hogwarts from a rebellion in her fifth year!” She squeed. “I hope I can go on magnificent adventures like her and my dad did.”

His nose scrunched a bit in concern. “You... Want to get involved in things like that? I do commend your parents, please don’t get me wrong, but—doesn't that sound a bit dangerous?”

“Maybe, but that is part of the adventure of Hogwarts! I want to do things that could help others, even if it is a little risky. Maybe you could be my partner in crime?”

“Absolutely not—my grandparents would worry far too much--” He frantically declined.

“Your grandparents? Interesting, I actually don’t have any, just my parents.” She observed in a natural kid-like blunt manner.

“Oh, I’m the opposite. My parents passed away when I was young, so I live with my grandparents.”

“Oh... well, maybe my family can adopt you.”

“Who said I wanted that?!”

“Me. I like you already, I want to be friends!”

And just like that, his cheeks tinged red as his eyes darted away. “You’re a strange one, Sallow.”

“Maybe, but at least I’m not a scaredy cat who doesn’t want to do a little exploring--”

“Hey!”

----------------------------------------------

Now, in the type of quiet where the air itself felt as though it was holding its breath, sat Nolan—now a 17-year-old student, in the school’s infirmary at the bedside of the very girl who essentially invited herself to sit across from him that day.

They had been best friends for years now—and frankly, had been inseparable all that time. You rarely saw one without the other if they could help it—they just naturally gravitated toward each other. That, and between Nolan being a tutor for Maisie and on occasion, Declan, he couldn’t truly escape the Sallow family if he wanted to.

But he didn’t want to.

He had known Sadie’s parents since he was twelve, when Sadie invited him over to their cottage over the summer. And then Maisie enrolled, and a bit after that came little Declan.

They were family to him. A family he had always longed for, since the passing of his parents at a young age. Siblings, parents, laughter—a home. But the best part, truthfully, was Sadie Anne.

Sadie Anne – who was a bubbly little firecracker who always seemed to drag them into danger.

Sadie Anne – who was cheerful and kind and loving.

Sadie Anne – who helped him break out of his quiet little shell growing up.

Sadie Anne – the girl he quietly loved.

Who now lay unconscious in the infirmary bed, as he held her hand in his, hoping and praying to hear her sweet voice once more. He was still in his rumpled uniform from their venture, dark circles hollowing his eyes. His thumb ran feather-light circles over her knuckles, as his other arm remained wrapped around his torso as if he was keeping his body from caving in on itself from pure anxiety.

He hadn’t slept all night. Just in case she stirred. Just in case she needed him.

“Nolan!” Quietly shouted the familiar voice of Maisie, who jogged into the infirmary with Declan in tow, her red curls bouncing with every movement.

“Maisie--” he breathed, voice exhausted. “And Declan.”

“I’m sorry we didn’t know sooner, we--” Declan began, still catching his breath.

“No, I’m sorry. I tried—I tried to get to her in time--” his voice rasped, still broken from crying earlier when nobody was nearby. “I wasn’t fast enough—They surrounded us and she slipped and fell, and--”

Before Nolan could spiral further in his self-inflicted guilt, he felt the warmth of Maisie wrap around him as she hugged him.

“Nolan, it’s okay. We don’t hold you responsible—you've always looked out for her.” She said, voice smooth like velvet and reassuring. “It could have happened no matter what.”

Declan stepped closer to the bed, looking at his big sister. “Yeah, she’s going to be alright. She’s clumsy as hell, but she’s resilient. I’m sure she will wake up soon.”

Before Nolan could answer, the room settled into a quiet lull. The tension that had gripped all of them softened, if only a little, as Maisie squeezed Nolan’s shoulder and stepped back, Declan shifting to lean against the foot of the bed.

“We are going to go get a Hufflepuff housemate to let us get her favorite blanket, so she is more comfortable.” Maisie said, brushing her skirt down. “Declan, you run back to our dungeon and grab the book I was reading, please? Just in case it takes a bit.”

Declan gave a sharp nod, though he lingered a moment longer, eyes on his sister’s pale face before he finally turned to follow Maisie out the door.

As soon as their footsteps were too far to hear, it was quiet again. And there Nolan sat, still watching. 

Still holding her hand. 

Exhaustion burned into every muscle in his body, but he couldn’t look away from her. Couldn’t let go. Time passed for a while before he willed himself to get up long enough to use the restroom, turning his head multiple times to make sure she was still there as he left.

He used the restroom quickly, not wanting to be away for too long. As he was washing his hands, he inspected his reflection in the bathroom mirror. For once, he couldn’t focus on the scar across his nose that usually made him self conscious, or the fact that he couldn’t see as clearly up close because he stopped wearing his glasses long ago. He could only see the bags under his eyes.

He sighed, blinking away his sleep deprivation as he trudged back to the hospital wing. She was always so optimistic, so he tried to be as well right now. But, his nerves still got the best of him no matter how old he got—and to be fair, this was his favorite person. Even though Nurse Blainey seemed confident in her recovery, he couldn’t shake the sound of her landing on the next ledge as she fell out of his mind. He couldn’t help but still worry, because what if she--

“Nol?”

He completely froze in his tracks as he entered through the doorway.

Sadie was sitting upright; the nurse nodded to her as she stepped to another area of the wing.

His legs had moved before his brain could catch up—before either of them knew it, he had sat on the side of her bed next to her, his hands trembling.

“Nol, Nurse Blainey told me--”

Before she could finish speaking, he leaned forward and pulled her into a gentle hug, as if she was made of glass. Her breath caught as he buried his face in the crook of her neck.

“Hey, hey—it's okay, she said I’m lucky and didn’t get seriously injured—I can be released tomorrow as long as I am cautious—oh, but I will have to be excused from dueling during Defense Against the Dark Arts--” she said, before quieting down and hugging him back. “She also told me that you haven’t left my side all night...”

“No, I couldn’t.” He mumbled against her shirt, exhaling to steady his breath as he backed up to look at her. “I’m just glad you’re alright.” He said, gently brushing a strand of hair from her face.

Her heart stuttered at the gesture—there was something about the look in his eyes that made her stomach do flips. They were tired, but full of relief and... something that reminded her of the way her parents looked at each other. Something reverent, something...loving.

Her cheeks went ablaze from it, and she wasn’t one to fluster easily. She pulled back, casting her eyes aside. “I-I have to use the restroom!”

Before he could reply, she had bolted for the bathroom like her life depended on it.

“Huh, I suppose it’s been a while since she’s...went.” He muttered, before eyeing where she had previously laid. “Just... for a second,” he whispered, laying his head down gently on her pillow.

That was all he meant to do. Just let his head lay down for a moment.

But by the time Sadie came back, hair slightly damp from washing her face in an attempt to clear her head and steady her racing heart, he was sound asleep.

She paused as she stood, heart squeezing.

He looked so tired.

Quiet as a whisper, she padded forward, tugged the blanket aside, and carefully slipped beneath it beside him. She didn’t touch him, not really. Just lay there beside him, watching the rise and fall of his chest. But truth be told, she was scared when she woke up and realized she had taken a fall. And he looked so warm and comforting.

She curled into his side, hugging him like she normally did to the blanket Maisie referred to. He was so tired that he didn’t even stir when she rested her head on his chest, listening to the thrumming of his now eased heart.

And just like that, when Maisie and Declan finally returned, that was how they found the two. Curled up into each other like they belonged there.

Maisie pulled the covers over them, smiling gently as she heard that Sadie had woken up and avoided any serious injury.

These two were meant to be together; she just knew it, she thought.

[elisalsaa]

Nolan: Sadie, for Merlin's sake, the restricted section? I told you this was a bad idea, do you know how much trouble we could get into?!

Sadie: Yes, Nol, I know--but my parents did it all the time! 🙄

Nolan: Yeah, and your dad got plenty of detentions for it! 😩

Sadie: Oh calm down, silly. I'm sure there is something for you in here, some special book you can't find anywhere else~ Besides, you wouldn't have let me come alone! 😊

Nolan: …touché. Alright, alright, just--please be careful not to get caught, and stay close, alright? 😒 You're a bit clumsy, so please don't get hurt, either--

Sadie: I won't~

+ bonus cutie nolan (he is in love w her hehe)

[harliqynn-blog]

step one: crawl into the dark machine step two: the screws go tight, all around step three: cross my heart, hope to die, stick a needle in my eye step four: she'll be waiting (acceptance)

Nolan Strauss