✧ ˚ · .Save Him, Dad!. · ˚ ✧
Sebastian Sallow x Female MC one shot - side storie from " Heiress Of The Unspoken "
Chased by poachers deep within the Forbidden Forest, Ariane and Sebastian have just one mission: to save a young, seriously injured hippogriff. Refusing to abandon him, Ariane leads her friend on a desperate flight to the only person capable of helping them: her father.
But amidst dangers, recriminations and deep wounds, saving a magical creature will not be without consequences. Faced with fear, pain and the risks involved, Ariane will have to prove that sometimes, following your heart is worth all the dangers.
Content warning : Animal violence, Blood
Ariane ran until she was out of breath. Her lungs ached excruciatingly, as if they were about to burn themselves out completely. With every breath she took, she could distinctly feel tiny stabs of pain that overwhelmed her from head to toe. The trees whizzed past at breakneck speed, making the girl’s vision noticeably less steady and clear.
Clutching the suitcase tightly to her chest, afraid of dropping it, Ariane glanced briefly over her shoulder. Sebastian was following the young Gryffindor very closely, he was too exhausted by this frantic flight through the depths of the Forbidden Forest.
“Have they caught up with us?” she asked, out of breath.
“No, I don’t think so! I haven’t heard them for a while now. We should stop; I can’t breathe, I’ve been running so much.”
“It’s too risky. We should be able to see an exit or something!”
“ Easier said than done, thank you very much! A broomstick would be far better for getting out of this bloody forest!”
Ariane frowned, paying no further heed to the Slytherin’s words. Only the unfortunate hippogriff in Deek’s suitcase held the young witch’s full attention. But they came to a dead end, blocked by huge trees as ominous as the situation in which they found themselves stuck yet again. Ariane was panting, quickly scanning the surroundings for the slightest sign of an exit. Sebastian stopped beside her, resting his hands on his knees to catch his breath.
“Everything looks the same in this bloody forest!” Ariane grumbled.
“That’s exactly why it’s off-limits to students; it’s hard to get out of here without at least a bit of a sense of direction and some common sense!”
“What are you implying, Sebastian?!”
“I’m implying it would be wiser not to walk straight into the lion’s den with your eyes shut. Do you really want Tristan to kill me if something happens to you again one day?!
“This isn’t the time to be afraid of Tristan and complain about my plans!
Suddenly, the sound of hurried footsteps could be heard, silencing the two friends in the midst of yet another frantic exchange.
“Merde*, they’ve found us—”
Sebastian grabbed Ariane’s arm on the fly and dragged her behind a huge boulder. The girl offered no resistance and simply followed her friend without a sound. The footsteps drew nearer and three poachers, wands in hand, appeared.
“Where have those pesky little snoops got to?!” asked one of them in a threatening tone. “By Rookwood, if I catch them, they’ll soon regret setting foot on our territory!”
Ariane cursed silently, seething at not being able to stand up and settle the score with these wizards, whom she considered unworthy of such magical creatures. Sebastian gave his friend a light tap on the shoulder, knowing full well her intentions without even having to read her mind. He, too, was dying to fight, but certain situations meant it was better to back off. They had already caused a huge ruckus in the poachers’ camp, freeing dozens of creatures in the process. Among them, a young hippogriff was in a critical condition, almost on the brink of death.
Ariane couldn’t bring herself to leave him behind.
Suddenly, a faint cry of distress rang out, snapping Ariane out of her thoughts. Inside the case she was still clutching to her chest, the young hippogriff whimpered in pain.
“Shh!” said Sebastian, paying no heed to the tone of his voice.
The sudden noise caught the attention of one of the poachers, who made his way cautiously but determinedly towards where Ariane and Sebastian were hiding. The young Gryffindor shot her friend a glare, muttering under her breath. She handed the suitcase to the Slytherin and slowly stood up, taking her wand in her hand. She closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. She was on the verge of lunging forward when she suddenly heard one of the other poachers running in the opposite direction, shouting that he’d found their trail. Instantly, the others followed him without a second thought. Ariane and Sebastian waited until the coast was clear before emerging from their hiding place
“By Merlin’s beard, that was a close call,” said the Slytherin with a huge sigh of relief, setting the suitcase down on the ground.
“We nearly got caught because of you,” Ariane accused.
“Hang on, is it my fault now?”
“Of course it is! What on earth possessed you to make such a racket?”
“Oh, but excuse me, Princess, for trying to silence the creature that’s in that suitcase right now and nearly gave us away! In any case, we’d been found out!”
“First of all, stop calling me Princess. And secondly, how do you expect that hippogriff to speak? He’s in a critical condition and he’s in pain. He can’t exactly say, ‘Hey humans, I’m in a lot of pain!’, so he’s whimpering. It’s not his fault!”
Sebastian was about to retort, but nothing came out of his mouth. He simply looked at Ariane, who was gradually beginning to relax.
“Listen, there’s no point in trying to find someone to blame," explained Sebastian, more relaxed. The most important thing is to get out of this forest and find a solution for this hippogriff.
“You’re right. And I think I know where we can keep it safe in the meantime.”
“Not this time," giggled Ariane.
Charles de Tandail breathed in the fresh air of the little village of Upper Hogsfield with relish. Although he far preferred the magnificent landscapes of the Cornish coast and the salty scent of the sea, he didn’t mind returning from time to time to the charming village nestled in the Hogsmeade Valley. According to Sara, it was wiser to build a second home so they could be as close as possible to the wizarding village and Hogwarts. And that was exactly what they had done before Tristan’s first term at the School of Magic. However, Charles sometimes felt nostalgic, recalling those precious moments of joy and play with his children. Here, he was mostly alone, lost in the midst of all this magic. Between the love of his life, destined to roam the Highlands, and his children constantly at school, Charles was spoilt for choice when it came to activities.
That is to say, none at all. For a Muggle, it was a different story.
But luckily, Charles was a resourceful man and, above all, very charismatic. He therefore had no trouble making new acquaintances in the village. That day, he was in the mood to pop over for a natter with Mrs Sprottle, a career potions maker. Nevertheless, his calm and peaceful day was to be short-lived when he heard his daughter in the distance.
“Oh, I do believe you have a visitor today, my dear Charles,” remarked Mrs Sprottle, squinting in the direction of the sudden call. “Could that be one of your daughters? It’s been a long time since I last saw them, especially Alice. She’s such a sweet child who seems so quiet.”
“I think you’re quite right, Mrs Sprottle. However, I very much doubt it’s my little Alice. As you so rightly say, she is discreet. On the other hand, I wouldn’t be surprised to see my youngest, Ariane, come racing in. That child is a real live wire and who knows what mischief she might have got up to. So I’d be willing to bet it’s her we’re about to see.”
“Don’t worry, Charles. She’s only a child, and like all children, she’s curious about the world around her.”
“Perhaps a bit too much—that’s what worries me most about her. She has absolutely no sense of danger or the consequences that might follow,” he explained, before spotting Ariane approaching, followed by Sebastian. “There she is.”
Charles smiled and turned to face his youngest daughter, who came to a halt in front of him, completely out of breath. Even Sebastian was panting, as if they’d been running for hours. He frowned, puzzled, wondering what his daughter’s latest adventure could be. But before he could even get a word in, the young witch took the lead.
“Dad, we need you—it’s a matter of life and death!”
Charles took a deep breath. His day had only just begun.
Ariane pushed the door of the small stable behind the house open with a mighty shove, eliciting an “Oh!” from her father, who was displeased by such force. But it would take far more than that to distract the young Gryffindor. And it was with the utmost care that she released the creature from its case, under Charles’s astonished gaze.
The young hippogriff staggered, still reeling from what it had endured earlier at the poachers’ camp. The feathers on its wings were stained with blood, not to mention the wounds on its head, one of which ran across the upper part of its beak. Its legs were also in a pitiful state, where mud, blood and dust had mingled to form a thick crust that must surely be causing it discomfort. The creature naturally made its way towards the nearby bed of hay and collapsed from exhaustion. It was a most pitiful sight for Charles, who dared to approach the young hippogriff. The hippogriff raised its head, its eyes expressing indescribable fear. It tried as best it could to defend itself, forcing this new human to keep his distance. But it was far too weak and began to whimper.
“What has happened to this poor creature?” Charles asked, fixing his gaze directly on Sebastian, as if convinced he would find all the answers there. “And above all, how did you manage to get yourselves into such a situation? I hope—or rather, I pray—that you haven’t made things any more complicated.”
“Er…” began Sebastian, slightly flustered by Charles’s insistent gaze. “We… we… well, Ariane…”
“Sebastian, pour l’amour du ciel**, are you going to—
“Ariane saved that Hippogriff from the poachers’ clutches and we escaped from the camp, but they chased us; we shook them off and she said you were the best person to save the Hippogriff, and I assure you I told her it was a very bad idea, sir!” Sebastian blurted out.
Ariane turned round, outraged by such a confession from her friend. But this time, she was beaten to it by her father, who seemed displeased with the situation.
“Darling, are you aware of the situation you’re in? And above all, of the sheer luck you had in escaping the poachers?”
“There are no ‘buts’ about it, young lady! Your mother and I are worried about you. Not to mention Tristan, who tells me all about your “exploits” in his letters.”
“But it was for a good cause, Dad! I couldn’t leave that hippogriff on his own! And you’re the only one who can save him. Look at him, he’s suffering.”
“My dear, this is a magical creature, not just a horse.”
“I know that, but he’s also half-horse. I beg you, Dad… you have to do something”, Ariane pleaded, tears in her eyes.
Charles sighed deeply, hesitating. Nevertheless, he rolled up his shirt sleeves and tied his hair into a small ponytail.
“Fine. You and Sebastian, go and fetch me something to clean and dress this hippogriff’s wounds. You’ll also find thread and needles in our bedroom. I don’t know if I’ll manage to treat him, but I promise I’ll try.”
Ariane smiled and tenderly wrapped her arms around her father’s neck before slipping away with Sebastian. Charles turned his full attention to the animal, which remained on high alert, its beak slightly parted. The creature’s chest rose and fell ceaselessly, not to mention the tremors that were taking hold of its entire body. One would have to be mad for a mere Muggle to think they could look after such a creature without risking the loss of a limb, or even death. At any moment, the young animal’s sharp talons could tear him to shreds. But Charles was calm.
“It’s all right, my boy,” the man reassured him in a soft voice. “I know you’re scared, and you have every right to be afraid of me. I’m going to look after you. And so will my daughter. We mean you no harm. We’re going to save you, I promise you that.”
*Merde = Shit
** Pour l'amour du ciel = For Heaven's sake
✧──────✧✧──────✧
It’s been a while since I last wrote anything about Sebastian and Ariane. So, to everyone’s delight, I’ve written this one-shot, which also appears in the new @hogwarts-legazine's zine: "Living With Magical Creatures"
You can find this one shot on my Ao3 : yoshi_tsuno
