Chapter: A Headache?
…..
A Couple Nights Later
…..
Something did not sit well with Cato.
He had snapped awake close to midnight having this weird urge to walk through the hallways of the castle. Yet at the same time, he began to get the beginning of a headache.
Knowing that if he got caught, he will get a lot of points docked off and detention, Cato still dared to go out of the Gryffindor tower.
Twist and turns down the stairs and through the hallways, Cato clenched his wand in his right hand with lumos lighting up his way.
His head felt as if it was pulsing causing him to grab it with his left hand. He thought about walking to his mother's room to ask her to help him with this sudden migraine of a headache that came out of nowhere.
As Cato made way through the hallway, he paused as he realized that he was near the bathroom where Moaning Myrtle lived. As he went to resume walking, there was a weird sound. It sounded as if someone was dragging a heavy quilt across the cobblestone floor.
Cato whirled around with his wand pointed, but he saw nothing behind him.
He hissed as his headache gone from pulsing to splitting. It made him groan. He rested his head against the stone wall, groaning a little in relief at the coolness of the stone wall. But at the same time, his eyes snapped open when he heard the brushing sound again, but this time it was coming from within the walls.
Curiosity made Cato walk along the wall, his left hand gliding against the stones. He paused and pressed his ear against the wall again, listening. But the brushing sound gone distant than it vanished.
"What the heck was that?" Cato muttered with his eyes closed.
Reopening his eyes, Cato stood up straight and started his way toward his mother's bedroom. Thought as he turned a corner, he felt a cool presence behind him. His head hurting more and this time he heard a whisper of someone's voice. It caused Cato to whirl around with his wand pointed behind him.
"Lumos." A familiar baritone voice said.
Severus stared with narrowed eyes at Cato, but it lighten up upon seeing Cato squinting with a pain filled look on his face, especially with the light near his face.
"What are you doing up, Cato?"
"My head is killing me and I was going to mom's room." Cato answered, turning his head a bit away to get his eyes away from the light.
Severus lowered his wand to not shine it in Cato's face anymore. But he stared at Cato, watching him press his back against the stone wall and clench his head with a low hiss.
"Damn this hurts."
"Language." Severus said, a single eyebrow raised.
Cato eyes clamped shut as the pain intensify then it began dulling. That was when he heard the whispers that became a single voice. A familiar baritone voice.
'Headache. A simple potion shall relieve that.'
"That would be lovely." Cato looked up at Severus.
"What?" Severus eyebrows came together between his eyes, not understanding Cato's response.
The confused tone of Severus got Cato to open his mouth then shut it. His eyes narrowed on his father, wondering why he was questioning him when he had spoken out.
"You just said that you would give me a relief potion for my headache." Cato pointed out.
Severus eyes widen for a split second before he reached out and grabbed Cato by the left bicep. He began dragging Cato behind him. Severus needed to see Octavia about this.
"What are you doing?" Cato asked, confused by Severus actions.
"Cato, what are the exact words I am saying now?" Severus whirled around to face Cato.
Cato stared at Severus with confusion still, especially when Severus mouth wasn't moving. Then that familiar ache began in his head and he felt as if his head was bouncing around then pulse.
'We are seeing your mother.'
"We are seeing my mother? What is going on?" Cato stared with fear as he saw Severus nod then whirled back around, and continue dragging Cato behind him.
Severus ignored Cato as he kept asking questions. Cato soon stopped after a minute of asking as he got no answers from Severus. Severus walked with long strides until he came to the only portrait in a hallway.
The portrait was a woman dressed in a chiffon dress, sitting on a stone bench with a stack of books beside her. What stuck out was the snow leopard cub curled up underneath the bench, tail swishing in a slow back and forth manner. The lady in the portrait was sleeping until Severus waved his lit wand in front of her.
"Do you realize what time it is?" The lady brought her hand up to block the light from flashing in her eyes.
"We need to get in."
"Password." The lady stood up from the bench, crossing her arms over her chest with one of her feet tapping against the stone ground. The snow leopard stretched out then hopped up onto the bench, glaring at them with bright sapphire blue eyes.
"Wiggenweld Potion." Cato answered.
The lady gave a small nod and the portrait swung open. When Cato and Severus entered, they found themselves at an end of a wand.
"It's us, mom."
A flick of the wand and the room lit up. It caused a groan to escape Cato, and he covered his eyes again.
"What is going on? Oh, why are you so pale, honey." Octavia stepped toward Cato and her hands cupped either side of his face.
"I have this headache."
"He is experiencing the beginning of legilimency. I believe it might be a small natural ability or something more." Severus explained the truth.
"What? How? I thought he will have to learn it?" Octavia stared at Severus then her attention was back on Cato where she led him over to the arm chairs in the sitting area of her room.
"He will have to learn it. How to control it? He most likely did not realize he was performing it." Severus explained, staring at Cato leaning his head back in the large arm chair with his eyes closed.
Octavia eyes stared at Severus then she looked at Cato with curiosity.
"Cato, did you read up on anything that had to do with legilimency? Did you attempt to learn it?" Octavia asked, wondering if he might've read about the topic.
Octavia knew that she had books and her medical notes throughout their home and her classroom. She had a section on using legilimency and those that were very skilled legilimens. It was not a common trait to learn and a skill that was difficult to master as one had to delve through layers of someone's mind.
"Um, no. No." Cato shook his head, not opening his eyes.
Octavia did not believe Cato and knew he would not tell her the truth. She glanced at Severus with the tiniest nod to which Severus gave a nod in return and turned his attention on Cato. He pointed his wand at Cato.
Cato eyes snapped open in time to see Severus wand aimed at him.
"Legilimens." Severus said.
Immediately, Severus broke through Cato's walls in his head until he came across a memory of Cato sitting with Isaac, flipping through a book with familiar cursive handwriting. Exiting out of Cato head, Severus looked at Octavia as she stood patiently waiting.
"Did you have to do that?" Cato rubbed his forehead.
"Don't lie to your mother again." Severus dark eyes rested on Cato.
Cato looked down at his lap, knowing he did wrong. He had got into one of his mother's chest that contained her important medical notebooks she wrote in. He was always curious by some of the powerful spells and conditions his mother had to deal with. So, he had taken one of the smaller notebooks and came across Legilimency with Isaac. The two tried to perform it on each other, but nothing happened. Until tonight, when Cato began having these headaches.
"Would you like to tell the truth now?" Octavia asked.
"I took one of your medical notebooks."
"Why? You could had asked me."
"I was curious about the spells you had to deal with as a mediwitch."
Octavia let out a low sigh, rubbing the bridge of her nose before dropping her hand to her side. She stared at Cato for a few moments then she looked over at Severus.
"Cato, why don't you go lie down in the bed. I will help you after."
"Yes, mom." Cato mumbled and left his parents alone to talk.
Once the door shut, Octavia crossed her arms over her chest and let out another sigh.
"He is quick to learn. I will give him that." Severus pointed out.
It wasn't easy to learn such a skill like Legilimency. Of course to Severus, he felt a stroke of proudness for Cato to pick up a bit of the powerful spell and only being a third year.
"Tell me about it." Octavia walked over to the armchair that Cato once sat in and dropped herself into it.
"He has done more?" Severus asked curiously as Octavia's tone signal that Cato done more in the past that someone his age shouldn't be able to do.
"He picks up everything so quickly. Took after you."
"And you." Severus said immediately in return.
The two stared at one another then looked toward the door that led into her bedroom where Cato was most likely sleeping.
"Whatever Isaac and he did, Cato managed to understand pieces of legilimency if he focuses hard. It appeared that he had headaches as a side effect due to not being able to control it." Severus explained as he came to stand by the fireplace to stare at the picture frames on the mantel.
"Interesting. I understand the headaches, but I will question him more about it. I can add more notes to my medical notebook about those that unknowingly trigger the spell." Octavia said, tapping her chin with her right pointer finger with a thoughtful look.
"I will help him control it if it continues."
"I expect nothing less."
Severus turned to stare at her with a calm expression, seeing her with a small grin as she stared at him.
"Thank you for bring him here."
He gave a small nod and showed himself out of her place. He walked down the hallways in the dark, knowing the corridors without light.
For Cato to be understanding legilimency was rare, especially a third year. Severus knew that Octavia could teach Cato to control the legilimens, but she wanted him to do it. He could even train Cato how to do Occlumency if the boy was already able to pick up how to do legilimens spell.
Severus continued walking the dark hallways of Hogwarts with various thoughts in mind.
…..
…..
…..
…..
…..
Hi Everyone,
Here was a new chapter.
Enjoy.
Thank you!
Please Review, Favorite, and/or Follow!