Hello lovely people. Thank you for the reviews last chapter. gypsyheart79 thank you for your review, I will sort out the grammatical errors soon. This chapter goes from one extreme to the next but I hope you will enjoy.
PureBloodSnake
Seekers' Games Setbacks
By the time the OWLs came around, Caelum and Draco had fully recovered, Narcissa had settled into her job and was a very popular professor, Lucius had spent countless hours teaching his sons extra defence and Hermione had spent at least two months pestering Caelum and Draco about studying. Draco followed her advice immediately and found himself buried in books and parchment most evenings, Caelum, having more practice avoiding Hermione's strict regime still found time to play quidditch, sleep a decent amount and have tea with his mother. It was during one of these teas with Narcissa did Caelum start to feel strange.
"Mother?" He called as a shiver ran down his back.
"Yes darling?" she called from the back of her small apartment.
"I think something is wrong with Draco." Caelum replied, feeling bile rise up in his throat.
"Has he got an exam?" Narcissa called, sounding slightly closer than she was before.
"No, we share all of our exams. He told me he would be in the library studying when I asked him if he wanted to come." Goosebumps ran along his skin.
"Why don't you ask him darling?" Narcissa had reappeared back in the sitting room they used for tea. "I know you haven't quite reached that stage with your bond, but if you focus on his presence, you'll be able to do it." Daintily she sat on the sofa beside Caelum and drew her worried son into an embrace. "You both are remarkable, I believe you can do it." Closing his eyes and leaning against the warmth of his mother and focused on the negative feeling coming from Draco. Behind that he saw the essence of his brother, a dark honey colour, it was warm and sweet, but there was a twist of darkness. Testing their link, Caelum whispered into Draco's mind.
Draco? He felt a twinge of recognition and tried again. Draco? Can you hear me? The feeling of acceptance pulled Caelum further into the connection.
Caelum? How-? The reply was astonished and speechless, Caelum ignored his confusion.
Are you okay Draco? He asked trying to convey the concern he felt through the bond, he could feel, with a crushing sense of his own guilt, when Draco began to feel guilty.
It's nothing. It was then Caelum realised that they couldn't lie over this mental link, Draco's feelings gave him away instantly. Draco seemed to realise his mistake. Honestly, I'm just a tad bit stressed, I can't get my head around some of the defence theory and I don't want to let Mum down. Caelum smiled inwardly, it was amazing how different Draco was to how Malfoy used to be.
I'm going to come get you and you are going to have a break, and then I'm going to help you. Okay? Caelum took charge of the situation, not giving Draco the option to refuse and pulled out from his brother's mind. The bond between them was buzzing and Caelum felt that with a bit of practice, it would be as easy to talk to Draco inside his head as it would be out loud. Shaking away the feeling and focusing on the situation, Caelum stood up and brushed down his shirt.
"Can you get some of Draco's favourite tea, some chocolate and some gingerbread please." Caelum directed Narcissa, who studied her son before snapping her fingers and summoning a house-elf. In moments like this it was quite clear that Harry Potter and Caelum Malfoy were the same person.
Draco was about to hit his head on the book in front of him. For the last hour and a half he had been trying to understand the theory behind the protego charm. He could perform the spell perfectly but couldn't understand why it was so effective. This was his mother's subject, how could he face her if he received anything other than an O? In the midst of his panic, Draco felt a presence push at his mind, which retreated quickly. Paying it no mind, Draco glared at the tome on the desk in front of him. The presence pushed against his mind again, this time with a whisper of his name. He paid it more attention. The essence of this person was a warm gold, familiar and warming. This person was passionate and loving.
Draco? Can you hear me? Caelum was whispering in his mind, clearer than before. The connection between them was like a gaping hole in the back of his mind.
Caelum? How-? Draco didn't know what to say, it was the first time they had talked to each other through their twin bond, even though they had been strengthening the link.
Are you okay Draco? The concern Caelum was feeling flooded through the large hole in their minds. A wave of guilt crushed over Draco and he could feel Caelum wince with guilt.
It's nothing. Draco winced as he felt the lie fall into the abyss between them. He couldn't lie over this link, not until he learnt to mask his emotions. Honestly, I'm just a tad bit stressed, I can't get my head around some of the defence theory and I don't want to let Mum down. He felt a bit better getting it off his chest. This was really worrying him, he had tried for a few weeks to keep this in the back of his mind- to not think about it too much, but it had all just bubbled over. He could feel the change overcome Caelum as he went from worried to protector.
I'm going to come get you and you are going to have a break, and then I'm going to help you. Okay? Draco felt a surge of appreciation towards his brother. He hadn't mentioned where he was, but he knew Caelum would check the map if he couldn't find him. Somehow he knew it wouldn't be a problem- the connection between him and Caelum had strengthened and he could feel Caelum moving closer.
In a few short minutes, Caelum arrived in an empty classroom, he seemed to instinctively know where Draco was. To see him bent over a textbook with his hair sticking in every direction broke Caelum's heart, but he threw away that emotion before Draco could sense it.
"Come on let's go." He called out, picking up Draco's bag and pulling the book from the desk and placing it in the bag. With his free hand he pulled Draco to a standing position. Step by slow step they made it out of the classroom and to Narcissa's rooms, where she had a tray of everything Caelum requested. As soon as she saw the two boys enter the room, she began to pour the tea.
"Here we go. How are you Draco? You haven't come to tea in such a long time." Narcissa was trying to keep things normal but Caelum could see the worry in her normally bright, now dull, blue eyes.
"I'm okay mother." He answered his voice monotone as he took a sip of his tea. "I'm just spending all my free time studying for the OWLs."
"Well as much as that is admirable, and you could learn from your brother's example a little more Caelum, you could also learn from Caelum's example: relax a little. Stressing yourself out is not going to help you pass those exams. Whatever Miss Granger might say, I know how you work under pressure and Draco you drown. You need to spend less time worrying and then you will do better in the exams. How about after tea, if the quidditch pitch is free, you two have a seekers' game. I'm sure the two of you have been itching to have some decent competition. I do wonder how differently you will fly now that you have this bond between you." Narcissa thoughtfully sipped her tea.
The seekers' game, was not one of Narcissa's best ideas, she thought as she watched both her boys speed across the pitch. They seemed to get more and more competitive the longer the game went on and vicious insults were being traded between the two, both verbally and non-verbally. She watched as Draco flipped the bird at Caelum, who retaliated by shoving Draco as hard as he could, trying to knock him of the broom. The sad thing was, there was no prize involved here, it was only a way to let off steam. But maybe that's what they needed, she wasn't going to interfere until someone got hurt, and by the way things were going it wouldn't be very long. Oh they would be punished for this after though. Draco was more spiteful than Caelum, often bringing up things about his past and the muggles he lived with. Caelum preferred a more physical approach, although even from a distance Narcissa could see that his heart wasn't in every retaliation, only those that were the cruellest. She was quite surprised at how well he was holding onto his temper, it had become a thing of legend: Harry Potter's temper. But she could see none of it now.
"FREAK!" she heard Draco yell before freezing. Narcissa saw the shock on both their faces and in that instance she knew this was something Draco would regret for a while. Caelum spoke to Draco a hard look on his face, his words too quiet for Narcissa to hear before jumping off his broom, holding onto it with one hand and falling a good fifty feet towards the ground. Her heart in her throat, Narcissa stood up, her wand pointing at her youngest son. But taking a look at his face, and seeing nothing but determination, she calmed slightly. What shocked her more than the Gryffindor actions, was that Draco was watching Caelum fall uncaringly. With a flick of her wand she sent a stinging hex towards Draco.
"Caelum!" A voice screeched from the stands. Pansy. "You get back on that broom and stop giving me a heart attack this instant!" Looking up from the approaching ground, Caelum located Pansy and winced at the furious expression on her face, and swung his leg over the broom, and flew to where Pansy stood.
After a lecture from Pansy that left him feeling very ashamed, Caelum traipsed across the pitch, his head hung low, to apologise to his Mother. He knew she knew he was perfectly fine, but still her acted rather rashly. He just couldn't believe that Draco had used that as an insult, especially after he spent weeks trying to convince Caelum that he would never be a freak to him. Luckily what Draco had said had worked and Caelum no longer believed he was a freak, but it still hurt for Draco to use that as a way to get a reaction from him. Draco was receiving his own lecture from Pansy, and from the feeling in the back of his mind, Draco's was a lot worse than his own. Draco's actions were against the unwritten Slytherin rules, he had stood and watched as another Slytherin was in danger.
"Caelum." Narcissa greeted warmly. Caelum breathed a sigh of relief, and felt Draco's annoyance flood through their bond.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you Mother. I'm sure you can understand that my actions were trying to get a reaction out of Draco. It didn't elicit the response I expected, and if it wasn't for Pansy I would've carried on falling until the last second possible." Narcissa smiled and patted the bench next to her.
"I understand, it's a trait you get from me. I've done it a few times to spite Lucius. It normally works wonders. I think I understand why it didn't work. What did you feel through your bond?" Drawing Caelum into her side, she could almost feel the distraught radiating off of her son.
"There was a momentary feeling of panic and then it disappeared into something like annoyance because I was 'showing off'." Caelum sighed, burying himself into his mother's embrace. "And now he's furious at me because Pansy's giving him a lecture. I just don't want to feel him anymore." Tears wet his cheek, and Caelum, for the first time in months felt unwanted by the only person he had truly trusted for the last few months.
"It's okay Caelum. He still needs you even if it doesn't seem like it at the moment." His mother's hugs were warm and still felt a little foreign, but they were home. "I have an idea, to get back at him. If you're up for it." Caelum nodded against her shoulder, the fabric of her robe wrinkling under his face. "Continue acting normally around, but block the bond between the two of you. Take a deep breath and focus on the bond between you and imagine it becoming a door instead of a gaping hole." She paused, giving Caelum time to follow her instructions. "Close the door and lock it. That should keep him out for a bit and gives you the option to open it whenever you feel up to it." Looping her arm around Caelum she helped him up and lead him back to the castle.
Draco was listening to Pansy ranting at him, allowing his brother to fall. She didn't care that Caelum was just showing off, not reacting in the way he should have. Draco had called Caelum a freak in the hopes that he would finally put some effort into his taunts. Caelum was no fun to play against when he was amused by Draco's comments. The longer Pansy's rant went on, the more annoyed Draco got at Caelum. He felt distress bury itself into the back of his skull and was immediately concerned for Caelum, but then realised Caelum was just telling their mother a sob story. The anger grew again. He was close to exploding, he wanted to throttle Caelum. Then there was nothing. It was like the first few days of their brotherhood. He wasn't aware of Caelum's every emotion. It was strange, the bond had been so open just a few seconds ago, and now there was nothing. Draco felt fear grip him. The bond was still there so he gave up any pretence of listening to Pansy and focused on the bond, there was a barrier between them now. He must have really hurt Caelum, for this to be the response. Panic gripped him and he sank down on the pitch, shame bubbling up as he fought for something to do to fix this.
