Ch. 3: Slow beginnings

Sitting next to his adopted brother, Ciel knew that Nezumi was anything but bored, despite the appearances. He was worried. Ciel was worried as well, because Shion has always been rather shy and the sudden attention from just about everybody in the Great Hall must have been hard to stand.

'I wonder how Potter managed that,' he muttered, knowing that Nezumi would follow his trail of thought. They might have not been biological twins, a fact not known in the school, but they could almost read each other's thoughts.

'If you ask Malfoy, he'll tell you that he was basking in the glory,' Nezumi replied emotionlessly. 'He'll also add that you shouldn't put your annoying, royal nose into matters that don't concern you,' he added with a mocking tone in his voice. Ciel and Draco were far from friends. Even if they put on an act for the rest of the school, in Slytherin it was a widely known fact that they hated each other.

'Why do you have to mention that name at all?' Ciel growled, turning to his brother. 'As if I cared what that pompous idiot thinks.' Nezumi, still looking ahead, visibly fought to keep his face impassive.

'You can ask Potter himself,' he suggested in a light tone. They both knew that Potter would not dirty his name by being seen conversing with a Slytherin, especially not one whose mother has been a Deatheater. Ciel pursed his lips as that thought crossed his mind. Two days after Shion's accident, father came back to tell them that mother was taken to Azkaban and would probably not be returning. He told them that she swore to have committed crimes only to protect her husband and two sons, but the Wizengamot wizards have not been particularly understanding.

It still hurt, but Ciel willed himself to not show it. After all, what did he care for the wizards who would condemn him just because of his mother's mistake? His friends didn't turn from him and that was the most important thing. Both Safu and Elizabeth had reacted to the news in a more or less same way as Shion had. He was eternally grateful and he knew that so was Nezumi, even if his brother would rather die than show it.

In the meantime, the sorting finished and headmistress McGonagall got up from her seat, to deliver her speech. Ciel straightened in his, eager to hear what she had to say. He was curious if she would pursue in the path of Dumbledore, who was a good headmaster but all too forgiving, or if she would dare to be her own person. Next to him, Nezumi also focused on the teacher.

'Dear students and teachers,' McGonagall started, her voice only slightly unsure. 'Welcome back to Hogwarts. Welcome for the first time, first-years,' she paused. 'I will not lie to you that nothing has changed, because the loss of Professor Dumbledore and his wisdom is one that cannot be easily compensated for. His sacrifice for us, for our future, should not be forgotten and the best way to remember him is to fulfil his legacy,' she looked at the students, her gaze not stopping on Potter, like Dumbledore's always did. That's a change, Ciel thought with a sarcastic smirk.

'Albus' greatest wish was that we all, the Muggle born wizards alike the pure blood ones, coexist in peace. His wish was that there is no enmity between us and that together we build a future free of terrors alike to that of Lord Voldemort's,' she continued. 'As you learn and strive to attain your own goals, pay some attention to that thought. If we waive the differences that separate us, Albus Dumbledore will never be forgotten,' she paused for a longer moment.

A couple of seats away from Ciel, Draco Malfoy sneered and muttered something to one of his brainless goons. Ciel wasn't surprised that he couldn't even keep the basic politeness of listening to somebody smarter than himself. In fact, it was astonishing that he hadn't said anything for such a long time.

'I am pleased to introduce Professor Snape as my right hand,' McGonagall continued in a more matter-of-fact tone. 'My replacement as the teacher of Transfiguration will be Professor John Smith, who was one of my most talented students,' she pointed to the man. Students clapped politely. 'Simultaneously, your new Defence against the Dark Arts teacher will be Professor Cain Kruspe,' she pointed to another professor. Students clapped again.

Ciel looked at the two professors. Professor Smith had light brown hair and brown eyes, as far as Ciel could see, while the other had black hair and blue eyes. The latter seemed rather strict, while Smith smiled at the students in a friendly way.

'I trust you will do your best to welcome them,' McGonagall continued. 'I will take this moment to remind you that the Forbidden Forest is out of bounds. Now, enjoy the feast and work hard from tomorrow.'

Students clapped as headmistress McGonagall stepped off the podium and took her place next to Snape. Surprisingly, the latter didn't seem upset at not having his desired position as the Defence against the Dark Arts teacher. Ciel and Nezumi exchanged amused glances as food appeared on the tables. A couple of first-years exclaimed in amazement.

'I never cease to be amazed at the amount of food that people consume here,' Nezumi commented quietly, cutting himself a piece of the meat pie that was in front of him. Ciel pushed his plate towards him to get a piece as well. 'Neither does it cease to amaze me that they can actually stomach pumpkin juice,' his brother added, putting a piece of meat pie on Ciel's plate.

'Thanks,' Ciel muttered, taking his plate back. 'At least we have water to choose from,' he said and accioed a pitcher of the clear liquid, rolling his eyes at the amazed look he got from one of the first-years. Since when did Muggle born wizards get sorted into Slytherin? Not that he had anything against them, but the Hat seemed to think that they didn't belong there.

'I wish we had lessons with Ravenclaw,' Nezumi muttered after a while of silence. Ciel glanced at him and wondered if his brother knew how obvious he was being. For somebody who pretended to not care about anybody, he sure did a lot of caring.

'He will not die,' he said calmly, knowing who was on Nezumi's mind. 'Although lessons with smart people are always preferable,' he added, with a small wince. Not that Gryffindors were stupid, although they certainly had a way to make a show out of themselves, especially when it was Longbottom during Potions. Ciel was amazed that it was possible to be so bad in a subject and still pass.

'I know,' Nezumi replied with a small whine in his voice. 'I never figured why they group the two Houses that hate each other with passion. I can't count the times when I wished to not witness the spitting matches between Malfoy and Potter,' he added, keeping his voice low enough for only Ciel to hear him.

Before Ciel had the time to reply, one of the older students asked them how their holidays were and they spent the rest of the welcoming feast on pleasant, idle chatter, catching up with the people who were on their side in the Malfoy-Phantomhive argument. Funnily enough, the House was divided almost exactly in half.

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The next morning, Ciel and Nezumi ignored the Slytherin table, as they did many times over the years of their studies. Safu and Shion were already having breakfast, so they went up to them, knowing that Elizabeth would join them eventually. Unsurprisingly, Shion had a scarf wrapped tightly around his throat, despite the warm and sunny weather.

'You're going to pretend to have a cold for the whole year?' Ciel asked, instead of "good morning", when they reached Shion and Safu and took their seats. The white-haired boy blushed slightly and looked down.

'I think I kind of get enough attention for my hair and my eyes,' he mumbled while Safu shot Ciel an angry glare. Ciel could sympathise with her emotions, but Shion had enough of compassion from her and he needed to snap out of feeling sorry for himself. Did all the pep talks from Nezumi about survival not work at all? Did all of Nezumi's effort, to convince Shion that it was kind of sexy to have a snake wrapped around his body, not bring any result?

'Well, what do you care about them?' Nezumi asked with irritation, grabbing a toast. 'What do they know anyway?' Shion shrugged, still looking down.

'Hello,' Elizabeth greeted them cheerfully and hugged them all, one by one. A couple of students looked at them with surprise as they went by. When they passed, Nezumi whistled quietly and his three mice jumped onto the table and attacked the toast on his plate.

'Hamlet, Cravat, Tsukiyo,' Elizabeth and Shion, who momentarily forgot to be miserable, greeted the mice in unison, smiles on their faces. Tsukiyo went up to Shion and tickled his finger, before returning to the toast. Safu looked like she wanted to say something about mice on the table, but restrained herself in the last moment. Nezumi leaned against the table, so that nobody could see the mice, because they didn't need any girl squealing in fright. He took another toast and munched on it while Elizabeth and Safu exchanged the gossip they heard the previous evening.

'Amazing,' Ciel muttered, shaking his head. He could never understand girls, worse – he couldn't even understand why he was subjecting himself to their chatter. He turned to Shion, who seemed to be in a better mood. 'I wonder how the new teachers will be,' he said, wishing for a conversation. The snow-haired Ravenclaw glanced up at him.

'I have never heard about either of them,' he replied thoughtfully. 'Although I suppose that McGonagall wouldn't have chosen incompetent people,' he added.

'As opposed to Dumbledore, when he hired Lockheart?' Nezumi pointed out, making Shion chuckle quietly. Ciel rolled his eyes at the very memory. That particular teacher was more than a disaster. 'At least the girls had a good year,' Nezumi added mockingly.

'And we will have this year as well,' Elizabeth laughed, obviously hearing their conversation. 'Me and Safu already shared so that we don't have to fight,' she added. Ciel looked at her and then at Safu, who was giggling in a completely uncharacteristic manner.

'You shared?' Nezumi asked, mocking tone evident in his voice. He didn't have time to say anything more, because Snape came by, giving out the schedules with a sour expression on his face. Ciel thought that it will be weird to get used to some of the changes that happened.

'What are you doing here?' the professor sneered at Ciel and Nezumi as he handed Safu and Shion their schedules. Nezumi looked up with a smug smile.

'Why, professor, we are uniting to fulfil professor Dumbledore's greatest wish,' he said with a tone that was so perfectly free from mocking that Ciel knew Snape would never buy it. Wordlessly, their head of House pulled two Slytherin schedules and one Hufflepuff schedule. Then he went on and Ciel looked down to see how the week would go.

'We still have lessons with Gryffindors,' he pointed out with some disappointment. 'And we start with Transfiguration,' he added, wondering if Professor Smith would be anything alike McGonagall. Elizabeth giggled in excitement because her first lesson was with Professor Kruspe and apparently she fancied him more. Ciel winced.

'Don't worry Ciel,' Elizabeth said, probably noticing his wince. 'I love you best,' she added and Ciel, much to his humiliation, felt a blush creep up his cheeks. Nezumi looked away, obviously trying to not laugh, while Shion grinned.

'But then we exchange with the Slytherins and we get Professor Smith,' Safu enthused. 'Shall we go? We shouldn't be late for the first lesson,' she added.

'You're right!' Shion exclaimed, noticing the time. Both he and Safu, both Muggle born, took their studies very seriously. Vincent always told his sons that they should follow their example. Nezumi's mice jumped into his backpack as he moved to get up.