All my exes live in Texas. 'And Texas is a place I'd dearly love to be.' But all my exes live in Texas. 'And that's why I hang my hat in Tennessee'
It was a good day; we were finally going to leave for Hogwarts today. This had been a day we'd been waiting for eleven consecutive years, one after the other. So both chat and I were a little too excited, and that excitement persisted as I got ready for the day and shrank my trunk so that I could keep it in my pocket space. Singing old k-rose songs, I went to the birds and told them to fly ahead of us. I knew from experience that Gabriel hates being in a cage of any kind, and Hedwig would follow Gabriel to the depths of hell.
After shrinking Hedwig's cage, I packed it with Harry's things and made my way to the kitchen.
"Don't worry, lad. Everything will be alright." I heard my grandfather talking to Harry.
"Hey folks!" I greeted everyone and started making a cup of tea for myself. Harry was still in his nightwear, but there was something tense on his face. "What are you all talking about?" I asked as I sat down next to him.
"I'm just a little afraid." he said with a big sigh and ran his fingers through his hair. Looks like the color is wearing off, you need to apply the charm again.
Disregarding that, I took another sip and asked "About what?"
"Well, you know, it's a new place with new people."
"It'll take time, but you'll get comfortable there, so don't worry about it." I said, patting him on the back. "And as for the people, if anyone gives you any hard time, you tell me about it." I said with what I hoped was a dangerous smile.
"I don't like that tone of yours", my mother chimed in with a weary tone and an disapproving expression.
I quickly adopted my best innocent face and said, "Oh, don't worry about it, Mother. I'll just be a normal eleven-year-old kid like everyone else." Once she seemed satisfied, I quickly conjured a revolver and tried to do a very good Clint Eastwood impression: "With a .44 Magnum." I said as I pointed it at the wall, away from everyone. The only thing missing was "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly." playing in the background.
"HOLY SHIT! Cass!" My mother screamed once she got over her shock. It was so loud that my grandmother ran into the kitchen. God knows what her reaction was as I was squinting my eyes a little too much, still trying to look as cool as Clint Eastwood did. But what really surprised me was my grandfather's eager voice. "Where did you get that?" looking at him I saw him eyeing the gun in my hands like a child would look at a toy. "Just conjured it."
"Can I see that?" he asked, his tone hopeful and his look eager,
"Go nuts." I said as I tossed the gun to him; thank goodness there weren't any bullets in it.
"Cassius, I'd rather not hear complaints from your teachers that you shot someone." My mother said in a warning tone.
"Don't worry, you won't have any complaints about us." I said while waving my hand dismissively
"We know that much when it comes to Harry, but I'm not so sure about you." my grandmother said as she took a seat next to grandfather and snatched the gun out of his hands.
Disregarding that, I turned to Harry. "And you don't have to worry about anything either; the next seven years will be amazing. You learn a lot, especially some things which won't even sound real." I said absentmindedly while reading the newspaper that my grandfather had dropped in favor of the gun.
"Like what?" he asked innocently to which I replied without any hesitation, "Clitoris."
Cassius Alphine fell!" She exclaimed in an extremely scandalized tone, pushing Harry out of the room. "Harry, why don't you go and get ready." The poor kid was confused. I could see it on his face that he wanted to know what that word was, but he just replied, "Okay," and went on his way. The moment he was out of our earshot, my mom turned towards me and simply asked, "Why?"
"Don't worry, tonight he'll see a glowing castle while floating across the black lake, and he'll forget all about his worries or clitoris." I said with a small laugh.
"No doubt there." My grandmother laughed with me. "Hey, how long will this last?" She asked, pointing to the gun in my grandfather's hand.
"It's permanent, and be careful with that, it works." I said with a hint of caution which was completely ignored by him
"Amazing." he said in wonder and then quickly stored it in his pocket space on his wrist.
And with that everyone once again went back to their breakfast, but I just couldn't get my mind to stop. "You know I was thirteen when I first heard the word clitoris." I said as if I was discussing the weather, and my mother instantly choked on her food. "I heard it all those years back yet I could never find it, I'm like the Christopher Columbus of the clitoris. I'm like 'I found it!' and they're like 'that's not it baby, that's india.' Or in my case it was her asshole."
"What the hell is wrong with you! I'm trying to eat here!" the moment she got over the shock my mother screamed at me while my grandmother asked in wonder "And how do you get confused between a clitoris and an asshole?" I could see this question was not going to help my mother's blood pressure in any way…wait 'do magicians get heart attacks?' Obviously, but I think your mother might be the first one so young to get a heart attack. 'Yeah, let's shelf this conversation for now' "Topic for another day." I said quickly, but it was not good enough for my mother
"It is a topic for never! As long as I'm around." and with that she stood up and walked out of the room. "I don't want to hear about my son's sex life!" her voice came in after a few seconds.
"Maybe she needs her own columbus." my grandfather said with a small laugh. Which got a surprised reaction from both me and my grandmother "Rust!... Meh you're right, that girl needs to get laid."
"Anyway, how are you going to survive once we both leave?" I said, trying to change the subject, as I didn't want to hear about my mother's sex life either.
"Don't worry about us, what are you going to do?" my grandfather asked me instead, all the previous playfulness gone from his face.
"Enjoy our time until we can." I answered easily. "God knows things will only go down hill once fourth year rolls around." I added with a bit of grimace.
"And what about the problems in the first three years?" my grandmother asked with a hint of worry, I've still not shared my plans with anyone. Just give them a hint.
Sighing, I told them a bit. "I'll get the stone early and the first year's problem will be gone. We already know that Sirius is innocent so third year will also be a breeze, the main problem is the second year. Dealing with that basilisk will be a problem"
"That's an understatement." grandfather added with a snort. After that we all just sat and enjoyed the silence
"Are you ready Cass?" I heard from behind me.
"Hello, Satan." I said in a trembling voice while looking towards the ceiling. I turned around when my mother smacked my arm. "Oh, hi Mom. Sorry I thought you were someone else." I said in an innocent voice with an innocent expression that didn't fool her at all.
"Are you ready to go?" she asked again, while trying to control the smile that was trying to break on her face.
"Oh yes I am." I said happily and quickly jumped down from my seat and looked towards my grandparents who also stood up.
"Then let's go," said my mother, and we all walked out of the house. After saying goodbye to both my grandparents and giving them quick hugs, I got into the car. After a few seconds, Harry got in, and we left for Kings Cross Station.
After a few minutes, I conjured a hand mirror and started changing my facial features and experimenting. When we stopped at a red light, my mother finally got a good look at me and asked what I was doing.
"I'm trying something new." I said, changing my cheekbone structure a bit.
"Why?" she asked, to which I just shrugged. "Don't know, but I'm trying to go for a very forgettable, but a very handsome and perfect face."
After giving me a quick look, she just gave a small laugh and said, "Well, if you're going for handsomeness, then it won't be forgettable, and there's no such thing as a perfect face."
"Well that's not true now, is it? There are so many perfect people out there." I said as I tried to change my eye shape a bit.
"No one is perfect"
"Jennifer Connelly, Winona Ryder, Salma Hayek, Ryan Reynolds, Katie McGrath! And so many more!" I started listing people right off the top of my head.
"Who's Katie McGath?" Harry asked from the backseat.
"McGrath. She's an Irish actress." I told him, gently correcting him. "Or at least she will be." I added quietly once I remembered that she hasn't started her acting career yet.
"And who is Ryan Reynolds?" my mother asked, "A Canadian actor….. Or at least he will be." I told her in that same quiet voice.
"Everyone you just named is either in the film industry or will be. You can't compare yourself to them, Cass." She said after a few seconds. "Alright, she wants real people? I'll give her real people."
"Alright then, Barty Crouch Jr, The Lestrange brothers, Bellatrix, Narcissa Malfoy, Evan Rosier. Fucking Tommy was a looker too!" I watched as her eyes got wider with every single name and she finally lost her mind when I uttered the Dark Lord's name.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" she almost shouted the question aloud. "Those are the Death Eaters you're talking about!"
"That Doesn't make them ugly now, does it? Anyways people love bad boys and bad girls." I said dismissively as I added a few scars on my face and a small cut right above my eyebrow.
Scars are a little too much for an eleven year old, don't you think?
Maybe you should leave this aesthetic for the second or third year. Sensing the wisdom in those words I got rid of the scars. But I left the slit in my eyebrow.
"No, they don't." my mother said with a scandalised tone.
"Sure they do! They are like that forbidden fruit you know you want but can't have. You know what I'm saying." I said with a suggestive tone,
"Oh, Merlin" my mother cursed under her breath, I could hear the disappointment in her voice. "Don't go all high and mighty on me, or do I have to remind you of dad?" I asked, finally turning towards her and vanishing the mirror.
"I remember your father very well! I also remember telling you-" she started to get worked up and began, but I quickly cut her off
"That he was pressured into becoming a death muncher. I know-I know, but still, you can't tell me that being in a relationship with the heir of the black family did nothing for you." I said and watched as her eyes got just a little wide, ignoring it I added with a smile. "Like there must have been just a hint of thrill, you being a half blood in a relationship with a pureblood heir of the darkest family of that time?" suddenly my mother slammed the brakes and jumped out of the car while screaming "Look, we're here!"
Looking at Harry with amusement, we shared a quick laugh and got out of the car too, just in time to see my mother trying to cover up the blush that had crept up her face. Without saying a word, all three of us started walking towards the station. We walked a couple of steps when my mother suddenly turned around, "I didn't ask this before leaving, but you boys packed everything right?"
"Yeah! I got everything." Harry said, pointing to the bag on his back. It was a heavily charmed bag that his grandfather had made for him. It was a very advanced expandable bag, like a magical tent.
"Where are Hedwig and Gabriel?"
"On their way to hogwarts. I sent them this morning." I answered, to which she just gave me a nod.
"Okay, your wands?" Harry quickly pulled his wand from his pockets and showed her. Nodding at him with satisfaction she turned towards me "Where's your wand Cass?"
"Here" I showed her the ancient wand I was still carrying around with me.
"Not the showpiece, your dogwood wand." she said, frowning.
"Here's where." I turned my hand towards her and showed her my rings. I was currently wearing six rings on my hands, three in each hand. One of the rings was made of redwood, which immediately caught her attention.
"You transfigured your wand into a ring?" she asked in astonishment while looking at it a little more closely.
"Yep, it looks cool, doesn't it?" I asked with a smile and showed it to Harry too
"Does it still work?" he asked, looking at it.
"Sure does, it is not accurate but it works very well." That's why I was carrying the ancient wand with me, to point my magic out of something.
"Well, whatever works for you." and with that we started walking towards the station and we finally saw Grangers and Weasley's standing near the entrance to the station "look! there they are." Harry exclaimed and rushed towards them and quickly pulled Hermione into a hug. And started greeting everyone
"Hey folks!" I said after they had finished their hellos, and asked if we were ready to go.
"Yes, we've been waiting for you." Molly said and started sending her children through the portal.
"Well, here we are. Shall we?" I said to no one in particular and started walking towards the portal too, and reached the other side and finally saw the scarlet red steam engine with Hogwarts Express written on it. The entire platform was just as it was described in the book, the compartments in the front being already filled with children, many of whom were hanging out of the windows talking to their parents. It was amazing.
I was suddenly pulled out of my thoughts by my mother who came to stand beside me. "You're acting like you've never seen it before."
Quickly thinking of a lie, I very somberly said "It was bombed in my fifth year. I missed this train." that put a dampener on the mood
"Oh, well then I would recommend you enjoy it to the fullest." she said with a small sad smile.
"Oh I will. Don't you worry about that." and with that I started making my way into the train after everyone else, but feeling my mother behind me I started hesitating a bit.
"Everything okay?" she asked when I turned towards.
"Yeah…it's just.. Thank you." I said lamely as I couldn't think of anything else.
"For what?" she asked, a little confused.
"For everything. For dealing with my bullshit all these years." I said with a watery smile. 'When did the waterworks start?'
"Oh Cass," she said softly and quickly pulled me to one of the benches on the platform. "You don't have to thank me for that. It's my job as your mother to deal with all your troubles." she said with a small smile.
"Even though I don't treat you as my mother anymore?" I asked in a wobbly, sad tone. More tears started running down my face, and the way she quickly looked at my hair told me that I'm losing control of my metamorph ability a bit too.
"Even then, because I know that just because you don't see me as your mother doesn't mean that you love me any less." she told me with a smile but with tears of her own.
"I'm sorry, I really am. It just feels like I took your son away from you." I said looking at the floor, I couldn't handle looking at her a minute more. But she quickly pulled me in a tight hug, and I held on to her just as tightly.
"No you silly boy of course you didn't, it doesn't matter how old you are, or from when you are, you are still my son. Fate just dealt you a cruel hand, but despite all that I love you more than anything in the world." We sat on that bench for a good few minutes just holding on to each other. After a while I asked her "More than those dragon hide gloves?" to which she just gave a startled laugh
"Even more than them." She said that gave me a quick kiss on my forehead.
"I love you too mom." I told her and a second later we heard the train whistling, which got our attention.
"Now come on, the train is about to leave." she said and pulled me up with her, after another quick hug I finally made my way into the train.
Now with a light and happy heart I can finally start my journey.
This is going to be awesome!
'No doubt there'
I don't think this is gonna be that easy guys.
What are you talking about? Of course it'll be easy.
'I don't wanna jinx it or anything but this'll be a breeze!'
Here we go again.