Awaken
Caspian shivered as the cool midnight summer breeze licked at his face. He was sitting at the top of a hill with the perfect view of Hogwarts at night. The mighty moon hung proudly in the sky, casting its effervescent glow on the landscape before him. He sat back with a content sigh, the breeze whispering sweet nothings into his ear.
This was the life. The feeling of soft blades of grass tickling his palms. The earthy scent of beech trees mingling with the cool lake aromas in a harmonious dance. The sound of the distant buzz of lacewing flies in one ear and the calm beating of the lake in the another.
Caspian turned his twinkling gaze up at the stars, happily losing himself in their never-ending expanse. He always loved stargazing. Whenever he had the time or felt particularly dreary, he would turn to them. Those same stars helped the first wizards hone their magic and guided early muggle explorers around the world. Perhaps whatever made those men so great was just sitting up there, waiting to be seen by the right person. In his tumultuous present and unknown future, he found solace in their Constance.
But Caspian knew even the brightest stars were due to burn out eventually.
He heard rustling and hushed whispers. Caspian glanced down to find he wasn't alone on his hill. Around him was a smattering of unrecognizable people, sitting just like him. Some stared at the stars, some at Hogwarts, some just blankly ahead at the lake. A feeling of apprehension washed over Caspian. Suddenly, the cooling breeze became suffocatingly humid and the grass became itchy underneath his hands. He felt a palm on his shoulder, but he couldn’t bring himself to turn around.
Caspian swallowed. “Can I stay just a bit longer?”
The hand didn’t move.
He heaved himself up, his legs moved on their own accord as he was being gently pushed down the hill and towards the shore. He stared up at the imposing yet welcoming presence og Hogwarts towering above him. Caspian can make out small specks of orange lights in the various windows that dotted the stronghold, as if the castle itself was breathing. He couldn’t help but be reminded of his first year, where he boated across these very waters, gaping at Hogwarts for the first time. A beacon of life and warmth. He wondered if he’d ever grow out of its awe-inspiring allure or if he even wanted to.
Caspian felt the cool lapping of water seep through his shoes. He took his eyes off the castle, watching numbly as he was led further and further into the Black Lake. His robes sagged with water weight, each step he took the more submerged her got. He should feel horrified. He was being led into the water by a mysterious force, but he was the calmest he’s ever recalled being.
Caspian plunged under the water, and the feeling of a hand on his shoulder was quickly replaced with a freezing sensation bolting throughout his entire body. He felt himself being dragged down into the murky abyss, it was almost as if his robes turned into chains, tethered to some ancient sea monster lurking at the bottom of the loch.
That thought alone was enough for Caspian to panic, fear contorting his face.
All serenity was gone now as he gasped for air, thrashing and struggling to swim his way up to the shimmering surface. But it only felt like he was being dragged further and further down with every kick of his leg or swish of his arm.
He never had a phobia of drowning or the ocean, but the filling of his lungs with water was so vivid. It’s haunt him for ages. It wasn’t a peaceful passing or a call to sleep. It was a desperate fight for survival. A fight he was currently losing.
But then, a white light cut through the surface and bored down on Caspian. He reached for it as if it was a tether. He shed his robes and with whatever strength he had left, swam to it. As he got closer he felt his vision begin to black and his chest tighten. He was so close to breaking to the surface, if he just could make it a little further…
“How’s his recovery coming along?”
“For now, smoothly. It’s not every day one treats a comatose patient at a school infirmary. At this rate, I’ll need my Christmas bonus early Larissa.”
“Believe me you’d get the first cut if I could spare it…I can’t thank you enough Agnes for taking this position.”
“Unfortunately, my expertise is desperately needed here.”
“You’ve said he’s starting to gain consciousness?”
“On and off. It's common given his condition but it’s a sign he’s coming to.”
“Has he been coherent? Are there any signs of…permanent damage?”
“People recovering from comas are expected to experience memory loss, even going as far as to hallucinate to make sense of their situation. But this boy got an imagination on him. He was practically begging me for a broom so he could fly to Zombo’s to get out of his Arithmacy exam.”
“It was Zonko’s.”
“Caspian?”
Caspian rasped awake, forcing his eyes open. He quickly regretted the idea, opting to shut them again. “What…where am I? My throat…” His voice was coarse like he hasn’t used it in a while.
“Here drink this.” The other feminine voice in the room said as Caspian felt his hands wrap around a glass. With some assistance, he brought it to his mouth, letting the relieving burn of the fluid coat his parched throat.
“Caspian it's Principle Weems, we’re in Nurse Abner’s office. How are you feeling?
He gulped down the last of the liquid. “Like you’ve interrupted the best sleep I had in ages.” Caspian grimaced, attempting to prop himself up but utterly failing. He decided he should probably try opening his eyes first.
Weems let out a small sigh of relief. “I’m glad your sense of humor seems to be intact.”
Caspian slowly forced his eyes open, wincing at the light but willing his body to adjust. He was in what appeared to be an infirmary of some sort. He glanced at Weems sitting upright to his left and what he could only assume was Nurse Abner to his right. The nurse was of middle age but a little on the older side from the crinkles on her pale face. She donned a traditional black and white nurse’s uniform which hugged her plump figure, her red wispy hair tied up neatly behind a nurse's cap. She studied him, pursing her already thin rouge lips. She reminded Caspian of Madam Abbot, Hogwart's very own healer which whom he made multiple unfortunate visits with. She was apparently kind, but Caspian never saw it. He wasn’t sure what he did to end up on her bad side, but she was always short and to the point with him. Nurse Abner was like that, but a perpetually sour version of her.
“What was the last thing you remember?”
He directed his gaze back to Weems. She held a neutral posture but her eyes were focused intently on him.
“Um, I was in the quad…” He furrowed his brows, sifting through his memories was like trudging through a swamp. Each attempt he made was meant with resistance and murkiness. “Enid, Xavier, and Wednesday were there…uh, I remember the smell of-of really bad brandy, and a white light and loud scream…” His voice petered out as his eyes landed on his left leg. It was completely cocooned in a white dressing of some sort.
Weens bit her lip. “Is that all you remember?”
Caspian brought a hesitant hand down to his leg, pressing the pads of his fingers to it.
“Mr. Lee I’d prevent-”
“Ah!” Caspian hissed in pain, his eyes going wide as the memories came flooding back in.
The burning flames, the Hyde. They were fending off Tyler and he managed to hold him back. But he was absolutely spent after it. He felt his chest bubble with anxiety as the image of the Hyde lunging at him, teeth and claws barred flashed across his mind.
“Mr. Lee,” He looked up in pain at the nurse’s grating voice. “I’d refrain from intentionally disturbing that healing leg if I was you.” Nurse Abner shot him a poignant look before shuffling to the cabinets on the opposite end of the room.
Caspian darted his eyes to Weems. “Tyler-the Hyde, where is-” He made to sit up against the principal's wishes.
“Caspian it’s best you take things slow.”
“What happened to Tyler? He was…he was coming for me.”
“I used a device to ward him off, it procures a blinding light and ear splitting noise. I’m sorry I couldn’t warn you but, there wasn’t much time.”
His heart began to race, and his head whipped around the room, trying to squint through the bellowing curtains of the other beds to see if any one of his friends occupied them.
Weems answered his silent question calmly. “Everyone else is fine. You were the unlucky one that needed any serious help.”
The nurse scoffed as she ground her pestle and mortar. “Second-degree burns on your left leg, an inch-deep gash on your ankle and calf, a couple of fractured ribs, and some minor head trauma. Far from a couple bumps and bruises, but definitely not worthy of a coma. How needlessly fussy you were Mr. Lee.” She sighed exasperatedly.
Caspian reeled. He doesn’t even recall feeling half of those things during the fight. “A coma? What-what is that?”
Weems gently urged him to lay back down. “You were in a deep sleep for quite some time.
“How long?” Caspian asked warily. By her tone and the way the nurse spoke about these 'comas', he wasn't sure he wanted to hear the answer.
Weems eyed him carefully.“4 days.”
Caspian’s jaw dropped. “4 days? Merlin’s beard…” He rubbed at his eyes. How was he out for four bloody days? That was near half the time he’s spent in this world and he just slept through it. Caspian never cared to miss classes, but he was actually looking forward to them (now that they’ve been altered to accommodate his needs). And what about his friends or if the Hyde came back? At the thought of the former, Caspian took in a sharp breath. Flashes of their surprised faces springing up in his mind.
They saw him use magic.
They know about him, the secret was officially out.
Caspian’s eyes widened. “Professor I used my-”
“I know,” Weems said in a controlled whisper. She gave the turned nurse a sidelong glance, indicating the other woman wasn’t privy to that information . “I’ve already notified your friends about it. They have a general idea and have sworn themselves to secrecy. So whatever you feel comfortable sharing is up to you. As for any other leaks of knowledge, I’ll have it under control.”
“My wan- er, and my things?”
“Your belongings are in the bedside drawer, Nurse Abner will give you the key shortly.”
Caspian relaxed his shoulders a bit. He was glad his wand was close by but didn’t know how to feel about his friends knowing. In all honestly, he wasn’t thinking about the consequences when he cast his first spell. He just wanted to make sure the bloody monster didn’t kill anyone. He supposes there was a bit of Hufflepuff in him after all. With the loyalty to a fault and what not. Deep down he knew that nothing terrible would come of his friends knowing. If Weems wasn’t panicking that his friends knew then why should he? Would he have trusted them to keep his secret beforehand? No. But he guesses he has no choice now, and after giving it some thought he supposes if there was any handful of students he’d want to know, it’d be them.
Nurse Abner came back, holding a tray full of a cacophony of various potions and herbs. Weems straightened her white skirt. “I best be off, wouldn’t want to interrupt Nurse Abner from her duties. Is he ok with private visitations? Just from his friends?”
The nurse gave him a once over, jutting her nose out. “If the boy passes all my checks, takes all my brews, and answers all my questions I don’t see why not.”
“Perfect,” Weems smiled. “I wish you a speedy recovery Caspian. I’ll be back to visit you when I get the chance. You can imagine how busy I’ve been. Dealing with the fallout and such.”
Caspian nodded silently, his eyes unfocused. So he was unconscious for 4 days, he staved off Tyler who was gone (for now), and his friends knew about his secret. Just as his mind begin to chew on the information, he felt a sharp throbbing in his head.
“Blast!” He cursed under his breath, rubbing at his temples.
Weems sighed. “Try not to think too hard on it Caspian, focus on making a full recovery…and save your strength for your visitations.” She added on the last part with an apologetic smile before bowing out of the room.
Caspian tilted his head up, willing his turbulent mind to cease.
What he really wanted to do was go back to sleep.
“Mr.Lee, you have a visitor.”
“Oh…ok.” Caspian set his spoon down. He superstitiously checked the clock on the wall. He's only been awake for an hour.
News did travel fast in Nevermore.
The nurse stepped aside to make room for a shorter blonder girl.
“Enid?” Caspian sat up straighter.
“Caspian!” Enid’s face lit up, but her expression quickly hardened. She rushed to his side in a blur of purple, plopping down onto the chair. “Are you ok? Is your leg ok? Did you get enough water? Do you feel a throbbing in the back of your head? My brother once had a nasty concussion and he felt like his mind was being drilled into does your mind feel like it’s being drilled into?”
Caspian visibly recoiled at Enid's onslaught of questions. “Eni-”
The girl continued, practically leaning into him. “Did you hear anything while you were sleeping? Do you remember anything? What’s my name? What’s your name? How many fingers am I holding up?” Enid brought up three manicured nails, her eyes pure ice.
Caspian sat in stunned silence, gaping at the girl.
“Answer me!” She all but yelled.
“3 bloody hel-”
Suddenly she crashed into him, wrapping her arms around his upper body in an awkward embrace. Caspian froze, but the instant he took in her vanilla scent he wrapped his arm lightly around her.
Perhaps there was an upside to being asleep for four days after all.
At his recuperation, Enid pulled him closer. Caspian tried and failed to suppress a pained whimper, and much to his inner protests, Enid immediately jumped off him like he was a scalding iron.
“Ohmygodimso-”
“It’s alright, I just…I’m a little sore still.” Caspian mustered up his best smile, but it seemed to only make Enid feel worst. She visibly blanched in embarrassment, shrinking away from him. Caspian fought the urge to snatch her wrist and chide her for being too damn thoughtful.
“I completely get it,” She muttered, tucking a strand of blond hair behind her ear. “I once knew a guy - who knew a guy - who knew a guy whose uncle’s friend’s brother fell off a motorcycle and he said he felt a nagging pain in his side for weeks and it wouldn’t go away even with ice and he had to take multiple trips to the ER and they told him to see a physical therapist but that ended up-” Enid stopped abruptly, she darted her stunning blue eyes back to him in horror. “I’m rambling again aren't I?”
Caspian felt his mouth curve into a soft smile. “You tend to do that.”
“Only around you.”
He couldn’t help but quirk a brow, fighting to keep his face neutral. Caspian wasn’t sure it was even humanly possible for a person’s face to go from gushing one second to utterly drained the next. But that was his Enid Sinclair experience thus far. The girl defied logic.
“I mean like figuratively- or metaphorically…It’s difficult for me to speak...” Enid scrunched her nose, puffing her cheeks in concentration. “What I meant to say,… is I thought you’d never wake up…”
“And yet you still came 10 times a day to check if he did.”
Enid and Caspian eyes went round, both craning their heads to stare at the nurse lingering in the doorframe. She watched them with a sort of bitter amusement. Enid must’ve shot her a pretty nasty glare because the woman immediately rolled her eyes, shuffling away.
“I know, I know, doesn't the old nurse have something better to do.” She waved them off. “You have 10 minutes Ms. Sinclair…. Teenagers .” Nurse Abner seemed to utter the last bit under her breath, closing the door with a click.
Enid turned around, her glossy lips forming a thin-lipped smile which he returned. Caspian tried opening his mouth to speak, but every witty or dry remark died on his tongue. He usually doesn’t get flustered easily, even when it came to girls so this was new to him. A silence fell upon them, but he hates to admit how much he enjoyed watching her. Caspian knew it was wrong to make light out of her clearly embarrassed state, but like many of his thoughts about Enid, he’d keep them to himself. He would never bring up how he loved the little awkward puffed smile she does when she got embarrassed, or the way her cheeks flushed, or how she would suddenly become very interested in her shoes. All to spare Enid of course, but also himself.
No friend should even notices those things let alone get a strange fluttering in their stomach when they do.
“Do you need help with your food?” Enid asked suddenly, her voice perking up at the potential distraction.
He thought about it for a moment. “Sure.” Caspian in fact did not need help with consuming his chicken soup but why not.
Enid’s eyes lit up, gingerly picking the bowl from his tray and into her lap. She spooned a bit of the it, blowing on the steaming golden liquid lightly. “Ready?” She narrowed her eyes playfully.
“Do your worst Sinclair.”
She chuckled as she fed him his first bite. He savored the broth, feeling the warm soothing effect glide down his throat. It was positively the best bite of chicken soup he’s ever had. Enid fed him couple more times in silence before clearing her throat.
“Sooo," Enid began conversationally. "Nurse Abner filled me in on your injuries. I could’ve sworn your leg was at least 3rd degree.” The girl eyed his wrapped leg superstitiously.
Caspian rolled his eyes. “Truly a travesty, I’ll ensure I’ll meet your standards next time I go ahead and burn myself.”
She snorted, spooning him another helping. “But how are you?”
“I’m doing alright, I just can’t wait to get out of this hospital bed. Never could sit still.” He gave her another once over. Before she even sat down, he quickly checked for any visible marks or injuries. He was relieved to find none. “Are you ok? I know Weems said no one else was harmed but-”
“I’m fine, not a single scratch.” She said stiffly, a hint of remorseful bitterness lacing her otherwise light voice. Caspian could deduce that she probably felt some sort of survivor's guilt. He knows because he sounded exactly the same when his friends would get in trouble or injured on behalf of his actions. Caspian had no problem feeling guilt for his actions, but if anyone else felt the need to share his burden, he’d stop at nothing until they knew it was purely his burden to bear.
“That’s not what I meant.” He said seriously.
Enid sighed and smiled at him weakly. “I’m ok Caspian, you’re forgetting I fought Tyler last term and unlike a certain somebody, I won.” She flipped her hair behind her shoulder coyly.
He smiled. “How could I forget. Next time we go toe to toe with Tyler, I'll ensure it's during a full moon. By all means, have at the bugger.”
They laughed easily, but as it died down so did Enid’s playfulness. She eyed him carefully, her azure eyes holding his gaze hostage.
“Do you remember any of it?” She asked hesitantly.
Caspian nodded slowly, feeling like he knew where the conversation was inevitably headed. “How much did Weems tell you?”
Enid looked away, absentmindedly stirring the soup. “That you’re a Wizard. And that you’re not from here.”
“And you have questions don’t you?” He sighed, rubbing at the back of his neck. “How do you wanna start Sinclair?”
Enid bit her bottom lip, mulling over it for second. “How about for every spoonful of soup I give you, you give me an answer?”
Caspian shrugged, smiling at her. He briefly wondered if that was her plan all along. He'd have to keep on eye on Enid Sinclair, surprisingly crafty she was. “Sounds like a deliciously fair trade.”
“Let’s make it official.” Enid brought a pinky up, a small smile playing on her lips. “Do you, Caspian swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?”
Caspian chuckled, what was with this school and making such momentous vows? “I pledge Sinclair.” He took her pinky in his.
“Ok.” She took in a deep breath, carefully measuring out some soup before feeding it to him. “First question, is Caspian Lee your real name?”
Caspian furrowed his brows in confusion. “Of course, why wouldn't it not be?”
She shrugged, looking away. “I wouldn’t put using a fake identity past you.”
He studied the girl, a pang of regret flaring in his abdomen. She looked so small and void of her usual upbeat attitude. Right now, she was serious, pensive, and reserved. He supposes it was wrong of him to assume that Enid was a bubbly puppy all the time. He held unrealistic expectations of her. Only now did he just full realize he's only scratched the surface of Enid Sinclair. He has a feeling she thought the same sentiments about him. She thought she knew him but, her whole image of who he was in her mind was effectively flipped on its head.
“Enid,” Caspian whispers gruffly, waiting for her eyes to meet his. “I’m still me.”
Enid looked him over silently, her eyes fluttering before she dipped her head down, focusing on spooning another helping for him. Caspian has never wanted to hold her hand her as much as right now. “Second question: What did you do to that car in Jericho?”
Caspian swallowed the soup, offering a small chuckle in hopes to lighten the mood. “You people and your cars… I stopped it before it could crash. Mystery solved.”
“How?”
“Simple stasis spell. Stops an object’s momentum right in its tracks.”
Enid nodded thoughtfully, offering more golden liquid. “Third question: How did you become a wizard?”
“In my world, if you’re human, you’re either born with magic, so a witch or wizard, a muggle - a normie with no magic, or a squib. A descendant of magical folk but you have no magic yourself.”
“Interesting..." Enid pursed her lips carefully. "Is it random?”
“Two magical parents have a high chance of birthing a magical offspring. But muggles are capable of producing a witch or wizard. I know there's something about genetics but, I can't seem to recall at the moment.”
“And which are you?”
“I’m a half-blood.”
At Enid’s confused face, Caspian continued. “There are three types. Muggle-borns are kids born from two muggle parents. Then there are Half Bloods, people like me. My parents are both wizards but they both have muggle blood in their ancestry. Lastly, there are purebloods. A family bloodline with not a single drop of non-magical blood in them. They're a rare lot, and even rarer to find a decent one to be around.”
Enid pressed her glossy lips together. “Is it only witches and wizards where you're from?”
“We have a plethora of other magical beings. Vampires, Veelas, Centaurs, Goblins…Werewolves.” He cracked a Cheshire grin at Enid’s raised brows. “Wizard kind is just the most systemic and wide-spread magical race.”
Enid cocked her head nonchalantly, pouting her bottom lip. “Met any other werewolves in your world?”
Caspian couldn’t help but smile. “Unfortunately no, but if they're anything like the ones here, I'll be glad to get to know them.”
This seemed to placate the girl who nodded approvingly. Caspian was sure any other werewolf would pale in comparison to Enid. She really set the bar too high.
“Fourth question: What’s home like?”
Caspian swallowed the soup. What was home like? Was she asking about his world or his actual home? Either way, one image popped up in his mind above all else. “Home is Hogwarts. A magical castle of a school. My apologies, but, it utterly dwarfs Nevermore in all aspects. We live there, eat there, study, play, fuck around there. It’s a school for the magically gifted to hone their skills so they could be productive members in the Wizarding World. I'm in my 5th year out of 7, but I like to believe I punch above my weight class when it comes to magical aptitude.”
Enid tilted her head. “You said Wizarding World? But normies exist in your world?”
“Our world is secret from theirs. We hide in plain sight using well..magic. We’re sworn to the statuate of secrecy and to protect the muggles from any consequences on our behalf. We have our own separate government and laws and such.”
“Wow, must be nice to have a society of people just like you,” Enid stated dully, doing nothing to hide her jealousy for a world like that. Caspian had to admit, it wasn’t all perfect. There was still discrimination between Wizard kind and human-intelligent beings such as werewolves, centaurs, and goblins. He wasn’t one for politics, but he thought it utterly absurd that species of equal magical prowess and sentience weren’t given a seat at the table. He couldn’t imagine not having a support system and societal infrastructure in place to ensure his well being.
Caspian sighed bringing himself back. “I see now that I’ve taken that camaraderie and shared experience for granted.”
Enid paused, choosing her next words carefully. “How did you leave your home and end up here?”
“To make a long story short, I was fucking around in a man-eating spider cave in hopes of finding some gold. Well, I found it, and the first piece I grabbed sent me here. There's probably a lesson in greed there.” Caspian pressed his lips together at the thought.
“M-man-eating spiders?” Enid whimpered, eyes going wide, the spoon clattering back into the bowl.
Caspian nodded in agreement. "Yep." He actually thinks he has a phobia of insects. It wasn’t anything serious, he wouldn't faint or anything. But he would always have an irrationally huge reaction when he would find one alarmingly close to him. Caspian would die on this hill if he had to, but he whole heartedly rather face an adult river troll than come across a spider in his bed sheets. He rationalizes that if he fought the troll, he knew exactly where it was. Those lumbering units were bloody massive, you'd be hard press to be snuck up on by a troll. But spiders? You never expect to see one, they always pop up when you least expect it. In a way, fighting huge spiders was actually a step up for him in that regard.
Caspian grimaced at the thought. “Acromantuals we call them. They’re the size of a bear or a really really large adolescent moose. You lot have moose in this world right?”
Enid nodded stiffly, her wide eyes glazed over before she shut them with a shudder, no doubt imaging the beast. “Ok how did you manage not to freak out?”
Caspian smirked, patting his wand on his bed. “I keep myself well armed don’t you worry.”
Enid eyed the object warily. “5th question, how does your magic work?”
Caspian twirled his wand. “It’s better if I just show you. Give me your hands.”
Enid hesitated before setting the bowl aside. Caspian steeled himself for a moment, before cupping her wrists. Her hands were as soft and warm as he remembered. He savoured the moment for as long as it felt platonically innocent. “What happened here?” He eyed the blue and yellow stains on her hands.
“Art class, couldn’t get the pastels off.” She muttered, shyly looking away. Without her hands she apparently was at a loss for what to do with herself, opting to tap her feet.
Caspian gently tugged her closer, bringing them to his lap. With his other hand, he brought his wand tip up, pressing it into her skin.
He looked back at the girl, who was studying his wand anxiously. “Do you trust me?”
Enid met his eyes. She swallowed once before nodding.
Caspian looked back down at her hands. “Scourify”. A small light emitted from his wand tip and with a warbled whoosh, the stains disappeared.
“There.” He whispered, unable to help himself from running his fingers along her open palms. “Like it was never there.”
Enid brought one of her hands up, inspecting it with wide eyes in the sunlight. “Woah…”
He couldn’t help but smile at her amazement. This girl just saw him fights a crazy monster, yet this is what had her hooked? What can he say, he was a sucker for showing off. “I can do just about anything with my magic. Clean, create, transform, summon, defend, and attack.”
Enid brought her hand back down. “So you basically break the laws of nature like…Jesus.”
Caspian actually laughed at the comparison. “I wouldn’t go as far as to say that. There are some limitations to my dominion over the natural world. I can’t create food, meaningful money, or life. I can’t create wands, original knowledge, or true love. Seems like a lot of rules don’t you think?”
“I mean, if I never have to worry about dirty clothes again I’ll take it,” Enid replied seriously before cracking a lopsided smile. She picked up the bowl again, holding up another spoonful of now-cold soup.
“Last question,” She said quietly, her eyes unfocused as they bore deep into his. She hesitated for a while, causing Caspian to squirm. What more she could possibly ask. She bit her bottom lip. “Do you have family and friends back home?”
Caspian tilted his head, taking the spoon before responding dumbfounded. “Yes”
“What’re their names?” She asks barely above a whisper.
Caspian wasn't sure why she wanted to know about his personal life. He was pretty sure this knowledge was irrelevant to the werewolf. But he did promise he would indulge her every question.
“My sister’s name is Theodora-”
“Older or younger?”
“Older…My mother’s name is Beatris and my father is Darcy. My two closest friends were Sigrid Sallow and Tarquin Sweeting.”
“Do you miss them?”
Caspian paused, staring at the girl blankly. It was as if every repressed memory he had came bursting to the forefront of his mind. It felt so long ago. That life, was already a mere memory in his mind. It made Caspian dizzy with longing and worry.
It wasn't normal to forget so quickly, to adjust so fast.
Even if he was adept at adapting to his environment, was it that easy for him to forget those people who plagued his daily routine for the better part of 5 years? He swallowed thickly, clutching at his bed sheets. “Yeah… but I try not to think about it much.”
“Why?” Enid implored gently.
When he didn’t respond she carefully covered his balled-up fists with her hand.
He vaguely felt her presence, however, his mind was far away. Was him being so detached from home affecting his ability to remember? Was his memories some how fading faster? He always thought his ability to compartmentalize his emotions was a positive, but what if in actively repressing them, he was actually forgetting them? Caspian suddenly recalled reading a muggle book about something called physics. Muggles proposed the idea of time dilation, where time moves differently for different observes depending on the speed to which they were moving relative to each other. What if every minute he spent here, was a lifetime back in his home world?
“Caspian?”
“What good would it do me,” He bit out more forcefully than intended. He pushed against his anxiety, forcing his mental barriers back up. That was exactly why he didn't like thinking about his home. Enid flinched, but her hand stayed on his. “I don’t,” Caspian clenched her jaw, tearing his gaze from hers. “I don’t even know if I...never mind”
A silence fell upon the room, the unspoken possibility lingering in the air between them. It was a depressing thought Caspian tried to force into the deepest recess of his mind. He somehow believed voicing it into the world would make it official, real. He couldn’t afford a panic attack right now or to lose himself in a spiral of depression. Caspian subscribed to the ‘if I don’t see it then it doesn’t exist’ attitude towards problems that seemed too big to manage. It’s gotten him this far and he intended to see just how farther it would take him. With the help of Enid's soothing circles she was tracing, he was able to swallow his nerves. For now at least.
“So I see we’ve reached the end of our deal. ” He gestured towards the now empty bowl in her hand. “Satisfied Sinclair?”
Enid reluctantly placed the bowl to the side, staring up at the ceiling. “Not nearly enough. Your world sounds so interesting. But I’ll leave some questions for the others. It probably would’ve been better if we all came as a group instead of one at a time. So you don’t have to repeat yourself. Sorry…” She muttered apologetically.
“I don’t mind. I quite prefer the one-on-one time,” he admitted with a half grin.
Enid rolled her eyes but Caspian could tell she felt the same way too. “I guess we’re good then.”
“You’ll keep visiting me? I didn’t scare you off did I?” Caspian only half-joked. He sincerely hoped this didn't change their relationship.
“Of course! I just…it’s a lot to process that’s all. I…I feel like I’m just starting to see you. The real you.” She admitted softly.
Caspian bit the inside of his cheek. “I’m sorry I had to lie to you, to everyone. I wasn’t…I didn’t know what I was supposed to do.”
“I understand,” Enid sniffled, picking at her blazer. “You were in a different place, traversed the multiverse and all. I can’t blame you for playing your cards close to your chest.”
A silence fell upon them. It wasn’t stifling nor was it comfortable. There was a certain buzz between them. It was like they just started to unpack everything, but each layer they unraveled required extensive time to process. He can tell that Enid didn’t like being deceived or in the dark. It made sense given she’s Nevermore’s top source for gossip, she just has to know everything. Caspian promises to himself he won’t hold anything back from her from the foreseeable future.
“She was exaggerating by the way.” Enid's voice broke the silence.
“Who?”
“Nurse Abner I didn’t visit you 10 times a day it was more like 5.”
Caspian quirked a brow. “Oh really?”
“Uh huh," Enid said proudly. "One during 1st break, then the second, then lunch, then after classes, then after dinner before bed.”
“That’s much more reasonable Sinclair.” He said dryly. He didn’t even catch the Nurse’s comments but he was glad Enid felt compelled to correct her dire miscalculation.
“Right? I mean it’s not like I was a hawk just watching over you-” Enid began earnestly, only to clamp her mouth shut when she caught sight of his sarcastic knowing smirk. "No! It's not like tha-"
Caspian cocked his head mischievously. “It’s quite flattering knowing I have someone so concerned for my wellbeing.”
Enid’s eyes went around at his implications. “I- I mean Ajax and Xavier and Bianca would also sometimes come with me. And-and if anything Wednesday probably stopped by the most.”
Caspian’s face immediately twisted. “She tried visiting me?”
“Yeah, I’d come with her most of the time, but sometimes I’d catch her leaving the infirmary wing by herself.”
If Enid sensed any animosity he held for her roommate, she didn’t show it. Caspian didn’t care for grudges or genuinely despising someone. People were going to come into his life whether he liked it or not. And just like how it's futile to try and appease everyone, it’s a waste of time and energy to actively hate every single person that does him wrong. He’s seen firsthand how bitter did hime wrong. Being in Slytherin, he’s witness first hand what vengeance does to a person. How it poison all your hopes and dreams until your future is left with nothing but hate.
But with that being said, Caspian didn’t take too kindly to being kidnapped and threatened with torture.
If he’s expected to live under the same roof as her, he wants to ensure that she never tries anything like that again. Merlin forbid he accidentally breaks her favorite pencil and she somehow deems it necessary to chop off his finger. He briefly thought if he should have Weems get involved, but quickly threw that idea in the trash. He felt a person like Wednesday Addams only adhered to the basics of the natural order. Actions and Consequences. He fiddled with his wand absentmindedly, despite his best effort feeling more bitter by the second. He intended to make it very clear that from this point forward, he won’t hesitate to dole out the consequences.
Nurse Abner poked her head through the door. “Ms. Sinclair times up. Mr.Lee needs his rest.”
Enid gave him a small wave, springing up. “I’ll see ya later kay Caspian?”
It was like all his bitterness vanished with the sound of her silvery voice. He smiled up at her warmly.
“Looking forward to it Enid.”