If Only You Remember
Once the feast is over, it's only natural for the students to go to their respective houses and then rest. It is what they are doing now. Cale saw that the so-called feast earlier has vanished out of thin air.
He wasn't that surprised, as he always experiences that whenever they are having dinner with family. Before Bill and Charlie leave to work out the country, there's always a fight over food whenever they are eating.
Now that he thinks about it, it's been so long since they've all been together. In the first place, why would he think about things like that at a time like this? He wonders.
- I know you miss them already, Cale, but don't worry; you'll meet them again soon! -
At last, Glutton speaks. However, he didn't fully understand what she had just said, as-
'I know that much. So why would I miss them?'
Cale asked, confused as to why she said such nonsense, but Glutton responded with a gasp.
- Oh my, it's Cale disease! -
'Cale what?' He asked, slightly flabbergasted by the sudden slip of the word, or maybe insult.
- Ah, no. Nothing. Yeah, I already experienced explaining for the nth time, so I'll just shut up for now. -
This is the third time this day he has ever felt insulted and confused at the same time. However, not wanting further explanation, he shrugged it off and continued to follow the crowd of Slytherins with Draco by his side.
They went out of the hall and continued their way to the castle's hundreds of staircases. Those stairs are not your typical staircases; they move. Each stair detaches and connects by itself to a different floor.
For the first time, Cale is pleasantly surprised by the thought of stairs doing the work for him so he can go on different floors without moving. However, the thought got interrupted when a stair connected itself to the floor in front of them.
It is leading underground. As they walked downward, Cale felt the cold breeze touch his skin and shiver slightly. There is no question that this dungeon will be a perfect den for snakes. But, to differ, Cale is not a snake.
"Are you alright?" Asked the person beside him, Draco. He seems to notice everything about Cale, and it's terrifying.
"Fine." He replied briefly, not bothering to be polite.
"I see.." Draco said, but Cale felt a different meaning in the response.
He decided to turn his gaze on him, but all he saw were his deep green eyes, which Cale believed to be a reflection from green fires inside the dungeon, looking at him. Draco blinked twice as his eye color turned into its normal color, like it was never there from the start.
Cale held back his goosebumps and turned away from him. Cale wanted to ask a question. He hates uncertainties, but knowing something can also lead to more troublesome things.
He knows that much, so he decided to feign ignorance, like he always does, from this life to that life. How did he know? He doesn't know. But he feels like, after seeing those green eyes, he knew himself better than before.
An odd occurrence coming from nowhere, huh. That's not his cup of tea.
- ... -
Cale decided to fasten his pace, but the people in front of him have already stopped walking. He looked where they were, and there was a stone wall in the dungeon with some strange designs on it.
"Behind this is our house's common room. To go through, you need to speak the password. The password changes every week, so make sure to see it on the notice board in the common room. Don't ever share your password or let outsiders in unless you have permission or an emergency situation." The head boy started to speak, and Cale decided to listen to it, even though he already knew most of it, credits to his informants, Fred and George.
"Also, Professor Severus Snape is the head of Slytherin, so if you need anything, you can ask us or the professor about the matter. Don't do anything to disgrace our house; remember that. Well then, this week's password is 'Slytherin'." After an hour-long (what Cale feels like) speech, the wall begins to reveal a door that leads to a dim Slytherin common room.
- Saying not to let others know but creating an obvious password. Isn't that asking to please visit our house anytime? Are they idiots? -
Glutton complains about everything the head boy says. Cale couldn't help but simply agree, as he has the same thoughts back in his mind. But seeing how people here take most pride in themselves and their houses, he wouldn't wonder if they created passwords such as pure bloods, superior, or that.
The head boy leads them inside the room, and Cale would agree it's no plain room. It is a common medieval period hall and clearly has a fancy for the color green, which is by any means their trademark color.
What he noticed the most was the temperature and the atmosphere of the place. Compared to the dungeon, here is clearly more chilly, and to add the green atmosphere and lack of light of the place, it creeps Cale more than it did after seeing a certain god.
The students scattered after the head boy dismissed them. The others sat on the empty couches and chatted together, and some took their luggage and went to their respective rooms.
By some means, it is including Cale and, of course, followed by Draco, who's unfortunately one of his roommates. After hearing meows from the side of the hall where each suitcase is, he immediately knew it was from his cats.
Seeing a red and silver fur, he took it and looked at the two kittens. They seem fine. There are scattered pieces of bread inside the cage, indicating that someone has already fed them during the sorting ceremony. Cale, look at the piece of cake covered with paper to keep it from getting dirty in his pocket. It was from the food earlier, but he decided to keep it in case the kittens hadn't eaten yet.
Although brief, Cale released a sigh after seeing the two meow happily at him. He took his other things and went to his room with Draco, who was unusually quiet after the talk earlier. Though he preferred him to be this quiet all the time.
After arriving at their room, he saw two more people, one of whom he's familiar with.
"Oh, you're also here." That familiar one said, Blaise Zabini arranged all his stuff next to the bed he has chosen.
The other one, if he's not wrong, is Theodore Nott. It took time for him to notice them, but he turned his gaze on Draco and walked towards him.
"Hello, I'm Theodore Nott, pleasure to meet you." Nott took out his arm, and Draco gladly took it.
"Hi. Malfoy, Draco Malfoy here's MY friend, Cale Weasley. I hope we can ALL get along well." Draco finally spoke, but with unnecessary emphasis on some words.
"Oh, Hello." The boy looked at Cale briefly and gave a thin smile.
Although the brief introduction has some meaning behind it, Cale decided to ignore all of the greetings and take the bed next to the window. He sat on the bed, tested it for a little, and hmmed.
He's satisfied.
Although it does not compare to his high-quality bed from home that their parents desperately bought because he can't seem to sleep unless it is soft enough, it is still a decent bed.
Draco then smiled, noting that his bed was right next to Cale's, that he had forgotten that he was talking to the boy, Nott.
"Meowwww~"
After hearing a series of meows, he knew that the kittens wanted to be released from the cage. Although unusual, he still thinks that it's normal to be able to know these two cats more than he's supposed to than knowing when Ron will abandon his, as Cale called it, contaminated-with-diseases, rat.
The kittens wrapped themselves around Cale, who's confused about why they're acting so clingy. But, nevertheless, he let them hug him as he patted their fur in satisfaction.
- They miss you, Cale. -
Cale looked at the red cat patting his leg as he decided to pat it too. His eyes subconsciously soften without any care about the three extras watching him in the background.
'I guess.'
- And you missed them too. -
Does he really? He doesn't know. And he'll probably never know. But that one is not important for now.
Right after all the things that happened this day, Cale felt relaxed for the first time. Without knowing it, he falls asleep quickly with the two cats embracing him, leaving his unarranged luggage next to him.
While he drifted in his sleep, the red kitten's eyes shone gold for a brief period. Looking at Cale, the younger kitten tightened his embrace on the latter as the cat had also fallen asleep.
[ I'm home, Cale. ]
Remember, we are your home. As you are ours.