Of Chaos and Time (rewrite)

Wren was seated in the common room with Nova, waiting for their new-found friends to join them. Wren was nervous to be in the common room, away from the few people that they have started to finally trust.

“Hey, Sweetleaf!”

“Um, May I help you, Clelia?”

“People are saying you were getting close to the other new fifth year.”

“He’s just my friend.”

“That's what they all say. Just don’t go off and trusting that snake.”

A voice cuts Clelia and her bitching off.

“Hey, Wren!”

Wren got hugged by one of the first years that they met their first night at Hogwarts.

“Were they bothering you, Wren?”

“No, Cherry, they were not bothering me in the slightest.”

“I was just leaving, Sweetleaf alone.”

“Goodnight Clelia,” Wren said with a smile.

Clelia got up out of their seat and walked away. The seat was filled by Cherry shortly after.

“Hey, I’ve been meaning to ask, but what happened during the sorting hat. It looked like you were crying after walking back into the great hall.”

“Oh, that…” Wren looked down at the floor.
“Do you really want to hear the story of what happened?”

“Yes!!!” Cherry said excitedly

“Might want to get comfortable. Let me figure out where to start.”

----flashback to the sorting hat-------

“This year will be unlike the others as we have two fifth-year transfers from Ilvermorny”

Wren was confused, hearing this, and kept looking around for Kasey.

Wren spoke under his breath. “What the bloody hell is going on and what does she mean by this.”

“I am going to be needing Miss Phoenix Sweetleaf and Mr. Kasey Fir to come with me”

“Um, ma’am, there must be some mistake. On my papers, it says Wren Sweetleaf, not Phoenix Sweetleaf.”

“I’m sorry for the misunderstanding Miss Sweetleaf, as of now I will need to call you by your legal name until we can get in contact with your fathers”

“I understand that fully, ma’am”

-------------------back to the current situation-------------

“Where was Kasey during all this?” Cherry asked Wren confused

“ Well… You see, I wasn’t really paying attention to where he was or what he was doing because I was getting anxious and had to make sure it didn’t get to the point Nova would start alerting.”

“Understandable, please keep going on with the story Wren”

------------back to the flashback-----------

When they got into one of the side hallways, Kasey was brought into a side room first to be sorted. After he got sorted, it was Wren’s turn. Wren walked into the room with Nova and sat on the stool, Nova being in a down stay.

“A Sweetleaf haven’t had one of these in years, Hmm”

The room went silent for a few minutes

“Interesting.”

“What.”

Wren was getting anxious to the point, Nova got up and rested his head on Wren’s lap. Wren eventually started to calm down.

“Slyther……. Gryffindor”

-----------------end flashback------------

“I wanted to be in Slytherin……”

“Which is understandable, but what’s wrong with being in Gryffindor.”

“Nothing is wrong, I just well I don’t know… You see, the last name I got tagged with is of a well-known Slytherin here. I just want to make him proud, I guess.” Wren said, looking slightly disappointed with himself.

“He will be proud of you, Wren. I am proud of you at least, so that has to mean something!” Cherry said with a smile.

“I guess, I’m just not so sure.”

“He married the Hufflepuff perfect from when he attended here, didn’t he?” Cherry questioned Wren.

“I believe so… I don’t know what is true anymore.” Wren said softly.

The conversation went on for almost an hour before Wren decided to go to their room for the night.

“Hate to cut this conversation short, but I am going to go to bed, as I am tired, and we have classes in the morning,” Wren said with a yawn before going to bed for the night.

Kasey was sitting on a chair in the common room reading when Maji walked up to him.

"Hey, Kasey," Kasey looked up at the other. "I have a question I wanted to ask you," Maji continued.

Kasey raised an eyebrow and bookmarking the page he was on, closed the book.

"What is it?" The elder responded.

“If you don’t mind me asking, what happened the night that both you and my sister got sorted?”

Kasey wasn't expecting that question and fumbled for an answer.

"Well," he started, "I'm not sure what happened on Wren's end of the sorting but…… Wait, sister?! First off, Wren's a boy last time I checked and second, Wren has siblings? He said he was an only child!"

“Surprised? Adopted siblings are a thing.”

"Okay, I can roll with this. This is fine. Anyway, I have no clue what happened on Wren's side, but here's how it went down on my end."

--------flashback to sorting hat night-----

Kasey walked next to Wren, the two of them following the teacher, leading them both away from the rest of the students. Kasey looked over at Wren, but the other seemed nervous and spacey, but he didn't seem to be in danger of accidentally wandering off, so Kasey focused back on the teacher.

"Umm, ma'am? W-where are we going?" Kasey managed to ask. He was extremely nervous about the entire situation, and the fact he forgot to take his anxiolytic meds that morning wasn't helping. Kasey could feel his heart-rate quickening and his anxiety rising.

"A side room away from all the commotion," The teacher answered, her voice clipped and professional. Kasey shrank a bit at her tone, which seemed just a bit too harsh in his mind. The rest of the trip was made in silence, Wren still spaced out and Kasey too afraid of the teacher's harsh response to say anything.

"Here we are," the teacher stopped in front of a door and gestured Kasey to enter. When he went to pull Wren inside with him, though, the teacher stopped him.

"Ms. Sweetleaf is going to be waiting here in the hall." Kasey gulped at the woman's harsh tone and entered the room. His mind screaming that he messed up and that the teacher hated his guts. Inside were three adults. One looked like if Kasey had killed his wife and kids, the second looked like The Sandman and Santa on crack, and the third just looked Tired™. Kasey swallowed hard, and approached them.

--------end of flashback-------

"Wait wait wait…. Did you just refer to the headmaster as the Sandman and Santa on crack?" Magi butted in. Kasey laughed.

"Yes, keep up. Back to the story."

------back to the flashback------

Dumbledore started speaking, but Kasey wasn't listening, he was a bit busy trying not to have an anxiety attack. A task that was taking all of Kasey's energy. Kasey snapped back to the presentation as he realized that the three were staring at him expectantly.

"I-I'm really s-sorry, could you r-repeat that?" Kasey stammered out, trying hard not to run out of the room.

The Tired one took sympathy on Kasey.

"The Headmaster just asked if you were ready to be sorted, dear."

Kasey nodded, "Right, yeah, I'm ready! Let's do this..."

Kasey sat on the stool and tried to take a calming breath (which didn't work, as it got caught in his throat) as the Sorting Hat was placed on his head.

"Hmm, interesting..."

Kasey's breath hitched, the sudden voice in his head sending him into fight or flight.

"No need to raise the alarm. Now let's see what's in your head, hmm? Loyal to your friends, a knack for intricate pranks, an anxiety disorder, and you value ambition and cunning… Better be… SLYTHERIN!"

The second the hat was off of Kasey's head, he was out of that room. He burst out, shaking slightly as his anxiety steadily got worse, and his vision blurred due to withdrawal kicking in. He was so focused on not passing out that he barely noticed Wren going in and coming out 10 minutes later. Furthermore, he vacantly followed the teacher back to the dining hall while clutching Wren's hand like a lifeline. When they reached the room, Wren was pulled one way and Kasey the other. Kasey's breath shortened as he tried to object, but nothing was coming out. He managed to school his features last minute, but internally he was on the brink of a total meltdown. He had no idea where Wren was, and he was quickly losing awareness of his surroundings when dinner finally finished. Eventually he got to his dorm room and promptly started silently sobbing. Everything was simply too much, and he couldn't take anymore. Kasey ended up passed out after crying himself into exhaustion.

--------the flashback ended-----

"So, like, do you have a thing for my sibling or what?"

"W-what?! No! He's just… He was my only friend at that point, he still is, I just… N-nevermind."

“Yet people are saying you guys are together, like a couple.”

"I-I mean, um," Kasey gulped. "One day, I-I'd like to, but n-now? No… Maybe one day, but no. We aren't together. I, I don't want to ruin our friendship by doing anything."

“Well, a little birdy might have said that a certain sibling of mine may or may not have feelings for you.”

".... You're serious? I, uh, r-really!? You're not pulling a prank or anything, right?"

“Have you not seen how Pho… Wren looks at you? He looks, so content being near you... “

"I, uh, no, I didn't…"

“Sorry I shouldn't have said that as it isn't my place to tell you that.” Maji said with a sigh.

"But this isn't a prank though, right? Does he really… Y'know…?"

“Maybe you should ask him.”

"I-uh, I c-can't…! I really want to, but the o-off-chance that y-you're wrong…! I… really do want to but I…… I just can't, okay? ... I'm going back to my dorm, bye Maji," Kasey got up and started heading for the boys dorms. Maji stood as well and grabbed Kasey's sleeve to stop the other.

“Dude, you understand the little birdy was Wren right?? Like he said to my face, he has feelings for you, and he is scared that he is going to mess up this friendship between you two.”

Kasey hesitates before responding, his voice quiet and sad.
"Maji… I understand, but you need to understand that I physically can't do that right now. My mind is broken kid, it doesn't work the same way yours does, never has and probably never will. I am not capable of confessing to Wren right now and-" Kasey's voice broke, his shoulders hunching downward as he bolted back to his dorm. Maji sat in the common room for a while trying to figure out what to do, when an idea hit. She got up from her chair and walked out of the common room on the search for Wren. Maji spent the next few days on the hunt for their older brother. Attempting to find when she would get a free moment, to grab Wren, so they could have a talk about everything going on.

“WREN!”
Maji yelled down the hall after getting a glimpse of their older, fire-haired brother. Wren, who was startled, started looking for a safe place to go as Nova started alerting. He darted around the corner and found a place to sit down, soon after he sat down Maji turned the corner.

“Hey, sorry bout the yelling, I just needed your attention”

“There are easier ways to get my attention, Maji”

“I know, but I thought Kasey told you…”

“Told me what!”

“I might have spilled that you have feelings for him.”

“What the fuck Maji!”

“I’m sorry Wren, I’m so, so sorry”

Maji sat next to Wren, trying to comfort her sibling.

“He is way out of my league, I mean, look at him. He’s… He’s handsome, loving, he actually cares about me and seems to care about Nova too.”

“Wren, did you ever think to ask him about his feelings?”

“No, it’s too soon for that… I just want him to be safe and happy. I can’t protect him. I sure as hell can't make him happy.”

“If you didn’t make him happy, you two wouldn’t be friends!”

“Yeah…”

“So, are you ditching class today or what?”

“Yeah, I’m going to head back to my room, as Nova has been alerting on and off all day. I’ve already stopped by the hospital wing for my afternoon meds.”

“That’s good! Do you want me to walk you back to the tower?”

” Please.” Wren said his voice sounded like it was shaking. During the time that the conversation was taking place, Nova's alerts were getting more and more persistent. Wren knew at this moment that getting up would be nearly impossible without meeting the floor face first.

” Can we take it slow, so I don't meet the floor in a kiss.”

Maji laughed softly to herself.

” Yeah, no, not letting you have your first kiss be with a floor.”

“I would hope not, I am saving that for someone very important.”

“Saving it for the right guy?”

“Yeah…. I feel like I know who I am saving it for, in all honesty.”

“Let me guess, it’s Kasey”

“Shut up! I don’t know what you are talking about.”

“Wren, you look at him like you are in love. Just like how our dads did every time they saw each other. “

“Maji… Can we drop it? Please. I just want to get back to the tower, so I can process this.”

“Yeah. Are you feeling a bit better?”

“A bit better Maji, I think I can get back on my own in all honesty.”

“Okay, Wren. I love you, be safe.”

“I will, I mean I have Nova, he will keep me safe, it is his job after all.”

“Bye Wren.”

“Bye Maji. ”