Another Weasley (FTM OC)

Chapter 4: Pixies and Professors

The next morning was the worst for Cayden. He could barely even get to breakfast, Malfoy had to drag him out of bed. Everyone was getting letters from their parents, Gryffindor and Ravenclaw first years will be eagerly waiting for their parents to congratulate them, hufflepuff will be getting well wishes from their families, some disappointmented but overall ok, but not slytherin. First years will be a mix of pride and utter despair. Some will be happy but too many will find out today that they won't have homes to visit during the winter holidays the same way he did. He hears Molly's voice in his head, her disappointment , her anger, her hatred towards him. He can't do it. Not today. Malfoy however is nothing if not stubborn, he drags Cayden out of bed, forces him to get dressed and walks him to breakfast. Malfoy talks to Cayden through the walk up and out of the dungeons. Cayden only half listening says nothing as he watches the young first years run for the feast. He sees many with smiles on their faces, proudly wearing the colours of their new families. He watches as one student wearing green walks alone with her head down. He knows what she is going through, he wants to reach out for her hand and tell her everything is going to be ok, but it wont. He can't even say it if he doesn't believe it himself. Malfoy tries to cheer him up but just gives him a comforting pat on the back.

They reach the grand hall, although its skies are grey the people inside are bursting with conversation. Many are happy and excited to talk with their friends over breakfast. Some are expecting letters from their families back home and others are just excited to feast with their friends. Cayden brought along his standard book of spells hoping to just ignore the world around him and read. He honestly wasn't even hungry and couldn't bring himself to eat more than a small bowl of the grey mush in front of him. It isn't long before Cayden hears the rush of owls overhead. He doesn't look up from his book. Malfoy grabs a letter from his father with a small tin of treats from his mother attached. It's not long after that the entire hall is silenced by a loud roar of a howler. Cayden froze in his seat. That voice, that screaming piercing voice. It feels like the entire world stops. He had seen her but the voice of his mom, shouting. He can't move. He can't even get up. He can't even breathe. He skips breaths and hurries to catch up. Eventually he gets the ability to stand up and he leaves. He runs down the hall, down the stairs, into his room. He opens up his book pages still swinging open in his hands. He clutches his chest, the stress of this causing his spell to fall. In a panic he runs to the bathroom. He looks at himself in the mirror. He is twelve and his chest is already starting to develop. All the androgynous features he used to use to trick people into thinking he was Ron are being replaced with feminine ones. His natural hair, cut into short curls and dyed an artificial black. His face becoming more feminine as he grows. He grabs an old t-shirt from his trunk and rips it. He wraps the thick piece of cloth around his chest. Wrapping it tighter and tighter until he can finally breathe. It's almost painful yet not at the same time. He takes a deep shaky breath. In. Hold. Out. Hold. In. Hold. Out. Hold. He repeats in his mind again. In. Hold. Out. Hold. One more time. In. Hold. Out. Hold. He takes the wrap off his chest. He puts on his school uniform, the emerald green going perfectly with the darkness of his hair. The spell goes back up, although his features arent changed that much it's still comforting to have it.

He walks out of the bathroom and starts reading his book on his bed. Just when he opens to the page, Malfoy barges in.

"Mate where did you go, you didn't even get your timetable yet. You are lucky I brought it for you. You ok?" He asks.

"Yeah, thanks for the table." Cayden says standing up and grabbing the time table. He looks it over while the two boys head to their first period class. Classes weren't too busy yet and Cayden stayed silent for most of them. Draco noticed and tried to cheer him up by sending little origami swans flying towards him, only he hadn't quite perfected the spell or folding technique yet so it was more like a folded dead fish flopping over to him across the table. Cayden would be lying if these antics didn't make him smile and for Malfoy that was enough. He opens up the fish looking at the writing inside.