Excellence

The Three Broomsticks

After the Quidditch game

He hated to lose. Especially when it’s against Slytherins.

He stumbled his way closer to the back of the pub, hoping the discreet place would be enough to take a breather from everyone for a minute or two. It’s one of the downsides of being the captain and almost a celebrity in his school, the need to always be polite, smile, laugh along to stupid jokes that weren’t funny at all was constant. It was nice to put down the mask once in awhile.

He winked and raised his glass, lips curling in a wide grin at his best friend Céleste. He knew she was also feeling as sour as him after the loss, after all she was equally as competitive as him (if not more). Castor felt a wave of relief and happiness as she smiled amused at Castor, who was slumped on a chair with probably one of the goofiest grins thanks to the alcohol, and waved her fingers back. 

Man, Castor was just relieved they had managed to patch things over the last week after he had been an asshole to his friend. He yelled at her, picked on her over practice and pretty much dumped all his worries and frustration, including their defeats on his friend unfairly. Thankfully he came to his senses and managed to apologise properly and open up about his troubles the other week after their win. The celebrated after and all was well again, to Castor’s relief.

He watches a familiar figure approaching and Castor’s heart leaps only to sink soon after when he sees her boyfriend. 

Jihyuck had a lazy grin as he looked around before leaning in to whisper something in Céleste’s ear with a small smirk, which in turn made the girl giggle sheepish behind her hand. Castor’s fingers tightened around his glass and his smile faltered on his lips, a wave of jealousy and plain irritation made his blood rush to his face as he watched the intimate exchange between the couple. Jihyuck’s eyes never left a certain part of the bar as the couple exchanged some words and Castor could hardly believe his eyes when Jihyuck’ smirk widens and the beautiful Ravenclaw leans in to press a long kiss to Céleste’s lips.

Castor felt breathless and scowled at the scene, vision clouded with bitter jelousy as the boy pulled away with a bright grin and stared pointedly at someone else across the room. The pink haired captain and nemesis of Castor’s from Slytherin, who was also watching the couple with a strained expression. It was quickly replaced by his usual smug grin as someone next to him spoke yet he excused himself after a moment, quickly downing the rest of his drink, grabbing another one and moved with ease towards the back exit, not even noticing Castor’s gaze on him.

Suddenly everything made sense. Dating was obviously a bad thing for Céleste, it distracted her. Gryffindor had never lost these many games before and if Castor wanted to keep his reputation as captain of mighty Gryffindor he had to do something.

Castor was suddenly on his feet, being able to work through the sudden wave of dizziness and pushing through the crowd, he followed Elio outside into the quiet, cold alley as a bad idea starts to form in his brain. It was stupid, he knew it was stupid but he was tired. He wanted something to go right for him at least once.

“You.” he calls out in a surprisingly steady voice, pointing at Elio’s back and swallowing the rest of his drink in one go, grimacing slightly as he waits for the slytherin to turn around to face him.

can we push elio to a side

【 The lost magical music box】

It had been a few years since Castor encountered the small object abandoned on the street, demanding Jihyuck and Vincent to explain to him what it was and how it worked. His playlist doesn’t differ much from the songs he found in that mp3 that day with exception of a few jams he added, mostly because of Vincent.

Fine, i’ll take you up on the butterbeer, next time you need me to bust your brother out with potions i’ll remind you those don’t grow on trees either

Okay fine... I’ll pay you one firewhiskey for being such a good friend to my brother how does that sound?

cpxvincent·:

Congrats man! And don’t mind me totally taking you up on that free butterbeer, since nobody parties like the gryffindors. LET’S GIT IT!

Anyone mentioned free butterbeer? Can it be Firewhiskey?

OF COURSE MAN YEAH! Only you pay for that because do I look like I have galleons growing on trees?

As Castor drags him outside, Vincent opts to simply keep his mouth shut, why bother if the other would pay him no mind. 

Although, if he’s being honest, the prospect of a bruise on his arm is upsetting him a little bit, Castor could’ve loosened the grip upon noticing Vincent was cooperating, but no, dude had to Gryffindor till the end, didn’t he.

Vincent’s eyebrow arches up as he sees Castor take out a photograph from his book. Wasn’t that the same type of photo that would come out of Christopher’s camera? 

Castor’s blunt statement triggers a sense of curiosity to bloom in Vincent. He remembered something about that night, perhaps there was more to Gryffindor’s persistence and stubbornness than Vincent ever gave them credit for. The photograph didn’t lead to much, just Castor’s hand grasping the key, nothing too sinister there.

Vincent shrugs, looking away from the piece of paper. “Yeah,” he says simply. “You agreed to help me look for a thing.”

That, of course, was putting it lightly. Vincent had badgered Castor for days so the latter could help him sneak into professor Jeremy’s office. Upon scavenging all over Hogwarts for a specific object, he’d reached the conclusion that such a thing would most likely be stored in one of the History of Magic Professor’s drawers. 

The man had been the one to have showed them what a time turner was back in year two after all.

“I don’t remember anyone else with us though, so i have no idea how that photo could’ve been taken.” He was speaking the truth, he remembered the sneaking in part, Castor being more nervous than he probably should, given his background of getting Pollux out of trouble. What he really had no memory of was a camera snapping a photo.

Castor blinks dumbly at the Ravenclaw and at his casual demeanor. It put him on edge. “Agreed? I agreed to break curfew and the professor’s rules to help you look for something?” he scoffed and slipped the picture back in his book. Castor closed his eyes and forced himself to calm down,taking a deep breath. He was simply helping out a friend. That’s something he saw himself doing especially with Vincent. It made sense.

“I’m sorry. That was uncalled for.” he ends up mumbling out, eyes looking away both in shame at his small outburst and to look for any signs of life around them. Imagining the wild rumours that would travel the school halls like wild fire if anyone saw Vincent and Castor at that moment, was enough to almost make him snort at the ridiculousness but luckily they were still alone. And he needed answers.

“But Vincent...” he takes a step towards the older one and leans in close, voice hushed and deep, a basic Pollux move. Super effective in intimidating someone into getting the truth out of them without magic. If there was anything else the Ravenclaw remembered he needed to know. He stares directly into Vincent’s eyes, unblinking. 

Helping out with the magical creatures had some perks: spending time with said creatures, chances of better grade, some house points… He could name a few more if he was asked to, but none of those compensated for the fact Vincent would always end up smelling like all sorts of creature and their food for the entirety of any Monday.

Since he’d started helping out around his 6th year at Hogwarts he developed a small trick to get over the unpleasant smell that latched onto his clothes. Lavender.

His pockets were always filled with lavender flowers, it was almost sickening to some extent, but it worked far too well for him to care at this point. 

The herbology professor would even occasionally chase after him, threatening to take points from Ravenclaw the way he took lavender from the greenhouse.

Vincent’s on his way back to the Ravenclaw tower after a few hours browsing the library, already longing for a nice, warm shower, when he suddenly bumps into someone, an apology promptly escaping his lips even when he feels a grip tightening on his arm.

He first looks at the hand before looking at the face of none other than Castor. “Hey dud–” his words get cut by the way Castor was looking at him. Had he done something wrong lately? That was an expression he was used to see on the light haired twin, not so much on the brunet.

“Mas isto agora é assim?” the words in portuguese escape him as Castor begins dragging him outside, the Gryffindor’s behaviour triggering the mindless shift in idiom and a fight or flight stance on the Ravenclaw.  

He heard the older’s complaints in portuguese echo and Castor turned his head to shush him, not bothering to even try to understand his words as kept dragging the boy outside the castle, far enough to make sure no one could hear them. Gossip travels fast and he simply couldn’t risk  having anyone other than Vincent know about his memory for now, at least until he figured out what had happened with him. One could only hope.

He stops and faces the shorter boy, lips in a thin line as adrenaline rushed in his blood, eyes searching frantically around them while he opened his book and took out the picture of that night. A hand, his hand, snatching the key to professor Jeremy’s office.

“We were together that night.” he speaks quietly, eyes finally falling onto Vincent’s after making sure they were alone. He couldn’t help his bluntness, maybe it was the need to confide in someone and Vincent was the only one at that moment he could trust. They were close to the edge of the Forbidden Forest now, it was quiet and empty enough he hoped.

“I- I found a picture on the corridor and I remembered I was with you the night of the murder, Vincent.” he continues in a hushed tone however turning the picture towards the boy. Maybe it would trigger his memory too.