Hogwarts Part 5
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Duo got them their drinks to let Quatre and Trowa talk. He figured that water would be the safest beverage for a newbie like him, but decided to ask if there was something safe to drink. After being given three glasses of iced tea, Duo sat down at the table. "So, Trowa, do we call you Triton now, or what?"
Trowa shrugged. "Catherine is the only one who calls me Triton... and that's only when she's a little annoyed. She knows that I've gotten used to being called Trowa, and understands that it'll take a while to get used to something else. Although it is nice to know I have a name besides the one I took."
Quatre smiled at Duo. "Have you asked your aunt about your name yet?"
Duo shook his head. "No... because it wouldn't be who I am. Whatever my name was as a baby... that part of me died with my parents. I am Duo Maxwell because that sums up what I've been through. It no longer matters what my name was, and I'm not even curious to learn it. Aunt Kitty understands."
Trowa's lips quirked into a brief grin. "That's something I was wondering about. I thought you were an orphan. Why didn't Kitty take you in?"
Quatre spoke up. "I can answer that. She thought Duo died with his parents."
"I can understand that." Duo nodded sadly. "L-2 officials never tried to track down families for orphans. The kids were either taken in, or tossed out onto the streets to fend for themselves. I was really lucky Solo found me when he did."
"Solo?"
Duo sighed. "Quatre... fill Trowa in. I don't think I can tell anyone about it again and not lose it." He fell into a type of depression and tuned Quatre out as the blonde started to speak. Yeah he laughed it off at times, but he no longer felt like laughing. He knew he would tell Kitty later... when she needed to know what haunted his dreams. It was odd to think that someone would be there now to wake him from them. He was deep in thought when he felt Quatre's hand touch his arm. He managed a slight quirk of his lips before sighing. The worst part of it was... Trowa had this sympathetic look in his eyes. It could almost be called pity. "What?"
Trowa shook his head. "I always thought the name Maxwell was a bizarre coincidence."
Duo shrugged. "It's not a subject you would bring up at dinner."
Trowa nodded, not saying anything more on the subject. It was ten minutes before he said anything again. "I'd better get going. If I don't see you two beforehand, I'll see you on the train. Take care."
"You too, Trowa." Quatre watched Trowa leave and then sighed in disappointment. "If only..."
"... He would notice." Duo smirked as Quatre gave him a look. "Oh PLEASE! You are so obvious it's almost a physical thing. Trowa comes in sight of you and you go all starry-eyed. News flash, Quat. He HAS noticed. He's just waiting for you to stop mooning over him and actually do something about it." He finished his beverage and brought the glass to the bartender.
Quatre frowned in thought as Duo paid the tab. "Duo... what makes you think he's even interested in me?"
"A small talk we had while I was helping him out on the colony." Duo was referring to the incident on X381999 when he helped prevent the colony from dropping. "He said you were a worrywart and a fussbudget and the dearest thing in the universe to him. He also said that he'd wait for you to stop acting like an indecisive schoolgirl and actually hit on him. He's letting you lead, Quatre, because he doesn't want to rush you."
Quatre blinked. "Have I been blind?"
Duo laughed at Quatre's owlish expression. "No... you've just been so busy wishing Trowa noticed you to notice him noticing you." He frowned and went over that sentence. "Did that make sense?"
It was Quatre's turn to laugh. "Yes... it made sense, Duo. I think only you could make a sentence like that make sense."
"Gee... thanks! Let's go. I want to get home before Aunt Kitty starts to worry." He shook his head. "Never thought someone would be worried about me."
Quatre reached out and touched Duo's arm. "Everyone has someone, Duo, that worries. You just took longer to find her." He returned the smile that Duo gave him. "Come on... let's get you home so you can catch up a bit. I know you don't want to look like a total dunce."
Duo laughed. "Why should I stop looking like one now, Quatre? Do you know how much work it is to look like you're lazy? It takes a lot of intelligence to appear dumb."
Quatre nodded at that. "I know, Duo. Come on... let's get you home."
*****
After dinner that evening, Duo sat and gazed out his window at the sparkling flowers in Kitty's garden. He lazily ran the detangling brush through his hair for the sheer pleasure of brushing his hair. Shinigami was curled up beside him, purring contentedly. When he had gotten back, he'd let Kitty cast the Feles Intellectus spell so he could understand Shi-chan... and found her to be a delightful conversationalist. He saw Kitty in the faint reflective surface of the window and smiled a little.
"Quatre... mentioned you might want to talk to me about something." She sat beside Duo and drew him into her arms. "Does it have something to do with the nightmares you had last night?"
Duo smirked a little, though he felt no mirth. "Yeah. I'm sorry if I woke you up."
"Tell me? I want to help you in any way I can."
Duo's smile had a little more heart in it as he met his aunt's gaze in the glass. "I know. I just... don't know if I can tell it without falling to pieces." Even thinking about sharing his past brought a painful lump of fear and despair to his stomach. "Give me a few minutes... to gather my thoughts."
Kitty nodded. "I'll be back in a bit with some chamomile tea."
While waiting, Duo deftly braided his hair. He lost himself in his memories and tried to find words with which to explain.
-Why are you so nervous? I can smell it, you know!- Shinigami opened her eyes and peered at Duo. -Would you feel better if I left the room for a while? Leave you with Kitty?-
Duo smiled and nodded as he opened the window. After wrapping an elastic band around the end of his braid, he settled down on the floor and wrapped a blanket around himself to ward off the chill... both real and remembered. He delved into his memories as he heard Kitty approaching.
Kitty paused when she entered and felt a sting of sadness as she gazed upon her nephew... who looked, for all the world, as if he were still a child on the street. She turned the lights up a bit and settled beside him. "Tell me. I will do what I can to help."
Duo took a deep breath. "It's hard... everything is so jumbled, that I'm not sure what the right order is. What do you want to know?"
Kitty pulled Duo so he was resting his head against her shoulder. "Try starting at the beginning."
After taking a deep breath, Duo did just that.
*****
It was dawn before Duo finished his story, and Kitty was finding it hard not to weep for the pain her sister's child had suffered. Waking up one day with no past and not much chance at a future. How he had watched, helplessly, as his best friend in the universe died on him. How, as a mere child of seven, he'd taken the position of a leader to protect those in his care. How he had seen more death in his first ten years than any soldier should ever have to see in battle... and how he had learned just how unfair the universe was by watching the only mother he remembered die. She marvelled at the strength the boy beside her had, and she wouldn't have been able to feel more pride in him than she would if she had given birth to him herself.
"And... that's about all there is to it." Duo's eyes were dry, but had a vacant and haunted look to them. His voice, though steady, had a despairing edge to it.
Kitty smiled gently and hugged Duo close. "I marvel at your strength, child. If you do as well at Hogwarts as you have done with every other aspect of your life... you'll be at the top of your class."
"But... I did everything WRONG!"
Kitty shook her head and realized that the one thing Duo craved... was something he had never gotten. "Duo... you did what you thought you had to do. You thought... as no child should HAVE to think. Look at me." She saw how lost he looked and stroked his cheek. "Do you trust me not to lie to you?" At Duo's nod, she let herself smile and let her eyes become warm and loving. "So listen to me, and know that what I say is the truth. It was not your fault. You should not blame yourself for things that were out of your hands." She watched his lower lip tremble and nodded. "Let go of the blame, child. You did the right thing. You saved most of those children, and you tried to save the people of the church. You should not have had to worry about either. You survived and grew stronger. It was not your fault. None of it was your fault."
She caught Duo as he pitched forward and held him as he let go of some of the grief he'd kept bottled up for a long time.
For the first time in Duo Maxell's memory... he broke down and cried. It was, oddly enough, a relief to him.
TBC...
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