Old Wounds

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---

Thane opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling of his bedroom. Out of all the outcomes Thane expected from talking to his beast, none of them had come close to what actually happened. The conversation had been rather...productive. 

'I expected a lot more roaring and fire-spitting,' Thane thought, only half joking as he looked out the window to see the sun barely cresting above the horizon. It would be hours before the school day started in any capacity. 

Debating whether or not to go back to bed, only to decide that he was too restless to sleep. Checking the time, Thane realized curfew was over, so he hopped out of bed. Thane changed into his running clothes before leaving. He was halfway across the common room when a familiar voice spoke up, "Where are you headed?"

Thane whirled around to find Rose lounging in a leather chair, her legs thrown over the armrest. "I have a lot on my mind. Running helps." 

Rose sat up while brushing back her long, dark hair, and Thane couldn't help but stare as her pale skin seemed to glow like the moon, "Mind if I tag along?" 

Thane grinned, "Not at all." 

---

"Are you doing okay?" Thane asked as he glanced over at Rose, whose normally pale face was now flushed bright red and dripping with sweat as she gasped for air. "I-I'm... fine!"

To Rose's credit, they had been going at a decent pace for a while, lapping around the castle before venturing out to explore the scenic campus. Despite the onset of winter just around the corner, the grounds of Hogwarts were still brimming with life, and Thane could almost hear the untamed wilderness calling out to him as if to welcome him home and rejoice at his presence. Though Thane doubted Rose could appreciate the view, considering how quickly she was winding herself. 

In the back of his mind, Thane felt his beast stir, though it was only a gentle nudge serving as a reminder, 'I know, I know, I'll find some time soon.' 

Looking over his shoulder, Thane glanced at Rose only to sigh as he saw her exhausted state. Thane suddenly stopped before he stepped in front of Rose, blocking her path forward. "Alright, it's time for a rest." 

Instead of coming to a stop, Rose jogged in place, all while she glared at Thane, "Why...I-I can keep going." 

"Maybe, but I'd rather not run the risk of you passing out on me," Thane replied as he crossed his arms and stared Rose down. After a tense moment, Rose grunted and finally came to a rest, "Fine, you win." 

"I wasn't trying to win," Thane replied before he held out his hand and summoned an orb of crystal clear water above his palm, "Drink." 

"I'm not a dog, you know," Rose replied frostily as the conjured water floated to hover in front of her face. The stubborn girl's resistance only lasted for a moment before she cupped the water in her hands and started to drink greedily from the orb, which quickly diminished in size. 

Thane could only helplessly shake his head as Rose wiped her lips before adverting her gaze, "Thanks." 

"Like I said, I can't have you passing out on me," Thane replied, deflecting Rose's thanks, which she seemed to appreciate, "So what were you doing in the common room?" 

Rose glanced at Thane before looking away and shrugging, "Just like I said, couldn't sleep." 

Thane stared at Rose for a second before following her gaze to the surrounding forest, which had begun to exchange its dark, vibrant greens for the warm colors of fall, "You want to know why I can't sleep?" 

Thane could feel Rose's aura fluctuate, giving away her true feelings, but she feigned disinterest, "Only if you want to get it off your chest." 

"...I'm struggling," Thane admitted, his voice cold and unfeeling, "Struggling to meet the insane expectations that I've placed on myself." 

"Expectations like creating the fifth Most Noble and Ancient House when you're still in Secondary school," Rose asked jokingly, only for her smirk to grimace as she glanced at Thane's face and saw his deep green eyes, acting as a portal to his darkest emotions. 

"That's only the tip of the iceberg," Thane replied sourly. 

"What can be worse than politics?" 

Thane chuckled darkly, "How about stopping the end of the world as we know it." 

Rose was silent for a moment before snorting, "I hope one of your expectations wasn't to become a comic because that was god awful." 

Thane snorted as well before breaking into a hearty laugh, "That was rather awful, wasn't it." 

After Thane stopped laughing, a comfortable silence settled over the two of them as they watched the treeline sway as the wind swept by. 

"I hate my brother," Rose said suddenly, breaking the silence and drawing Thane's eyes to her, "You know the asshole has barely talked to me since I got here." 

"Well, have you tried going to him?" Thane asked, trying to help, only for Rose to scoff. 

"No, and why should I? He was the one who left me," Rose exclaimed, "He just went up and left after getting a bunch of letters, and he didn't tell me a thing or write a notice afterward. I even tried to ask those fat pigs, but all they did was scream at me like I was the one who did something wrong." 

Thane listened as Rose went on to explain what had happened after Harry had been accepted into Hogwarts, which she only found out about after she had gotten a slew of letters herself this year. Rose described her life living with the Dursleys, which was her Aunt Uncle-In law and their son, where she was treated more like a servant than an actual human being. The negligence only worsened after Harry left with Rose, sometimes going days without food, all while being expected to keep the house spotless. 

"Things took a worse after Christmas," Rose recounted with a dark, far, away look in her eyes, "I hoped that one day I would wake up and my brother would be right there, back to rescue me and take me with him away from it all. But he never did. I checked the postage every day before my aunt and uncle could get to it, but there was still nothing." 

Thane looked over as Rose's hand clenched into fists and trembled with barely contained fury, "I walked into the living room Christmas morning before everyone else to make breakfast. There were presents all around the tree, and like an idiot, I checked if maybe one of them was for me." 

Rose took a shuddering breath, "Of course, none of them were. It was the final straw...I fucking lost it. I remember feeling something rush through my body, and then, in the blink of an eye, the entire bottom floor was covered in an inch of ice. That was the first time they beat me...after that, for every little mistake, I was slapped or kicked. I wanted to fight back but couldn't bring myself to do it. Part of me was still waiting on my brother to kick down the door and save me." 

For a long moment, neither of them spoke, but Thane could feel the pain and agony rolling off Rose's aura in waves, and every time she trembled, Thane felt a dagger stab into his heart.

Suddenly, Thane was sent back into a memory one where he was barely five feet tall, and his entire body trembled in fear as he stared up at the Head Matron sitting behind her desk like a dictator. She reached into her drawer and pulled out a heavy wooden paddle while two other nuns held down Thane's hands on the desktop. Standing from her desk, the Matron smacked the heavy paddle against her palm before raising it far above her head. Thane remembered that beating more clearly than any other. For a month afterward, he could barely use his hands.

"See my middle finger?" Thane asked as he held out his left hand for Rose to see. 

Rose was silent for a moment before her eyes flickered over to Thane's hand, "I-is it crooked?" 

Thane nodded and put his hand down, "The bone healed incorrectly after the matron of my orphanage fractured it with a wooden paddle while two other nuns held me down. Caught me making the plants in the garden dance." 

Rose glanced up at Thane for the first time since she had begun talking, revealing the tears trailing down her face and her red eyes, "Y-you're an orphan as well?"

Thane nodded.

"What happened to your parents?" 

Thane shrugged, "I don't know. The nuns told me I was left on the doorstep. I never really thought much about them." 

"You never imagined what your life would be like with your parents still in the picture?" Rose asked softly 

"Well, I figured they were either shitty people or weren't in the position to raise a kid if they abandoned me." Thane replied before letting out a sigh, "But now that you brought it up, even if I knew that my parents were the most loving people in the world. I still wouldn't change my past." 

"Why not?" 

"Because one day, when I accomplish everything I've set my mind to, I'll look back and remember everything I overcame to reach. And in that moment, I'll finally know all the pain, agony, and suffering was worth it."