The Outside Perspective

The Great Hall

While all the other first years were looking at the Hogwarts castle for the first time Connor looked at Cameron without his notice. He was focusing on every one of his features. He noticed how his nose was long but not like a beak, it complimented his face and added a sense of character to it. How his black hair was curly but swept to the left. How his mouth was soft...kissable, even. He also noticed how Cameron's eyes were soft, but held within them great sorrow, as if he was hiding his true self from everyone he knew. Connor understood that feeling. He knew what it was like having no one know your true self. He was still trying to work out how he was going to tell his friends and family he is gay. He was barely used to saying it to himself. For hours on end he would stand in the bathroom trying to work up the courage to look at himself and say he's gay. Alex knew of course, they were twins, barely anything like that could go unnoticed. Connor suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder. With a jump he turned around and saw it was his brother.
"I know, it's hard Con" Alex said kindly with knowledge of his brother's crush.
"What're we talking about?"Cam asked curiously.
"Oh...um...n...nothing...just...look at it!" Con tried to brush off the whole subject.
"Yeah...I guess" Cam said. He was still ever hopeful Connor would one day like him back. But that would be impossible if he couldn't even come out to himself, he thought to himself. His father was a very closed minded individual. He believed all wizards should be pure-blood cis males or females.

As they entered the castle Cameron stayed behind Connor and Alex so he could look at Connor a little more. He was slim, but not too skinny. His messy, yet straight light brown hair styled into a side fringe. With Connor's going to the left and Alex's going to the right so you could tell the difference between the two of them. His green eyes, bright and energetic, but secretive. He knew it was a real crush because he didn't have any feelings for Alex, so it wasn't just about looks. Connor was taller than Cameron. He also noticed how they both had a natural smirk on one side of their mouth. Again, Connor's would go to the left and Alex's to the right. To Cameron it was very easy to tell the difference between them. But for everyone else it was near impossible.

"All right cammyboy?" An unpleasant familiar voice sounded behind him.
"Leave me alone Malfoy, I want nothing to do with you" Cameron said with a confidence he'd never had before with Malfoy.
"Aww but your daddy loves me! And my father wouldn't want to hear about you being rude to me now would he?" Malfoy sneered.
"Leave him alone blondy" Connor said while stepping in front of Cameron. He was taller than Malfoy, and Malfoy didn't like that.
"Out of my way!" He said, his voice slightly less confident than before.
"Or what, your father will hear about it?" Alex started.
"Crabbe, Goyle, get these two idiots out of my way" Malfoy said with new-found confidence as his two huge cronies showed up at his side.

Alex and Connor were shoved out of the way by Crabbe and Goyle and they both fell to the floor.
"You two! Stop that right away!" A stern voice called echoing in the hallway. The voice came from a tall woman with thin lips and a strict expression. Alex overheard a girl whisper "that must be Professor McGonagall" and then immediately get shushed.

After explaining how the sorting ceremony would work, the professor led all of the first year students into the Great Hall. Alex spotted Darren who winked at him and Connor and then they continued to The front of the hall where an old hat was positioned on a stool.

One by one the students were called up. Each being sorted into their houses. Then the time came for Cameron, Connor, and Alex to be sorted.
"Cameron Lawler!" Called McGonagall called out.

Cautiously, Cameron walked up to the hat and sat on the stool. The hat was placed onto his head and pondered for a short while.
"GRYFFINDOR" the hat called. And Cameron went to join the other first year Gryffindors on the table.

"Connor Pavell!" Called McGonagall once again. With a little more confidence than Cameron he strode to the stool and sat down expecting to be put in Gryffindor like his siblings.
"Ah another boy from the noble line of Pavell, I expect your father will be proud of you for making it this far. You seem different to your older siblings though...I think...perhaps...HUFFLEPUFF!" The hat called. The Hufflepuff table clapped. Connor looked longingly at Cameron before taking his seat at the table. A girl called Susan Bones introduced herself but Connor was too upset because he might not see Cameron as much as before.
"Alexander Pavell!" McGonagall called and snapped both Cameron and Connor back to reality.

Tentative, Alex walked up and got to the stool. His hand was still hurting a lot from falling earlier so he cradled it in his lap. As soon as the hat was placed on his head it came to life and said
"Fear...that's what I see in you...but also you haven't a bad mind...a lot of loyalty and patience...a lot of ambition too...I have placed your brother in Hufflepuff...but you...you seem a little different...you may...belong somewhere else..."

(To be continued)