Wake Up and Drown

2 - Caerus

Somehow, it seemed as though the ground had opened up beneath him.

1976? What did he mean, 1976? It couldn't be, that wasn't even- 

He was fairly sure that an hour ago, he was in 2017. 

"Are you okay? You don't look so good." Scar's face took an a mildly worried look, eyebrows furrowed as Telum swayed slightly on his feet. Telum shook his head furiously, his head and back overheating even as the rest of his body felt as though he was drenched in cold water. 

"T-Thanks," He bit out, and after the boy gave a tentative nod left in a swirl of black fabric. 

So I went back in time, His thoughts raced by furiously. I went back and this makes no sense. 

Telum had heard of Time Turners (how could he have not, with the Rose child babbling on and on about them to Albus), but whatever happened then had already happened in his time. Technically. He thought of the time and came up short of anything he could do. Everyone played their part, as far as he could tell. It wasn't as if he needed some sort of moral lesson either, something sappy on how to think the best of other people- for merlin's sake, he'd had all his character development last year. Creepy Ghost Dungeon Child transformed into the Slightly Nicer But Still Snarky Thestral Prince. He didn't understand why whatever force had droped him here of all places, it'd make more sense to send Professor Potter. .

He didn't even know a quarter of these people.

He only vaguely remembered some names, a Remus Lupine and a Serious Black something or the other. And then there was Severus Snape, who was special to him for a whole other reason all together, and what would most likely be Albus's grandparents. It didn't look very pretty. 

Perhaps the train was going to be thrown off it's track by some huge monster from a different plane of existence. That would be right up Telum's alley, planes and all, but when he looked around with squinted eyes all he could see was the magic singing and juvenile jinxes. 

It frustrated him.

He just wanted to finish and go home.

And then the train that he now knew as the Hogwarts Express lurched to a stop with a sickening force, knocking his bum on the floor and his head against the rail. He groaned and saw spots for a bit, small negatively glowing orbs that cleared just in time for him to see Rosier step out of a compartment three doors to the right. He wondered if he had wandered back by accident while he was thinking, frowning as he picked himself up off of the ground. 

"Merlin, that was so weird." Rosier seemed less uptight now, voice light and amused before he glanced the other way and noticed that people were exiting their cars as well; back straightening in a way that Telum could only guess was the stick shoving itself back up his ass. There was a young Ravenclaw staring at him, and Rosier gave her the most haughty upturned glare that Telum had ever seen. She frowned, slightly offended in the way that only Ravenclaws were, and turned away. Rosier flicked his head towards his own train compartment. 

"As I was saying," Rosier continued almost scandalously, "That kid was so fucking creepy too, what did he think he was doing, coming in through the window like that? Shut it Zabini, I know it's impossible. There's wards for that, remember, he had to have come through the window. Who the devil has white pupils, anyway?"

The black haired boy from earlier (Zabini?) exited after him, eyes closed and mouth curved down as if he was enduring something painful. He opened them, spotted Telum, and with a small smirk tapped Rosier on the shoulder and smoothly replied;