The Far Away Truths

Chapter Eleven

Ashton's POV
"Oh you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.
There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.
You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil;
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
if you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;
Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folks use any means
To achieve their ends.
So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!"

The hall burst out in applause. I clapped until I felt light headed. After a few minutes, everyone had stopped clapping and the sorting had begun.
"Now, before we begin the sorting of the first years, we have a few new students that must be sorted into their houses."
Hearing this I kind of begin to panic a little bit. Were they going to separate me and Alder? What if everyone else gets sorted before me? They go in alphabetical order so i wont be going at the same time as Thorn either!
"Hey, Ash are you alright? It's going to be okay hun." Alder whispered to me.
"What if... what if they separate us? What if all of you get sorted first? Then i'll be all alone!" I whisper panicked.
"How 'bout this. After i am sorted, I will tell the professor that you need someone to stay with you. And then i will come back down and wait with you. I'll even stand with you while you get sorted. Would you like that?"
I nod my head yes. I smile up at him. I feel like my creature side has connected with him but I can't figure out why or how. I have my mate. And he has his. And besides, this doesn't feel like a mate bonding. It feels like a sibling bond... and a protection bond... put into one.
"We will start with the oldest of the new students." Professor McGonagall started. "The following fourth year students will be sorted once i call their name."
I am confused for a moment until I remember something that Adira said on the train.
'I can't wait to see Jay and Kay. They are getting sorted first as they are older than us. We agreed that none of us would see our mates until the feast, but im kinda regretting it now. I miss them.'
"Jayden Chase Lupin-Black!"
I watch intently trying to see what he looks like. After a few seconds of searching I see a pair of twins shaking hands before one of them starts to walk up the stairs and towards the stool. Once he gets up there he sits down. I see him smirk as the hat is placed upon his head.
"SLYTHERIN!" The hat calls out a few moments later.
"Kayden Chance Lupin-Black!"
"SLYTHERIN!"
After both of the twins are sorted, the professor seems to have to collect herself. Probably happy that the twins were not sorted into Gryffindor.
The following second year students will be sorted as I call their names."
I know that this is when Alder will get called. But I also know that he goes last. Since they are going by their middle names while here. Just so that no one recognizes them.
"Alaric Prince!"
Aiden (or should I call him Alaric) walks up to the stool after sharing knowing looks with his triplets. It takes a little longer for the hat to place him that it did for the twins.
"A very hard choice indeed. But you must belong in SLYTHERIN!
"Silver Prince!"
"Good luck with your sorting Ash." She whispers to me before walking up to the stool.
"SLYTHERIN!" The hat screams as soon as the hat touches her head.
I start to breath a little heavier. I don't want Al to go. I want him to stay here with me.
"Hey, its okay Ash. I'll be right up there. You'll be able to see me the whole time. And as soon as I am sorted I will be right back over here with you. While i'm up there just snuggle Lucyfer. Okay?" I hear Alder whisper. I know these words should comfort me but they don't. Hearing him say that he is leaving makes it worse.
"Storm Prince!"
He squeezes my hand before walking away. I can feel him walking away. I can feel something as he gets further away. My breathing starts to quicken. I look up and he is already sitting on the stool. As the hat is placed on his head, he is watching me carefully. Something must happen, because his eyes widen all of a sudden.
"SLYTHERIN!" As soon as the hat starts to say which house he is in, Alder tears off the hat and runs over to me. I don't understand why until he is five steps away and I can feel myself passing out. He must have caught me right before I hit the ground because the hard contact never came.
Alder POV
I walk up to the stool after giving Ash's hand one last squeeze. I know that she is panicking. It must have something to do with this new connection i feel between us. As soon as i sit down i look back towards her and watch her very carefully. Our eyes meet. All of a sudden, I realize that I can no longer see Lucyfer.
"SLYTHERIN!"
As soon as I realized that the hat has placed me where I was meant to go last year, I took off towards Ash. Thorn got separated from us in the crowds of people when we were told to line up. We were separated in alphabetical order. Ash was with us because her name starts with A. I can see Thorn freak out once she sees me running. She tries to push her way forward but i can tell she won't get there in time. I am just about there when Ash passes out. I catch her as her head is about a foot from the ground.
I remember what Thorn said on the train and immediately act.
"Lucyfer! Manifest!" I yelled a little too loud in my panic. As he comes into view I position Ash into a lying position in my arms.
"Ash!" I hear next to me.
"Thorn its okay. I got her. I'm going to carry her over to the Slytherin table with me. She will be okay. I promise. I've got her." I convince Thorn.
"Take care of her til i get there."
I stand up and, much to the professors confusion, walk over to the spot that my mates saved for me at the Slytherin table.
"Mister Prince. Should you not be taking the child to the infirmary?" I hear Dumbledore command. It was said as a question but everyone heard the command through it.
"No Sir. This child is the safest here with me. She will come around in a few minutes and may be sorted when she does. Now please, continue with the sorting." I state loudly but softly. I know I must stay calm.
They start the sorting again and when they call Ashtons name she still hasn't come around so i tell them we will do her once she is okay. Thorn is anxious i can tell. I zone out until I hear a familiar name.
"Damyen Storm Weasley"
"GRYFFINDOR!"
All of the gryffindor students cheered. After that I stopped paying attention. Only listening for Thorns name but knowing i wouldn't hear it for a while. About five minutes before Thorns name was called I finally felt Ashton stirring. Lucyfer looked up at me and back at Ash.
"Ash? Hun? Can you hear me? Its okay. You're safe. If you sit up you can watch thorn get sorted." I whisper while i'm tucking her hair behind her ear.
"Storm? What happened?" She replied quietly after she opened her eyes. "I passed out again didn't i..." She finished with tears in her eyes.
"Its okay hun. I got you. I know why. It wasn't your fault. We will have to stay close to each other for a while though. Our creature sides have made a connection with each other. It seems that if we get too far away we both seem to panic."
"Thorn Farren Lupin-Black!"
We stopped talking and watched as Thorn nervously walked up to the stool. She visibly relaxed as she looked over and made eye contact with Ashton. She seemed to have an inner debate with herself or the hat. After a few minutes, the hat called out;
"SLYTHERIN!"
She took the hat off, handed him to McGonagall, and ran over to the Slytherin table. She pulled Ash into a hug and sat down with her mate in her lap. We all stopped paying attention until the last kid was sorted. They seemed to declare that Ashton was fit enough to be sorted. That was then they called her name.
"Ashton Phoenix Arrowood!"
Ash looked at me, and I could tell she was scared. I told her to breathe, got up, and walked with her up to the front where I lifted her up onto the stool.
"Mister Prince! What are you doing? This could be considered a disruption of the sorting!" Dumbledore Declared. He started to come towards us and tried to pull Ashton away from me as he had seemed that she was squeezing my hand. Due to the new connection between our creatures, she started to panic, and I lost control of my creature which then seemed to trigger a chain reaction. My wings, tail, and ears suddenly came out. I pulled Ash into my arms and felt Lucyfer on her back instead of her chest and felt Ash wrap her arms around me as tight as she could. I wrapped my wings around me to protect her as i growled at Dumbledore. All of a sudden I heard a commotion behind me and looked back. My mates and siblings and their siblings were all standing behind me along with Thorn with their creature features showing in a stance ready to defend.
"Wha- What is going on here?" Dumbledore demanded.
"This is my family and our mates. The child that you just tried to pull away from me is under my protection. I do not exactly know what has happened but her and my creatures seem to have connected on a sibling and protection sort of level. You just threatened her. And by threatening her, you threaten all of us! Oh, along with those at the professors table that seem to have reacted as well. Now. If you go back to your seat. We will continue with Ashtons sorting. Thank you."
"WE do not need to continue." The hat states. "This young child belongs in Slytherin."
"Thank you. Now my family and I will be going back to our table."
"Mister Prince. I would like to see you after the feast in my office."
"Very well Headmaster." I reply with a smirk.
We all walk back to the table. We all keep our creature features out because there is no point in hiding them now. Ash sits on Thorns lap who sits across from me. And i sit sandwiched between my two handsome mates. After the feast we all walk to the headmasters office.
"Why are there so many of you here? I asked to see Mister Prince. No one else. You will all leave at once."
When no one moved the headmaster tried to use his magic to force us out of his office. But once he realized that our bonds were strong, he gave up.
"You are all excused." The Headmaster states, put down that he could not get Alder alone.