Chapter Text
If Cai Xukun had to choose a word to describe that damn Gryffindor chaser, Zhu Zhengting, infuriating would be his first choice.
Quidditch matches between the Gryffindors and Slytherins were always incredibly heated. Both teams have very good players, and as a Slytherin's captain and seeker, Xukun’s sure that Slytherin would be the winner and he would catch the snitch.
But whenever he saw the Gryffindor team flying at the same time, he always seemed to spot their infamous chaser, Xukun felt an annoying heartburn in his chest. Xukun didn't even know why he was so pissed.
As a seeker, he supposed to seek a golden snitch, but all Cai Xukun could see was the golden haired boy who flew around the pitch. And hey, it’s not his fault that his eyes always caught something akin to a yellowish color. That shit was mesmerizing.
Everybody in Hogwarts knew Zhengting as the golden boy. His OWL's were full of Os, even tutoring some kids last year. Zhengting was the kind of friend who always made you laugh, and of course, a really good chaser. His flying skill is above everyone’s— always fast and sharp, even a Bludger can't touch him.
“Kun!”, Ziyi, his teammate screamed, warning him about a bludger coming his way. Fortunately, Xingjie, the beater, came to the rescue the bludger away for him.
“It would be nice if you could focus on the match, Captain,” Xingjie harshly muttered, tone cold like ice and eyes hard like steel.
Xukun only tightened his jaw, eyes scanning the field as he searches for the culprit who sent the bludger to his way. It made him more angry knowing that it was Fan Chengcheng, a fifth year like him and the Gryffindor's beater. He was even smirked at by the other when Xukun glared at him.
The rest of the match was blurry. It wasn’t that his team’s chasers were bad—Mu Ziyang and Shangen were sixth years, played with Slytherin's team since third year and they were absolutely good players; and Ling Chao, a third year, a new player but his skill was pretty good. The problem was that Gryffindor also has their own set of really solid chasers. Students even dubbed them as 'the Quaffle trio'. They were a major factor behind the last three years of glory for Gryffindor. Hell, last year they even broke Hogwarts’s Quidditch records.
And who were the mighty Quaffle trio? They were Lin Chaoze, Qin Fen, and of course Zhu Zhengting.
Slytherin's chance of winning was on Xukun. In the background, Xukun heard You Zhangjing—a gryffindor commentator, announcing excitedly, “…ZHU ZHENGTING THROWS THE QUAFFLE AND, GOALLL, ZHU ZHENGTING SCORES ANOTHER GOAL FOR GRYFFINDOR!! THATS 190 TO 50 FOR GRYFFINDOR!! I HOPE THAT CAI XUKUN CAN'T CATCH THE SNITCH!” Xukun sighed, the professors should replace Zhangjing, he should keep down his biased comments.
Suddenly, he saw a glimmery of yellow fly past the Gryffindor's keeper. That was the snitch! It was his chance. Before the Gryffindor's seeker, Ding Zeren, could notice the snitch, Cai Xukun was already leaning forward in his broomstick, trying to make it fly faster. He quickly dived down, making the distance between him and the snitch shorter. Zeren already flew behind him, but Xukun didn't care, he stretched his arms out to catch the ball.
Gotcha.
Xukun lifted his right hand, gripping tightly to the Golden Snitch that struggled to fly away. He barely noticed the whistle signaling the end of the game, the loud cheers made his ears want to burn. But when he landed on the ground, he realized that the cheers were not from Slytherins.
“I KNOW YALL SHOCKED, BUT BEFORE CAI XUKUN CATCH THE SNITCH, ZHU ZHENGTING SCORED ANOTHER GOALS, 210 TO 200 FOR GRYFFINDOR. THE WINNER IS GRYFFINDORRR!!”
Xukun groaned, his head wanted to explode— heard all Gryffindor's cheer and a loud trumpet with a sound of lion roaring in the air. And the “ZHU ZHENGTING IS OUR KING!” made him sick, even more when he saw his laughing face, it was infuriating—suddenly he want to puke.
..o..
The silence surrounding Xukun was so complete, that he could hear his own pulse. He didn’t know it was because the adrenaline or the stare of his teammates. He was prepared for the blames, but surprisingly all his team seems didn't know that he was distracted for half of game, yeah, except those two—Xingjie and Ziyi.
Xingjie just gave him a cold shoulder, walking back to the common room with the rest of team. But Ziyi, he rolled his eye. Sometimes, he had forgot that Ziyi was his childhood friend, Ziyi know him better than himself.
“Honestly Kun, watch you acting like idiot is so fun. But you should seek a golden snitch, not a golden haired chaser,” said Ziyi, his tone was flat but he knew better that Ziyi tried not to laugh at him.
..o..
The fact that you should know about Hogwarts was Quidditch have been everything. When your team lose, the captain will be blamed. Cai Xukun too—he still a fifth year but already become a captain. Sure that the lesser year didn't say anything bad to him, but the upper ones, they were angry, mocking him as a useless captain.
After dinner, Xukun didn't come back to Slytherin's common room, he needed some air. He sat on the corner of corridor, as he felt his heart cracking like glass, spreading its pieces throughout his body. It was always like this, when people expect him to did something more. He was tired.
As a pureblood he always taught to hold back emotions. When he was a child, his father raised him manners and etiquette. It was great, yet the punishment was the hardest part.
He remember, he was six years old back then—still young and naive, crying because of nightmare, that was normal, right? However his father didn’t think so.
“You cried,” the words were uttered quietly, but Xukun winced as though someone had yelled at him. He quickly got out of his bed, staring at the tall, dark figure that was standing in the doorway.
“You know what I told you about crying, don't you?” The man made a step towards six year Xukun. His long hair was shimmering in the dim light that was shining into the large dark room from the corridor.
“I am sorry. I didn't want to disappoint you,” whispered Xukun, his voice was trembling and his eyes were burning.
“I know that. But you did, and now you have to take the responsibility, I must punish you”
“Yes, father,” Xukun raised his head and looked at the tall man before him. “I understand that I have made a mistake,” he stated in a formal voice. “I now ask you to punish me appropriately so I'll remember not to make this mistake again.”
“I will,” he stiffened as the man took out his wand, but he did not dare to look away. “You know why I must punish you, don't you?” The voice was restrained.
“Yes, father. I was weak. You punish me to help me being strong.”
“Exactly. I don't take pleasure in doing this. Unfortunately, you don't leave me another option. You are six years old now, and cannot tolerate weakness anymore.”
“I'll do my best not to force you to do it again, father.”
“I hope so.” The wand was raised.
“T-thank you, father.” Xukun clenched his fists, preparing a curse that would hi—
“Crucio.”
..o..
Xukun still sat on the corner of corridor, remembering the painful memory. The pain seared through his skin and took away every feeling of safety he ever had. That was his first time hit by the cruciatus, his very bones were on fire, his head was surely splitting, and his eyes were rolling madly in his head. Every time he shut his eyes, he would see his father’s hardened face—those cold, grey eyes bored at him.
That was first time, and he didn’t want to be subjected to cruciatus again. So he was acting like a pureblood his father want to be.
When he was enrolled at Hogwarts, walked up the steps on the Great Hall, student began murmuring his name. The Cai name was powerful and commanded respect. But he knew better than anyone, the respect meant hate and fear.
“Curious,” the first word that the sorting hat said at him. “Brave enough to be Gryffindor, cunning enough to be Slytherin, and smart enough to be Ravenclaw. Where do you want to go?”
“I don’t want a problem”
“Very well.”
“Slytherin!”
..o..
Slytherin was not as bad as Xukun thought. The common room was perfect, a long, stone room under the Great Lake, with green lighting and windows look out into the depths of the Hogwarts lake. But Xukun knew there were no friends in Slytherin, only acquaintances. Wang Ziyi was only his friend, they were childhood friend after all. But Ziyi one year older than him, he have his own circle of friends.
When he walked in slytherin’s common room, the upper years look at him judgingly. He hated it when everyone seems to have a clear idea of how other people should lead their lives. Meanwhile the people same year with him, want to be his friends, or he should say, they want his father’s influences.
He needed a place to study and library was the first place he chose. Near the restricted section, there was a place closed by many shelves. Xukun decided to study at there.
“Hey, what are you doing?” There was a boy, older than him, has a boyish grin, a good looking face, and an overconfident aura, with a gryffindor colored tie, standing between two shelves—smiling at him.
That was the first time Xukun saw him.
Chapter 1-end