---

Casey was going to visit his mother. The thing of it was no one could know for Darla's continued safety and recovery. Casey had never talked about his mother to anyone save a few people. He wasn't about to start pouring his heart out to anyone. Getting to his mother's cottage was going to be tricky. He had yet to secure his Invisibility Cloak. The top of the line ones were heavily monitored. At this rate Casey could read all of his Invisibility Book and try creating his own. He could have had Dingy bring him but given Mr. Morgan's suggestion that he was too reliant on his own elf...Casey had let Dingy work wherever he wanted, school or Doherty Manor or Darla's cottage. That left one option. Casey had the elements of his Hexy disguise in a collapsed bag.

The figure of Casey went to the village avoiding the other crowds. The first stop was the Three Broomsticks but not for a drink. Instead, Hexy walked out a few minutes later.

She strode confidently down the village lane but ever alert to if anyone paid attention to her. Dozens of students and witches and wizards were about. Many third years on their first visit. A crowd to blend into. Finally she reached the lonely cottage. After checking that no one else was around, she snuck around the back and lifted some of the security enchantments on the door. Hexy slipped in then recast the spells. Then she fiddled with a sneakoscope.

There was a sound behind her. Turning, she found Dingy was behind her.

"This was the easiest way to get here unnoticed." The voice was different than Casey's but the tone matched his usual demeanor. "How's mother?"

"Mistress Darla is fine." The elf tilted slightly, unnerved. "But..."

"I need a minute to change before I see her. Keep her occupied for me."

"But...Mistress Darla..."

"Dingy?" came the question, soft and inquisitive from the doorway. Darla was upright but frail, wrapped in a shawl. "Who is it? Oh."

Mother and child locked eyes for the first time in years when both were fully conscious. "Oh, Casey. I forgot you were going to visit."

Casey fully realized that he was standing before his mother dressed in a wig, jeans, and red hoodie, the most causal clothes he had ever worn. "Mother. Err, I can explain this." His voice cracked.

"You've grown so much. You look so different." She came closer, brushing a lock of her offspring's hair. The wig. "You turned so dark. But I guess a mother misses out when she hasn't seen her daughter for so long."

Daughter.

The split of Casey or Hexy was rigid. No motion, no physical response, but there was a flood of memories. The walks in the garden, the tea parties, the time spent at his mother's bed when her health declined. The girl Casey had been growing up that he had tried to forget. Had been forced to forget.

Casey, Casey the mother's daughter, fell against her mother. They were nocked off balance for a moment but steadied into an embrace. Was there supposed to be tears? Hearts breaking? Warmth? There was a twinge of heat. But Casey knew this moment was special. This was something to keep protected.

"Here. I should have had something ready before you came. How about some tea? No, Dingy, I can get it." Darla tottered off. The moment left, and in it's wake...

Seeing the house elf was a grounding presence, a sense of plunging off a thousand foot cliff while standing still. Casey, the fourth year Slytherin lad that raised the bar and faltered, exhausted, during his schooling at the castle. The boy who had planned out each stage of rescuing his mother and how things would change. The boy whose mind reeled with the realization that his mother still considered him a girl.

"Dingy? Did she, really just," he broke into a harsh whisper as water echoed in a distant kettle.

The elf could only tremble about the head.

---

They didn't talk about anything of great consequence. Over the single cup of tea Casey talked about school and magic in general. Nothing of home for family. It was probably better that Darla didn't seem to have any mind about the other O'Doherty's. Especially Casey's father. The small bits of what it was like to learn magic, classes like Transfiguration and Charms, was short but substantial to outweigh all about that was unsaid. Especially one thing...

But Casey had made a choice by that point. If his grandparents, father, and unassumingly the rest of the family wanted him to be a boy...he could could equally be a girl for his mother.

Pretend to be one thing, pretend to be the other.

"Sorry, about not visiting the days we had as buffer before the school weak began."

"It's alright, it was more important for you to be ready for school. I wouldn't have been much company, I got a chill from the move. The air seems a bit thinner here."

"Hogwarts and Hogsmeade are in more of the highlands, higher altitude. Hogsmeade can get snow rather early but it should be warm enough in the cottage..."

There was the spinning and buzzing of the sneakoscope that Casey had brought into the room.

"Oh my! What is that?"

"Sec--it means someone's at the door."

"A friend of yours?"

That made Casey pause. Hah, even if he had a friend he wouldn't invite them here. "I'll see if it is. Whoever is at the door you won't be bothered, mother."

"There's no problem if they come in--"

"Nope, not to visit, I just remembered having another plan." He was inventing an excuse in split seconds. "There's this tea shop. Puddifoot's. A few...girls...wanted to meet up there for..." This was his brilliant excuse?

Somehow it worked. "Oh. That. I won't keep you then." Though her smile was playful there was something off putting in Casey's mind when observing it.

"I just need to check something, upstairs." The windows where enchanted where the occupants could look out but outsiders would only see empty room. "I won't be long, I'll bring you something. Should be back before I need to leave for curfew."

"Have fun."

Casey still had to roll his eyes. As if something was really going to happen...