Chapter Notes: all italicized dialogue is being spoken in French
Christian Thibodeaux, in all honesty, had had no intentions of ever writing to Regulus.
Sure, he was a nice boy and all. However, Christian had absolutely no intentions of keeping anything going long distance. So, he had assured Regulus that they would write to one another to ease the sad look in the boy's eyes, and he had proceeded with his life as normal. He spent time with his friends, slept, explored the vast French countryside - all things that every teenager dreams of doing.
One odd addition to his life, however, had been his near-constant thoughts of Regulus Black. The beautiful British boy who had warmed up to Christian within seconds. The boy with that beautiful accent and those captivating eyes that had drawn Christian in and left him oh-so odd feeling. The boy who refused to leave his mind.
Sometimes, at night, Christian would feel the ghost of Regulus's lips on his own, or Regulus's fingers laced with his, or those soft black locks tangled between his fingers. He would groan, and he would bury his face in the pillow as though that would help to be rid of those feelings. He would spend hours tossing and turning, trying to forget about the sharp, bewitching, and alluring features of Regulus Black.
Nothing worked. He would still remember him. He was even dreaming about him, for Christ's sake!
The dreams were always the same. He would be sitting in that same clearing with Regulus, their fingers tangled together. Christian would be staring into the stormy grey, ensnaring eyes that belonged to Regulus Black, feeling the hot breath of the other boy tickling his lips. And then, they would be kissing. And then, they would be doing so, so much more.
And Christian would wake up, drenched in sweat, the feelings from his dream fading away slowly as sleep released him and reality grabbed hold. He would groan, and he would bury his face in his hands, trying to forget the shameful dreams that he was having about a boy who didn't even live in his country.
They did not stop.
Of course, Christian had never actually seen what Regulus's body looked like. So, that part was all up to the imagination. However, to Christian at least, that was not the best part of these dreams. The best part of them was always Regulus's face - the beguiling face of the boy as it contorted to different levels of euphoria and pleasure. The way that Regulus's mouth moved when he would sigh Christian's name.
Yes, that was the best part. Not the feeling of it, not the gratification of seeing stars, no. It was always the way that Regulus's face looked.
Christian could stare at the face of Regulus Black for hours upon hours and never, ever get bored. And that was something that he learned over these few weeks that he spent not writing to Regulus.
As time went on, Christian's dreams evolved. They became much less about the touching and the sex, and more about the conversations. The two would hold these conversations for what felt like hours in his dreams. Christian would admire the way that Regulus looked when he spoke - the little mannerisms that Christian had picked up from the short amount of time that he had spent with Regulus. He would admire the way his jaw moved and tensed when he talked, the way he would absently brush curly strands of hair from his eyes, the way he would move his hands as he spoke. He would take note of the fluctuations in Regulus's voice as he spoke, taking in the wonderful and entrapping tone that would overtake his words when you got him going about something he genuinely enjoyed speaking about. Christian was captivated by Regulus, even in his dreams.
He had gone into this state of ignoring the nagging feeling to write him thinking that it would go away with time. The dreams would die out, his thoughts of Regulus would dwindle, and he would forget about him.
This was not the case - not in the slightest.
The thing that finally drew Christian to writing Regulus happened on the morning of 1 September, 1975.
Christian was downstairs at the breakfast table of his home, eating a plate of Belgium waffles while his father read the paper and his mother made sure that he was ready for school.
"You have your schoolbooks?" She asked, glancing at the paper over her husband's shoulder.
"Yes, mum," Christian replied, also glancing at the back of the paper to see if anything was interesting. Nothing was.
"Ok..." Perrine Thibodeaux looked her son over warily, as though she would be able to tell what he was missing just by looking at him. Suddenly, remembrance struck her, and she nudged his father with her elbow. "Christian, we actually wanted to ask you about something."
"We did?" Asked Augustin Thibodeaux, and Christian stifled a laugh as his mother hit him playfully over the head with the oven glove in her hand. "Right, we did."
"We've noticed that you haven't been getting any letters in the mail?"
Christian nodded his head. "You're right, I haven't. All of my friends are within walking distance, mum, why would I need to write them?" He looked curiously between his parents.
Augustin and Perrine gave one another a glance and then looked back at Christian. "Well, not all of them..."
Christian suddenly realized what they were talking about, and he took a bite of his waffles to push back the inevitable answers that he would be forced to give. "I thought you and Regulus had gotten along?" Perrine said, a slight frown obstructing her prepossessing face.
Christian swallowed and shrugged his shoulders. "We did," he said truthfully.
"Is there a reason you aren't writing to him?" Augustin questioned.
Christian shook his head. "I just haven't gotten around to it, alright?"
Perrine and Augustin shared another knowing gaze. Perrine took a seat beside her husband, her movements just as fluid and graceful as ever. "Christian, you are my son. I know you. With that being said, tell me the truth. Why have you not been writing to him? Did something happen?"
"No, alright! Nothing happened! I just... I don't know, ok? I just don't want to start something while he's so far away," He mumbled the last part, and his parents both looked at him with sympathy on their faces.
"You know, Christian," began Augustin, slowly lowering the paper to the table and flattening it out, "your Uncle Lochland and Aunt Paisley lived in different countries when they first met."
Christian looked at his father, his interest piqued. "Really?" He had never heard much about his aunt and uncle from England. All he knew was that they had a son named Benjamin who Christian had only met a handful of times.
Augustin nodded his head. "Your uncle went on a trip to England shortly before my fifth year at Beauxbatons. He and my mother were going to check out Hogwarts, seeing as how they were thinking of moving there after the divorce," Christian raised his eyebrows just a bit.
The divorce of his grandparents was never really brought up in the Thibodeaux household. Edmond Thibodeaux and Célia Stone had met and married when they were young, naive, and in love. Of course, the relationship was a strained and stressful one. After their honeymoon phase had gone, they were bickering almost constantly. However, when their eldest son was born and another followed shortly thereafter, they stayed together for them.
When Augustin had reached his sixth year and Lochland had reached his fifth, Edmond and Célia got divorced, and Célia took Lochland when she moved to England. Of course, Célia and Edmond got over the bitterest of their arguments, and they would visit each other constantly or else send the boys back and forth so that they could have time with both parents. It wasn't the prettiest of situations, but it worked.
"Wait," Christian cut his father off, "I thought grandma and grandpa weren't divorced by the time you started fifth year?"
"Oh no, they were just thinking about it," Augustin said with a dismissive wave of his hand, "but, anyway. When your uncle came back from this trip, he was absolutely lovestruck. He said that he had met the most beautiful girl to ever exist. She was an American, which I found quite odd. Lochland meeting an American girl in England by chance? Sounded unbelievable!
"For two years, Lochland and Paisley would write to each other. Paisley didn't attend Hogwarts, she was only visiting England on vacation with her family. So, even after Lochland had moved there, he had to wait an entire extra year before she joined him at the English wizarding school," Augustin paused to give Christian the time to react if he wished.
"Well, that's nice and all, but what does it have to do with Regulus and I?" Christian inquired.
"Your aunt and uncle have been married for nearly seventeen years," Augustin commented, raising a mug of coffee up to his lips, "I'm simply saying that - if they could make the distance work - you can, too."
"He was a very nice boy, Christian," said Perrine, "don't let your fears about the distance determine your happiness."
And so, with these new words of encouragement from his parents, Christian spent the entire ride to school crafting a letter (the ride was rather unsteady. In contrast to Hogwarts, students of the Beauxbatons were transported to the school by carriages being led by giant, winged horses).
Christian felt bad about having to lie to Regulus about why he hadn't been writing him. However, what else could he do?
Dear Regulus,
Sorry I haven't been writing you, but I didn't have any intention to in the first place. I'm afraid of starting a relationship with someone over long distance, so I was planning on ignoring you for the rest of my life. But, I can't get you out of my stupid head, and my parents like you, and I like you, so here we are.
No, that wouldn't work. So, instead, he fabricated a quick story and then went to the more pressing matters - how was Regulus? Was he feeling alright? Were he and his brother doing well? Was school going well for him (if he had started yet at all)?
And just like that, Christian found himself head over heels for the British boy with the enthralling eyes and brilliant smile. Of course, he had known that he liked Regulus at the end of the summer. Though, it hadn't been this bad by the time they left.
With every letter passed between the two, the feelings that Christian had for Regulus blossomed into so, so much more. He learned over these few weeks of communication that Regulus and Christian had a very special relationship (if it could even be called that).
Their relationship did not revolve around physical touch and instead revolved around communication and connection. It was the knowledge that someone was always there for them - always there to listen - that made it work so well. It was the longing to receive a letter and the bliss that came with it that drove their relationship to blossom into what it was slowly becoming.
Sure, sometimes, Christian would long to feel Regulus's soft lips against his own again. However, this was not what drove him to keep up communication. No, it wasn't like the other relationships that Christian had found himself in - wasn't like them at all. Those had all been driven by touch, and by sex, and by the intimacy of being with one another.
He expected that the lack thereof was what made this one work so well. Of course, one could have a healthy relationship with all of those things, but Christian had never really had a healthy mix of both.
He had only been in three relationships before this one.
The first had been when he was freshly thirteen. He had spent a week during holiday break getting to know a boy who Christian had vaguely recognized from school. During this week, Christian had had his first sexual experience with anyone, let alone a member of the same sex as him. Christian came out of this week completely sure of something that he had been doubting for years - his sexuality. Though, this relationship didn't go any further.
To be fair to the other boy, it wasn't his fault. He had simply not wanted a relationship at the time, and Christian understood. So, they had ended on good terms and were still friends in the present day.
The second had been right after Christian came out to his parents, and subsequently the entire French wizarding community. He had been approached by several boys his age soon after that, all telling him that he inspired them to come out to their own families. Christian, of course, was very honored that he could be such an inspiration to so many young boys.
One boy in particular, however, had caught his eye. Christian didn't recognize him from school and had later learned that he attended school abroad during the year. This relationship - similar to his first - had been full of sexual activities since the very beginning. In truth, Christian suspected that this relationship had been more about experimentation for the other boy than anything.
Different from the first, this relationship fizzled out on its own rather than being ended. For, it turned out that the two boys were rather bad at communication itself. They didn't agree on a lot of things, they didn't share a lot of the same interests, and their letters slowly became dull and boring and nothing to look forward to. One day, Christian received a simple breakup letter, and nothing ever transpired between the two after that.
Christian suspected that this relationship had been what fueled his initial fear to keep up his communication with Regulus. After all, if that relationship had been ruined, who's to say this one wouldn't be, as well? His relationship with Regulus had been so simple, and so beautiful, and he didn't want to risk it being ruined and him being hurt.
But this one was different. His and Regulus's relationship hadn't started with sex. It had started with gentle kisses in the dark and twined fingers that made them feel safe. It was long talks while they held one another close. It was admiring the beauty of the other as they took in every small detail about their face and their mannerisms. It was Christian comforting Regulus after he had awoken from a nightmare that he was terrified to speak of. It was genuine, and it was raw, and it was real. It was the one relationship that Christian was so, so terrified to lose.
Well, the second, really.
His third and most recent relationship had been different from the others. Sure, it was still full of physical touch and feeling the warmth of the other as they laid beside each other in bed, damp with sweat and in love. However, they had communicated, as well. In Christian's mind, it was a perfect balance.
They had waited a while before they did anything with one another. The first few months had been so full of love and affection, it actually reminded Christian a bit of how he and Regulus had started. Though they did talk less, and they were much less open than Christian and Regulus were with each other. But, it had still been so different from his previous two, that it was so easy to fall in without realizing the depths at which he was falling.
This one had also ended differently. The other boy - who Christian still went to school with - wasn't out to his parents. Or to anyone, for that matter. With Christian being so open about his sexuality and in such a big spotlight because of his openness and because of his family, he was scared. The other boy was scared that he would get outed before he had the opportunity to tell people himself.
So, he had broken things off with Christian. Of course, they ended on good terms. They didn't actively seek one another out, but they didn't hate each other. For a few months post-breakup, though, it did seem like they did. They would avoid each other's eye in the hall, leave the room if the other came in, stop speaking with someone if the other person wanted to seek them out.
This wasn't because they disliked each other, of course. It was because they were hurt. They had both fallen much too deep much too fast, and it had hurt quite a lot to let it go. They had moved on, of course, and were now quite civil.
And now, here Christian was. Entering a new relationship on new terms - one that didn't even compare to the others. One that was full of love instead of lust, and one that Christian had absolutely no desire to lose. He cared for Regulus - he cared for Regulus more than he knew how to describe.
So, when he noticed the slow decline of Regulus's mental state in the letters that he was being sent, he became worried. He became very, very worried.
"Hey, Roland," he had asked one day after receiving a rather self-deprecating letter from Regulus. Of course, it wasn't on purpose. But, it did inadvertently scream that there was something severely wrong with the state of Regulus's mental health. So, he went to the one person that he knew who could help.
"Hey, Chris! What's up?" Asked his friend, looking up from the text that he was studying in the vast Beauxbatons library.
"How do you tell if someone's depressed?" He questioned, dropping down in the seat across from Roland Auvray and giving him a questioning look.
Roland raised his eyebrows but quickly resorted to thoughtful silence. "Who are we talking about?" He asked after a few moments, the tone of his voice making it clear that he was worried about one of their shared friends.
Christian waved a dismissive hand. "You don't know him."
A knowing smirk crossed his lips. "Ah, so this is about the boy from the World Cup, is it?"
Christian's face burned red as a second figure dropped down beside Roland. "Hey, guys!" Shouted the ever-over enthusiastic voice of Florentin Silvestre. "What are we talking about?" He looked between his two friends.
"Just the mysterious boy who seems to have captured the heart of our dear Chrissy-boy," Roland said with a teasing smirk.
Christian rolled his eyes, ignoring the burning of his cheeks (he expected that it probably matched his hair perfectly, therefore clashing rather intensely with the powder blue of their uniforms). "Can you just answer the question, please?"
Roland sighed and waved a dismissive hand. "You're no fun. Alright, alright. So, what, you think lover boy's depressed?"
Christian shrugged and leaned back in his seat. "I'm not exactly sure. That's why I'm coming to you."
"Well, why do you think that?" Roland shut his book slowly, invested in helping out his best friend with the issue that he had presented.
"He's just been... I don't know, off. It seems like - with every letter that he sends - his mental state is worse. But he's not straightforward about it, you know? It's just hints. The occasional comment about not doing the best, or some inadvertent self-deprecation. It's like he doesn't want me to know that he's getting worse, so he just keeps lying and saying he's not, but it keeps coming through anyways."
"Well, can I see some examples?" Roland requested.
Christian shook his head without hesitation. "No."
"Chris-"
"No, ok? Those letters are private. I'm sorry."
"What, are they full of naughty words from your dear British boy?" Florentin asked with a playful smile on his face.
Christian's face burned even hotter - if that was possible - and he shook his head vigorously. "No! They're just... I don't want you guys reading them. Sorry."
"I can't really tell you, then. If I don't know exactly what he's saying, I can't help. And besides, it would be pretty difficult to tell from just letters, anyways." Roland said, and he reopened his textbook to resume his studies.
Christian rolled his eyes. "And you want to become a psychologist!"
Roland gave a breathy laugh, and he looked at Christian with a raised eyebrow. "Ok, Professor Thibodeaux. When's the last time you taught someone anything?" He questioned his tone that of teasing.
"For your information, I taught a second year how to cast the Shield Charm yesterday!" Christian said, the triumph clear in his voice.
"Woah, you're right, I was so wrong! Hey, will you be taking over for Professor Levasseur to teach us Charms?" Florentin asked, and all three boys laughed.
Christian was suddenly made supremely grateful for how good his friends were. He was proud to call them his best friends when people asked, and he was convinced that he could spend the rest of his life with them with no problems at all.
"Hey, have either of you finished that Herbology essay yet? I haven't even started," Florentin asked, dropping his bag down onto the table in front of him.
The other two looked at him with raised eyebrows. "I'm sorry, don't you want to be a Herbologist?" Christian asked.
Florentin rolled his eyes. "Just because I want to be a Herbologist doesn't mean I have to write every essay. Now come on, hand it over," he gestured for Christian to hand over his essay with that same, playful look on his face.
Christian laughed and dug around his bag. "Only if you give me the questions for Philosophy," he said, withdrawing the essay and holding it just out of Florentin's reach.
Florentin's smile broke into a wide grin, and he stood just a bit to snatch the essay from Christian's hand. "You've got yourself a deal."
Christian's class schedule picked up immensely as fall turned to winter, and the days slowly became colder and colder. Christian found himself bundling up more to go outdoors and sitting by the fire in the library during most - if not all - of his free time.
Halloween came and went with the usual festivities - Christian and his friends went to the annual party, and Christian was set to watch duty as Florentin and Roland got absolutely plastered on the various alcoholic drinks being served.
Christian had never been one to enjoy alcohol very much. And, even less than the drink itself, Christian dreaded the aftermath of the awful hangovers and the urge to be sick. So, most of the time, he opted out of any activities involving the mass consumption of alcohol. He didn't run into anyone interesting, didn't have any particularly notable conversations. Instead, he made sure that his friends didn't hurt themselves in their drunken state, and he wondered how Regulus's Halloween was going - if he was doing ok.
On the day of 2 November, Christian received a rather interesting letter from Regulus. The letter itself wasn't the interesting part (though, of course the contents of it were interesting to Christian. Anything that had to do with Regulus, Christian was interested in), rather, it was the footnote.
P.S. You're cousins with Benjamin Stone? Why did you not tell me? Not that I'm angry or anything, just curious, is all.
Christian was a bit surprised to see Regulus mentioning his cousin. In fact, Christian had completely blanked on the fact that the two of them even attended school together. But, of course they did! They were both the same age, and they both lived in England. So, unless one of them had been studying abroad (which he knew that they weren't), then they were bound to attend school together.
Christian wrote down his reply right away, and even put down his own footnote.
P.S. Yes, he is my cousin. Je suis désolé, I forgot to mention it, it had completely slipped my mind. You two are friends?
He sent that letter, and he received another one from Regulus a few days later. He was eating breakfast in the Dining Chamber with his two friends on either side of him. Roland was reading his textbook. Florentin was talking to one of their other friends - Arlette Carrel - who was sat across the table from them. Christian was just eating his food and reciting the things that he would need to know for his History of Magic exam that day in his head.
The owls came swooping in with the morning post, and all four members of the group looked up. Arlette's face seemed to light up when she saw her family's snowy white owl descending, and a bright grin lit up her face. Roland wasn't very surprised when an owl came descending upon him with a copy of the paper in its talons, and he went to read it right away.
Even with the man who called himself the "Dark Lord" being in the U.K. at the current moment, France was still both interested and worried. After all, what would keep him from simply changing his mind about the U.K. and coming after France, instead?
So, students all over the school would receive their copies of the paper, just to be sure that nothing had happened. Of course, the paper would also report on major events happening where he was, so Christian had a very deep interest in it, as well. After all, he had someone that he cared about who was within the menacing grasp of Voldemort.
However, before he could lean over to read the paper over Roland's shoulder, an owl dropped in front of him. He looked at it in surprise, not having expected a reply yet.
He grabbed the letter, gave the owl a quick pet, and he took the parchment gingerly from its envelope.
Christian,
Sorry, this letter might be a little jumbled. But, I have some exciting things to tell you!
First of all, I got drunk for the first time on Halloween. Not really exciting, I know. But, it was certainly an experience. I don't know if I want to do it again. But, maybe I will. When I was drunk, I couldn't really think about anything - it was nice. The hangover was awful though - I do not recommend it if you haven't experienced it for yourself yet.
Second, I almost died.
Ok, that's a bit dramatic, but it was close! I'll set the scene for you: it's the first Quidditch match of the season, Gryffindor v. Slytherin. I'm hungover. The other Seeker is not. We both see the Snitch at the same time, and we both go for it. Mulciber (one of our Beaters (well, ex-Beater now - Wyatt kicked him off of the team)) hits the Bludger towards Deacon (the other Seeker) and I. The Bludger hits Deacon, and he goes falling to the ground.
I give up on getting the Snitch and go after him, and I save him before he hits the ground! But, then I fell, too. It wasn't that far, but it sucked (I passed out).
I was asleep in the hospital wing for two days. When I woke up, Madam Pomfrey (our school matron) told me that I had a broken wrist and a concussion. I've been in here ever since, and it sucks (I didn't get kicked off of the team, though!). I'm bored, and I just want to get out and lay in my own bed. It's too much time alone, I think - I like being by myself, but my thoughts are being really loud all of a sudden. I don't like it.
I s'pose that's all. So, in hindsight, not very exciting. But, hey, I gave it a shot.
Hope you're doing well and that your classes are easy!
R.A.B.
P.S. Yeah, I guess you could say that.
Christian was alarmed for multiple reasons when he was finished with the letter.
First, Regulus getting drunk. While it wasn't the most concerning thing, it still raised a bit of a red flag when Regulus mentioned liking the aspect of not having to think when drunk. It was, indeed, very alarming.
Second, the line "I almost died" had made Christian nearly spit out his drink. Honestly, how could Regulus just throw that in so casually! Like it was nothing!
Third, the fact that Regulus had both broken his wrist and gotten a concussion was beyond alarming. Not to mention the fact that Regulus had slept for two days straight - that could not be good. Christian, personally, had never received a very serious injury. But, he knew that concussions were not something to take lightly, and he just hoped that Regulus was ok.
Finally, the other mentions of Regulus not wanting to think. With every day that passed and every letter that he received from the boy, Christian was becoming more and more concerned. Why wouldn't Regulus just talk to Christian about his feelings? But, of course, he knew why - if Christian was feeling the way that he suspected Regulus was, he didn't know if he would reach out, either.
Even then, however, Christian wanted to help Regulus. But, he didn't know how. How does one help someone when they aren't even exactly sure what's wrong? And, even if he did, it's not like he could just go off to the U.K. and swoop in to make Regulus feel better. That just wasn't possible. He wished that it was, but it simply wasn't.
His concern kept growing as the weeks passed. He could tell that Regulus was trying very hard not to show the worsening of his mental health, but it wasn't working. Merlin, was it not working. Christian could see it.
The letters were becoming shorter, less detailed, and snappier. But, sometimes, they were long and drawn out and full of details about who he had snapped at and why. And, a few times, they were full of secret meanings and countless I miss you's and even a few I just want to see you again's. Christian would always respond to these letters with the same thing - assuring Regulus that he missed him too, asking how he was doing, prompting him to talk about subjects that might brighten his mood, and telling him that he could talk to Christian about his feelings if he wished.
Regulus never did talk to Christian about his feelings. But, Christian had expected as much. After all, Regulus Black wasn't exactly the most open of people. It had taken a moment of emotional vulnerability for him to open up so heavily to Christian about his nightmares, and his family, and all of those stupid things that Christian wished he could erase from Regulus's past, if only it would make the boy feel better.
Christian was thinking of this very problem after receiving a letter from Regulus on 11 December. The letter was full of Regulus telling Christian about how his day had been less than thrilling because a fellow student of his had been hit in the face by some, violent tree on the grounds, and Regulus didn't know if he was ok or not. The way that Regulus spoke about the event made Christian a bit worried.
Regulus kept going on and on about how it was so weird how someone's life could (possibly) have been ended so suddenly. The whole thing sounded extremely existential to Christian, honestly. But, Christian had had his fair share of existential dread, so it wasn't as concerning as some other things that Regulus had said.
"New letter from lover boy?" Roland questioned, dropping onto the carpeted library floor beside Christian.
Christian simply nodded his head, skimming the paper once again with a small smile playing on his lips. Regulus's handwriting was a small, neat script - Christian liked it. Roland saw the look on Christian's face, and a crooked grin slowly stretched his mouth.
"You know, I'm just wondering when I'll have the privilege of meeting this mysterious British boy who seems to have stolen the heart of my best friend," he commented, laying back on the floor and staring out of the skylights which lined the library ceiling.
Christian looked at him with a raised eyebrow and set Regulus's letter aside. "Oh, you aren't meeting him."
Roland frowned. "Why not?"
"First of all, he lives in England-"
Roland waved a dismissive hand. "Doesn't matter. There's transportation, remember?"
Christian continued as though Roland hadn't spoken at all. "- and second of all, you'll scare him away."
"Will not!"
"Oh, you will. You and Florentin could drive him off in five minutes flat."
Roland rolled his eyes, though there was a playful smirk on his lips. "Fine, fine. I won't meet your precious lover boy. But, can I at least know his name?"
Christian paused for a moment, rifling through his bag for a piece of parchment to write a response to Regulus's letter. "His name's Regulus," he said finally.
"Regulus? After the star?"
Christian nodded. "He said his family has a thing for stars."
"Interesting. I know that there used to be a family that did that, I don't know if they still do."
"Could be the same one," Christian pointed out.
Roland shook his head, finally turning to face Christian. "Trust me, from what you've told me about him, he's probably not from that family."
Christian faltered in his writing for the briefest of moments. "What family was it?"
"They called themselves 'The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black'. A bunch of rich, pompous assholes from what I've heard. I guess they lived here until the 1800s, then most of them moved and spread out their family line elsewhere. I'm pretty sure they're the oldest pure-blooded family in all of Europe, actually.
"But, I doubt your little British boy is part of their family. Far as I know, they're known for Dark Magic and all of that stuff," Roland turned forward again, not noticing the tense state that his friend had gone into.
"Yeah, that would... definitely be something," Christian muttered, and he returned to his letter, feigning indifference. He didn't have any sort of desire to tell Roland that Regulus was, indeed, a Black. After all, from what Christian had heard of the other Blacks, Regulus was nothing like them. At least, he didn't act like it. "Where's Florentin?"
"Right here!" Florentin's voice sounded from behind the two, and both turned around quickly. He was strolling into the library, a bright grin on his face. "What are we talking about on this fine December day?" He dropped down on the other side of Christian.
"Christian's boyfriend," Roland replied.
"He's not my boyfriend," Christian responded quickly, a flush creeping up the back of his neck.
In all honesty, Regulus and Christian hadn't discussed what they were. Christian didn't think that they were officially dating, but who was to tell? As far as he was concerned, he wasn't just going to go and date someone else while he was still talking to Regulus. Whether Regulus shared that same thought process was the question.
"Christian," someone called from behind the three boys, and they all turned around. Robin Corriveau was standing in the doorway of the library, hands shoved deep in his pockets, hovering awkwardly. "Uh - Madame Favre wants to see you?"
Roland and Florentin didn't know whether to question the fact that the headmistress wished to speak with Christian, or the fact that his ex-boyfriend was the one to come tell him. Christian seemed only worried about the first, and he stood up from the ground quickly. "Alright. Thanks, Robin."
Robin nodded his head, but he didn't leave. Christian gave his friends a glance, a slight shrug, and then walked out of the library. Robin turned to follow him, and the two walked side by side in silence. Robin, as it turned out, was the third and most recent addition to Christian's list of relationships.
"So... how have you been?" Robin questioned, breaking the awkward silence as they ascended one of the many staircases.
"I've been very good, thank you for asking. How have you been?"
"I've been good, yeah," he paused. "I came out to my family this summer." His voice was quiet as he said it, and Christian whipped his head to the side to look at him.
"Really?" Robin nodded. "How did it go?"
Robin nodded his head slowly, furrowing his brow all the while. "It went good, actually. They told me that they still loved me, and my mum told me that she had known for a long time."
Christian gave Robin a genuine smile that was full of warmth and kindness. "I'm happy for you, Robin. That's very good."
Robin nodded his head, and he swallowed something back. "I... I did it because I couldn't keep it a secret anymore. And I can't... I can't keep my feelings a secret anymore. I miss you, Christian. A lot."
Christian faltered in his step, and his expression turned to one of sympathy. "Robin..."
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have told you that. But... I don't know... I just felt like I should tell you."
The words left Christian's mouth before he could even give a second thought to the weight that they held. "I'm seeing someone."
Robin blinked a few times and bit down on the inside of his cheek. "Oh."
"Robin, I'm sorry-"
"No, don't be." He cleared his throat, and he looked down at his feet as they neared the headmistress's office. "Can I ask who he is?"
"You don't know him. He lives in England."
Robin smirked a bit. "A Brit, eh?"
Christian forced a breathy laugh. "Yeah."
They were silent. They finally reached the office, and they both paused outside of the door. "Well, I guess that's that, then," Robin said, carefully avoiding Christian's eye. "For the record, I hope you and the Brit work out. You deserve it."
Christian gave him another smile. "Thank you, Robin. That means a lot."
Robin gave Christian a curt nod, and he left him alone without a further word. Christian didn't watch him go. Instead, he knocked on the door and opened it when a voice sounded from inside.
Much to his surprise, Madame Favre was not the only one in the office. "Dad?" Christian asked, his voice full of shock.
Augustin Thibodeaux gave his son a smile. "Hello, Christian! How's your school year going so far?"
"It's good," Christian eyed his father warily. "What are you doing here?"
"Well, I have some exciting news, but I didn't want to just tell you over a letter."
"What is it? What's going on?"
"Your Uncle Lochland reached out to your mum and I yesterday. He wants to know if we'd like to go spend Christmas with him and his family."
Christian raised his eyebrows. "Really?"
Augustin broke into a wide grin. "Really."
"We're going to the U.K. for Christmas?"
"That we are."
Christian was thrilled. For, if he was to be spending Christmas in England, then that meant that he would get to see Regulus. He could hardly contain his excitement when he rushed from the headmistress's office after his father had left to write Regulus the news.
Being there with Regulus meant that Christian would be able to (hopefully) help him. He could try to find out what was wrong with Regulus, and he could try to figure out how best to assist him through it.
Even if Christian being there did not help Regulus in the slightest, at least he would be there. At least he would be able to see Regulus. At least he would be able to comfort him, and to hold him, and to assure him that everything would turn out alright. At least he would be there to act as a shoulder to cry on if Regulus needed it.
At least he could try. And, at the very least, see the boy who he was certain that he loved.