VIERTE GESCHICHTE Prinz und Prinzessin (Albrecht Leonhardt)

Deutsches Rotes Kreuz

Die Schneekönigin
Ein Märchen in sieben Geschichten

von Hans Christian Andersen

VIERTE GESCHICHTE
Prinz und Prinzessin

» ... Aber nun hat er ... gewiss über der Prinzessin vergessen!« 
»Wohnt er bei einer Prinzessin?«, ...
 »Ich werde erzählen, so gut ich kann; aber schlecht wird es auf jeden Fall.« Und dann erzählte sie, was sie wusste.
»In dem Königreich, in dem wir jetzt sitzen, wohnt eine Prinzessin, die ungeheuer klug ist; aber sie hat auch alle Zeitungen gelesen, die es in der Welt gibt, und sie wieder vergessen, so klug ist sie. Neulich sitzt sie auf dem Thron, und das ist gar nicht mal so lustig, sagt man; da fängt sie an, ein Lied zu summen, es war gerade dieses: ›Warum sollte ich nicht heiraten?‹ Richtig, da ist etwas dran, sagt sie, und dann wollte sie sich verheiraten, aber sie wollte einen Mann haben, der zu antworten verstand, wenn man zu ihm sprach, einen, der nicht dastand und nur vornehm aussah, denn das ist so langweilig. Nun ließ sie alle Hofdamen zusammentrommeln, und als sie hörten, was die Prinzessin wollte, wurden sie sehr vergnügt. ›Das gefällt uns‹, sagten sie, ›an so etwas haben wir letzthin auch gedacht!‹ – ... kannst mir glauben, dass jedes Wort wahr ist, das ich sage«, ... »Ich habe eine ... Liebste, die frei auf dem Schloss umhergeht, und sie hat mir alles erzählt!« 
»Die Zeitungen erschienen sogleich mit einem Rand von Herzen und dem Namenszug der Prinzessin; man konnte da lesen, dass es jedem jungen Mann, der gut aussah, freistehe, auf das Schloss zu kommen und mit der Prinzessin zu sprechen; und den, der so sprach, dass man hören konnte, er sei dort wie zu Hause, und der am besten redete, den wollte die Prinzessin zum Mann nehmen. – Jaja, ... kannst mir glauben, es ist so gewiss, wie ich hier sitze; die Leute strömten herbei, es war ein Gedränge und ein Laufen, aber es glückte nicht, weder am ersten noch am zweiten Tage. Sie konnten alle gut reden, solange sie draußen auf der Straße waren. Aber wenn sie zum Schlosstor hereinkamen und die Garde in Silber sahen und auf den Treppen die Lakaien in Gold und die großen, erleuchteten Säle, dann wurden sie verwirrt; und standen sie vor dem Thron, auf dem die Prinzessin saß, dann wussten sie nichts zu sagen als das letzte Wort, das sie gesprochen hatte, und das noch einmal zu hören, dazu hatte sie keine Lust. Es war, als ob die Leute da drinnen Schnupftabak auf den Bauch bekommen hätten und in Erstarrung gefallen wären, bis sie wieder auf die Straße hinauskamen, ja, dann konnten sie reden. Es stand eine Schlange vom Stadttor bis zum Schloss hin. Sie wurden hungrig und durstig, aber im Schloss bekamen sie nicht einmal ein Glas lauwarmes Wasser. Wohl hatten einige der Klügsten Butterbrote mitgenommen, aber sie teilten nicht mit ihrem Nachbarn; sie dachten so: Lass ihn nur hungrig aussehen, dann nimmt die Prinzessin ihn nicht!«
»Aber ... Wann kommt er? War er unter den vielen?«
»Gib Zeit, gib Zeit! Nun sind wir gleich bei ihm! Es war am dritten Tag, da kam eine kleine Person, ohne Pferd oder Wagen, ganz keck direkt aufs Schloss zumarschiert. Seine Augen glänzten, er hatte schönes, langes Haar, aber sonst ärmliche Kleider.«
»Er hatte einen kleinen Ranzen auf dem Rücken.«
»... Aber das weiß ich von meiner Liebsten: Als er durch das Schlosstor kam und die Leibgarde in Silber und auf den Treppen die Lakaien in Gold sah, wurde er nicht im Geringsten verzagt, er nickte und sagte zu ihnen: ›Es muss langweilig sein, auf der Treppe zu stehen, ich geh lieber hinein!‹ Dort erstrahlten die Säle im Licht; Geheimräte und Exzellenzen gingen auf bloßen Füßen und trugen Goldschüsseln; es konnte einem wohl feierlich zumute werden! Seine Stiefel knarrten schrecklich laut, aber ihm wurde doch nicht bange.«
»Ja, geknarrt haben sie, und keck ging er gerade auf die Prinzessin zu, die auf einer Perle saß, so groß wie ein Spinnrad. Und alle Hofdamen mit ihren Mädchen und den Mädchen ihrer Mädchen, und alle Kavaliere mit ihren Dienern und den Dienern ihrer Diener, die sich Burschen halten, standen ringsumher aufgestellt; und je näher sie der Tür standen, desto stolzer sahen sie aus. Des Dieners Dieners Bursche, der immer in Pantoffeln geht, darf man fast nicht anschauen, so stolz steht er in der Tür!«
»Das muss gräulich sein. Und er hat die Prinzessin trotzdem bekommen?«
»Er soll ebenso gut gesprochen haben, wie ich spreche, wenn ich ...sprache spreche, das weiß ich von meiner ... Liebsten. Er war unbefangen und reizend; er war gar nicht gekommen, um zu freien, er war nur gekommen, um die Klugheit der Prinzessin zu erproben, und die fand er gut, und sie wiederum fand ihn gut!«
– Oh, willst du mich nicht auf das Schloss führen?« 
»Ja, das ist leicht gesagt«,  »Aber wie machen wir das? Ich werde darüber mit meiner ... Liebsten reden; sie kann uns wohl raten. Denn das muss ich dir sagen: ... bekommt nie Erlaubnis, richtig hineinzukommen.«
» ... dass ... hier ..., kommt er gleich heraus ... !«
»Erwarte mich dort am Zaun«, sagte ..., ... und ... davon.
Erst als es dunkler Abend war, kam ... wieder zurück.  Und hier ist ein Brötchen für ..., das nahm sie in der Küche, dort ist Brot genug, ... – Es ist nicht möglich, dass ... ins Schloss hineinkommen kannst, ...; die Garde in Silber und die Lakaien in Gold würden es nicht zulassen; aber ..., ... wirst schon hinkommen. Meine Liebste weiß eine kleine Hintertreppe, die zum Schlafgemach führt, und sie weiß, wo sie den Schlüssel finden kann!« 
Und sie gingen in den Garten hinein, in die große Allee, wo ein Blatt nach dem andern abfiel, und als auf dem Schloss die Lichter erloschen, eines nach dem andern, führte ...  zu einer Hintertür, die angelehnt war.
Jetzt waren sie auf der Treppe. Auf einem Schrank brannte eine kleine Lampe; mitten auf dem Fußboden stand ... 
»... – Wollen Sie die Lampe nehmen, dann werde ich vorausgehen. Wir gehen hier den geraden Weg, denn da begegnen wir niemand.« »... ist, als käme jemand gerade hinter uns her«, sagte Gerda, und es sauste etwas an ... vorbei; es war wie Schatten an der Wand entlang, Pferde mit flatternden Mähnen und dünnen Beinen, Jägerburschen, Herren und Damen zu Pferd. 
»Das sind nur die Träume!«, .... »Sie kommen und holen die Gedanken der hohen Herrschaft zur Jagd, das ist gut, dann können Sie sie besser im Bett betrachten. Aber falls Sie zu Ehren und Würden gelangen, dass Sie dann ein dankbares Herz zeigen.« ...
Nun kamen sie in den ersten Saal, er war aus rosenrotem Atlas mit künstlichen Blumen an den Wänden; hier sausten schon die Träume an ihnen vorbei, aber sie flogen so schnell, dass ... die hohe Herrschaft nicht zu sehen bekam. Ein Saal war immer prächtiger als der andere; ja, man konnte nur staunen, und nun waren sie im Schlafgemach. Die Decke hier drinnen glich einer großen Palme mit Blättern aus Glas, kostbarem Glas, und mitten auf dem Boden hingen an einem dicken Stängel aus Gold zwei Betten, die jedes wie eine Lilie aussahen; das eine war weiß, in ihm lag die Prinzessin; das andere war rot, und in dem sollte ... suchen. ....bog eines der roten Blätter zur Seite, und da sah sie einen braunen Nacken. – ..., hielt die Lampe zu ihm hin – die Träume sausten zu Pferd wieder in die Stube herein –, er erwachte, drehte den Kopf, und ...
Der Prinz ..., aber jung und schön war er. Und aus dem weißen Lilienbett schaute die Prinzessin heraus und fragte, was denn los sei. ...
»Du Ärmste!«, sagten der Prinz und die Prinzessin, und sie lobten ... und sagten, sie seien ihnen gar nicht böse, aber sie dürften es doch nicht wieder tun, nun sollten sie jedoch eine Belohnung erhalten.
»Wollt ihr frei sein?«, fragte die Prinzessin. »Oder wollt ihr eine feste Anstellung als Hof... haben mit allem, was in der Küche abfällt?« 
Und beide ... verneigten sich und baten um die feste Anstellung, ... 
Und der Prinz stand aus seinem Bett auf und ließ ... darin schlafen, und mehr konnte er nicht tun. ... faltete ... kleinen Hände und dachte: Wie sind Menschen ... doch gut, und dann schloss sie ihre Augen und schlief ganz selig. ...
Am nächsten Tag wurde ... von Kopf bis Fuß in Seide und Samt gekleidet; es wurde ... angeboten, auf dem Schloss zu bleiben und sich gute Tage zu gönnen, aber sie bat nur um einen kleinen Wagen mit einem Pferd davor und um ein Paar kleine Stiefel, dann wollte sie wieder in die weite Welt hinausfahren .... 
Und ... bekam Stiefel und auch einen Muff; ... wurde reizend angekleidet, und als ... fortwollte, hielt vor der Tür eine neue Kutsche aus purem Gold; das Wappen des Prinzen und der Prinzessin leuchtete an ihr wie ein Stern; Kutscher, Diener und Vorreiter, denn Vorreiter waren auch da, saßen da mit Goldkronen auf dem Kopf. Der Prinz und die Prinzessin halfen ... selbst in den Wagen und wünschten ... alles Glück. ...  Inwendig war die Kutsche mit Zuckerbrezeln gefüttert, und im Sitz waren Früchte und Pfeffernüsse. 
»Leb wohl, leb wohl!«, riefen Prinz und Prinzessin, ...
So ging es die erste Meile, ... solange sie den Wagen sehen konnte, der wie der helle Sonnenschein strahlte. 

FÜNFTE GESCHICHTE
Das kleine Räubermädchen 

Sie fuhren durch den dunklen Wald, aber die Kutsche leuchtete wie eine Flamme, die den Räubern in die Augen stach, das konnten sie nicht ertragen. »Das ist Gold, das ist Gold!«, riefen sie, stürzten hervor, hielten die Pferde an, schlugen die kleinen Reiter, den Kutscher und die Diener tot ...



SIEBENTE GESCHICHTE
... was später geschah

Und ..., n, der Wald hatte grüne Knospen, und aus ihm kam herausgeritten auf einem prächtigen Pferd, das ... kannte (es war vor die Goldkutsche gespannt gewesen), ein junges Mädchen mit einer leuchtend roten Mütze auf dem Kopf und Pistolen im Halfter; es war das kleine Räubermädchen, das es satt hatte, zu Hause zu sein, und nun erst gegen Norden wollte und später nach einer anderen Gegend, falls es ihr dort nicht gefiele.
Aber ...  fragte nach dem Prinzen und der Prinzessin. 
»Die sind nach fremden Ländern gereist!«, sagte das Räubermädchen.


Aus dem Dänischen von Albrecht Leonhardt

Vierte Geschichte. Prinz und Prinzessin. Übersetzer: Paul Arndt.

Übersetzer: Paul Arndt.

Die

Schneekönigin.

Märchen in sieben Geschichten.

Vierte Geschichte. Prinz und Prinzessin.

In dem Königreiche, in welchem wir hier sitzen, wohnt eine ungeheuer kluge Prinzessin. Eines Tages fiel es dieser ein, sich zu vermählen. Sie wollte jedoch einen Mann haben, der zu antworten verstand, wenn man ihn anredete, einen, der nicht nur dastand und vornehm aussah, denn das ist höchst langweilig. Nun ließ sie alle Hofdamen zusammentrommeln, und als diese ihre Willensmeinung vernahmen, wurden sie sehr froh. „So hab ichs gern!“ rief eine jede, „daran hab’ ich neulich auch schon gedacht!“

Die Zeitungen erschienen sofort mit einem Rande von Herzen und den Namenszügen der Prinzessin. Manniglich konnte darin schwarz auf weiß lesen, daß es einem jeden jungen Manne von hübschem Äußeren frei stände, auf das Schloß zu kommen und mit der Prinzessin zu sprechen, und den, welcher so zu reden verstände, daß er sich trotz des ihn umgebenden Glanzes unbefangen äußerte und zugleich am besten spräche, den wollte die Prinzessin zum Manne nehmen! — Die Leute strömten herzu, da war ein Gedränge und Gelaufe, aber dennoch glückte es niemand, weder den ersten noch den zweiten Tag. Wenn sie draußen auf der Straße waren, konnten alle vortrefflich plaudern, sobald sie aber zum Schloßportale hereintraten und die silberstrotzenden Leibwächter und die Treppen hinauf die Diener in Gold und die großen erleuchteten Säle erblickten, dann wurden sie verwirrt. Standen sie nun vor dem Throne, auf welchem die Prinzessin saß, so vermochten sie nur ihr letztes Wort nachzusprechen, und diese Wiederholung flößte ihr kein Interesse ein. In ganzen Reihen standen sie vom Stadtthore bis zum Schlosse.“  

„Wann kam er? Befand er sich unter der Menge?“

„Eile mit Weile! nun sind wir gerade bei ihm! Am dritten Tage kam eine kleine Person, weder mit Pferd, noch mit Wagen, ganz lustig und guter Dinge gerade auf das Schloß hinaufspaziert. Seine Augen blitzten, er hatte prächtiges langes Haar, aber sonst ärmliche Kleider.“

„Er, als er in das Schloßthor hineintrat und die silberstrotzenden Leibwachen und die Treppen hinauf die Diener in Gold erblickte, nicht im Geringsten in Verlegenheit geriet. Er nickte ihnen flüchtig zu und sagte: „Das muß langweilig sein, auf der Treppe zu stehen. Ich gehe lieber hinein!“ Drinnen erglänzten die Säle in hellem Kerzenscheine. Geheimeräte und Exzellenzen gingen auf bloßen Füßen und trugen goldene Gefäße; man konnte wohl beklommen werden. Seine Stiefel knarrten entsetzlich laut, doch schien er sich darüber gar nicht zu beunruhigen.“

„Ja, geknarrt haben sie!“ ... „und munter und guter Dinge ging er gerade zur Prinzessin hinein; dieselbe saß auf einer Perle, die so groß wie ein Spinnrad war. Alle Hofdamen mit ihren Zofen, und den Zofen ihre Zofen, und alle Kavaliere mit ihren Dienern, und den Dienern ihrer Diener, die sich auch einen Burschen hielten, standen ringsherum aufgestellt.“

„Das muß fürchterlich sein!“ „Und er  hat die Prinzessin doch bekommen?“

„Ja, er hat sie bekommen,“ ... „da er so gut zu reden verstand.“

„ — O, willst du mich nicht auf dem Schlosse einführen!“

„Ja, das ist leicht gesagt!“ „Aber wie machen wir das? Denn das will ich ... nur sagen, so ein ..., ...,  erhält nie Erlaubnis zum Eintritt!“

„Ja, die bekomme ...!“ ... „... kommt er gleich heraus ...!“

„Erwarte mich dort am Zaune!“ erwiderte ..., ... und ... davon.

Es war schon dunkel, als ... zurückkehrte. ... „Es ist für ... unmöglich, in das Schloß zu gelangen, .... Die silberstrotzenden Leibwachen und Diener in Gold würden es nicht gestatten. ..., sollst doch schon hinaufkommen. Ich habe nämlich eine Base, die im Schlosse Kammerjungfer ist, die kennt eine kleine Hintertreppe, die zum Schlafzimmer hinaufführt, und sie weiß, wo sie den Schlüssel holen kann!“

Sie gingen in den Garten hinein, in den großen Baumgang, wo schon ein Blatt nach dem andern abfiel, und als auf dem Schlosse nach und nach die Lichter ausgelöscht wurden, führte ... zu einer Hinterthür, die nur angelehnt war.

Nun waren sie auf der Treppe. Dort brannte eine kleine Lampe auf einem Schranke. Mitten auf dem Fußboden stand ...

„Ich werde vorangehen,“ begann ... „Wir gehen hier den geraden Weg, denn da begegnen wir niemand!“

„... ist, als ob jemand hinter uns kommt!“ ...  und es sauste wirklich etwas an ... vorüber. Es war, als ob Schatten über die Wand hin glitten, Pferde mit flatternden Mähnen und schlanken Beinen, Jägerburschen, Herren und Damen zu Pferde.

„Das sind nur Träume!“ ..., „sie kommen und holen die Gedanken der hohen Herrschaft zur Jagd ab.“

Nun traten sie in den ersten Saal hinein; er war mit rosenrotem Atlas behängt und künstliche Blumen zogen sich an allen Wänden hinauf. Hier sausten die Träume schon an ihnen vorüber, flogen aber so schnell, daß ... die hohe Herrschaft nicht zu sehen bekam. Ein Saal war immer prächtiger als der andere; der Anblick der vielen Kostbarkeiten konnte einen förmlich betäuben. Jetzt waren sie in dem Schlafzimmer. Die Decke desselben glich einer großen Palme mit Blättern vom herrlichsten Glase, und mitten auf dem Fußboden hingen an einem dicken Stengel von Gold zwei Betten, deren jedes die Gestalt einer Lilie hatte. Das eine, in welchem die Prinzessin lag, war weiß; das andere war rot, und in diesem sollte ... suchen. ... bog eines der roten Blätter zur Seite und da erblickte ... einen braunen Nacken. Ja, das war Kay! ..., hielt die Lampe, daß das Licht auf ihn fiel — die Träume sausten zu Pferde wieder in die Stube hinein — er erwachte, wandte das Haupt — — — ...

Der Prinz ..., war aber jung und schön. Und aus dem weißen Lilienbette guckte die Prinzessin hervor und fragte, was das wäre. ...

„Du arme ...!“ sagten der Prinz und die Prinzessin und lobten ... und sagten, sie wären gar nicht böse auf sie, sie sollten es aber doch ja nicht öfter thun. Indes sollten sie eine Belohnung erhalten.

„Wollt ihr frei ...?“ sagte die Prinzessin, „oder wollt ihr eine feste Anstellung als Hof... haben, mit allem, was aus der Küche abfällt?“

Und beide ... verneigten sich und baten um feste Anstellung, ...

Der Prinz erhob sich aus seinem Bette und ließ ... in demselben schlafen, und mehr konnte er doch nicht thun. ... faltete ... kleinen Händchen und dachte: „Wie gut Menschen ... doch sind!“ und dann schloß ... die Augen und entschlummerte sanft.

Am nächsten Morgen wurde ... von Kopf bis zu Fuß in Sammet und Seide gekleidet. ... wurde freundlich aufgefordert, auf dem Schlosse zu bleiben und herrlich und in Freuden zu leben, aber ... bat lediglich um einen kleinen Wagen mit einem Pferde und um ein Paar Stiefelchen, dann wollte ... wieder in die weite Welt hinausfahren ....

... erhielt sowohl Stiefelchen als auch einen Muff und ward niedlich gekleidet. Als ... fort wollte, hielt vor der Thüre ein neues Wägelchen aus reinem Golde, das Wappen des Prinzen und der Prinzessin leuchtete wie ein Stern auf demselben. Kutscher, Diener und Vorreiter saßen da mit goldenen Kronen auf dem Kopfe. Der Prinz und die Prinzessin halfen ... in den Wagen und wünschten ... alles Glück. „Lebewohl, lebewohl!“ riefen ... beide nach, .... Inwendig war der Wagen mit Zuckerbretzeln gefüttert und die Sitzkasten waren mit Früchten und Pfeffernüssen angefüllt.

So ging es die ersten drei Meilen, ... solange ... noch den Wagen, der wie der helle Sonnenschein glänzte, sehen konnte.

Fünfte Geschichte. Das kleine Räubermädchen.

Sie fuhren durch den dunklen Wald, aber der Wagen leuchtete weithin. „Das ist Gold!“ riefen die Räuber, stürzten hervor, fielen den Pferden in die Zügel, erschlugen die kleinen Vorreiter, den Kutscher und die Diener ...

Siebente Geschichte. Im Schlosse der Schneekönigin.

..., der Wald trieb grüne Knospen und aus demselben heraus kam auf einem prächtigen Pferde, welches ... kannte (es war nämlich vor den goldenen Wagen gespannt gewesen), ein junges Mädchen angeritten mit einer weithin leuchtenden roten Mütze auf dem Kopfe und Pistolen im Gürtel. Es war das kleine Räubermädchen. ... und fragte nach dem Prinzen und der Prinzessin.

„Die sind nach fremden Ländern gereist!“ sagte das Räubermädchen.

Schneekönigin 4. Prinz und Prinzessin – Märchen

Inhalt / Zusammenfassung

Der vierte Teil von Die Schneekönigin führt .... ... eine Geschichte von der Prinzessin, die einen einfachen Jungen zum Mann nahm, weil dieser sie mit Wortgewandtheit beeindruckte. ... brachte ... zum Schloss der Prinzessin und des Prinzen. ...

Prinz und Prinzessin hatten Mitleid ..., kleideten ... ein, gaben ... eine Kutsche und wünschten ... viel Erfolg auf der Suche ... 

Interpretation

Prinz und Prinzessin aus dem Märchen Die Schneekönigin lässt Hoffnung aufglühen, die schnell wieder zu Enttäuschung führt. Dennoch bekommt was ... ... neue Kraft und Mut bringt: Freundschaft. Denn ... der Prinz und die Prinzessin fühlen mit ... und unterstützen ... Der Enttäuschung folgt emotionale Stütze, sodass ... die Suche fortsetzen kann. Was jedoch wiederum mit einer schweren Herausforderung verbunden ist. Nämlich das Abschied nehmen von den neu gewonnen Freunden.

Schneekönigin 5. Das kleine Räubermädchen – Märchen

Inhalt / Zusammenfassung

Sie fuhren durch den dunklen Wald, aber der Wagen leuchtete weithin. „Das ist Gold!“ riefen die Räuber, stürzten hervor, fielen den Pferden in die Zügel, erschlugen die kleinen Vorreiter, den Kutscher und die Diener ...

... gerät auf ihrer langen Reise in die Hände von Räubern ...

Interpretation

In Teil fünf aus Die Schneekönigin mit dem Titel Das kleine Räubermädchen wandelt sich die Not, in die ... gerät, wieder in einen Glücksfall. Scheint es doch so, als sei ... Reise wieder zu Ende, weil ... in Gefangenschaft der Räuber gerät. ...

Schneekönigin 7. Im Schlosse der Schneekönigin – Märchen

Inhalt / Zusammenfassung

... 

Auf dem Weg können sie sich von allen Freunden verabschieden und sich bedanken. ...

Interpretation

Die Siebente und letzte Geschichte mit dem Titel Im Schlosse der Schneekönigin führt ...

Die Schneekönigin lässt vielfältige Deutungen zu, jedoch ist es genau das, was uns an diesem Märchen so verzaubert. Die eiskalte Rationalität hat die Kinder auf ihrem Weg in das Erwachsenenleben entzweit.

MY TIME OF NEED (auror nistro/vampire chris)

My Time of Need

In which Christopher Arclight is a vampire, Gauche is the Auror sent to catch him, and things don't quite go as planned for either of them.

Notes:

This is just as stupidly indulgent as In the Bleak Midwinter, as I haven't even decided if MV Christopher really will have this backstory, but I just love this ship so much. And I love my headcanon for this version of them. And I love writing stupidly indulgent HPAU fic for a Zexal rarepair no one ships but me~



"Hey, you! Stop!"

Christopher nearly snorted under his breath. Stop? Oh yes, he was certain to do that when he knew that it would only lead to his capture. That would definitely been a thing he was keen on doing.

He turned down an alleyway and kept on running. He didn't have a lot of knowledge of muggle London, but he thought he had enough to outrun his pursuer long enough for his stupid jinx to wear off. Who would have thought certain harmless jinxes would actually prevent a vampire from Apparating? Thankfully, that wasn't common knowledge, and he didn't intend for it to become so. It had been an unlucky accident that had landed him in this situation tonight.

Then something caught him around the ankles and he went flying spectacularly to the ground. He felt his wand fly out of his hand as he hit the ground and cursed silently. He didn't particularly need it anymore, but he preferred to use it just the same, and there were certain spells that could be cast at him that would require a wizard's magic to counter.

He reached out to summon it back to his hand, but it flew off in another direction before he could act. He carefully turned over, minding his palms which were still raw from scraping across the ground, and looked up as definitely as he could while he was still sitting on the ground with his hair and robes a complete mess.

His pursuer had caught up with him and was now walking calmly toward him down the alley. Christopher wondered for a moment what spell he might have used to not only keep up with him but also gain on him; he would have to look into the possibilities later, assuming he would still be free later to do so.

"Trip Jinx, vampire," the man said with a vicious smirk. He tossed Christopher's wand casually in the air once before tucked it away inside his lurid Auror robes. The man's own wand remained pointed at him; it had probably never been pointed elsewhere from the moment they'd run into each other.

"I think I might have been able to guess that on my own, oddly enough," Christopher said. He made sure his voice and appearance remained calm, no matter the panic that was beginning to well up in his gut. It would surely infuriate his would-be captor, which might be amusing enough to actually calm him down.

It was enough to make the Auror's mouth twist in a furious scowl, at least, and he nearly smiled.

"I don't like your attitude, vampire," the Auror snarled, jerking his wand about in a horribly unrefined fashion. "What are you doing out here? You know your kind is supposed to stay away from Muggles, and I'm pre-tty sure you're not supposed to attack them either. In fact, I think you've broken about a half-dozen laws tonight."

Christopher nearly snarled right back, but he still had his eye on the wand in his face and he didn't really need to give this man a reason to hex him. Snarling and showing his teeth would probably only convince him he was about to be attacked.

But he couldn't quite keep up his calm act completely in the face of that little speech. His voice was like ice as his hissed out, "Your kind has been starving us and you dare act as if I'm in the wrong?"

That had the intended effect of knocking the Auror off balance for a moment, though he recovered more quickly than Christopher had been hoping for. "You're not starving. You've got places to get blood if you need it. Which doesn't include attacking innocent Muggles. You're out of your jurisdiction."

Christopher only stared back at him and gave him to most unimpressed look he could manage. "Do you really think there are enough donors for all of us to live comfortably? That we aren't turned away more often than not because we haven't waited weeks between visits to the clinics. You're working for a corrupt institution that cares only for the well-being of the wizards who have enough money to bribe them into doing whatever they want. They don't care about us. I doubt they care about you."

The Auror snorted and shook his head. "You don't know what you're talking about. And how could you know anyway? Your kind hasn't cooperated with us in decades."

This time, Christopher allowed himself to smile, only slightly, because the naivety of this poor man was actually a bit endearing. If only it wasn't about this particular subject, he might have even found it charming.

"You haven't been an Auror very long, have you?" He carefully shifted into a more comfortable sitting position; he didn't quite trust the man not to hex him if he tried standing up.

"Do you think I've always been a vampire? I was a wizard once, like you. Well, maybe not like you," he amended with a haughty tone he couldn't quite keep out of his voice. If this Auror was a pureblood, he was an especially ill-bred one. "My father worked in the Ministry for twenty years before we were Turned, and he tried desperately to keep working there even after. I am acutely aware of how the Ministry works, and it has always been corrupt, favouring only the few who could afford it, but more than that, favouring wizards above other races, even when some of those other races were once wizards. Or still are."

The Auror scowled at him for a moment. Then he blinked and scowled even harder and growled out, "Stop that."

Christopher blinked up at him. "I'm sorry?"

"That...what you're doing. Don't think I haven't noticed it; I've had to learn Occlumency."

Christopher stared at him for another moment before it clicked. Oh, well, he hadn't meant to let his Allure go, but he had been feeling rather threatened and it was a natural defense mechanism...

Christopher smiled and slowly got to his feet, making sure to keep his hands spread wide in innocence and his movements as naturally graceful as possible. He didn't try to leash his power again; if this Auror was mesmerized by him, he might have a greater chance of escaping once the block wore off. It couldn't take too much longer.

The Auror kept his wand trained on him, but he didn't make any sort of movement that might have been the beginning of a spell. Occlumency trainer or no, if he had already been affected enough to notice the Allure, he was affected enough to be influenced by it.

"You'll have to forgive me," Christopher murmured with what he knew was a charming smile. "It's difficult to control that when I'm staring down the wrong end of a wand. Consider it a sign you've been doing your job properly tonight, Auror ...?"

"Gauche," the man answered automatically, then he scowled again and tightened his grip on his wand. "You're still doing it. Get out of my head."

"I would find that considerably easier if you would put your wand down," Christopher said softly. On the contrary, now that he was aware his magic was defending him, he was hardly going to put it away again. He was going to try to use it to his advantage as long as possible.

Gauche snorted and jerked his arm a bit like he was trying to keep it more firmly in place. "Nice try. How about I just Stun you and we get this over with? You never know, you might only have to spend a few days in Azkaban. I'll even put in a good word for you if you cooperate."

"You would have already Stunned me if you were able to," Christopher said. He calmly met Gauche's eyes, because that would only make it easier for him to be affected, and took a cautious step forward. He thought he knew the counter-magic to a Stunner that he would have to use because of his current lack of a wand, but he would prefer not to find out. It would be better if the Auror never got a spell off at all.

The effect was immediate. Gauche's eyes clouded over and the grip on his wand slackened slightly.

Of course, it didn't last. As soon as Christopher had taken a second step, it was clear Gauche was struggling to come back to himself. Christopher nearly allowed a genuine smile to touch his lips. The man was a good Auror, and he could respect that.

Christopher took a third step and reached out for the Auror's wand, perhaps to try and take it, perhaps only to push it aside, he hadn't quite decided. His fingers brushed over the wood just as Gauche managed to free himself enough to look away.

"Stupefy!" Gauche exclaimed.

There was no time to dodge or call up his magic to block the spell. He was simply too close to the end of that wand and Gauche actually firing a spell had taken him too much by surprise.

There was a red flare of light and Christopher fell into darkness.

~*~*~*~*~

As soon as the vampire began to fall, Gauche darted a hand out and grabbed him, pulling him so he would fall toward him and not the ground. He might have been a soulless blood-drinker, but that didn't mean he deserved to fall the whole way to the ground, he he didn't quite have the reflexes to cast a Levitation Charm quickly enough.

But then he wasn't quite sure what to do with him. The vampire's Allure had vanished the moment he'd fallen unconscious, but Gauche didn't think it had only been that which had made it difficult to actually Stun him. He didn't need his Allure to be breathtakingly beautiful...or breathtakingly in poor shape.

Now that he was close enough for Gauche to get a good look without being distracted by magic, he could see that the vampire had probably not been lying about why he'd been hunting out here in the Muggle world. His face was gaunt and he was a more unhealthy shade of pale than vampires usually were and he was far too thin and light for a man his size. Gauche had very little difficultly gathering him into his arms and picking him up even without a Lightening Charm. Vampires were supposed to be lighter in general than their human counterparts, but not this much.

He didn't want to consider that maybe he'd been right about the Ministry, though. Gauche had seen his share of corruption already, in his three years of Auror training and year after it, but he didn't want to believe it had always been there or always had to be. There was surely a way to guide the Ministry back to what it should be, and he thought he stood a better chance of it working from inside.

"Did you get him?"

Normally, he would have smiled when he heard the stern voice of his partner, but the vampire had given him too much to think about tonight.

"Yeah, I got him," Gauche said, turning around so Droite could see the shape in his arms. He shifted a bit to get more comfortable--just because he was light enough to carry, it didn't mean he wasn't a bit heavy to carry for long--and the vampire's head flopped over to rest on his shoulder. He felt a shot of unease for a moment before he told himself he was being stupid; it didn't matter how close his head came to his neck, because he was unconscious and couldn't attack him anyway.

Droite raised her eyebrows, no doubt at the fact that he was carrying the vampire rather than levitating him, but it that was what she was thinking, she didn't remark on it. She crossed her arms and tapped her wand on his side. "Back to the Ministry, then?"

Gauche didn't answer right away. He couldn't stop thinking about how sick the vampire really did look and what he'd said about the Ministry. They probably would throw him in Azkaban, and it wouldn't only be for a few days, no matter what Gauche had said.

"Gauche..." Droite said warningly.

"Well, he didn't really do any harm, did he?" Gauche said. "We stopped him before he could actually attack any Muggles."

"It's the fact that he was here at all, Gauche," Droite said, though it wasn't as sternly as it might have been had she been talking to anyone else. But then, Gauche always liked to imagine that Droite had a bit of a sot spot for him.

"Maybe he was just passing through."

"Maybe I would believe that if he hadn't had a Muggle in his arms when we got here." Droite sighed and frowned at the vampire. "You know what Scrimgeour's like. If he heard we had a rogue vampire and then let him get away..."

"Well, then we won't let Scrimgeour know we got him, will we?" Gauche said, trying not to grin. If Droite was already trying to make excuses like that, then the matter was already settled. "You won't be telling him, will you, Droite? You'd only get us both in trouble that way. Especially me."

Droite eyed the vampire quietly for another long moment. then she let out another, noisier sigh and said, "If he finds out, it's on your head. Where will you being going, then?"

Gauche shrugged. "Back to my flat I guess. I have to put him somewhere. I'm not done with him yet. I'll be back at the Ministry in a bit. Of course he had to start causing trouble at the beginning of our shift."

Droite smiled faintly and nodded. "All right. I'll see you there."

Gauche gave her an extremely awkward salute, tightened his grip on the vampire in his arms, and turned into suffocating darkness.

~*~*~*~*~

Christopher woke to find himself in an extremely unfamiliar place.

He had expected to find himself in an office-turned-cell at the Ministry, or maybe in one of the courtrooms, or a cell in Azkaban, or even on the ground in the alley where he'd been cornered. Any one of those places would have made considerably more sense than waking up on a couch in a shabby, underused, but not entirely uncomfortable flat.

Of course, his first instinct was to try to Apparate out. And then to try to doors and windows when that didn't work.

But whoever had brought him here had made sure to lock the place down so he wouldn't be able to get out. And of course, he still didn't have his wand back. He could probably perform the counter-charms needed with his blood magic, but that would be extremely tiring and he might even pass out again while he was working. That would be a nice sight for his host to find whenever he came back.

If he hadn't been interrupted in the middle of his meal, maybe he would have had the strength to leave.

Remembering that and the events that had led to his being unconscious in the first place only made him wonder to whom this flat might belong. He doubted it would be the Auror who had captured him...perhaps he somehow had a friend at the Ministry who had intercepted him before he could get locked away. Maybe Lucius Malfoy...?

But if Lucius was aware of his distant relatives, he had never made any effort to reach out to them. And he would never own a place that looked like this...

Well, he supposed he would find out in time. In the meantime, he supposed he might as well look around and see what sort of person had captured him. And check the defenses again, of course.

~*~*~*~*~

When the front door finally swung open, it had been several hours and Christopher was just beginning to feel a bit bored. The owner of this flat, who Christopher suspected was probably the Auror Gauche after all, had a very nice collection of Defense Against the Dark Arts books, and he'd helped himself to one of them to pass the time while he waited, but there was only so long he could sit there and read before even he began feeling a bit restless.

He checked the clock on the wall before letting his gaze slip to the door. Nearly eight hours, and he'd probably been unconscious for one or two more. He must have run into the Aurors near the beginning of their shift, then.

"Oh, you're awake," Gauche said as soon as he'd stepped far enough inside to see Christopher. Then his gaze moved to the table and the tea set sitting there and his expression turned so confused that Christopher nearly laughed.

"I hope you'll forgive me for rummaging through your things, but it does get a bit boring being locked up all day," Christopher said, "and I was thirsty. It seems we have similar taste."

"I didn't know you lot could drink tea," Gauche said, frowning between him and the tea set.

"We can't process it like you would," Christopher said with a very slight shrug, "but there's no reason we can't drink it anyway. Sometimes it's nice to indulge in the illusion of being human again."

That made Gauche screw up his face and hastily turn away to busy himself with taking off his cloak. Christopher smiled very slightly to himself and turned back to his book. He was even more uncomfortable with the reminder that some of them had been human once than he had been earlier, which meant he'd been thinking about it on his own. As well he should have been; Christopher had long felt that an Auror worth his salt should keep in mind that the Dark wizards and creatures he hunted had feelings and lives just as he did.

"There's still some left if you'd like a cup," Christopher offered after a moment. "It is your flat, and your tea."

"How long have you been awake?" Gauche asked as he started make his way over.

"A few hours. Thank you for not turning me into the Ministry, by the way, although I do wonder what motives you might have for bringing me here instead..."

Gauche snorted and flopped ungracefully onto the couch next to him. "Don't go thanking me yet. I still might take you in."

Christopher carefully closed his book and laid it on his lap before he looked over at the man. "Why haven't you already?"

"I wasn't done asking you questions."

"You could ask me questions just as easily at the Ministry," Christopher said, raising his eyebrows. "More easily, I would imagine."

Gauche shrugged awkwardly. He crossed his arms and his legs and leaned back in his seat to stare at him. "Not these questions."

Christopher had to admit, that did intrigue him. He thought he might not answer anyway, because he was under no obligation to give this man anything he wanted after being kidnapped by him, but he still set the book aside and politely gave Gauche his full attention. "Go on."

"Why were you attacking that Muggle?"

And just as quickly as he was intrigued, he was disappointed. But maybe he was going somewhere with this that wasn't just a rehash of their conversation in the alley. "I seem to remember you asking me that once already today. I was hungry."

"Because the Ministry's been starving you."

"All of us, yes, I'm quite sure I answered that already too."

Gauche frowned at him for a long moment, his eyes far more calculating than Christopher would have ever suspected they could be.

Then he finally asked, "What's your name?"

Well, that was a question he supposed he could answer. It would only be polite, since he already knew Gauche's name. "Christopher."

Gauche waited a moment, like he thought maybe Christopher would say more than that. "That's it? No surname?"

"I'm sure if you look through your records, you can figure it out," Christopher said with a completely unapologetic look. He didn't owe the man any more than that.

Gauche snorted and looked moodily away at the window. He was trying to hide it, but his body was tense and his foot was trying not to twitch, and Christopher waited patiently for the question that was trying to burst out of him. It had to be a few more interesting one than what he had asked so far for him to be so nervous about it.

"Christopher," Gauche said after a moment, saying the name slowly as if it was foreign and he was trying it out, "are you still hungry?"

For a moment, Christopher wasn't quite sure what to say to that. It was possibly the last question he had expected, and he could only imagine one reason for asking it, but of course, that would be ridiculous. Gauche was an Auror; he couldn't possibly be asking for any other reason than to check up on his prisoner. Of course, few other Aurors would inquire after the well being of a vampires, but it had been clear from the beginning that Gauche was not most other Aurors.

Then, once the surprise wore off, he felt a bit irritated. Of course he was still hungry. What a ridiculous question to ask.

"Of course I am," Christopher said coldly. "You interrupted me before I could rectify that, didn't you?"

Gauche grunted and kept staring at the window. Not out it, if the glaze over his eyes was any indication, just at it. Christopher doubted there was anything in the shape or color of the window that could keep him from feeling so awkward about whatever was bothering him, but he kept on staring all the same.

Then he sighed and finally looked back over at him, with a determination in his eyes that was actually a bit startling. "You can feed on someone without killing them, can't you?"

"Obviously," Christopher said, but he was a bit too bewildered to properly sneer. "We're not monsters."

Gauche nodded and just looked more determined. Then he closed his eyes, tilted his head back, and tugged down his collar. "All right. Go on, then."

Christopher stared at him--well, more at his neck and the blood flowing through it, slightly faster now that Gauche had thrown himself out there and his heart had sped up--and tried to understand. This Auror had kidnapped him, and had probably been planning to take him in before they'd begun talking, and he was an Auror, and they hardly knew any more about each other than their names. Yet here he was, offering himself up as Christopher's next meal.

Christopher was quite sure he had not let his Allure run rampant again, but he couldn't imagine what else might have caused this. And it was extremely tempting, with how hungry he really was and how neatly a meal had just dropped into his lap, to accept the offer immediately with no questions asked. In fact, he was already moving closer, so he was nearly sitting in Gauche's lap, before he realized it and forced himself to stop.

If it had been anyone else, any other random Muggle or wizard, he wouldn't have cared about the reason why. But they had been having a conversation, and now Gauche was no longer stranger enough for him to feel comfortable taking advantage of him.

He forced himself to look away, although the effort made him clench his fists so hard he felt his nails break the skin. "I'm sorry. I'm hypnotizing you again--"

"You're not," Gauche interrupted firmly. "I told you, I can tell when you do that. I've been thinking about doing this all day. It's got nothing to do with your bullshit vampire powers."

Christopher shook his head and dug his nails in even deeper. Knowing that made it even more difficult to restrain himself. It was already easier to smell his blood, to hear his heart beating rapidly in his chest...

"Why?" he managed to murmur after focusing on the sound of the cars of Muggle London below the window. "You don't know me. You were going to arrest me, remember?"

"Because if you're desperate enough to get food that you'd risk imprisonment in Azkaban, something's wrong," Gauche growled out, sounding far more righteously angry than Christopher had expected. "The Ministry's supposed to be there for the whole magical world; they should be making sure you're not starving. And it's pretty easy to see you really are, and you weren't just trying to trick your way out of an arrest. I can't help with the problem, but I can help with this, at least. So do it already, before I change my mind."

Christopher felt a smile rise to his lips before he could stop it. No, this man was nothing like the other Aurors he had crossed paths with over the years. He was actually intelligent and charming.

"You were a Gryffindor, weren't you?" Christopher murmured, moving so he was straddling the man's lap. His fingers trailed lightly down Gauche's tanned throat, letting him feel his breath catch and the light chuckle that left his throat soon after.

"That obvious?"

"I would think the hat made a mistake otherwise," Christopher said, leaning in close. The scent of his blood was nearly intoxicating, and it took every last bit of resolve to murmur, "This will hurt at first, but it won't last," as a warning in the second before he sank his fangs into warm flesh and the first wave of hot blood poured into his mouth.

Gauche groaned in pain and Christopher absently caressed his neck to sooth him, although he was far more focused on the coppery liquid pouring down his through to really care, warming him from the inside out, satisfying a savage hunger he had become extremely good at just ignoring until he was almost to weak to deal with it. It was so easy to forget just how good it felt to give his body what it wanted when he had gone two or three weeks without eating, whether through his own inaction or because he couldn't actually find a donor.

Christopher sucked and licked at the wound, pulling more and more blood out of the Auror and into himself, and it wasn't long before Gauche was gasping and moaning out of pleasure and lightheadedness rather than only pain. He even managed to wrap an arm around Christopher's waist after a moment, although he was rapidly losing the strength to do more than keep it there. Christopher obliged his silent message by shifting a bit closer anyway. Gauche was warm and Christopher moved instinctively to get closer to that warmth.

It wasn't much longer before he could hear Gauche's heart begin to slow and he forced himself to pull away. He didn't feel entirely satisfied, but it was enough to be going on for a while, and he truly didn't want to kill this man. That would be a poor way to thank him for his gift.

Gauche slowly opened his eyes, but they were glazed over and looking through him. Christopher frowned slightly and sat back to look him over properly. He might have taken a bit too much after all...

Then Gauche shifted to throw his arms awkwardly over Christopher's shoulders and he was dragged down into a sloppy, sleepy kiss. Christopher allowed it for a second or two, because it was nice and Gauche was probably only half aware of what he was doing anyway, but then he pulled away and began untangling himself from the other man.

"You'll want to rest a bit before you go thinking about any of that," Christopher murmured with an amused smile. He dug through his robes for a moment and drew out a vial, which he pressed into Gauche's hand. "Drink that. It's a Blood-Replenishing Potion. I'll be right back."

He made sure Gauche wasn't going to fall anywhere while he was away and then hurried off to the kitchen to find the biggest glass he could and fill it with water.

When he came back, he was quite glad to see the vial was sitting empty on the table and Gauche looked to be a bit more aware of his surroundings.

"Drink this slowly," Christopher said, placing the glass of water in his hands this time. "You'll probably want to refill it a few times, too, although the potion will help quite a bit."

And with that out of the way, feeling quite certain the Gauche would live and be fine in a couple hours, Christopher knelt down in front of him and started searching through the Auror's robes for his wand. He needed that, thank you, and he still didn't quite trust the man to give it back all on his own.

Gauche stared at him for a moment before he really registered what was going on and started grabbing at Christopher's hands. "Hey, what are you doing?"

Christopher smiled as his fingers touched the slim wood and he grabbed it and held it up before Gauche had a chance to stop him. "I'm sorry, I still need this. Thank you for keeping it safe."

It was tempting to just take down the anti-Apparition wards and leave right then. He had no reason to stay here, and frankly, he would probably be in danger the longer he did stay here. He was no longer trapped, and he was no longer hungry, and his family would be wondering what happened to him.

But as he stood and looked down at the man in front of him, whose reaction times we're still a bit too slow because of the large amount of blood that had been taken from him, Christopher found himself reluctant to leave. He wasn't quite sure why, except that he was thankful for the gift he'd been given, and the man was a rarity and a curiosity the likes of which he might not see again, and perhaps he felt a bit guilty for wanting to leave him when he was still so weak.

He sighed and tucked his wand away, and then sat down next to the Auror, perhaps a bit closer than he really had to. Gauche eyed him curiously and Christopher had to look away as he murmured, "I'll look after you while you recover, as thanks for feeding me."

Gauche smiled and, after a long moment of hesitation, took one of his hands and intertwined their fingers.

And if Christopher allowed him to fall asleep with his head on his shoulder as he went back to reading the Defence book, well, that could remain their little secret, just as the rest of this would be.

In the Bleak Midwinter

Christopher thinks about the sacrifices he's had to make and how it would be so much easier to just stop keeping secrets.

Notes:

This is stupidly indulgent and they're probably ooc anyway and Christopher doesn't even start doing much in MV until chapter 6, but I have been wanting to write a fic about him and his Auror boyfriend since I originally threw him in there. Mostly because lol the Arkwrights are totally Zexal characters and this is my Zexal OTP...

If you enjoy it, well, more power to you. :)


"Merry Christmas, Christopher."

Christopher froze for a minute second as he entered the room, then went on as if he had not heard the voice at all. He had known that eventually, he might be found out, that his mission might be put in jeopardy through one tiny misstep, but he had not thought it would be so soon. It could not be so soon. He would not allow it.

But the voice had been cold, far more cold than Christopher ever heard it when it was directed toward himself. He had heard that tone when that voice was interrogating prisoners, on the one or two occasions that he had been allowed to wait outside the interrogation rooms rather than being hurried off to another area of the Ministry building to wait. That voice belonged to an Auror and not the man he had come to know and love over the last few years.

"Merry Christmas, Gauche," Christopher murmured as he carefully unclipped the travel cloak from around his neck. He hung the dark length of cloth over the back of the nearest chair and paused awkwardly behind it. "I didn't know you would be visiting today. I might have been here to receive you. Has an elf been in to tend to your needs yet? I'll call one--"

"We made plans weeks ago for today," Gauche said, crossing his arms and his legs in the chair he was occupying, as if to say more firmly that he would not be going anywhere until his questions were answered. It was a completely unnecessary gesture; the tone of his voice was more than enough. "I sent you a letter Monday to make sure you'd remember. I fire-called you yesterday too."

Christopher sighed and shook his head, determinedly looking everywhere but the angry wizard sitting across from him. It was true that they had been planning to spend Christmas together for weeks, and that they had even spoken of it as recently as yesterday. So much had happened since, however, that he had entirely forgotten about it.

"I'm sorry, Gauche," he said softly, and he hoped that Gauche would hear and believe the sincerity in his voice. "Something came up."

Gauche stared at him in disbelief and Christopher's fingers curled tightly on the back of the chair he stood behind. One moment of carelessness...and of course Gauche would be able to tell something was wrong; Christopher had an immense amount of difficulty actually lying to him. It was a bit ridiculous, actually, just how easily Gauche was able to see through him at times. He had over a hundred years experience in the arts of lying and deception, and yet his carefully fabricated houses of cards always tumbled away at Gauche's feet.

It was one of the many reasons he had fallen in love with the man, but at times he did find it a bit frustrating. Now was looking to becoming one of those times.

"Something's always coming up with you, recently," Gauche said with a frown. He tilted his head to the side, studying him with an intense gaze that was surely the result of his Auror training. "You're always too busy to do anything, or you aren't here when I stop by. What's going on?"

Christopher said nothing. He snapped his fingers to call one of the house elves, and he gave her instructions to bring them tea and to inform his father that he had returned, and then he stepped around the chair to the fireplace to prod the dying fire back to life with his wand. All the while, he could feel Gauche's eyes following him, and he knew he would not be able to ignore the question forever. He would be able to ignore it for long enough, however, to come up with a good answer. He could not tell Gauche the truth, and the man had been content to let him be up until now.

Something in his tone of voice told him that he would not be letting it go this time. Christopher had disappeared on him one too many times now.

He heard steps behind him and, even though it would surely destroy his carefully crafted masks, he allowed Gauche to embrace him tightly from behind. He allowed himself to relax into the man's intense warmth, soothing and so incredibly different from his own intensely low body temperature. He could so easily allow himself to fall asleep, surrounded by this warm comforting presence, by the slow but strong heart beating in his chest, by the musky scent that he had become so familiar with.

"I'm worried about you," Gauche murmured in his ear, and he could not help but relax further into his embrace. He always felt so safe with Gauche, which was, of course, absolutely ridiculous given that the man was an Auror and he was a creature Darker, perhaps, than any but the dementors. But it was true that he had never dragged Christopher to the Ministry like he was supposed to, even when he found out the Ministry could no longer keep track of him, and Christopher had never felt like he ought to give him a reason to. And then, of course, Gauche said things like that, which meant more to him than, he was sure, Gauche would ever be able to understand.

No one worried about him, other than his family and now, perhaps, Harry--certainly no other wizard had ever worried about him since he had been one himself.

"I'm worried about you," Gauche repeated when Christopher remained silent. He left one arm tight around his waist while the other began tracing light paths over his hips and up his side and down his arm. "You've been stressed out for months, over this stupid secret you won't let me in on. Stressed out, and...if I didn't know you better, I'd say you were having fun for once, too. I've never seen you like this."

Christopher shuddered as Gauche's fingertips reached his forearm, where carefully placed glamours concealed a dark mark he had always hoped he would never have to take. That it was there now was a testament to his acting and his abilities to keep intruders out of his mind...as well as to just how badly things had become for his people and how much he appreciated the one person who was going to stand up and do something about it.

But it was also something he hoped Gauche would never see. He was not sure Gauche actually believed the Dark wizard had returned, but either way, seeing that mark would break him. Christopher did not want to do that to him.

He heard the soft pop of Milly the house elf behind them as she returned with their tea. A moment later, there was another pop as she left again without a word, familiar enough with how they usually interacted to know that they would not want to be disturbed.

"If all goes well, you'll be seeing me this way far more often," Christopher murmured once she was gone. He laid one hand over the one still on his waist and interlaced their fingers. "That's all I can say. Except that I am sorry and I really was called away at the last minute."

Gauche let out a soft growl and passed his fingers over the sensitive skin of his forearm a second time, to silently point out that he had noticed Christopher's unusual reaction the first time.

"You don't keep secrets from me," he said, resting his chin on Christopher's shoulder, and he sounded a bit like a petulant child and christopher couldn't help but smile.

"I know. And I don't wish to this time." He shifted his left hand so he could grab Gauche's and force him to stop making him shiver. "I think I'll be able to tell you eventually. I think we'll be able to use your help. But it's not up to me."

Gauche snorted softly and tightened his embrace, but that was all he did. He would surely try to push for answers again some other night, as he had been for the last few months, and he might even try to bring it up again later in the evening, but he would give up on it for the moment. He would not be getting any answers right now, and he knew it.

Christopher knew that if he pushed in just the right way, he would probably end up telling him everything, and he was sure Gauche knew that too, but for now, Gauche would allow him his privacy, and he was grateful for it. He really did want to tell him everything and bring him into the fold--Gauche was one of the few wizards out there who would probably agree with Harry and what he wanted to do--but it would have to wait.

After a moment, Gauche sighed and gently shook one of his hands free so he could wave his wand and summon a small box that had been sitting on the arm of the chair he had been occupying when Christopher had arrived home. It flew across the room and Christopher darted out a hand to catch it, since Gauche's were both full.

"Open it, it's yours," Gauche said as he tucked his wand away again and tugged his other hand free so he could go back to embracing Christopher with both arms again.

Christopher carefully slid the dark green ribbon from the box and tilted open the lid. Inside rested a simple silver ring, engraved with curling designs too dizzyingly delicate to follow for long and set with a deep blue stone cut in the shape of a triangle. The ring tingled with powerful magic in his fingers as he lifted it from its resting place.

"If I'm ever in danger," Gauche murmured as he reached up to take the ring and one of Christopher's hands, "this will grow hot and you'll be able to Apparate to wherever I am, even through most wards and protective spells. I have another one that we can key to you too, so I'll have one like it, if you want."

Christopher allowed him to slide the ring onto his middle finger and found that he could only nod in response. It was a princely gift, and he would undoubtedly use it, but he found that he cared more for the thought that Gauche would like to be able to come to his aid if he needed it.

And he would need it. If he played his cards right, that time would come far off into the future, but he had no doubt that there would come a time when he would find himself in a situation that he would not be able to get himself out of.

The problem, however, was that it might very well be the Dark Wizard who put him there, and he did not want to endanger Gauche's life like that.

Once again, Christopher wished he could let Gauche in on the truth, so he would at least be prepared, and, more selfishly, so he would just have another person to confide in whenever it became too much. But Gauche would have to be something other than an Auror, and he would have to be spying on someone less volatile and suspicious than the Dark Lord, and his saviour would have to be someone other than the Saviour of the Wizarding World.

And they would have to be further along in their plans, though that might take somewhat less time than he had expected, if what Sanguini had told him was correct.

"Thank you," he murmured after a moment, clenching his fisting his appreciation for the gift. "And I would like it if we did that. I would be honored to put my life in your hands, as you've put yours in mine."

Gauche chuckled against his neck (probably at his overly formal speech, as was usually the case), and he pulled a second box out of his robs with a bit of a grin. "I thought you might say that."

Christopher carefully watched and memorized every flick of his wand, every syllable of the various incantations and the unique stresses he gave them, as Gauche charmed the second ring to act as the first, so that he would be able to perform these charms later should he ever need to. Or, more likely, should he ever want to try them himself simply to see if he could. He had a feeling that Gauche deliberately said them more slowly than he had to just for that reason. He was well aware of Christopher's love of learning; that, and Gauche's own cavalier approach to his studies, had been the subject of more than a few arguments.

Christopher smiled sadly as he took the ring and slid it onto Gauche's left hand, where it would be less noticeable. It would be so simple to just tell him everything now.

Gauche interlaced their fingers again once he was done and pressed a light, fiery kiss to his neck. "I don't know what you're mixed up in all of a sudden, but I'm here for you, all right? Don't you dare forget that. And I'll be here when you feel like telling me about it."

"I know." Christopher tilted his head so he could return the kiss, a brief touch of his lips--so very brief, to avoid temptation--to his neck where his blood pulsed most firmly beneath his skin. "Maybe next Christmas, my gift will be to tell you everything."