Charlie
As he stepped inside of the castle, Charlie felt warmth spread through his limbs, and he took his gloves off, stuffing them in his coat’s pockets.
The hall was bustling with activity, panicked students going back and forth to retrieve a hairpin that they lent last week, or a bowtie that they needed to borrow from a friend, or getting their courage together to ask who they liked to go with them to the ball, or accepting the proposal of a person they wouldn’t have chosen out of fear of going alone. There were shouts, there was laughter, and the castle felt extremely alive, especially when compared to the cold outside. Both Newt and Felix looked uncomfortable in the midst of this crowd, so he took the blond boy’s hand to reassure him, and opened the way for the three of them.
Felix’ hand was cold, but Charlie didn’t mind. It was quite nice, actually, as he was beginning to get a little hot (this had all to do with the fact that he was wearing his coat inside, and nothing with Felix having removed his, revealing the body of a person whose life often lead to running or having to hold down large and strong beasts). Charlie was a bit saddened to have to let go of Felix once they reached the guest room that Dumbledore had had prepared to host Newt (there were other guests, but Charlie hadn’t seen them yet, as Newt was the only one not to arrive by train). Once he and Felix made sure that Newt was comfortable there, and they offered their help should he require it. When the door closed, Charlie didn’t say anything, even if he desperately wanted to start a conversation with Felix. He wasn’t so shy, usually. What had happened to him?
“So… what will you be wearing tonight?” Charlie asked after a few moments.
Felix looked at him -and bloody hell, those green eyes were beautiful- and there was a small smile in the corner of his very-kissable-looking lips. Wait. What? Kissing a boy’s lips? Since when did he-? Oh well, it didn’t matter (or at least he hoped so).
“Just some fancy-looking robes that my parents got me. You?”
Charlie regretted asking that question, as all he had were smelly old robes that looked like a dirty rug.
“Eh, it’s not great. But at least it’s something.”
There was something in Felix’ eyes which made Charlie’s cheeks heat up. It wasn’t pity, as he’d expected, but the boy seemed to be looking right through his skin, seizing him up. Felix muttered something unintelligible, then looked back at Charlie’s eyes.
“I think that I’ve got something that you could wear. It hasn’t been worn in a while, but I think that it would suit you.” Felix paused for a second, as if he was having second thoughts, but he seemed to make his mind up. “However, it's at my parents’ place, though they shouldn’t be there. I have some floo powder on me, and I’m sure that we have the time to get there and back, if we go quickly. I could even call Panda to get you some makeup… What do you say?”
Charlie was speechless. Nobody had ever offered him anything of the sort. Maybe he could go to the ball with his head up, not hiding in a corner, ashamed of his clothes.
“Uh, yeah! That sounds awesome, mate!”
Felix smiled, although there was a grief in his eyes which Charlie didn’t understand. He might find out later. Or not. They walked up to Hogsmeade, talking mostly about Felix’ job, which, if everything went well, would become Charlie’s too, until they found a place to use the floo powder.
Felix stepped into the chimney, looked towards Charlie, and said: “Number two, Raven Road, Rosier House” before letting go of the powder in his hand and disappearing with a flash of green flames. When Charlie’s turn came, he did his best to repeat exactly what Felix had said, and used the handful of powder given to him.
When Charlie opened his eyes, he was in the largest place he’d ever seen. Everything was grand, everything was cold. The walls were of a rich dark green with silver roses and the floor was of ebony. Silver chandeliers hung from the high ceilings, more ornate than anything Charlie had ever seen, and every piece of furniture looked like it was worth more than the Burrow, which was probably the case. The place felt like it had no soul. He suddenly noticed Felix staring at him from the other side of the entrance, but the boy quickly averted his gaze, cheeks red.
“Uhm, well I’ve sent an owl for Pandora. Xenophilius is watching over Luna, so she can make it. She should be here in a few minutes. Do you want to start getting ready in the meantime?”
Charlie nodded. and Felix led him up a gorgeous marble staircase, towards a closed door which had dust on its silver knob. Felix pulled a small key out of his pocket and opened it. A fine layer of dust covered everything, as if it hadn’t been used in a very long time, and Felix stood for a while in the entrance before he walked towards the closet.
This room was very different from the rest of the house.
The walls, instead of green, were black with blue roses, to Charlie’s surprise and horror, there was a table at the center of the room on which laid dusty surgical equipment, which by the looks of it, hadn’t been used in a very long time.
This room was colder than the others too, if that was possible, as if it belonged to a ghost.
Suddenly, it hit Charlie. This had been Evan Rosier’s room. The dead Death Eater. Felix’ dead brother.
Charlie gulped. The room felt oppressive, giving him the feeling that he should not be here.
The entire house felt like it was pushing him away. His instincts screamed to run away, but they calmed down the instant he stepped closer to Felix, as if he was offering a protection against whatever it was in this place that wanted him gone.
Was Felix really going to let him wear the clothes of his brother?
The robe that Felix pulled out of the closet was the most beautiful thing that Charlie had ever seen. It was blue, with green embroideries, and its hems were golden. It was made of a rich velvet, which was soft, Charlie realized, touching it. The green on the robe was the same color as Felix’ eyes, and Charlie decided it was his favorite color.
Charlie looked around the room a bit, and his eyes found an old-looking photograph, with just as much dust as the rest of the room. On it were two boys, about sixteen years old, arms around each other’s shoulders, grinning.
One of them looked strikingly like Felix, although his face was sharper and he had lots of tattoos and piercings. The other was quite different. He… He looked oddly like Charlie himself. That sent a chill down his spine. They were looking at each other with such a fierce passion that Charlie, by merely looking at the photograph, felt like he was intruding on something. The two boys looked extremely close.
“That was Evan’s best friend, though I don’t remember his name. They were always together. I think that they liked each other more than they’d have cared to admit. At least, that’s what Pandora says, and she’s never wrong.” Felix’ voice was soft, tinted with sadness, and his presence right behind Charlie was comforting.
Charlie’s back was just inches away from Felix’ chest, and Charlie would have liked to stay that way forever.
Unfortunately, Felix retreated, leaving Charlie feeling much colder than before.
“Uhm, so I’ll let you change, I guess. My sister should be here soon.”
Charlie nearly asked Felix to stay, to not leave him alone in this room, but he didn’t. He got ready as fast as he could, and felt an extreme relief when he left the room, his clothes in hand.
The outfit seemed to fit perfectly, as if it had been tailored just for him, which was quite an odd feeling, as his clothes always were too tight or too loose. Who had it belonged to?
Felix wasn’t outside the door, and Charlie heard faint voices coming from downstairs, so that’s where he went. Felix was talking with an older woman in her thirties, who looked extremely similar to him.
Her long white hair was braided with colorful beads, and she wore a green dress that matched her eyes. When she looked towards Charlie, he felt a chill in his spine, as if she could read his thoughts and see exactly who he was. She let out a small scream, and there was surprise and… fear? in her eyes.
“Barty?”
What? Who was that? The name sounded familiar, but Charlie couldn’t quite place it. He’d definitely heard it before, though.
“It’s Charlie.” Felix said, looking straight at him.
She approached Charlie and took his hands.
“It’s amazing… you’ve got the same eyes, face and bone structure as him… Are you a Prewett, perchance?”
Charlie was shocked. This woman was definitely odd, yet he couldn’t help but feel a displaced trust in her.
“My mother was.”
“Just like his…” The woman, who was likely Pandora, turned back towards Felix. “You have the same type as him.”
Felix rolled his eyes, although his cheeks slightly reddened.
“Charlie is nothing like Barty. He’s not a mentally ill psychopath.”
Pandora frowned.
“Don’t speak of Barty like that. You didn’t know him like I did. He loved you as he’d have loved a brother.”
“I know.” Felix said, softly.
Pandora’s smile was one of nostalgia, and she looked towards Charlie once more, a large smile on her face.
“You’re going to look so pretty that Felix won’t be able to hold himself together.” With that, she whisked Charlie away towards what seemed to be a bathroom, winking at Felix.
“I got this, Felix. Now go get ready. You won’t be the only one salivating, and I can guarantee that.” Felix nodded, and Charlie was doing his best to keep his cool and not blush because WHY HAD SHE SAID THAT?, and went back upstairs. Pandora had an entire bow of makeup laid out, and her smile looked slightly scary. Was this a good idea?
“Close your eyes, sweetheart. Oh, this is going to be so fun!”
It seemed like she took a very long time, and like his entire face got covered in itchy stuff, yet for some reason he didn’t feel scared. She even washed his hair with a few spells. He’d just met this woman, yet he felt like she was trustworthy. At last, she finished, and told him to open his eyes.
“Look into the mirror.”
He turned his head, and his breath was taken away. His skin looked fresh and soft; his eyes shone with sparkly green makeup around them, and a thin line of black covered them; his lips, usually uneven due to his habit of biting them, looked glossy, red with a hint of blue; his freckles looked pretty, for once, like stars covering his face; his hair was let down, as usual, yet its soft curls had been defined and it fell in crimson waves onto his shoulders.
“I… oh my gosh…”
Pandora grinned.
“Felix won’t be able to look away from you.” Charlie’s face became so red that it was even visible underneath the makeup. To be honest, he wouldn’t mind Felix looking at him.
It was terrifying, truly, how fast he’d developed a crush on him. They had quite literally just met, and now he was in his house, with his sister getting him ready. This was going very fast. Not that Charlie minded.
After a few minutes, Felix emerged from upstairs, and if Charlie’s breath had been taken by his own reflection, well now it was nonexistent. He’d forgotten how to inhale. He’d forgotten even his own name. Who was he? It didn’t matter. All that mattered was this angel standing before him in all of his glory.
Hair as white as snow, robes as dark as the night, eyes bright as the stars in the sky above, Felix looked like he’d been created in heaven. He also wore makeup, silver eyeliner (that was the name of the sparkly-eye-thing, Pandora had said), and his lips were lined with white. He wore a silver diadem, and blue earrings, the only colorful aspect of his outfit, dangled from his ears.
Pandora also seemed to notice the earrings.
“Those were Evan’s.”
Felix nodded, but his eyes were glued to Charlie. There was a sudden flame in his eye, and he looked as if he were about to pounce . However, Charlie felt no fear. He couldn’t feel anything but awe in front of this angel.
A dangerous angel. An angel who tames dragons. An angel who Charlie would give his life for.