⫶ corridor

@－ ❛ ʜ ❜：henri knight。⁰⁴ at this point mal sought for confirmation for everything from the little cat. the little cat who could not give two knuts on whatever was going on between her owner and some random person. mal rolled his eyes, and he sensed it might become a habit around henri. not to mention, he learnt the habit from mint, who enjoyed doing it quite a lot. “if that helps you sleep better, pretty,” mal teased, of course he enjoyed henri’s company, and he would and did certainly miss him. the way henri was treating him made him feel oddly attractive, maybe because henri’s touches were so gentle yet so possessive at the same time. or maybe mal was just making things up. he looked at cassi, she her nose shamelessly. “how do you put up with him?” mal inquired, but the cat ignored him and stared around with big eyes instead.

mal looked at henri again now that he has been abandoned by his partner in crime. he moved a bit closer, his lips curling into a smirk. “really? what kinks do you see coming? do share, I am intrigued,” mal mirrored henri’s gesture and wiggled his eyebrows playfully. when henri gave him another kiss, mal made sure to keep him close for longer. he pulled his chin, and lowered his head just a bit to adjust to their height difference. mal’s smirk did not disappear from his lips, on the contrary, it grew wider. it was clear that he wanted to tease henri to make up for getting startled earlier. “henri,” mal used a lower tone, and even let out a purr at the end. it suited the french accent too well to let the opportunity pass.

[post deleted by owner]

@－ ❛ ʀ ❜：maël clair。⁰² The way Maël said his name sent shivers through Henri's body and there was a small blush on his cheeks. He had not expected the other to say his name like this, but it was beautiful and hot and one of the few times Maël actually said his name and not his middle name. It made his heart flutter. Oh, how embarrassing. Such a small thing and it made him go all nervous and shy and happy. He his lips, tilting his head a little bit as he looked at the other, leaning into the gentle touch on his cheek. "You defintiely missed me," he hummed as he heard that Maël said he could have gone longer without him. Of course he knew it was not the truth and he did not really mind it as he knew he was just joking too.

Henri put a hand on the other's waist, holding him close. "You slicing me up?" he asked and wiggled his eyebrows. "Now that is a kink I did not see coming," he joked, knowing exactly how the younger meant it but it made him chuckle in amusement. He was always up for some shennanigans. "You sound hot when you say my first name, you know?" he said and wiggled his eyebrows before tiptoeing and stealing a kiss from the other's lips. He liked Maël's lips against his. Henri had always enjoyed kissing a lot and when it came to Maël it was not different - honestly he could kiss him senseless if the other let him. Even with Cassi around.

@－ ❛ ʜ ❜：henri knight。⁰⁴ ( SH ) it was not really a good idea to startle someone with quick reflexes and adhd. mal’s mind was already running by a few scenarios, making up some poems, and painting pictures when henri decided to wrap his arms around him. mal got startled, but he did not scream. he let something akin to a whimper out, holding cassi closer because the sudden body movement almost made him drop her. he turned around to frown at henri, yet was so relieved to see him. perhaps his mind slipped into too much worry for a moment, even if it was obscured by other overlapping thoughts. he registered his words, but could not react immediately. “henri!” he almost scolded him, his french slipped. he would normally call him by his middle name, just because he liked it and just because mal was probably the only one who did use it. of course, he had plenty sweet names for him, but he liked to tease.

mal sighed and placed his free hand on henri’s cheek, somehow making sure he was really there. his heart was pounding in his chest, and it was not just because he got startled. it definitely was because henri called him ‘baby’, but he would not admit that. “could have gone longer missing you, just for your information,” it was a sassy remark, mal even rolled his eyes playfully but he meant it in good fun. because the next second, he smiled. he looked at the kitten, she got somewhat startled as well. “he is so mean,” he told her, she meowed in response but mal was not sure if it was an agreement or a disagreement. he smiled at henri again and leaned in to peck his cheek. “you are so lucky you are cute. otherwise, you would have been sliced up by now. I may look soft, but I can be cruel,” that he could be, but not to the people he loved. certainly not to henri, but he still wanted to let him know, perhaps to gain some of control back.

@－ ❛ ʀ ❜：maël clair。⁰² "I play Quidditch on a /broom/," Henri called towards Mael, them both knowing clearly that, yes, Henri's physical strength was quite good, probably better than Mael's. Still, he was allowed to complain, especially if someone so handsome and beautiful and mesmerising was running away from him. With his cat as well! He huffed and kept running, having an easy time to catch up with Mael, luckily, However Henri decided to take a shortcut, one of the few ways he knew to take without getting lost - and getting lost was something that often happened to him, sadly. Not this time, fortunately, that would have been rather inconvinient.

An amused grin was seen on Henri's lips as he heard the other call for him, leaving the shortcut - just through the wall and down a few stairs that would give him the few meters of success - and appearing inaudibly behind Mael. And he could see the worry on the other's face, causing Henri to look at the younger with a fond expression. How was he so sweet and adorable? It made him want to kiss him all over and make him understand how loving he already was. "Right behind you, baby," Henri whispered, right into Mael's ear as he was standing behind him, his hands on Mael's sides. "Did you miss me?" he wiggled his eyebrows, looking at the other. He felt rather touched that Mael was worried for him and called him - or at least his second name - with such a gentle tone. He smiled at him, tilting his head a bit. It was almost a smirk by now and Cassi meowed a little surprised, an answer to his question. She was used to his shennanigans, Mael however was not. Not yet.

@－ ❛ ʜ ❜：henri knight。⁰⁴ ( SH ) the implication behind henri’s words nearly made mal choke on his own tongue. it was not easy to make him nervous, or make him react in any type of way that would indicate some shyness. but hearing henri say that just felt different – maybe because he did not expect him to say it. he would have expected it from cass, but not from henri. he registered henri’s need, and he was happy he wanted mal as much as he wanted him. he did not comment on it though, he considered that he made his intentions pretty clear. if given the chance, he will not stop kissing henri, regardless of circumstances. fleeing from him was enjoyable, because his reactions were worth it. mal laughed at how quickly henri reacted, but he did not stop running. “come on, lennart! your physical condition is better than mine, you play quidditch,” he teased, and carefully ran around the corner.

he was still holding cassi, who was far too confused to react. mal thought she was probably too happy to complain, after all she was being carried around and held. mal slowed down once he was off the stairs and on the ground floor. he even turned around to find henri, but he did not see him anywhere. he chuckled, and thought he probably fell behind at some point. he expected to see him running around the corner any time now. he called out after a while, walking backwards to continue putting distance between them. he was ready to start running again once he sees henri. “did you get lost, lennart?” he chuckled and looked at cassi. “he is taking a while, huh?” he talked to her, he swore he saw her shrug. she did not seem to care much about what mal was talking about. he could not blame her, she probably just wanted to clean herself and eat. mal did not know if he should get worried that henri was nowhere to be found, or if he should be cautious. perhaps worry won him over. “lennart?”

@－ ❛ ʀ ❜：maël clair。⁰² “Bruises would look pretty on you,” Henri mumbled and looked at Mal, a smile on his lips. It was true, bruises despite being painful would look so good on the other. His skin was beautiful, pale and gentle and honestly Henri would love to see colours on the other’s body. “I’ll try to be more gentle though, next time.” He stressed the last two words a bit, letting Maël know that he was very interested and up for a second time as well. He almost closed his eyes when Maël touched his throat, it felt nice and it send soft shivers through his body. He brushed over the other’s sides and looked at him, his heart beating fast as he was nervous but excited as well. He liked the other’s fingers on his body, it made him feel good and right.

“I do know that my looks are seen as a little more than average,” Henri returned amused. He saw himself as averagely pretty, at least without make up. However when he played with his make up and hair and clothes, it was easy to make himself look rather nice and, sometimes, even stunning. Confused he tilted his head when the other said he didn’t have to ask and it made him a little shy, however also very happy. And then suddenly Maël started to run, a clear pout on his lips. “Yah, wait!” he said, rushing after the other and immediately running down the stairs and after Maël, laughing. “Your legs are longer than mine!” he complained and kept running even faster, his short legs surprisingly quick.

@－ ❛ ʜ ❜：henri knight。⁰⁴ he watched him unfold before his eyes – his hand sought for his skin, as though it depended on touching him. his thumb danced on henri’s lips, pulling the pout they just formed. he smiled and tilted his head to the side, maybe in a cute gesture or just as an aftermath of the million thoughts that escaped in his mind. “you may crash me, but maybe next time go a little gentler on me. I bruise easily,” he chuckled, his good mood recovered from its sudden drop into lustful and passionate feelings. he could feel henri’s heartbeat on his shoulders, and maybe in his throat – he touched his adam’s apple, following it as though it was a river flowing underneath his skin. he reciprocated the gesture, still a little lost and dazed – it daunted on him that he just kissed henri, the senior he has been eyeing for a while, the senior he flirted with before. he should not feel nervous, he was used to kissing people – but maybe it was different when the people felt this good. when their smile was bright and cute, when their lips were like a feline’s – hungry, alluring, addicting.

“you are pretty. and I am sure you know it too,” he shook his head shortly, it was a known fact that henri was good-looking. but maybe mal saw him a little differently, glowing in a pink hue – one that he wanted all over his lips and skin over and over again. he glanced at the kitten and let out a short laugh, he found her amusing. “aww, a little . I suppose she learns from the best, huh?” he talked to cassi as if the animal could answer – whilst she only meowed, he was certain she understood at least half of what he just told to her. he looked at henri when he made the statement, a smirk lingering on his lips. he slid one of his arms around henri’s slender waist, a little teasingly. “I hope you are aware you do not have to ask. however,” he smiled and leaned in, face just inches away. for a moment, he thought about kissing him again. but he did not. he winked instead. “you have to catch me first,” he moved away quickly, and picked the kitten up, running down the stairs carefully this time while chuckling at his own mischief.

@－ ❛ ʀ ❜：maël clair。⁰² Kissing Mal filled Henri with way too many emotions and feelings. It was warm and it felt like honey on his skin. Soft and sticky but so very beautiful and golden, mesmerizing. He just wanted to kiss him again and again, finding out what else it could feel like, but eventually he could feel Mal’s lips disappear. There was a pout on the older’s lips and he looked at the man in front of him, brushing over his cheeks. “If I get kisses for crashing you into a wall, I might do that again,” he hummed, still holding the younger against the wall and not letting him get away. His own heart was still beating so damn hard, how could he just let him go like this?

“So you think I am pretty?” Henri then chuckled, still close to Mal’s lips and almost touching them when speaking. He wanted another kiss, no, he wanted as many kisses as he could get and Mal wanted to give however he did not want to overstep and take what the other might not want to give to him. “And I’ll take responsibility, do not worry about that,” he hummed, placing a small peck to Mal’s lips before letting him go unwillingly. He still could feel the other’s beautiful soft lips on his own, ghosting there, and he just wanted to be close, kiss him, feel him, but maybe not with Cassiopeia staring at them. “I should maybe bring her back home, she loves to watch people kissing. Or other things.” He laughed softly, implying that it was not a rarity that Cassi was staring at people whenever they got more intimate. Not that Henri really cared, the small creature had the possibility to hide or look away. “But I do understand that, pretty people have to be watched, mh?” He poked his cat’s nose and then looked at Mal. “I hope you are aware that I might request more kisses.”

@－ ❛ ʜ ❜：henri knight。⁰⁴ his mind was racing a thousand thoughts per minute, his heart was beating a thousand more. henri, on a white horse, riding it in a field of roses. henri, in a toga, touching olive branches and feeding birds. henri, as a mucha mural, shattered in colour and shape. henri, as a van gogh – colours mismatched, blurry, smudged and potent. henri, as a doré – black and white, heavy, terrifying, but beautiful. henri, on a beach – drowning with him into the abyss. until their lungs were filled with water, and he forgot how to breathe – his body knew how to react to a kiss the way his mind never could. heat – from the inside out, feeling his heart in his throat – the way he treated him, the way he pushed him back against the cold wall. he was caught off guard, suddenly obedient to circumstances – henri’s lips were orchid petals, maybe sweetened with honey. deeper – he let go, his breath caught in between their passion.

should he stop? it was a fragmented thought amongst the others. was it a mistake? no, answered echoes of henris from different caves – the cave under water, the cave in the sky, the cave under the earth. the entire world collapsed at his feet, and mal nearly collapsed too – maybe in an unexplained worship, as if he was a god, his god. maybe he was religion itself – mal could not tell. it daunted on him that he should stop, for his body reacted without him – and soon enough, it will ask for more. he reluctantly pulled away – allowing his lips to linger a little longer before departing. thumb on the elder’s chin to keep him inches away, yet close enough – looking into his eyes with a playful smile. “that is for crashing my back, pretty boy. if I get bruises, you will be held responsible. and I will not let it slide,” he nodded, cassi meowing along. mal had to chuckle, and tilt his head to point at cassi. “she agrees.”

[ mood: https://open.spotify.com/track/7cXVd648oUKRqH1YS1GXUO?si=B6EUAKT1Ste7KujaFVy4yA ]

@－ ❛ ʀ ❜：maël clair。⁰² There were perfect lips against his and for a long moment Henri was sure his brain just short circuit. He had expected some complaining from Maël as Henri had not exactly been the gentlest with the other, pushing him rather hard against the wall while making sure he was not falling down the stairs again. However instead he was getting a kiss. Maël’s perfect lips against his and Henri could feel his heart jump out of his chest. And while his heart and brain were clearly having a mental breakdown as he had not expected Maël kiss him – perfect, amazing Maël – however his body clearly understood what was happening and reacted properly. So he was kissing the younger back.

Even though Henri heard the soft yelp from his cat, he only ignored it and pushed Maël a little back against the cold wall, the hand on the wall now on Maël’s back of his head. He wanted him to be at least comfortable. His other hand was still on Maël’s waist, holding him close. This was clearly some permission he was getting from the other and Henri would be a fool not to take this chance and kiss the Ravenclaw back. A soft sigh left his lips and he deepened the kiss, pretty sure his heart was beating way too fast. Maybe he’d die of a heart attack because Maël Clair was kissing him. He might turn into a ghost in Hogwarts but then he had least got to see the other’s beautiful form for as long as he could. Who would not want to die such a beautiful death? Then again Henri did prefer to stay alive so he could kiss Maël some more. And longer because, damn, this felt just so perfect. He held onto the other’s sweater, his lips moving against the other’s.


[pssssht you know you can take as much time as you want uwu ]

@－ ❛ ʜ ❜：henri knight。⁰⁴ fair enough, mal’s mind could not really process information properly. if there was too much, it had the tendency to spin until he could make sense of it. of course, his body crashing in an impact could also shake things up. his adrenaline burning in his fingertips and toes, his breath got caught in his lungs when his back crashed against the wall. he did not expect it at all, he thought he was good – he actually believed he managed to balance himself out well. perhaps, he did not. and the yank henri just performed was absolutely necessarily. he was no fragile per se, but he bruised easily. and even if he was certain henri did not mean to push him this hard, he could not help but wince a little. his brain registered pain, and his heart registered henri’s words. he opened his eyes, henri inches away looking worried. he looked to the side and saw cassi was alright – that was a relief. it took him a few moments to put together what just happened.

and then, henri’s words were clearer than ever. what he said before, and what he was saying now. he looked at henri, towering over him – even though quite helplessly right now. he moved his arms to rest them on henri’s shoulders, and leaned in. the wall was far too cold, and it hurt a little when he moved. it was not in his nature to be subtle, especially not when he wanted something. sometimes he thought about things more if there was some doubt – not this time. he was certain there will not be any regret or any resentment – he closed the space between them. and just like he was crashed against the wall, he crashed against henri, ignoring the yelp cassi let out at the sudden proximity of her owner to him. henri felt soft, mal registered that with surprise given the push henri just gave him. his eyes closed, his lips moving – permission was granted, mal made sure of that. pain and adrenaline mixing - it was exactly what he needed.

[ I apologise this took so long! ]

@－ ❛ ʀ ❜：maël clair。⁰² ( H ) “She does love me a lot,” Hongjoong said and gently looked at Cassi. Of course he knew she loved him, she was the sweetest little creature that was growing way too fast for his own taste but he really did not mind. Small or big, as long as his little queen was happy and satisfied that was all he needed. He hummed and watched Maël look at him with such affection, it made his heart skip a beat and he could tell that now not only his cheeks but also his ears were a lot redder than before. He huffed slightly. “I’d kiss your lips too but I would like to ask for permission first,” he said, asking for permission like this. He had noticed that Maël had been a little bit taken by surprise and maybe that was why or maybe it was because he had just kissed the other’s skin without asking first. This was still new to him after all.

Henri blinked surprised when the other grabbed his hand but he followed right away without any hesitation, a small bounce in his step while he held onto the warm, big hand in his. The fingers were long and skinny but it felt so nice against his. Just holding Maël’s hand felt like a big achievement. He listened to the other and was about to nod when the other missed a step, stumbling in his movements and Cassi was clearly displeased. Luckily Henri’s body often moved faster than his brain or track of thoughts. He immediately grabbed Maël, pulling him close and pushing him against the wall to hold him up so he would not fall. He knew he did not exactly look strong however Henri was in the Quidditch team and had a lot of strength stored in his small body. Maël could have been double the size, it was easy for Henri to just hold him up and make sure he would not fall. He had one hand on the other’s waist, the other on the wall so he would not fall. “Are you okay?” he asked, looking at the younger in worry. That could have gone horribly wrong.

@－ ❛ ʜ ❜：henri knight。⁰⁴ he noticed the slight red tint in the other’s cheeks, and could not help but smile. he found that adorable, but did not voice it out. he did not want all of his weaknesses exposed right off the batch. he had to chuckle at henri’s comment, and he looked at cassi for a moment. “I guess she loves you very much then,” he smiled. the sudden proximity did not intimidate him, but it did make him curious. just like the cat, he closed his eyes the moment henri got too close – he expected a peck on his lips, so the nose peck threw him off a little. it was almost too cute to process. he wasted a minute smiling and not saying anything, as if he was some love-struck idiot – which, he might as well have been.

he cleared his throat, and cuddled the kitten on his shoulder, before actually moving. he grabbed henri’s hand, and pulled him along. he kept the kitten on his shoulder, luckily she did well clinging onto his shirt on the way. at some point, mal turned around beaming, walking backwards. “tea and cake, yes, that sounds delightful. we can get some from the great hall, then go outside if it is not too cold. I am sure we can find somewhere to si—“ he almost swallowed his tongue at the last word. fair warning, never walk backwards on adrenaline. mal was very close to falling right down the stairs, because he missed one step. cassi reacted to the sudden movement with a loud meow, and mal reached a hand at his shoulder to protect her in case of an impact.

@－ ❛ ʀ ❜：maël clair。⁰² ( H ) For a long moment Henri just looked at Maël’s beautiful eyes, his heart warm and engulfed into the feeling of seeing the other’s fascinating being just in front of him. Henri wondered what it had cost to create such a beautiful being like Maël and he was sure that the price had been high. And yet he was so glad he was here with him. A soft hum left his lips as the other touched the skin under his eyes where he had put on some glitter earlier – everything was better with glitter after all. Confused he looked at Cassi’s reaction and chuckled amused. “I guess she wanted all your attention,” he said and looked back at the taller male.

Hearing Maël’s words made Henri blush and he slightly nudged the other, shaking his head a bit. “Do not flatter me,” he huffed and brushed a hair behind his ear. He was not good with compliments after all, he rarely received any and if he did he was often just spaced out and barely heard them. “Oh she will leave even more of such trophies. That is just her way of showing how much she loves someone,” he chuckled and pecked the cat’s nose before he looked at Maël for a long moment – and then tiptoed, pecking Maël’s beautiful nose as well. “Sure, I would love to go somewhere,” he hummed and nodded. “How could I not want to spend some time with you?” He winked at Maël, now a little bolder. “Tea and cake sounds like something we should do.” He shook his head amused, ignoring the part about the baby.

@－ ❛ ʜ ❜：henri knight。⁰⁴ he could not help but keep the smile on his lips, henri was so lovely – there was something about him he could not quite explain. he felt oddly safe, and relaxed around him – maybe it was his hufflepuff nature, or maybe the fact that he reacted to his rather odd behaviour so well. he hummed a little, his mind slipping away for another moment – he would look so beautiful with snowflakes threaded in his hair, and with glitter on his face. in fact, he thought for a moment he spotted some under his eye – he wanted to touch him again, the urge was just getting stronger the longer they talked. he reached a hand out despite his better judgement, and touched henri’s cheek, taking off that little bit of glitter. the little cat reacted right away, hissing quite betrayed at mal’s action.

he answered by furrowing his eyebrows and eyeing the little creature. “hey! come on now. he is too pretty not to touch,” he answered, then sighed a bit. he took his hand away and petted the top of her head with his fingers – since she was so small, he could hold her entire body in his palm. “I hope you will not leave such trophies, cassi. that is not a very lady-like attitude!” he touched her nose, and she opened to bite him. “you are welcomed to chill on me any time you want,” he added to the flirtatious remark, then looked at henri with a half-smirk. “do you want to go somewhere else? somewhere where we can sit down, have some tea, talk about how I still think you are a baby,” he almost grinned at the last sentence, he was pleased with himself.

@－ ❛ ʀ ❜：maël clair。⁰² Even though it was a simple touch coming from the other, small and delicate like a cherry blossom’s petal Henri could feel it. It was more than words, so much more, and the older relaxed, a warm smile on his lips. He felt surprisingly understood, considering how recently they had met but how well they seemed to get along. He hummed softly. “I guess we are quite alike,” he said and watched the pretty man in front of him. He was beautiful, stunning, prettier than any artwork he had seen recently and surely worthy of having his portrait taken. Maybe Cole might want to take a picture of the other, or a few more. Maël was beautiful and he was sure Cole would see the beauty right away. But that was a thought for a different day. Right now he wanted to just be here, in the moment, and not let his mind take him places he was not supposed to be right now. He was good with getting lost in his head.

“She does not have to pay you. What is mine is hers. I’d pay for her,” Henri chuckled amused and shook his head. “I hope the young lady does not hide mice under my bed because I do not want tiny rotten flesh of former living beings under my bed. Or wardrobe. Or under my blanket.” He huffed and shortly puffed his cheeks but then laughed. He then shook his head as Maël called him baby, rather amused with it. He did not mind it but he had also not expected it. “Did you just call me baby?” He laughed and nudged Maël slightly but not hard. He shook his head and gently brushed through Cassi’s fur, smiling. “No, she seems content with you so you keep her on you,” he hummed gently. “For now at least. If I was her I’d chill on you too.”

@－ ❛ ʜ ❜：henri knight。⁰⁴ he understood. just like him, mal enjoyed showing his affection through touch as well – despite the implied curiosity, touch was really the sense he relied on the most. sometimes it pained him when he could not convey his feelings through words, so he learnt early on, that a gentle squeeze could mean more than his words could ever transmit. even though he was quite honest and vocal about his feelings, there were some moments he could not quite explain – like an artistic reverie, a deep-seated melancholy, or this very second. he could not explain why henri’s touch was soothing, why he sought for it, why he thought it would be the light at the end of the tunnel. maybe the connection was so hidden, it did not allow him to understand. he reciprocated the touch-based affection, even if he kept it subtle. his fingers barely touched henri, but they did – just like they did when touching a canvas for the very first time.

the conversation with the cat almost slipped right out of his mind. however, the sudden meow of disapproval made him return to it. he had no idea why he spaced out like that – but then, he often did. he smiled, and then looked at the self-proclaimed queen. she opened to meow, but did not meow – a silent conversation, meant to convince mal of one thing or two. “she says she has some hidden mice to pay me with,” mal said after a while, the smile not leaving his lips. he looked at henri, touching the corner of his lips with his thumb to comfort him. “aw, do you hear him cassi? he is a little baby,” he teased, but only slightly. the kitten looked at her owner in apology, and meowed so cutely mal almost gave her the puppy-look. “I think you two have made up. do you want to hold her?”

@－ ❛ ʀ ❜：maël clair。⁰² Oh. Oh no. Henri had seen the reaction to his touch displayed on Maël’s face and how the other leaned into it. It made his heart flutter, surprisingly, and he felt his own body yearn for more touch, more affection. So he did not hold back this time, reaching out for the other and gently touching his cheek again. “Soft,” he mumbled gently and looked at him, doing nothing but staring. It made him happy and warm and he felt like he just wanted to be close and touch him. “I show affection with touch,” he mumbled, a little shy himself but not taking away his hand from the other’s skin. He gently brushed over it and smiled at him, hoping Maël would be okay with it. He had leaned into the touch, he had felt it, and he just hoped this was okay, that he was not overstepping. He did not want to lose a friend he seemed to have just won.

With an amused expression the Hufflepuff watched the other two, shaking his head slightly. He could see that Maël was just joking and it was not a surprise. Cassi had such an effect on people. She was sweet and cuddly and cute and such a loving little creature, of course people wanted to take her away. Listening to them he just laughed as he heard Cassi reply to Maël as if she definitely understood what she was saying. He shook his head amused as he heard the conversation and then squished Maël’s cheeks a bit. “Well, she does not have money to pay an attorney. And also she has all the rights she wants. She is my little queen and I do whatever she wants me to,” Henri chuckled and looked at the other, tilting his head a bit. “Did I do something to offend my queen?” he then asked, cheeks puffing a bit. “I’m still new to be the cat’s assistant!”

@－ ❛ ʜ ❜：henri knight。⁰⁴ mal could not help but mirror the boy’s smile, he established his happiness was quite contagious. but then, the hufflepuff house usually sent mal into an excited frenzy. it was either with weirdness, or happiness – no in-betweens. henri was just like that, mal found himself surfing adhd inducing feelings, and he was unsure if he will just bounce right off the walls the next minute. “only those people who interest me, of course,” he kept his composure, and his voice was pretty steady considering how hyper he felt. and then, he touched him. it felt warm, and close to a perfect weather. mal leaned into the touch and closed his eyes – he was weak for any sort of physical affection, especially if it came from someone this beautiful. but just when he wanted to drown in his touch, he stopped it – and mal felt incredibly melancholic. as though he was longing for it, as though it would bring about thoughts he never had before.

“hm?” he got a little too distracted, he spaced out perfectly well just seconds before. and he was not afraid to show confusion, yet knew he should get right back on track. only, he kind of lost his words. the kitten pawed at his cheek again, the same spot her owner touched. “taking you away? what do you say, cassi? do you want to let go of your owner?” the cat meowed so long and loud as though she actually understood what mal was saying. “I know, right? he is so rude,” mal teased, and willingly entered a conversation with the kitten about her owner. “he did what? no way! the litter box?” he pretended to be shocked, the kitten was enjoying the attention a little too much. she looked at her owner, and so did mal, almost scolding. “we need to discuss cat rights,” and cassi meowed. “I am her attorney.”

@－ ❛ ʀ ❜：maël clair。⁰² “Consider your point proven,” Henri chuckled amused and watched Maël’s beautiful lips speak the translation just mere moments afterwards. It sounded oh so beautiful and Henri tilted his head a little bit, wishing he would understand the original form of it. A gentle smile tugged on his lips and he nodded slightly. “It’s pretty,” he hummed, but it was not as pretty as the man in front of him. He his lips and tilted his head a bit. “Do you whisper such pretty words to every person you just met over social media?” he asked, teasingly and then noticed Cassi sliding down but getting caught by Maël with ease. A gentle laugh left his lips and he shook his head amused. Well, that he had not seen coming but it was typical Cassi. His little girl was a troublemaker, just like he was. “Oh? Were you considering to take me away from her?” Henri asked if he heard the other’s words to his cat and he was a little surprised by them but also definitely curious now. He gently reached forward and put a lost strand away from Maël’s face without an explanation. His fingers slightly touched the other’s soft skin before he took them back and chuckled. “Sounds like you taught Pierre well?” he said, more a question than an exclamation but it sounded like fun to Henri. This way Maël was never really alone but then again in here no one was ever really alone, surrounded by students, professors, ghosts and some other haunted or not haunted creatures. Henri had already encountered way too many for his taste but then again he was here a lot longer than most people expected when he mentioned he was in his fourth year and not in his first or second

@－ ❛ ʜ ❜：henri knight。⁰⁴ he could not help but chuckle at the boy’s response, it was not like he expected him to understand. that would have been quite impressive, given he just admitted he had little to no knowledge of the language. mal ran his hand through his hair, trying to fix it – it was excessively unruly today. the kitten was alerted by the motion, and she pawed at mal’s hand, playing with some strands of hair. mal might have burst had he not been medicated just a few hours previously. he was calmer than expected at the entire situation, but he got distracted for a moment. “I was proving a point,” mal beamed at henri, probably some residue happiness from the kitten’s reaction. “they call it the language of love for a reason, I guess,” he shrugged and picked the kitten up, resting her on top of his head, where it had some fun tangling his long hair. “you are lucky I memorised one of the literary translations, otherwise, translating it on the spot would make it sound less beautiful,” he said and leaned a bit closer, rather carefully, clearing his throat. “for I have all these docile swains to enchant — / two mirrors, which beauty in all things ignite: / mine eyes, my large eyes, of eternal light!” and he looked into henri’s eyes while saying it, not that the message was a positive one. no, but calling him beautiful reminded him just how selfish beauty could be. maybe, he got lost again. maybe, he would have leaned closer for a kiss. but cassi had other plans. she slid down mal’s face, clinging onto his hair in the process. mal caught her, he was quite startled by it too. “alright, I get it! he is yours, do not take my eyes out, please,” mal placed the kitten back on his shoulder, where she curled up. mal sighed, and nodded. “yes, an idiot parakeet named pierre. if you hear someone sing inappropriate songs, it is probably him.”

@－ ❛ ʀ ❜：maël clair。⁰² “I have to admit,” Henri said and watched Maël help his baby cat climb from one shoulder to the other, “that I understood nothing.” He laughed gently and shook his head a bit. “However it sounded very beautiful and, might I say, pretty hot too.” He grinned at the man in front of him, looking all messy and handsome – rude, if Henri was honest, definitely rude of Maël to look like this during their first proper meeting. Clearly Cassi was enjoying it too as she was playing with everything Maël offered – his collarbones, the messy hair, the shirt and then the wall that was right behind the Ravenclaw. “So you might have to translate for me,” he hummed. Or he had to remember what the other had said to find it somewhere in the books or on the internet they were finally allowed to use in the walls of Hogwarts. It had taken them quite some time after all. He blinked surprised and then laughed, nodding. “Oh she will find a way through the wall and then I’ll cry because she will be in your common room and I will not.” He shook his head, his blond hair all fluffy and soft. He had decided to keep it blond, for now, however he was thinking of going red again or maybe blue, this time. He would probably choose it on a whim again. “Oh, definitely. Save the cat, save the world right?” He hummed softly. It reminded him of the show he had watched a while ago, however it had been ‘save the cheerleader, save the world’ instead. “Do you have an animal?”

@－ ❛ ʜ ❜：henri knight。⁰⁴ he felt like drowning, perhaps in that short vision of nothing he had while leaning against the cold wall. his feelings were often intense, overwhelming – and he loved compliments, it was just a validation he needed, he craved for. he forgot how much of a hot mess he was, with his tie displaced and his buttons all wrong – maybe henri did not notice it, or if he did, he saw beyond it. mal appreciated it, somehow, he thought, henri would be able to see more than he is willing to give. he was aware it was not necessarily his choice – so many things were slipping out of him. and the paw on his lips made him pay attention to reality once again, the little cat was trying to make her way across to the other shoulder, but was caught suspended on his collarbones. mal helped her, and placed her on the other shoulder to help her explore more, see more. she found the wall interesting, mal could not judge her for that. and henri managed to opened a drawer, one mal kept for occasions just as such. one that carried those words he could not muster. “car j'ai, pour fasciner ces dociles amants, / de purs miroirs qui font toutes choses plus belles: / mes yeux, mes larges yeux aux clartés éternelles!” he recited his baudelaire – a poem that suited their conversation. he wanted to send a message across, his voice automatically turned sweeter – like it does, when speaking beautiful words. “a message, from selfish beauty to its admirers,” mal smiled, he was a little lost – he grounded himself by touching henri’s cheek again, humming softly. “I agree, small things have a unique way of discovering the world. cassi will find a crack in the wall we have never seen before,” he mused, and looked at the small creature now pawing at the wall. mal pushed himself against it, so his shoulder could rest comfortably – so cassi could paw at it better. “oh blessed be the day cats will rule the world.”

@－ ❛ ʀ ❜：maël clair。⁰² A small chuckle left Henri’s lips as he heard Maël compliment him, telling him that he did consider him a pretty person. Henri knew he was not ugly but hearing it from someone as beautiful as Maël was just making him a little shy and maybe even a tiny bit flustered. “Thank you,” he mumbled and looked at the man who had just caressed his face as if it was the most beautiful gem he had seen in quite a while and as Henri had seen who the other was best friends with – social media was not exactly quiet – and he knew that Eleazar existed, he knew he was definitely not the most beautiful gem amongst them. “Oh? A romantic reverie?” he asked curiously and chuckled amused. Well, that did sound like fun and who was Henri to say no to fun, right? He tilted his head a little bit. “It’s a pretty language, I agree. I do know a bit but probably not enough.” He loved languages a lot, he knew quite a few because his family wanted him to keep up with the family imagine, making sure his stubborn self was not ruining anything. Most of the time Henri got away with everything, his parents not noticing, sadly learning languages was part of the cover so here he was. “So teach me, please.” He hummed and then laughed, shaking his head amused as the other told he found him adorable. “Not the first one telling me that. I know I am pretty small but I don’t mind. The smallest find the most interesting ways to get things done. I mean, look at Cassi, she is tiny!” He grinned and reached forward, gently scratching Cassi behind her ear and his fingers slightly touching Maël while doing so. “Oh, that is her plan,” Henri chuckled amused. “She will make everyone fall for her and then take over the world.” He shook his head. “She already got me. And, clearly, you too."

@－ ❛ ʜ ❜：henri knight。⁰⁴ when the kitten nuzzled closer, mal felt strangely safe – with the potential of having his neck clawed out, he still looked peaceful. animals had that effect, besides they could smell hesitation and fear, especially felines. mal often wondered how it felt like to have such heightened senses – he was pretty intense himself, but he could never sniff people out as easily as cats. he looked at henri again, his best indicator would be his eyes – they say people hide a lifetime behind their eyes, the lies, the deceit, but also the honest recollection. mal could tell henri was genuine in the purest sense of the word – there was hardly a fibre of doubt behind his rather sentimental eyes. mal watched fascinated. but his mouth never could stay shut for long – unless he drowned in his thoughts. “I do consider you a pretty person, yes,” mal had no intention of lying, his honesty could hurt sometimes. maybe not when he was flirting – he learnt people liked hearing the truth about that. “if you want to learn french, I can throw some more at you. I cannot promise, however, that you will not get lost in a romantic reverie. it is quite a pleasant language, if spoken poetically. or, well, at least by an artist, I suppose,” his smile broke in a chuckle at the mention of height, and mal found himself unconsciously bending his legs. “most people are shorter than me, I find it rather adorable. however, that is a rather clever insult,” he closed his eyes, because the kitten started pawing at his cheek and temple – nothing but affection, at least mal read it as that. “kitty, you are making me fall for you,” he chuckled again, well – he was not wrong. only, he has already fallen for her.

@－ ❛ ʀ ❜：maël clair。⁰² “She rarely. And if she does, she will scratch your entire back and everything on her way,” Henri chuckled amused and shook his head. “So don’t worry, if she falls you’ll easily realise and catch her.” He had met quite a few people who would prefer throwing cats through the air when they scratched in fear and Henri had already more than once thrown the people instead. The animals were holy to him after all. Some people too, but that was something else. “So you consider me a pretty person, mh?” Henri said amused and let the other touch him, not really minding. He was very affectionate after all so this was nicer than Maël might expect. “Well, I at French so it is good you are educating me,” Henri chuckled amused. He had never been good in languages even though he had tried so much. “Little evil does fit though.” He smiled amused and shook his head a bit. “But pretty handsome is more fitting. Big beauty, maybe.” He winked at him and heard how Cassi started to purr even lounder, burying her face in Maël’s neck and looking way too content. He probably smelled good too and gave off good vibes so that was a good sign. “Pretty boy dot com?” Henri cackled and shook his head amused. “I do know I am not ugly but this pretty? Definitely nah. You should use that handle though.” He hummed amused and tilted his head. “A mouthful, huh? At least not a spoonful because I’ve heard that comment about my height before.” He knew he was rather small, especially with someone almost ten centimetres taller in front of him it was pretty obvious. He never really minded, he had gotten so used to being smaller than most and he did not mind looking up to people. At least they would see a nice angle of his face. Unless they crouched down but sometimes Henri just punched them then. “Do you always flirt right away when you see pretty people?” he teased the other. "Is that one of your instincts?"

@－ ❛ ʜ ❜：henri knight。⁰⁴ mal refused to stop protecting the little cat, he did not want to take any chances. even if the sharp nails were digging in his skin, he did not complain – he would let the cat shred him if it made her happy. it was like that with most animals, he just liked to see them content. an angry animal is a worst enemy than most humans. he kept his eyes on henri, and hummed softly. “I do not want to see her tumble down,” mal answered, slowly leaning against the wall. for some reasons, he needed the extra support – not because of the weight of the kitten, but because he needed to take his time to admire the boy’s features. he got distracted by his rather small face, who was not as amusing as the instagram handle would have fooled one to believe. “what can I say, I like pretty things and pretty people. if I am too much, let me know. I might consider toning it down,” he smirked playfully, his fingers curling and moving away slowly. he did not want to linger for too long with his touch – not yet, anyways. “does that mean I should expect you to pull an ugly face at me at any given time? risky,” he chuckled, then sighed a little. “actually, my handle has a double meaning. you could understand it as small mal, which indeed does not really suit me. or you could understand it the way I do: little evil. it was a play on words, meant to confuse people,” he winked. the little cat curled on his rather broad shoulders – luckily they offered enough space. “oh, I do not know. maybe, pretty boy dot com. a mouthful, but then so are you. take it as you wish.”

@－ ❛ ʀ ❜：maël clair。⁰² Watching Maël take his little precious baby into his arms was quite a beautiful view. The Ravenclaw seemed to find the purest of feelings in his chest, letting it surround him and the small cat entirely while his eyes shone so bright with glee. Henri chuckled gently, humming quietly in a calm manner. It was rare that Cassiopeia was this cuddly with a person but the moment Maël let her sit on the shoulder she started to purr and knead his shoulder before sitting down.

“You don’t have to hold her, her nails are pretty sharp and she rarely falls down,” Henri chuckled and watched the other curiously, tilting his head. And then, suddenly, he felt a hand on his own cheek and he was surprised by it but he did not mind. There was a small blush on top of cheeks, it had taken him by surprise after all but Maël’s hand was warm. A small laugh left his lips and he hummed amused. “Going all in, huh?” Henri hummed amused. “Well, you will see it definitely fits me. Not my face, maybe, but definitely me.” He winked at him. “However you aren’t petite. Doesn’t that mean small? You definitely aren’t tall.” Maël was taller than him by almost ten centimetres and it was embarrassing but then again not. “What handle would you prefer me to have instead, mh?” He tried to ignore the comment about his second name – he was not a fan of it but he just let it go.

@－ ❛ ʜ ❜：henri knight。⁰⁴ mal took the cat in his arms like it was the most fragile being in the entire world. he was almost scared to hold such a small creature, but he did nevertheless. he hugged her at his chest, not too hard, and did not even notice her nibbling at his shirt. he was enjoying holding her too much, he looked at her with the curiosity and admiration of a little child, who was just now discovering cats. he loved all animals, however, cats got him in a way no other animal could. perhaps because growing up his grandmother used to let all stray cats live at her home, so when they had kittens, mal would chase them around the yard, and play with them. he was only a boy back then, away from adult responsibilities – those were his happiest days. perhaps looking at young cassi reminded him of that time – and young mal was still alive behind the harsh exterior he built to face the world. he realised he was getting too distracted, and managed to look at henri again. he let the kitten stick her head under his slightly ed shirt – good thing he did not bother looking put together. “I definitely only got out of bed for her,” he joked and lifted the kitten on his shoulder, keeping his hand nearby so she does not fall off. now that his anger was subdued, he could observe henri – or lennart, better. mal raised his other hand to touch henri’s cheek just barely – his method of exploring new people was a little unorthodox. who in their right mind touches strangers? mal did not do it all that often, but he felt compelled to in this moment. “your silly handle does not suit your face, lennart.”