The sickness didn't leave Ariel anymore. As well as the sadness. He was living with it, bearing it. It was such a burden. He hated living with this. He would cry harder everyday, fearing his future more and more. The absence of Regulus in his life was also weighing him down. He felt so lonely. Being alone had never been pleasant before, but he now knew what it was to be lonely. The void in him couldn't be filled as long as Regulus couldn't be with him. But it would still last for long and long weeks and he knew it.

He felt pathetic as he watched his reflection in the mirror of his bedroom. Pale, clearly restless, his face slightly hollowed. He caught a glimpse of his eyes. Redness everywhere. It stung. The effects of crying so much, he thought sourly. Ariel felt ashamed Regulus might ever hear about this. Crying so weakly over his absence. It proved one thing: he was dependent.

The blond boy found it hard writing regularly to Regulus. It would become rarer and rarer without ceasing for the meantime. More and more Regulus started asking for news about Ariel which the boy found difficult to give. He would ignore his questions until Regulus' words became a demand and not a question anymore.

'Dear Ariel,

I cannot bear not knowing about you. I love your poems but I want you to stop hiding behind them. Do not hide from me anymore, talk to me.

Take good care of you,

Regulus'

He knew he couldn't back away anymore. Regulus was most likely angered at Ariel for avoiding his questions all this time.

'My dear Regulus,

I miss you and I am sad.

Ariel'

His feelings were much more complexed but it was a beginning. At least he had opened up for the first time in weeks.

Later that day, his mother came into his room to announce their family had got invited to a party organized by the Selwyns this time. Ariel almost wept to her feet when she told him. He begged her again, claiming that he was still feeling unwell and his mother got worried and confused. She was very caring and hated to see her children suffer. She tried to get Ariel to speak but he had suddenly gone mute. He couldn't tell her anything, no matter how much he wanted to.

"I'm sorry Mother. I really can't tell you."

"Fine. I'll go tell your father you're exempted from this party but we should have a talk soon."

He agreed. He could only agree. He was glad at least his mother was being so nice to him.

The day after the party he hadn't attended, he was back to doing nothing. His days consisted of smoking, reading, talking to his elf, crying and re-reading Regulus' letters while both smoking more and crying more. And when he could, he was eating or sleeping but these were not his main activities. That day he was sitting by his window, watching as the autumn rain was falling from the stormy sky that reminded him so much of Regulus' eyes that he adored. He was smoking and thinking when suddenly, a knock was heard on his door.

He was expecting either his mother or elf to come in, but it was with surprise that Daisy Parkinson entered the room. He watched her slowly walk in the room, his eyes wide.

"Daisy? What are you doing there?"

"I heard my fiancé was sick. As a good future wife I shall look after him of course," she replied, her voice sweet but her face remaining emotionless.

"That's really nice of you, as you can see I am fin-"

"But you don't look fine," she interrupted curtly.

"And what if I don't? It's not like you care about me anyway," he hissed, furrowing his brows and turning around to look back at the outside landscape while keeping his cigarette in his mouth.

The girl sighed audibly at his childish behavior. "I know you hate me. But I personally don't hate you."

Ariel didn't show any surprise upon hearing this and stayed calm while keeping his back facing her.

"I also know you like Regulus Black. It's pretty obvious when you don't ignore it," added the girl casually.

This time, the blond boy couldn't hide his shock. He finally faced her, with wide eyes. He didn't even know why but he felt like crying at this moment. Ariel let out a single tear and she sighed a little.

"Love is a stupid thing right? Say it. Say it that I am stupid," said his shaking voice.

"But it makes you happy. Am I right?"

"Of course it makes me happy," answered Ariel, his lips smiling faintly while a few more tears started falling. He turned around again to hide from her. He didn't want her to think he was pathetic too. He hated himself for crying in front of her.

"Look, let's make a deal, okay?"

"What do you mean," he said, not looking at her.

"I accept your relationship with the boy which means I will accept him in our future house I'm currently choosing for our situation. And in the meantime I keep going on with my own secret relationship while we fake being a couple for everyone's eyes."

These words were very unexpected. Ariel thought about them. He really had no idea about this but it suddenly made sense. She had changed a while ago.

"Who are you dating?" he asked, looking back at her with curiosity in his blue eyes. The tears had disappeared.

"That's none of your business."

"It is. Kinda."

She sighed. "Gideon Prewett."

"A blood-traitor."

"Yeah, a blood-traitor..."

"I understand why you keep this a secret then."

"Yeah... It's difficult for me too."

"Why do you still want to marry me?"

"To make my parents proud. I guess. Don't you see how excited they are? It's not Gideon Prewett that could get them that excited..."

"I see why. I won't judge you for this. Though we clearly do not support the same things him and I. I wanna thank you for being acceptive and comprehensive."

"As long as you don't touch him during one of your Death Eater mission, everything will go fine for you." Ariel chuckled at this. "And stop sulking in your room. You're really a child like your brother and your father say," she added smirking.

And the boy frowned in annoyance. She left after that.

Ariel was confused. It felt like he had just met a totally new person. He wasn't the only one hiding different sides of himself then. Daisy wasn't only bitchy and stupid like he had once thought. He discovered a precious ally in her.

He almost wanted to tell Regulus about that but he thought such conversation couldn't be told through a letter. Instead he realized he hadn't even answered his last letter received earlier this morning. He took a look at it wondered what he should write.

What could he possibly answer to 'Tell me more about you. Please'

He couldn't hide anymore. Ariel had to talk to him. So he took out his quill and a piece of parchment and suddenly the words became easy to write.

'My dear Regulus,

I should be honest with you now. The truth is that I miss everything about you. I long after your touch, I crave to be with you, I only feel emptiness when you are so far. The only thing making me wake up in the morning is knowing I have a high chance of hearing about you. And when I don't, I cry. I cry almost every day, but when I don't hear about you, I cry harder. Each memory of you enforces the feeling of miss.

All I wish now is to be able to hold you in my arms, to feel you close to me like before. I am tired of reading your words, I want you to speak them to me. I miss your voice so much, it hurts when it haunts me in my sleep.

I cannot wait to have you by my side so I can smile again, so I can let gloominess go as my light comes back.

I love you dearly,

Sincerely yours,

Ariel'

As the boy wrote, he felt different. Having to open up about his feelings, show them in their rawest form felt odd. He realized Regulus brought out sides of him he was unaware of their existence. But he liked the idea of evolving by his side.

Ariel waited and waited for days for an answer, however what he didn't know was that his letter would never come.

author's note: that's when daisy becomes important