"Ivanna Flint was looking for you," muttered Daisy when Ariel came back to her side.

He was surprised to hear her voice speaking to him and not someone else.

"Really?" he just answered.

"Go," she told him, finally looking up at his face. Her expression was serious.

"Are you sure?"

"Do you like her?" she asked more out of curiosity as she didn't seem the slightest bit jealous. He wasn't sure of her feelings for him. For a while, she had been acting like any other girl but ever since the last time they met, she was offering distance.

"As a friend, yes."

She hummed and repeated, "Go."

He just nodded and left her side. Ivanna spotted him first. She quickly joined him and pulled him into a surprising hug. It felt good. Maybe he needed this source of comfort.

"I'm sorry," she told him with a sad smile. "It must be so hard."

"It's so hard," he answered weakly, his lips forming a similar smile he preferred showing rather than a pained expression.

"Where's Regulus?"

"Outside. Trying to calm down. I shouldn't have left him," sighed the boy.

"It's okay. I got him."

From the other side of the room, his mother was witnessing the exchange and telling his father, "I told you he liked Ivanna."

He didn't remember when Ivanna Flint became that kind. The girl had never been mean but her attitude changed ever since she got to know about their secret. She was still the same teasing and gossiping girl, even with them. But she was caring now. A side Ariel didn't know she had. Except for Regulus, she was the first person in his life he could count as a friend.

That evening he accepted all types of congratulations with a tight smile. Feigning gladness was harder than he thought. He would come back to Daisy's side from time to time as it was the formality. They were officially engaged to each other after all. They had been knowing each other for years but it was only after being engaged that Ariel realized she just appeared to be a mere stranger to him. She knew nothing about him. He knew nothing about her. They did not have any apparent similarity and they probably didn't have anything in common. He didn't know who he was about to marry and spend his whole life with. It inflected a feeling of fear in him.

It was horridly boring. While everyone was discussing, drinking, eating, or whatever they could do at a party, Ariel was watching the scene from a corner of the room. He had had enough drinks for him to start wondering what was real and what wasn't. He was observing, wishing he was invisible in this place, wishing no one knew him, wishing he wasn't the center of attention that night. He just felt a great void in him at this moment. He hadn't even noticed Regulus coming back from outside. But Daisy Parkinson surely noticed him. Now that she had understood, she didn't appreciate having his presence there.

She walked up to Ariel who wasn't too far and whispered quietly, "You should teach your boyfriend how to cover up the sadness in his eyes."

The boy's head quickly spun towards her, facing her with a confused look. "What? What did you say?" he blurted out.

"I said, you should teach your friend how to cover up the redness in his eyes," she muttered through greeted teeth.

And Ariel just gave her a confused expression as he thought he had heard something else. And she knew that. She could see he wasn't thinking clear anymore, he just looked so lost and out of place. And she felt angry at him for choosing to ruin this party where so much efforts had been put in. She glared at him and left him without another word. Sill somehow conscious, Ariel thought, 'So, she hates me now? '

It was well-known that the Black boy and Malfoy boy were very close acquittances. Nobody was surprised to see them together even though Ariel was openly flirting with him in that moment. He didn't care. He just wanted to be with him.

"How much did you drink to act like that?" murmured the younger boy. He had finally calmed down.

"Not much, really. I'm just being myself," he answered, smirking, and to Regulus he really appeared to be himself, except that if he was really himself, he wouldn't stand so close, nor would he sensually murmur sweet things nor caress his cheek the way he did right now.

He saw right through him and he was right. Ariel didn't feel like himself, in this moment he didn't even know who he was.

"Your mother is calling for you," said Regulus, interrupting his trail of thoughts.

"Is she?" he asked, frowning a little and not even turning his face to look at her.

"Yes, go see her," answered the boy while letting go of his hand he had been holding.

Ariel sighed and started walking towards his mother but someone stood in his way. Daisy Parkinson had walked up to him and looked just as angry as before.

"What do you think, you're doing. Stop flirting with Black," she hissed.

Ariel sent her a deathly glare with his cold blue eyes but her expression didn't falter. He discreetly pushed her out of the way to go meet his mother.

"Darling, I hope you are having fun," she exclaimed joyfully. She too had probably had a few drinks already. She was accompanied by some of her friends so it was not surprising.

"Yes, Mother. It's a great party I must admit and everyone seems to have fun too."

He didn't know how he found back his cool so easily but he did. Seeing his mother so happy had probably helped him calm down his nerves.

She let him go after another few words and he wandered around in the crowded room, grabbing glasses of champagne here and there.

The boy let his weakest and darkest emotions take over him. And drowned himself in alcohol. He didn't want to be himself anymore, he didn't want his life, he completely rejected it. He filled his void with alcohol. Alcohol filled him. It made all the toxic emotions buried in him suddenly burn the pit of stomach. Anger, sadness, anxiety, hatred. It was a mix of them all. He couldn't perceive anything right anymore, he couldn't even notice Ivanna and Regulus' worried gazes, he felt out of this world and he liked this.

When he couldn't bear the pain of his emotions anymore, he left. He just left this place. He found calm, peace and freshness lying on the tiles of his bathroom. But the emotions didn't leave him. Feeling like he was imploding he finally let everything out. Probably one of the effects of the alcohol too, he let the bile rise and his feelings escape. He spit out as much negativity he could. It burned. He cried. He didn't know what hurt the most anymore. Was it physical or emotional. All he knew was that everything ached in him. He was kneeling over the toilet, vomiting, sobbing. He despised himself.

And suddenly, when he most wanted to disappear, the only light in his life showed up in front of him.

"Regulus..." he blurted out. He was seeing clear again even if tears were blurring his vision, he was seeing Regulus.

"Ariel, are you okay?" he asked, worry drawn on his features. He kneeled down beside the boy and Ariel let himself collapse on his lap. He hugged his waist so tight and burrowed his face in his chest. And he broke down in tears.

Regulus felt heartbroken. In a situation like this he didn't know what to do. He couldn't solve whatever pain Ariel was going through. And in this moment he realized in how much pain he was. This boy who had always appeared tough and protective was in fact broken inside. And Regulus only realized it now. He knew somehow but the reality hit him now. He couldn't obviously be as strong as he appeared to be.

"I hate her so much. She's a bitch..." hollowed Ariel in a broken voice.

"Ariel..." murmured the boy softly, while one of his hand caressed his hair and the other caressed his back.

"She's not the one that I want. You're the only one I love," sobbed Ariel as he looked up, his teary blue orbs meeting Regulus' grey ones.

"I know..." came Regulus' barely audible response. Of course he knew. Ariel was good at showing affection, through words and gestures but when it came to express his most inner feelings it was a tough thing to him. Regulus was a wise and smart boy like had say the blond boy several times, so he could easily guess what was hiding in him.

These words still had a strong effect on him. No matter how much alcohol he had to drink and how messed up he felt, Regulus couldn't deny the sudden burst of joy he felt by hearing this. But he felt guilty afterwards.

"I don't love her. I just love you Reg," kept repeating the older boy, his voice muffled by Regulus' clothes but still audible.

He was becoming weaker in his hold, he was still sobbing. Regulus' caresses helped him calm down.

But suddenly the door burst open. And Narcissa appeared in front of them. Ariel didn't move but Regulus looked up to her. They met each other's surprised gaze. A puzzled expression took place on the woman's face. For a while, only the noises coming from the party and Ariel's sobs could still be heard.

"Explain me later," said Narcissa before leaving them again.

"Ariel, I think you should go to sleep..." The boy didn't say anything but hugged him tighter. "I'm so sorry I can't help you..." came his next words in a broken voice.

Ariel wanted to reassure him but he didn't have the strength to.

After some minutes, with the help of Regulus, the blond boy found himself in his bedroom. Ariel lied in bed, discarded of his fancy clothes. His face was turned towards Regulus and even though the effects of alcohol were a little dissipated and his mind was clearer, he couldn't help but cry silently. Regulus watched him and he felt pained because he hated to see him suffer and he hated that he was so helpless.

"I love you. Don't go too far from me..." whispered Ariel.

"I love you too and I won't leave you..." replied the boy and he bent down to embrace him as he knew it was their last moment together for a long time.

"And don't tell her too much, it's our secret..." murmured the boy at last.

author's note: ariel </3