December 24, 1887 — High Street's edge

Christmastime, for all everyone around him seemed to celebrate it, was always dreary for Ernie. His brother always refused to come home, meaning Ernie was dragged from his comfortable-enough London home to the piece-of-shit shack that his brother had lived in simply because his parents wished to spend the day with him. It didn't help that Robert all but ignored his existence, which usually pissed Ernie off to the point where he just left the house.

It didn't help that Christmastime in his fifth year meant his OWLs were nearing, which in turn meant that the chance that his parents wouldn't allow him to return to school was nearing. Ugh, he just did not want to deal with that.

Rather than walk down High Street like a Normal Human Being, Ernie snaked his way through the back alleys as to avoid the shopping crowds. As he neared one of the direct entrances to High Street, the bustling crowd in sight, he swung around the corner and — bam!

"Ugh, why are you even doing here?" he groaned, rubbing his head where it had connected with something — a wall, a human, maybe even a pole. With a glance up, he recognized the face: Tristain Michaud, former Gryffindor chaser.

  

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set by Stef <333

Considering the fact that he and Rasmus had met on a New Years Eve saw Tristan feeling quite bitter by the time the first Christmas that they were no longer together rolled around. He didn't feel in a celebratory mood but that didn't stop him from partying anyways. That was what his life had become really - parties and Quidditch. Did he really need more?

That didn't stop him from still feeling bitter and salty about how things had gone down. Fuck Rasmus Mohr anyway. And not the fun way he had been for the past couple years.

Walking down the street, Tristan grunted mostly out of instinct when someone ran into him. Raising a brow at the question, he looked down at Nuffer. "Walking. That's what this path is for, Nuffer."

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The following 1 user Likes Tristan Michaud's post:1 user Likes Tristan Michaud's post
   Ligeia Baudelaire

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Ernie let out an unhappy groan, followed by a sound that resembled a huff mixed with a scoff. He continued to rub the sore spot on his head where he'd collided with the other boy and stared up at him for a few moments.

"Don't you have, like, a quidditch game to be preparing for, anyways?" he grumbled. He attempted to take a step backwards, but — he couldn't. He just physically couldn't. Letting out a noise of confusion, he looked back up at the taller boy with discomfort written across his face. "Why can't I move?"

  

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set by Stef <333

"Can't improve perfection," Tristan said cheekily. He was proud of himself and his accomplishment. He'd done what not a lot of people could do - made first string in mere months of taking up the occupation of Quidditch player.

Tristan rose a brow when the other boy tried to take a step back but couldn't. "Because I'm magnetic to you," he said before trying to move himself. "Bloody hell." Were this any other moment, Tristan probably would have no complaints about being in the company of attractive Nuffer but not when it was being forced upon him by some unseen force!

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Ernie's cheeks probably flushed at Michaud's comment, but the coloring was likely hidden by both the shade and by the position of his head as he glared down at his own feet. He was fairly sure there was nothing magical about the spot; the boys down in the slums would've mentioned such trickery if there was any. It was only when he looked back up at Michaud — all the way up — that he noticed something dangling off an old, withered sign.

"What is that?" he asked, his tone accusatory but not necessarily directed towards the other boy. The stress began to set in; perhaps it was from thinking he knew what it was, or perhaps because he knew what it meant. His cheeks went full red at that moment, and his eyes snapped to meet the quidditch player's.

  

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set by Stef <333

What was what? Tristan looked up towards where the other boy was looking. He was confused at first before realizing what it was. Well, looked like Nuffer was going to be getting a treat today. "You don't think it can be the very same one, do you?" Tristan asked with a smirk. There was always a small chance that this was just coincidental but Tristan doubted they would get that lucky.

  

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Ernie was never really one to get embarrassed — not publicly, at least. He enjoyed coming off as that asshole with no care in the world, and he wouldn't dare allow that reputation to get cracked by something like this. Luckily (was it really lucky, though?), he and Michaud were off in the shadows where no one would likely see them, but still.

"If I never told you before, I hate you. I really do," he stressed, his cheeks flaring at the risque words coming from the older boy's lips. Ernie was very aware of his ... preference towards other boys, but he didn't want to give anyone else reason to believe that! "Just - Just do it already." Ugh.

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   Tristan Michaud

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set by Stef <333

"Grumpy little thing, aren't you?" Tristan asked despite the fact that the other boy was barely two inches shorter than himself. "Eager, too. We haven't tested whether other things can make it go away yet," Tristan pointed out, taking his wand out and attempting a summoning spell on the mistletoe. It didn't budge at all and a finite spell proved useless. Looked like he really was going to have to kiss Nuffer.

  

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Oh Merlin, Tristan Michaud was being totally unsubtle and he couldn't decide whether he was embarrassed or just slightly turned on. Nevertheless, his face showed no signs of returning to his normal coloring anytime soon, and Ernie reached out and lightly shoved the older boy to make up for the words he just couldn't get out.

"Fuck yourself and kiss me so I can get out of here," he choked out.

  

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set by Stef <333

Tristan wasn't really worried about Nuffer going out and ruining his reputation so he supposed that was making him a little more free with his snarky remarks than he might have been were he trapped with someone else. Besides, Nuffer was proving a great deal of fun to antagonize and he'd been getting bored lately. He laughed at the shove considering with his large stature, Nuffer might as well have been trying to shove at a tree.

"My! Do I need to worry about my virtue?" Tristan asked in mock shock, wrapping his arms around his own chest as if protecting himself from the Slytherin. And never mind the fact that he had not been virtuous for quite a long time.

  

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Michaud thought teasing him was a good idea, but luckily this time it pissed him off more than it embarrassed him.

"There's nothing virtuous about your ass." Literally, probably. Not if he was making comments like this. "But really, I have no intention of being poked at for the next hour, so please kiss me. I won't bed — beg, I mean. I won't beg to get out here," Fucking hell. Maybe he should just kiss Michaud himself.

  

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set by Stef <333

Tristan just laughed at Nuffer's words despite the bad flashback of the person that he had been involved with before Rasmus that momentarily flashed across his mind. "But it's so fun poking you." It really was. Apparently, grumpy pretty boys were a type that he had. What did that say about himself? Tristan had no clue but he was having fun with it.

Well, fine. He'd oblige since he also did not want to be standing here all day. Leaning in, he gave Nuffer a kiss that was both brief and one that he made sure Nuffer would remember.

"There we go. We are freed," Tristan said as he managed to move from the spot that he had been rooted.

  

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The kiss left Ernie wanting more, which also left him feeling a wee bit ashamed (not for kissing a boy, but for wanting more from the antagonistic Michaud). His immediate reaction was to step backwards — an action that Michaud seemed to mirror — and them swiftly angle his head as to hide the redness of his face.

"Good. We're done," he managed to get out awkwardly, standing there for a solid amount of time before deciding that it was best to get going. With a quick, noticeably vulnerable glance towards the older boy, he finally managed to turn around and walk away, all the while wondering if he'd cross paths with Michaud again.

  

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set by Stef <333