Gabriel Antois

  Marcus only saw a flash of green from the corner of his eye. His heart skipped a beat and his breath caught in his throat. Nik. Marcus was scared to look up because he didn’t think he could control himself if it really was his boyfriend. But then the Slytherin spoke and Marcus looked up only to find his face fall. Gabriel. He tried to mask his disappoint but the Lion could only manage a small smile at Gabriel’s expense. It wasn’t that he wasn’t happy to see him, the American was becoming a good friend, but it was the fact that he just wanted to be alone. Plain and simple. Marcus was just too polite to actually ask for that.

Gabriel saw the disappointment in Marcus's face, it was plain as day. He didn't take it personally though. It wasn't as if many other Slytherins came to the table to eat other than Nikolai. "Hey c'mon I'm not that bad right? I don't smell or anything do I? Well, at least not like shit or anything bad. I think I have a rather pleasant scent," he joked, with a wide grin, raising his eyebrows playfully before looking back to his food. It became obvious soon though, that acting normal wasn't what Marcus wanted or needed. 

The Return || Marcus & Gabriel

It was still somber these days at Hogwarts. The students were still awaiting the announcement of their new headmaster, and the wave of sadness and despair after yet another death was still tangible in some of the halls and rooms. For Gabriel, he was unsure how deal with the situations. He wasn't particularly attached to the old Headmistress like so many others were. The death was what had rattled him, that and Marcus's warning. So the last week Gabriel had kept to himself, much like he had at the beginning of the year, yet lacking any resentment or rudeness to others. 

  Marcus paused at Gabriel’s question, his body frozen as he debated about how to answer him. The Lion reached up and grabbed the bed curtain before pulling it closed roughly. Did he think it was Gabriel? Before Marcus had never heard of this powder. Never knew it existed but Gabriel did. He had heard about it. His parents studied it, for all Marcus knew the American could have stole it from them as a way to shut down Hogwarts. He turned his head and studied the blonde on the cot. He barely knew Gabriel, but what he did know was that the American didn’t want to be here. That he was dumped by Dean Barder before he left Hogwarts. If anyone was out for blood it would be him. But Gabriel looked so worried. As if hearing Marcus confirm his doubts would shatter his world. Someone guilty wouldn’t act like this. Especially not a Slytherin. “No, Gabriel. I don’t believe it was you, but I think it’s important you keep quiet about this for your safety. They’ll pin it on whomever they can so the school can remain open.”

Gabriel hadn't realized he was holding his breath until he released it. He didn't know why, but he needed Marcus to believe him. After everything that had happened here, it was very likely some people suspected him. "Thanks," he said softly, relief washing over him. "Yeah, I'll keep what I know to myself," he nodded again, "Well, unless it'll actually help figure out who did it and everything." That was unlikely though. Gabriel's memory loss at Hogsmeade had left him surly and unobservant, and most of what he recalled seemed to have little value. "Hey, be careful when you're on patrol and shit okay? This is the second attack... and I doubt the last,"

  "All I can do is just wish they’ll come back okay. I tried to leave. I nearly stormed out of the doors but the nurses won’t let you leave once they get you in here. I wouldn’t know where to go if I was allowed out anyways," Marcus sighed and hung his head, raising his hand and wiping at his tired eyes. "So…so you don’t think its a prank? Gabriel…you know what this means right? This isn’t the first time something like this has happened at Hogwarts I wouldn’t go around saying what they use that powder for in America. Don’t share that with anyone else. I mean it." Marcus stood up rather suddenly, after Gabriel’s confession to the powder and hows its been used, the Lion felt even more nervous. He paced, arms crossed over his chest, and he only stopped to study the hospital door in case Nik or his father stumbled through it. "It’ll be worse than just a lockdown, Gabriel. They could close the school if it gets any worse."

"I'm not really surprised they won't let us out, you know?  I guess... you just look right? Wherever you can," he shrugged. Gabriel talked too much sometimes, he didn't want Marcus to get any ideas and go running off alone. "I doubt it is," he blinked at Marcus for a moment, his eyes going slightly wide. "Right, yeah," Gabriel nodded. He knew too much about the powder, and he was foreign. Best not to let the aurors know that. Looking over at Marcus he grew slightly worried. "You, you know it wasn't me right?" he asked, tugging on his lower lip with his teeth. "It wouldn't be the first time would it? We learned about the last war here, the school was threatened several times wasn't it?"

  "I know. I know I shouldn’t worry but my dad is out there and so is Nik. I just…I don’t understand who would do this. Was it supposed to be a prank? I heard someone say it had to do with the disappearances. This stuff shouldn’t happen here." Marcus paused and shook his head, turning to look at Gabriel and squeezing his hand. "We’re supposed to be safe here." He sighed and took his hand back from the Slytherin’s grasp. "You have friends, Gabriel. I know Nik is kind of a bully but he said you weren’t that bad. I know you’re not bad either and I consider you one of my friends. How funny is this, remember at the ball? You saw me and I was the first student you knew. You came in here and you were the first student I knew." He bumped his shoulder against the blonde’s, laughing softly. "We’ve gotta stop meeting like this."

"Yeah... I'd probably be worrying too," he said with a nod. If it was his boyfriend out there nothing would stop him from doing everything in his power to find him. "Even though I know it won't really do anything you know?" he shrugged again, setting his hand in his lap. "This would be a pretty epic prank if you ask me, it's not on our level. I'd imagine the powder's really fucking expensive. I know in the US it's been used for terrorism...," he stopped talking, forgetting that Nik and Marcus's father were still missing, and his rambling wouldn't be helping Marcus. "Yeah, I remember, first night I really talked to people here," he said softly, his mind going back to the tumult of emotions that was Halloween. "Yeah, I mean, one nice day would be epic. Where we could like, just eat and do stupid teenager shit you know?" he laughed softly. "Now everyone'll prolly be on lockdown after this,"

  He sighed out, shaking his head sadly. Marcus hadn’t meant to offended Gabriel, but all he wanted was Nikolai’s comforting touch and it was he couldn’t have. “Nik would tell me to man up  and make him proud, or he would cave in at my tears…I-I don’t know. We haven’t been through this before. What if he doesn’t remember me, Gabriel? What if he doesn’t remember I’m his boyfriend and that he loves me? I know they’re giving out a potion to help with the memory loss…but the human mind is so fragile. There’s a chance….” He trailed off, shaking his head again and moving his hand down towards Gabe’s and grabbing it tightly. “I’m happy you won’t get shipped back home. I’m happy you came over and sat with me. Thank you. I know with my past…I don’t deserve it. You’re a good friend.”

Gabe chuckled at the thought of Nikolai caving in to anything, but he supposed if anyone had that power it was Marcus. It was hard to resist those tears. "My Dad's seen this before," Gabe began, "When I was really little. There were some attacks on both muggle and wizard towns. The potion always works. I mean, yeah, there are exceptions to everything you know? But don't think about the bad shit that could be or the what ifs, you'll just break down even more." The hand on his surprised him, after the awkwardness of before he hadn't expected Marcus to initiate any physical contact like that. "I don't know your past," Gabe said with a shrug, though he was curious what Marcus meant he didn't ask, "Everyone deserves friends. I mean, I was being pretty crappy to everyone before Halloween... so it's nice to have friends again," he looked over to Marcus, smiling softly and squeezing his hand back.

  "I know I’m just worrying over nothing but I can’t help it. They should be back by now, but they aren’t. I don’t know if they’re okay and its eating me alive inside, Gabriel. I’m terrified that something happened to them." Marcus ranted but it was cut short at the feeling of Gabe’s arm sliding around his shoulders. The contact was foreign and made the Lion nearly jump off the cot. It wasn’t Nik’s touch. “He’ll know before I even get a chance to tell him, but I don’t think he’ll care that much. He knows you’re not competition.” Marcus couldn’t tell if it was a joke or not. Probably, but Gabriel didn’t know or understand what Nikolai could do to him. If he did it wouldn’t be a laughing matter. “I-I’m happy your family is okay. Hey, maybe you should tell your parents how this happens every weekend and they’ll let you go home?”

Gabriel tugged his arm back quickly, not meaning to freak the boy out by the friendly gesture. "Sorry, just friendly arm stuff... maybe I ned a brush up on the whole friend thing," he smiled sheepishly. "I'm sure they're fine Marcus...," he turned to look at them, "Just be strong for them huh? What'd they say if they saw you all teary eyed huh?" Gabriel couldn't say about Marcus's father, but he assumed Nik would say something gruff, granted he didn't really know how the two acted around each other. "I'm sure they've heard on the Daily Prophet or something," he shrugged. "It's... too much money to move back now, I've got to finish here," he said, looking away slightly.

  The doors opened and a familiar mop of blonde hair entered. Marcus’ breath caught in his throat as he saw that Gabriel was being escorted by aurors. But he was more interested in seeing of his father was one of them. The little Lion jumped off of the cot and inched his way up, but realized that the aurors weren’t his father. His face fell and his eyes watered up. “Fuck,” Marcus whispered as he plopped back down on the cot with his head in his hands. It felt like he had been looking for his dad and boyfriend for forever. “I’m okay,” He mumbled before sitting up straight and looking over at the blonde. “I didn’t get hit. My dad was around and I can’t find him or Nikolai. I’ve been sitting here forever and I’m so fucking tired,” His voice shook as he explained his situation. It didn’t seem real. They could be dead for all he knew. “What about you? And your family?”

Up close Marcus looked a lot worse off than Gabriel had first though. His tiredness was evident on his face as was the wealth of other emotions that seemed to be running through him. "Hey, c'mon Marcus...," he said, setting himself on the cot next to the Gryffindor. "I'm sure they're both fine, your dad's an auror or something right? So he's probably working. And Nikolai can take care of himself, prolly better than the rest of us combined," he nodded, looking at his hands. "I'm fine, got hit by the powder but I'm okay, just lost my memories for a bit but I'm all good now. My parents are fine, Dad helped with the potion then they both had to leave," Gabriel replied, waving dismissively. "It's just an amnesiac powder, pretty easily removed," Gabriel put an arm around Marcus's shoulder. "I'm sure they're fine. Just tell Nik I touched you okay? Don't want to get through all of that just to get killed by him," he joked, trying if anything for  a little laugh.

Before the Worst || Marcus & Gabriel

Gabriel had been quickly ushered into the hospital wing by his father, who was promptly escorted to leave after he had helped make the cure and given it to his son. The blonde hardly had time to bid his parents farewell and now he was getting pushed into the Infirmary Wing by one of the aurors. "I get it, I get it," he said shrugging off the hand on his shoulder and pushing through the door into the main room. Honestly, Gabriel didn't understand why they didn't let his father stay, he was a healer and could have helped. Inside the room, Gabe looked around, hoping to find one of his friends, anyone he knew and actually liked talking to; he had enough of Scorpius for the day. Gabriel spotted Marcus looking distressed and made a beeline over there. "Hey, are you okay? Did you get hit by the powder or anything?"