Hogwarts School - Summer

Chris sighed. "Hogwarts...it's well..been eventful." He commented cryptically. "It changed a bit after you left. Maybe it was having one less person to talk to, but it feels different. The halls feel empty and the days are longer and honestly I don't know why I stay anymore." He said quietly. He was happy. As happy as he could be with just Bea and Sandy and they tried their best...but after Chris lost his parents...after Brian transferred to Durmstrang and never spoke to him again, an event that happened recently after Henry's graduation..he felt empty.

"Classes are good. I still work as hard as ever. See Bea and Sandy when I feel up to it. I just...I need a change. I need to get away from all of it. Maybe I'll travel when it's all over? Go to france...visit Alise. Britain has....lost its luster." He tried to elaborate. "But you're going for a Ministry job? That's great. I'm glad you're doing well Hen...and I'm equally happy to here the family is doing alright." He said changing the subject.

Brian had been a sore spot since he heard the previous summer that he'd be moving to Bulgaria...that they couldn't see each other anymore. Something that had hit Chris hard since it came in a letter of all things. He vaguely understood why...he knew they weren't good for each other...but he was the first person Christoph had grown to love. The one that had pushed the bloody crush out of his head.

"The year hasn't exactly started off the best." He finally admitted. He debated how to phrase the next bit considering he'd never really broached the subject with any of his friends. He wasn't sure they even knew about Brian at Hogwarts. They weren't exactly obvious. They were private people. "I kinda got dumped in a bloody letter before term started and well..it was my only relationship to date. I guess it failed on an epic scale. Bloody wanker...he couldn't even say goodbye."

It was almost here. Chris had been waiting for this for awhile now and it was almost here. The following day wouldn't just be his sixteenth birthday but also? Halloween. He hadn't really gotten permission exactly to be away from school for a couple days but...he wasn't taking any chances. Every year since starting Hogwarts his birthday had been a major disaster...but not this year. No this year he'd invited one of his closest friends over and he was thinking of finally saying something he regretted not saying before now.

Perhaps earlier it might have made a difference but not now. Now it was too late but he couldn't just keep it bottled up right? He couldn't not say anything. He got his clothes on and looked around the main areas of the manor to make sure nothing was really out of place and he glanced at the large clock. He hadn't gotten a response...not really...so he was slightly nervous. He didn't want to spend his birthday alone with Hugo.

Just when he was starting to think nothing was going to happen. That he'd asked too late and his friend had other plans? The door rang for attention. Someone was here, and he could only hope it was his guest and not some random...again.