Title: Just One Dance

rating: T (rating will chance in later chapters)

pairing: Erik x Charles

summary: AU. Victorian Era. When his little sister gets an invitation to an old family friend's estate, young Charles Xavier goes along as Raven's escort, where he meets Erik Lehnsherr, who is as mysterious as the estate he calls home. (based loosely on Jane Eyre with Michael Fassbender and the multiple Victorian fanvids on Youtube. Will have many references to Jane Eyre and a few to other Marvel Universes)

LXLXLXLXL Ch. 1: An Invitation XLXLXLXLXLXLXLXLXLXLXLXLXLXLX

Charles groaned, rubbing his nose between his thumb and forefinger. Did his mother's fraudulent use money have no ends?

Well, Charles mused ironically, now it does. Madam Sharon Xavier of the old noble house of Xavier had died of what everyone thought was a long and drawn out illness of mysterious circumstances.

Charles called this "long and drawn out illness" simply one too many glasses of the fine brandy that Charles' father had left when he had died mysteriously three years ago.

The late Mr. Xavier had left the Xavier family with a flourishing estate, a large fortune, and over a hundred servants. Charles however, was left with little more than an estate that was slowly decomposing from lack of care, a fortune that had dwindled to almost nothing, an enormous debt, and four servants who were only there out of duty to the memory of Mr. Xavier.

The only reason they were able to still stay afloat and keep their sprawling mansion was because of a mysterious benefactor, whose checks came only with the letter "M" written on them in a scrawling, beautiful hand.

There was a quiet knock on the door, and when Charles looked up, he found the butler in the doorway.

"Ah, hello Alfred. Do you have something for me?" he asked pleasantly. Old Alfred had practically raised Charles.

"A letter, from an old friend of your father's, a Mister Erik Lehnsherr?" Alfred asked quizzically.

"Hm," Charles took the letter and let his eyes wander over the fine scrawl of letters that spelled out his own name, "never heard of him."

The handwriting on the letter was vaguely familiar, however Charles couldn't place where he'd seen it.

"You don't remember the Lehnsherr family?" Alfred asked, smiling at his young master. Charles shook his head. "Your father and Mr. Lehnsherr senior did business together for years. I believe Mr. Lehnsherr senior died quite a few years ago." Alfred chuckled, "You and Erik were as thick as thieves as little ones, though I doubt you'd remember. You were just a small boy at the time of Mr. Lehnsherr senior's death."

Charles thought back, and he faintly remembered a pair of green eyes and the flash of a toothy smile. "Thank you, Alfred."

Alfred bowed politely and backed out of the room. Charles opened the letter with one of his fine letter openers, and began to read.

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Charles entered the library, the letter in his waistcoat pocket. "Raven?" he asked, peaking around a corner.

"In here!" came a voice from the porch that overlooked the turned-over gardens. During the Spring and Summer, the gardens were an explosion of bright colors and tantalizing smells, however in the Fall, with Winter on the horizon, the gardens were bleak, brown and bare.

Charles walked out on the balcony, where his sister, Raven, sat in a reclining chair, reading a book-probably a trashy romance novel written by some sexually repressed French woman if Charles dared to guess.

Raven, despite her namesake being a rather ugly black carrion bird, was very pretty: large blue eyes in a round face, framed by long blonde hair that was currently curling undone around her shoulders.

"Raven, we have an invitation." Charles smiled as Raven dropped her book, sitting up and reaching out to take the letter Charles proffered to her. "From the son of an old friend of Father's."

Raven took the letter and her eyes flew over the elegant slanting handwriting. "Dear Mr. Charles and Miss Raven Xavier, I know you probably don't remember me, especially you Raven, but I am the son of an old business partner and friend of your late father. Though it grieves me to know that your mother…" Raven faded off as she continued to read quickly, "…my estate three hours from London…I know this season of the holidays is bound to be hard for you both so recently orphaned…" Raven's face lit up, "…and I'd be most honored if I could have your presence at my estate for this Holiday season. Please send by post your response. I look forward to your correspondence and our reunion. Signed, Mr. Erik Lehnsherr, esquire." Raven looked up at her brother, a huge smile on her lovely face, "Please Charles! Oh please!" She stood and twirled in her blue dress, her skirts swishing over the tile floor. "Think of it! Christmas parties, dinners with noble friends of Mr. Lehnsherr's," she winked at Charles, "handsome young noblemen for the both of us."

"Raven!" Charles scolded her. Of course his only sister knew about his preference to the less fair sex, however odd it may be. How could she not? Charles could read people like a book sometimes, and he knew the instance that Raven knew.

Raven stopped her giddy twirling, looking flushed and out of breath. "Well, Charles? Are we going? Or are you going to doom us both to stay here all winter." As if agreeing with her, a gust of cold wind whipped past them, making the pages of her forgotten book rustle.

Charles smiled."Alright, I'll send a reply promptly."

Raven's squeal of delight sent several birds chirping from the trees. Charles gasped as Raven hauled him to his feet, and twirled him around. "Dance with me, Charles!" she demanded.

Charles put one arm around her waist and with the other, he took her hand. They dance a haphazard waltz, their only accompaniment their mingled laughter and the sound of birds.

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That Saturday morning found them both shivering in the courtyard as two stablehands put the baggage onto the top of their little two-horse handsome. After the luggage had been strapped down and secured, both siblings crawled into the coach, and huddled under blankets, away they went towards Thornfield Hall, home of the Lehnsherr family.

As Charles half dreamed in his coach, nestled against his sister under their shared blankets, his thoughts drifted past the foggy woods, into places only the inquisitive mind could dream of. And a pair of bright green eyes that turned gray in the sunlight seemed to watch him from the gathering darkness.

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So...what do you think so far?