Chloe's become a present visitor at the Agreste manor, being the only friend of Adrien's. Gabriel has tried to allow Adrien's world to open, see how many pureblood children he could draw in, what options Gabriel could have for the future; unfortunately, Chloe was possessive. For Chloe, she was the only friend Adrien should have. Not only to secure that they would marry one day, but to keep him to herself.
Adrien did try bonding with others, but Chloe had easily chased off anyone else.
And Adrien, still quite sensitive to others emotions and has yet to even grasp how to manipulate those emotions to suit his whims, still caved to the blonde's will. Even at ten. The sweet boy had no wish to displease her.
Displeased humans brought unpleasant emotions.
Adrien didn't like dealing with them, didn't like feeling them.
Happiness was a better emotion to feel, and Adrien was eager to feel the happiness coming off Chloe.
Most of that happiness came from their hang outs.
Though he was quite surprised one day when Chloe rushed into their home uninvited, mirth rolling off of her in waves. So powerful was it, it made Adrien want to jump and cheer, even though he didn't know what made her so happy.
He didn't have to wait to long. Chloe practically shoved it in his face.
"Look what I got!" she shouted, showing him a little round, plain pin.
"Cool?" he offered, blinking at it curiously.
She scoffed at him, but was too happy to tease or scold. "It's my Beauxbatons' pin! I got accepted in!"
"Beauxbatons," Adrien repeated, eyes wide. Beauxbaton Academy of Magic was the wizarding school in France, accepting children from Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain. It was up there with Hogwarts and Drumstrang as one of the best wizarding schools in Europe.
They were sending out invitations.
Accepting students!
"You got your pin!" he gasped, snatching the pin from Chloe's fingers, looking it over. It was so plain looking, and dull in color.
But Adrien heard of this, Nathalie happily explained it to him.
A few months before the school year, Beauxbatons released these pins.
Future students were to wear them at all times.
That way, when the school year started and the first years were going through their welcome ceremony, the pin would change before the whole hall, shaping into one of four symbols that would enter that student into one of four houses, houses that resolved around certain traits that students had to match.
The proud and noble go to the House of Diamonds.
The kind and compassionate go to the House of Hearts.
The intellectual and creative go to the House of Spades.
And the passionate and hardworking go to the House of Clovers.
Gabriel and Nathalie both were housed in Spade, his grandfather and majority of Agrestes before him were Diamonds. Balzac had expectations of him being a Diamond, but Nathalie doubted he would.
Chloe snatched her pin back, and quickly placed it on her shirt, beaming as the flared with magic. Adrien leaned closer, intrigued. "I just wanted to show you before I clip it on," Chloe declared.
"What house you hoping for?" Adrien asked.
"Diamond of course," she said.
Nathalie mentioned she suspected Chloe to be a Diamond. Adrien could see it.
"You'll be a Diamond too, right?" Chloe pressed, hopeful.
"Um," Adrien uttered, unsure. He shrugged helpless to his friend, wincing at her frown. "We'll see," he tried to ease, his green eyes settling back on the pin.
He wonders if this means he'll get his soon.
He hopes so.
Like most children that came from a magical family, knowing that the a magical school was accepting students, Adrien impatiently sat by every window he could, waiting for his letter. He even sat outside, easily balanced on thin fences, looking for a pigeon that would come with his acceptance letter.
It had to come soon.
He was a magical child.
He should go to a magical school like all other wizarding children.
Though, it did come with added pressure.
He was going to be on his own, going to have to manage his Veela side on his own.
To keep the doubt and unease from bubbling in him, Adrien breathed in, held his breath, then blew out a puff of smoke, embers gleaming in that dark cloud, dying away as it floated up.
He was going to be ok.
He's attended many galas and parties.
He's hidden his heritage from them all.
It was just as Nathalie said.
He just had to be in control.
It'll be fine.
He's had plenty of practice. He can stay in control.
Being half human, it was easy to keep a lid on his Veela heritage.
It did help that Veelas were similar to humans, with added magical qualities, and a few animal traits. But largely, similar to humans. It made it easy for a half Veela to manage.
He could keep a lid on this.
He could manage.
He just needed that letter...
He hoped he'll get that letter.
Blowing out another wisp of smoke, Adrien got up and started to pace along the thin railing he was on. He stopped only to search the skies, before he continued on, lips purse with his unease.
Where was his letter?
He's been out here for a while now, and was getting tempted to head back inside. Only to pause when he heard a coo sound out. He looked up sharply, and there! A pigeon! Heading for his home.
Excited at the sight of it, and just far too impatient for his letter, Adrien jumped off the fence, reaching for the pigeon. So focused and intent on the bird, he didn't the flames that burst from his back, leaving scaly, coal black wings to those flames' wake. Moving on instinct, those wings flapped heavily, carrying him up to the bird easily. The pigeon gave a frightful coo as Adrien reached for the bird, and Adrien sneezed as feathers came off the bird in it's panicked flapping. Working past the feathers, Adrien grabbed the little cylinder on it's back, and popped off the lid.
The letter shot out, expanding in size now that it was free from the small space.
Adrien released the pigeon and grabbed it.
Not noticing the claws that replaced his fingers, he eagerly sliced away the rim, his wings spread out and letting him float down gently.
The whole time, Adrien quivered with excitement and thrill.
Bonjour Adrien Agreste,
I am Monsieur Damocles, Headmaster of Beauxbatons Academy of Magic. I am pleased to welcome you to my school...
He was accepted!
He was accepted!
Touching down, he jumped with a shout of glee, wings flapping and carrying him up a little higher. Dropping down, he raced towards the manor, eager to show off the letter to Nathalie and Père.
He was accepted!
"Nathalie!" he shouted, as he raced through the halls, still oblivious to the wings he carried on his back, "Nathalie! Nathalie! Nathalie!"
He found Nathalie and Gabriel near his office, both frowning in annoyance at his calls. Only to give a start as he skidded into view, wings flapping to help him balance. He raced to them, presenting the letter, big smile on his lips, his pupils uncomfortably larger than they should be.
"I got my letter!" he proclaimed loudly, waving it to them. "And look! My pin's in here too!" He dug through the envelope, bringing out the plain, round pin and showing it off. Eagerly, he brought it down and clipped it to her shirt, smiling as it flickered with magic.
He was going to be sorted into a house when he arrived!
He wondered which house it'd be.
He doubted he'd be a Diamond. If Chloe was going to truly be a Diamond like Nathalie suspected, then Diamond wouldn't fit with him.
He could see himself being a Spade like Gabriel and Nathalie. Spade was intelligence and creativity, he was good at piano, and academically smart. And Spades were said to be a little reclusive. And Adrien wasn't able to make too many friends on his own.
He was expecting Spade.
"Adrien..."
Blinking at the odd tone in Nathalie's voice, he looked up to her, curious.
She gaze down at him in horror, hands covering her mouth.
Gabriel stared down at him with similar, silent surprised expression, blinking at the boy.
Adrien blinked at them both, suddenly aware of how unnerved they were. He shrunk down, unsure. What was wrong? Wasn't this a good thing? Nathalie he knew was excited about his acceptance letter. And Père was excited about him meeting other witches his own age. They were all excited about this.
What was wrong now?
"Adrien, what," Nathalie started, warily drawing near, eyes settled on his back.
Confused, Adrien looked back, then gasped in surprise at the large, scaly black wings that twitched and stretched out of his back.
When did those get there?!
He, he had wings...
For half Veelas, the book did say there was a fifty percent chance that he would get Veela traits.
And with each generation, the less likely those traits were to appear.
Unless he had children with another Veela.
Adrien didn't intend too, knowing the importance of keeping blood pure.
But wings. He got Veela wings.
He wondered if they were supposed to be black...
He jumped when Nathalie touched his cheek, turning him to peer into his eyes. "His pupils are huge," she murmured, dropping down, she brought up his hands, and Adrien blinked at the scales covering the tips of his fingers, and the long claws he had in place of his nails. "I, he, he can't go sir. This, this never happened before, he-"
"Got a little excited," Gabriel confirmed, taking the letter from Adrien, looking it over.
"With all due to respect Sir-"
"Congratulations Adrien," Gabriel cuts in, skimming over the letter. "I can confirm that this is a good school to get into."
Adrien beamed.
Nathalie frowned. "Sir, please. He, he has wings! And claws! And, his pupils are-"
"I can see Nathalie."
"For him to go-"
"It's just a matter of control. We've been able to keep a lid on this for a decade. We can do it again in a few months. You already know how too, don't you Adrien?" Gabriel asked.
Adrien quickly nodded. "Just be in control," he said. He did give into his excitement. He just had to have better self control than this.
"It'll be fine," Gabriel insisted. "Besides, it would be suspicious if I refuse to allow Adrien to attend. People will ask questions. And this is a great opportunity for you to meet other purebloods. We may find a better match than Mademoiselle Bourgeois."
Nathalie frowned, still unsure.
Adrien beamed, wings twitching behind him.
He got accepted.
And he was going!
He couldn't wait!
To Nathalie, Gabriel ordered, "You will help him gather what he needs. Adrien, I expect you to work on keeping this under control."
"Of course Père!" Adrien promised.
"Yes Sir," Nathalie bid, frowning as she turned to Adrien, eyes settled on his large wings.
She hoped this will go well.
With pigeons being more numerous in France, they're going to be the owls here, bringing messages and being familiars. Plus, it'd be easier for the messenger bird to be a pigeon than an owl, owl naturally flying around in the day, most people will be a little confused. Pigeons people are more inclined to ignore.
To keep with ML, I'm having Damocles as headmaster of Beauxbatons. Madame Olympe Maxime is happily retired for this fic.
I would like to make clear that in canon, Beauxbatons doesn't have any confirmed name for their four houses, if they even have houses. I'm suspecting they do as well since that seems to be a trend in wizarding schools (Hogwarts and that mess that's Ilvermorny). Anyway, I was looking to do something different with Beauxbatons' four houses. It was originally going to be four national animals of the countries that attend it, but a good few of those had lion as their national animal, something I didn't want to do since Hogwarts had that for a house symbol already.
Loosescrewslefty proposed the idea of suit cards and I took to the idea. Seemed to fit with Beauxbatons.
