𝑴𝒊𝒏𝒖𝒕𝒆, regulus black

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟐: 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐑𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐬

＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚

"Have you ever seen anything so gorgeous?" asked Evan, stretching his neck to give his friends a panoramic view of his face.

"Every time I walk past a mirror," replied Rabastan, flicking his hair out of his face. "Drop-dead-gorgeous, I am."

"Humble too," scoffed Rune.

"Humility is a concept developed by the ugly to make gorgeous people, like me, less aware of our beauty to allow them to find opportunities in the cracks," said Evan, winking at a group of Hufflepuff girls who walked past the table.

A plate landed on the table beside Rune's and as she turned, Regulus Black took a seat beside her.

"You're late again," commented Rabastan.

"I went to visit Slughorn about Quidditch try-outs," murmured Regulus, heaping syrup on his pancakes.

"I didn't know you played Quidditch," said Rune, running her eyes over his slender build. "You look as though the wind will knock you off your broomstick before a bludger can."

Rabastan scoffed and when Regulus glared at him, he shrugged, "She's got a point, you know."

Regulus turned his attention to the blonde-haired girl beside him and gave her a once-over. "You look as though even a bludger won't be able to knock you off your broomstick. I take it the orphanage fed you well this Summer."

Rabastan kicked Regulus under the table, but Rune laughed.

"Tit for tat, Black. I'll give you that one. We'll start off this year with 1 to Black- 0 to Westwood."

Regulus turned back to his plate and Evan clicked his tongue, "Want me to do my magic and turn him impotent?"

Rune grinned as she loaded more oats into her bowl. "That sounds good."

"I'll break your wand before you can even point it at me, Bighead," muttered Regulus.

Evan was about to reply to Regulus when Rabastan gasped, "Rune, is that a ring on your finger?"

Rune stretched the fingers of her right hand, smiling down at the sapphire ring on her index finger. It was her 15th birthday present from Honorius. He had it welded to perfectly match the shade of eyes on her serpent form.

"It was a birthday gift," she said, replying to Rabastan.

"From who?" asked Regulus, incredulously. "You said you wait tables during the holiday. How do you get all these expensive things?"

"Are you insinuating that I'm a thief, Black?" questioned Rune, raising an eyebrow at him.

"No, I'm wondering if you're caught up with rich, older men who buy you things in exchange for something else."

"Piss off," murmured Rune, shovelling spoonsful of her breakfast into her mouth so she could make her exit from the table.

"You're not denying it," murmured Regulus.

"Then it must be true, I suppose," she mumbled.

"Really?" He turned to face her fully, an unpleasant smile on his face. "And who, pray tell, would want to get involved with you?"

"For one, your father—"

Before he could lash out at her, she pushed back from the table, ready to dart. She gave Regulus a sickly-sweet smile as she added, "And for a second, your mother. See you later, prick."

***

Rune's gaze remained steady on the hands of the clock as she watched it tick away and move closer and closer to the end of the school day. She could not wait to go to her dorm and see whether the mystery person who had been on the other side of her journal had thought on her offer.