The year after her brother James graduates, Teddy Potter returns to Hogwarts for her final year. With the Marauders gone, it should be a quiet, peaceful year despite the mounting tensions in the world outside of school.
The problem, naturally, lies...
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Regulus has gone back to ignoring her again.
Their patrol on Thursday is quiet, almost peaceful, with the both of them pretending that the other doesn't exist. Nothing is amiss in the corridors, and they finish out their prefect duties without sharing a single word.
Saturday night is slightly different.
It starts out in silence, but at one point Teddy pauses to admire a little tapestry adorning the wall that depicts a woman in a wimple throwing shoes at a very large troll. Both the troll and the woman pause in their woven fight to wave at her, which makes a smile break over her face as she waves back. She loves magic like this — simple and beautiful.
When she turns back around, she realises that Regulus has also paused and is watching her laugh over the tapestry. "What?" She asks defensively. Maybe a little too defensively.
Regulus doesn't even blink at her tone; he just keeps watching her. In the dim candlelit corridor, Teddy is struck once more by how handsome he is. His eyes are deep and liquid, so intense that it feels as though he's taking in and memorising every move she makes. His jaw is sharp, his lips are full and soft, and his hair curls gently over his pale forehead. He looks like an angel, but she doesn't let herself be fooled — she's heard the foul thoughts he spouts from that mouth..
"I hear you were invited to Slughorn's party." He says without breaking his gaze away from her face. His voice is low, as though trying not to draw attention to them. Teddy thinks that he needn't have bothered — everyone has gone to bed, and they are utterly alone in this wing of the castle. The other prefects are patrolling elsewhere, and Filch and his cat are probably skulking around after Peeves somewhere.
"Yes," Teddy raises her chin with a little frown. "I imagine you're not very impressed with that."
The corner of Regulus' mouth tilts up in a smile. "Why would I care?"
"I don't know." She crosses her arms. "But you seem to enjoy providing me with your unasked for opinions whenever we go on patrol."
"Maybe I just like seeing you angry."
Teddy just narrows her eyes at him. "You've seen me annoyed and you've seen me irritated. Trust me, you haven't seen me angry yet." She steps away from the tapestry, and the woman in the wimple begins throwing her shoes again. As she steps around Regulus to continue their boring march down the hallway, he reaches out and catches her by the arm.
"Tell me, then, what do I have to do to make you angry?" He asks quietly. His hand is long-fingered and delicate, but he holds her with a strength that belies their fragile appearance.
"Let go."
Regulus tilts his head, pretending to think. "That seems like something you want, not something that would anger you."
"Why do you want me angry?" She tries to pull away, but he holds fast to her elbow.
"I told you," He murmurs, "I like seeing you angry."
