𝑴𝒊𝒏𝒖𝒕𝒆, regulus black

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟖: 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐌𝐞?

＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚

"This serves as a reminder to all fifth years that the Transfiguration assignment is due on Friday," read Evan from the note stuck on the bulletin board in the common room. 

He walked to the couch and flopped down on it, earning a hiss from Rune who was in the process of painting her toenails a midnight black colour.

Regulus sat across Rune, and he looked up to ask, "Have you done it?" 

She wiggled her toes excitedly before looking at him from beneath her lashes. "Didn't bother." 

His jaw locked and he sat up straighter, "Didn't we agree that we'd both do it and then check for which one's better?" 

"Did we?" she asked, in an uninterested mumble as she placed diamantes on her nails. "Changed my mind then. You were going to do the whole thing anyways, why should I have bothered?" 

He inhaled sharply, "Because I didn't do it thinking you'd do it." 

Rune rested her head on her knee as she stared blankly at him. 

"What are we going to do?" he asked. 

She tilted her head. "You take a walk to the library, figure it out, do it, and I'll write my name on it when you're done." 

"You are so frustrating," he seethed. 

"Oh, right." She turned to Evan and Rabastan, "I was going to ask you guys a favour. If there ever comes a day where I care about what Regulus Black says, please Avada Kedavra me because that means some external force has taken over my body and taken control of me." 

A gush of icy wind hit her face. 

Rune glared at Regulus, who sat with his wand in his lap, and gritted out, "Do that one more time and my toenails will get a new layer called 'Regulus' nose blood'."

When he continued to stare at her, she sighed and dug into her bag to extract a perfectly done copy of the assignment. She flung it at him not particularly caring about the parchment getting dog-ears.

"Be done with checking it by tomorrow," she said before returning to her nails. 

"Black, it's 9pm. Your turn to take over duties," said the sixth-year prefect Noora. 

Regulus stood up immediately and as he walked past Rune's couch, he dropped another perfectly done assignment into her lap. 

"Same to you, Westwood. Done by tomorrow." 

Rune shook her head as she paged through his assignment. It was completely not surprising when she realized that their assignments were nearly identical. The information, the formatting, the structure. 

"Whichever one's worse," said Rabastan, nudging her arm, "Give it to us." 

"In your dreams," she mumbled as she grabbed her stuff and made her way to her room to get on with checking the assignment. 

***

Do you hate anyone? 

Hate as in you hope only bad
things go to them in life? 

No. Hate as in... 

I don't know how to describe it. 

Hate as in you always have to
be better than this person. 

If they're one step forward,
you have to be 3 steps forward.