Don't Tell Anyone About This | Regulus Black

Chapter Twenty One

Nera seemed to be in a better mood, Regulus thought, after their conversation over breakfast the previous day. Or she was at least acting that way.
She'd met him on time, on the quidditch pitch, first thing in the morning as they'd agreed. Of course, Nera didn't have anything with her. Regulus was having to lend her a spare broomstick and she'd gone into the changing rooms to put on something more sporty than her winter jumper and jeans.

Regulus stood with his own broom tucked under one arm, and his other hand tucked into his pocket. He waited in the centre of the pitch and as he listened to the wildlife of the countryside just beyond the stands, he lifted his head to look up at the sky.

"I think it's going to rain soon."

"Yeah. That's if it doesn't snow." Regulus remarked without turning around.
He then felt Nera come to stand still beside him, and he lowered his gaze to look over at her. Nera was looking up at the sky, and nervously holding her broom beside her.

"Do you like the jersey?" She turned to face him and held her arms open, revealing a Gryffindor shirt so oversized that it looked almost like a dress on her. He also took note of the enormous grin she was donning.
Regulus blurted, "You look so-" Then he caught himself, forced out a smile, and playfully quipped, "My house elf wears nicer stuff than that."

Nera laughed. Then Regulus chuckled. They then stood face each other in silence for a moment before Nera asked, "You have a house elf?"
"Yeah. Well, the family does." He explained, "He's called Kreacher."
"Kreacher..." Nera repeated slowly, and then she questioned, "Do you... It's none of my business, really, but do you ever feel bad about not freeing him?"
He admitted, "I don't think I could. Out of my family, he's probably my favourite. Besides, he always says he enjoys the work."

Under her breath, Nera said, "I bet he does."
Regulus just about heard her, though, and he asked, "What is that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing. It's not my business." She shook her head, "Anyway, shall we get back to quidditch?"
"Yes, yeah, sure." He nodded.

Regulus, in one swift movement, mounted the broom and kicked off from the ground so he hovered a few inches in the air. Nera could only stand there in a state of awe.
Over the years, she'd attended every school match, but it had been a long time since she'd attempted to fly herself. It was quite impressive to see how good players were so natural and effortless in their movements. Nera wasn't sure she could ever pull that off.

"Nerezza..." Regulus drew the girl out of her thoughts, "Do you not know how to kick off?"
She pursed her lips and shrugged.
He smiled and gently landed back on the ground.
Nera softly said, "Thanks for not laughing."
It was his turn to shrug as he replied, "Well, there was a time when I didn't know how to kick off, and nobody laughed at me."

Regulus tucked his broom under his arm again, ran a hand through his curly hair, and then stepped towards Nera. "Step over the broom." He instructed, "And hold the handle like this." He demonstrated on his broom.
She watched his carefully and copied his actions. "This okay?" She asked.
Discarding his broom completely, it fell to the ground, and he took ahold of her fingers to reposition them ever so slightly. "Like that." Regulus said, and then quickly dropped his arms to his sides.

"And now?"
"Lean forward slightly."
"Like-"
"Too far!"
"Like this?"
"Yes."

Nera felt like an idiot stood there. In the middle of the pitch. Awkwardly leaning forward over the broomstick.
"Now kick off like I did before." Regulus told her as he turned and wandered over to pick up his broom again and mount it.

Once he'd balanced himself in the air, a few feet off the ground, he turned back towards Nera. In that time she too had managed to float upwards and into a semi-steady position, though she didn't look all that comfortable.
"Are you alright?" Regulus asked as he neared her.
"Y-yeah." She nodded, though her shaky voice betrayed her, "I don't remember this being so scary."
He chuckled, "You'll get used to it. And don't worry; I won't let anything bad happen."

Nera looked up at him and they smiled at each other. "I'd never realised you could be so nice." She said as she sat upright and looked a little more settled in the air.
Regulus scoffed, "Hardly."
"This is one of very few interactions we've had where we haven't been arguing and insulting each other." She reminded him.
Regulus tilted his head so his hair fell down to mask him from view. It worked to hide his blushing from her. 

"Shall we just fly a few laps of the pitch? To get the hang of it?" He suggested.
"And how..." Nera grimaced slightly as she asked, "How do I move?"
Regulus pursed his lips together and had to take a moment to compose himself and stop from laughing. Then a thought occurred to him. He honestly couldn't think of the last occasion in which he'd smiled and laughed so much.
In Nera's company, he felt at ease.

When he finally looked up at Nera again, she wasn't there. Where had she gone? He cast his gaze around the pitch and couldn't spot her. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he caught movement on the ground. Apparently Nera had landed down and appeared to be making her way out of the stadium.

"Woah, Stark! Where are you going?" He called after her as he descended through the air and landed back on the ground.
She didn't reply. Didn't even turn around.

Regulus, with his broom in one hand, used the long sleeve of his jersey to wipe away the bead of sweat trailing down the side of his face, and then combed a hand through his hair to push the curls out of his eyes. "Hold up a minute!" He shouted as he started to jog after the girl.

"I don't want to learn to fly anymore. You don't need to bother teaching me." Nera said once Regulus had slowed to a walk beside her, "Don't worry, I'll still hold up my end of the bargain."

Regulus chuckled, "Oh, come on, really? You're giving up so quickly?"
"Looks like it, yeah."
"Really?"
"Really."
"Come on!"
"Come on what?"

He sighed, "Nobody is good at flying the first time they try. Nobody. Whoever says they are is lying."
"I don't think that's as reassuring as you want it to be." She told him.
"So you're just giving up because the first ten minutes was challenging?" Regulus raised a sceptical eyebrow.

"Yes." Nera nodded, "And it's embarrassing and I'm probably not destined to be some great player, so what's the point?"

"Hold up." Regulus took ahold of her arm, causing the girl to stop in her tracks and turn to face him. "Have you never heard of just doing things for fun?"
She rolled her eyes, "Don't try to be funny."
"I'm not. I'm genuinely asking." He replied.

Nera ran both of her hands through her hair and accidentally dropped the broom she'd borrowed to the ground. Regulus knelt down to pick it up. She sighed and confessed, "I know this sounds bad, but I'm not used to being bad at stuff. Like school work. If I was bad at it, I'm not sure I could bring myself to try. I know that sounds mixed up."
"A little." He chuckled, "There's got to be other things you do though. This can't be the first hobby you've tried out."
"I used to play the piano. I really loved that." She explained, "But then Hogwarts happened and, well, I couldn't play as often as I used to."

Regulus thought back to when he used to play the piano as a young child. He shuddered and then shook his head to dismiss the memory.

"Well... Listen... Anyway..." He cleared his throat, "I don't think you should give up yet. Just-give it one more shot. And you don't need to worry about being embarrassed."
Nera tilted her head to the side and mused, "You're being unusually nice. What's up with that?"
He replied, "Nothing. But don't get used to it either."

She laughed, "Alright, Black. I won't tell anyone you have a secret soft side."
"Good." He smiled, "Good."

Even though the flying lesson had been brought to an abrupt end for the day, it hadn't been a total waste. It turned out that occasions did exist where Regulus and Nera could get along. And they had a surprisingly good time in each other's company - not that either of them would voice this to the other.