INFERI (REGULUS BLACK)

65

"Sirius!" Aoife yelled on the top of her lungs. "Where is my effing notebook?"

"Right here, darling," Sirius smirked, waving a battered notebook above his head. "Come and get it."

Regulus felt a hard knot in his chest at Sirius's words. Maybe it was for the poor notebook.

"You absolute wanker!"

"It's too early for this," Aletheia groaned, entering the kitchen. "It's not even 6. Why are you lot up?"

"Because a certain git thought it was funny to douse me in a bucket of cold water!" Aoife fumed. Regulus tried to smother a laugh.

Aoife turned towards him. "And you. What the hell? I though you were the sensible Black."

"Will you lot shut -"

Regulus truly didn't know why he did it. Again. Aoife was nose-to-nose with him, her green eyes blazing. He could count every freckle. A very stupid part of his heart wanted to kiss her again, and a very stupid part of his brain made him do it. Again.

Aoife inhaled sharply, but reciprocated the kiss. This was something new for him. None of his previous kisses had felt like this. Something had ignited in his heart — a sweet, burning sensation — which threatened to cloud his senses. A feeble part of his brain told him to stop, but he ignored it, pulling Aoife closer, devouring her. She gave a little squeak, allowing him to deepen the kiss. Their tongues entwined. She pulled a bit at his hair.

"Oi," Sirius's voice broke them apart, panting. "Get a room, you two!"

Aletheia scrunched up her nose slightly. "Since when have you two been ... dating?"

Aoife blushed a bit, interlocking her hand with Regulus's. "Since now."

Regulus made an odd choking sound, causing her to look up in alarm. "Do you not want to? Am I interpreting this the wrong way?" She turned to her aunt, "we're just friends, nothing of that sort. Friends who kiss each other mistakenly." There was an underlying tone to those words which he understood perfectly.

Aletheia raised an unimpressed eyebrow. "Friends who ki—,"

"No," Regulus interrupted her. The tiny, feeble part of his brain — which sounded suspiciously like Walburga — cautioned him against his stupid decision. She was just a Muggle, even though she had magical blood. A common Squib.

Tamping down the voice, he continued. Sirius gaped at him while Aoife tightened her fingers reassuringly. "We can give this a chance. After all, is there anything else to do?"

"What a way to put it, brother," Sirius grumbled. "But really, if you break her heart in any way, I'll rip off your head, you little snake."

"Is there anything else to do?" Aoife mocked him. "Are you kidding me Reg? That was so eloquent."

Aletheia was surveying him carefully. "Step on toe out of the line, and you'll be wishing you were dead," she threatened. "I don't know what's going on, but if you like this idiot, Aoife, then it's fine," with that she left, muttering something about 'kids these days,' and 'coffee.'

"Well, take your notebook, darling," Sirius threw it at her. "And don't forget to use protection, brother! I don't want to murder you for knocking her up."

Regulus scoffed, blushing slightly while Aoife elbowed Sirius in the ribs.

"Hey," he pouted. "I'm going to talk to Prongs. He's not mean like you."

Sirius ran out of the kitchen, leaving Aoife and Regulus alone.

"Are you sure about this Reg? Because I really don't want to have my heart broken again. It quite tiring," Aoife said, sitting down on the table.