𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐞 || 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐮𝐬 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐱 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

Chapter 20

Friday 21st November, 1976

The next few days past by quickly. Regulus barely talked to me, electing to stay quiet during Charms and patrols. It wasn't much of a malicious silence, more of an avoiding kind. Funnily enough, it hurt me more than a malicious silence would.

Mulciber was also found beaten and bloody in one of the abandoned hallways and was still recovering in the Hospital Wing. I tried not to think about that, but the rumours flying around the castle made it a little difficult.

It was Friday night. I was lying on the floor, my head in Marlene's lap while Mary and Lily sat on the couch. The fireplace was lit, casting a warm glow in the Gryffindor Common Room. There were lots of kids still up since school was over for the week and there were many shrieks of laughter and chatter circling around the place. The marauders were who knows where, letting the tower have a rare night of peace.

I should be happy. All these facts would usually make me happy, but my mind was too preoccupied with the bad stuff to focus on the good. Regulus Black was avoiding me. Never, in my whole life, would I have ever guessed that the thought of him avoiding me would make me sad, and yet here we are.

Was he mad at me? Was he mad at the marauders? Was he mad at all of us? The questions plagued my mind, as well as the what ifs. What if he didn't want to do the prank anymore? What if he never talked to me again? I desperately didn't want him to be mad at me. The reasoning behind that statement was lost to me, but it didn't change how I felt. I didn't want him to hate me.

I sat upright, scrambling to my feet. I knew what I needed to do. Or what I wanted to do, at the very least.

"Y/n?" Lily questioned. "Where are you going?"

"I have to do something," I answered vaguely, already walking towards the portrait hole.

It was after curfew, but I found myself not caring, making bold moves as I walked through the castle like I owned it. I knew if Filch found me I'd be in trouble, but he couldn't be everywhere at once, a thought I used to comfort me as I continued my walk.

When I arrived at my destination, I cast a disillusionment charm on myself and recited the password to the Slytherin Common Room. I remembered the password from when Regulus took me to his dorm to get patched up, so why not use it to my advantage?

The Common Room was reasonably full, and even though I had a disillusionment charm on me, I tried to hide behind pieces of furniture and walls when I could. My eyes scanned the room for Regulus, but when I couldn't find the Black heir, I crept off to his dorm room.

I didn't know what I was doing. I should've turned around and gone back to the Gryffindor Common Room. I could lay back down in Marlene's lap, have a girl's night, forget about Regulus and all my problems. Instead, I opened the door to Regulus's dorm.

He was the only one in there, sitting on his bed as he read a book. His curls drooped over his head, having grown longer since the start of school. His grey eyes moved back and forth on the page slowly, like he was savouring every word. His lips were parted as he read. They were pink and looked so soft. I wanted to feel them, see if they really were as soft as they looked.

"Enjoying the view?"

Regulus's voice startled me, bringing my back to reality as I made direct eye contact with him. I hadn't noticed his eyes stop moving, having been too enraptured by his lips. I was embarrassed to say my eyes were drawn back to them, and it took all of my willpower to tear my gaze away.

I took my wand out of my pocket and got rid of the disillusionment charm, staring at the boy in front of me.

"How did you know I was here?" I asked, ignoring his question.