O Beija-Flor - Regulus Black (Complete)

III -

It was summer in England, yes, but there was no way that Cecilia felt that temperature to be of a summer night. It was July 17th and yet she shivered as she started to move herself to get up from the bench she had sat in hours before. Perhaps it was because she was clammy with sweat or because there was too much cold on the breeze that no longer felt comforting to her.

Her muscles complained at the first sight of movement after so long sitting there, but she made no noise as she started to walk towards the gate of the playground, passing by it with a sigh, because as soon as she passed it, she knew that she needed to go back to the house; she had yet to get used to the Rotten Magic's smell.

She crossed her arms as she felt someone look at her and heard someone whispering. She looked over her shoulder to see a mother holding onto her child's arm a bit too strongly as they crossed the street away from her. Cecilia bit the inside of her cheek – she was upset about it, sure, but she didn't know if it was because they had seen her on TV or because she was black. Either was the motive, that had happened to her before.

Cecilia scoffed as she crossed the street as well, keeping her way clear as she avoided looking back again to not worry the mother or the child at that point. The last thing she needed was someone calling the police on her and making it way too clear she was staying in the area; there was a reason for Grimmauld Place to be under the Fidelius Charm, and she wasn't about to be the one that told the world where it was.

Something in her screamed.

A footstep came from not too far behind her. Somebody was following her.

She squeezed her eyes shut, damning her destiny as she quickened her pace.

For fuck's sake, she thought. That day was testing all her minority quotes. Someone crossing the street (probably because of the colour of her street) and now someone was following her (probably because she was a woman) – well... both could be because she was seen as criminal as well. Either way, she felt her patience wearing thin.

"Oi!" someone called out.

A touch on her shoulder made her snap.

If she was accused of deserving to go to prison, she would give a reason for the world to hate her so.

Cecilia turned around and swung her fist as hard as she could, using her whole weight to do that. It wasn't how her father had taught her, but she did not care at the moment. She wanted nothing but peace.

Her fist made contact with the person's stomach.

It was a man, folding into himself with the pain, coughing up and gasping for air. A very tall man with sandy-blonde hair and long limbs that could end her with a snap if he wanted to, especially when he was angry at her because she hit him.

Cecilia turned and ran, but not fast enough.

With a single move, the man had his arms around her. She took in as much air as she could and prepared to scream as loud as her lungs would allow her, but his hand was over her mouth. She opened her mouth more, his fingers slipping into it and she bit down as hard as she could. Her hands flew and grabbed his hair, pulling at it.

The bite and the hair pulling made him grunt.

"Girl! Fuck! I'm a friend!" he roared at her.

He let go of her at once.

She fell down on her knees, back still to him. She put her hands on the ground and pushed up, standing as fast as she could and then turned to look at him better, feeling her breath caught on her throat the next second.