Sanguine - (adj.) eagerly optimistic, especially under terrible circumstances.
Evangeline was a pureblood witch, her parents' perfect porcelain doll. Evangeline lived a sheltered, predictable life, and she didn't mind it. She didn't know there was a...
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When the members of the slug club reunited on Sunday evening for the rescheduled photo, everyone was in considerably worse spirits. Lily tried to make small talk with Alice, who looked ready to take her own head off. Remus, who still hadn't gotten over his illness, was excused by Slughorn and left to heal in the hospital wing in peace. To combat everyone else's destitute appearance, Dirk Cresswell was rather chipper, which only made Regulus detest him even more.
Mulciber took great deliberation in putting everyone in exactly the right place for the optimal shot. Just as he had orchestrated everything to his liking, Miranda Goshawk spoke up again. "We're still missing one."
"Miss de Santis, again?" Slughorn asked. "How silly of me not to notice. I don't want to have to take it without her."
"Someone take a damn photograph before my knees give out," said Alice.
"I'll go find her," Regulus offered. If being Slughorn's errand boy was what it took to get in his good graces, than he'd be Slughorn's perfect little errand boy.
"Yes, Mister Black. Good on you, taking initiative," said Slughorn, "Everyone, let's have a cup of tea while we wait."
Thank Merlin, Regulus thought to himself. He'd rather check every room in the castle than sit through tea with Slughorn, who had a tendency to blather on about all the connections he had and all his previous students. He loved taking credit for everyone's accomplishments. Fortunately, Regulus suspected he wouldn't have to look far. Evangeline was usually found in the same few places.
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Evangeline was in the library. There was a bit of room in the corner, behind the shelves of the restricted section, with just enough space for her to sprawl out and work on assignments. Best of all, nobody ever looked back there. There were a few little nooks like this, all throughout the castle, and she had claimed each of them as her own.
She wanted to get a head start on her transfiguration work, as she suspected Professor McGonagall would expect that they had done some extracurricular reading over the summer. Evangeline hadn't. Transfiguration made her eyes cross, and her brain go fuzzy. She skimmed the passages in her dense textbook until she found something she hadn't come across before. It wasn't anywhere in the index at the back of the book. She'd have to look elsewhere for additional information. She abandoned her books on the floor and crept out into the main part of the library. It was spacious, and it smelled like old books. Nobody was here yet; it was only the third evening of the term. Classes wouldn't start until tomorrow.
Evangeline crossed the library to find Madam Pince at the circulatory desk. Before she could inquire about additional transfiguration resources, she heard someone calling her name.
"Quiet in the library, Mr. Black," said Madam Pince.
Regulus Black stood in the doorway, holding the door open. "Oi, Santis. Come here."
