The Archer

Nights.

He just wanted a friend. He wanted Emory to be that person, she was always a good friend to Evan, why not him? He knew deep down he wanted to replace Sirius, if Sirius could replace him with James he could make someone else his best friend.

He felt stupid using that title, he knew it was childish.

She was the first person inside their potions class, she sat just staring blankly at the cauldron in front of her. Regulus sat next to her, it was a bold move.

"Hey Emory" he quietly said, so quietly that the only confirmation he had that he had said anything was her responding.

"Hey," she slightly smiled at him.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked, he wanted to talk about it since it happened that night. He would've sooner, but she got her mark.

The past Emory was so different, she was slightly outgoing, and she'd sit on Evan's bed and laugh at all their stories, her laugh was so loud, and no one minded because it was so genuine. You wouldn't expect that kind of laugh to come out of someone so quiet.

"No, do you?" she finally turned fully to him.

"I think we should at some point" he admitted, he could feel her eyes piercing into every part of his body.

"Oh, why? I mean you don't really seem to vocalize your feelings but when it comes to what happened you do?"

He was shocked, this was the most she had spoken to him in months, he was so used to one word responses.

Her face quickly realized what she had said, the wall came down "I'm sorry, that was out of bounds"

He laughed, he found it funny, he loved when she would get snappy with them, he really didnt mind, he knew she wasn't lying.

"Its okay Emory, I will just never speak again"

She laughed. He made her laugh. He laughed. They laughed. God her laugh was so beautiful.

Evan and Theodore walked in, he could see the confusion in their eyes, they had both stopped laughing shortly after they walked in.

"Look at you all smiley and blushing Emmy" Evan said as he and theodore took their seats in front of them.

"Oh shut it"

Regulus could never really sense if Evan liked her or if they truely were just friends. He knew Evan hated when any of the boys on the team would talk about her, he also threw up for about an hour after hearing that she would get her mark.

Regulus knew he couldn't compete with Evan so he hoped that he didn't like her. Which of course was selfish for many reasons.

Soon everyone trickled in and of course the gryffindors were the loudest in the room, he ignored them or at least tried to, some of the boys on the team had sat behind them.

"Flawley" they called out, she ignored them. She always did.

"Flawley come on"

She didn't even flinch.

"Flawley for fucks sake"

She finally turned around. "What" she spat back.

"What're you doing this weekend?" Darren McLaggen asked, Regulus hated him, he was so loud and outgoing all the time.

She just stared at him. Regulus pretended to write on his parchment.

"Come out to Hogsmead with me" he smiled, sure he was conventionally attractive.

"No" she just turned back around.

"Oh come on, I want to fuck at least one death eater"

The room went still, the only sound was the one of her chair creeking as she turned back around.

Nothing could have prepared Regulus for what she was going to do.

"Emmy don't" Evan stood up.

"Aww picking your girlfriends fights Nott" Darrens friend Leo joked.

She stared at him "your mother fucks death eaters"

His face went white.

"Yeah I heard she likes to take it from men she meets at pubs in places she shouldn't be"

He lunged and grabbed her by the hair. She grabbed him by his hair back.

"Day one and you both are starting this already, both of you out" Slughorn started setting up, Evan was just now awkwardly standing, Regulus knew he was no better, he didn't defend her either, she didn't need it.

They both walked out pushing each other still. Muttering how much they hate each other and Emory kept calling his mother a whore, which wasn't a lie, Regulus was sure she had even slept with his father.

Regulus didn't know who Emory was anymore, he knew the mark changes a person, it sure as hell changed him, he was filled with just so much rage and anger, sometimes even sadness. It was different seeing it in Emory, she never really spoke anymore and when she did it seemed as if she was a different person.

Later that night she hung out with them in their room, Evan wasn't there, he was hooking up with some girl, Emory knew that and Regulus was struggling to read her face to see if it bothered her.

She sat on Bartys chair right next to Evans bed, empty bed. She would always do her homework with them and Barty who somehow was always done first was just entertaining them.

Hours later Evan came back, he looked a mess.

Emory didn't even look at him, he waited before enetering the shower to see if she would, she didn't.

Once the water started running Theo asked, he was such a gossip he needed to know, "does that bother you?"

"No" she answered right away.

"You knew right away what I was talking about" he chuckled.

"Shut it" she wrote so aggressively on her parchment.

Regulus had no idea what to think, he also hated himself for caring so much, why was he being so nosey.

Evan came out and laid on his bed. "Come lay with me Emmy"

"I'm fine, you've had enough company today"

He smiled, Evan was that type of guy.

"Wipe that smile off your face Rosier" she hadnt even looked at him, but she knew him all too well.

The universe wanted a laugh, Violet Burke, walked in, more like limped in. That was the women he had prior been with.

"I thought you said you were coming back?" She crawled into bed with him. Emory didn't move at all. That was her roommate...

Regulus understood so little, he followed Emory out when she walked out.