The Darkest Hearts || REGULUS BLACK

Chapter Five

 Regulus stared at the chessboard, pondering his next move.

Across him at the small table in the Slytherin common room, Augustus Nott mimicked him, the perfect curls of his chestnut hair skewed across his forehead in an uncharacteristic display of dishevelment, a result of having run his hands through his hair one too many times. Regulus could see the cogs turning behind his light brown eyes (amber, the girls called it when they swooned over the handsome boy), considering Regulus's potential moves while calculating his own countermoves.

Though Regulus would never admit it aloud, he relished these games with Nott. His acquaintance and one of his roommates for the past six years, Nott had been the only boy in their dormitory willingly interested in wizard's chess, and the only Slytherin able to hold a steady match against Regulus. Their matches had become a favorite pastime of Regulus's, and it was because of this longstanding tradition that Regulus considered Nott to be the closest thing he had to a friend.

"C'mon, Reggie," Nott taunted. His eyes were amused when he studied Regulus's intense frown. "Are you waiting for house-elf liberation before you make your next move? Hurry up."

"I've told you a hundred times not to call me that," Regulus murmured, not bothering to glance up from scouring the board.

Nott smirked. "And has it worked yet?"

Regulus made a noncommittal noise and steepled his fingers under his chin, continuing to contemplate.

Nott sighed. "Get on with it, Black. I'd like to go to dinner sometime in the near future."

"Patience is a rare gift," Regulus said. "Not many wizards have an affinity for it. How could they? With a wave of their wand, their wants and needs are cared for instantaneously. Now—" He directed his knight to move. The chess piece obeyed him and settled near the edge of the board, where a large collection of both black and white pieces rested, limp and battered from wreaking havoc on each other.

Nott grinned. "Nice speech. But patience won't save you from my queen."

Nott commanded his queen to take Regulus's knight. The queen dragged Regulus's black knight kicking off the board and added him to the pile of discarded pieces.

"No, it won't," Regulus said, "but it did just let my bishop take down your king. Checkmate."

Nott watched, stunned, as his king threw down his little white crown before Regulus's bishop, thus ensuring his defeat. Regulus sat back, satisfied, as the chess pieces righted themselves and resumed their neutral places on the board once more, ready for their next game.

"You're smart, Nott," said Regulus, "but you allow impulse to rule you. It hinders you from seeing the bigger picture."

Nott slumped in his own seat, brushing his hair back from his face to resume its impeccable quiff. "And I suppose you always see the bigger picture?"

Regulus allowed himself a small smile. "More or less."

If it were anyone else, Regulus's words would have made them bristle in anger. Instead, Nott just grinned back and drummed his fingers on the green fabric of his armchair.

"Any progress with Slughorn?" he asked.

Regulus shot him a warning look. He glanced around, but they were the only ones in their section of the common room. Only a table of fourth-years remained; everyone else was at dinner.

"You could try to be more discreet," Regulus said to the other boy.

Nott raised his eyebrows. "And you could try lightening up. You used to be fun. What changed?"