Silent Riot | Regulus Black

FIFTY ONE

Gemma Aston sat by the open windowsill, as a gentle breeze made the light curtains flutter. She closed her eyes, soaking in the heat from the blazing sun. Nearly two months she'd been in Ireland with the Harrows, a month of carefree, sunny mornings and idle days filled with quiet and comfort. It was bliss. 

At night though, when the lights were out and curtains drawn, grief would crawl its way back into her thoughts, casting a shadow on her mental scars. All the death, all the betrayal, all of it would keep her awake at night, haunting her and and stealing tears from her eyes. She wasn't healing and she knew it; the pain was getting heavier and deeper with every passing moment that she spent trying to supress it,

Luke interrupted her silent thought as he cleared his throat by the door. She turned around to look at him. The boy had changed considerably over the summer; he was taller, and slightly less lanky, with his hair having darkened slightly. He was holding two letters in his hand, and she perked up at the sight of the Hogwarts seal on them. 

'Are those our results?' She asked excitedly, jumping up to grab it from him. 

'I think this is one of the most nerve-wracking moments of my life,' he admitted, as he gripped the envelope with his O.W.L results tightly. 

'Three... two...'

'Three,' Luke said, and they laughed at the inside joke before tearing open their letters. Gemma checked hers twice, to make sure her eyes didn't deceive her. 

Arithmancy- Outstanding
Care of Magical Creatures- Acceptable
Charms- Acceptable
Defence Against the Dark Arts- Acceptable
Divination- Poor
History of Magic- Poor
Potions- Outstanding
Transfiguration- Dreadful

'I passed Charms,' she said with disbelief. She hugged Luke with glee, who laughed and peered over her shoulder. 

'Failed Transfiguration,' he noted. 'Quite impressive otherwise though, I suppose. For you.' She didn't care, because that wasn't her fault, and she'd never really cared about History of Magic. She was thrilled, and had to remember to thank Regulus for teaching her the few spells that had let her pass Charms. 

'What did you get,' she said, grabbing his letter before he could protest. Nine Os and an E in Ancient Runes. 'Damn.' 

'That one "E" is making my eyes bleed,' he complained, and she glared at him. 

'Oh how awful,' she snapped, rolling her eyes. 'I do wonder how you'll survive, honestly.'

'I have to send an owl to Ted,' he said, taking her letter from her hands. 'He threatened to eat my kneecaps if I didn't tell him how we did.' 

She rolled her eyes. Ted had had to go home to his parents, who'd strangely welcomed him with open arms, and owled Gemma and Luke every day to escape his misery. Gemma was secretly glad of it- that way she could keep an eye that he hadn't joined the Death Eaters. 

The same however, could not be said for Regulus Black. For his big talk of I'll write to you every day and you are everything, he seemed to have disappeared off the face of the Earth, as she wrote to him to no avail, her letters going ignored or unread. Even on his birthday, she had no idea what had become of the cake she'd sent him. 

She made excuses for him, of course. He probably didn't have access to an owl, or he was busy murdering someone and grovelling or torturing muggles or hopefully something less grotesque. 

By the time she stopped mulling over her own thoughts, Luke was done, and he eyed her carefully. 

'You alright?' He asked uncertainly, and she nodded. They descended into silence, which she quickly tried to break.