𝔚𝔞𝔯 𝔬𝔣 ℌ𝔢𝔞𝔯𝔱𝔰 // 𝔍𝔞𝔪𝔢𝔰 𝔓𝔬𝔱𝔱𝔢𝔯

THIRTEEN || Scars

Estella

I begin to make my way back to the castle, when a rat runs right in front of me, squealing. When I notice it I let out a deafening scream and fall over, soon scurrying back to my feet. I look the way it ran and...do my eyes deceive me or...is that a stag?

"What the hell.." I trail off, and once I blink, it's gone. I shake my head. "Great, now I'm bloody hallucinating," I mutter beneath my breath and continue towards the castle.

The entire walk, all I do is worry. I know bloody well that poor Reggie is struggling. The last time he was going through it though he came to me, he cried to me, and I thought that it helped, but he's still going through something, and as his older cousin, practically his big sister, I feel it's my job to be there for him, if his actual sibling, who I am going to fucking duel and win with, isn't there for him but truly against him, I will be there.

I chant the password to the Slytherin gargoyle and am granted access. When I walk in, the sickening scent of alcohol and smoke wafts my face and I nearly gag, but soon get used to it. I guess the transition from cool, fresh night air, to this putrid odor of the common room tonight was just too big a change.

I begin to silently make my way to the girls staircase, but something catches my eye, and it causes my cheeks to turn hot in anger.

"Regulus Arcturus Black!" I yell, the curly haired boy jumps and drops the shot glass he was about to down. "What the hell are you doing?"

He doesn't say anything, but he looks over to my red haired friend, Vanya, who grins evilly.

"I swear to god I'm going to fucking-" I rip my wand from my robe,

"No," Regulus stops me, "This is my decision, my life, Vanya only invited me over." He slurs as he speaks,

"The the hell are you doing?" I repeated to him in a whisper dangerously,

"Living," he states. "I can do that, right?"

"Oh god, Regulus, please don't start rebelling," I groan and bury my head in my hands, 

"Here you go Regulus, to replace the one your cousin wasted," Vanya hands him another shot glass filled with what appeared to be witches brew. 

"Regulus...don't." I plead, he glares at me and takes the shot. His face is that of a child who has never taken a shot before, he nearly gags, not at all used to drinking. I scoff and chuckle. "Oh you want to drink?"

He stares at me, finally recovering from the taste of witches brew, which is in all honestly the easiest alcohol to shoot.

"Well, what does it look like?" he spits,

"Hm, how about we put the little girls' drink down and take some real shots," I suggest, "Mattheo," I nod to Matt, who pours two shot glasses with Vodka. He hands one to me and one to Regulus, who's face reddens. "Ready? Bottoms up," I take the shot and a couple seconds later, as does Regulus, who chokes and spits out a bit before swallowing.

"Mattheo, keep em coming,"

"Will do," Mattheo pours four more shots, giving us each two. 

"Reggie?" I say, taking the first, followed closely by the second and down them as he chokes down his first. I take his second shot for him and take it upon myself to pour a few more, which I shoot four in a row.

I whip my head around and the people who have gathered to watched our little shot game cheered.

"Whoo!" I gasp, feeling the effects kick in quickly. "That, cousin, is how you drink."

"Well, Starling," Regulus begins, "You aren't the only one who can shoot Vodka." He pours what looked like four, no, five shots, and shot them all without a break to breathe. "My little cover worked. It got you to show off, and now you'll be hungover tomorrow like you wanted to avoid." He hisses at me.