[DISCONTINUED] I Know The End, Regulus Black

𝐎𝐎𝟒. Potions and Infirmaries

September 14th 1977

Penelope Everheart is no stranger to actually believing Muggleborns don't deserve to be at Hogwarts. She had it spoonfed to her as many Slytherins have had happen to them. Up until she'd gotten sorted in Ravenclaw, where everyone is mixed together. Her parents were sad to not see their daughter in their House, but she finds she's a much better fit for the blue colours. It's why she's friends with her friends now. Raina, she's known since she was little, both of them spoonfed with the beliefs. Though, Penelope knows Raina has never believed in those.

Lukas and Charlotte didn't come to be her friends until the end of third year. Some snake had the nerve to call Charlotte a slur, and she's lost it. Penelope isn't proud of the fact she's hexed all of those Slytherins. Then again, she also couldn't let those snakes get away with the name-calling. They've been friends since that moment. At first Penelope thought they were just pretending to like her, because Lukas and Charlotte has always been two peas in a pod, not in need of more friends. Since Raina is already at least sort of friends with them, they easily find a rhythm.

Being raised with those stupid beliefs also means she knows the exact dangers Charlotte is in if she's confined to a room for who knows how long with Regulus Black. She's offered to keep watch, just to make sure nothing happens. Not that she has to worry about that, Charlotte's gotten a lot more confident in her magic than she did in third year. But still. It's Regulus, and almost everyone knows he's planning to be branded as a fucking Death Eater as soon as he's out of school.

There is nothing she's had to worry about, apparently. Regulus is awfully polite in a sense that Penelope didn't think he was capable of, and Charlotte is not even opening her mouth once. They're not working together, though. Penelope decides to leave them alone, it's highly unlikely they'll get in a row about something now. Unless they've both been waiting for her to leave, but Charlotte's too sweet to truly mean harm – she hopes.

Charlotte jumps up the second she takes notice of Penelope leaving. She doesn't mean to make it seem like she doesn't want to sit next to Regulus, but judging by the look he throws her way that is exactly what he thinks. It bothers her that he thinks that low of her. If he really knows her, he'd know it's not her style to jump away like she's been burned. No, she's not in a hurry to get away from him. The silent working bit is good for her and it eases her immensely that he seems to think the same. No, she's after a book she's seen Slughorn with their last class.

"What are you doing?" Regulus drawls out from behind her. She squeals, and trips, and would have fallen on the ground if Regulus hadn't pulled her back up. "Rummaging through Slughorn's private cabinets?"

"I knew we had to do the potion, still, so I agreed because it also meant I could have a look around, which I know sounds bad, but he's got this – I don't actually want to tell you. You can just keep an eye on the potion... please?"

Charlotte becomes heavily aware of the hand still clasped around her wrist and decides to look anywhere but at Regulus. He's cold, not warm as everyone else. Maybe it's just not as warm in the dungeons as it is everywhere else in the castle. That has to be it, right? It's not as though he's already dabbling in dark magic, which she knows has the side effect of turning witches and wizards colder. But it turns out Regulus isn't aware of still clinging on to Charlotte as though she's his lifeline with the way he's trying to get her to look at him, probably to do some creepy mental ritual so he can see what she's after.