Love & Scars

4. The Brothers Black

Izzie was sitting in an abandoned classroom waiting for two of her friends. She had hopped onto a dusty desk, her feet dangling a few inches above the ground. She was casting little snowflakes in the air when the door opened. She smiled as Regulus Black walked in. She jumped off the desk and walked over to him.

"Reggie." She smiled widely. Regulus' lips quirked a little. She cocked her head in a question, and when he nodded, she hugged him tightly. "How's it going in Slytherin?"

"Mostly they ignore me, but I have Crouch and Rosier."

"That's good." She nodded with a smile.

"How -" He swallowed thickly. "How is Sirius?"

"I'm not the one to ask, Reg. But as far as I know, he's good. But you should ask Remus."

He nodded briskly, but a light blush appeared on his pale cheeks. "But they seemed interested in you."

"Oh, Merlin. I knew they were laying it on thick, but for even you to notice it." She shook her head. "They suddenly got it in their heads to get to know me."

"Why?"

"They found out earlier this year that Remus and I had been friends before Hogwarts and wanted to 'make it up to him'."

"They didn't know?" Regulus asked, a little shocked.

"Idiots, both of them." She grinned. The door opened again, and I saw Remus walk in over Reggie's shoulder. "Remus."

"Sorry, I'm late. Slughorn was talking my ear off." He loosened the tie around his neck. 

Slughorn always wanted them to dress up for his dinners or parties. And Remus hated it, but she had to admit he looked really good in them. She had a feeling Reg felt the same, because his blush worsened as he looked at Remus.

Regulus and Izzie became friends two years ago, after Sirius left their house. The Black's wanted Regulus surrounded by the right kind of purebloods and sent him to her house on a regular basis. And they got along quite well. They both didn't believe in what their parents stood for, and both had been abused by their parents. 

Remus and Lily knew about this development, naturally. Izzie told them a few months after they were forced to spend time together. And in the eyes of their parents, they let it show that they despised each other because they would never want them to be happy. Lily knew, but never really met Regulus. Remus had come with her to their secret meetings for about a year now. They got along quite well, but ever since the start of the year, they've been acting a little differently towards each other. And Izzie guessed that they liked each other. It was quite obvious with their secret glances and soft blushes.

Izzie transfigured some broken chairs into fluffy pillows before they sat down. Remus on her right, Reggie on her left.

"How's your hip, Isabelle?" Regulus asked. Even though she used his nickname, he still called her by her given name.

"Healed, apart from a little scarring."

"I guess we all have our scars," Regulus said, looking down. 

They all got quiet after that because it was the truth; we all had scars. Some better hidden than others, but they were there and weren't going anywhere. They sat in silence for a long time. It wasn't an awkward silence; it was a comforting one. And one they had regularly. 

"When's the next moon?" He asked. Izzie looked up and saw that his eyes were already on Remus.

"Next week." Remus didn't look at either of us but looked straight ahead.