ᴏᴍɴɪꜱᴄɪᴇɴᴛ ✵ʀᴇɢᴜʟᴜꜱ ʙʟᴀᴄᴋ✵

𝐗𝐗𝐗

☾ ʀᴇɢᴜʟᴜꜱ ☽

»»-------≪ °❈° ≫-------««

"The consequences have to be my top least favourite part of my actions," Freya murmurs facetiously.

With a soft chuckle, Regulus steals a glance at her out of the corner of his eye. The jokes are merely a way to mask her vulnerability to the judgemental stares and offhand whispers. As they walk through the castle, her gaze will sheepishly shift around, and every so often her fingers twiddle the drawstrings of her hoodie.

Attention drawn to Regulus isn't exactly new, though, positive or negative. In his world of opulent wealth, he's grown accustomed to eyes that probes his every movement. Whether he likes it or not, he is a Black through and through, it's innate to proceed with his regal bearings regardless of scrutiny sent his way.

Evan relates in that manner, also the heir to an elite pureblooded family, he just goes about it a different way. Whereas Regulus will stride with purpose; his head held high, shoulders back, eyes cold, Evan struts carelessly, an utter sense of blithe in everything he does, and he'll wink at anyone who dares to catch his eye.

"Mistakes are normal and human and inevitable, necessary, even," Regulus responds in what he hopes to be comforting. Instinctively, he extends his arm to graze the small of her back. "If I make one, however, please put me to death."

That successfully pulls a laugh from her, and Freya swats his chest lightly with the back of her hand. Subsequently, it pleases him so much that he can't resist breaking out into a grin. Evan snorts in half-suppressed amusement at him. Lovesick fool, he thinks teasingly, and Regulus digs an elbow into his side.

They reach the Astronomy tower and ascend the marble staircase. Today is a Sunday, so it's almost deserted, except for very few students that pass by without a second glance to them. Only one gawks at Freya, a younger boy, and his thoughts expose a harmless crush on her, not condemnation.

Neither Freya or Evan know this, of course, they aren't legilimens. So Evan, in his own protective way, actually barks like a wild dog at the kid. Immediately the young boy sprints down the stairs, and he releases an uproarious cackle. Regulus shakes his head as laughter builds up and bubbles over, impossible to restrain.

"Don't let it get to you," Evan tells Freya, draping an arm around her shoulders and giving her a squeeze that she seems happy to lean into. "If nobody's talking about you, you're the nobody. That's what my father always says."

"Oh, well, if your father said," Regulus jests.

"Did he teach you to bark like a chihuahua, too?" Freya adds mirthfully.

"Okay," Evan mutters, gently pushing her head away and dropping his arm. "That's enough from both of you."

When they're near the fourth floor, disembodied sounds of raised voices can be heard. Regulus doesn't think anything of it until Evan halts in his tracks, then wordlessly walks onto the corridor. They follow him and quickly find out why. Barty is amidst an argument with his girlfriend, a rather tense one.

"But I-I'm the best thing to ever happen to you," Ada cries.

She tightens her folded arms until she's practically holding herself. Regulus has never seen Barty's face hold an expression of such remorse. He reaches out to grasp her shoulder, but she smacks his hand away with a snarl and veers around to storm away. A sole second passes before Barty sees them approaching and any sign of contrition fades away, replaced by the grin that stretches across his mouth as though nothing happened. Like a true politician.