The Hunt | Regulus Black

Emerald Eyes

The moonlight casts long, haunting shadows as Theodora wanders through the ancient courtyards and pathways. Whispering winds carry the echoes of forgotten tales, as if the very walls of Hogwarts are sharing their secrets with her.

Towering trees sway gently, their branches reaching out like skeletal fingers, adding an eerie beauty to the scene. A soft crunch of leaves beneath your feet resonates with each step, creating a symphony of sound in the stillness of the night.

Portraits lining the corridors seem to come alive, their eyes following your every move, as if they hold the secrets of generations past. It's a moment where she can almost feel the weight of knowledge and the allure of the unknown, as she navigates the labyrinthine of passageways.

Theodora ends up finding herself in a secret spot, a spot she had found many years ago when she was a fifth year. A place where she managed to escape her thoughts and the darkening reality of her situation.

It's almost the same, everything looks the same but there's no longer the beautiful notes of the piano carrying themselves down the corridor.

She decides to sit in the same place she would sit all those years ago, she takes out the same notepad and pen, she leans against the wall of the arch and the places her feet up on the ledge with her.

Words begin to flow onto the page, like they did all those years ago. Theodora couldn't remember the last time she had written her poetry, she always kept her poems rather dear to her. They represented her heart, she wore her heart on the page.

Returning to Hogwarts, she assumed the worse. This place is coated in the memories of her life crumbling, however she found a comfort, a small and yet significant comfort in this was the last place she was innocent.

It did remain the last place she had her last carefree thought, something she has been yearning for and chasing for since.

———

Regulus awoke to the sun beaming into his eyes, his first thought now being regret for not closing the curtains properly. His second thought, is Theodora and how she is coping with returning here.

They had various conversations through the years on taking vs not taking these positions, he knew her well, but this... This was a puzzle.

His only hope was that she was okay.

Stretching and sitting up in bed he began to take in his quarters, last night he didn't give it much of a though. Now he begins to notice the beautiful tapestry's draped on the wall, the intricate detailing of the woodwork lining the door, the velvet forest green curtains matched the room perfectly.

Regulus decides to skip breakfast and goes looking for Theodora, he walks into her classroom and sees her at her desk creating a lesson plan.

He takes a moment to admire her, observe her delicate beauty. How her blonde hair is loosely curled, a hair style Regulus hasn't seen on her since they were students. She gently places the pen between her plump lips, as she has a scrunched up expression on her face.

"Everything okay?" Regulus asks, curious at her confusion.

Theodora's doe eyes snap up and look at Regulus, her faces unscrunches as she rests her eyes on him. A sense of peace and care fill the room, bringing comfort to the pair of them.

"Yes, just working on my first lesson" She sighs.

Regulus walks closer, "You'll smash it, I promise" he smiles.

"I've never done anything like this before" Theodora adds.

Without missing a beat Regulus crouches down next to her chair and places his hand on her cheek, "I believe in you Dora".

Theodora thinks to herself about being called Dora and offers up a little smile.

The two of them take the to appreciate this moment, staring into the others eyes. Theodora admiring them, taking her opportunity to explore them.

His eyes are like emeralds shimmering in the candlelight. Holding a mysterious allure, capturing the essence of knowledge and intrigue. It's almost like his eyes guard his past, his feelings, his truth.

Ultimately, she finds a safeness and sense of trust in his eyes, two things she has been craving for years. His emerald eyes creating a haven for her to be true self, a haven where she doesn't have to hide any part of herself.

Soon, they're interrupted by the sound of footsteps approaching.

"Good luck Professor Maddox" Regulus chuckles as he leaves.

"And you too Professor Black" Theodora returns

———

"How did your first day go Thea?" Remus asks as he catches up with Theodora as she walks down a corridor.

"It went well Remus" She replies, still rather cold.

She is rather surprised by him calling her by her nickname, a nickname that only Regulus really uses now.

"Can we talk?" Remus offers.

Theodora gives him a nod.

Remus leads Theodora to his office, where he offers her to sit down, which she does. He sits down opposite her, they both just stare at each other.

"Look Remus, I have stuff to d-" Theodora says but it cut off by Remus.

"Why?" He asks.

"What do you mean?" She replies.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He takes a deep breath and leans forward, "Hell if anyone wasn't going to judge you it was me".

"It wasn't that simple" She sighs.

"I thought of you as my sister Thea" He adds, "I would've tried to help".

"Help? How could you have even began to help?" Tears well up in her eyes, she pushes them back.

She takes a deep breath and stands up.

"I would love to believe you Remus, but I remember how all three of you treated me and Regulus back then" She walks towards the door, "And you know what, I'm tired of apologising to you, to Sirius, to James, to everyone for something I never had a choice in".

With that last comment she leaves, leaving Remus sat staring at the chair she was just sat in.
The room grows cold over her departure, her words like splinters of truth settling into his skin.

She's right, Remus thinks to himself.

———

Theodora goes searching for Regulus, not finding him, she decides to return to her place of solace with her notebook and pen.

As she enters the corridor she hears a familiar sound, however this time it is slightly different, it's almost happier.

Like the dark cloud that hungover the music has turned lighter and the pianist has found a source of delight, of safety or of love.

Resting in her all too familiar spot, she begins to write, denying the questions in the back of her head 'Is this her mystery mr piano man?', the man Olivia Loren (her dearest friend until a tragic end of their friendship at the end of 5th year) had teased her about.

Just her and her piano man, again.