𝕿𝖗𝖊𝖒𝖔𝖗 - ʳᵉᵍᵘˡᵘˢ ᵇˡᵃᶜᵏ

Chapter 22: New Year, New Thee!

[ January 1st, 1978 ]

THEONA WAS equally as nervous as she was the first time, standing on Platform 9 3/4. Dread was a fool's drug and she was overdosing.

     In actuality, she was starting off the new year in a significantly better place than the prior year. She had friends, her and her brother were safe, and she had spoken to Eve.

     Okay, so she hadn't really spoken to her, but she'd contacted her. That was a good start. She and Eve hadn't shared a word since they were found out by Theona's parents. Longing glances and soft smiles in the halls of Ilvermorny had been the closest they'd gotten. So, a six sentence letter that Eve had no way of replying to was progress.

Still, Theona's problems from the previous year persisted into this one. She was on the run, her hands shook and hurt, Evan wasn't speaking to her, and neither was Regulus.

But he was thinking of her.

     We should talk when we're back at Hogwarts. I've done a lot of thinking.

     That had to mean he was thinking of her, right? He wanted to talk to her because he'd been thinking. Why would he want her if his thoughts had not been about her? She'd certainly been thinking about him, so he must've been thinking about her too. There was no way that she had more thoughts of Regulus Black than he had of Theona Bell. It was impossible. She was the one who hated him, not the other way around. He may have told her that he dreaded his days because of her, but that wasn't hate. She was the one to say the words. I hate you. She'd won that argument for sure.

So, yes, he had been thinking of her and he wanted to talk. That much was clear.

What was unclear was whether or not the talk would consist of apologies and making up or more yelling and fighting. Maybe he'd been thinking about how much he loathed (not hated) her and want to have another go at her. She prayed that wasn't the case.

She wanted him back in her life. She wanted to hate him without feeling guilty. Yes, that was exactly what she wanted. Hatred without the weight of shame. A frenemy, perhaps.

New year, new Thee. She was going to fix things with Evan, she was going to confront her brother (eventually), and she was going to make up with Regulus. Just so she could hate him properly.

Who said she could only have one New Year's resolution?

"Earth to Theo," Sebastian droned, waving his calloused hand in front of her cloudy eyes.

Her sights flickered to him, eyelids falling lower, "I was thinking."

"Really? I hadn't realized?" He drawled, smirk pulling at his lips.

"Shut up," she glowered, cracking her neck.

"What's got you nervous?" Sebastian quirked a brow, reaching forward to brush her hair away from her face. He'd been very affectionate lately, she had a feeling he knew he was in the dog house.

"Evan," she breathed. At least she could talk about one of her quandaries.

"You two will come back to each other, I wouldn't worry,"