You Only Live Once

CHAPTER 11

 "Go congratulate your cousin Mira, we'll see you later"

It was the last Quiditch match before the holidays. Gryffindor versus Slytherin. James had caught the snitch right under Regulus' nose , giving Gryffindor the win. Mira had gone down to the pitch with Pandora and Barty to console their friends. Pandora was talking to Regulus and Barty to Evan leaving Mira with Theodore.

"You sure?"

"Positive"

So Mira walked towards her Gryffindor friends who were just previously surrounded by other Gryffindor students, celebrating their win. When Lily spotted Mira she rushed to her side, linking their arms together.

"Did you see it Rosie. Did you see how he caught the snitch?" she asked enthusiastically, looking adoringly at James. Mira couldn't help but smile at Lily's expression.

"Sure did" she replied shortly .

"I'm so happy , I'm not even going to comment on your house's loss" Sirius said. Remus just sighed disapprovingly but Mira didn't mind Sirius' comments. Not anymore.

"Did you see that ,cousin?" James asked approaching her to give her a side hug. He was always like that in front of people. She had to admit, he took his role as her cousin very seriously, so much that he deserved an Oscar. Mira nodded with a smile , hugging him back to keep the pretenses. "There's a party at Gryffindor common room tonight, you'll come right?"

"I don't know" Mira replied hesitantly. She couldn't leave her Slytherins friends who had just lost the match to go celebrate with the opposite team. It didn't feel right.

"Oh come on Ro, you'll never attend a better party, I promise" Remus said, trying to convince her.

"Alright, alright"

"Okay! Now go get get ready and meet us outside our common room at 10" Marlene said enthusiastically, before taking Lily and Mary's hands to guide back up the Gryffindor tower.

When Mira reached her own common room and got inside she found Regulus sitting all alone on one of the couches, looking into the dancing flames of the fireplace.

"Back already? I thought there would be a party. They crashed us" Regulus said without looking away from the fire.

"Later" she replied shortly walking towards the stairs of the girls' dormitories but she stopped before she could think about it twice. "It was just a game Regulus, There's gonna be more"

"When's your birthday Mira" he asked out of the blue. "When?" he asked again when she didn't reply, this time turning his head to look at her.

"June 29th"

"Mine is June 25th"

"So you're four days older than me" she said , trying to make the conversation less awkward.

"And forty five years" That one sentence made Mira's heart fall to the ground. She could feel her heartbeat getting quicker and it was suddenly harder to breathe. It shouldn't be hard to breath. Breathing is easy. You need it to survive. "Really it's quite impressive" he confessed standing up from the couch and walking closer and closer to her. "I won't say anything don't worry. Despite what my brother's saying, I value friendship"

"You think we're friends?" if she could slap herself she would. He had just confessed to know her deepest secret, the one she was trying so hard to keep to herself and all she had asked was if he thought they were friends. Talk about pathetic responses.

"Tell you what. Tomorrow it's Hogsmeade day. So when you finish your little walk, with bloody Nott of all people, we go together. Get to know each other , or I will for the matter. See how good friends we can be" Mira had never been more shocked in her life, so speechless. Not even when she first arrived to that place. Regulus knew too much but she wasn't sure how much more he knew. She wasn't afraid of him and for some strange reason she did trust that he wouldn't tell anyone. There was deadly silence between the two while they were looking intensely at each other. Thankfully Theodore came down the stairs. It looked like he was just out of the bathroom as he was drying his hair with a towel.

"What's going on here?" he asked , looking curiously between the two.

"Just two friends talking." Regulus replied casually. "See you tomorrow Mira" he said over his shoulder, disappearing up the stairs.

"What was that about?"
"We're going to Hogsmeade tomorrow"

"You and Reg?"

"Yup" Theodore looked down in thought, making Mira confused. "Everything alright?"
"I thought maybe we could go together you know. Maybe not sneak out for once...but oh forget it , it was a stupid idea anyway" he ranted anger filling his voice taking a few steps away from her.

"Next Hogsmeade trip I'm all yours" that made him stop pacing around before he turned to look at her again. "I promise"

"I'll see you in the morning Mira, now go to your party"

"Wait how do you-did you eavesdrop?"

"Have fun and don't let anyone put something into your drink,Potter" he said over his shoulder, now walking away from her for good. Mira chuckled to herself before she too dissapeared up to her dorm so she could get ready.