As the Stars align ( Regulus Black )

Nineteen: Years

I got dressed as I normally would and descended the stairs into the Ravenclaw common room. The circular room had always been one of my favourites in the entire castle. The ceiling was painted with star constellations and cloud like curtains hung around the large windows.

The sun had yet to rise but I had long given up on the possibility of sleep. I had braided my hair at the back of my head and tied it into a crown like shape at the back of my head. Today would be duelling day in Defence against the dark arts and I had made the mistake before to leave my hair open.

I would have won the duel against Felicity Brown, a Gryffindor in my year, if she had not grabbed my hair once she got close enough and knocked me out of my balance. I never made the error of having my hair open again. The halls of Hogwarts were still empty, that much was plausible. It was way to early in the morning for anyone else to be awake.

My steps lead me close to the Hufflepuff common room. One of the house elves had shown me the way to the kitchens in my second year after she caught me wandering the halls at 5 am. That morning she made me a glass of warm milk and told me to stay as long as I needed to .

I visited the elves often, much like today. The kitchen was not yet busy with breakfast preparations but there were already elves present. Most of them didn't even acknowledge my presence, they were used to it by now. Poppy smiled from ear to ear as she spotted me.

"Miss Thorne, how wonderful to see you this morning" she hurried up to me. And grabbed my hand with her considerable smaller one. For such a small creature she was very strong. She pulled me to one of the corners of the kitchen where crates and barrels stood. We both sat down on something

"Good morning to you too, Poppy" her cheerful presence lifted my mood considerably.

"I expected Miss Throne" she grinned and jumped up from her seat. It didn't matter how many times I told her to call me by my first name, she always addressed  me with my last. Seconds later she returned with a small muffin which had a lit candle on top. "I will not say it" she grinned "But you know that I wish you all the best on this day and all that follow"

I rolled my eyes at her playfully and grabbed the muffin. I blew the candle out and watched as the smoke floated through the air. I realised a breath that shook my entire body. As much as I didn't want to, my body released a single tear.

"Thank you, Poppy" I smiled at her, but the smile didn't quite reach my eyes

"Miss Thorne can stay as long as she wishes" Poppy put her small hand on my thigh. Every year on this day I skipped breakfast in the great hall and instead spend my morning with the elves, this year would be no different.

"Can I help you with anything?"

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I double checked every turn I did to make sure that I wouldn't run into anyone. I had been successful for most of the day. Most classes I had today went by without me crossing paths with anyone, though it came close a couple of times. In those moments I debated faking an illness to go to Madam Pomfrey.

Those I was most scared of crossing were the Marauders. Of course I had no classes with them so I didn't have to worry about that but the danger of running into them in the halls was making me anxious. My head made me picture all kinds of scenarios where they find me and belt a song at the top of their lungs or set off a fire work that spelled my name. Both of those ideas were not as far fetches as I wanted them to be.

James had done both for Lily multiple times and Sirius had written a poem and read it to the entire class for Marlene. Grand gestures were kind of their thing.

I was pretty sure that the snakes didn't even know what day it was but I wouldn't put it past any of them to find out some way or another.

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