Snakes and Roses|| Rosekiller || ✔️

17. Agreements

Evan:

Evan has always had trouble sleeping and he never knows why. Maybe it's because the air is too hot or the sheets are too cold, maybe it's that his thoughts are so loud, maybe it's that he's hyper aware of the sound of his breathing, the rhythm of his heartbeat. Sometimes the world is too loud for Evan to sleep.

Evan decides that trying to sleep is futile so he gets out of bed and leaves his dorm room, heading into the Common Room. There's something beautiful about the Common Room when it's empty. As Evan enters it, it's bathed in the low glow of the candle light that automatically lights the moment someone enters the room.

The Common Room is an elegant place, but it's not where Evan wants to be right now, he wants to be somewhere more open, where he can feel free and able to breathe.

Evan heads up to the Astronomy Tower. He doesn't visit often, but he enjoys it when he does, it always has such a beautiful view.

When he reaches the Astronomy Tower, though, he finds someone else is already sat there, legs dangling over the edge, neck craned toward the sky, examining the stars. It takes a few moments for Evan to register that it's Regulus Black, and in those few moments Regulus must have sensed Evan's presence because he turns his head to face Evan.

"Sorry, I can go" Evan says but Regulus shakes his head

"You can come sit if you want" Regulus replies

Evan thinks about it for a few moments before he walks over and takes a seat next to Regulus, dangling his own legs over the edge of the building, appreciating the scene of the night's sky in front of him.

"Couldn't sleep?" Asks Regulus

Evan shakes his head "nope" Evan replies

"Me neither" Regulus sighs

"Sleep is overrated anyway" Evan comments and Regulus lets out a small laugh, turning his attention back to the sky.

"I've been meaning to thank you actually" Regulus states

Evan frowns "thank me?" Asks Evan

"For standing up for me when I wasn't there. I heard about what you said to Lupin, I appreciate it" Regulus replies

"Oh" is all Evan says because truthfully, he didn't realise it meant that much, he was just doing the decent thing, but then again, even the smallest of gestures can mean a great deal to someone in the long run "it just didn't seem like business he should be sticking his nose in" Evan continues

"And you would be right, but Lupin and my brother have...a close bond from what I understand" Regulus replies with a small sigh

"Your brother tell you that?" Asks Evan

"No" Regulus replies

Evan doesn't press, it's not his place

"So, you and Barty, huh?" Asks Regulus

"We aren't- we're not- we're just- it's just sex" Evan stutters, feeling his cheeks flush as he stumbles over his words, he must look like a right idiot

Regulus grins "Careful, Rosier, you might blow an eye vessel or something, I know what you guys are doing, Barty already told me" Regulus replies

"He did. Right. Because you two are....close?" Evan says hesitantly, unsure of what to label Barty and Regulus ask, Evan and Barty haven't really spoke about his and Regulus' relationship.

Evan's choice of words causes Regulus to laugh. Evan hasn't hung around Regulus enough to have ever heard him laugh but it's a nice sound, it's light and almost giggly, giving a childhood essence to it that warms you within. It's not Evan's favourite laugh, that spot belongs to Barty, but it's a nice laugh nonetheless.