Spare. REGULUS BLACK

chapter seven

chapter seven, clear skin

" when we first came here, we were cold and we were clear, with no colors on our skin, we were light and paper-thin. "
spectrum - florence + the machine

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"This is ridiculous," Black was saying as he and Veronika embarked on their first night of rounds two days later.

Autumn had settled over the grounds, a chill whispering through the air. Even the Whomping Willow had shed its green leaves, its ugly, bare branches ready to swat at anyone that dared to come too close. Thankfully, the rain had ceased, though Veronika was sure it would pick up again soon enough.

She and Regulus were to walk around the eastern side of the castle until 10PM that night, to ensure that all students were safely in bed. It was only eight thirty, and Veronika had the sneaking suspicion that the best hour and a half of her life wasn't going to be an overtly pleasant one. ( Though, if Regulus could just walk beside her and smell good and look devilishly handsome, perhaps it wouldn't be so terribly bad. ) Except, of course, for the fact that Black was in a piss poor mood and hadn't had anything pleasant to say all night. Veronika had really been trying to be in a good mood in the recent days. She couldn't help that one sour thing could turn her happy attitude on its arse, and she was really trying to be better, but being in such close counters with a sour puss such as Regulus Black was not doing her any favors.

The turn of her new leaf had been rather short lived.

"It's not that bad," Veronika said on the end of a deep sigh. Rounds had never been fun, even when she had gotten to do her half of the school on her lonesome. She didn't know why the boy was being so bloody uptight about it.

Regulus cast a look towards Veronika, though in the dim lightning, what with the sun having been sunk below the horizon for at least an hour, she couldn't really see what his face was doing. It was in his voice that Veronika was able to deduce that the boy was more than annoyed with having to do his rounds that night.

"She acts like the Dark Lord is going to suddenly appear here at school." Regulus paused in his rant to open a door for Veronika, leading them deeper into the castle. "She's a paranoid fool."

Veronika's stomach roiled. She liked to pretend that the war outside wasn't happening. Really, to her, it wasn't. She was a pretty pureblood from a good family with a long-lasting, solid reputation in the wizarding world. She had made good friends from good families. Of course, her brother was a squib, but that was a secret that was better kept than any other. But names and blood in this war was only going to get some so far. Alys and Gerry had made their stances on the war outside clear - they disagreed with the Dark Lord and everything he stood for, and despite their good blood and names, that itself was enough to label them blood traitors and smack a great big target on their backs. It was in times like these that Veronika was happy that her uncle and cousin and father were all about dabbling in her life, trying their best to keep her and everyone else safe. Veronika really needn't worry about the Dark Lord ever turning his killing curses on her, she was a Dolohov descendant and betrothed to a Black. Unless someone, somehow managed to figure out that not only was Vance alive but also a squib, Veronika considered herself pretty well out of harms way.

"It's not a bad thing she's doing," Veronika said softly, following Regulus as he led the two of them down the secluded and dark hallway between corridors. The only light was that of the flickering torches on either side of the hallway, which casted long shadows across Regulus's pale face.