𝕿𝖗𝖊𝖒𝖔𝖗 - ʳᵉᵍᵘˡᵘˢ ᵇˡᵃᶜᵏ

Chapter 35: Dinner Party (Snooze Fest)

[ April 3rd, 1978 ]

THE DAY classes resumed after Easter was hell for Theona. At breakfast, she'd seen him across the hall. Regulus. It had only been a week (nine days actually, but who was counting?) since she'd last seen him, and yet she'd missed him so terribly it was like she'd lost a limb.

She wanted to tell him about all the progress she'd made. How she'd managed to explain everything to her friends, how daunting it was but how much lighter she felt now that it was over. She wanted to tell him about reconciling with Sebastian, she wanted to tell him about the Holyhead Harpies game. She wanted to pour over every single little thing she did while he was gone, from boring study sessions to sneaking into Hogsmeade to drink with Lily and Mary, just so that whenever she thought back on Easter of 1978, the memories would be intrinsically intertwined with him, despite his absence through it all.

However, she'd seen him across the hall at breakfast, and he hadn't looked like he was there at all. There was something different about him; sullen, tense. So far removed from the lax, comfortable Regulus she had spent countless hours with before he left. She had once known this Regulus, once spent her days arguing and fighting and sharing in hatred with him. This wasn't the Regulus that she had been missing, but it was the one she was worrying endlessly about.

     All through Divination she was staring off into space, much to Sybill's annoyance. She just couldn't help but wonder what had happened to make Regulus so somber. And then in Defence Against the Dark Arts, she accidentally exploded a window with a misfired and particularly powerful bombardo. She got a sharp glare from Emmeline Vance when ten house points were deducted for it. In Herbology, Gideon had narrowly saved her from walking right into some devil's snare, all because she had caught sight of Regulus walking with Evan during his free period, and she had wanted to see if he was still all rigid and gloomy.

Lunch was spent blocking out Pandora's jabbering about her Care of Magical Creatures homework as Theona glared over at the Slytherin table. Regulus was sat stock still, playing with the food on his plate, while Evan and Barty bickered across from him. Either the two were ignoring the state of their friend, or had already talked it through with him. Theona's bet was on the latter.

Suffice to say, she was relieved when Potions finally rolled around.

     Relieved, until she showed up and he wasn't there yet. Hopeful, until five minutes into Slughorn's lecture when he still hadn't appeared.

     "Miss Bell, no Mr. Black today?" Slughorn asked, later, as he came up beside her work station. Her potion was satisfactory, but missing whatever magic that came along with Regulus's practiced hand.

     "Suppose not," she shrugged, trying not to show her concern. She was sure it came across anyway.

     "Ah, not to worry, a skilled potioneer like yourself should have no troubles at all," Slughorn waved her off, clearly assuming her concern was for the product of her potion and not for her missing partner. "Do you think you could send along a message to Mr. Black for me?"

     "Of course, Professor," she nodded, quickly casting a stasis charm on her cauldron so she could offer her full attention.

     "It concerns you as well, actually," Slughorn started, a jolly grin pulling at his round cheeks, "I'm hosting a dinner party on Friday, Slug Club members only this time around, no dates needed. A celebration for Easter, I should say."