HERBOLOGY 101 ( REGULUS BLACK ) ✓

CHAPTER FOUR

Noah had been sitting at the Slytherin table – which Ankita was extremely happy about – for no more than one minute before he was getting bombarded with questions from his friends, all wanting to know how his lesson with Regulus went.

Noah blushed and looked down at his plate, trying to avoid their gazes. He took a long swig of his pumpkin juice in hopes of prolonging his friends' investigation on his time with Regulus.

They all looked at Noah expectantly – well, it was mostly Jessica, awaiting for Noah to tell his experience with the mysterious Black boy.

Noah swallowed his drink and glanced at Ash nervously, who had recently begun sitting with them. Said boy smiled at him reassuringly and gently grasped Noah's hand under the table before stroking the back of it with his thumb. He gave him a small nod, silently telling Noah that it was okay.

Noah breathed out a sigh before looking at Ankita and Jessica nervously. "W-Well," he started out quietly, taking in a deep breath before saying the next words. "I-It was n-nice." He said simply, causing Jessica's eyes to widen comically and her jaw to drop. Ankita rolled her eyes and crossed her arms with a quiet huff. She kept saying that the boy wasn't that bad but did anyone listen to her? No, but they really should. She had always had great ideas. Ankita's mind trailed off as she thought of all the brilliant things she came up with, completely losing interest in Jessica's squeals of shock.

Noah flinched slightly from the sound even though he should've been used to it by now, having been friends with the pink haired animagus since she started Hogwarts. Ash noticed his movement and gently squeezed Noah's hand.

Noah glanced at Ash thankfully before glancing back at Jessica. He noticed that Ankita didn't really seem to be invested in their conversation – Noah couldn't blame her, honestly – so he simply let her be.

He saw Jessica opening her mouth and quickly interrupted before she burst his eardrum again. "W-Well, n-not exactly..." Noah trailed off as he bit his lip nervously. Jessica closed her mouth and looked at him in confusion, tilting her head to the side and furrowing her brows. Ash did the same thing, continued to rub the back of Noah's hand reassuringly. It had even caught Ankita's attention and she sighed quietly before looking at Noah with a raised brow.

Noah blushed lightly from all the attention and he licked his lips before speaking. "H-He wasn't e-entirely n-nice, b-but he wasn't m-mean either. H-He was civil." He said with a soft smile as he thought of the odd boy who made his emotions skyrocket into the air, but he had no idea how or why.

Ankita rolled her eyes again, along with Jessica who also shook her head in disappointment. Ash simply remained silent as he usually was and watched Noah curiously. "I highly doubt that." Jessica responded with a scoff, shaking her head again at just how absurd it was. "I mean, nice I can almost see, but civil? That's just too weird for someone like him."

Ankita huffed in annoyance and rounded on Jessica. "Someone like what?" She snapped causing Jessica's eyes to widen slightly and shrink back in her seat. "Someone like a Pureblood, perhaps?" Ankita hated when people were prejudiced; it just didn't make sense to her. Just because one person of a certain blood status acted a certain way, doesn't mean everyone of that blood status did.

Jessica shook her head with an irritated sigh. She was getting so fed up with Ankita always snapping at her. "No, I mean a Black."

Noah could tell that Ankita was about to retort so he quickly cut in. He hated fights, especially when it was between the people he cared about. "I-I could p-prove it t-to you g-guys if y-you want?" He suggested quietly, instantly regretting it the moment Jessica's face lit up with a large grin. Ankita sighed and sat back, looking as if she could care less. Ash's grip on Noah's hand tightened slightly before he realized and immediately loosened his grip.