PREY | r.a.b.

musk roses | 03

THAT NIGHT LOOKED SIMPLE. The waning crescent moon embroidered on a navy blue blanket. Only a handful of stars littered all across the sky. The breeze floating across their skin wasn't attacking. Hogwarts was barely seen under the soft gaze of reflecting stars. Light illuminating from windows helped its presence. Two teenaged wizards followed a large man in a slightly oversized brown coat. Ogg was the groundskeeper of the wizarding school. The half-ogre had been sent on 'official Hogwarts business' by Headmaster Dumbledore, leaving his trainee, Hagrid, in charge.

To ease his large responsibilities, Slughorn had offered for Regulus and Castor to help him until Ogg returned.

"Here you go, lads. This'll keep you busy 'til your time's up." Hagrid's gruff and heavily accented voice spoke up, a large hand gesturing to the Forbidden Forest. The boys stood awkwardly waiting for him to continue. The bigger man looked questioningly at them.

Castor raised an eyebrow, "you haven't exactly told us what to do yet."

Hagrid's eyes widened under his bushy eyebrows. "Oh! Er— Madame Pomfrey'll be needing a plant called Centaury. It's tiny an' pink. Very dainty."

Regulus nodded, already knowing what he was talking about. The Hufflepuff pulled a face out of the broad description and lack of information on the flower. His younger company gave him a glance. "You'll be able to tell when you come across them. If not, you'd be even more of an idiot than I originally thought you were."

"How kind." Castor replied drily. His eyes narrowed at the boy with a frown playing at his lips. Regulus didn't respond; instead rolling his eyes and turning to head for the forest, a hand holding his wand.

-

Regulus never expected to be prancing about woods collecting pretty flowers at night with his sworn enemy whilst grumpily grumbling under his breath. He thought it was what he deserved for acting so immature for the past five years, though. The shorter of the two wandered further away to look for more patches of pink. Expensive Italian Oxfords picked up small clumps of dirt, leaving the teen feeling disgruntled. He continued on with a huff.

Regulus spotted a small bit of brilliantly colored plot of land. He started for them when a ripple of violent coughs racked through his body, almost making him drop the Centaury flowers. His nose wrinkled in pain at the dryness of the coughs as his free hand covered his mouth.

"Bloody hell, Black. You sound like you're dying!" Castor's loud exclamation came from the area where he was left.

"Piss off. I'd rather die here than see you for more than necessary." Regulus barked back, his voice now sounding a little hoarse.

The Hufflepuff pulled a sour expression. "Imagine it, Black, the headline tomorrow morning. Bet your dad'll have it taken down by the time Rita Skeeter comes sniffing around with that beast she calls a nose." He shook his head at the thought, caught in the middle of being amused and annoyed.

Castor caught sight of Regulus' eyes hardening immediately and knew he struck a point. His body was frigid for a fleeting moment; he looked like a statue. His features held indecipherable anger which was a stark difference from his usual passiveness. It all washed over as quickly as it came. Regulus' mouth was instead pressed into a firm line but his eyes were a blank slate.

"We've probably picked more than enough for today." The Slytherin dropped his flowers into the basket Hagrid's provided them earlier in the evening. He turned and walked swiftly towards the castle.

Castor stood staring at where the boy once was for longer than he should have.