Les Misérables | Regulus A. Black [1]

Chapter Twenty-One

[Chapter Twenty-One]

Despite the morning getting off to a rough start, Éponine didn't find herself in a foul mood for very long. After joining Regulus for breakfast, it was almost as if her confrontation with Sirius didn't happen. She made sure not to mention it to Regulus, not wanting to add any more to the already festering and troubled relationship between the two. As much as she didn't want to admit it, she understood where Sirius was coming from and while he hadn't gone about it in the right way, Éponine found it sweet that he still cared about his brother in such ways. Enough that even after leaving the Grimmauld Place that he wanted to take Regulus with him. However, she knew very well that it wasn't what Regulus wanted, he only wanted Sirius to come home. 

It seemed neither one of them were going to get what they truly wanted, no one willing to cave into the other's demands. Unfortunately for her, she was caught in the middle of it as Sirius believed that she was part of the problem. But Regulus had reassured her that he was trying to make things work between them and if he was willing to do that, she realised that she wasn't a problem in his eyes and that was all that really mattered. 

The breakfast took on a playful nature where Regulus had a cup of black tea waiting for her, no milk or added sugar, and each time she reached for both additives, Regulus moved it out of her reach. 

"Regulus, I'm not drinking this without milk," she told him after the second time where he grabbed it before she did. "I like my tea, light and sweet."

Begrudgingly, Regulus handed it over eventually, but adding to the little battle between them, Éponine poured some of the milk into his tea, causing his eyes to widen. He stared at it long enough that she started laughing and to add to it, she also poured in a couple of spoonfuls of sugar. Suddenly, he was reaching for her tea, that remained black for the time being, but she threatened to pour milk into it as well, giving her control of the situation.

"No, wait," he quickly said, not wishing to see another cup ruined, " I give up."

"Do you?" She asked with a raised brow. "You're going to let me drink my tea in peace the way I like it?"

"Yes."

The look was promising as was his tone, leaving Éponine to lower her threatening milk and switch the cups of tea so that they each had the one to their personal liking. While Regulus grumbled to himself about her ruining a perfectly good cup, seconds later, he had a smile on his face. 

No one dared to interrupt them as they sat together, even Emmarentia took to sitting with others to give the two their alone time. It also seemed that Regulus' threat had made its rounds that morning as people that didn't even look in Éponine's direction before, nodded in her direction or greeted her with a good morning. As flattering as one would have believed it to be, it only left the girl suspicious and wary of their actions. Years of being taunted had left her paranoid that it was some sort of trick and that eventually, it would lead to her being ridiculed for falling for it all.