Les Misérables | Regulus A. Black [1]

Chapter Twenty-Three

[Chapter Twenty-Three]

Regulus made it a point as much as he could to spend time with Éponine and each day seemed to work to his benefit as well as hers. The girl appeared more and more comfortable around him and some days, it almost felt as though they had been longtime friends. Of course, not every day ran smoothly or went perfect, there were days where things just came across as incredibly awkward. Neither one of them would know what to say so they would sit quietly in the company of each other until one would walk away. He was sure there were questions that he could ask Éponine, but he didn't want to come across as a bother and it seemed she shared the same mindset. 

He was also sure that there was something bothering Éponine as well, but anytime he asked her about it, she would just brush it off as being tired or something along the lines. But Regulus was extremely observant, something the two shared in common and he was sure it had something to do with the first year boy, Gian. While the boy never went out of his way to say or do anything towards her, the two would exchange glances back and forth whenever they were in the same vicinity.

"Saw the two of them talking the other day," Mulciber informed Regulus one evening in the dorms. Regulus had asked Avery and Mulciber if they knew anything about the boy, where he was from or anything about his family. Neither one of them knew any of that information, but Mulciber did care to mention that he had witnessed Éponine and Gian sitting together in the common room when he entered one evening.

"What were they talking about?" Regulus asked curiously.

"I don't know," Mulciber shrugged before lying back down on his bed, " I was headed to the toilets to take a piss. When I came back they were both gone."

"Maybe she's taken fancy to him," Avery snorted from his bed, earning a glare from Regulus, who obviously did not see the humour in the conversation. 

"I doubt that," he stated in a stern tone, bringing Avery and Mulciber to grin at the same time. One would believe that the two were twins or perhaps separated from the same mind with how they acted in sync on so many occasions. 

"Sounds like you're a bit jealous, Regulus," Mulciber added onto the teasing, " do you think she might pass you up for the first year?"

"That's disgusting," Regulus said, throwing one of his pillows in the boy's direction, " and no, I'm not jealous. I was just trying to figure out what's been bothering her as of late. That's all."

The room grew silent for a few moments, Avery and Mulciber exchanging looks with one another while Regulus watched them. With two of the dormmates out in the common room or somewhere in the castle, it was just the three of them, leaving Regulus to narrow his eyes. There was no hesitation to confront either one of them, wondering what was going through their minds. 

"What? Do you two have something to say?"

It looked as though the two were silently arguing over which one of them would be the one to answer the question or speak first. At the end of it all, it appeared that Avery had lost the battle as he cleared his throat.