Les Misérables | Regulus A. Black [1]

Chapter Thirty-Three

[Chapter Thirty-Three]

While Regulus was so paranoid that the date was going to be deemed boring because of what Avery and Mulciber said, he had no idea that Éponine was very much enjoying herself. They had collected their cups of tea from the table and moved closer to the small fireplace within the tea shop. She was more than content with the idea of enjoying the warm atmosphere and being away from the castle for a few hours, ignoring any thoughts of school work and classes. She placed aside any thoughts of the drama that had unfolded and just watched as the flames danced about in the fireplace. Unbeknownst to her, the glow of the flames seemed to shower over her face, leaving Regulus to stare at her as they continued to sit there.

She probably would just see it as him zoning out if she had caught him, but little would she know that he was actually admiring her from where he sat. There was something precious about the way she held her teacup with two hands whenever she took a sip as if she was being extra careful not to drop it. He liked the way she jolted slightly every time some of the firewood cracked or shifted within the fireplace unexpectedly. He also enjoyed watching the small smile pull at the corner of her lips after she scolded herself for being so silly to react to the little noise. There was something serene and peaceful with the way that Éponine carried herself the majority of the time.

Yet, Regulus knew, very much like the fire burning before them, there were flames behind her eyes, ones that dwelt deep in her chest that threatened to breach the surface and burn all those that tried to do her wrong. Already he had been a witness to the flames several times, metaphorically and physically. He had seen her temper flare, he had seen her fiery strength when faced with challenges, and she had also lit his trunk on fire. If that did not speak of the fire that she bore in her spirit, Regulus wasn't sure what else would.

"Can I ask you something?" Éponine's voice dragged him out of his thoughts and Regulus quickly busied himself with a loose thread on his robes to make it seem as though he hadn't been caught staring. "Besides the one, I just asked you."

Regulus peered up and with a small smile, he nodded his head. Whatever question she had, he was willing to answer as he figured there shouldn't be any secrets between them. For a second, she seemed to contemplate whether to ask it or not. He wondered if she thought she was going to offend him with it or maybe she wondered if she truly wanted the answer.

"It's alright, Éponine," he reassured her, " whatever it is, just ask. I promise I won't get upset."

"Well, I-I-I was just wondering, what made you change your mind? You know, about me, about giving me a chance...a real one at that? I thought maybe it had to do with the acne clearing up. My mother told me that once my face cleared that things would get easier for me and I guess she was right because since my face has been clear, things have gotten a lot better. I was just wondering if that played a role in it. Avery and Mulciber have been nicer to me and...well...it was a stupid question, sorry."