𝐍𝐎𝐂𝐄𝐔𝐑 ━━ regulus black.

. . . trois!

"WHAT'S THE MATTER with you?" Barty Crouch Junior asked drowsily. The poor boy got waken up by the noise his dorm mate had caused. Barty dragged his gaze to the clock sitting on his bedside table.

"It's 3 in the bleedin' morning, Black," he complained, his voice as sharp as a knife. The raven-haired boy didn't stop his pacing. He disregarded the blond whose features clouded by annoyance. Then, he came to a halt and sat down on his bed. His fingers buried in his hair and his eyes searching the floor for answers.

"How do you apologize to someone who you have treated badly?" Regulus asked, not removing his gaze from the floor. The words jumped out of his mouth into the silence without a warning. He couldn't believe he sank that low; he asked Barty, of all people. Sirius would have been a better choice, even. Regulus anxiously gnawed on the inside of his cheek as he waited for an answer.

"You don't apologize to them," Barty finally replied, the irritation in his voice stood out. "They are not worthy of an apology. They got what they deserved."

"How do you know?" Regulus looked up, his eyes flickered with fury. "How are you so sure they deserved it?"

Barty's puzzled look altered into a suspicious visage. "What's gotten into you, Black?" He asked, eyes narrowed. "You sound as if you care about their feelings."

Regulus narrowed his eyes back at him. "Why am I even wasting my time on you?" The ice in his voice caused the blond to cock a brow in surprise. "Get your arse back to sleep, Barty," he added before he stood up from his bed.

The younger one yawned in response, not in the mood to make a snarky comeback. He closed his eyes and listened to the soft lapping against the windows, oblivious to Regulus quietly making his way out of the dormitory.

His heart threatened to jump out of his chest as his foot came in contact with the familiar icy feeling of the stairs. Thoughts passed his mind as he walked down the stairs: 'What if he's not there?' 'Is he still mad at me?' 'Is he mad at me at all?' These thoughts were about to give him a headache soon. Maybe Barty was right. Why did he care? If he didn't care, then he wouldn't have to deal with these thoughts and things would be easier.

Regulus took several deep breaths. He knew there was nothing to be nervous about. Then why were his hands getting sweaty? After another last deep breath, he stepped in the pleasant common room. He got hit with the tingling sensation once again that indicated that the brunet's eyes were on him. Regulus caught a movement and spotted the golden-eyed boy on the sofa. He approached the boy with unsure steps and sat down next to him; hugging his knees to his chest.

Regulus cleared his throat. "I. . ."

"It was my fault," Vante interrupted him, his gaze averted to his hands, shame taking over him. "I'm sorry for touching you thinking you'd be alright with that. I should have known better."

"I shouldn't have overreacted," Regulus spoke with a soft voice. "It was only a simple touch, it shouldn't have bothered me in the first place. I liked it, actually. . ." His cheeks felt like a hot oven as the realization hit him like a train. He didn't mean to add the last part. Regulus attempted to hide his cheeks behind his slender fingers.

"You did?" Vante mused, licking his lips. He grinned at Regulus' widened eyes. "Does that mean I can touch you again?"

"Try it, and I'll bleedin' hex where the sun doesn't shine."

"Kinky," The brunet commented, the grin on his lips widened further. Regulus groaned and playfully hit the other's shoulder but couldn't help the amused smile that appeared on his face.

"You're the most innocent person I've ever met," Regulus said, his tone laced with sarcasm. His eyes bored into the captivating gold of the brunets.

"So I've heard." The sudden change in his voice caused a rapid pounding in Regulus' chest. He chewed on his lower lip, not daring to break eye contact. Vante's mouth curved into a satisfied smile as if he sensed what he had caused.

"So," his voice cut through the tension, "how have you been?" His golden eyes took in the sight in front of him: his dark hair got a wee bit longer, his eyes gleamed with sadness and had dark circles under them.

Regulus noticed the worried look in Vante's eyes. "I've been alright," he assured him, despite clearly knowing the other wouldn't get fooled.

"You can be honest with me, Regulus," Vante frowned. "I'm not going to judge you or something." He shifted closer to him and was about to lay a comforting hand on him, but hesitated; he awkwardly pulled his hand back. He didn't want to mess it up again.

"I know," Regulus whispered, his eyes lingered on the brunet's hand. He wouldn't have minded this time. "But I don't want to talk about it."

"It's fine." The disappointment in Vante's voice made Regulus feel guilty.  In fact, he did want to talk about it and open up to the other more. But, he also didn't want to seem fragile; whining over his fights with his brother and the pressure his parents put on him. He was a strong boy; he had to be. His parents taught him not to show any sign of weakness, especially in front of him; The Dark Lord. A cold shiver surfed down his spine.

"Is there anything that you want to talk about?" Regulus asked, tired of being the topic of the conversation.

"I . . ." Vante paused, unsure of what to say. Then, he shook his head, the boyish smile spread across his lips; the one that brought out the dimples. "How about we just enjoy each other's company in silence?"

Regulus was more than alright with that. He allowed the brunet to shift closer to him; their shoulders touched. Regulus felt his heart flutter as the heat on his cheeks combusted. They were so close.

"I missed you," He heard the brunet's husky voice break through the silence. Regulus thought of the countless times he was trying to come up with a proper apology. He even went as far as about thinking to buy sweets from HoneyDukes. It made him realize something. And before he could have changed his mind, he already stammered the words out that threatened to fall;

"I missed you too."