What's In a Name? | Regulus Black | Marauders Era

9

Malia made a series of bad decisions on the Thursday that she told her friends about hearing her name as Regulus' most cared for person. The first being that instead of telling them in their quiet corner of the Ravenclaw Common Room where no one could overhear, she decided that it should be during lunch in the Great Hall surrounded by the entire student body. Secondly, she hadn't told Dia prior and, whilst she could count on Bailey and Juno to have suitably quietened shock, Dia Calippo had a huge mouth and a tendency to shriek. And, finally, Malia didn't check over her shoulder to see if anyone was approaching that might be affected by the odd news. So, naturally, when Malia let slip that Regulus Black cared about her more than anyone else in the world: Dia repeated her words (screaming), Regulus looked up from his conversation and she heard Sirius gasp loudly behind her.

"What did you just say?" he all but growled and Malia dropped her head onto the table,

"Oh for fuck sake." she muttered as Juno buried his head into his book to avoid confrontation, Bailey blushed and avoided Sirius' eye and Dia jumped around in an excited dance that jiggled the entire bench. Malia slowly lifted her head and prepared herself for the furious look on Sirius' face. She imagined a severe frown, grey eyes dark and stormy with rage and full lips pulled into a disgusted sneer. Her electric blue eyes landed on Sirius. Yep. Frown: check. Beautiful, angry eyes: check. Curled lip: check. Ooh, she hadn't anticipated the clenching jaw though - Bailey seemed to be very entranced by that.

"Mal...a word?" Sirius' eyes narrowed but Malia didn't move from her seat,

"That depends on whether they're happy words." she tilted her head slightly and Sirius' lips parted so she could see his gritted teeth, "Ok, it no longer depends." she mumbled and stood from her seat. If worse came to worse she'd have to try and seduce him to curb his anger ..would that really be the worst situation though? She loved Sirius like a brother but even she could admit that he was fit. Just as she reached his side and he grabbed her wrist, they heard the sound of someone scrambling up from the bench. They turned to see Bailey playing with her hair and chewing on her lip,

"Umm...I reckon I should-"

"Yes!" Malia lurched forward and grabbed hold of Bailey's arm, pulling her into her side and squeezing her tight.

"Why?" Sirius gave her a strange look and Bailey audibly swallowed, cheeks going a deep shade of pink. Much to Malia's surprise however, she soon composed herself and looked Sirius straight in the eyes,

"Just stop asking questions and follow the two pretty girls, there's a good boy." With that Bailey turned on her heel and pulled Malia out of the Great Hall.

"Bailey, that was incredible."
"Oh my God."

"You just fucking told him what's what."
"Oh my God."

"Where did that sass come from?"

"I don't know...Oh my God."
The two girls stopped in a deserted corridor and Bailey stared wide-eyed at her friend, obviously in shock at the very uncharacteristic way she just sassed the boy she fancied.

"This is the confidence Dia and I have been trying to get out of you!" Malia squeezed her arm and Bailey allowed a small smile to fall on her lips,

"That was quite cool wasn't it? But did it sound conceited? The way I called myself pretty? Maybe I just should have said you're beautiful and-"

"Bails," Malia interrupted her and grinned, spotting Sirius strolling out of the Great Hall, "It was all I, as a mentor, could have hoped for. Now plaster an unbothered look on your face and lean against that wall. Good." Malia gave her friend a wink just as Sirius reached them and crossed his arms.