Atheyas

𝟗: 𝖏𝖊𝖆𝖑𝖔𝖚𝖘𝖞 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖕𝖆𝖎𝖓

            Laav ambled by the outdoor corridor of a beautiful bungalow. Glancing at the windows, she sneaked a peek at the event that was happening on the inside. The elegance of the embroidered ballgowns, the classic dip of the waists, the slippered feet stepping in unison, all listening to the rhythmic music that went in circles and circles, never-ending. The House of Black was holding a pure-blood event and being the half-blood she was, she wasn't invited. However, Regulus had found a way for her to sneak in and since she was already in the neighborhood, she thought why not? He had given her directions that apparently led to a back door of one of the rooms. As she made her way through the hallway, her black boots clicked on the wooden floor. Luckily, the music was too loud for anyone to hear her. Turning to her left, Laav spotted a door at the very end.

            Walking over, she peered through the flush-glazed glass, making out an outline of a young man talking to someone. She pressed her ear on the door, trying to hear a voice to make sure it was Regulus inside and not anybody else. At first, she couldn't discern what they were saying, but then she heard his voice loud and clear. "You need to start being more serious," Regulus advised. "I don't know how much more Sirius I can get." A hint of humor was evident in the other voice. Sirius. He was in there too. She hadn't seen him since their argument, roughly about three days ago but in this moment, she wasn't bothered. He had made it clear that he wanted nothing to do with her and she had accepted that. Twisting the doorknob, she walked in, "Quite the fiesta out there, huh?" she announced her arrival, closing the door behind her. Immediately, Regulus got up from his seat to greet his girl. "Darling, when did-" Before he could complete his question, he stumbled over the carpet, quickly latching on to the fireplace for support. "-you arrive?" "Not too long ago," she laughed at his clumsiness. "You look beautiful, chère," complimented Regulus, kissing her on the cheek with a hint of twinkle in his eye. 

            "Ah, merci," she grinned, moving towards the couch and taking a seat. "Laav," Sirius coldly greeted her. "Sirius," she muttered, giving him the same treatment. Regulus eyed the both of them before taking a seat. There was something puzzling about his brother's body language. It was like something was weighing him down on one side and his muscles were struggling to compensate. He didn't read too much into it as he took his seat beside Laav. "What's the occasion?" "Nothing special. Just a small gathering," Regulus explained, earning a nod from her. "Hey, I'm sorry that the event is only for pure-bloods. It's ridiculous, I know," he apologized, taking her hand in his. "At least you know it's ridiculous," she sneered. She didn't mean to offend him but she never understood the greatness of being pure-blood and she didn't want to understand it. In her view, it was a way of using it to discriminate and gain power over the others which she definitely did not support.

            Regulus noticed the shift in Laav's mood. He didn't want to ruin the night for her. He wanted to make her feel included. "You like to dance, don't you?" he asked. "How did you know?" She was sure that dancing wasn't really a topic in any of their conversations. Not surprising, considering most of the time they were together, she would ask him to help her practice her art skills by posing for her or they'd end up talking about current global issues which the both of them enjoyed. "Sirius mentioned it," he gestured towards his elder brother. She followed Regulus' gaze, looking at Sirius who had his lips sealed. He hadn't said a word since she arrived and it was unusual especially when he used to constantly bicker or flirt with her. Their eyes met and for a brief second, she could read them. She caught a glimpse of what looked like hurt but it was immediately masked by his cold demeanor. "Laav, would you like to dance with me?" Regulus asked, snapping her out of her thoughts.

            She turned to face the gentleman. "Yes, I would love to," she smiled, standing up to follow him. He led her to the corridor, so there would be more space to waltz around in. Regulus held out his hand to her. Without any hesitation, she grabbed his hand and spun him around unexpectedly. He wasn't ready for that and ended up hitting his knee on one of the flower pots, causing the both of them to burst out in laughter. Once he regained his balance, he took her hand and twirled her around. She swayed with grace and poise as if she were crafted by the hand of Degas; a still beauty brought to life. Not only was she dancing in the corridor but her feet tapped on Regulus' heart as he admired her.

            Sirius' surroundings, however, were darkened by her, a distraction. With a heavy heart, he tried to dismiss the surge of jealousy. He couldn't help but wonder why was he feeling this way. It made him angry that she brought out the vulnerable side of his, the side that he managed to lock away. She was messing with his head and she didn't even realize it. Looking out the window, he felt a lurch in his stomach as he set sight on the both of them. She was in his brother's arms. His heart felt like it was being squeezed by her cold bare hands as he watched his brother lean in for a kiss, and from the distance, he saw her smile. The smile that could make him more or less miserable in a second. Hugging her, Regulus had a wide smile on his face, a well-deserved smile. Mustering up all the strength he could, Sirius hid his pain behind a smile.

            Through the night, Sirius lit up cigarette after cigarette in hopes of ridding the pain away. His fingers trembled as his eyes welled up with tears, blurring his vision. He was losing sanity. He wasn't ready to come to terms with losing her, much less seeing her share what they once had with somebody else.

And there he was, sitting down, watching her dance in the corridors with someone else, knowing that this one hurt but it was worth it.