The start of the end

20. Moonlight Sonata

REGULUS' POV

I am sitting in the library. Zoe stumbles in front of me and sits on the chair. I don't look up.

" Where have you been for the past three days ? " I ask.

" I couldn't come. Sorry. " She whispers, a sad tone in her voice.

I look up this time. " Are you alright ? "

" Yes sure. "

" Why weren't you there, then? " I frown.

" I had an argument with Sirius. "

" What about ? "

" Nothing. " She pauses. " Nothing that matters anyways. " She looks down and thumbs the pages of the book she took.

" Is everything fixed now ? "

She looks up and nods with a tiny smile on her lips.

I don't believe that it the object of their argument didn't matter but I don't push the question further, I see she doesn't want to talk about it, it's alright.
I sip some coffee from my cup. Ten minutes passes when I can sense her gaze on me.
I look up and she is smiling, a mischievous smile.

" What now ? " I ask with a false exasperate tone.

" I was thinking of doing something else than reading, for once ? "

" What do you mean ? " I ask rising a brow.

" You know, the castle is huge right ? "

" Mmh ? "

" Maybe we could explore it, a bit more further. It's my last year here and I won't have time to see everything, and it would be a pity right ? "

I look up, faking that I have to think about it.

" Pleaaaase, it's going to be fun !"

I look back at her, she is waiting for the answer expectantly.

" Alright, let's explore the castle."

She stands up really fast with excitement, causing her chair to fall and making noise. Madam Pince glares at her. I think she might hate her. Zoe swallows back a laugh, looking at Madam Pince, and then back at me. I shake my head laughing quietly.

When we leave the Library, she pauses in her walk and closes her eyes. She inhales and exhales deeply. I wonder what is going on in her mind sometimes. Not in a weird way though, she just has an interesting and unique way of seeing things.

As she opens her eyes, I ask her where she wants to go first. And her answer is the fifth floor.

We walk up the stairs.

" Why were you closing your eyes ? "

She looks down. " You're going to think I am weird. "

I shake my head, " Not at all, tell me. "

She bites her inferior lip, unsure to answer as we stop in her walk through the steps.

She glances at the top of the stairs, and start walking toward " I was just imagining that I was still in first year, discovering these hallways for the first time. You know, when I was lost and always late for classes because I didn't know where to go. I wanted to feel that way again, and I tried to put myself in this mindset. "

She looks at me, expecting an answer by the way her eyes meet mines.

" Does it work ? "

" Mh, not really but I am trying. "