The Chain|Regulus Black

Fucking Hufflepuff

"Miss Evans! I trust the journey was well?"

"As always. Professor Dumbledore, I'd just like to say thank you for the position. It was a massive surprise, could I maybe ask as to why? I mean, I didn't make your life easy last term." Delilah admitted bashfully.

"Maybe that was why. Something tells me Delilah that given you have more faith in yourself, you will do great things." Dumbledore placed a hand on Delilah's shoulder and she straightened with pride. "Mr Earls!" Delilah hadn't yet met the Head Boy seeing as she fell asleep on the way over. She would leave that out of her letter to Lily.

"Mr Earls, I'm De- Sam!" The brown eyed boy smiled brightly, he was the boy at the Daily Prophet! The same one who she went for drinks with, the same Sam who insisted on Apparating her home. "You're a student? I thought- no offence, but I thought you worked at the Prophet? You seem, older?"

Sam chuckled as Dumbledore left to them to get acquainted whilst he welcomed the rest of the school.

"Lovely to see you again Delilah. Nope I've been coming here since first year. Maybe it's being a Hufflepuff that has me overlooked." Delilah went crimson with embarrassment "don't worry about it! You made quite a name for yourself last year it was difficult not to know you. I was an intern like you at the Prophet."

"That's brilliant. You really did a great job. I'm excited to get to work with you this year." She smiled and shook his hand.

Regulus was seated at the Slytherin table with the other Seventh Years staring at the food. But his eyes were scanning for Delilah, he thought he was being subtle.

"Want me to jump on the table and scream her name?" Nott jested as he too looked around for her, cupping his hands ready to shout to the top of his lungs.

"Now it is with great pleasure to hand you over to our Head Girl and Head Boy this year. I'm sure you will all join me in congratulating them in their role." The Hall broke out into applause and with a few whistles from the Ravenclaw table, Regulus felt himself clap a little louder, his heart swelling a little more as Delilah swiftly made her way to the stand.

Gone was the awkward girl who would fumble with her words, whose tie was never straight, who always had some crumbs on her clothes. Now, stood an elegant woman who commanded everyone's attention, Regulus smiled with pride as he looked at her take the stage.

"Welcome back everyone! And welcome to our lovely first year. It isn't as daunting as it seems, in a matter of days you'll realise Hogwarts is home and your peers are simply hundreds of friends who only wish to see you do well. And to the older students, I won't lie, this year will be tough. But we have each other and a smile can go along way. This year we need to look out for each other and focus on what really matters. Myself and Sam will be with you every step of the way and we are always here to talk, or rant or cry or laugh or scream even. Merlin knows I've had my fair share. So please, remember we are here for you." There was more whistling and clapping as Sam too the stand, but not before Delilah leant over and spoke again "AND GO ON CHUDLEY CANNONS!"

The Hall was lit in raucous laughter and people standing on their benches yelling to the top of their lungs. Maybe she still was a little awkward at times, but Regulus didn't mind. He watched as she took her seat at the Ravenclaw table.

"That was brilliant Delilah!" Suki leant over and hugged Delilah. "You've got an admirer." Suki looked directly at Regulus and he didn't look away, please smile at me.

Delilah couldn't look up. She was afraid of what she would do, she hadn't seen him in two months and lord knows what her heart would do if she saw him now. Because she wanted to run over to him and kiss every patch of skin and bury her face in his hair, but she also wanted to shout at him. Honestly she always wanted to shout at him. He didn't visit her when he got out. So Delilah stayed awake every night staring at her ceiling wondering what she did wrong, whilst Regulus stared at his ceiling wondering what he did right to have the privilege of having her love him.