𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐤𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧 || 𝐫.𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤

IX. CHRISTMAS PARTY

"Yeah, she told me the other night," Regulus said. The night the kiss went down. "I don't believe it, you look too alike."

James shrugged.

"Changing subjects, but if I asked you something, you'd tell me the truth, right?" James suddenly said.

"Yeah, of course," Regulus responded. "Why?"

"I'm scared for Jas. She's getting in too deep with you. She thought she liked you, then banged another boy, then you kissed her and she still thinks you don't like her more than a friend," James said all in one breath. "So do you?"

"Do I what?"

"Do you like her more than a friend?" James asked.

Regulus knew whatever he said that James would tell Jasmine. And he had nothing to lose.

"Yeah, always have. Just never told her because I'm scared of commitment. I mean, the friendship has been hard enough to keep together," Regulus said. "I'm — you're going to tell her right now, aren't you?"

James' face said it all. "Yeah, sorry, no take-backs. But if I tell her and you two still don't," — James made a circle with one hand and poked his finger into it with the other hand — "then I'll be pretty mad."

And with that, he rushed out of the kitchen.

Great, thought Regulus. Now she'll know.

***

The Ministry Christmas Party was extremely busy. Jasmine kept close to the others, fearing she'd get lost and go off to the wrong place.

They entered the room where the party was and immediately her parents were swarmed by their coworkers.

"James, stay close to your sister, we don't need another inci —"

"Yes, Mum, I will," James scoffed. "You two can go off, we'll stay close together."

"And please, for the love of Merlin, James, do not drink or eat anything from strangers. Only the nice people walking around with M.O.M badges!"

"Do I look like I want to get drugged?" James asked sarcastically. "Go on, go have fun."

She smoothed out his messy hair and left with Fleamont and the coworkers.

"Right, so I know of two guys carrying weed. Three guys carrying hard pills and the alcohol is everywhere," James said to the other two as soon as their parents left.

"I'm sticking with the weed, just to be safe," Jasmine said wearily and Regulus agreed.

"And there's a door down there that leads to the balcony thing. You can see the whole of London from there," he said. "Stay safe. Have fun."

And he left Jasmine and Regulus on their own.

"Come on," Jasmine said, and took Regulus' hand.

Her parents have been invited to these snobby, rich parties way too many times and she'd always been dragged along. Since last year, she managed to find all the good places to hide out to and who sells what stuff.

She walked up to a teenager, maybe a few years older than them, and cleared her throat loudly so he could look up at her.

"Two bags. Please," she said. He eyed her and Regulus but just passed her two bags of the weed and held out his hand for money. She gave him the silver and walked off with Regulus.