𝐩𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐚 || 𝘳.𝘢.𝘣𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬

052. like brother like sister

"Just like your  nuisance of a brother, completely arrogant." Snape snarls, stepping towards her further so she instantly steps backwards by instinct.

"What do you want?" Maria asks, her eyebrows furrowed and Snape shrugs.

"You skipped lesson, I'm the new potions assistant." Snape smirks and Maria's mouth opens and closes slightly.

"You?"

"Me." Snape smirks again, getting on Maria's nerves as she goes to storm past him, but she's blocked once again. "How do you think. . .Mr and Mrs Black might feel knowing their son was skipping lessons to do. . .that with you?" He points at one of the purple marks Regulus had made on her neck. "Or maybe. . .how someone else would feel?"

"What are you going on about?" She asks sceptically and Snape stares at her for a moment before something lights up in his black eyes.

"You don't know." Snape says and Maria frowns before rolling her eyes and pushing past him, strolling out of the room. Snape seems to follow her because he grabs her arm again. "You make a noise, a easily send a patronus to his parents saying what you've been doing."

Maria's eyes widen as he drags her through the halls and they stop around a corner.

"Now, I'm going to call my dear friend Lu—"

Snape didn't get to finish his sentence because someone had moved between them and in less time than Maria could process, had hit him straight across the face making him stumble and let go of Maria's wrist.

She pulls her sore wrist to her chest and rubs the forming bruise around it, and when she looks up again tousled hair is hanging over Regulus' forehead as he pins Snape on the stone floor, punching him repeatedly.

"What is going on?" Minerva's concerned voice asks over the gathering crowd and Stan pushes his way through with Alyssa, quickly grabbing Regulus' arms and yanking him off the blooded and bruised 18 year old.

"He's had enough—Regulus he's done!" Stan yells at the boy who's trying to escape his grasp.

"If you ever touch her again—you're dead Snape!" Regulus spits at the man who's groaning in pain.

Poppy and Minerva finally arrive, McGonagall gasps at the sight of James Potter's sister almost in tears, holding a bruised arm to her chest, Sirius Black's brother breathless and his knuckles bruised and covered in blood, as well as Severus Snape practically unconscious and his nose bleeding, his face tinted purplish black.

"What is the meaning of this?" Minerva breathes as Poppy shoos away the crowd of nosy teenagers that had built up. "Mr Black, Miss Potter go to the hospital wing to get checked out, I'll take Severus to Professor Dumbledore."

Maria stares with her mouth open, still in shock, as Minerva floats Snape down the corridor and Alyssa is being hugged by Stanley who's rubbing her back softly.

"Hey." Regulus whispers, wrapping an arm around her shoulders softly. "Come on, we have to go."

"I don't need to go." Maria mumbles and Regulus nods, letting her play with his ring.

"Come on, we'll go somewhere."

Arriving in the astronomy tower, Maria sighs, breathing in the fresh Autumn air and walking over to the railing, looking out on the Hogwarts grounds like they used to.

Regulus walks up behind her and wraps his arms around her waist, pulling her back into his chest gently and kissing the side of her head.

"You look terrible." Maria mumbles, taking one of his bloody knuckles in her hand softly. "Sit down."

Regulus sighs, sitting against the wall with his legs out in front of him and Maria sits on his legs, one leg over each side of his. She takes a napkin out of her robe pocket and Regulus chuckles.

"Came prepared?" Regulus wonders aloud and Maria rolls her eyes, waving her wand and making the napkin become damp and gently wiping her it over his knuckles. He winced slightly and she frowns, kissing his knuckle softly making him smile and lean his head against the wall just watching as she tends to him.

"Staring is rude."

"I'm admiring."

"Admiring?"

"You do usually admire beautiful things, Ria."

Maria flushes and lets her forehead fall forwards onto his chest making the boy chuckle softly, twirling some of her hair around his finger. She feels an overwhelming sense of safety as he places a hand gently but securely on her waist and his chin resting on top of her head.

"Ria. . ." Regulus whispers and she makes a hum of acknowledgment as she closes her eyes, letting her body relax into his. "He didn't. . .touch you did he?"

"What?" Maria frowns, sitting up again and Regulus has tears in his eyes. "No. . .accept from, well, this." She holds up her dark purple wrist and Regulus gently takes her hand, bringing her wrist to his lips and pressing a kiss on the mark.

"I'm sorry." Regulus mumbles, kissing up and down her arm.

"Why do you need to be sorry?" Maria whispers, reaching into her pocket with her free hand and taking out some cigarettes, placing one between his lips and one in hers, waving her wand to light the ends.

"I should've stayed in that classroom with you." Regulus sighs and Maria shakes her head as he inhaled some smoke, taking it to the back of his throat just as she pulls him into a kiss.

The girl feels the chemicals from his mouth float into hers as she breathes in and pulls away a bit to exhale, filling the air around them with the thin layer of smoke. Regulus' lips twitch as she does, his hand letting go of her arm and resting on her hip, leaning up further to kiss her harder.

"Gross." They hear and their heads turn to the two blondes stood with their arms folded and fudge in Alyssa's hands.

"You get attacked by a teaching assistant that he beats the shit out of and this is what you're doing." Stan rolls his eyes, slouching against the wall. "About to fuck the shit out of each other, kind of ironic really."

"Piss off, Stanley." Regulus groans, as Alyssa throws a piece of fudge into Maria's mouth.

"No, carry on—we'll watch—"

"Oh, my god."

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