the salt and the sea → regulus black

the welcome feast.

"It's really not that bad." Alice says around a mouthful of food. "It's only two or three nights a week, right?"

"I'm pretty sure he's, like, pure evil though." Mary disagrees, casting a quick look over at the Slytherin table. They're well over halfway through the Welcoming Feast, but the conversation has been stuck on Teddy's new patrol timetable ever since she'd rejoined them on the train after the prefect meeting.

Teddy chances a look over her shoulder too, and her eyes land on Regulus almost immediately. Alecto Carrow is speaking insistently into his ear and laughing, but Black doesn't seem to be paying any attention to her at all. Instead, he's staring broodingly into his bowl of soup. His hair is falling across his bold features, hiding most of his face and throwing his expression into shadow.

Unbidden, the memory of him flush-cheeked and moaning against that girl in the toilet of the Hogwarts expression flashes into her mind. Almost as if he could hear her thoughts, Regulus' gaze snaps over to her and their eyes meet. His attention feels electric; his grey eyes are intense and dark, and the light and shadows dance over his face in a way that makes him look almost devilish. When he quirks an eyebrow at her she turns away, flustered.

Mary and Alice don't seem to have noticed her momentary distraction at all. They're still talking about the new patrol system. "The common room is going to be so quiet this year," Mary is complaining. "Not only are most of our friends gone, but now you're going to be taken up with these stupid patrols several nights a week!"

Teddy hums distractedly, and accidently overturns a little bowl of mashed potatoes. She hasn't told the girls yet about Rosier walking her right into the bathroom to interrupt Regulus Black's... activities. She thinks perhaps she won't tell them at all. It's possible she's overthinking it in her own head — Rosier probably thought it was just some stupid prank, and compared to some of the pranks that James and his friends have pulled over the years it was pretty tame. At least no one got hurt. Prank or not though, she's not able to get over her surprise quite so easily. This was Regulus Black — the shrewd, introspective and quiet boy wasn't exactly known for his public acts of passion. That was usually reserved for his older brother, and Teddy can't even count the number of times she'd accidentally walked in on Sirius in a compromising position with someone.

This year, though, there was something undeniably different about the younger Black.

"Tell Teddy what you told me on the train." Mary says all of a sudden, nudging Alice in the ribs.

Alice took a deep breath and put down her fork. "Well," She begins with a nervous little smile. "I got accepted for the internship that I applied to. All I have to do is keep my grades up this year, and I can officially start my training after school to become a Healer with St Mungo's."

"Alice!" Teddy claps her hands in delight and beams at her friend. "That's fantastic news! No surprise, either — they're lucky to have you."

The smile on Alice's face grows, until her dimples are out in full force. "I just feel like I've worked so hard for this. It was such a relief to receive the letter! I only got the news a few days ago, or else I would have written to you immediately!" She pauses then, and bites her lip. "I might have other news, as well."