𝓟𝓱𝓲𝓵𝓸𝓹𝓱𝓸𝓫𝓲𝓪 || Regulus Black

1.8 - Common Room

"She can't come in." Barty said firmly. "It's the Slytherin common room for a reason."

"Yes, she can." Ophelia told him as she and Pandora stood at the door of the Slytherin common room. "If anyone shouldn't be here, it's you. You've had enough detention this year alone that I'm surprised you're still allowed to be at school, let alone the common room."

"No outsider has come into the common room for seven centuries."

"There's no one here, who cares?" Ophelia protested.

As much as some Slytherin students valued tradition, Ophelia didn't much care for it. Especially since being sorted into Slytherin unlike the rest of her family.

"I can leave, Ophelia." Pandora said softly.

"No, you can stay. Barty can leave if he has a problem with you being here."

Barty stood up from his chair and started to walk towards the common room entrance.

"If you need somewhere to hang out, then go to her common room or something." He instructed.

"So you admit it." Ophelia caught him. "You have no problem with houses intermingling in common rooms, you have a problem with her."

The three of them heard footsteps coming towards the Slytherin common room from the hallway. Ophelia turned around and saw no other than Regulus Black coming towards them.

"Hey, what's going on?" He asked Ophelia after he saw her standing by the door, looking upset.

"Crouch won't let Pandora into our common room. He says she's not allowed, even though we all know he's just being a jerk for no reason."

"She's allowed in, Barty." Regulus said, lying to help the girls.

Barty rolled his eyes, and moved aside to let the girls in.

"Thank you." Pandora and Ophelia said to Regulus, and then repeated quietly to Barty as they walked in.

Barty rolled his eyes again, then stomped out of the common room.

"He'll come around sometime soon." Regulus apologised for his friend.

Regulus walked into the common room, closing the dark and heavy door behind him.

"So, what are you two going to get up to over here?" Regulus asked as he sat down at one of the chess tables.

"Pandora has never been in here, so I wanted to show her around." Ophelia said. "Show her some of the books and things."

Ophelia knew almost every book in the Slytherin common room already. She has spent hours and hours going through them on the shelves. And even though she hadn't read them, she took it upon herself to learn at least one thing from every book there, and from every other book she came across. Her mother said it was a miracle she hadn't needed glasses from all the reading she does.

Pandora liked to read as well, but she more liked fantasy stories where he could get lost in her imagination while reading, or some specific areas of study, like potions and magical creatures.

"That's true, Pandora, you really should see our little library here." Regulus told her.

Regulus stood up to walk Ophelia and Pandora over to the Slytherin common room's collection of books. When they arrived, Regulus held his hand out, gesturing for Pandora to step forward and look at the books.

Pandora crouched down, dragging her finger along the spines of the books as she read the titles.

"We have a much bigger collection at the Ravenclaw common room, but there are many brilliant finds here." Pandora said once she finished looking at them all.

"Well, I'm glad you enjoy them." Regulus told her.

"It would be an embarrassment for Slytherin if we didn't have a satisfactory library." Ophelia added.

"Yes, we do like to be good at everything." Regulus chuckled.

Ophelia had noticed that Regulus sounded like his father, Orion Black, when he laughed. Though he didn't have quite the deep voice as his father, the resemblance between them was starting to show in several ways.

"I'll read them another time, I think." Pandora said.

"Oh, alright. Well, what else would you like to do?" Ophelia asked politely.

"Have you shown her the portraits yet?" Regulus asked.

"No, not yet. But that's a good idea."

Ophelia took Pandora's hand, and walked her over to see some of the portraits on the walls.

"This one is—" Ophelia said, but she was interrupted by the sound of the door opening.

The three kids turned around, and saw Professor Slughorn standing at the door with Barty Crouch Jr. standing beside him.

"Pandora, I don't think you're where you should be." Slughorn said.

"Professor, I'm so sorry." Ophelia said, panicking that she got caught. "It's my fault, I let her in here—"

Slughorn interrupted her again, this time on purpose.

"Miss Potter, Mister Black, this is twice now that I've caught you two doing something you shouldn't. I'm afraid I'll have to let your parents know what you two are doing."

Regulus spoke up. "Please, sir, we promise we'll never do it again. We'll get Pandora out of here right now. Just please don't tell our families."

Ophelia looked over at Regulus, wondering if he was mainly standing up for her or himself, then shook the thought out of her head and turned back to Slughorn.

"Please, sir. We'll take hours in detention, anything." Regulus continued.

Slughorn paused for a moment, considering Regulus' offer.

"Two weeks of detention for the three of you." The professor said. "As long as you all get out of here and no one here tells anyone about this."

Pandora, Ophelia, and Regulus all nodded their heads immediately, accepting the punishment. Barty huffed angrily, then reluctantly nodded as well.

The three kids ran out of the common room quickly, Ophelia and Regulus thanking Professor Slughorn as they passed him. They all gave Barty the stink eye when they left.

Pandora ran off to the Ravenclaw dorms, and Regulus and Ophelia went to the Slytherin dorms. Regulus walked much faster than Ophelia, and she was struggling to keep up.

"I'm really sorry, Regulus." Ophelia said. "I shouldn't have let her in."

"It doesn't matter." Regulus muttered, continuing to walk away. "What's done is done."

"Are you mad at me?"

"Honestly, yes. But I'm mad at myself too. And Barty even more."

"I'm so sorry. It was my fault, and I'll even tell Slughorn again so you won't get punished as much." Ophelia pleaded.

Regulus had never been mad at Ophelia like this. It was upsetting for the both of them.

Regulus stopped walking and turned to face Ophelia. He sighed when he saw the worried look on her face.

"I think we should both get to our rooms. Goodnight, Ophelia."

"Goodnight, Regulus."