𝓟𝓱𝓲𝓵𝓸𝓹𝓱𝓸𝓫𝓲𝓪 || Regulus Black

6.5 - Politely Pleading

After the winter break, Ophelia came into school considering the idea of taking back Regulus as a friend. She had tried to fix things with James and Sirius over Christmas, too. She cleared things up with Sirius and ended the break on amicable terms, but she couldn't exactly say the same for James. 

Still, one of out the two was good enough for her at the moment. Especially when it was the one who has been constantly respectful and caring to her. Now all the amends she had left to make were Regulus Black. 

This was the one she was dreading the most for some reason. She was already in a forced proximity to him, and now the stubborn, spiteful Ophelia would have to admit she was wrong and take the boy back as a friend. 

The first day after winter break, Ophelia sat away from Regulus on the train same as she and Pandora did in September. But, Pandora sat with Xenophilius, not offending Ophelia. Instead of spending the ride with her best friend and Pandora's pale boyfriend, Ophelia spent the trip preparing what she would say to Regulus next time they spoke. 

She had her general ideas and a few remarks planned, but she had not practiced anything specific to say. Unlike her, of course. Ophelia was a planner who always wanted things to go right whenever she could make sure of it, but in this case, she didn't want things to go right. She wanted things to go how they were supposed to. She was going to say what she wanted to say, and let whatever greater forces there were in the world decide what should happen to the two of them. 

When the Hogwarts Express arrived at the school, Ophelia went to find Pandora, but only to say hello. She had warned that she wouldn't be staying for long. She had reparations to make, and it was urgent in her mind. 

As expected, Regulus came to find Ophelia as soon as he could. They both knew what he was there for. He wanted to apologise to her just as he had been doing the whole rest of the school year before the break. 

He called out her name, and she turned around to face him. He looked presentable, to say the least. Regulus towered over her with his signature soft and wavy dark hair. It was natural, yet neat, in a way that most would be envious of. He was wearing his uniform in a perfectly polite way, and even had his silver chain necklace placed over his Slytherin necktie. He was standing with his hands behind his back, in a way that Ophelia could tell meant he was nervous. He almost looked as if he were interviewing for a role as one of the school's prefects. 

She could tell that he was trying to make a good impression, and that actually helped Ophelia ease her nerves about the whole situation. 

She looked up and down at him, then sighed. She shook her head and made an expression that gestured for Regulus to speak first. 

"Ophelia, I know you're still mad at me, but could you please allow me just a few moments of your time so I can apologise? A meaningful apology, I promise." 

As instinctual as it was at that point for Ophelia to simply turn him down and shoo him away, she replied with an answer that wasn't just 'no'. 

"It's freezing and there's too many people around out here. Can we talk inside?" She proposed. 

He was slightly stunned to hear anything other than a rejection, and it took him a moment of shocked hesitation and stuttering to reply. 

"Yes, yes of course! Thank you." He let out a sigh that one could only assume was born of relief, and gazed into Ophelia's brown eyes for the first time in what felt like forever to him. 

"Give me ten minutes, and I'll meet you by the common room to speak in a more private setting. A more fitting setting."

"Yeah, I'll see you there."