THE SCARS ON MY BODY ● JEGULUS |MARAUDERS|

✹SEVENTY✹

Lockhart shoved a Sherbet Lemon into his mouth and answered while he ate it, "Got detention." Regulus remembered the note on the door, 'In detention - QP'. Milo chuckled and stood up, stretching his arms above his head.

"What'd he do this time?"

"Set a load of toads free in Care Of Magical Creatures." Lovegood was the one to reply, his comment causing everyone to laugh. Even Regulus found himself laughing along. Boot kicked off his shoes and threw his school robe down onto the end of his bed, collapsing onto the covers.

"Tripped up that Potter kid earlier," Boot boasted, his arms folding behind his head, "Fucking idiot, that one. And a brat. Spoilt as fuck, I bet you." Reg cringed and bit his lip. People can't know about them. And so, he kept his mouth shut.

"Merlin, I know, right? He thinks he's all it." Were Lockhart' words. Each of the boys rolled their eyes, knowing that Roy wasn't any better.

"And that Evans girl? Thought he was in love with her or something, then suddenly he don't like 'er anymore. Bet you he's fucking some other chick, now. Y'know? Since Evans took too long." Regulus could feel Milo's hand comfortably rubbing his back, hidden from the others, but it wasn't much help. Was that how people really saw James? But then he frowned. He had seen James like that.

All those years before they'd properly met. All those years of hating him. Despising him. Was it envy? Maybe. That, he didn't know. But, what he did know, was that he had thought those things about James too.

That question from Crouch crept up on him again. 'But, then, Reggie, what are you? Are you a hero? Because, in your words, if not, then you must be a villain'. Was he actually the bad guy? What type of boyfriend thinks such cruel things about their partner, though, he supposed, they had not been together at the time, yet it still hurt. No hero would be so callous. The nice guy wouldn't have grown up heartless and cold. But, the villain would, wouldn't they? A brutal and inhuman childhood, leading to their adulthood of which they have no choice but to turn off. To turn off every emotion in their heart and bones. That way, they couldn't get hurt, right?

The more Regulus thought it through, the more it began to sound like himself. That way, they couldn't get hurt, right?

"Hey? Hey, Reg? You alright, mate?" Milo nudged him in the side and he looked up from the ground to see everyone staring at him. "Did you hear? I asked if you wanted to go." Milo's eyes were sympathetic and kind. Regulus nodded.

"Oh, alright. Bye, then, Black." Boot saluted in his direction. He thought of Crouch. But, then, Reggie, what are you? Are you a hero? Because, in your words, if not, then you must be a villain. He found himself with a mind-bursting headache and began to pack his things, pulling the bag over his shoulder.

"Toodles," Lockhart said with what Regulus assumed was a smile, yet he felt tired and his eyes refused to work correctly.

"Goodbye, Regulus." Lovegood patted him on the shoulder before Milo and Reg walked out of the door. Quickly, he checked to see if anyone was looking, before he threw the cloak around himself, then followed Milo out of the common room.

"You okay, mate?" The cloak slowly slipped off once the door had closed behind them and Milo's heart ached at the sight of Regulus' face. Pale and empty. That's exactly how Humphrey had described Bailey's state. Milo hadn't seen her in a while...did she look like that? Perhaps she looked worse. Either way, Reg didn't look good, and so Milo wrapped an arm around Regulus' hips and led him down the many stairs of Ravenclaw tower. The two of them could not be seen together, of course not, and so once people began to gather in the halls, Milo took the cloak from Regulus frail hands and pulled it over himself, whispering for Regulus to continue on their way to the dungeons, but he took a different turn. Instead of going down to the Slytherin chambers, he made his way up a different staircase, the staircase leading toward Gryfinddor tower.