Star-crossed | 𝑹𝒆𝒈𝒖𝒍𝒖𝒔 𝑩𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒌

A sensible topic

• Camille Malfoy •

„For a highly sensitive person,
a drizzle feels like a monsoon."

The rain whipped against the façade of the carriage that was to take the students directly to the castle, pulled by an invisible force. Camille had managed to escape into its dry interior just in time before she would have been caught directly in the downpour. She didn't even want to know how the first-years, who had just been helped into the boats by the prefects, were going to manage to reach Hogwarts dry.

Through the wet glass, the Slytherin could make out a dark shadow trudging in her direction. Without thinking, she opened the door, surprisingly not caring much at that moment that the cold wind was messing up her silky hair. "Try repello pluvia!"

Regulus paused for a split second, frowning at her from a distance, before doing as he was told. A short time later, he held his wand over himself like an umbrella and, panting, climbed into the warm, dry interior of the carriage with the blonde, which began to move as if it had only been waiting for the young Black.

His dark cloak dripped on the dark wood and with his grey eyes as stormy as the night itself, he eyed Camille piercingly. "Thank you."

"Someone seemed to need to remind you that you were a wizard," she replied with a smirk, which caused a piqued smile to escape Regulus' lips. He began to fiddle with the hem of his uniform and Camille began to wonder if it bothered him that it was soaked to the core. She refrained from asking the question, though.

During the ride, the blonde kept feeling Regulus' thoughtful gaze resting on her. Under normal circumstances this wouldn't have bothered her, but in those grey eyes there was so obviously something on his mind and just before the lights of the castle were to appear, he finally spoke up: "Can I ask you something?"

Camille nodded. "Sure."

Hesitantly, he looked out the window, licked his lips and then turned back to her. "Why are you suddenly talking to me again? If our parents..."

"Our parents have nothing to do with it," she replied bluntly, digging her long fingernails into her forearm. It was an annoying habit that her mother had often tried to break her of, as it would leave unsightly scars. But when Camille got nervous, there was nothing she could do about it. "I just think we're old enough to put all that behind us. After all, you've proven over the past few years that you're nothing like Sirius."

Regulus' jaw tightened. "Why does everyone always have to compare me to Sirius." Though he merely breathed those words, she had understood each of them and regretted her own in the same moment. "Everyone doubts Orion and Walburga Black's parenting methods by now. A child from such a powerful family does not choose against them and instead for far less influential wizards without reason. It stands to reason that you would do the same. I remember how close you two were back then. You and Sirius."

"You really don't know me at all anymore," the dark-haired boy snorted, shaking his head and looking out the window in embarrassment. "That you really think that about me."

"Well, I didn't think that of Sirius either," Camille returned, increasingly annoyed, causing her fine nose to wrinkle and her turquoise eyes to narrow into slits. Regulus had always been pretty quick to take offence and had taken far too many things too personally. So it was now too, for he didn't even look at her for his next words. "There were enough signs," was his dry reply and also the last for the rest of the ride.

Through the rainy windows, Camille could make out the blurred outline of the castle and even though she couldn't see it properly, she was enchanted by the sight of it again, as she was every year. As the two prefects got out and walked into the castle seeking refuge from the rain, each of their footsteps making a smacking sound, there was a yawning silence between them.

The first word to leave the Slytherin's mouth since arriving was directed at her two friends, Emma and Lorraine. "What a git."

"Who?" asked Lorraine in surprise, looking at them with her big green eyes before sliding them over her house table to spot the culprit. The green and silver banners waved in slight movements above them, casting shadows in the light of the torches down on the numerous heads. Emma merely sighed and, unlike the blonde, seemed to know exactly who was meant and gave that person a scowl. "Namby-pamby Regulus, of course."

She formed a silent "Oh" with her pale pink lips as Camille watched Regulus, jaw grinding, sit down a few seats away from Evan and Alaric, still completely soaked from the rain. She clenched her delicate hands into fists and tried to suppress the tremor in her voice. "There I am trying to be nice to him, when he doesn't seem to need it and thinks I'm actually judging him."

"About Sirius?"

She made a hissing sound in reply and jutted her chin up defiantly. "Oh, they can both stay where the pepper grows."

"Besides, there are much more important things," Emma agreed with her conspiratorially, taking a big gulp of her pumpkin juice before continuing, "For example, this year's Quidditch season. This time we're going to flatten Gryffindor."

Camille and Lorraine looked at each other rolling their eyes, of course it was especially important for their friend with the Quidditch captain's badge this year, yet the two girls couldn't get much out of the sport themselves. Even though Camille would rather see the trophy in her hands than Potter's.

At that moment, the massive double doors of the hall opened once more and Professor McGonagall strode forward with the dripping first years in tow. "Swimming might have been drier," Emma remarked with a smirk as silence descended over the rest of those present. This was broken only by dripping capes, an occasional stomach growl or the chattering teeth of the new students.

After the house sorting ceremony, Albus Dumbledore finally rose to give his annual welcome speech. Promptly, all the murmuring of the students fell silent, even though all of them, at least except for the first-years, were not hearing this speech for the first time. The headmaster referred to the school rules, introduced the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher; Professor Goldberg and opened the feast they had all been waiting for.

Camille had to admit that the school food was pretty close to the food at her home in Malfoy Manor, but she probably wouldn't admit that out loud. The biggest difference was probably that her mother wasn't around to tell her how much to eat. According to her, she was at an age when she should be especially careful not to eat too much or too little. Camille knew why. Her parents were looking for a suitable match for her to marry. Just as they had done with Lucius. In their circles, it was customary for children to be betrothed before they reached the age of seventeen and thus came of age. Presumably so that they would not be able to defend themselves or have the time and understanding to fall in love with someone else who was perhaps not meant for them.