Fate || Regulus Black

Chapter 23: Crups

23rd January 1977
Rosalind got back from yet another patrol with Jack Marello. She threw herself at her bed and groaned loudly. "What did Black do this time?" Sophia asked and looked up from her book.

"Black? Why do you think it's him?" Rosalind wondered and sat up on her bed. She started to drag her fingers through her hair out of boredom. "Because every time something between you two happens, that is your exact reaction." Sophia replied matter of factly and closed her book.

"I just really want to change patrol partner." she admitted when her fingers got stuck in her hair. "Take it up with the head boy." Lydia suggested.

"You think he would do it?" Rosalind asked, hopefully. She smiled to herself as she imagined a patrol without Jack Marello trying to sleep with her. A patrol without a pervert as partner.

"Oh, absolutely." Sophia chimed in. "He is a Hufflepuff, a people pleaser." she added.

"You're right. I'm gonna go find him first thing tomorrow." Rosalind concluded.

Rosalind had talked to Frey Gannes, the head boy at breakfast. He had said that he would talk to the head girl and the other prefects and then get back to her at dinner.

Rosalind was impatient the whole day, waiting for dinner so she could have a new partner. At dinner she did not see Frey anywhere but Minou, the head girl approached her after the meal.

"We understand that you want to switch patrol partners because of some issues." Minou started after she had pulled away Rosalind from the crowd.

"We talked to David Yale, the Ravenclaw prefect, but he didn't want to switch, he was happy to be partnered with his girlfriend. The other option is Aston Thompson-"

"Not him, anyone but him." Rosalind interrupted the head girl. Thompson was too smiley for her, he had too many happy emotions. Too many. He always tried to see the best in everything, like he never thought anything sucked.

An essay due tomorrow? You only get smarter. Disgusting dinner? It's always good to try new things. The Hufflepuffs lost the Quidditch cup? Eh, the Ravenclaws deserved it.

"Okay, so Regulus Black is left then." Minou said. Rosalind swallowed thickly before saying, "I suppose he's okay."

At least he was better than Jack. Regulus wouldn't sexually assault or traumatise her. He would drive her insane if she started to spend too much time with him, but she could change partners again. "Then I will talk to Black and get back to you." Minou informed Rosalind before leaving her. Rosalind saw Minou's hair swaying after her as she left.

•*•

Regulus was heading down to the forbidden forest for another Care of magical creatures class. Proffesor Kettleburn stood next to a dog like animal that was almost identical to a Jack Russel terrier.

Regulus spotted Rosalind looking through the care of magical creatures book, probably to find some information about the animal. Regulus knew that it was a crup already.

"Do you not know what animal it is?" he asked Rosalind. "Of course I know. It's a crup. They are loyal to wizards. That's why that crup is behaving so well." she answered surely.

"You just took that out of the book." Regulus stated and crossed his arms. "Not because it is any of your business, however I'm looking up facts about flobberworms because Kettleburn mentioned that he will assign an essay about them." Rosalind replied, searching through the book.

"Yes, although, did you know crups are hostile to muggles and squibs, skilful hunters and have a forked tail." he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I can see the forked tail right now, Black." Rosalind said. Regulus rolled his eyes and looked back at the teacher. "Heard you wanted to be my patrol partner, the head girl asked if I was up to it."

"I hope you accepted the offer." Rosalind muttered, still looking at her book.

"Why's that? Are you really desperate for me?" he asked with a smirk.

"I will let you know that I am not desperate for you. I simply didn't enjoy being sexually harassed by my patrol partner every other night." she said though gritted teeth.

Regulus was for sure taken aback by her words. But he started to connect some dots. When they were going to patrol for the first time and Jack and Eliza were waiting outside the common room, Eliza was standing as far away from Jack as possible.

When they found Jack on the floor practically beaten up by Rosalind, it was because he was creeping her out, not just annoying her.

He had probably done the same to Eliza because she left him there, on the cold floor. He didn't have time to question Rosalind more about the matter because class started.

"This is Leo, he's a crup and we will talk about them today. Does anyone know anything about crups?" Professor Kettleburn announced to the class. Rosalind raised her hand and closed her book.

"Yes, Miss Bulstrode." Kettleburn said and nodded at Rosalind.

"The crups are hostile to muggles and squibs, skilful hunters and have a forked tail." Rosalind answered, turning back to wink at Regulus. Only to taunt him that she took his exact words.

•*•

25th January 1977
Regulus and Rosalind's first patrol was tonight. They needed to patrol around the greenhouses and up to the astronomy tower before going back to their common room.

Rosalind didn't hurry to get to the common room in time for their patrol, instead she took a long shower. When she got out of the shower she was already five minutes late. But she didn't care, this would only annoy Regulus further.

Twenty minutes later she arrived in the common room where Regulus waited. "Don't you have any manners?" Regulus sneered at her.

Rosalind only shrugged her shoulders and walked by Regulus and out in the corridor. He took a few quick step and was now walking in synch with her. "It really flatters me that you requested to patrol with me." Regulus stated with a smirk.

"You know what flatters me?" Rosalind asked. She stopped and turned to Regulus. Regulus shook his head, still looking at her tauntingly.

"That you accepted being partnered with me, you could've said no." Rosalind acknowledged, she crossed her arms over her chest and raised her eyebrow at Regulus.

Regulus would give Rosalind far more pleasure than he wanted to, if he told her the reason, so he started to walk away from her. "You don't have a good response?" Rosalind asked in a baby voice and pouted.

"Some things are just not for your ears." Regulus retorted and looked at Rosalind.

Rosalind quickly took out her wand, "Tell me the reason why you accepted to patrol with me, because I know that you're not enjoying this." she demanded. Regulus was taken aback by her actions. "You would rather be somewhere else with Hoopkins or in your dorm." she added.

Regulus rolled his eyes, he opened his moth to say something that would be believable but Sirius and James rounded the corner.

"Wow." they said in unison and grinned. "The sexual tension is really high." Sirius added and looked over at his best friend.

"Care to repeat what you just said?" Regulus asked, he took a step forward towards his brother, glaring at him. "Twenty points-" Rosalind started but Sirius interrupted her. "Filch has already punished us, no need to do it twice."

"But we should leave you two to it." he said and finished with a wink. Rosalind and Regulus were boiling with anger. Rosalind had to physically restrain herself from shouting and leaping at Sirius. She needed to figure out how to calm herself down before she did something really stupid.