From Eden - Regulus Black (Complete)

Chapter Sixty-Three -

THE TRIP

The fifth brought forth the full moon of the month of January, but the Marauders were so happy in general that none of them seemed very worried. The day Remus was happy and content, then Moony was somewhat easy to control.

Anne, however, was a lot less interested in the good mood that seemed to follow the Gryffindor Tower residents. It felt too much like a warning, like the reminder that no one besides the ones too deep in the dark knew that the war was coming. The sweet bliss that most of them felt was no a luxury Anne could afford, so she saw herself being more and more alone in a place she once felt comfortable, even if she was back only for two days at that time.

So, once her dad and his friends were out, she made her way through the corridors caring little for the fact that she didn't have the map with her this time. She got to the corridor and paced until the door appeared, she walked into the Room and smiled when she saw Regulus and Severus.

The room was the odd version of the Slytherin Common Room once more, no bed to be seen, but with a coffee table in front of the sofa near the fireplace. Regulus was lying on the sofa, comfortable with closed eyes and relaxed body, but Severus was busy exploring the room with great curiosity, looking out the window that – surprisingly – didn't show under the lake, just the Forbidden Forest and part of the roof of the distant empty house of horrors in the Hogsmeade.

"Your friends are out there tonight," Severus commented without a single greeting once she was inside the room and closed the door. She raised a single eyebrow at him. "It's the full moon."

"Yes," she said. "Did you learn your lesson and will stay inside tonight, right?"

He turned to glare at her, but said nothing more.

Regulus sat down with a sigh, pushing his feet off the sofa to give Anne some space to sit down if she wanted, but she lingered near the door.

"Ignore Severus, darling, he's in a bad mood because he's in pain," said Regulus.

"Piss off," Severus quickly answered.

Anne's anger didn't disappear, but it certainly diminished as she saw Severus limp his way through the room towards the sofa and sat down on the spot that had been offered her. Regulus glared at him, but said nothing more, starting to get up from the sofa himself. Anne made a movement with her hand to tell him to sit down again, which he did.

She walked to the other side of the coffee table and sat down, back to the warm fireplace and facing towards the two boys.

"I can help you," she offered.

Severus rolled his eyes.

"This is none of your business. It's my body," he said.

"I'm only offering you to heal it, not to make it mine," she answered.

"You're in a bad mood as well," Severus mused.

"You'd be if you were in my place, I assure you," she said. "Everybody is so happy and oblivious."

"And you are surprised, why?" he asked.

She glared at him once more.

Regulus crossed his arms and leaned back.

"Alright, you two, slow down. I get that you two are having bad days, but can we, please, focus on what's truly important?" Regulus asked.

Severus turned to Regulus.