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Lyra quickly became the best-kept secret Regulus has ever had room in his heart for.
Barty and Evan tried to badger him, when he returned to the party and subsequently dragged the rest of his friends back to Slytherin's common room, what had his knickers in a twist (a direct quote from Barty). Regulus abstained his answer for long enough, responding with glares and scowls that could kill, and within time, it became common knowledge not to question Regulus about anything that has to do with Lyra North. Not even any class subjects that they may share—anything that could be tied back to Lyra became taboo in the Slytherin house and practically disappeared from the entire school thereafter.
Other than Barty, Evan, Dorcas, and Pandora, Lyra became to Regulus just as she is to the rest of the school: A memory. Nobody knew of the short-lived existence of any sort of bridge between them. Nobody knew Lyra North had reached places within Regulus Black uncharted by any others; nor that he had done the same to her.
It was just a short week, a short period in which Lyra and Regulus were each other's greatest enemies while still being their most compelling anomalies.
Now, as Regulus watches the vast, open plains whirl past him through the cold glass of the Hogwarts Express's window, his forehead pressed against it uncomfortably and eyes focussed on something his mind wasn't exactly sure of, he thought of Lyra for the first time in a week. Seven days, six moons, and no contact; he hasn't thought of her since nine days past, at that godforsaken party.
Now, she is back on the mind. A week of freedom—that's all Regulus got. Perhaps it's all he deserved, but he knows that couldn't be the case.
The only reason he thinks of her is because he could swear he sees her, there in the distance, perched on the horizon and teasing him from afar. Daring him to succeed in drawing any attention to her before she is gone with the rest of the plains and the train speeds onward. But she is there, for a blink, and Regulus sits up—because he swears, he swears, that she is outside of the train.
Just as soon, she is gone.
That must be in her nature, to disappear. She does it a lot. But only on her own terms.
"Good morning there, Reggie, lad," says Barty, in something of an amused confusion. "Don't tell me you're going to start having night terrors now; that'd make sharing a dorm with you a real bother."
Dorcas laughs to herself, and Barty is smiling at Regulus when he glances over. He doesn't return it. Had he truly drifted off, without even realising it? Was his glimpse of Lyra only a dream? It would make sense, admittedly, but if he's falling asleep now and being haunted by his worst ghost in his nightmares, he has a lot more to worry about.
Besides, he knows, at least, that he is safe on this train. Lyra stays at Hogwarts for the holidays. She can't reach him anymore than his own thoughts could.
