It's You

Ch 22

The Christmas break was passing quickly as she lounged around the house bored. Most of her friends were busy visiting family, leaving Daphne to entertain herself. Her and Regulus had exchanged a few letters but not many considering his home situation. She knew Sirius had run away from home curtesy of the younger Black but besides that many of her friends didn't communicate. Sirius and James hadn't even sent any correspondence over the break. 

She was a bit sad that no one besides Regulus had bothered to send a letter. He was in the worst situation and yet he still found the time to talk to the girl. With no correspondence came no Christmas presents as well. She had sent off her gifts the day before Christmas to make sure everyone received their gifts. James got a new pair of gloves and signed quidditch poster, Sirius got a fancy lighter and book about motorcycles and maintenance, Remus received a poetry book, lunar Calander for the year, and chocolate. Peter got candy and a motivational book for self-confidence. The girls all received bracelets with birthstones for each of them. They were charmed too so every special connection made the persons birthstone would appear on the bracelet and if that bond was broken the stone would disappear. 

She put a lot of work and time into finding things to make her friends feel special. Writing each of them a personal letter about their friendship and her love for them. It seemed the only person who cared though was Regulus. She had written to him about the issue, and he told her to wait. Maybe something was going on and she would receive letters from them soon but when New Year's Eve came, she quickly realized that wasn't the case. 

New Year's Eve James and his family always threw a party and tonight she sat on the roof outside her window. She watched fireworks burst in a beautiful array of colors as the clock struck midnight. 1975 turned to 1976 and with that she had decided to stop moping around about her friends. If her friends didn't want to talk to her, she didn't want to talk to them either. She continued to watch the fireworks and for a moment she felt a little at peace as she made the decision to let everything go. 

***

As Daphne walked onto the platform with her mother, she could pinpoint each of her so-called friends saying their goodbyes and grouping up together. She quickly said her goodbyes to her mother and made her way onto the train. She didn't stop to speak to anyone. She simply made her way to find Regulus and his friends. After searching most of the train she finally found Regulus and Pandora sitting in a compartment waiting on Barty and Evan.  She slid the compartment door open and quietly took a seat next to Regulus. 

"What are you doing here love?" Regulus asked with a confused look. 

"Am I unwelcomed?" 

"No, of course you can sit with us. I just wasn't expecting to see you until we were a bit closer to school. Thought you would want to sit with you friends." He rambled nervously. 

"Friends talk to each other, friends care about their friends. They are not my friends." She said in a cold tone, but Regulus could hear the slight sadness that she was trying to cover up. His gaze softened as he realized they never talked to her. 

"Well, you have me so don't worry about them." He said grabbing her hand and lacing their fingers together. She smiled in return and laid her head on his shoulder.

 Pandora and Daphne quickly fell into conversation about the break and the gifts they had received from friends and family. When Barty and Evan finally joined them in the compartment, they quickly went to teasing Regulus by making whipping noises and kissing sounds. 

"Sod off your just mad that you can't get a girl." Regulus said with as amused smirk. 

"Yea sure as if Bardot didn't settle for you because she couldn't get your brother." Evan said with an eyeroll. He knew what button to push and what bothered Regulus. The comment immediately made Pandora and Daphne freeze. Daphne removed herself from Regulus's shoulder and looked at the blonde boy with a look that could kill Voldemort himself. 

"That's what you think?" her tone was deadly serious. It was cold. Regulus was not only internally fighting himself due to Evans comment but now watching Daphne he couldn't help but feel slightly terrified. 

"Everyone knows it doll." Evan said his voice shaking slightly. He was trying to play it cool like the shift in the sweet girl's demeanor didn't send a chill down his spine. She flashed him a sickly-sweet smile that made his stomach turn.

"Well, I definitely didn't know but then again I do seem to be the last to know everything." Daphne chuckled as she thought about the situation. Daphne didn't know when it happened but between September and January her feelings for Sirius seemed to disappear. She wasn't sure when she fell for Regulus, but she knew that when he was around, she felt at home. She felt loved. She felt seen. She didn't have to put on a show or be perfect she could be herself. That was the best part.

Without another word she stood from her seat and walked out of the compartment. She felt like she couldn't breathe, and she needed a moment to think before she lost all control. She quickly locked herself into an empty compartment counting and taking deep breathes. She was hurt that people thought that lowly of her. She also felt guilty because she knew that Regulus probably felt the same way. He probably thought she accepted a date out of pity or because she couldn't get Sirius. 

She didn't want Sirius anymore. She thought she had made that very obvious when she told Regulus about her feelings. Maybe saying you fancy someone wasn't enough and taking a page from James Potters book she had decided to make it very clear to everyone she wanted Regulus and only Regulus. 

The rest of the train ride to Hogwarts Daphne had made a plan. They had a date coming up and after that she was going to show him exactly how she felt. There would be no doubt. She knew she needed to go the library immediately when they returned. This would be perfect.