drowning! → regulus black

mockingbird.

Oh, Godrick. What if he's already told someone? 

Laura shoots to her feet before immediately clutching her stomach and swallowing a rush of bile back down her throat. 

"Are you okay?" Dorcas questions in bemusement.

"I'm fine," Laura grits, before slipping on a pair of boots and shutting the dorm door behind her as she takes a deep breath in the hallway. The pain she feels in her stomach is beginning to become dizzying, but she can't bring herself to care as she storms up to Regulus' dorm door and raps on it harshly.

Regulus opens it, blinking drowsily down at Laura with a mixture of incredulity and concern for her sanity as she pushes her way into his dorm. "You're really an arse, you know that?" She fumes, using his dresser as a clutch so she doesn't keel over. "You think I don't know now why you kissed me? You just wanted blackmail material, didn't you? Or was it for gossip? Did you have fun telling Crouch and Rosier all about what a whore I am?" She accuses.

Regulus narrows his eyes at Laura and shuts the door behind him. "Do you want someone to hear?" He hisses. "Lower your voice."

"You already told people, didn't you?" She retorts. "Is it such a crime if I do too?"

Regulus' jaw goes taunt. "I didn't tell anyone, Lovegood." His eyes run over the length of her disapprovingly. "And you look like shite, by the way."

Laura rolls her eyes. "Is that the only insult you have? I would have expected better from you, Black."

Regulus crosses his arms and leans back against the door. "Well, you do. Are you sick?"

Laura's teeth clench together. "No."

Regulus chuckles. "No need to get defensive, it was just a question." 

Laura attempts to let go of the dresser and almost falls over before having to grab it again. "Well, I'm not sick, and even if I were, it would be none of your damn — What the fuck are you doing?!"

Regulus is suddenly in front of Laura in three quick strides and yanks her arm upward to examine her hand before looking down at her sharply. "Were you in a fight?"

"What?!" Laura cries out, utterly enraged. "No! That's absurd!"

Regulus cocks a brow, holding up Laura's bloodied hand to her face. "There's blood on your hands. Do you mean to tell me you just somehow happened upon this while, what, reading?"

"Of course not." Laura scowls. "There was a dead bird in my drawer."

"I see," Regulus responds, disinterested in Laura's anger as he examines her fingers with newfound intrigue. "Were you feeling ill before or after you came across the bird?"

"After. How does this have anything to do —"

"It has everything to do with you, darling," Regulus purrs, and with a swift movement, Laura is pushed from Regulus' dresser and sat down on the large bed beside it — his bed.

Laura quickly moves to get up, a reflexive wave of disgust infiltrating her body and painfully enough, her stomach, but Regulus has her leg pinned down with his free hand as he looks over the blood curiously. "You might be contagious," He says decisively. "I'll let McGonagall know that you'll be missing classes today."

"What? No!" Laura protests, trying to shove Regulus away. "You can't do that!"

"You'll find that it is extremely hard for me to be dissuaded, Lovegood," Regulus responds calmly. "So be a good girl and kindly shut the fuck up."

Laura's mouth drops. "How dare you —"

"Shhh," Regulus tuts, bringing a finger to Laura's lips. She has to hold back from biting it out of petty frustration, so she instead vies to glare back at him defiantly. "There we go," He coos condescendingly. "I knew you had it in you."

He backs up to give Laura room and removes his robes, leaving him in black slack trousers and a white collared undershirt disheveled from being worn under his robes. A couple of the buttons are undone, revealing the beginning of his toned chest as he reaches into his pocket to grab his wand. With a simple flourish, a paper dove has formed and flaps in front of him as he whispers something to it before it flies off.

He looks back up at Laura. "I informed McGonagall that you'll be under my medical care for the next few days and will be quarantined until I see fit to cease tending to you."

 "Great," Laura grumbles bitterly. "Now, if you murder me, you get to blame it on a disease and they won't question how long I'm absent."

"It'd give me time to hide the body, wouldn't it?" Regulus muses thoughtfully. 

Laura's face blanches, earning a grin from Regulus. "Don't worry, darling," He reassures, mussing Laura's hair. "I'm no murderer — and, if I were going to kill you, you'd be dead by now."

Laura slaps Regulus' hand away. "Bold of you to assume I'd let you."

Regulus' grin grows. "Oh, you'd put up a fight, I'm sure." He leans closer. "But how long would you last is the question. Given yesterday, I think I've come to the conclusion that you're all bark and no bite."

Laura resists the urge to throw up on Regulus out of pure spite. "Last time I checked, you were the one who kissed me." She retorts.

"And I'd love to reenact that, believe me, Lovegood, but you look utterly repulsive right now," Regulus responds lightly, pulling away to rummage through his dresser and procure a vial. He uses his thumb and index finger to pull Laura's chin forward. "This will help you sleep for a bit to relieve the nausea."

Laura attempts to turn away and fails miserably. Regulus tuts. "Now, now. Be amiable." He uses his thumb to pull Laura's mouth open and pops open the vial with his teeth before pouring the liquid into Laura's mouth. 

Laura chokes and splutters as her throat suddenly begins to burn, the feeling spreading to the base of her neck and then her head as her vision fades to utter darkness.

author's note — whumpee trope anyone? *raises glass of non existent whiskey* muahaha

also can we acknowledge the consistent chapter updates?! 4+4= ATEE (excluding the fact that the chapters are blegh)

aaannnddddd, thank you for somehow making it this far into the book - i love you all soooo much and some of these fic comments literally make my day (whether its from cackling or sobbing), and i just wanted to let you all know i appreciate you for that <333

—  ♡, lottie