𝑴𝒊𝒏𝒖𝒕𝒆, regulus black

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟕𝟑: 𝐅𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐬

It came as no shock to her, when all she could do was follow Regulus with eager eyes. It made her sick to her stomach. The mere fact that he had that much sway over her once again after all the warnings she gave herself was telling enough of how much she needed to watch herself with him. 

Her attention flickered between the game and the tumultuous emotions swirling within her. She cheered along with the rest of the Slytherin supporter yet, her thoughts kept drifting back to Regulus.

As the match progressed, tension hung thick in the air, each passing minute intensifying the rivalry between Slytherin and Hufflepuff. The score remained neck and neck. 

Then, in a sudden blur of movement, Regulus darted across the pitch, his eyes fixed on the Golden Snitch. Rune held her breath, her heart pounding in her chest as she watched him dive and twist, narrowly missing the fluttering ball. But just as it seemed the Snitch would slip through his grasp, Regulus made a lightning-fast maneuver, reaching out with a hand and closing his fingers around it.

 The stadium erupted into a deafening roar as Slytherin claimed victory and the cheers of the crowds boomed around her.

While she might have been able to convince herself that the times, he looked at her during the match were figments of her imagination and him searching for the snitch, the moment his eyes searched the stands and locked on hers, she knew they were back to dangling dangerously close to the edge of something they couldn't control.

He lifted the snitch and cocked his head in a way that said 'See, I never lose.'

As she rolled her eyes, he broke out into a grin and pocketed the small fluttering golden ball.

Though it seemed the excitement had died down on the pitch, the Slytherin common room was transformed into a hub of celebration, pulsating with energy and alive with the sounds of laughter and music. The room was adorned with shimmering green and silver decorations, enchanted banners swaying overhead in time with the upbeat tunes filling the air.

Students danced and mingled; their faces flushed with excitement as they relived the thrilling moments of the Quidditch match. The scent of delicious food wafted through the room. Tables groaned under the weight of sumptuous refreshments, piled high with delectable treats. Plates of savory finger foods circulated through the crowd, while pitchers of Butterbeer flowed freely. 

The Slytherin team held court at the center of the festivities, drawing admirers from all corners of the room, as they charmed the partygoers with tales of their Quidditch triumphs. Regulus sat on the couch, watching them animate their maneuvers with a little more than a half-smile. 

He looked to the table on the far end where Rune stood packing her plated with more doughnuts than she could eat. He wanted to be there. But every time he stood up, Evan had him recount his final swoop of capturing the snitch to whichever poor souls were around them at that time. 

Regulus couldn't help but admire Rune as she moved through the crowd, her blonde hair glimmering in the soft light of the common room. The fact that she still wore his jersey sent a thrill through him. Her eyes seemed to be sparkling under the glow of the banners and he found himself drawn to her like a moth to a flame.

Lost in his thoughts, Regulus didn't notice when Rune turned and caught him staring. For a moment, their eyes met, and he felt a rush of heat flood his cheeks as he realized he'd been caught red-handed. Instead of looking away, Rune held his gaze, a knowing smile playing at the corners of her lips.

He mumbled some half-hearted excuse to his friends as he got up and made his way towards her, every step feeling like a surge of electricity was shooting through him.