A Warlock's Hairy Heart {Regulus A. Black}

Chapter 5

"You found it," he smiled showing his pearly white teeth.

Suspiciously the Hufflepuff girl stood up wipping the mud from her legs after she put the notebook away.

"Who are you?" she asked catiously.

The bright smile he was wearing suddenly faded although his warm brown eyes still seemed to carry that same lightness.

"You don't recognise me, do you?" the brunette boy smiled to himself noting the mix of distrust and confusion on the girl's face.

Constance shook her head with narrowed eyes as she studied him. He looked about the same age although she was sure he was not a Hufflepuff. His messy brown hair kept falling into his eyes probably resembeling his care free attitude she had a feeling he had. She studied his face and eyes but nothing seemed to spark up a memory of the boy's name or appearance.

He chuckled lightly and rubbed his neck feeling a tad uncomfortable," Uhm, well I'm Dirk Cresswell and the last time we talked was on the last day of last school year."

Con only narrowed her eyes more  trying to think back eventhough that was one of her least favourite days of all.

"I was the one who helped Maurice bring you to the Great Hall..." he uncomfortably continued as he stood a safe distance away from where the girl was standing.

Suddenly the girl's eyes widdened in recognition. "I remember you," she said eventhough all she actually remembered was a smear of brown hair in a blury room.

"I am sorry to have scared you like that before," he apologised awkwardly still observing the girl out of the corner of his warm brown eyes. "I didn't mean for you to lose your notebook. It clearly means a lot to you."

"It's okay. I was the one who dropped it out of a tower. You were only at the wrong place at the wrong time. Scaring the wrong girl," Constance looked to the floor ashamed.

However Dirk wasn't about to leave her like that. "Can I take you to Honeydukes?"

When he saw the alarmed look Constance gave him he quickly tried to explain.

"I only ment if you'd come with me because I feel terrible for possibly ruining your notebook. I promise I have no ultirior motive whatsoever."

Constance could only smile at that. For some reason she found it nice how he tried to explain himself. He seemed so nervouse that he kept on talking until the girl herself felt a bit bad,"It's okay. Don't worry you're not the one to blame."

She gave him the nicest smile she could muster,"I should get going but thank you for the offer."

She was ready to leave believing she did the right thing by refusing the offer. The boy seemed nice, but in the girl's experience not everyone was like they appeared. Pluse she wasn't much of a company.

However the moment she passed him by he stopped her.

"Wait."

She turned around slowly.

"Let me at least walk you."

Seeing he wasn't just about to give up she gave in with a nod.

Contently he went to walk by her side. At first they just walked in silence Dirk always smiling while Constance was a bit tense still she took another glance at the boy as something accured to her.

"Wait did you say your name was Dirk Cresswell?" Constance froze for a moment remembering an old joke Vincent used on her last year.

"Yes, why?" Dirk asked leaning his head slightly to the side.

All of a sudden Con couldn't help, but start smiling uncontrollably. Vincent had joked about the Hufflepuff fancying the boy although she had no clue what he looked like. And now like some weird joke he was ascorting her towards the school grounds.

"Why are you smiling like that?" the boy asked now smiling himself showing his pearly white teeth.

The Hufflepuff's amusement only grew by the second. "It's nothing worth hearing. I just remembered something."

Dirk still looked eager to discover what the girl was thinking about, but decided not to push. Insted he only said,"Anything that makes someone smile like that is worth hearing."

Shyly the girl looked away from him towards the nearing castle avoiding the boy's brown eyes, which were taking a slight reddish shade as the rays got caught in them.

"So tell me what is a girl like you doing in the owlery reading? Surely there must be a warmer place to do that." The boy spoke after some time trying to make the girl feel comfortable.

To that she only shrugged. She really wasn't sure whether she should share personal things with people she barely knew, but something about Dirk just gave you the feeling you could trust him, which became even more evident when they reached the castle and people from every possible direction started greeting him or trying to call him over.

Dirk being the nice and cool boy he was told them that maybe later, which surprised and worried Constance. Why would this boy blow off so many people just to walk with her to the doorms?

She must've really looked pathetic for him to feel this bad about her dropping her book out of the owlery.

"Hey, Dirk we're going to the Great Hall. You coming?" one boy asked when they passed him on the hall.

"Yeah sure. See you later," the boy nodded, but determindly kept up with Constance.

Even when the girl did think he'd leave to talk to this group of people, where some girl wanted to talk to him, the boy simply told them that maybe another time. It amazed Constance to no end. She wasn't good company at all, why wouldn't he go with them?

So when they walked a bit further in to the castle, where there was less of a crowd Constance decided to ask. "Why didn't you go with them?"

If Dirk was suprised to finally hear Constance do more than give a short simple answer he didn't show it. His always present smile seemed to become even bigger if that was possible. "Why would I do that?"

"Well, first off..." the Hufflepuff thought," you don't know me and it's a free afternoon with nice weather. Second almost everyone wants to hang out with you. You don't have to walk with me out of pity. I am already used to being clumsy." The last part was said a bit quieter than everything else.

Dirk's smile seemed to falter for a second and his brows furrowed slightly. He couldn't understand why someone would think so low of theirself. "For your information I do not pitty you. I actually like you and yes you think I may not know you, but Constance..." the boy came to a halt when they reached the staircase leading to the Hufflepuff quarters.
"If you think that after six years of attending the same school and sharing almost half of the classes leads to me ignoring you or having no idea who you were... You're wrong. Although I would like to know you a bit better."

His speech had left the girl gawping at the Ravenclaw in amazment. She did not expect anyone to ever notice her let alone talk to her. Yet Dirk seemed to had given her a helping hand last year whitout ever knowing her and on that day he offered her a walk, where unlike some people he wanted to talk to her. Really talk.

The boy was about ready to leave when Constance suddenly spoke up,"I really like hights."

"What?" Dirk asked confused while a few brown strands of hair fell in to his eyes.

"You asked why I read in the Owlery. Well, I like the hight. It allows me to see everything. Pluse I think it really does help you think."

"I might just try that with Potions," Dirk joked thoughtfully making the girl giggle.

And with that Dirk and Con went seperate ways both happy to have bumped into each other on that day.