Crystal Clear | REGULUS BLACK //

1.22 Infirmary

Crystal shrugged and continued. It felt like Loretta was withholding something, but she couldn't pressure her any further and she didn't have the time to do it. She still had classes to attend.

After taking three of her classes normally, Crystal was dismissed from her fourth class when the Professor figured she had bruises and let her go. She was supposed to go to the Infirmary. She remembered  the talk from the last day. Either James or Sirius were going to accompany her, but she really didn't feel like it.

Sure, Remus and Peter had solid arguments about how she should go with Sirius given their fake relationship, to show 'caring' to the surrounding public. She pondered for a while before heading to the Infirmary by herself - Sirius and James were probably attending their classes.

She took her time in her trip to the Infirmary: she chose to walk slowly and have the day off if possible. She had the task to tell Dumbledore about Balthazar's actions, or else, those would go unnoticed and he would keep his manipulation game throughout the school.

The thing was: she never wanted to have his place at the school taken. But if that was what would keep him from hurting other students for his ridiculous games, she would do that. She glanced at the ground while thinking.

Soon she was at the Infirmary.

She entered quietly as she heard some sort of commotion.

Crystal knocked on the door as she went inside the Infirmary. As soon as the knock filled the room, Madam Pomfrey appeared and escorted Crystal into the room with beds to be treated.

"Excuse me." Crystal slowly said. "What is going on here? I heard a lot of noises."

The nurse turned her head to look at Crystal.

"An incident with a student. He's unconscious, but we're tending to his wounds."

"An incident?" Crystal furrowed her eyebrows.

"From Quidditch." The nurse looked at the ceiling, shortly before closing her eyes for seconds and sighing deeply. "Good ol' Quidditch, always making them get seriously hurt."

Crystal gave her a crooked smile and just sit by the bed that Pomfrey instructed her to.

"Now, what can I do for you?"

Crystal showed her the neck and hands. The nurse frowned when she looked at the neck bruise.

"I suppose this wasn't caused by careless teen affections." She tilted her head very slightly. "What happened to you?"

Crystal looked at the entrance of the Infirmary and then back at the nurse. She leaned a bit towards her side.

"A guy tried to strangle me because I didn't like him." She whispered to the nurse.

Both eyebrows were raised as she heard Crystal. Madam Pomfrey nodded and continued, she quickly healed the bruises that covered Crystal's neck and hands. Soon she was good as new. She told about the Stupefy and the nurse checked her up. After doing so and being completely healed, she watched as the nurse leaned towards her.

"You have to report it to the Headmaster, Miss Reynolds." She looked serious as she spoke.

Crystal looked at her for a while before nodding.

Once alone and healed, Crystal tried to take a peek at the hurt student from Quidditch.

She wasn't ready to see her no longer good friend lying on a hospital bed with so many bruises and wounds. Perks of being a Seeker! She took a deep breath while still staring at his unconscious body. It started feeling overwhelming. Her mind filled with the possibilities that Balthazar did this. But it was Quidditch... right?

She hoped so. Crystal watched as Madam Pomfrey was away enough for her to look a bit closer at her old friend state. She didn't go to the side of his bed, but standing up from her bedside she could see it clearly. He was just as deplorable as her own self just the last day. Maybe Balthazar set them up to fight and stop being friends? What did Balthazar do? What didn't he do?

She felt her mind heavy as she thought about the psycho that Balthazar was. And he always seemed so... okay. She was staring at Regulus, still, not even blinking; but she thought about everything and anything.

"Crystal?" The known voice filled the room, coming from the entrance. "I thought we were coming here together."

She snapped out of her unstable emotional state and turned her head to face the voice's owner. Sirius was walking towards her, looking a tad annoyed. His hair was flowing with each step and Crystal couldn't help but giggle as he reminded her of the muggle shampoo commercials.

He stopped in front of her and his annoyed face changed to a rather curious one.

"What's so funny?!"

Crystal was still laughing heartily.

"It's nothing." She stopped laughing, but kept smiling. "You hair reminds me of muggle haircare commercials."

He frowned as if taking her words in considerations and disliking it.

"Well, maybe I do?" He proceeded to throw his hair backwards while speaking.

Crystal gigled a bit and then he stopped. Madam Pomfrey entered the room again, passing by them and straight to Regulus.

"If you're feeling well already, I'll ask you to leave." She looked serious. "It will be better to take care of him that way."

Crystal nodded gently, glancing one last time at Regulus beforemuttering something to Sirius for them to leave.

Outside the Infirmary they stopped. Sirius looked at the Infirmary, at the ground and back at Crystal.

"Was that Regulus?"

"I think so."

"What happened to him?"

"Madam Pomfrey said it was an incident during a Quidditch match." Crystal sighed.

"I see..." He looked like he was thinking about it, then his expression softened. "Now, why didn't you wait for me?"

"I was dismissed earlier from class. The Care for Magical Creatures Professor realised I had bruises..."

Both started walking again.

"Remus and Peter were right. We have to keep up playing fake lovers or else people will just dismiss it as nonexistant."

"Why this now?" Crystal rolled her eyes. "Is it getting that bad?"

Sirius shrugged.

"Alright, how about we go for a walk then?" Crystal offered, looking straight into his eyes. "My parents have sent me a letter, so I have to go to the tower. outside the castle."

"And while going there and coming back people will see us together. Very clever." Sirius smiled.

"That's the plan." She shrugged.

Crystal stayed silent waiting for Sirius' reply or reaction.

"Let's go then."

She nodded as both started to leave to the tower outside thecastle. They were walking closer together, not holding hands, not touching, just closer. But both had already spent enough time together to not feel threatened by the closeness.