BOUQUET OF TRAGEDIES. ❜⠀⠀❪ regulus black. ❫ -DISCONT.

TWENTY THREE; ❝ THE REALITY SHE MISSED ❞

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⠀⠀⠀Manon was frozen. He was so different than the boy she'd befriended over the little time he'd been here. The Atticus she knew was charming enough to knock your panties off and he was smart, really fucking smart, like Merlin level smart. And surprisingly, he was also nice and kind, not too much to be a doormat, but enough for it to be considered a part of his personality and character.

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⠀⠀⠀But the Atticus over here, was cold, calculating, intimidating like one of those filthy rich and prejudiced Slytherin and Ravenclaw families. For the first time in Manon's eyes, he absolutely reeked of power and old money, just like the Sacred Twenty-Eight. He was dark, he was the monster lurking in the shadows under your bed, in your closet and the corner of your room. She saw it in his eyes; the nearly overflowing icy wrath and the ability to be wicked and evil beyond imagination. All he needed was a sliver of an opportunity, the rest of it he could easily figure out.

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⠀⠀⠀And Manon was absolutely terrified.

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⠀⠀⠀"I must say though, I'm quite surprised to see you here, exchanging your daily pleasantries once again."

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⠀⠀⠀Suddenly serious, Regulus straightened up and gave the cocky boy a challenging look. "Why so?" Manon could only look between them, breath caught in her throat and heart going wild.

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⠀⠀⠀"Well, not to sound like a quidnunc, but I couldn't help but express my concern over your - ah, girl issues. Rumours say that you've inexplicably fallen head-over-heels for a girl and have recruited your most loyal subject, Avery, to help you forget her. I'm worried about you actually."

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⠀⠀⠀A siren flashed in Regulus' eyes, and he gave Atticus a look of warning. "Don't. Accardi, if you know what's best for you, don't you fucking say another word."

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⠀⠀⠀A twisted, wicked, sick smile crawled its way onto his cold face like a poisonous spider. "I do know, Black, I do, but I'm sincerely just concerned about you. Even after multiple mental breakdowns and promises to forget our dear Manon Potter here, you still continue to get yourself involved with her. And even above all of that, you clearly know you're no good for her yet you still-"

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⠀⠀⠀"What the fuck."

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⠀⠀⠀Manon didn't know what happened right after, her head was too consumed by Atticus' words. The next thing that she was able to register was that the Ravenclaw boy was on the ground with Regulus on top of him, fist raised and ready to crash into the former's satisfied smirk, and multiple teachers were rushing over and screaming at them to stop. McGonagall grabbed a fistful of Regulus' quidditch robes and hauled him right off. She even had to cast a spell to restrain him with invisible ropes. Flitwick and Slughorn were both helping Atticus up who had erased all signs of devilry from his face and replaced them with confusion, hurt and pellucid anger. Hatred was burning in the air around them, exuding out from both boys, and it was evident to even the clueless teachers that there was some history here.