Raven | 𝘙𝘦𝘨𝘶𝘭𝘶𝘴 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬

Chapter 26

After what felt like ages, the merpeople slowly vanished back into the dark waters one by one and so Alexandra and Regulus found themselves alone again in the middle of the Black Lake.

      Soon, with a tap of her wand, Alexandra made the boat magically float back to the shore, all the while they both had goofy smiles on their faces.

      Although when they hit the shore and were trying to get out of the boat, Regulus let out a loud yelp when he nearly fell into the water. But in the last moment he managed to obtain his balance so only his right leg got soaked in the lake, wet up to his knee length.

      "Ugh!" Regulus shrieked, jumping out of the lake and running toward the grass. He started shivering.

      "Merlin, calm down!" Alexandra laughed, taking out her wand and waving it at Regulus with a spell, causing his robes to go dry once more.

      "Sorry, I've got this weird thing with water, if I don't know what's underneath it," said Regulus with a grimace. "God knows what other strange creatures are down there..." He shuddered again at the thought.

      "There are no strange creatures, just blinkered people," Alexandra quoted with a smile.

      Regulus raised a brow at her. "Are you calling me blinkered?"

      "Depends. Would it hurt your feelings if I did?"

      "Maybe." Regulus shrugged. "Just a little sting at heart."

      "Too bad." Alexandra laughed carelessly, picking her bag off the grass and handing Regulus's to him.

       "I didn't know you had such a great voice," he said as they were making their way up to the castle.

       "Oh, thanks. Although, that wasn't my real voice."

      Regulus stopped in his tracks. "What? What do you mean?"

       "It was a charm." Alexandra giggled. "It had a magical effect on you, didn't it?"

       "Well, now that I think about it... yeah." He nodded. "I felt kinda... enchanted."

     "Yes, that's the effect it's supposed to have, so it would summon mermaids. They are drawn to beautiful voices and bring with themselves the magic of music."

      "You know..." Regulus started with a little smirk, "just when I thought you couldn't get any weirder, you did."

      "Thank you!" Alexandra smiled genuine at the complement, and she truly meant it.

      Regulus shook his head at her in disbelief, finding it amusing how she never recognized sarcasm or always took genuine compliments in things that were usually an insult to the others.

      "I better go up to the library," she said after a short pause. "I think I've left my quill there."

      "Oh... do you want me to come up there with you?" Regulus offered, but Alexandra shook her head.

      "No, thanks." She smiled. "I'll manage."

      "All right, then... I... um... I'll see you later?" he mused. "Maybe for the next Potions lesson?"

      "Don't count on it!" Alexandra chuckled as she started walking away, shouting back, "Goodnight, Reggie!"

      Regulus found himself laughing quietly as he watched her walk away from him, a small smile forming on his lips as he whispered, "Goodnight, Weirdo."

***

Regulus still felt slightly dazed after his time with Alexandra on the boat in the Black Lake, though he thought that it had nothing to do with his little phobia of deep and dark water.

      It had something to do with her.

       No matter what he did, he couldn't get her out of his head. Even his smile wouldn't leave his face as he walked back toward the Slytherin common room in the dungeons.

       From her voice, to her wondrous eyes, and all the way to her weird obsession with magical creatures and her passions, he had found himself drawn to Alexandra more than ever.

       When Regulus got to the entrance of the Slytherin common room, he said the password and the stone wall slid aside, allowing him in. But once he entered the room with the greenish tinge, he came to a halt ad someone called out his name.

      When he looked up, his heart sank as he spotted Avery and Mulciber inside the common room, sitting on the green couch before the fireplace. With an inaudible sigh, Regulus made his way toward them, avoiding their gazes.

       "Well?" Avery raised a brow at him as Regulus reached them. "Were you with the Starling girl?"

      "Yes," Regulus answered, though he had lost all the enthusiasm in his voice.

      "Good." Mulciber nodded. "We need to keep up with the plan. Our initiation happens this summer. We need to earn it."

       "I — w-well — well maybe I don't want to be a part of it anymore," Regulus said firmly, causing their eyes to turn on him.

      "What did you just say?" Avery said sharply, getting slowly to his feet. "You mean you don't want to become a Death Eater anymore?"

     "N-no." He shook his head weakly. "I do want to become one. There's no higher honor than being in the Dark Lord's service, for the sake of Pureblood supremacy."

     "Then...?" Avery questioned sternly, narrowing his eyes down at him.

      "I — I just think that maybe I'm not the right person for this task," Regulus finally said out loud.

      "Are you kidding?" Mulciber let out a scoff. "You've got the girl smitten. And they say Ravenclaws are smart." They both laughed, but Regulus remained quiet.

      "But why should I do this, anyway?" Regulus protested further. "I mean, what's even the point? I've been around the girl for a long time. She's got nothing that can help us."

       "The point is that the Dark Lord wants this, and that should be a good enough reason for you!" Avery snarled. "If the Dark Lord wants you to get closer to the girl and convince her to become a Death Eater, then that's exactly what you're going to do."