S O R R Y
vi||the astronomy tower
The weeks that follow after the potions incident are strange to say the least. Maria had barely spoken to Regulus, not even the snarky remark or the sarcastic comment that is totally uncalled for. This makes Regulus think something is seriously wrong with the brown eyed girl. Seriously wrong. He can't recall a time in the last week when she's said something like 'shove off, Black' or 'don't mock me, Black'. He can't recall the last time she's used his last name with such venom.
She's just sit there. Occasionally stirring their potion whilst Regulus read from his book, turns out they're quite the 'dream team' — as Slughorn would phrase it — when they're not at each other's heads like cats and dogs.
No, at first he thought he was dreaming. That he would wake up and see the usual sarcastic girl when he returned to potions class. But on this day, she doesn't show up at potions class.
Why? He doesn't know.
Not that he cares or anything, but doing your potion work alone surrounded by people in pairs is tricky, even for a good potions student like Regulus.
So this is when he finds himself walking up the stairs to the astronomy tower with his hands in his leather jacket's pockets.
A good few steps from the top he hears a faint sniffling sound and his eyebrows furrow slightly as he continues to walk up at a slower pace.
Once he reaches the top he sees the back of someone, brunette hair cascading down their back and a baggy grey hoodie to shield them from the chilly breeze on the tower.
Smoke is blown out and up from the girl and Regulus Black finally realised who it is. Maria Euphemia Potter. Sat with her legs dangling over the edge of the tower and her chin resting on her arm that's propped on the lowest railing.
Regulus considers his options for a few seconds. He can either slowly sneak back down and pretend that he'd never seen her, he could approach her and make a sarcastic observation, or he could just walk over and sit there.
The tousle haired boy curses himself as he walks over and sits next to the girl wordlessly, looking out on the miles of fields and mountains.
He feels strangely at peace next to the Potter girl, he's never been one for 'comfortable' silence. But in this case, he could sit there forever, staring out across the empty grounds.
Maria doesn't need to look to know who it is, she figures it out instantly at the scent of strong, expensive cologne and the faint, barely noticeable, scent of cigarette smoke lingering on his usual leather jacket.
"What are you doing up here?" Maria asks quietly and Regulus shrugs, neither of them taking their eyes off the scenery.
Regulus ponders how to respond, usually he'd make a witty comment like 'could ask you the same question' but as he flickers his eyes quickly to the girl he noticed how tired she looks.
"It's peaceful." Regulus states as he stares back at the hills.
"Yeah."
"Somehow I feel like we only talk civilly when we're a dangerous height off the ground." Regulus remarks and Maria laughs. It's a small laugh, barely loud enough for his ears to make out. But she did. And he heard.
The brown eyed girl sighs quietly and hands her cigarette to Regulus who looks from it to her before gently taking it from her and taking a long drag, inhaling the deadly chemicals before handing it back to her.
"Why are you up here?" Regulus inquires and Maria looks at him, noticing how actually genuine he sounds.
"James is making me take a day off." Regulus' eyebrows furrow so she elaborates, "he's convinced I'm too sick to go to class."
"Did you go to Madam Promfrey?" To this, Maria nods with a small eye roll, "what did she say?"
"She said that James was overreacting, like I did, and then he proceeded to say that he's head boy and that his student is sick." Maria smiles slightly, sounding amused at her brother's behaviour.
Regulus gives a half smile before looking back to the view, the sun now setting in beautiful pinks and oranges. Regulus' mind travels to Sirius, wondering what it would be like if he hadn't fought with their mother that night, if he hadn't left. He doesn't let himself dwell on it usually, his parents are horrible people and treated Sirius terribly.
In fact, Sirius was the only reason that Regulus never got scolded or hit, because Sirius would always take the blame, feeling responsible for his little brother's protection — considering their parents didn't.
But now Sirius is gone. And Regulus is left alone with his parents — who are now worse than ever because they're still furious that Sirius embarrassed them by running off to live with the Potters.
"What was wrong, the other days in potions?" Regulus questions and Maria purses her lips.
"It's a long story."
"I can keep up." Regulus smirks and Maria rolls her eyes, the faintest smile on her lips, "and I'm also quite a good listener."
"Really?" Maria laughs, looking at him in fake shock, "Regulus Black. The person who always interrupts my sentences is a good listener?"
"Okay, okay." Regulus says, "I'm a good listener, when I want to be."
"You're a dick." Maria deadpans and Regulus rolls his eyes with a smirk.
"You're only saying that because you secretly have a thing for me." Regulus winks and she laughs, properly this time.
"Me? A thing for Regulus Black?" Maria gasps, placing a hand on her forehead, "I'd jump off this tower right now."
"I should take that as offensive, but it's nice to know you'd throw yourself off a tower, all for little old me."
"Piss off."
"Never."
"You're such a nuisance, Regulus." Regulus' mouth opens for a second before clamping shut. Regulus. He must be dreaming. Maria Potter, the girl who has hated his guts and he's hated hers, since third year actually called her by his first name, instead of a cold 'Black'.
He shakes it off, taking it as a heat of the moment type of thing. They're being civil, for once, people who are civil use their first names.
"And you're a pest."
"You're an arsehole."
"And you love it."
"I—what?" Maria splutters and Regulus snickers that he caught her off guard, "you're such an irritable twat."
"Hm, you're avoiding my initial question." Regulus says and she sighs, pulling down the sleeves of her jumper so that they cover her hands. It's practically dark out now, just the tiniest flicker of light from the sun that's almost way behind the hills.
"My mum and dad owled us on Sunday, turns out they won't be home for Christmas this year." Maria mumbles and Regulus' eyebrows pull together in confusion, "they're aurors, always out on dangerous missions and stuff." Maria plays with a charm bracelet hanging on her wrist, "the longest they were away was in summer, three months. They only owled once every two weeks because of all the work."
"I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault." Maria shrugs with a deep sigh and Regulus bites the inside of his cheek.
"Still, I'm sorry." Regulus repeats and she smiles slightly at him, "so. . .after this, do we go back to hating each other?"
"I think so." Maria whispers after a long pause, "I mean, you're the Slytherin heart throb, and I'm the Gryffindor quidditch captain's sister."
"Heart throb?" Regulus smirks slightly and Maria scoffs with an eye roll.
"Is that all you caught from that?" She asks with one eyebrow raised and Regulus purses his lips.
"I could lie. . ."
"Honestly." Maria scoffs, looking at the now pitch black sky that's scattered with bright stars. "Where are you?"
Regulus looks up to the sky and instantly knows where to look, after years of doing it with Sirius.
"There." He points and she squints, turning to him.
"Where?"
"There!"
"Where is there?!"
"Oh my god." Regulus breathes, taking her wrist in his hand and pointing with her own hand. Maria sees where he's pointing and smiles slightly but a light pink colour dusts her cheeks when she feels his breath on her shoulder that her hoodie is hanging off.
"And that's Sirius." Regulus directs her hand to an especially bright star, "the brightest star in the sky."
"I bet that was annoying." Maria says and Regulus nods, slowly backing away to his original spot perked on the tower.
"The one thing he never stopped bragging about." Regulus smiles slightly and Maria purses her lips.
"We should go." Maria suggests, "don't want to be caught out here by Filch."
"Right." Regulus clears his throat, clearing his throat and holding a hand out to her. The girl rolls her eyes and grabs his hand, letting him hoist her to her feet. She takes one lady look at the star he's named after before walking down the spiral stairs, Regulus following close behind.
"Do you want me to walk you back?" Regulus asks as they reach the bottom of the stairs where they split off towards their own common rooms.
"No, I'll be all right." Maria says and he opens his mouth to retort but Maria holds up a hand, "I'm fine, you should go get some sleep."
Regulus raises an eyebrow as he starts to back away from her, "hate you."
"Hate you too." Maria snickers as she turns away from the grey eyed boy and begins to walk back towards her common room.
What is going on?
She'd just spent an hour on the astronomy tower with Regulus fucking Black. The boy who she's despised since third year. Her sworn enemy. Her biggest irritation.
Regulus Black.
And they were civil too, no arguing except from the odd use of sarcasm or derisive bickering. They had talked.
All she thinks as she lets her head hit the cotton pillow is: what the hell is wrong with me?
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