S O R R Y
xxviii||hogsmead with regulus black
"I have a bad feeling about this." Maria mumbles as her and Regulus walk through the hall and Regulus rolls his eyes slightly. Maria plays with the sleeve of Regulus' jacket as they walk towards the path to Hogsmead.
"That's not exactly what a man wants to hear on a first date, you know?" Regulus says and Maria gives him a look.
"Everyone's staring."
Regulus looks around. Yes, most of the scattered students on their way to Hogsmead or back to the castle are gawking at the unexpected pair with wide eyes and gaping mouths. The boy sighs and considers what to say before smirking and leaning down next to her ear.
"Why wouldn't they?" Regulus shrugs carelessly. "You're gorgeous, I'm gorgeous."
Maria gives him another look and the Black laughs slightly, his hands in the pockets of his leather jacket and hers buried under the sleeves of his jacket that he leant to her — one he doesn't expect he'll get back in a while. Trudging down the long path to Hogsmead, the duo chat about random things like why Maria and her family aren't in the 'sacred 28' and why Regulus learnt French when he was just a young boy.
"So you're like, fluent?" Maria questions as they reach the small village, smiling slightly at the sight of Hogsmead in the evening, the street lamps dim with small, orange flames fluttering inside them and pupils of Hogwarts scattered around, most in the Three Broomsticks because of the drop in temperature since midday. Others are younger, most likely fourth years hurrying to get some pranking supplies from Zonko's joke shop in time to try and match the level of the marauders annual, end of year prank — which Maria is assuming to be a big one this year, as it's their last. Maria is just praying that Lily had dragged James to another study hall for their N.E.W.T's and they aren't sat in the inn.
"Mostly." Regulus nods, leading them towards the warmth of the Three Broomsticks, eager to drink some butter-beer and finally heat up. February is always still freezing in Scotland, as annoying as it is to the students of the school for magic.
"Say something." Maria almost dares and Regulus raises his eyebrows at her.
"Fine—uhh. . . viens chercher de la bièraubeurre avec moi avant que je meure de froid"
"Excuse me?"
"Come and get this bloody butter-beer with me before I freeze to death." Regulus translates and Maria rolls her eyes, shoving the heavy door open and instantly feeling warmer as they step into the cozy inn. The sweet yet strong scent of butter-beer and fire whisky invading their senses, it's quite busy and Maria spots a table in a corner, perfect.
"You go get that table, I'll get the drinks." Regulus says and Maria goes to protests but he presses his finger to her lips, his ring cold on her skin and she sighs, leaning back and pressing a kiss to his finger before strolling over to the booth.
"Two butter-beers please." Regulus says politely to Madam Rosmerta who eyes him before beginning to fill two transparent mugs with the golden, steamy liquid.
"Take care of her, hm?" Madam Rosmerta says, sprinkling some cinnamon on Maria's like she usually has it and Regulus gives her a small smile, nodding and Rosmerta offers him a grin as she hands him the drinks.
Regulus joins Maria at the table and slides into the booth next to her, carefully placing the full butter-beer's on the scrubbed wood, handing Maria the one topped with cinnamon and she gasps softly.
"Cinnamon? You're amazing Regulus Black." Maria whispers, taking a sip of the drink and Regulus is about to object and say that it was actually Rosmerta when he catches the innkeeper's eye from across the room and she shakes her head, giving him an encouraging wink before going back to serving some men fire whisky.
"So, you can speak like any word in French?"
"Ria, when I said I was fluent in French, what did you think I meant?"
"Say something else."
"Why?"
"I don't know. . .it sound nice." Maria says softly and Regulus' lips twitch slightly making her roll her eyes exasperatedly. "You know what I mean!"
"Uh—pensez-vous que nous avons été écrits dans les étoiles?" Regulus whispers and Maria frowns, her eyebrows pulled together and her mouth slightly open, their faces nearing each other.
"What does that mean?" The brunette breathes and Regulus smirks slightly.
"Maybe another day." He whispers, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear when Maria catches a glimpse of fiery red hair emerging from the bathrooms and gasps. Regulus turning and seeing the same thing, Maria grabbing his head and shoving him so he's ducked under the table. Regulus almost falls into the table leg and quickly grips onto Maria's thigh making her jolt slightly as she tries to act natural.
"Maria?" Lily says happily and Regulus sighs exasperatedly, letting his head drop against her leg. "Wow—where's Clary and Danielle?"
"Oh—I was actually here with. . .Sirius! But he went to. . .go to the men's room." Maria says quickly as Marlene also joins Lily, along with Dorcas who looks down and smirks slightly, eyeing Regulus who's crouched beneath the table uncomfortably in amusement.
"Right we'll, we'd better be off." Dorcas clears her throat cheerfully. "Don't want to keep James waiting, do you Lily?"
"Oh—gosh yeah!" Lily breathes d Marlene looks at Maria's confused expression.
"Date night." Marlene whispers loudly and Maria nods, sucking in a breath at the feeling of Regulus' curls tickling her leg unintentionally — well, maybe it was a bit intentional.
"Well, let's go." Dorcas and Marlene give Maria a look that clearly reads 'you're not done with this yet' and they drag Lily from the table and out of the inn.
"God Reg." Maria sighs, leaning her head back in the chair as Regulus clambers back up from beneath the table, a smug smirk on his beautiful face. Maria lets out a deep breath as she takes a gulp of her butter-beer and Regulus does the same.
Maria almost choked on hers when she sees Regulus place his down with froth above the corner of his lip and he raises an eyebrow questioningly at the Porter girl who places her mug down.
"You've got. . ." She gestures to his lip and he wipes the wrong place about three times before Maria sighs, getting closer to him and pressing her lips to his, her hand resting on his jaw before she slowly pulls back slightly, licking her own lips free of froth and Regulus smiles at her, completely mesmerised by Maria Potter.
"You're beautiful, you know that?" Regulus whispers and she smiles at him softly, gently pecking his lips once more before she backs away slightly, looking over at three people that have just entered the inn and her eyes widen ever so faintly.
Evan Rosier, Gasper Avery and Ruben Mulciber.
Maria feels Regulus stiffen beside her, obviously spotting the trio of seventh year Slytherins also and she slides her hand down and intertwines his own with it. The brunette feels him relax slightly under her touch but he quickly goes rigid once again as Avery's eyes lock on the pair and the blonde smirks maliciously, nudging his two friends. The three wizards all stare intensely at the duo for a few tense moments before continuing towards the bar to order their drinks.
"Do you want to leave?" Maria whispers and Regulus looks at them again and then back at her, seeing her empty mug and smiling softly — as if trying to reassure her — before nodding.
They thank Madam Rosmerta as they stroll out of the inn, Maria instantly shivering at the chilled breeze that flows through the village, whistling in the distance.
"I should've listened to you—this was a bad idea." Regulus rambles, clearly paranoid about the three Slytherins. "I'm so sorry—they—"
Maria hushes him, grabbing his collar and pulling him down to her, their lips locking firmly together and she feels Regulus sigh against her pink tinted lips as they separate, vaguely flushed, the two continue their stroll through the village and down the path back towards the colossal school, their hands discreetly interlocked between them.
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When Maria enters the Gryffindor common room, her hair moderately messed up and her cheeks flushed a light shade of pink, Marlene and Dorcas are sat with the same expression Minerva wears when she's about to ask the boys who pulled a prank. Maria is then dragged up the stairs and shoved into the seventh year girls dormitory, sighing as she slumps onto Lily's empty bed.
"So. . .Regulus Black, hmm?" Dorcas says slowly and Maria groans, falling back onto the scarlet sheets and she hears Dorcas and Marlene whispering excitedly.
"Look, just please don't tell J—"
"Oh my gosh! I knew it—didn't I tell you Dorcas!" Marlene says loudly, her eyes wide with excitement as she gapes and grins at the same time. "Babes you're lucky, we won't tell James."
"Thank you." Maria breathes, getting up and sitting on the bed with the two other girls, Dorcas biting her lip in apprehension, as if trying to resist lifting something out.
"Is he a good kisser?" Dorcas gushes, grabbing Maria's hands and Maria nods. "Gosh, tell me about it!"
"It's amazing—he has this hair—it's just so. . .soft!" Maria finally begins to ramble to Dorcas who's nodding with amazement, Marlene looking amused as she watches and listens. "And his hands—Merlin-they're everywhere!"
"Everywhere?"
"Almost everywhere." Maria gives Marlene a look and Marlene shrugs with a smirk. "And his eyes—
"Who's eyes?" Mary asks, intrigued, as her and Alice stroll into the room, Alice clutching a strange cactus-like plant that she probably got assigned to take care of for her herbology N.E.W.T.
"Maria's new boyfriend—"
"What boyfriend?" Mary asks loudly, now also squeezing onto the bed with them, Alice placing her plant near the window before joining them.
"Can we tell them—please?" Dorcas asks pleadingly and Maria rolls her chocolate eyes but nods. "Regulus. Black." Dorcas states dramatically and Mary and Alice gape for a few seconds.
"I thought you hated the boy!" Mary breathes, half confused, half thrilled. "I mean—the whole potion thing."
"I always love when people who hate each other fall in love." Alice says faintly and Maria's eyes widen.
"Oh—love—no I don't think—"
"There's still time, doll." Marlene smirks, taking a swig of the fire whisky she'd stashed underneath her bed. "Just you wait."
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