＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚
Rune followed the sound of the taunts and found herself in a clearing just in front of The Black Lake.
There was a fourth year Hufflepuff on the ground and Mulciber and Avery stood above her, with their wands out and filthy smirks on their faces.
"Merrick," sneered Mulciber, speaking to Avery but looking down at the girl. "Do you know any wizarding Merrick families, Avery?"
"Can't say I do," mused Avery, bending down and taking the girls hair between his fingers. "Tell me, who in your family is a witch or wizard?"
She tried to get up but Mulciber gripped a handful of her hair. "Tell us."
"Please stop it," pleaded the girl, moving her face away from Avery who drew closer.
"It's going to cry," chortled Mulciber. "This little mudblood is going to cry all over us, Avery. Get it ready."
Avery slid a finger across the girl's face, down her neck and grabbed her arm, quickly pushing up her sleeve to reveal her arm.
Mulciber bent down and poked his wand to the girl's arm. When she cried out in pain, Rune decided it was time to make her appearance known.
"What are you doing?"
Both Mulciber and Avery turned to her. Rune's eyes caught sight of the girl's arm.
Three letters were etched into her skin.
M.U.D.
She knew the rest was yet to come.
"Just having some fun," grinned Mulciber. His eyes travelled from Rune's to her wand which was gripped tightly in her hand. "You keep walking, Westwood."
Rune scoffed. "Let her go."
Mulciber laughed openly. He met her stare and pronounced the word perfectly. "No."
Rune nodded. "I was hoping you'd say that."
In an instant, ropes had shot out of her wand and a wall-like barrier slammed both Avery and Mulciber against the trees. Vines with thorns sprung out of the ground securing them in place and twining over their mouths to silence them.
Rune looked at the terrified girl on the floor. "Are you okay?"
She tried to say something, but it came out as gibberish, so she just nodded.
"You should get to the infirmary first, so it doesn't get infected. And then we can go to Dumbledore to—"
"No, no." The girl pulled down her sleeve. "No, I'm fine. I don't want to—"
"What in Merlin's name happened here?"
Both girls turned to where Regulus had appeared and where he stood surveying the area from the girl on the ground, to his dormmates gagged and tied up to the tree, to Rune with her wand still out.
"Did you do this?" he questioned, in surprise.
And maybe even in awe.
Rune hoped she wasn't imagining it.
"To those two," she said, pointing at them with their wands and smiling when they quivered, "Yes. And quick word of advice, stop being friends with them."
"I'm not," he said sharply.
Rune turned to insist on taking the girl to the Infirmary, but it seemed the girl took the momentary distraction to make a run for it. She caught the back of her, rushing away in the distance.
"Well," she said, tucking her wand away. "My charity for the day is done."
She began to walk back on path, when Regulus hurried in front of her blocking her way.
"Let's finish our date."
"No," she said, thinking of how awkwardly they sat in Madam Puddifoot's and visibly cringing. "Spare me the horror."
"Come on," he said, holding up a paper bag that she must have missed when he first appeared. "It's your first date. At least let me make it Acceptable."
She sighed. "I don't want to judge my dates using O.W.L scores."
When he just looked at her in anticipation of her answer, she relented slightly, "What's in the bag?"
"Stay with me and find out."
"Is it edible?" she asked. The answer of that question was going to be her deciding factor.
"Yes."
"Fine, I'll stay," she replied haughtily.
"Follow me then."
Rune walked barely 15 steps forward when he stopped and placed the bag on the ground. He looked around, squinting slightly before saying, "This should do it." He turned to her, "Do you wanna—?"
"Jump?" she asked in shock.
"No," he clicked his tongue. "Sit."
"Oh..." She glanced around, her eyes stopping on Mulciber and Avery. "What about the audience?"
From the corner of her eye, she saw Regulus flick his wand at them and then she watched their bodies go limp.
"They'll be out cold for hours. We'll be fine," he said and with that, he removed his shoes and socks and sat down, lowering his feet into the water of the lake.
She sat down beside him and kicked her shoes off. And then, she dangled her legs over the edge until her toes hit the water.
It took her a few seconds to realize that no iciness had bit into her skin, and she turned to Regulus, "What spell?"
"Water-heating," he said, with his pride in his mouth. "You must be wondering why it's not scalding our skin. It's because Thanpurts Thermodynamic Law comes into place and the iciness of the lake's water mixes with the boiling water and creates room temperature water."
She rolled her eyes. "I would have figured out the rest as soon as you said Water-heating, smartarse."
He gave her a sly grin before motioning to the bag. "Eat. If you want to."
She didn't need to be told twice. She had skipped breakfast to get ready and she wanted nothing more than to eat.
She pried the bag open and had to keep herself from moaning in happiness at the contents. Sandwiches, fruit, pies, puddings, cakes, and Butter Beer.
"Where'd you get all this from?"
He shrugged. "Madam Rosmerta keeps a stash ready for people who know about it."
"How do you know about it?"
"Rabastan," answered Regulus, glancing at Rune for her reaction.
She rolled her eyes and lifted the goblet of Butter Beer to her lips. Just before she could sip it, she paused and asked, "Did you poison it?"
"I'm fairly certain you'll still drink it if I say yes."
"I will," she confirmed. "I just want to know if I should savor it as my last meal is all."
"Oh yeah, it's poisoned. Venomous Tentacula."
Rune gulped it down in one sip and smacked her lips. "My favorite."
Regulus reached for the other butterbeer, but Rune nicked it first and gave him a grin before chugging it down all at once.
"What are you?" He sneered, grabbing a sandwich and taking an aggressive bite out of it. "A hog?"
She snarled at him. "You have no way of speaking to girls."
"Excuse you. I'm perfectly talented with girls. It's you who's the problem."
She sniggered and took a sandwich. It was a Ploughman's sandwich- her favorite.
"I'd believe you, if it weren't for the nickname," she told him.
He stopped chewing. "What nickname?"
Rune's lips twitched at the corners. "Don't you know what we call you?"
"Who's we?"
"Us girls." She took a satisfying bite of her sandwich and chewed slowly before saying, "It's whispered in the bathrooms and classrooms and dorms. Haven't you heard?"
"What is it? Regulus The Great?"
She shook her head with a smirk. "You wish."
"What is it really?"
"Rectile Regulus."
"What does it mean?"
She squinted slightly at him before dropping her eyes to his lap and then chuckling as she looked away.
"What?!" he insisted.
"We all know you're brains and beauty but no brawl, so people have started making their... speculations."
"About what?" he asked in a horrified tone.
"Someone started a rumor that you have..." she cleared her throat, "Erectile issues. The story spread and now everyone runs with it. That's why you turn every girl away and you're cold as ice. Because you're... underperforming."
Regulus stared at her with his jaw hanging open. "Who said that?"
"Can't say," she hummed playfully.
"Westwood..."
"Say please."
He scoffed.
"Fine, suit yourself."
"Please," he gruffed.
"Pretty pretty please with a cherry on top?"
Regulus inhaled sharply. "Pretty pretty please with a cherry on top."
"Who's the prettiest person you know?" she asked, playing with him since he was now at her mercy.
"You," he answered before gagging.
"Irma Purkiss."
"That gnome." He snarled, "She's bitter because I turned her offer down after Slughorn's Party."
"Either way, everyone believes it." Rune dropped her eyes to his lap once more before looking into his eyes. "Heart to heart, Black- is it true?"
He laughed humorlessly. "Shall we make a quick visit to my dorm and do a check, sweetheart?"
"Oh yeah," she said, with a smile. "Then you won't have erectile issues, you won't have an erectile."
He ran his fingers through his hair. "So, everyone believes it?"
Rune nodded enthusiastically and then motioned him closer with two fingers. "Come here."
He inched closer to her, and she lowered her voice to a whisper. "I'm willing to make a deal with you."
"About what?"
"If you... give me some dirt on Rabastan Lestrange, I will personally see to it that all talk of your 'Rectile Regulus'-ness is abolished."
Regulus stared at her. "Rabastan and I are closer to each other than we are to our blood brothers."
"Then I'm sure you'll give me something spectacular."
When he wasn't convinced, she inched closer to him and said, "I can be very generous in my persuasions."
Regulus seemed to weigh his options and within seconds, he leaned in and whispered something which had her lips curving upwards instantly.