＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚
Rune grinned as she chewed happily on her piece of chocolate cake which was still warm from being baked.
"So..." asked Tina, wearily, "There's no update?"
The Slytherin shrugged and smiled. "It is what it is. I've come to terms with it."
Mason looked relieved. "I thought you were going to go crazy and do something ridiculous for a second. Thank Merlin."
Rune glared at him in annoyance but instead of retaliating, she chose to heap another spoonful of chocolate cake for herself.
I am mature, she kept telling herself mentally. I am mature.
"Well, at least the Rabastan chapter is over," said Tina, with a forced laugh.
"Mmh," hummed Rune, placing the spoon in her mouth. "At least."
As Mason feared, she was indeed crazy.
The Rabastan chapter was not even close to over.
Rune was, in fact, just getting started.
***
Rune tried her absolute best to ignore Evan's watchful gaze as she tried to draft her essay on the Invigoration Draught for Potions. It wasn't going too well. He kept breathing and chewing loudly enough that it disrupted her train of thought.
"Shut up!" she hissed at him.
He was sitting at the table, across from her, with his head rested on his hand. He gave her a filthy look. "I'm not even speaking!"
"You're breathing loudly. Stop it, I can't concentrate."
"Get some damn ear plugs then," he said angrily. "I can't stop breathing!"
She grimaced at him, before bringing her hand up and holding it over her face.
"So," said Evan, in a much quieter voice, "Are you going to tell me what's happening, or should I ask him?"
From the clueless look she put on and gave him, it was difficult to discern that she knew exactly what he was talking about. "What's going on with what?"
"You and Lestrange."
"Why would you think anything is going on?"
Evan sighed, "Jeez, I don't know. Maybe because every time he's come within a two-meter radius of you for the last few days, you've vanished completely from sight!"
"Huh," said Rune thoughtfully. "That's a keen observation, Evan. Good job."
"Fine, you're not going to tell me, I'll just ask him. And just so you know, Rabastan sleeps literally in the bed next to me."
"If you want faster answers, he's sitting on the couch by the fireplace. Why wait?"
"I'll ask him in my own time," muttered Evan.
Rune didn't look up from her essay. "Cool."
"You're annoying, did you know?"
At this, she broke out into a smile and nodded. "I know."
Her smile grew wider when she heard him muttering a string of curses under his breath and felt the daggers from his eyes.
A few minutes passed before she looked at him and frowned. "Why are you getting so irritated?"
"Have you thought that perhaps you are irritating? Just a thought," he snarled.
"Unless," said Rune tauntingly, "You already asked him."
When she saw his expression fall, she gasped. "I knew it! I knew it was taking you too long to ask. You're a nosy little git."
"You're an annoying big git," he replied immaturely.
"I take it he didn't tell you, so now you're trying your luck with me." She smirked, "Oh, I bet the suspense is killing you. You must be doing all you can to find the story."
"Shut up, Rune," he snapped, as he threw a handful of Bertie Bott's beans at her before shoving some into his mouth and gagging almost immediately. "I think I just got a mouthful of earwax!"
Rune picked a red one and placed it in her mouth. "Mmh," she grinned happily. "Raspberry."
"Water!" panted Evan as he abandoned Rune at the table and ran out in search of something to wash away the earwax flavoring.
Rune kept working at her essay even as the students around her retired to bed. She just began writing her concluding paragraph when she saw long, slender fingers grab the top of her parchment and pull it away.
"Hey!" hissed Rune, looking at the perpetrator.
To no one's surprise, she found Regulus Black standing at her side and scanning her essay.
"What are you doing?"
"You said if I go out with you, you'll help me study," he replied.
She pulled her essay back. "You said we're on a trial period. I won't help until it's final. Besides, are you really going to be proud of yourself for coming first only because I'm not competing?"
He pulled the chair from beside her and sat down. "I'll be proud of myself as long as you are anywhere below me."
Rune realized that she was reading too many racy books because her mind went somewhere he had clearly not intended for it to go.
When she saw him take out his blank parchment and ink and set it on the table, she frowned. "Is there a reason you're sitting right next to me? The whole Common Room is practically empty."
Regulus sighed as he dipped his quill into the ink. "How do you think people are going to think that we're going out with each other if we don't spend time together?"
"The Hogsmeade trip is this weekend," she said.
"Hmm?"
"It's Valentines Day on Saturday. If people see us together, then—"
"Woah." Regulus stilled. "You want to spend Valentines Day together?"
"Yeah, what do you think I meant when I asked you to go out with me?"
"Right," he said sheepishly. "Right. Then to answer why I'm sitting next to you; we can't just show up on Valentines Day together out of the blue. It's got to be a gradual process."
"So, this is part of the process?"
"Yes." He looked around the room and pointed to the table in the corner where a seventh-year couple sat studying together. "Studying together is what people who go out with each other do."
Regulus and Rune watched the couple for a moment before both of them hurriedly looked away when the couple snogged.
"Is that also what people who go out with each other do?" asked Rune, holding her hand up in front of her eyes to shield her eyes from the snogging spectacle.
"Uh—" He faltered uncharacteristically before saying, "Yes... But we don't need to do that. We can just make people think we do that."
"Ew," fretted Rune. "I don't want anyone thinking I do that with you!"
"Then do tell what you want them thinking please."
She hesitated and then said, "People must just think we're going out. You know, we've taken a mutual liking to each other. No need for snogging and all that. It can be a purely emotional relationship that relies on... emotions."
She looked at him for his reaction and he looked completely stumped.
"What is this?" he asked, as his lips turned into a sneer, "The 1800's? No one's going to believe that. In fact, I'm pretty sure couples snogged in Merlin's era as well."
"Ugh fine!" she conceded. "Make sure you tell your friend, Rabastan, about our super steamy snogging sessions."
Regulus looked alarmed. "Why would I do that?"
"You just said—!"
"What is going on here?" asked Evan's worried voice.
Rune snapped her head in his direction and motioned to the parchment that lay on the table and the ink. "Studying."
"I heard something about steamy snogging sessions!" claimed Evan, holding his hand over his mouth as his gaze darted between Regulus and Rune.
"Oh dear," uttered Regulus, feigning guilt as he looked at Rune. She caught the subtle spark of mischief in his eyes. "Looks like we've been caught, darling."
All Rune could do was curse mentally as Evan ran up the stairs yelling, "Black and Westwood are hooking up!"
It seemed Tina might have been right. The Rabastan chapter was over, because Rune was officially entering The Regulus Chapter.