H I R A E T H
lxxii||a fox & a vixen
A low murmur spreads across the classroom when the subject of the lesson is revealed, Regulus' lips twitching when he sees Maria's eyes light up, knowing how long she's wanted to learn how to produce a patronus. The class quietens as the students look back towards Professor Rosemary who is smiling at the sight of the eager eyes looking at her.
"Okay, into pairs everyone, let's go!" She says enthusiastically and Regulus instantly looks to Maria who looks between him, Stan and Alyssa. Alyssa who looks rather down after their conversation about Stanley making her sigh and of towards Alyssa, Regulus frowning and meeting her in the middle of the blonde haired duo.
"She's upset, I'll talk to you about it later." Maria whispers and Regulus nods. "I just don't want to leave her to pair with Stan."
"No, it's okay—hey." He grabs her forearm, kissing her temple. "I love you."
"I love you." Maria grins, walking back I've to Alyssa who smiles softly at the girl.
"I'm sorry, you can go with Reg if you want to."
"No. . .why don't you go with Reg, I'll go with Stan." Maria winks and Alyssa sighs, nodding and Regulus smiles at her, ruffling her hair and making her slap his hand.
"What's with the mix up?" Stanley furrows his eyebrows, joining Maria and she sighs. "What've I done?"
"No—it's just—"
"She hates me—oh fuck, it's cause we did it on the floor isn't it?" Stanley rambles, running his hands through his blonde hair making it stuck up and messy. "I knew—shit—she didn't like it—"
"Stanley—Merlin, shut up." Maria breathes and he goes silent. "She thinks. . ." Maria looks at Alyssa who nods. "That you're only having sex with her. . .just because it's sex."
"What?! No—Maria, you have no idea how much she means to me." Stan whispers and she smiles slightly. "I suppose I just don't want to hurt her, I'm scared of breaking her heart."
"You won't break her heart."
"See—that's what everyone says and suddenly I fuck up and she hates me." Stanley stresses and Maria bites her lip trying to prevent her grin. "What?"
"You love her." Maria sings and Stan stares at her for a few seconds.
"What? Nahh—me loving—Alyssa Greengrass—you know it's funny because she's actually allergic to grass—and she hates the colour green, that's why she said she hates the Slytherin uniform—" Stan pauses, looking at Maria and sighing in defeat, his shoulders sagging. "I mean, so what if I do?"
"You've got to tell her, Stanley." Maria whispers with a small smile. "You might surprise yourself."
"Alright! Wands out everyone!"
"That's very personal." Stanley snickers and Maria elbows him making him grimace and clutch his ribs. "Okay—sorry Professor Rosemary." He chokes out and Maria smiles in achievement.
"Thank you for that Mr Harper, now, I'm sure you've all heard about patronus charms throughout your time at Hogwarts—can anyone please tell me the purpose of a patronus."
"It repels dementors and can be used to send detailed information to other wizards, particularly in emergencies." Maria states, grinning at Regulus who was stood with his mouth agape as he'd gone to speak but she'd beat him to it.
"Very good, Miss Potter." Professor Rosemary smiles. "Now, how many forms can a successful patronus take?"
"Two." Regulus says quickly and Maria narrows her eyes at her boyfriend who smirks as he speaks. "Incorporeal and corporeal."
"And what is an incorporeal patronus?"
"An incorporeal Patronus is one which does not resemble any living creature and has few distinguishing features." Maria states, straightening her posture. "It's sometimes used to hide a wizards identity."
"And a corporeal patronus?"
"One that is fully-formed, taking the shape of an animal." Maria says quickly and Regulus chuckles silently, pushing his tongue into the inside of his cheek. "It is the strongest form a Patronus can take, being able to fully drive Dementors away."
"Excellent, now, who can tell me what the key to producing a patronus is?"
"A happy memory." Regulus states and Stan snickers at Maria's petty facial expression, her arms folded over her stomach.
"Perfect, now for the incantation—repeat after me." She clears her throat. "Expecto patronum."
"Expecto patronum."
"Very good." She smiles cheerfully. "Now, watch carefully — you must have a powerful, happy memory prepared." The class nods and she clears her throat once again, waving her wand.
"Expecto patronum."
The students watch in awe as wisps of silvery vapor shoot out of Rosemary's wand, turning into a beautiful hare that prances happily throughout the room, hopping past Maria who smiles, her hair flipping around her as she turns to follow it, seeing in dash through the middle of Regulus and Alyssa before softly disappearing. The seventh years begin to do a quick round of applause for the teacher who smiles and jokingly curtsies, clearing her throat when she stands straight.
"Right—now, your turn." She gestures to the students. "Just, give it a go—remember, a very powerful memory. Off you go!"
"Bloody hell." Stan yawns, rubbing his eyes making Maria roll hers, thinking of what memory she could use. She knows Regulus had already mastered his patronus but she's never seen his corporeal one, only the ones used to send essential information to other witches sand wizards. "Right, go on then, Potter."
"Well, thank you." Maria scoffs slightly but with a smile on her face, Stan smirking at her.
"So. . .what exactly is going on with you and Stanley?" Regulus asks his friend who sighs, twirling her wand in her fingers. "And don't give me that 'we had a misunderstanding' shit that you two used to use in like fifth year."
"He feels things differently to me." Alyssa swallows, shrugging softly. "That's all."
Regulus' eyes soften as he stares at his best friend for a few seconds, his eyes them flicking between the two blonde Slytherins, one who's laughing at Regulus' girlfriend as wisps of silvery white shoot from her wand making her freak out and drop the wand onto the floor; one who's watching like he is, wishing to be in Maria's very position.
"He might feel things differently, but he certainly feels things, Lyss, especially for you." Regulus smiles, patting her shoulder and she offers him a thankful smile. "Just. . .give him some time."
"What? cause it took you four months to build up the courage to even kiss Maria?" Alyssa jokes and Regulus nudges her with an eye roll. "No—it's fine, I'm just having flashbacks to how completely in denial you were—"
"Okay, that's enough, let's get to work, please." Regulus mumbles and Alyssa grins, a laugh bubbling from her chest.
"So, what memory are you using—no wait, I'll guess." Stan says as Maria thinks of a strong memory. "Definitely Regulus—naked, in a bath of. . .milk—"
"Shut up Stanley." Maria groans, pushing him and he cackles. "I'm trying to concentrate."
"On what? Picturing Regulus in a bath of milk?"
"Oh my god."
Maria rakes through her brain for a memory she believes to be powerful enough; ones with her parents, with James, with the four marauders, Clary and Danielle, Regulus. She's had many happy memories, enough to drown out most of the terrible ones — ones of Lucius Malfoy, even of Bellatrix LeStrange, dragging a blade down her collarbone.
Shaking her head, Maria sighs, her brain having gone off on a tangent. She thinks to her third year at Hogwarts, it was James' fifteenth birthday party in the Gryffindor common room and Maria was upset because Regulus had been giving her grief about her interesting haircut. Remus and Sirius had slouched onto the sofa either side of the glum thirteen year old with frowns on their faces.
"What's the matter, Mari?" Remus had asked her and Sirius had smirked slightly, watching a fifth year girl swaying her hips as she danced, his actions made Maria roll her eyes because in her third year, she had a massive teenage crush on Sirius Black. He'd kissed her, the Christmas before James turned fifteen, eh was her first kiss.
"She's in a mood because dear Reggie was tormenting her about this haircut?" Sirius had tugged at her short, dark hair. "I find it rather beautiful, beautiful enough for me to be seen dancing with you."
He'd held out his hand and she'd looked at him before sighing and letting him take her hand, leading her into the teenagers mingling, singing and dancing with her to the upbeat songs.
She doesn't know why that memory came to mine, maybe because Sirius' actions had made her the happiest she'd felt in months, since her and James' grandmother had become ill from the fumes of dangerous plants. She'd had a love for herbology, which is what had encouraged Maria to get better at the subject.
"Expecto patronum." Maria says firmly, bursts of light shooting from her wand before dying out making her let out a frustrated sound at the back of her throat.
"Remember, this is an extremely difficult spell—it takes many tries to master so do not worry if you haven't got anything yet." Professor Rosemary reminds them and Maria looks around, seeing a few people had a animals of silvery white prancing around the room, making Maria even more agitated with her lack of ability.
Searching her mind again, she thinks to Christmas Eve in her fifth year of Hogwarts, Sirius and Remus were staying for the Christmas holidays and they were all sat in the living room of the Potter Manor, mugs of hot chocolate clutched in their hands whilst James rambled on about his specific liking towards a certain red haired muggle-born to his father, Remus and Sirius wefe having a joke about the new Minister for magic saying his haircut was worse than Maria's famous third year haircut which made her shoot them glares.
They all were so happy, the night prior had been the full moon, so Remus had some fresh cuts and bruises here and there - Maria now understands that he wasn't actually in a muggle gang that sold illegal drugs around the roughest streets of London.
Euphemia was cuddled up to her daughter on the sofa and was talking to her softly about Maria's recent break up with her first boyfriend that both James and Remus had threatened to murder brutally. The boy had tried using her, forcing her into things she wasn't yet comfortable with, not with him anyway, but Peter had caught him trying to slide his hand beneath her skirt in the empty common room and punched him straight in the nose, leaving it broken and Sirius had commented that it was 'intense' before scurrying over to Maria who was left completely in shock.
Euphemia had been in the middle of telling her that 'most boys are just little pieces of shit' when James had stood up and clinked his mug with his wand, gaining their attention as he'd cleared his throat.
"I'm extremely grateful for every one of your opinions, and I will happily say I'm continuing to try and get Lily Evans to crack and admit her undying love for me." It had been rather quiet in the room before Sirius had shrugged and raised his mug in the air.
"Cheers to that!"
"Expecto patronum."
Again, the light may have been brighter and lasted longer but nothing else happened. "Oh for god sake!" Maria huffs, biting the inside of her cheek in annoyance and Stan grimaces.
"Yeah. . .I don't think Regulus in a bath of milk is making you happy enough and making you more. . .sexually frustrated." Stanley states and Maria looks at him incredulously whilst he shrugs and holds his arms out, gesturing for her to go again. "Go on then."
Maria groans in annoyance but then she remembers the night they'd spent in Paris, not the sex, but when they'd finished cleaning up, Regulus had carried Maria onto the small balcony and set her on the hammock, clambering onto it with her and lying between her legs with his head resting on her lower stomach and her thighs had rested on his shoulders as she gently combed her fingers through the soft locks.
He'd been rubbing his hands up her calves and gently squeezing her knees before running his hands back down to her ankles.
"The stars are so clear here." Maria had mumbled and he'd hummed in response, looking up to the sky and seeing the small crescent moon between the numerous stars in the pitch black night sky.
"Yeah they are, beautiful too." Regulus had murmured, carefully flipping over and resting his chin on her stomach, watching as she lied back onto the pillows she'd brought out and a smile had etched on his lips. "Reminds me of someone."
She'd looked down at him, he'd looked like a work of art in the moonlight, his pale skin looking as soft as it actually is, his hair tousled and floppy on his head due to the fact that she'd washed his hair for him, applying an excessive amount of conditioner so she could run her fingers through his smooth hair. His storm grey eyes looked filled with some strange emotion she now recognises as love.
"And who might that be?"
"Hm, well, she's terrible at potions. . .but good at astronomy, I especially liked it when she was forced to say my name last year." Regulus had smiled cheekily as he'd lifted his hoodie that was on her body to leave soft kisses up her stomach. "She's honestly a severe pain in my arse-but, she's as beautiful as every star in the sky."
"Even yours?"
"Don't push boundaries, my love." He'd warned with a smirk that made her stomach swarm. "But, it's very possible. She's also lying right beneath me."
Maria smiles at the memory, waving her wand, "expecto patronum."
Beams of silvery light shoot from her wand before becoming a. . .fox. The fox prowls over and lets it's tail brush against Maira's leg making her smile excitedly.
"It's a fox?" Maria smiles as Professor Rosemary approaches her and the red haired teacher smile.
"Not just a fox, honey. A vixen." The woman points to something and Maira sees Regulus watching in amazement as another fox patronus approaches his own and nuzzled it's nose into the fox's neck before they both miraculously disappear and Maria looks at Rosemary who's smiling softly.
"Linked patronuses, a sign of true, compassionate love." Rosemary whispers to them before winking and strolling away, Regulus turning to Maria in surprise.
"At least I know you're not lying when you say you love me." Maria smiles and Regulus nods with a smile, kissing the side of her head affectionately as she went to see Alyssa's hedgehog patronus.
"Alright, mate?" Stan questions, seeing his distant expression after he'd managed tp produce a greyhound patronus that had almost tripped Alyssa up.
"I love her."
"I'm pretty sure everyone knows that, Regulus."
"No—I really love her, like—die for her love her." Regulus mumbles and Stan raises an eyebrow slowly.
"Yes, we've established this in numerous situations—Jesus." Stanley says and Regulus swallows, looking over at Maria who's laughing as her patronus sniffs at Alyssa's smaller one.
The girl he loves, has done for a while now. But seeing their linked patronuses made something clearer in Regulus' eyes, answering the question he'd asked her jokingly on a visit to Hogsmead and what was potentially their first date.
'pensez-vous que nous avons été écrits dans les étoiles?'
Yes, it seems that they are in fact, written in the stars.
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