＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚
The night before O.W.L's
Stress was at an all-time high. Peace Draughts were being taken as often as water was being drank. The kitchens were being worked overtime to provide endless coffee and tea and snacks to aid energy refills.
No matter how many preparations had been done in advance, the fifth years still felt severely underprepared.
Rune was making herself a cup of tea when she felt soft hands tap her shoulder.
She turned to find Tina giving her a careful smile as she said, "Hi."
Rune faced forward again. She couldn't have expected Rabastan to tell her because he was Regulus' friend. She thought that Tina was hers.
But she thought wrong.
"I just wanted to wish you good luck for exams," said Tina.
"Mmh, thanks. You too."
"Woah, you guys fighting or something?" asked Mason in confusion.
"No," they chorused.
"Sure," murmured Mason.
"I'm just going to head up to bed," remarked Tina in a sad tone.
She waited for a moment hoping that Rune would say something, but when she didn't, Tina retired to bed.
Once she was out of earshot, Mason's eyebrows perked up. "So, you want to tell me what happened?"
"No."
"Please," he begged, moving his head in front of her face and forcibly making puppy-dog eyes at her.
"You look ridiculous."
"I think you mean irresistible," he grinned.
"Nope, I mean unpalatable," she retorted.
"Hmm so that means you did at some point think about how I might taste."
Rune narrowed her eyes at him. "Yeah, and it made me throw up."
Mason laughed as he raised his eyebrows at her. "You sure?"
"One hundred percent certain," she replied.
"Okay fine. Just please tell me what's going on."
"Why do you want to know?"
She stirred her tea and was about to lift it to her mouth, when he asked, "Please can you make me a cup too."
"No," she replied plainly. "You have hands, do it yourself."
"So mean," he replied, before adding on to answer her question, "I'm curious."
"Curiosity killed the cat, Bones."
"But satisfaction brought it back."
She turned to him. "What?"
"The full proverb goes like 'Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back'." When her eyes widened slightly, he clicked his tongue. "What? Do you think you and Black are the only people around here who know things?"
She smiled and clicked her fingers. "Fine. For my arrogance, you've earned yourself a cup."
As she took out the second mug, he asked, "How do I earn the gossip?"
"It might help your case if you find me something sweet to have with my tea."
In an instant, he disappeared into the backrooms of the kitchen as she added the teabag, sugar and water to the mug.
She was in the process of pouring his milk when three boys strolled into the kitchen, heaving loudly and reeking of thick cologne.
"Hi, Rune," greeted Barty, with a smile. He pointed to the second mug, "Aw, is that for me?"
"She's never even made me tea," complained Evan. "What makes you think she'll make for you? It's probably for Black."
"Er—" Rune glanced at Regulus just as Mason walked into sight and held up a tin of shortbread biscuits.
"Found some," he grinned. Then he turned to the three Slytherin's and nodded. "Hey."
"Oh." Barty raised his hands up. "My bad."
Evan glanced uneasily from Rune to Regulus and when he noticed the palpable tension, he cleared his throat. "We just wanted to get some cold water before we head to bed."
Rune remained still as Evan collected the three bottles.
She stole a quick look at Regulus to find that despite his unreadable, cold expression, his eyes had hardened.
"Well, enjoy your tea," pronounced Evan.
Without speaking a word, Regulus left the kitchen with the other two boys.
Rune stared after him until he disappeared from her sight and then she sighed loudly and lifted the two mugs. "Tea is served."
***
"I know nothing," fretted Evan as he paged through Rune's Charms notes in agony.
"Then hopefully you'll get marks for attendance," piped in Rune.
"Please can I have the juice?" asked Rabastan.
Both Rune and Regulus reached for the jug. Regulus barely looked at her as he took the jug and passed it to Rabastan.
"Thanks," murmured Rabastan, looking uneasy in his seat.
"Huh," commented Evan, perking up ever so slightly. "We haven't eaten together like this in months. Is everyone finally getting along?"
"Please can I have a slice of bread?" asked Rune.
Regulus reached for the slice from the basket and held it out to her, but she pettily stood up and stretched over him to get her own.
"Guess not," muttered Evan under his breath.
Regulus turned to Rune. "Hey, can I talk to you quickly?"
"Mmh," she hummed disinterestedly as she dug her knife into the jam and spread it over her toast.
"Rune," he said.
"Hmm."
"Rune," he repeated, trying to get her to look at him.
When she didn't bother answering him, he took hold of her hand and pulled her out of her seat and out of the exit of The Great Hall until they stood in the corridors where no one could hear them.
"Okay I've had enough," he said, running a frustrated hand through his hair. "What did I do?"
She folded her arms over her chest and looked at him. "Why do you think you've done something?"
"Oh, I don't know!" he exasperated. "Maybe because for the last two weeks all you've said to me is hmm, mmh and a combination of both."
"That's a keen observation," she pointed out in a sarcastic tone. "Also huhmm. But it's a new one and it's for when I have better things to do and I'm going to say it right now. Huhmm."
She tried to walk away, but he gripped both her arms and held her steady in front of him.
"Rune," he murmured. "Talk to me."
She shrugged. "I just figured that since Rabastan and Tina are together we can stop pretending. I've got what I wanted from you and O.W.L's are a few minutes away so I hope you've gotten what you wanted from me."
Regulus looked taken aback and she managed to use his shock to twist out of his hold and make her way further down the corridor.
"Wait wait wait," he called, hurrying after her and holding onto her arm to keep her back.
"What?" she questioned harshly as she turned to look at him.
"What else do you know?"
She scoffed. "Just how he- and Tina- have been aware of the fact that I asked you to fake being with me to make him jealous. You are so full of shit."
Regulus frowned and shook his head. "I told him before anything even happened between us."
"Yeah, well, you had plenty of time to tell me that after things happened between us." She inhaled sharply and stepped away from him. "Look, I don't want to fight with you, okay. Let's just call it an experience and never talk about it again."
As she turned to leave, he held her arm again and turned her to face him once more.
Something in his expression had changed. "Don't you?"
"What?"
He took a step closer to her and looked down at her with a taunting smile. "Don't you want to fight with me, Rune?"
Her face fell as his smile transformed into a smirk. "Isn't that what we do? Bicker, fight, argue. It's all a game between us."
When she said nothing, he reached up and caressed her cheek with his index finger, but she swatted his hand away. "Don't touch me."
"Don't tell me you actually fell for me." He held a hand over his mouth as he chuckled but then he tilted his head at her and gave her a pitying expression. "Do you have a little crush on me, love?"
Despite her usual eloquence and articulation, Rune could not find any words to describe the nature of her emotions nor any to respond with him with.
He was the boy who slept on the floor because she wanted him to, he tucked her into bed, and complimented her and made her smile for the last couple of months.
How could he turn out to be so cruel?
"You're horrible," she murmured.
He broke out into a taunting smile. "I did tell you that. This is all terrible timing, don't you think? I do hope your emotions don't get in the way of your O.W.L's."
"Fuck you," she bit out.
He took another step closer and bent down until his mouth was at her ear and he whispered, "I bet you five galleons you wish you could."
She pushed against his chest until he was no longer up in her face. "I hate you, Regulus. I hate you so much."
When his smirk grew, she continued, "I hope that no matter what happens, you never get to feel true love. I hope you're miserable and lonely for the rest of your life. And I hope more than anything that I never have to speak to you ever again."
She finally turned around to leave, but he asked, "What's the score again, Westwood?"
As she began to walk away, he laughed. "Doesn't matter. I definitely won this year."