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"Are you crazy?" yelled Rune.
Barty resurfaced, drenched with pool water and a clenched jaw.
"Whoops," said Regulus, his voice completely void of emotion. "My hand slipped."
Barty ran a hand down his face and as he threaded to the wall to push himself out, Regulus clicked his tongue. "I told you she's mine. Why didn't you listen?"
"I am not yours!" retaliated Rune.
Regulus looked at her. "That's exactly what someone who is mine would say."
"You are crazy!" she exclaimed and as she moved to help Barty, Regulus took hold of her hand and pulled her away.
"He could have drowned," she remarked. "He could hit his head and got a concussion. He could have had a panic attack."
"You sound awfully worried about him." He stopped in the corner of the garden. "Are you afraid one of those things are going to impede on your date with him?"
Rune's brows furrowed together. "What date?"
Regulus was the one frowning now. "The one he asked you out on at Slughorn's Party."
"You mean the one I said no to?" She pushed his hands off her. "Why am I even telling you this? You don't need to know."
She was about to slip away from him when she gasped. "Did you push him because you thought I said yes?"
"No, I pushed him because you keep laughing with him. What's that about?"
"You've got to be kidding me. He's my friend. Maybe you're not familiar with that concept because you're about as likeable as a dung beetle but that's what friends do. They laugh."
"As if," he scoffed. "He likes you."
"I'm starting to think you do too."
He narrowed his eyes at her, and she narrowed them right back.
It went on for a minute until she sighed, "What do you want from me, Regulus? When I wanted you, you didn't want me. Now, I don't want you anymore and you keep showing up. Leave me alone!"
"No."
"What?" She shook her head. "What?!"
"I said no," he repeated. "Want me to spell it for you? N. O. No."
"I wasn't asking. I'm telling you to leave me alone."
"And I'm telling you no."
"You have issues," she said, looking up at him with a frown. "You told me to stay away from you."
"I'm changing my mind now. Come closer."
He leaned in and her heartbeat fluttered for a moment before she twisted away from him and shook her head.
"No."
"What?" he asked.
"No. You cannot ignore me and say horrible things to me and kiss me and then tell me it's a mistake and now change your mind about it all. I gave you so many chances, and you didn't want me at all then. I like someone else now. I really like him. You can't just come here and tell me no."
Regulus leaned back against a ledge as he gave her an infuriating smirk. "Well, what are you going to do about it?"
"I'm first going to help Barty, then I'm going to go inside and then I'm going to continue staying away from you. Goodbye, Regulus."
As she turned on her heel, he gritted out, "Go help him. I dare you."
Rune ignored him as she strutted back to the pool where Barty was still wading in the water.
"Are you okay?" she asked, crouching down at the poolside.
"Yeah." He squinted up at her. "The chlorine burned my eyes and my wand fell out of my pocket; I'm just trying to find it."
"Get out of the pool first and I'll summon it for you."
She extended her hand to him and just as he was about to place his hand in hers, she felt a force from behind her and went plummeting forward into the pool.
As Rune came up for air, she looked up and found Regulus towering over her at the pool edge.
He shook his leg slightly as he said, "I tripped. Sorry."
Nothing about his tone was even remotely apologetic.
Rune reached forward and hooked her hands around his ankles. Before he had time to react, she propelled all her force into yanking him forward and dropping him into the pool.
Just when he emerged at the surface, laughter sounded from above them and all three of them looked up at where Rabastan and Evan stood howling with laughter.
"No one told me it was a pool party," snickered Rabastan.
Evan was doubled over as he wheezed, "Did you see how she pulled him in? Rune, you're going to kill me."
Rune sent a big splash at Regulus before she reached up and Evan pulled her out of the pool.
Rabastan immediately shrugged his robes off and wrapped it around her. "You're wearing white. It's very see-through. Why don't you go dry off in Reggie's room?"
Rune flipped Regulus off as she let Rabastan lead her inside the house filled with onlookers and up to the room.
"You know what Reg," murmured Barty as he finally found his wand. "You are bonkers. I won't even look at her anymore. She's all yours."
Regulus looked at him and grinned. "I know."
~
Rune grumbled as she pulled at the dress in front of the mirror. The water had dried up thanks to the heating spell, but the essence of it remained as the dress remained sheer and clung against her.
She absolutely loathed Regulus.
A knock rapped against the door, and she pulled the closest coat off the hanger and wrapped it around herself as she answered.
"Yeah?"
"Are you okay?" asked Rabastan. "I can run down to my house if you'd like. I think my sister's left a couple dresses behind."
"Is it far?" she asked.
"No. It's one fireplace away."
"Please, could you? I'm so sorry."
"It's okay. I'll be back in five minutes."
Rune looked around the room. It was far messier than the last time she'd been inside it.
He had a couple books strewn around. She walked to his bedside and picked up one of them.
It was one by J.R.R Tolkien. One of her favorite authors. She didn't know he liked these kinds of books.
She dropped the book immediately as if it scorched her hands and shook her head. She was not going to stand in his room and let her curiosity of him grow.
It was probably the coat.
She'd seen him wear it so often around Hogwarts, it was like it was part of his uniform. The spirit from it must have been seeping into her and corrupting her mind.
She immediately pulled it off and tossed it haphazardly on the bed.
As she ran her fingers up her arms to warm herself, she caught sight of paper sticking out from the coat.
She moved forward and pulled it out. Even if it was prying, he'd pushed her into the pool. He deserved it.
She unfolded the paper and felt her breath get knocked out of her when she realized it was the copy of her O.W.L marks that she sent to him.
Someone whipped it out of her hands, and she found Regulus folding it up again and throwing it into his cupboard.
"Didn't your mother ever teach you not to snoop?"
"Didn't your mother ever teach you not to lie? You said you never received it."
"I didn't. I got this copy myself," he lied.
"Oh yeah? Did you highlight it in pink and draw little red hearts around my first position yourself too?"
"Yes. When we get back to school, I'll show you the ink pots I used and everything."
"You don't use an inkpot to highlight," she remarked. "You use a highlighter. I doubt you even know what that is."
He sneered. "Your dress is see-through, did you know? I really like the pink bra."
She folded her arms across her chest. "It's red. Red and white make pink, but I doubt you know color theory either."
"Why are you so snappy?" he asked, leaning against his table.
"You just pushed me into the pool!"
"I told you not to help him."
"You dared me to help him actually."
Fingers rapped against the door again.
"What?" bit out Regulus.
Rabastan opened the door carefully. "She usually only uses dresses which cover about 20% of her skin. But I found this one. It should cover at least 60%."
Rune looked at the dress. It was blue.
It was becoming a cursed color.
"Thank you," she murmured, taking the dress from him.
Rabastan left the room and shut it behind him, and Rune wished he'd taken Regulus with.
"Are you going to stand there and watch me?"
He dragged out his desk chair and sat down on it. "Actually, I'll sit."
"Regulus, get out."
"You can't kick me out of my own room!" he said, appalled.
"Please get out," she gritted.
He stood up and walked straight into her. He looked down at her, their chests were heaving in sync and their noses were only millimeters apart.
"Why didn't you wear the dress I sent you?" he asked breathily.
"I didn't like it," she replied defiantly. "I'll have Mr. Rosier return it and send the gold back to you."
"Okay," he said. "Well, enjoy the rest of the party, Blondie."
He took a few steps forward and she spun around. "Wait."
She walked up to him and asked, "Can you tell me goodnight?"
Regulus frowned. "What?"
"Nah, never mind. It can't be you." She stepped away and waved him out, "Go, leave."
Rune was so busy unzipping the new dress that she missed the smile that formed on Regulus' lips as he made his way out of the room.