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࿐໋₊Chapter Five ₊˚.༄
KISS WITH A FIST
song guide ♬ kiss with a fist ~ florence & the machine ♬
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AN/ it only took five chapters but they are finally going to interact now haha.
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Phoibe Evadine would like to say she despised the punishment her father had given her. Not because she thought it was actually deserved after soaring across the skies on the back of an enchanted motorcycle with leather jacket wearing boy. No. She wished she could have despised it because that prospect would have made a far more interesting story than what she was currently doing.
Her father's grounding had been extended from her home to the meadow, and for Phoibe, only being able to spend time in two of her favourite places was hardly something she felt the need to rebel against. And since two nights ago with the hours she had spent with Estelle and the Marauders that was all she could think about.
When could she- when would she next break the rules?
Her answer came that Sunday afternoon as she tended to the rose bush of her beloved meadow. The light trickled through the surrounding trees casting intricate shadows across the bushes of flowers making them look as if they glowed with flecks of glitter and gold. She had Sirius' Walkman, kindly leant to her still, and was making the most of it before she would have to return it to him in September. Phoibe had become quite fond of the artist Elton John as he blasted through the earmuffs she had learnt to be named headphones.
Admittedly, Phoibe had never been too interested in music. Of course she had been classically trained on the piano due to her parents wishes but the stroke of her fingers against the keys to create a melody seemed rather dull compared to the Muggle music she had recently been exposed to. She noticed their songs were quite frank and anecdotal but still often included words that
she didn't understand. She figured she would ask her muggle born friend Allegra Bristlenet about them on her return to Hogwarts as Phoibe's owl privellages had been taken away for the rest of the summer as part of her punishment.
Because of this she also had not seen Pandora in three days unable to organise a meeting but had left a note on the tree in the meadow to explain the situation detailing to ask Estelle if she needed anymore information.
Phoibe continued to trim and ply at the rose bush making sure in was not over growing too much. She also was searching for the perfect one to clip and take home to her father like he had asked so he could give it to her mother.
Phoibe admired how in love her parents seemed to be, especially when she discovered that they did not have the most romantic start to their tale. The idea of an arranged marriage hardly caressed the heart of Phoibe Evadine nor her parents around her age. But the wedding was set for after they had graduated Hogwarts and being from high standing Pure blood families her parents did their duty. They said their vows at the beginning of summer and by September they had fallen for each other like the autumn.
Finally, a set of perfect red petals caught her eye and Phoibe snipped it from the bush rising from the grass where she was crouching to stand. Dethorning it she did not notice the presence of another in the meadow. She did not notice the call of her name nor their approaching footsteps.
Suddenly, she felt a cool hand close around her shoulder and Phoibe let out a scream. In a split second she had jumped around barely taking in the sight of who had disturbed her before punching the stranger and possible attacker square in the nose.
"Shit." He cursed blocking his face defensively in case she decided to land another hit. His lack of sight and the force of the previous punch caused him to stumble, tripping forwards over a tree root and accidentally tackling the brunette into the thorny rose bush which scratched them on the way down.
She opened her eyes to be face to face with none other than Regulus Black.
The boy she hated.
And who was currently crushing her ribcage. Though he bared some resembalence to his brother with his high cheek bones and defined jawline the difference between the two was stark to Phoibe. While Sirius had long jet black hair free to flow, Regulus' was short, a little curly and clearly styled. His eyes were a forrest of green but not from one of the fairytales that Phoibe had read countless times, they were more like the kind of woodlands that you would never want to walk in alone for fear of getting lost or hurt in its depths. The biggest difference between the two brothers however, was that she had never seen Regulus Black genuinely smile, not that she would ever want to see him smile anyway. But it was strange for the youngest Black sibling not to, Phoibe had thought on occasion when spotting Regulus around the castle, as it was something that had always come so easily to Sirius. And though Regulus was not currently wearing his signature scowl, his eyebrows had drawn together harshly.
"Get off me you twat." Phoibe tried to roughly shove the Slytherin off of her having been crushed under his frame but it was a weak effort as the wind had been knocked out of her.
"Why the fuck did you punch me?" Regulus bit back trying to stand but kept getting stabbed with thorns at every movement he made.
It was then that Pandora Lestrange made her reappearance and instead of being concerned that one of her friends had trampled the other she let out a laugh at the sight of them which went unheard by both parties.
"I punched you because you are being a creep! Now seriously get off me."
"I wasn't being creepy! And it's difficult to move when we're in a bush full of thorns!"
"I don't care, get up and for future reference you should never sneak up on a witch!"
"I didn't, you couldn't hear me because of that stupid Muggle device in your ears." This made Phoibe turn her attention to where the Sirius' Walkman had gone. Finally, she mustered enough strength to push Regulus away from her and crawl out of the bush covered in tiny scrapes and cuts.
"You broke it! You bloody broke it you idiot!" Phoibe gestured to the ground where the reminance or the walkman laid as Regulus crawled from the bush rising to his feet.
"So what? It was a stupid Muggle artifact anyway." Regulus replied while Phoibe dropped to her knees to pick the pieces up.
Pandora now spoke up feeling the need to make her presence known and mediate the situation her initial humour replaced with worry that Phoibe and Regulus were actually interacting. "He didn't mean that."
"I definitely did." Regulus glared at the brunette and Pandora face palmed. Phoibe stood forgetting about the broken Walkman becoming even more angry.
"Can you believe it Dory? Regulus Black skulking around in our meadow!" She turned her attention back towards him looking up at his tall frame. Despite being younger Regulus was also a couple inches taller than Sirius . "Why are you still here?"
"I'm helping him look for something." Pandora confessed.
Phoibe's mouth fell agape and Regulus observed her pull Pandora few feet away for some kind of privacy.
"Tell me this a joke. Some weird twisted joke." She hissed.
Pandora attempted a comforting smile but clearly looked guilty.
"No, no! Dory how could you bring him here! You know this is my favourite place to be." She scolded her best friend gesturing around her wildly.
"Stop being so overdramatic. This place is just a patch of grass, trees and some flowers." Regulus rolled his eyes.
"I am not dramatic!" Phoibe ironically stomped her foot in protest.
"Sure you're not..." Regulus remarked sarcastically. "Roses." There was a ghost of a smirk that spread across his face.
"What did you you call me?"
"Roses. You know I figured, most dramatic flower suits the most dramatic girl. Didn't you say something about wanting boys to hand pick you some a little while ago? Very simultaneously ambitious yet pathetic if you ask me."
Phoibe's head snapped to Pandora's, hurt flashed in her eyes.
"You told him..."
"No Bea, I would never -"
"No you told him!" She accused pointing a finger at the blonde. "What are doing becoming friends with him? Spilling my secrets? What's next going to swear alliance to your blood purist parents or maybe even become a death eater?"
Pandora frowned. "Those are not the same things and you know that. I know you're angry and this is hard for you to take in but Regulus and I are friends now."
"And you haven't been confunded?" Phoibe questioned still in disbelief clicking her tongue. "No way, there's no way you would just become friends with him! Are you under the imperius curse?" The brunette grasped either side of Pandora's face to look into her eyes for some kind of sign that she was under a spell.
"Phoibe just relax alright." Pandora drew the girls hands away from her face. "Regulus would never do something like that."
"I don't think you know quite what he's capable of..." Phoibe stated lowly fury leaving her and mostly being replaced with worry. "I don't think he's like you and me. We disagree with our parents but he - he - did you forget what he did to Peyton bullying him all those years? "
"I think he's a different person now." Pandora replied honestly. "I mean Sirius is related to him and you liked having him around, there's got to be some family resemblance right?"
"I have a funny feeling their similarities are only skin deep." The brunette disclosed.
"Oh come on, you've never even really talked to him. And sure he's not the nicest to Peyton in passing but I'm pretty sure he hasn't done anything terrible to him since the beginning of fourth year."
"Different? You honestly believe he's different?"
"Aren't you different from when you were thirteen? His life hasn't always been easy. I think he was just a product of who he was raised by back then."
"That's no excuse." Phoibe shook her head. "I can't believe you're taking his side."
"There are no sides Bea. Yes Regulus has been a bully before but so has James Potter and his friends too and you don't seem to mind becoming their friend."
"That's different they were never mean to people based on whether they were a Muggle born."
"Okay that is true." Pandora agreed. "Look I'm not asking you to become best friends with him or even give him a chance. But I would like it if you could maybe respect who I choose to be friends with?" The blonde asked hopefully.
Phoibe turned back to look at Regulus who she expected to be listening in only to find him absent mindedly depetaling a trampled rose in boredom as he was walking around different bushes searching for something.
"What is he looking for?"
"Dittany."
"Why does he need it?"
"I can't say."
"But you told him my secrets. Now he thinks I'm a pathetic little hopeless romantic."
"I didn't tell him. He overheard." Pandora sighed. "A few days back when you came to the library he was there which was why Estelle was being so strange and did not want to let you upstairs. I heard you guys yelling and so I told Regulus to hide behind a bookcase. And I did try to get you out of the library when you wanted to talk but you're so stubborn Bea."
Heat gathered to her cheeks feeling embarrassed. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have accused you. I was irrational, I should know you would never do something like that."
"It's alright. Besides I made Regulus swear to take it to the grave. And he does actually keep his word I've learnt."
"He better or as soon as I'm able to use my wand again he'll get a nasty hex thrown his way." Phoibe threatened even though she knew the boy could not hear her. "You're not going to find Dittany over there!" Phoibe called out to him.
Regulus stopped and started to walk back to the girls.
"There isn't any left out here because I picked it all and sold it." She explained to Pandora. "There's actually some that grows in the garden of your manor by the twisty tree."
"Which twisty tree? They all look the same to me." Pandora asked as the manor she resided in was surrounded by jagged branches and twisted trunks.
"The one by the statue of your Great aunt Greta."
"That still does not help." Pandora replied apologetically. "Why don't you just come show me?"
"I'm not allowed. I'm grounded remember."
"But you're already outside..." Regulus said confused.
"Pandora would you please tell Regulus that it's none of his business the places my father said was agreeable for me to spend time in under my punishment."
"I'm right here. Why don't you just tell me?"
"I guess I just did. It's none of your business Black."
"Whatever you say... Roses."
"That is not sticking." Phoibe glared.
"Already has." Regulus smirked as he started to walk back in the direction of the Lestrange Manor.
"Please help." Pandora begged her friend knowing she was less likely to now that Regulus had annoyed her once more. "Please Bea? You know I'm helpless searching for these kind of things."
"Just don't tell my dad. And we have to be quick." Phoibe rushed out faking a slight reluctance.
If she was being truly honest she felt an exhilaration in breaking the rules once more.
⭒⭒⭒
"Can you hurry up picking the Dittany already?" Regulus asked impatiently. Phoibe glanced at him to find the boy's eyes were a a little puffy and red, he also kept sneezing every ten seconds. The bridge of his nose was also a little pink but she knew that was from the punch she had landed on him earlier.
Phoibe snorted reveling in the fact that the boy felt uncomfortable "I think you might be allergic to those daffodils."
"Or maybe I'm just allergic to you."
"I will burn this Dittany right now Black."
"Stop it both of you." Pandora interupted her eyes narrowing between the pair.
Phoibe having finished clipping the Dittany went to hand it to Regulus but before he could take it she dropped it at his feet.
"Oops."
"You're so petty Evadine." The boy grumbled picking it up.
"Well my work here is done." Phoibe stated placing her clippers back into her small bag. "Meet me in the meadow tommorow maybe Dory?"
But Pandora did not answer her usual bright smile becoming dim at the sight behind Phoibe.
The brunette whipped around in confusion to behold the unsettling sight of a tall slender woman who resembled her two sons all to well. Her raven hair was pulled back so tightly into a strict bun Phoibe was sure her eyebrows were out of place. Or maybe they were just that harsh...
Walburga Black.
Phoibe resisted the urge to shiver in her presence.
"I do not believe we have been introduced child, though I've met your father in passing." Walburga spoke and Phoibe wondered if the ice in her tone came naturally to her. "He's quite the upstanding member of our community along with your mother of course."
"Oh yes... thank you." Phoibe responded trying to sound polite but Walburga's eyes were a such a dark brown that Phoibe became uncomfortable under her stare.
"And your name if I remember correctly is-"
"She's going now. She has to go, she's very busy." Regulus had marched forwards recovering from the pollen in the air and grasped Phoibe's wrist already pulling her back toward the front gates of the Lestrange Manor. Phoibe resented the contact but did not protest wanting to get away from his mother also.
"That is certainly no way to treat a guest Regulus. Do you need another lesson in manors?"
Phoibe felt his grip tighten and his body became so tense she could feel it from less than a foot away. It was then she noticed the partially healed scabbed knuckles on his hand.
She did not know whether to be more intrigued or terrified that Regulus Black of all people had chosen to... duel someone the Muggle way?
That did not make sense.
Slowly, he turned.
"Never Mother I assure you. I'm not being rude. I did say to Phoibe's father I would escort her home. She is almost due back and I would hate for her to be late." He lied and Phoibe knew better than to question him in the moment.
"I'll owl Deputy Minister Evadine. Miss Evadine can join us for dinner."
Phoibe felt panic volt through her now. She had forgotten that breaking the rules would also mean disappointing her father and suddenly she wanted to keep her venture to the Lestrange Manor a secret.
"That is a lovely offer Mrs Black but I already promised Regulus to my family for dinner."
Where on earth did that come from?
"I see, very well." Walburga agreed and the brunette felt the boy relax his grasp a little. "Regulus return promptly after you have finished with dinner we have some matters to discuss. I do suspect I will be seeing you again soon Miss Evadine. "
Phoibe nodded though she hoped it would not be the case. Once more Regulus was pulling her along briskly and she was sad to discover that Pandora was now locked into an awkward conversation with Walburga instead.
"You can let go of me now." Phoibe said irritated that he was dragging her through her own meadow. She didn't need his assistance being guided home. However, he ignored her.
She stopped abruptly but his hold on her wrist did not waiver.
"What earth was that about?"
"My mother is not someone you want to be around."
"And you get to decide that do you?"
"Yes actually and you should consider it a favour because I knew you were uncomfortable."
"You don't know anything about me."
"Unfortunately, I do. Now just get back home and don't come near the manor until your next holidays. Trust me."
"Oh yes because trusting you is exactly what comes to mind when you've tormented one of my best friends for years."
Finally, he let her wrist go. "Just go home Evadine."
"Gladly because it gets me away from you Black." Phoibe replied before turning up her nose and strutting away. She only got a few feet however before rounding back.
"So are you just going to hide out here for the next hour?"
"What?"
"You told your mother you were having tea with me. And you don't seem to be following."
"You just said you wanted to get rid of me? Besides I did not think you were being serious." Regulus responded hesitantly.
"I wasn't, and you're still not invited. I'm just curious about what you are going to do."
"What was that thing you said earlier to me? Oh yeah it's none of your business where I go."
"Fine. Whatever." Phoibe huffed before continuing her journey home once more.
As she walked she couldn't help wonder once more about his damaged hands. Had that been what he had needed the Dittany for?
No, the injury seemed too far healed to need the strength of the plant in a potion.
So what had Regulus needed that plant for?