Regulus growled in frustration as the faint wisp of light from his wand disappeared as quickly as it had arrived. He looked at the blonde girl that was supposed to be helping him, but was instead lounging on the sofa examining her nails. He stomped over to her.
'You are supposed to be helping me,' he growled. 'That is why you are here.'
'You won't listen to my advice,' she said nonchalantly. 'So why should I help you?'
'What advice could you possibly give me?' He scoffed, folding his arms. She sat up straight.
'Well, Black, Gemma sent me for a reason, and that is to show you that her teaching does work and maybe you should just bloody listen to her instead of being a stubborn mule!'
'So you can do the spell?' He asked, intrigued.
'Of course I can,' Isolde said, still looking at her nails. 'She taught all of her friends the second Edward taught her.'
'But she never taught me,' he said bitterly. 'Of course.' Iz looked at him rather sympathetically.
'Well, you weren't friends with us back in third year. Also, I did tell her you seemed too gloomy to have any good memories.'
'Thanks,' he said dryly. 'And I still don't believe you.'
'Fine,' she said, pulling out her wand. 'I'll prove it to you. Expecto Patronum.'
A proud black stallion was produced from her wand, and it galloped happily around the room.
'How,' he said in disbelief. 'How can you do it but I can't?'
'You want to know a secret?' She said. 'I didn't have a very 'fun' childhood either. Well, neither did Ted, come to think of it. Or Luke actually. Maybe it's a pureblood thing... or a Slytherin thing...anyway, I can still do the spell, and you want to know how?'
'Obviously.'
'Firstly, I'm amazing, and good at everything.' Regulus rolled his eyes. 'Secondly, I don't use a real memory... more like, a dream. Like what I want, what I wish was true.'
'What would you imagine?' He asked sceptically. 'Yourself being the most beautiful person in the world?'
'I am not that shallow,' she snapped. 'And besides, I already am the most beautiful person in the world. I imagine myself with... you know what, it doesn't matter what I imagine, the point is maybe it'll work for you to picture something that would make you happy, since nothing seems to actually make you happy.'
Regulus was still sceptical. Isolde didn't seem like the cleverest girl on the planet, and their situations were vastly different. But he'd already wasted almost two weeks, and was absolutely desperate to learn the spell. So he pictured the moment he'd fantasized for a long time, since almost the beginning of the year, every night and even now. He closed his eyes, and pretended it was real, the longing for it almost painful.
'Expecto patronum.'
A corporeal patronus emerged from his wand. He watched as it glided gracefully around the room.
But Regulus was far from pleased. His expression was one of shock, and maybe horror.
'Oh my god,' Isolde whispered.
'No,' he said. 'That's not- that's wrong.'
'It's not wrong,' she breathed. 'I- you were thinking of her, weren't you? In your-'
'No!' He snapped. 'Of course I wasn't!'
'Don't yell at me,' she snapped back. 'That patronus speaks a lot louder than you ever could.' Regulus went silent, and took a minute to compose himself. His anger had long meant the animal had disappeared.
'Tell nobody,' he said quietly. 'Especially not her.'
'My lips are sealed,' Isolde promised, still staring at the empty space in awe.
.•*•.•*•.•*•.•*•.•*•.•*•.
As Isolde and Regulus entered the common room, they expected everyone to have been asleep. What they had not expected was for there to be full blown party going.
Jules seemed to be on music, which was blaring out of a large magical record player. Avery was handing out butterbeers to everyone and firewhiskey to everyone who looked like a fifth year or above. There was a small group of students in the corner trying to study, Luke among them, but it was probably impossible with all the noise, and they sent constant scowls at everyone else. They were pretty much ignored. To complete it all, sixth years Jace Snyde and Gage Greengrass were standing on tables and dancing, being cheered on by a bunch of giggly girls and jeering boys.
Regulus' eyes searched for Gemma, and he saw her in the corner drinking firewhiskey and laughing- or flirting- with Mulciber. He made his way over, and Iz followed him.
'Regulus!' Mulciber said, slightly drunkenly, 'Where've you been man?'
'...Studying,' he lied. 'Isolde was tutoring me.'
'How did it go?' Gemma asked interestedly.
'Nothing new,' he replied, ignoring Isolde's watching eyes.
'Isolde?' Mulciber said, seeming confused. 'That girl is dumber than rocks.'
'I am not,' she snapped. 'I am extremely smart, and about to be extremely rich.'
'Iz!' Ted scream-whispered from somewhere nearby. They saw that he was surrounded by a group of girls who were stroking his hair. 'Help me!'
'Its so soft,' one of them cooed.
'Er- yeah,' he said uncomfortably. 'Um I have to go-'
'Just tell us more about what you use!' Another girl insisted.
'This is my cue,' Isolde announced, sweeping over to save Ted- or, brag about her new products. Regulus thought it was probably the latter.
'Here,' Mulciber said, handing him a firewhiskey.
'Thanks,' he said. When Mulciber turned away to talk to Snape- who had just arrived- he placed it on the desk behind him. Gemma saw, and smirked.
'You know how I am with drinking,' he explained. Then he mentally kicked himself. Why would he say that? Why would he make conversation with her?
'I do,' she replied. She took a sip from her own, as if to remind him of his pathetic tolerance for alcohol. I see how it is.
'We can stop with the patronus lessons,' he said, quickly making up an excuse. Lying had become second nature to him, after all. 'It isn't going anywhere, and I don't think there's much use trying anymore.'
Please argue, he thought. He hated the patheticness of it, but he couldn't help but hope she would argue with him, say it hadn't been a waste of time.
'Okay,' she replied simply, shrugging her shoulders and turning to listen to Mulciber and Snape. But of course she did. She cared about him only because it was her nature; on a human level, she despised him. Just like he had wanted.
'You look very out of it,' Luke commented. He had apparently given up all hope of studying, and was sipping a butterbeer.
'Your talking to me?' He said dryly. 'I thought you disliked me now. I thought you all did.'
'I can't speak for the others,' Luke replied, shrugging, 'but I never really did. Not even when you became an asshole.'
'And why is that?' Regulus asked, surprised.
'I think you forget that most of us in Slytherin have parents just like yours,' he replied. Regulus expected him to expand further, but he didn't.
Regulus was deep in thought- mostly pitying himself- when he was interrupted.
'Guys!' Isolde said breathlessly. Gemma and Mulciber and Snape turned their attention to her as well. 'Seven people have pre-ordered Voluptuous Volume! Some girl even bought twenty three bottles!'
'Twenty three?' Mulciber said incredulously.
'Was it you, Snape?' Ted asked. 'I think a simple shower would work on your hair. Ever tried it?'
'It was me,' Gemma whispered to Luke and Regulus, while Snape scowled at Ted.
'I would like to say I'll remember you all when I become a super-star business woman, but I probably won't,' Isolde continued gushing.
'Wow, thanks,' Gemma said. 'I hope you develop a hair dye soon. I've been looking to change my hair.'
'You should cut it super short!' Ted said. 'Like, to your shoulders. Or just shave it all off.'
'Leave a mohawk and dye it orange, while your at it,' Mulciber said, smirking.
'Hmm,' she said, as though she was actually considering it.
'Your not serious,' Regulus said sceptically. He knew what she was going to say before she even said it.
'No, that's your brother,' he said at the same time as her, rolling his eyes. 'You are getting predictable.' Unable to think of a retort, she just stuck her tongue out at him. He tried hard not to smile.
'Over my dead body will you cut your hair,' Isolde said, glaring at Gemma.
'You bleached your hair even thought I told you not to-'
'Brown hair just made me look so painfully average-'
'Regulus!' Came a singsong voice. Heads turned to see Luciana making her way over.
Regulus had mixed feeling about her. She was sweet, she took his mind off of his problems, and she was an amazing kisser. But it was just impossible to have an intelligible conversation with her; she was just too dumb.
'Ew, your slut is here,' Isolde informed him disgustedly.
'Don't call her that,' he snapped.
'Ooohh what's a slut?' Luciana asked brightly, wrapping her arms around him. Regulus mentally facepalmed as everyone in the group ogled at the poor clueless girl.
'Its just impossible to hate her when she's that stupid,' he heard Ted murmur to Gemma, who grinned and nodded in agreement.
Suddenly, the door was thrown open.
'Slughorn's coming,' A first year student shouted. 'Everyone scatter!'
There was a crush to reach the doors, and Isolde and Ted grabbed each others wrists to avoid being separated. Instinctually Regulus grabbed Gemma's, and she was too confused to notice.
'What's wrong with having party?' She asked. 'We're in the common room... we aren't breaking any rules...'
'And the firewhiskey?' Mulciber hissed. 'We smuggles all of that in, idiot.'
Luckily, they were all in the staircase when Slughorn arrived. He gave a severe telling off to all the students who hadn't made it out in time-including Avery and Gage and Luciana- and gave all of them a week's before- breakfast detention, from what they could hear. Regulus felt rather guilty- he'd completely forgotten about his "girlfriend".
'Of course my stupid brother got detention,' Isolde scoffed.
'We dodged a bullet,' Ted whispered, wincing. 'A week of detention before breakfast. Imagine, all the bacon would have run out by the time we got to the Great Hall..'
'Shut up,' she groaned, pulling her hand away from him. It was then that Gemma noticed she was holding Regulus', and he dropped it like a lump of dough. He could see her fighting to control her smirk, and he felt a surge of irritation. He could not let the wall he'd put so much pain and effort into building crumble.
'Goodnight,' he said harshly, turning to go to his dorm. He paused. Why had he said goodnight? He turned around. 'No- I mean- not good night. I- I hope you have a bad night. A sleepless one. With horrible scary dreams.'
Everyone stared at him.
'Nice save,' Mulciber droned. Regulus punched him in the arm, and turned, trying to save himself from any further embarrassment.
'Well, Gemma and I will also be going to bed,' he heard Isolde announce. 'Girls need beauty sleep.'
'Has Gemma ever had any?' Ted joked, followed by a very loud 'Ow!'