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𝕾hutting the door, Romie turns around, stopping in her tracks at what she sees.
In the middle of the dorm, sitting cross legged on the fancy pine green rug no doubt there to prevent frostbite toes on cold, crisp mornings, her two best friends. Smiling. They're smiling, beaming really, excited ones like they can hardly contain their feelings desperate to burst out of them. It's a touch too much to be ascribed to they're finally having their well overdue girls night, something else most definitely playing a part in whatever's got them like this.
Feeling suspicious and quite frankly disturbed, Romie glances between them, asking bluntly,
"What?"
Hestia shakes her head but her smile doesn't fade one bit, patting the spot in front of her in invitation,
"Nothing! Come join"
Disregarding their odd antics, Romie quickly accepts, walking over and plopping down where Hestia's hand had been. Once unfolding her spindly limbs into a comfortable position, she considers Pandora, speaking without much thought. They're all close knit best friends, have been since first year when they were swallowed up by their billowing robes and wore a total of fifteen stripes on their ties, holding back and treading carefully isn't necessary. A waste of time.
"So this grounding thing at Sunrise, will it just be your feet bare or more?"
Hestia's hand immediately flies up, muffling the gasp and rush of giggles that swiftly follow when a dusty pink colour is detected on Pandora's otherwise porcelain cheeks. Her misty eyes shimmer and shine when she shrugs and murmurs honestly,
"Well, just feet is what's planned but who knows what might happen"
"Yes, because nothing else says connecting to nature like a shag in the forest whilst the sun's coming up" Romie teases, quirking a brow when Hestia rounds on her, chocolate eyes as wide as bludgers,
"You can't talk much after that little interaction earlier! Helga, I thought we were going to have to leave you two alone!"
Pandora nods largely in agreement, scrunching up Romie's features tight. They relax again to their natural resting state when a psh sound passes through her glossy lips, hand flourishing dramatically in the air,
"Oh please, that was all him. He's probably pent up and frustrated he has to play priest for a while"
"If you say so, Romie" Hestia hums, not entirely convinced, yet not burrowing any deeper on the topic.
It's one of Romie's favourite things about the girl, the natural ability she possesses to know when things need to be left be and to stop pushing. The complete opposite than the likes of the pesky Marauder boys, who wouldn't know what that was if it hit them square on the nose and relentlessly squealed the attribute over and over. A faint smile etches across her mouth when without another second's thought, the Hufflepuff jumps headfirst into all things Amelia Bones, looking so wonderfully happy Romie's chest feels warm.
It's not sufficient enough however, to stand against the chilly drought wafting through the dorm, easily raising goosebumps on her olive skin. She powers through it, laughing and smiling and adding cheeky comments that make faces flushed and smiles coy until her quick delivery is slowed and weakened by the annoying chattering of teeth and uncomfortable stiffness of her jaw. To engrossed to tune out for even a split second, she blindly sends her hand off on a mission to grab the first thing of use.
Something soft, woolly makes contact with the skin of her palm like it wants to be chosen, happily conforming to the snatch that ends with a light plop on her lap. Hurriedly, she throws it on, neglecting to even check the ins and outs and whether she's wearing it inside out. All that crosses her mind is that it's good material, thick and impeccably doing its job, chasing away the stubborn goosebumps that make her arms and legs look ugly. The long sleeves hang over her hands like sweater paws, and the neckline's big enough, loose enough to bury her nose into for extra warmth.
Romie doesn't realise the soft, content sigh that dances around the air around them comes from her or that Amelia's hair so lustrous it's like a glove crafted from the finest dragon silk is no longer being discussed in great depth. She doesn't realise that at some recent stage her eyes had decided to flutter shut either. None of it. She doesn't realise none of it, only that they're snapping back open when her name's being called,
"Feeling a bit sleepy now, Romie?"
Yes. In truth, if she was being completely and utterly honest, Romie was starting to gravitate over the nice, pretty land of drowsiness. She wasn't about to let them know about that though, not when they're staring at her again with those smiles that scream they know something she doesn't. Defences waking and springing into action, she returns plainly,
"No. Why?"
"Because you're surrounded by Regulus and he's your sleeping draught" Pandora explains as though it's the most simplest thing in the world.
Instinctively, Romie scoffs, insisting, "That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard"
Hestia sits up, drawing Romie's gaze back from where it had been wandering over to one of the more tidy looking beds, made and prepared unlike the ones that look like a tornado's charged right through them.
"Is it, though? Because, recently, the only time you've managed to catch a wink is when you're with him"
If it weren't for her soft, gentle nature going about it, Romie might've flipped, denied, denied, denied the outrageous accusations being thrown out. Her lips purse, knees drawing up tight to her chest, a simple measure taken to protect her heart. Because it feels like everyone can see right through it. Classes, free period library trips, meal times, they're just a sprinkling of the times when Romie manages to recharge her battery. And for every one of those times, Regulus is present, never too far away that touching is unattainable.
Pandora smiles lightly, adding, "You're not the only one, he's exactly the same"
Quickly barricading off that scary, revealing path of truth before she can venture down too far beyond return, Romie justifies,
"We grew used to sleeping together at the Potters, sharing a bed, it'll pass soon"
Suddenly, their eyes widened, practically bulged so much out of their sockets, for a small moment, Romie fears for their sight. She loosely bands her arms around her tucked up legs, pinching the skin in punishment when realisation dawns on her for what she's just let slip.
"You shared a bed?!"
The Gryffindor hurriedly opens her mouth, talking as quickly as her poor mouth could take in hopes they'll swiftly move on soon,
"Had to be done, no room at the Inn. You two share beds with others too, might I remind you!"
They needn't reply, it was patently obvious across their faces. The others they share beds with are partners, lovers, other half's that they're dating for real. Not for fake. Pandora and Hestia's expressions mellowed with understanding when Romie sighs, repeating,
"It'll pass soon"
Thankfully, no more is said on the topic, like the brilliance she is, Hestia having detected that message to let that big door close and vanish. She moves on to Pandora, eyebrows slightly waggling and chocolate eyes gleaming when she asks her and Xenophilius happened to be the couple Sprout caught snogging heatedly in the Greenhouses last week. Much to their amusement, the pearly haired girl confessed her part, declaring its the best place for such activities as plants release much needed oxygen into the atmosphere.
The trio chat, gossip and giggle for hours, until lamps are needed and there's a knock on the door signalling time's up. Since it's dark, way past curfew and they have two spare beds unclaimed, it's unanimously decided the girls stay the night and return to their houses in the morning when it's light and safe. In one bed, Romie and Hestia squeeze together, granting Pandora her own bed since she likes to starfish for the best interrupted deep sleep.
Unlike what frustratingly felt like the entire universe out like a light, Romie was set up for another night of wide awake gazing at the ceiling. What probably didn't help was the gigantic motorboat snoring coming from Evan's stupid big mouth. Before she could contemplate storming over there and smothering him with his posh pillows, the grating noise comes to an abrupt halt. Like he'd already shaken the bony hands of death. Or been silenced.
Careful not to wake the snoozing Hufflepuff beside her, Romie adjusts position, rolling onto her side. Admittedly, it's a much better view than the likes of the plain, dark ceiling, she figures that much out after ten short seconds. Because a few feet away, propped up right against the engraved headboard and reading, her sleeping draught. The glowing tip of his wand spotlights his striking features that even sideways on are catastrophically breathtaking.
Romie has to remind herself to breathe when he momentarily balances his wand between his teeth, freeing up a hand to move the curls shrouding his vision. Behind his ears, he tucks them, that one defiant strand carrying out its duty, exactly like the morning of their subconscious entwine of limbs. He looks open and vulnerable, as though his mother's cruel chastising can't penetrate the invisible shield between the four posts of his bed. Looking his absolute best isn't imperative and Romie nearly laughs because, for her, this is his best.
When he's Regulus, a knowledge enthusiast and impossibly curious, not the icy and sharp, Heir to the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black. Don't get her wrong, Romie has her fun with that version of him, but this is something else, something different. Something wholesome. And right now, watching him being, she thinks it's criminal, condemnable, that she knows more about the version he has to live up to opposed to the version he is when he's himself. When he's just Regulus.
Just Regulus, turning his head from the ink filled pages and glancing at her. The small jump in his eyebrow when he finds her staring back tells her it's not the first glance on his part, and that thought alone makes her heart thump obnoxiously loud in her ears. He didn't look away, neither did she, not because her bolshie little heart refused to lose the intense staring match, but because she was powerless to. It was something deep, something innate within her soul, a luring pull, a siren song, a magnet.
Powerless, she was, to immobilize her legs and feet when they slipped off the bed and carried her toward him. She climbs onto the foot of the bed, his bed, nodding to the hardback perched perfectly in one hand,
"What are you reading?"
"Ah, that would be the riveting tale of The House at Pooh Corner" Regulus answers roguishly, flourishing the front cover.
It's not anything remotely related to Winnie the Pooh, simply a matter of teasing. Romie couldn't be too angry though, not when he's just rhymed off one of the names of the Pooh collection she hasn't mentioned around him. He's been doing his research. Regulus snickers quietly, properly showing her the front cover, holding the tip of his wand close for the source of light needed to see clearly.
Instantly, Romie shoots him a pointed look, snarking, "Ah, very mature, very adult-ish, I could never"
Regulus rolls his eyes, running his fingers over the shiny gold title branded into the binding. The Tales of Beedle The Bard. He flips back to the page bookmarked, clarifying,
"I'm not reading the whole collection for pleasure. Just one for curiosity"
"Curiosity. That's not like you at all, are you feeling quite alright?" Romie replies sarcastically, reaching out to press the back of her hand against his forehead. A temperature check.
Regulus bats away her hand, assuring through his narrowed eyes that if there's anything wrong with him, it's the effect of her insufferableness. She flashes him a smile, biting back a snort when he grunts,
"Did you come here just to insult me or was there a purpose?"
"What if the purpose was to insult you?" She asks, quirking an eyebrow. Tossing the book aside, Regulus edges forwards a fraction, whispering,
"Perhaps, but I'm not sure I believe that"
Silence drapes over them, loud and alive with the tension that's sending tingles up and down their spines. Background noise. Everything else is background noise, Barty's rustles from tossing and turning, Pandora's soft dream sighs. The annoying flaps of Evan's curtains from the intensity of his snores and the trickling water from the Black Lake waving outside the windows. It's all the background, Romie and Regulus are front and centre, nucleus and core.
Romie audibly gulps, hand reaching up before she can comprehend what she's doing. It strikes her halfway, what she's doing, and she abruptly, embarrassingly stills. Embarrassingly because it's not only struck her, but him too and made him act. Not in the way she expects, though, he doesn't swat away her invasive hand, doesn't recoil back, sneering.
Guiding and leaning. He's guiding her hand the rest of the journey and leaning into the tentative touch. Anna Pucey's disappointed face flashes in her mind, swelling a smugness in Romie's chest like no other. The unspoken rule applies to many, applies to all, except Romie. Slowly, she coils the favoured curl around her forefinger, relishing in the small spring after release. Relishing in the visible part of his mouth when she gently tugs it back down into position.
Regulus stomach swoops and he quickly looks away from those fascinating violet eyes, afraid of what might happen if he loses himself in them. Afraid of what will happen if he drops lower to the forbidden territory.
"You should go and get some sleep" He whispers, hearing and feeling his heartbeat, hot like her lava in his ears.
Romie's hand drops from his hair, gazed firmly glued where they fold in her lap as she finally confesses, both to herself and him,
"Can't. I can't sleep unless I'm with you"
Silence again, this time, sticky and hot from shame. Sleeping together, in the same bed or anywhere makeshift similar hadn't necessarily been something sworn off, added to the no list, but it's a general given. Romie acts thoroughly interested in her hands, assessing the creases, the scattered freckles, the fine mousy hairs. She would've launched into the soothing distraction strategy of stroking the soft skin in between her knuckles. Would've, if something else hadn't distracted her first.
Hands, capable and confident, scoop underneath her arms, pulling her down against a firm chest. She goes willingly, head rolling onto its side to accommodate the position. The cuddling position. Across her spine, his hand strokes, tracing the surname and number belonging to him as he mumbles,
"First of all, you're in full lengths, that won't be helping"
Romie shuts out the acclaiming voice whispering in the back of her mind that he remembers, scoffing quietly,
"I'm not taking them off, I have no shorts. Unless you happen to have any, not going to happen"
"Ah yes, my broad collection of girl's shorts. I cannot believe I've been found out" Regulus deadpans, shaking his head against the pillow.
The action unleashes his tousled curls once again, passionately tickling Romie's face of which she refuses to move. It's an itch she doesn't possess any desire to scratch away. It shouldn't be like this, she should want to scratch, wipe and wash away any remnants of him, not never want to scratch, wipe and wash her face ever again. She can't remember the last time she's wanted someone's touch to last this much before.
Burying her nose further into the raven nest, smelling just as amazing as the jersey engulfing her whole, she sighs,
"I'll live"
Regulus' hum is one that says itself if she's absolutely sure, that's completely fine, but he wouldn't mind either way. It's her comfort after-all. She's comfortable, ridiculously so, so goddamn comfortable that she fears for the next night when she's back in Gryffindor tower and this isn't an option. She'll cross that bridge when she comes to it, for now it's this, it's them.
It's Romie's light strokes against his bare shoulder. It's Regulus' chin resting down atop of her head. It's her sigh of content. It's his silky whisper.
"Alors dors avec moi, mon volcan féroce"
It's this. It's them. It's being a sleeping draught for the other.
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Slightly longer, but it wouldn't fit into two chapters so in one whole it is! Hope you liked it <33