CHAPTER NINE;
❝ CONFUSIONS AND DELUSIONS ! ❞
⠀⠀⠀ELEVEN AT NIGHT, Manon found herself going up to the Astronomy Tower after her Prefect rounds. It was a brilliant night — cloudless, starry with an almost full moon. Tomorrow, it'd be one and Manon will join the Marauders' to cover up their tracks and get them to the Whomping Willow. Her animagus was a raven, quite conveniently. This one seemed that it'll be a tough one, seeing how worn and battered Remus was three days prior.
⠀⠀⠀Silently, Manon took a swig of firewhiskey from the bottle she snuck out from the kitchens ten minutes ago, then climbed up on the railing of the Tower and sat down on it. She wasn't afraid of falling. She was careful and even if she did, well she was a witch, wasn't she? She could save her life.
⠀⠀⠀Again, she took a large swig. A drop ran down the corner of her mouth. She didn't bother to wipe it off.
⠀⠀⠀It had been a fortnight since the Hogsmeade date but nothing else happened after it. Manon did like her though, Violet was cute, sweet and shy, and she wanted to protect her at all costs. Manon did love her in a sense but she knew that romantically, Violet couldn't have all of her. A chunk of her was involuntarily under Regulus' name. Unfortunately, even Manon couldn't deny this one. This was the big, bold truth.
⠀⠀⠀Another swig.
⠀⠀⠀Quite frankly, Manon was more than ready to marry Violet, adopt a child or two and live in the countryside, near the Weasleys, Diggorys and Lovegoods. But the ghost of 'what if' would always haunt her. What if she could've helped him, changed him or loved him? What if he would have never left? What would have happened if she chose him instead?
⠀⠀⠀She wasn't able to choose and time was running out. She might be too late and lose Violet (maybe forever), if her mind refused to cooperate even more.
⠀⠀⠀What to do, what not — this was all driving her mad.
⠀⠀⠀“TWO DAYS TILL HALLOWEEN!” Charlotte had shrieked the second the girls woke up on Monday.
⠀⠀⠀Grumpy and grouchy, except for Charlotte and Violet, they all entered the Great Hall. Today Manon really looked like her brother — her hair looked like as if she'd been playing quidditch for several hours. Kate on the other hand had these dark circles under her eyes.
⠀⠀⠀This all was the aftermath of yet another Charlotte ft. Violet sugar rush.
⠀⠀⠀"Hey babe," Lucas said, trying very hard to keep a straight face.
⠀⠀⠀"I hear one laugh from you Laurent, and you won't be able to sit for a full week," Kate muttered as she sat down next to him and stole a hashbrown off of his plate. The boy was too used to it to even complain.
⠀⠀⠀Jeremy than jogged up to them and sat down next to Lucas, opposite Charlotte.
⠀⠀⠀“Good morning, mates. Okay so let's postpone the pleasantries for a few minutes and just focus on Regulus Black eye-stripping Manon even though she looks like shit?” announced Jeremy as he glanced at Regulus with a skeptical face and raised a dark eyebrow.
⠀⠀⠀Kate immediately glanced at Violet who was quietly staring at the fruit basket on the table. Charlotte frowned and gave Jeremy a 'cut it out' signal, meanwhile Lucas gave him a knock with his elbow. Realization hit him like a truck load of bricks because he cringed afterwards. Manon planted her face in the palms of her joined hands.
⠀⠀⠀Charlotte coughed loudly, "Can you pass me the waffles, Manon?"
⠀⠀⠀She looked up and gave her a 'really, Lottie?' expression but played along, "Sure, here you go."
⠀⠀⠀"Alrighty. What's our schedule today?" Kate asked, shoving an entire buttered toast in her mouth.
⠀⠀⠀"Very charming, Katelyn," Charlotte mused, shaking her head.
⠀⠀⠀Gulping down her oversized bite, Kate gasped, "I scorn you, scurvy companion!"
⠀⠀⠀"Yeah, yeah sure. Class is in fifteen, get your asses up," Charlotte mused as she got up. Then, she proceeded to haul Manon's ass as well.
⠀⠀⠀Clicking her tongue, the olive toned girl gave her a look, "Yeah, I'm gonna need you right now. Get up."
⠀⠀⠀"Let me take a cup of coffee, at least! I haven't taken a single bite of my food!" Manon whined as she hurriedly poured herself some and grabbed a couple of crackers.
⠀⠀⠀Scowling, Manon caught up with the impatient girl outside.
⠀⠀⠀"I hate you, you know that?"
⠀⠀⠀Lottie shook her head. "Yes, I do. Now, if you'll kindly just follow me."
⠀⠀⠀The girls then stepped out of the open hallways and started crossing the wet courtyard. It seemed it had rained last night, while the castle slept. The sky was still grey and stormy. Miles away, they could see a flash of lightning where the clouds were almost black.
⠀⠀⠀"It's been some time since their last activity," Manon remarked, thoughtfully.
⠀⠀⠀No one needed to be a genius to understand that what the term 'they' meant in these times. The message was always clear. The Dark Lord didn't rise from the ashes of a tradegy of a child to be unknown.
⠀⠀⠀Grimly, Charlotte agreed, "Indeed, it has. Whatever they're going to do now, will be big, bold and seriously frightening."
⠀⠀⠀"That goes without question."
⠀⠀⠀A short pause. Then—
⠀⠀⠀"Oi, what's the matter, babe? Bored of Simmons already?" Regulus smirked as he suddenly came out of a hallway, accompanied by Avery and Coltrane. All pureblood, all prejudiced and all Slytherin.
⠀⠀⠀"No, Black. I was actually planning our next date," Manon coolly answered.
⠀⠀⠀"Does it involve murder or something? Because your face looked like a grave just a few seconds ago," he raised his eyebrows in a sarcastic 'oh, yeah?' face, "But you know, it looks way happier now that you've seen me."
⠀⠀⠀Manon curled a lip as the three members of the serpent clan laughed. "If that's your definition of happy, Black, then you're even sadder than your name makes you out to be. Come on, let's go Lottie," she finished, adding the last part for Charlotte.
⠀⠀⠀"Sure, we'll see how long your delusions last," Regulus smirked coyly, right at the end. The pair shared cold looks before Manon dragged Charlotte away to their class.
⠀⠀⠀Two days later, they all realized that Regulus had meant his last sentence in more ways than one.
AUTHOR'S NOTE;
❝ REASSURANCE ! ❞
GUYS. DON'T BE scared to comment y'all :c interact please. With the book, with each other, with me : j