This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Songbirds and Starlight
International Wizarding School Championship:
School: Durmstrang
Year: 4
Additional Restrictions: Write for LittleTee - [pairing] Regulus and Pandora. [Creature] hummingbird
Theme: Slytherin Traits: Cunning, Determined, and Resourceful.
Prompt[s]: Main: [setting] Astronomy Tower
Additional: [Dialogue] "I'm not crazy, my reality is just different from yours,"
[Dialogue] "If I had a star for every time you brightened my day, I would be holding a galaxy,"
Word count: 1662
The House Cup:
House: Hufflepuff
Year: 4
Category: Standard
Prompt: [Song Prompt] Creep by PostModern Jukebox (cover)
Beta: Aya Diefair & NeonDomino & HecateA
When you were here before
Couldn't look you in the eye
You're just like an angel
Your skin makes me cry
You float like a feather
In a beautiful world
I wish I was special
You're so very special
Creep by PostModern Jukebox
Her platinum blonde hair was blowing in the wind coming in from the window of the Astronomy Tower. Her pale blue eyes were shining like the stars in the sky as she was looking out the window. She was rolling up the parchment in her hand and he watched her place it in her knitted blue drawstring bag.
He gazed at her in wonder—she was exquisite, like an otherworldly angel that has been sent to Earth.
"Pandora," he addressed her formally. Startled by being caught out of bed close to midnight, she jumped slightly. She was surprised by the Slytherin Prefect's sudden appearance.
The Prefect had dark hair and a slender build. His status oozed power and his tone demanded respect. He was Regulus Black, the younger brother and heir of the House of Black, a noble Pureblood line. He had been watching the Ravenclaw witch for a while now, biding his time, looking for his chance to speak to her alone.
"Regulus," she said with relief, although his expression made her guarded.
"You won't take points from a friend, surely?" she asked him.
"Well, Pandora, I was entrusted to patrol and make sure students aren't out of bed," he said eyebrows raised.
"But—" Pandora started but was interrupted.
"But, I can perhaps be persuaded not to say anything," Regulus said, grinning at her, grey eyes glinting mischievously.
Pandora sat down with her knitted bag and sighed, taking a seat on the windowsill. "What do you want then, Regulus?" she asked after a while.
"I want you to go out with me," Regulus said.
"You must be crazy to think you can blackmail a girl into a date," Pandora responded haughtily.
"Oh, I'm not crazy, my reality is just different from yours," he responded easily.
His response made her laugh, so she asked, "Just one date?"
"Unless you beg for more," he said, crossing his right hand over his heart.
"And I get to come here every night?" She clarified. Regulus nodded smugly.
"Okay," Pandora said finally, "one date."
"One date," Regulus responded, looking like the cat that got the cream.
Regulus felt guilty for exploiting Pandora, but he had a good motive for doing so. He reasoned it was a very Slytherin way of doing things—the thought made him shudder. He may have begged for Slytherin house, but within himself there was more of a Gryffindor like Sirius. He had begged the sorting hat not to put him in Gryffindor just to avoid the scorn of his family.
"Very Slytherin of you," he muttered to his reflection in the bathroom mirror. "Self-preservation," his reflection seemed to respond mockingly. He sighed, and left the bathroom. Time for bed.
Meanwhile, Pandora had wandered back to the Ravenclaw common room. She should be furious at Regulus, but although his method was extreme, she found herself flattered that he noticed her, and found her favorite spot, to ask her out on a date. Well, ask by way of blackmail, but still. She felt almost sure he was bluffing, but something about his lonely eyes called out to her soul. She climbed into bed that night, pulling a homemade crochet square blanket up all the way over her head.
Regulus had not mentioned a day when the date was supposed to happen, but she felt refreshed, and checking her silver hair was neatly pulled back, she hummed, going through her morning rituals. Then she did some extra effort- she puckered her lips to add a hint of peach lip gloss to her full mouth. Regulus spotted her at lunch, sitting by herself at the Ravenclaw table.
"Hey," he greeted her, slightly nervously. What if she backed out now that he had no proof of her breaking any rules? But he needn't have worried, she was smiling at him.
"Want to sit down?" she asked. Without waiting for a response, she scooted over, making space for the Slytherin to sit next to her. Some of the Ravenclaw students glared at her like this was a personal attack, but she either pretended not to notice or she didn't care.
He nodded, wordlessly, and a couple of curious stares came from the Slytherin table, including his group.
Astronomy was Pandora's favorite subject. Even as the stands filled after school for the Quidditch match between Slytherin and Gryffindor, her body may be in the stands but her mind was in her tower.
Before kickoff, her eyes looked over the castle grounds, spying the Astronomy tower in the distance before she turned to watch the game.
She was holding a small poster which stated boldly: Slytherin for the win! She was also sporting some green and black makeup. The green on her eyes with dark mascara made them pop; and her full lips wore black lipstick. It wasn't overdone, but it was clear. Regulus adored it—he could hardly focus on the Snitch, he was more enchanted by the thought of catching her lips between his teeth than a flying golden ball.
After winning, Pandora watched the Slytherin's whisk Regulus away, and smiled. She left, heading towards her sanctuary.
She sat by herself in the Astronomy tower, humming while she finished her Potions essay. She often had her knitted bag full of Library books, she was studious, but the atmosphere of the library smothered her, the cool air in the tower whipped her hair across her face, keeping her focused and refreshed. The only noises up in the tower was the whistling of the wind and her soft humming as her quill scribbled 10 uses for Wolfsbane in potions.
She wasn't worried about Regulus crashing her party again. She was sure the Slytherin's would have him as their guest of honor at the Slytherin dorm party. Time flew by with her being engrossed in her essay. Once it was complete, she took out a battered copy of The Tales of Beatle the Bard—her fingers traced over the letters on the cover; then she opened the first page.
To my Panda Bear,
If I had a star for every time you brightened my day, I would be holding a galaxy.
Love
Your father
Her father had loved the stars as much as she did, she often received letters and gifts from him. She knew her mother would never forgive him for leaving her with a four-year-old Pandora to become an Auror, but as busy as he got, she knew her letters brightened his day as much as his letters and gifts did for her.
After midnight she finally packed her books away and left the tower, clutching her bag in both arms.
The next morning at lunch her grey tawny owl brought her another parcel from her father; and when Regulus sat down next to her, he eyed it curiously when she packed it away without opening it. He had taken a few days to plan the perfect date, and so he had yet to give her a date and time.
"Hey, Pandora," he said, getting her attention off her food.
"Yes, Regulus?" She replied curiously, looking up from her pasta.
"I was thinking about our date," he began slowly, his ears turning red. She had almost forgotten all about it.
"How does Saturday at 18:00 sound, the Astronomy Tower?" his tone sounded almost shy, as if she had an option to actually say no. Not that that crossed her mind, she had come to enjoy the breakfasts and lunches they shared every day.
"Sure, I am spending the day in Hogsmeade, but that sounds fine," she agreed easily.
The day of the date had arrived, and Regulus was nervous. He wanted to make a good impression so she would agree to go on another date with him. He noticed that chatting with her had become a daily ritual, and she always seemed to be happy to see him when he sat down next to her at the Ravenclaw table.
The stares had faded and the Slytherin's eventually got over their curiosity. They only cared that she was a pureblood.
He was setting up for their first date. He knew how much she loved the Astronomy tower, and he wanted the night to be unforgettable.
He knew she would be out all day so he didn't need to worry about her coming back early and spoiling the surprise. Everything was set up early, so Regulus smoothed his robes, running his fingers through his hair nervously. Then he tried to calm his racing heart.
"Okay, Regulus, calm down, relax," he muttered to himself, checking the time on his pocket watch.
Her hair was loose platinum tendrils framing her face, she wore a red summer dress with long dangling gold earrings. Her blood red lips wore a tentative smile.
Her eyes observed her usually empty sanctuary. There were flower petals littering the ground and a large green blanket with a picnic basket. She also saw a large metal cage that seemed to have multiple small blue birds inside. She eyed them curiously.
"Those are hummingbirds, for you," Regulus explained. The little birds began to sing cheerfully despite the cage, as if they understood they were being discussed. They spent the night providing music for them, and soon the initial weirdness was forgotten.
"So, do you think you would go out with me again?" Regulus asked under the starlight streaming into the tower and illuminating the room.
"You're crazy," she said with a chuckle.
"I'm not crazy, my…" Regulus started.
"Reality is just different from yours," she supplied, leaning in to touch her full lips against the Slytherin, effectively stopping all conversation.
Just before they kissed, she noticed the lonely eyes had disappeared, and were replaced with hungry ones. She was sure that Regulus would see that same hunger now reflected in her own pale blue eyes. Now they had found each other, they had someone to take away the loneliness and fill the void that once was there.