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One of the Reasons

10. Good Times We Can't Repeat

That evening and the next day Regulus couldn't stop smiling, joking and thumping people on the back. Everything was just so great! Peter's jokes were funnier than usual, the translation for Ancient Runes was unexpectedly easy, on Saturday the weather was really beautiful… Maybe it was stupid of him, but he really saw the world in brighter colours. The only downside was that he couldn't tell anyone about the source of his happiness, couldn't ask for advice, couldn't advertise the fact that he was dating a great girl. Now he understood why people always said that you couldn't have everything.

But for now he was happy, and "seizing the day" was all about living in the moment.

They didn't agree on the time and place of their meeting but seven o'clock in the Room was the obvious option. Regulus whistled all the way to the seventh floor, thinking about other fun things they could do. As it turned out, Holly already had an idea.

"I never got the chance to play you some of these records, so we're gonna have a music night, okay?"

"Sure," he nodded. After all, everything was fun when they did it together.

Holly rummaged in the box and finally extracted a record.

"Oh, I love this one. It's called 'Let's Twist Again' by Chubby Checker. I know you haven't the foggiest," she added before he could say anything and played the song. Soon he felt his legs twitch involuntarily as if someone had put the Tarantallegra Spell on him.

"Come on, Black," she teased. "Surely even dark and brooding Slytherins like to dance?"

He smiled and started swaying to the music.

"Why do you call me Black?" he asked after a moment.

"Well, Regulus is nice but too pompous for everyday use, I don't like the sound of Reg, and I can't call you Reggie, you're not five years old. So Black it is."

"The thing is– only people who don't know me very well call me that."

"So what do your friends call you?" she asked, twirling around him.

"Well, Peter and Tyler call me Reg, mostly," he hesitated for a moment. "But Charlie calls me R.A.B."

"R.A.B.?" she frowned.

"It's short for Regulus Arcturus Black," he explained, feeling a little foolish. Why couldn't his name be John or David?

"You know," she said after a pause, "I like it."

When the song ended, Holly peered into the box with the records and exclaimed in delight.

"Room, you are the most amazing, er, room I have ever seen! You're gonna love this, Bla– R.A.B. I proudly present "Hit the road Jack" by Ray Charles!"

/\ \/ /\

They started meeting every Saturday once again and they went for walks in the desolated parts of the castle, played Scrabble or hide-and-seek, and generally had fun. Soon they began leaving each other notes in weird places: in the big vase on the second floor or stuck under the windowsill in the Charms classroom. At first they were just about funny things they had seen or heard during the week, but then Holly came up with the idea of rebuses and puzzles. She was quite good at them and Regulus usually spent a lot of time (sometimes during classes) trying to decipher her messages.

They also talked about more important things, though they carefully avoided the subject of Regulus's choice. But Holly was adamant that he needed to see Muggles in a better light, and so she showed him examples of the best authors, musicians, politicians, scientists, and sportsmen of the non-magical world.

At first it was difficult for him to admit some of them were really brave, intelligent or just plain witty people. But after a while he learned to appreciate them. Okay, maybe he would be able to defeat Napoleon in a duel without breaking sweat, or single-handedly win any war thanks to Apparition, Disillusionment Charm and a couple of other jinxes, but still, these people showed great power of mind and other abilities that, if they had magic, would have made them amazing wizards and witches. They did not deserve to be treated like dumb beasts.

"I'm glad you see it this way," Holly said simply when he finally told her what he thought about the whole issue. "It's a pity others don't. Still, Muggles had their own Voldemorts, so I guess they have such problems, too."

"And they weren't exactly nice and tolerant towards magical people in the past," he reminded her, referring to the persecution of witches in the Middle Ages.

"True," she admitted. "That only shows we're not really that different."

Despite these serious and often gloomy conversations, Regulus considered this a happy time. They lived in the moment, had fun, and tried not to think too much about the future.

And the future was dark.