What was an acceptable amount of time to wait before contacting someone you have just seen?
That was the question that accompanied Lottie throughout most of the rest of the break. The next day had been out of the question. It would be much too soon and she would look desperate. She was sure at this point that they were friends—he had given her a gift, that's what friends did, right?—but she wasn't writing or calling Georgia and Winnie every day, either.
The day after Regulus had visited her, she had returned home. This didn't mean that she was less busy, though. She had a lot of homework to catch up on, and she ended up having to cram two week's worth of studying and essay writing into a short three days.
The pressure of finishing her school work was heavy enough to provide a little bit of distraction, even if she found herself glancing at the talking mirror that she had given a home on her dresser. She decided that she would be allowed to try and contact Regulus as soon as she finished her homework. She had clearly underestimated the amount of work it took, because finishing the last essay on Saturday evening had not been part of her plan. She would be traveling back to school that next morning, so really she had only managed to finish just in the nick of time.
Not having forgotten her reward, Lottie grabbed the talking mirror after she had gotten ready for bed. Her parents had long gone to sleep by now—the little clock on her nightstand showing that it had just passed midnight.
Lottie sat atop her bed, her legs crossed and hair still damp from her shower. The night light on her bedside table casted a dull glow onto her skin. It wasn't much light, but it was enough to make out her features, she guessed.
She opened the compact and carefully peered inside the mirror. She had expected to see her own reflection staring back at her, sure that Regulus had already gone to sleep at this hour. And, she wasn't completely wrong about that.
All she saw was shiny, dark brown curls, and what seemed to be…the top of Regulus' hand?
It was hard to make out anything on the small surface of the mirror, but after a few seconds of inspecting the scene in front of her, she realized that Regulus was leaning his head on his hand. Soft, steady breaths sounded from the small device, making Lottie smile.
Regulus Black, The Slytherin with the mind of a Ravenclaw, always proper and the prime example of a perfect son and student. Softly snoring in the palm of her hand.
He had been waiting for her.
She couldn't bring herself to wake him up, so instead she laid down and placed the mirror next to her pillow. If he were to wake up and peer into his mirror now, all he would see was the ceiling of her room. She didn't really want him to find her drooling onto her pillow, no matter how much she wanted to watch him sleep.
Lottie let her eyes flutter closed and focused on the sound of Regulus' breathing. It was soothing; its steady rhythm like a lullaby, slowly pulling her in to a deep sleep.
When Lottie woke up, the first thing she did was check the mirror. Her own light brown eye peered back at her sleepily when she held the mirror up, and she couldn't help but feel a little pang of disappointment. She didn't actually expect him to wait for her to wake up—he probably hadn't even noticed she had been sleeping on the other side of the device—but a small part of her had been hoping to see him.
She cheered up as soon as she remembered that she was going back to school. She might be able to spot him at the train station, or on the train, or even in one of the carriages. And even if she didn't, he would surely be at dinner that evening. She would see him again today.
Lottie's parents dropped her off at the train station, as they always did. It had been six and a half years, and neither of them had ever missed a chance to pick her up.
"Good luck, dear, and we'll see you in spring!" her mother had told her right before she got on the train. She was thankful for her parents, who always supported her in everything she did. She knew not everyone was so lucky.
Normally, it wouldn't take long to find Georgia and Winnie on the train. Much like most students from other houses, the sixth-year Hufflepuffs had their own preferred wagon, but Lottie was planning on taking a detour. She stuffed her trunk and winter coat in one of the luggage racks over the seats, before telling her friends she was going to use the bathroom and she would be right back.
She knew where the sixth-year Slytherins were usually seated, as it was only one carriage over from theirs. She made her way down the carriage to the small middle compartment that housed a small room with a toilet, as well as the entrance to the Slytherin compartment. She slipped inside the middle compartment, but didn't enter the Slytherin wagon. In stead, she peered through the little window carefully, trying to make sure she wouldn't be spotted. They had left King's Cross about twenty minutes earlier, so most students had settled into their seats and were now sharing stories of Christmas dinners and other activities they had done over the summer.
Lottie's eyes scanned the carriage, coming to a halt when she spotted him. He had his back to her, but she had been able to recognize that hair even in the dark. His seat was facing away from her, so the chance of him spotting her was minuscule, which was probably for the better. If she were to speak to him now, she was sure she would hug him, and she didn't know how good of an idea that was in front of all other Slytherins in their year.
Every now and then, he would turn his head a little to look at one of his friends who was talking, and she would catch a glimpse of his face. His strong nose, his pronounced jaw, his heavy brow. This was the Regulus she was used to seeing in class. Serious, aloof and solemn. And still, even from this distance, she couldn't help but notice that his eyes held a certain weight that hadn't been present when he had stood in front of her door.
He looked tired, and it left Lottie wondering whether anything had happened at home.
Maybe it was time she started asking questions again.
Regulus wished he had someone to talk to. Almost every day, he was painfully reminded by his own treacherous brain that he used to have someone he could tell everything to, but that person had left him. It was the reason he refused to even so much as glance at the Gryffindor table, but no matter how hard he tried, there was no avoiding Sirius in the castle.
Sirius had left him. Left him behind in that glacial estate they had once both called home.
"Come with me. The Potters don't mind, they said so. They are happy to take both of us in," Sirius had pleaded with him, both boys' cheeks wet and salty with tears on that unbearably hot summer's day a year and a half earlier.
He had wanted to say yes. He had wanted to go with him, he didn't want to be separated from his brother. Once could argue that, while Sirius would most likely be disowned by their parents, nothing had to change between the brothers while they were at Hogwarts. But leaving his parents, the people who had raised him, fed him, clothed him and taught him. The ones who had given him everything. It had felt so wrong at his mere 14 years, to leave behind the only family he had ever known. It was easy for Sirius to leave; he had people waiting for him who loved and accepted him.
Regulus had no one.
So he had stayed. Too afraid of what would happen if he chose his brother over his parents, he stayed and became the new heir of house Black. His brother's name was scorched off the tapestry of their family tree, and Regulus would spend all his holidays at home alone.
He had learned to cope with the absence of the person he had once cared about the most. No more after-class Quidditch practice together. No more Christmases, New Year's Eve's, or birthdays. No more bickering, which they both had always insisted was infuriatingly annoying, yet they kept doing it anyway.
Once his brother and best friend, had now turned into a stranger.
Since Sirius' departure, Regulus had never found himself so desperate to talk to his brother as he did now. He wanted to tell him about Lottie, about the news his father had given him, about his paralyzing dilemma.
He could sort of imagine what Sirius would tell him. He would tell him he should have left that house yesterday, and that it was his own fault for being in this sticky situation now. And he would be right.
But that didn't do him much good now. By now, he felt like it was already too late to leave. Where would he go? There was no way the Potters would accept him now, not after a year and a half of festering anger and resentment between the two brothers.
He couldn't help but allow himself to entertain the idea of staying with Lottie. A stupid and dangerous idea. If he left now, after the Dark Lord had taken notice of him and his "potential", as his father had put it, there would be a target on his back, and everyone else's that he chose to associate with. Lottie being muggle-born already put a spotlight on her at Hogwarts as it was, and he wasn't about to make her an even more obvious target.
There was nowhere to turn besides the path that had already been laid out before him by his parents.
"Alright, Regulus?" Barty asked from across the little table that separated their train seats, and Regulus realized he had completely tuned out the people around him and was staring out the window.
Regulus met the boy's gaze, his face perfectly neutral.
"Yes. Just trying to remember whether I finished the Transfiguration essay or not. I think I might have some minor changes to make."
"Merlin, that essay was killer, wasn't it?" Barty sighed with a roll of his eyes. Regulus knew exactly how to distract the Slytherin, aware of just how much Barty struggled to get by with McGonagall's N.E.W.T. classes.
"Could you take a look at my essay before class tomorrow, then? After you finish yours."
"Can't," Regulus said as he flicked an invisible speck of dust off the sleeve of his dress shirt. "I've got patrols on Sundays."
"Even right after the break?" Barty frowned, clearly not approving of the fact that Regulus would be too preoccupied to help him.
"May I remind you that when we arrived back at Hogwarts after our Christmas break in our third year, we set fire to the second floor bathroom," Regulus said, cocking his eyebrow.
"As should all third years be allowed. Let them have their fun."
Regulus let out a humorless scoff. He hardly expected any students to set fire to anything tonight. Except perhaps one.
Hogwarts welcomed him home with its cozy corridors and warm lighting everywhere. The only place in the castle that resembled his parents' house in any way, was the Slytherin common room, with its cold, blueish-green hues and dark furniture. Every year, it had been a comfort coming back to school, knowing that at least the common room would feel a little bit like his childhood home.
Now it felt as though his father was watching him through the eyes of the portraits that covered the walls, and the faint mermaid voices that managed to penetrate the thick, stone wall of the room carried the same piercing sharpness as his mother's did.
He was happy to be out of the confining walls of the common room to patrol the castle, even if he was tired and knew he would be a wreck during potions the following morning. Every time he had fallen asleep the night before, he had woken up twenty, maybe thirty minutes later, bathing in his own, cold sweat, images of the Dark Lord, death and decay still fresh in his mind. Getting an early night had been out of the question, and eventually he had settled on reading the book Lottie had given him at his desk.
He had checked the talking mirror several times in between reading, but every time he only saw his own haunting eyes and pale skin. He had fallen asleep eventually, and when he woke up again after almost falling out of his chair, he had almost closed the compact mirror, when he realized the shiny surface was black, and not his reflection.
He had stared at the mirror first, waiting for any sign of Lottie. But all he had heard was her steady breathing as she slept. Realization had set in soon after that—she had been listening to him sleep as well.
He had wanted to keep the mirror with him when he finally went back to bed, but he couldn't risk waking her if he had any nightmares. Not only did he not want to disturb her sleep, but she would most likely ask him about his dreams, and that was not a topic he particularly wanted to discuss. So had he decided to close it and hoped the rest of the night would be kind to him.
His dreams had been kinder to him after that, but he still carried the weight of lousy nights with him on his face; dark circles under his eyes, intensified by the shadows that his sharp bone structure cast on his skin.
As much has he would have liked to patrol just the dungeons, his predetermined route led him to the astronomy tower. The corridor and stairs leading up to it were deserted, as expected, and for a couple of minutes, the Slytherin stood on the balcony that looked out over the spectacular view that the castle had to offer. He didn't stop to admire the view often, but the way the rolling hills were covered in snow and the Black Lake had frozen over was nothing short of breathtaking.
He shivered slightly when a particularly biting breeze caressed his face, and he stuffed his hands a little further into the pockets of his robes. Cold metal brushed against his fingertips and he quickly pulled his hand back—the metal so cold it had felt like a burning heat for a moment—when he remembered putting the talking mirror in his pocket after changing into his school uniform.
He pulled out the small device and looked down at it. What were the chances that Lottie would answer if he tried to contact now? It was the first night back at Hogwarts, and even if it was past curfew, most students spent this evening up late in their common rooms, catching up with their friends.
Despite his doubts, Regulus carefully opened the compact anyway, and peered inside.
Golden, freckled skin and a widening amber eye greeted him and he could feel his heart take a little leap.
"Oh!" he could hear Lottie exclaim softly, and he had to force himself not to smile at her flushed cheek.
"Good evening, Vernier," he greeted her, his amusement freely leaking into his voice.
"Black, hi…where are you?" Lottie answered, frowning slightly as she came a little closer to the mirror.
"The astronomy tower. Do you like the view?" he asked, turning the mirror a little bit so it would show the hills and the lake. When he looked in the mirror again, Lottie was smiling.
"Yeah…the view is beautiful," she said after a second.
"I thought you would be with your friends," Regulus said after another moment of silence.
"I was, up until about five minutes ago. They're all in the common room, showing off the gifts they've gotten," Lottie chuckled softly. She sound of her laugh was infectious, the sound rippling through him like gentle waves on a beach.
"I see. What about now? Headed to bed early?" Regulus asked, leaning back against the stone guard rail of the balcony.
"Kind of…" Lottie started, and even though he couldn't see it, something in the way her face moved had him thinking she was biting her lip.
"I was hoping to talk to you."
Of course she had wanted to talk to him if she had been using the mirror, it made complete logical sense. But hearing her say those words made it real in a way he hadn't known he was craving.
She wanted to talk to him. To spend time with him. Not so he could check her homework, or put in a good word for her with teachers, or to pressure him into joining the Dark Lord, or because he was a Black. He wasn't quite sure what her motivations were, but he knew it was any of the ones people usually approached him for. When he talked to her, he felt no pressure. No heavy weight.
Just her.
"Well, I'm here," Regulus said, his voice soft.
Lottie felt bad for leaving her friends after only just having been reunited, but she had other things on her mind than sharing what she'd gotten for Christmas.
Regulus had looked so haggard, so exhausted during dinner, that it had taken everything in her not to walk up to the Slytherin table, grab his face and tell him to go to sleep right away. The thought of the preposterous idea had made her chuckle—the other Slytherins would probably look at her as if she had grown a second head—and then it made her blush, for her imagination had conjured up the perfect picture of Regulus' handsome face in between her hands, his intense eyes staring back at her.
She wanted nothing more than to talk to him, to hear his voice again, to make sure he was doing okay. She was worried about him, and even just a quick exchange of words would be enough to at least settle her concern for now. All she needed to hear him say was that he was alright.
She had excused herself from the common room right when curfew had rolled around, and had made herself comfortable in her dorm bed, the talking mirror in her lap. Up until then, they'd had bad luck when it came to timing, but she was not going to give up so easily.
She had been staring at the compact, taking in it's fine green details with the little golden door opened, when her own reflection rippled strangely before being replaced with Regulus' dark eye.
"Oh!" Lottie breathed, for some reason not having expected to see him, even though she had been wishing and waiting for him nonetheless.
It wasn't the same as seeing him in real life. He still looked tired and worn down, but the small frame of the device and the dark shadows of his surroundings didn't quite capture how he had looked sitting at the Slytherin table that evening. Still, she savored their little conversation, his careful smiles and the sound of his voice—which seemed softer than usual.
"Well, I'm here," he had told her, and the words seeped right through her chest, carrying so much weight for such a short sentence.
"It was nice to see you on Christmas Day," Lottie said after a moment, trying not to let on that his words had struck a chord inside her. "And your gift has been delightful."
"So I've noticed," Regulus said with a soft chuckle. "Do you watch people sleep more often?"
"Only if they fall asleep waiting for me," Lottie replied nonchalantly, her tone never betraying how her stomach was alive with butterflies.
Regulus laughed then—a sound so magnetizing she was half tempted to jump out of bed and run to the astronomy tower just to hear it in person. She had never heard him laugh before, aside from a variation of chuckles every now and then—some genuine, and some not. This had been so different, so honest, she almost wanted to ask him to do it again, but she knew how silly of a request that would be.
She silently declared then that she was going to make him laugh more often.
"You have your match against Ravenclaw coming up," Lottie said, deciding it was probably in her best interest to change the subject.
"Indeed I do," Regulus confirmed with a nod. "Just two more practice sessions before this Saturday, but it should be enough. I'm confident that we'll beat them."
"I'm sure you will," Lottie said as a smile spread across her lips. "You're a talented Seeker. And everybody knows the Slytherin team is ruthless. You'll do just fine."
Regulus looked away from the mirror, and for a moment Lottie thought that maybe someone had walked in on their conversation. A moment later though, Regulus looked back at her, and she caught a glimpse of something in his eye that she couldn't quite decipher.
"Are you going to be watching?" he asked then, and Lottie came to the slow realization that Regulus was being shy.
"Of course," she answered quickly. "I mean, not just because I watch all of the games. I…I'll be there, rooting for you."
She had almost left out the last part, her heart racing in her chest as she spoke the words.
She heard Regulus let out a soft, breathy huff, and she wondered if his heart was beating just as fast as hers. If he thought about her the way she thought about him. If he missed her like she missed him. If he felt even just a sliver of what she felt for him.
Lottie's eye searched Regulus', looking for any clue of an answer to her questions, when muffled voices interrupted the gentle silence that hung in the air.
"Oh crap," Lottie whispered as she glanced at the door. "I think some of my roommates are coming."
"That's alright. You should get some rest," Regulus said, and Lottie looked back at the mirror. "I'll see you in the morning. We have a big day, you know?"
"Huh?" Lottie let out stupidly, but she had no idea what he was referring to.
"Polyjuice Potion, remember? I'm going to need you sharp and well rested."
"Right," Lottie quickly nodded, remembering their upcoming project, trying not to get distracted by the way he had said "I'm going to need you-".
"Goodnight, Vernier," Regulus said, her last name sounded soft like honey on his tongue.
"Goodnight, Black."
Falling back into the routine of drafting potions together was as easy as Lottie had imagined, as if they had only completed their last potion yesterday.
Regulus still looked tired, the skin under his eyes a cool shade of purple, but he seemed to be in a fairly good mood. He scowled less, for starters, even when he addressed another classmate or Slughorn. It was comforting to see that, at the very least, he was doing alright enough to not be miserable in class. That was good enough for now.
Regulus wasn't the only one had Quidditch practice after class. The match between Hufflepuff and Gryffindor was coming up, and it would require a great deal of hard work to beat them.
The week slowly trickled by, days bleeding into one another as everyone settled back into the routine of school life. Regulus still wouldn't interact much with Lottie in class, but she could explain that away with the talking mirror. They had a better way of communicating now than stolen glances. Or maybe he had gotten a little tired of her.
She had looked in the mirror every evening that week, hoping to catch another glimpse of those stormy eyes, but each time she had been greeted by her own reflection. She tried not to over think it—he was a prefect, at the top of the class in most, if not all subjects, played Quidditch and had friends of his own. Of course he was gong to be busy.
"Whenever you feel…feel like talking, I'll be there to listen."
Lottie had been so happy, so delighted when he had told her those words, she had completely taken them at face value, not once considering that he could have not meant it.
She still didn't want to believe he hadn't meant it, but by the time they were once again working together on the Polyjuice Potion on Friday afternoon, she hadn't managed to get a hold of him once using the mirror.
Even now, he seemed a little more preoccupied than he had on Monday. He still looked worn out, but as far as she knew, he was still showing up to every class, every Quidditch practice and his friends still flocked around him during meals.
"Are you doing okay?" Lottie managed to ask him after a long silence, during which they had both been preparing the next round of ingredients.
"Mhm," Regulus hummed, and from the corner of Lottie's eye she could see him nod lightly, though he didn't look up from the desk. "Had a busy week."
His voice wasn't exactly cold, but it was distant. It only confirmed what she was worried about; something was the matter.
"Did something happen over Christmas break?" she suddenly asked, though in a tone hushed enough so that only he could hear it.
Regulus froze, and after a few seconds she thought he wouldn't answer her, but then he spoke up.
"I had a disagreement with my father."
Lottie fumbled with the feather quill in her hand. "About what?"
Regulus swallowed hard and gave a light shake of his head, still not meeting her eyes.
"Nothing. It's not important."
"If it's been bothering you all week, I'd say it is important," she said, carefully. She didn't want to push him, but rather make him feel like he could safely tell her what was on his mind, without any fear of judgment.
"I'm fine, Vernier. Really," he insisted, and his tone had been a little colder this time.
His mask, however fractured it might have seemed, was back on his face.
Lottie tried not to take it personally. Whatever argument Regulus had had with his father, had clearly impacted him greatly. She knew that some people shut down when faced with hardship, and Regulus could very well be one of those kinds of people. In fact, it wouldn't surprise her at all, seeing as he had probably had years and years of etiquette and attitude training in which he would have been taught to not show his anger, hurt or passion.
Lottie could understand, but it was frustrating nonetheless. She could see so much in him; he was intelligent and clever, attentive and considerate. Even the house elves loved him, which in itself already said so much about him as a person. He cared, no matter how stoic he acted in public. She wanted him to be happy, to not have to worry about angry fathers or anything else that could weigh him down. But she couldn't help him if he shut her out.
Saturday morning. The day of the match between Slytherin and Ravenclaw. She had decided to dress for the occasion and wear a pair of forest green woolen gloves her mother had knitted her a few years prior. She hadn't worn them for almost two winters, having gotten new gloves since, but this was the perfect way to subtly show her support.
"You're rooting for Slytherin, then?" Georgia asked Lottie as the two of them and Winnie made their way to the Quidditch pitch. Both of them were wearing items of blue, instantly giving away who they would be supporting.
"Oh…yeah, I suppose," Lottie said, curling her hands into fists and uncurling them again. "They're a really good team."
"They're going to beat us," Winnie said, which was probably true. Hufflepuff hadn't played against Slytherin yet this year, but after the upcoming match against Gryffindor, a game against the green-clad team would be next. And Slytherin would win without a doubt.
"Oh it doesn't matter, Ravenclaw, Slytherin, I'm just here to see some good Quidditch," Lottie said with a wide grin, and she hoped her friends wouldn't catch on to the fact that she was nervous.
She had seen Regulus play before—this year even—but it felt different now. After they had both given each other gifts. After he had been standing on her doorstep. After she had fallen asleep to the sound of his breathing. She was excited to watch him play and do something he enjoyed. And, maybe, she was also a little bit excited that she would be able to unapologetically stare at him without it being weird.
Most students came to watch the game. Lottie and her friends had found seats in one of the tribunes that was mainly occupied by Hufflepuffs. She peered down into the large, oval shaped pit. The two competing teams were waiting in their uniforms and with their brooms, both parties receiving a pep-talk from their captains.
Lottie's gaze fell upon Regulus' curls, swaying in the wind that was starting to pick up. The sky was already a dark gray, and heavy rain had been predicted for that afternoon. She had hoped that it would hold off until after the match, but it looked like they wouldn't get so lucky. She brought an umbrella just in case, and she would most likely have to use it soon.
He looked good in green. In all fairness, he probably looked good in every color. But green was the color of nature, of life, of the earth. Green was the color of his eyes. It complimented him in a way that made her unable to look away from him, even as Madam Hooch's whistle sounded and the two teams took off to start the game.
After twenty minutes of blurry flashes of green and blue racing back and forth, Ravenclaw was ahead by sixty points, and Lottie had seen exactly zero goals being made. She had been focused on Regulus, who had mostly been flying around above the rest of the players, keeping an eye out for the snitch. On one occasion it had seemed like he spotted it, but after a short chase, he had lost it again. The Ravenclaw seeker had followed him in his chase, but he too had been unable to keep track of the tiny flying ball.
"Wow, it looks like Lestrange has managed to knock Byrne off of his broom! With one beater less, Ravenclaw will have to deal with more bludgers coming their way. How scary!"
The commentator's voice boomed through the stadium, and Lottie looked away from Regulus just for a moment, to see Alex Byrne being escorted off the pitch on a stretcher. She wasn't sure whether he had fallen all the way down without being caught in any way, but from the looks of it, he was unconscious.
"And Black is off after the snitch again! Will he be able to keep track of it this time? The flying little devil seems to be in a feisty mood today; it won't make it an easy victory for either one of the seekers! Harvey is right on Black's tail—oh this is why I love Quidditch, look at them go!"
Regulus and Ravenclaw's seeker, Dennis Harvey, were in the middle of a steep dive, the snitch heading straight for the ground. Despite having seen this maneuver before, Lottie's stomach clenched upon seeing Regulus speed towards the solid mass underneath him. He was a talented flier, she knew that, but it still felt wrong to see him in such a potentially dangerous situation.
Both seekers pulled up just before hitting the ground—Byrne just a moment sooner than Regulus—and for a moment Lottie thought Regulus had caught the snitch. He had reached out and lunged forward, nearly falling off his broom, but managed to steady himself and find his balance again.
It was at this point that it started raining. The audience groaned as thick droplets fell from the sky, and it only took a few minutes for the rain to go from a light trickle to a heavy shower. Lottie's umbrella barely provided any shelter, as the strong wind just blew rain straight under the dome.
"I think we might be out here for quite some time, people, usually with this kind of rain—wait! I don't believe it, Black is chasing the snitch yet again!"
Lottie quickly searched the sky and found Regulus narrowly following the snitch with such precision that she really wasn't sure how he could even see it. His gloved hand was outstretched once again, just inches away from the snitch, and Lottie could feel the anticipation building in her stomach.
"Just a little closer, Regulus," she whispered to herself, her voice completely drowned out by the enthusiastic cheers of the people surrounding her.
"Black has almost got it, and Byrne is nowhere to be found—looks like he has lost track of both Black and the snitch—he's almost got it, the snitch takes a sharp turn—but Black follows flawlessly! He reaches out—the snitch is so close now, so close—and he's got it!"
A chorus of cheers and yells erupted from the Slytherin stands, along with some disappointed grunts from the Ravenclaw sections. Lottie grinned widely, her heart swelling with pride. It was as though no matter what Regulus did, if he set his mind on something, he would make it happen. Even when he was suffering under whatever had happened at home and he clearly wasn't getting enough sleep, he still managed to take care of his responsibilities, including this one.
The two teams flew back to solid ground and the stands were starting to empty. Some students went onto the pitch to congratulate their friends, and for a moment, Lottie considered doing the same thing. Would it be weird for her to congratulate him so publicly? Up until now, their friendship had stayed mostly hidden, aside from their potions classes. She still hadn't even told her friends they were even friends to begin with.
"Come on, it's freezing out here. Let's get inside and change into warm clothes," Georgia said with a shiver as they started walking to the tribune exit.
"Yeah…um, you two go ahead. I'll be right there, I just have to stop somewhere first," Lottie said as they walked down the stairs.
"You sure?" Georgia asked, shooting Lottie a look over her shoulder.
"Very. I'll see you later."
Even if Georgia and Winnie wanted to protest, they were carried away by the sea of students who were all making their way out the exit and towards the castle. Lottie turned and hurried out the other side of the tribunes, onto the Quidditch pitch. There were still plenty of students here, congratulating, hugging and patting their friends on the back.
It was a bad idea. She would go up to Regulus, congratulate him with a hug, and go back to the castle. Simple. It was bad, because she didn't know whether his teammates or friends would react. Maybe they wouldn't even take notice and she was worrying for nothing. But even though Regulus had proved himself to be nothing like the muggle-hating pure-blood everyone always made Slytherins out to be, it didn't mean his friends weren't like that.
It was a bad idea, yes, but it didn't outweigh the desire to express to him just how proud she was. He deserved to hear that after the way he had been feeling for the past week.
Lottie crossed the large grass field, towards the Slytherin team. Regulus stood off to the side of the group, a faint smile on his face as he listened to a conversation some of his friends were having. He hadn't spotted her yet, so if she wanted, Lottie could still turn around and get to the castle unnoticed.
She almost did turn, but stopped herself. If there was ever a time to be brave, it was now.
Lottie walked up to Regulus, his strong side-profile partially obscured by wet locks of hair that stuck to his face. He looked so ethereal; the way rain drops traced his nose and the cold colored his cheeks that rosy color.
Her heart was beating in her throat. She wanted to hug him, to let him know that she really had come to watch him, and how good of a job he had done.
"Regulus!" Lottie said happily to the boy whose attention was still fixed on his friends. She moved forward quickly, hoping to avoid his eyes as she got a sudden, strong urge. She wrapped her arms around his neck and moved in to kiss his cheek. She didn't want to think about it too much, as she would absolutely chicken out if she did, and she planted her lips firmly on his cheek.
Except it wasn't his cheek.
At the very last moment, Regulus had turned to face her, and it was his lips she was kissing.