a/n: enjoy ;)
51- Primary
Worse than trying to teach a bunch of ignorant dunderheads the subtle art of potions were only his surveillance duties during the Hogsmeade weekends. True, these were dangerous times, Severus kept telling himself, the wizarding world was at war and he was just taking care of the safety of the next wizarding generation. Now, that would be a noble task. But in fact he was merely trying to protect the brats from harming themselves. What was so funny about hexing each other? Of course, he had hexed many fellow students, too, during his Hogwarts days, though mainly in self-defence and not for the fun of seeing someone with an elephant's trunk for a nose or green blotches on their faces.
Those idiots were wasting their potency! If only they were that inventive when it came to potions. But no, he wasn't protecting a generation of intelligence and intellect. He was shepherding a crowd of hormone-driven teenagers who made an attack at Hogsmeade appear like a pointless affair... unless someone appeared just to save him.
Since that was very unlikely to happen, Severus was strolling the darkest corners and most favourite places of Hogsmeade, his wand at the ready, to prevent stupid kids from eating each other up alive and getting pregnant in the course of events, while it almost filled him with pleasure, driving them apart and giving detentions. Mr Filch, Hogwarts Caretaker, would be very busy for the next day or two...
He had just finished his first round of checking the notorious troublemaker's most favourite places and was turning back to Hogsmeade High Street, when all of a sudden a witch approached him. She didn't look any special, but that came as no surprise to him, because beautiful witches wouldn't approach him anyway-
She smiled at him, and that was a surprise. Usually, no one smiled at him.
She wasn't a looker. Actually, she was rather unremarkable and unobtrusive with her mouse-coloured hair, her shape disguised by long grey robes. On the other hand, her face resembled that of Narcissa Malfoy a little, without ever reaching the same perfection.
But then she spoke, and her voice sent a shiver down his spine for it sounded so very familiar, so very like something he'd longed for all his life, without knowing what it was.
"Wow, Professor Snape, you look very- handsome would be the wrong word- um... impressive in your billowing robes. Nevertheless, I like you better in skin-tight jeans and a Sex Pistols shirt."
He froze at the spot, staring at her, and all of a sudden he seemed to recognize her. It was as if the scales were falling from his eyes, allowing him to see her real self. But realizing who she really was filled him more with dread than with pleasure, although his heart seemed to leap with joy.
"For Merlin's sake!" Severus hissed as he grabbed her arm rather harshly to drag her back into one of the darker corners, which he'd cleared only minutes ago. "Raven! What the hell are you doing here? Didn't I tell you not to -."
He fell silent when she placed a finger on his lips, indicating him to shut up. And so he did. But his dark eyes told her he was not amused. Professor Snape in his billowing robes was a forbidding person, someone to be respected; someone you didn't toy with.
"Shhhhhh," she whispered, not much impressed. To her, he was just Sev. Nevertheless, she restrained the urge to trace his lips with her fingertips, restrained the desire to kiss him. "I wouldn't be here if it wasn't important."
"You better had!" Severus hissed, although all he wanted was to nail her to the nearest wall with his body and snog her senseless, allowing him all the pleasure he so fervently denied his charges. But he caught a grip on himself, forcing himself to stay wary. "Tell me about the Metal Guru."
"T. Rex. Not a magical artefact- honestly, Sev, don't you think you're acting a tad paranoid now? You didn't recognize me at first glance, and although I understand your attitude of showing vigilance, do you really think a person impersonating me would choose to look totally different than I, especially if said person is such a little grey mouse?"
"There's a certain logic to that," Severus admitted. Usually, he didn't display that much stupidity, but Raven's presence had momentarily deactivated his ability for logical thought. And his heart was beating much too fast. Not only out of worry. Of course, he was worried. These were dangerous times and anyone close to him was in potential hazard.
"Ha!" She triumphed, sounding so typically Raven that his concerns seemed to disappear into thin air, and he could see her a bit more clearly now.
"Your glamour is... um, quite well."
"Ta. I had lots of time to study, you know. Stealth and Concealment. It's part of Auror training."
"Did they accept you for this year's course?"
Raven shrugged. Actually, she hadn't even bothered to apply for it at all, knowing she would be rejected once again since Auror department was still in the hands of idiots who thought that every Slytherin was naturally a follower of the Dark Lord and his mad view of the world. So she said, evading his question, "Well, I thought about taking on studies for the Muggle version of the job."
Severus arched an inquiring brow at her. "You want to become a police officer?"
"Nope. But I want to learn more about forensic science."
"Ah, a little Miss Quincy?"
"Sort of." She didn't tell him that there was much more to forensic science than becoming a coroner, although she had recently managed to sneak in to the Faculty of Medicine in London, visiting a course in autopsy quite regularly- in fact, ever since her trip to Little Hangleton some weeks ago (it had inspired her to find out if there really was no scientific proof or organic evidence that someone died of the Killing Curse)- but she would have loved to tell him that she didn't faint when the professor opened the body with the usual Y incision or at the sound of the bone saw, like all those guys did in the opening scene of Quincy M.E.
Raven didn't mention it, though. She didn't tell him, either, that she had even given herself a crash course in anatomy- it was definitely not her intention to get a doctor's degree in Muggle medicine, but she wanted to know all about the vital parts of the human body without having to learn all those Latin names for each and every bloody muscle. She merely wanted to understand how everything worked, the basic idea of life or what kept a person alive, just to know what could kill a person.
Mainly, it was the thought that no one had yet been able to detect a trace of the Killing Curse in a victim that was motivating her to visit these courses at the Faculty of Medicine. She had even created the unremarkable mouse glamour to not attract the attention of her fellow students, so they wouldn't start wondering why they only saw her once or twice a week...
Of course, she still had to learn a lot more about forensic science, but it was a good start. After all, at least she was doing something now... and maybe one day she would be able to solve the mystery of Marc's death. To prove that he was indeed a victim of the Dark Arts was motivating her.
For all of his life, Marc wanted to be loved as a rock star and he'd given so much, so very fucking much to her. Now, it was payback time.
"Can we go somewhere else?" She asked then, recalling the reason for meeting Severus. Raven would have loved to simply follow her heart and hug him, holding him tight- he was so close and she'd missed him so very fucking much!- but there was no place for privacy on Hogsmeade High Street. Just like there was no time and place to dwell on memories of Marc. First things first.
In his mind's eye, Severus was scanning all the dark corners and favourite hiding-places of his students, searching for the perfect place, and he almost suggested the Hog's Head tavern, a dingy pub where all the shady people met. But then he changed his mind.
"Meet me at the Three Broomsticks. In ten minutes. Do not dawdle. Take the staircase as if you have a room up there. And please keep up your glamour."
"I'm not stupid, Sev," she said but he had already turned around and she could only stare at his back, retreating in a swirl of billowing black robes.
Raven walked on in the opposite direction, passing Zonkos, Gladrags and Scrivenshaft's while pretending to be interested in the window displays. Then she crossed the road and continued her wizarding window shopping tour on the other side, slowly strolling towards the Three Broomsticks.
When she finally opened the door to the tavern, she was immediately stunned by the familiarity of the scene. Nothing had changed. The Three Broomsticks was still so very much the same- frequented by crowds of pubertal teenagers, and it even smelled like it had when she used to be part of the crowd.
Not dawdling, she made her way through the crowd and took the staircase to the upper floor, just like Severus had told her.
The very moment Raven reached the first landing, a door opened and strong fingers gripped her arm to pull her into a room.
-o-
Since Madam Rosmerta, the landlady of the Three Broomsticks was a good acquaintance of many of the Hogwarts teaching staff, especially of Headmaster Dumbledore, there was always a room waiting for them and their business on the first floor.
Severus knew that, so he used the knowledge and the opportunity for his meeting with Raven, Rosmerta wouldn't wonder- if she ever found out, that is, for she was much too busy serving butterbeer to the students downstairs. And if anyone found out, he could still tell Dumbledore that the person he'd met was a secret informer (which wasn't even a lie) and later tell Voldemort just the same. He was a spy and spies needed informants.
Nevertheless, he checked the room thoroughly while he was waiting for Raven, quickly putting up more wards. He needed to busy himself with useful things in order to not pay too much attention to his feelings, which were in a big turmoil ever since he'd met her on High Street.
Why had she taken the risk of coming here? He glanced at his watch. That moment he heard quiet footsteps walking up the staircase- had ten minutes passed already?
Severus decided to better be on the safe side and surprise whoever was approaching him. But the person was vigilant, too. He barely managed to pull her into the room when her ward was already pointed at his chest.
"Damn! Sev!" Raven hissed, lowering her wand as she recognized him.
"Good reaction," he admitted.
Rolling her eyes at his nonchalant tone, she quickly glanced around the room. It was furnished rather simply with just a table and a few chairs, but that didn't necessarily have to mean it was an almost empty room, and although she knew that Severus must have warded it to ensure their safety, she couldn't help but cast a few Revelio charms only to find the place truly empty except for her and Sev.
He stared at her, still surprised about her... efficiency. She really must have used the past months of separation for reasonable studies, which made her appear even more attractive to him... especially now that she couldn't keep up her glamour anymore and was back to being the weird girl with messy red-berry-wine hair, dressed in Muggle post-punk style. The girl he had missed more than he was going to admit. Because they weren't here to restart or revive their strange romantic? sexual? whatever relationship. This was not a date.
A part of him (the one he had hidden in the deepest corner of his soul) regretted that, but he instantly muffled that voice before it could become too loud and too longing. Instead, he cast the Muffliato Charm so that the ears of any possible eavesdropper would be filled with an unidentifiable buzzing sound, in order to allow Raven and him a conversation without being overheard.
Only then he turned to face her fully; before, he had merely dared to risk wary side-glances. Although his heart seemed to skip a beat or two at the sight of her, Severus managed to keep his composure as he quickly came to the point. Ignoring his heart (it was just a muscle anyway, one that pumps blood throughout the blood vessels by repeated, rhythmic contradictions)
"So," he said with censoriously arched brows to hide his true emotions, "I do hope you have a very good reason for being here, even though I told you not to contact me."
On the other hand, he knew she wouldn't risk to blow up his cover only because she wanted to see him for whatever reason. No, she had said it was important, and he believed her.
"Yep," she replied and then she came straight to the point, "we- meaning Reg and I- sort of stumbled across one of Lord V's Horcruxes, and now we need your fancy silver dagger dipped in Basilisk venom to destroy it."
She clearly wasn't beating around the bush! Severus gaped at her, and to say he was astounded was probably the understatement of the year. He had expected her to merely inform him of something some Death Eater had mentioned in the Red Lantern- but that was definitely a big hit.
If only it wouldn't bug him so that she was apparently spending too much time with the whelp. A surge of jealousy seemed to poison his mind, all of a sudden, and he didn't know where that came from. They were friends. There was no reason to be jealous because he was not in love with Raven Lestrange. He'd only missed her friendship, her almost unwavering optimism during those past, tedious months at Hogwarts. And the heart was just a bloody muscle, not relevant for feelings.
"Interesting," he finally managed to say in a rather cool voice. "May I learn some more about the circumstances?"
With a wry smile, just enough to make his heart (the muscle) ache, she filled him in and told him all about Regulus' and her little Sunday trip to Little Hangleton.
-o-
Coming from his lips, 'well done' was a rare praise and Raven appreciated it as such while a big, fat smile was curling the corners of her lips until she was positively beaming at him.
Nevertheless, she tried to stay cool and restrained- just like Sev- acting professionally since he had not given her a reason to behave otherwise. He didn't want her to be here, at Hogsmeade, and she understood his reason why. It made sense.
But sense didn't matter when her heart was involved. It was so good just to see him for she'd missed him so very fucking much! And she so wished for the courage to hug him, or kiss him, or do whatever was needed to fill the void within her, to still the longing...
Well, first things first, she kept telling herself. After all, she wasn't here for romantic reasons. There was no time for romance now. She needed Severus' dagger dipped in Basilisk venom to destroy the Horcrux in the old, derelict shack of the Gaunts. Only when that was done she could perhaps focus on her heart's desire again. But only then. She was not inclined to waste her time in wearing herself out emotionally, even though that was easier said than done.
Severus reached into the pockets of his robes and- almost solemnly- proceeded his dagger. With the very same solemn expression, he handed it over to Raven.
Their hands touched. It sent a pleasant shiver down Raven's spine and even Severus didn't seem to be totally unfazed- she could tell by the way his deep dark eyes brightened up to allow a moment of...what? Pleasure? Lust? Bliss?
Raven didn't know. Had he been anyone else, she would have tried Legilimency to figure it out- but one couldn't outwit someone as skilled in Occlumency as he was- he'd merely laugh at her attempt. So she just took the dagger from his hands and stored it away safely.
"Thanks."
"I wouldn't give it to anyone else," he whispered.
"I know. That's why I came."
It was time to say goodbye. She would have loved to stay and talk some more, to hear how he was faring. But she seemed to know already. Of course, he wasn't happy at Hogwarts. He disliked teaching and he disliked most of the students even more. And he was lonely. The other professors tolerated him but they made no attempts to befriend him- partly, because he wasn't much older than his students and partly, because they didn't trust him completely. Some of them might even think Dumbledore made a big mistake by hiring him. To top it all, he hadn't achieved anything in his role as a double spy yet. Except for the fact that he was still alive, but he didn't saw that as a great achievement.
All of that she could easily read in him. It was in the way he arched his brows or twitched his mouth, in those tiny expressions and in his whole composure. These things were easy to tell for someone who knew him as well as she did. But she could never figure out his feelings for her.
There were moments she thought he was glad to see her while at others she merely seemed to be a nuisance. She wasn't even sure what it was now. Was he happy to be rid of her in a minute or would he prefer to snog her senseless?
She had to stop wondering about such things, Raven thought as she was about to turn to leave but hesitated and whirled back on her heels, remembering that there was something else they had to talk about, something more important than her feelings.
"Um, what do you know about Ravenclaws, Sev?"
-o-
That question came rather unexpected, and it made him frown at her. He had never busied himself with Ravenclaws much although their house was one of the less obnoxious at Hogwarts. They weren't as reckless as Gryffindors and not as stupidly devoted to loyalty as Hufflepuffs. Instead, they were usually characterized by their wit and intellect, and they were known to busy themselves with serious studies rather than being troublemakers. He would have preferred if all of his students were like them.
But his frustration with uninterested students could hardly be the reason for Raven's question, so he asked her to elaborate on that.
She ran her fingers through her hair, tousling it even more before she replied. "It's just... well, Lord V had both Slytherin's locket and Helga Hufflepuff's cup turned into a Horcrux, so Reg and I came up with the idea he might have sort of an... obsession with the founders of Hogwarts, and therefore it is likely he also abused a memorabilia of Rowena Ravenclaw for his sick plans..."
Severus had to admit that her approach was an interesting one and definitely worth considering. "I reckon you already know what sort of memorabilia he might have used, given that you're the one who knows Hogwarts: A History by heart."
"Aye, I happen to have an idea," Raven admitted, "on most of the pictures of Rowena, she was wearing a diadem."
"I can't remember having ever seen a diadem at Hogwarts."
"You never looked for one before. Besides, Professor Snape can go to places that were off-limits for little Sev."
"True. Nevertheless, I doubt visiting Flitwick and searching his room is an option."
Professor Filius Flitwick was Head of Ravenclaw house, a really tiny wizard that Raven couldn't imagine wearing a diadem, although the very idea made her chuckle.
"No, but perhaps you should try Dumbledore's office. I remember he had loads of funny stuff up there and he's the sort of person who'd wear a diadem with his pink socks and fancy nightshirt-"
"Raven! I will most decidedly not search the Headmaster's office! And even if I happen to see anything resembling a diadem there during my weekly reports, I certainly won't be able to steal anything from his room."
"You don't have to steal it, borrowing will do. But right, it was a stupid idea." And yet she liked it, although she could also see the flaw in her train of thoughts. If Lord V had actually turned Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem in a Horcrux, he would have hidden it anywhere in the castle but definitely not in the Headmaster's office. Besides, she couldn't even be certain that the diadem was still at Hogwarts nor that it was truly a Horcrux.
"I will keep my eyes open." Severus promised because that was his job anyway. It almost didn't matter that he was now spying for one more person- at least that person cared for him and didn't just see him as a useful tool. It was encouraging. "Meanwhile," he continued in a strict tone, "you will try to stay out of trouble."
"Sure."
He rolled his eyes at her nonchalant tone, knowing that her reassurance meant little to someone who was trouble personified. She wouldn't stop jeopardizing herself because she didn't seem to see the danger- on the other hand, she was a skilled and competent witch... and in too deep already to stay out of it. Severus heaved a sigh. "Take care, Raven."
Then he turned to leave. There was no use to linger any longer since staying would only increase that strange fuzzy and dizzying feeling in his stomach. And he couldn't use that at the moment. In two months time, term would be over and he was back in London; and only then he was willing to deal with their relationship. But for now he had to stifle the longing.
"Wait."
Her voice stopped him and immediately he stood rooted to the spot. It would be so easy to turn around and take her in his arms, clutching onto her like a drowning man, desperate for a kiss. But he hesitated for too long and then the moment was gone.
"Let me go first. When I came here, I noticed there's a backdoor leading through the kitchen, and I thought it might be a good way to leave without attracting attention."
Not attracting attention was just what he wanted, so Severus agreed silently before he said, "Alright, but don't forget to put on your glamour before you leave. Otherwise, you will only startle the kitchen helps with your weird- um... unique... hairstyle."
Chuckling, she opened the door. Her hair changed from pinkish-red to mousy brown as she left the room and her long grey robes seemed to mock him the way they billowed behind her when she slowly walked down the staircase, disappearing from his view. Then she was gone.
Severus withstood the urge to rush to the window and see whether she left the building safe. He realized that she didn't need his protection, at least not now, not here. Instead, he turned his glance to the table. If his ears hadn't fooled him, she had put something on it before her glamour had tricked his eyes- and he was right. Lying atop the table were two rectangular items he soon identified as Muggle music tapes, both of them labelled in her handwriting. One was a sample of new bands she liked and the other the latest release of a band he favoured for their dark, melancholic tunes that seemed to be a mirroring his own emotions quite well.
'Faith', it was called, and probably faith was what they needed.
-o-
Meanwhile, far away in London, Regulus Black left the Leaky Cauldron feeling slightly upset with his friends- or what used to be his friends at Hogwarts. Now, he thought them obnoxious. Their political ideas disgusted him just as must as their social ones for they only seemed to rehash the same sort of nonsense his mother loved to molest him with: Find yourself a girl (a pure-blood witch, of course), and father some fine pure-blood children to carry the most noble and ancient house of Black into the next generation. Don't worry about work. You're rich, you don't have to work. Your job at the Ministry is just temporarily, until the Dark Lord has won this war, so don't complain about it. See it as a contribution to His soon victory... blah blah blah...
Merlin, he wasn't a bloody stallion! Of course, he didn't mind having kids with the right woman one day, but there was no need to rush things. He was still young. Raven and Severus were calling him whelp for a reason- and he wanted to live and experience life; and mostly, he wanted to learn more exciting things about this other world, the Muggle world he was so fascinated with.
As lost in thoughts as he was, he bumped straight into a Muggle the moment he left the Leaky Cauldron through its Charing Cross Road exit.
"Sorry, " he mumbled almost automatically.
"Idiot! Are you blind?" A familiar voice cursed, but then her angry tone turned into a surprised one. "Bugger! The posh boy! What hell spit you out to ruin my day?"
Edie shot him a curious glance, taking in his appearance. Regulus realized that he was still wearing his robes and that passers-by were giving him odd looks, too. On the other hand, this was London and people were used to strange looking people. He could have been part of that new Goth scene that was slowly spreading in the clubs
"Were you visiting a fancy party weird or have you done a time warp?"
Alright, apparently I can not pass as a Goth. It seems to be more like Sev's thing anyway. Regulus took off his black robes; underneath he was wearing jeans and a t-shirt. He decided to not ask Edie what a time warp was.
"You were really looking as if you're from the 17th century or so. What are you doing here anyway?" She glanced in the direction where he'd come from and pointed to an old record store next to a bookshop. "I hope you weren't trying to buy any records from them- as far as I know they stopped selling new released some thirty years ago."
"No, no," he replied. So that old record store was out of fashion and therefore uncool; he couldn't possible say he came from there, even though it was the right direction. And so he decided to not lie to Edie because he was actually happy to see her. Yes, Raven was right: he did have a crush on Edie. His friends would be scandalized, knowing he fancied a blue-haired Muggle girl."I was at the Leaky Cauldron."
"Ah..." Edie stared at the two old houses in front of her, one a bookshop and the other a record store, and wondered which of them had a leaking cauldron. Then she shrugged and turned to leave.
-o-
"You cannot see it, can you?" Regulus' voice made her stop. Damn him, she cursed him silently, telling herself he wasn't interested in posh boys. But he was such a sexy posh boy...
"See what?" Edie snapped impatiently.
"My world."
Oh no, this wasn't good. Of course, she was interested. Not in him but in his world, the magical wizarding world with all its fantastic, bizarre creatures. And so she lingered, waiting for him to continue.
He stepped closer to her- she didn't want him to be that close, because usually, that only led to her losing control... it had happened often enough. Although she couldn't stand him.
"Look," he whispered into her ear, and then she could suddenly see it- the blurred vision of a tiny, grubby-looking pub that seemed to have materialized in front of her eyes. She could even see the door plate; it read 'Leaky Cauldron'.
"Wow," she gasped. "That's pretty cool!"
Regulus seemed to be quite flattered by her appraisal and was smiling at her. Edie didn't like that either because he had a dangerous smile, one that could turn her knees to jelly- although she really, really wasn't interested in posh boys. There were worlds between them! And she didn't even mean the one she'd just discovered, the one that was apparently coexisting next to her own.
On the other hand, she could use a little distraction. Her life was a mess, as usual. Spike still refused to pay her properly for all the work she was doing in his tattoo studio; he said she was still in training but hell! she was almost as good as he was. And since he wasn't paying her well, she had fallen behind with the rent. Now her flatmates (two silly cows) wanted her to move out- well, she certainly wouldn't miss them, but she needed a place to stay and couldn't afford one on her own.
So, yes, distraction would be welcome. Perhaps they were serving some funny potions at the Leaky Cauldron, the kind of stuff that made people happy.
"Let's go there and have a magical drink or so."
-o-
"No way!" Regulus replied immediately and he grabbed her arm to stop her from moving any closer, realizing that he'd made a big mistake by showing her a glimpse of his world. He had wanted to impress her, and he had succeeded in that- but he had also broken the Statute of Secrecy. Besides, his dear friends were probably still there...
"Why not?"
He heaved a sigh. "I'm sorry, Edie. My fault. I was being careless- I shouldn't have let you see it in the first place."
"Because I'm a Muggle, right? And Muggles aren't allowed in your posh, elitist world?"
"No, it's not that easy. Under certain circumstances, Muggles are allowed to visit Diagon Alley-"
"Diagonally what?"
"Diagon. Alley." He corrected her. "The biggest shopping district of wizarding Britain. You can reach it through the Leaky Cauldron, but you do need a wand to enter. And, for example, the parents of Muggleborns are allowed to visit. They can go to Gringotts- that's our bank- to change pound sterling to galleons in order to buy all the things their kids need for attending Hogwarts.
"But, as you might know, there are people in my world who don't like Muggles or Muggleborns, and these people are dangerous. They wouldn't hesitate to kill you." Regulus didn't want to be a spoilsport; he merely wanted to protect her. If things were different, he would have loved to show her all the wonders of Diagon Alley, and he knew she would have liked it. But alas, things were as they were.
"Is it about that Dark Lord V Raven mentioned?" Edie asked, sounding reasonable as they walked on, away from Diagon Alley.
"Yes. He's mad and he's dangerous. And he's not alone with his radical point of view. Many pure-bloods are following him, and I just met some of them at the Leaky Cauldron. People from school."
"Hm... Raven told me a bit about it, about this war in your world. But she sounded optimistic that Lord V could be stopped-"
"Typically Raven! She's the ever-so-fucking-optimist."
"You don't share her optimism?"
Regulus didn't know how to answer that as they walked on and turned right into Lisle Street. He truly wanted to believe in Raven's optimistic approach of things, and most of the time it worked, but then he had to meet the Dark Lord again and started to waver. However, his pessimism wasn't something he wanted to burden Edie with, now that they were finally having a real conversation. One that was neither influenced by booze nor polluted by her sharp tongue and mockery tone. For the first time, she seemed to be really interested in his words.
And so he explained her a little more about the conflict that had gotten his world at the edge of a civil war. .
-o-
Edie listened with fascination, amazed about how similar both of their worlds were, while at the same time feeling sad at heart that a society of wizards and witches, who could possibly do the most wonderful things with their wands, didn't use their skills to turn the world into a better place, but were just as depraved, corrupt and power hungry as their Muggle counterparts. Apparently it was a typical human thing, no matter if one person could do magic or not. The depravity was too deeply rooted in people. It crystallized itself in the British class system and then solidified in the very special trait of politicians.
It was all the same. There wasn't anything new about it, except for the fact that she was having a good conversation with Regulus; it was their first one, actually. Usually, they bitched at each other (well, mostly she did) whenever they met, only to end up in bed together.
She had always believed him to be the posh boy with a slightly revolutionary strait, the one stemming from a noble family but thinking it cool to rebel against the ways of his parents. And when things got complicated, he'd tuck in a tail and run straight back into the arms of conformity.
Regulus, however, was not like that, Edie realized. He had long missed the chance to turn tail and run, he was already in too deep for that. And although he was not an optimist when it came to that Lord V, he wasn't a turncoat either; he could have taken the easiest way but apparently he believed he was doing the right thing, no matter the dangers. His political ideals seemed to be profound
What Edie realized also that she enjoyed spending time with him. Well, she didn't have anything else to do anyway. Of course, she should try to find a new place to stay, or earn some money to pay the rent- but those were fruitless efforts. No one would let her a flat to the same price as the one she shared with those silly girls, and even if she had money she would rather spend it on a good lunch for she hadn't eaten properly for quite a while.
Nevertheless, her pride almost forbade her to accept his invitation for lunch, but her stomach chose to differ. They had just turned into Wardour Street, so she allowed him to pay for her at a cheap Chinese takeaway.
-o-
Edie was laughing so hard at his first, clumsy attempts of eating with chopsticks that Regulus decided to keep her amused for a little longer and to not make things easier by using a little magic. In this way, the act of food intake took longer than usual, but he wasn't that hungry anyway. Much more satisfying was simply being with Edie.
She was the most fascinating girl he'd ever met. Especially today, when she wasn't bitching at him. Today, she was being different and he liked her being different very much. It seemed to be the perfect ending of a morning that had started horrible but had improved ever since he'd left the Leaky Cauldron. Edie didn't seem to find him that insufferable anymore- just like Raven had foreseen.
But no matter what his feelings for Edie were, he couldn't close his eyes to the fact that starting a serious relationship with her was nigh impossible at the moment. It was too dangerous. These were no times to have a relationship with a Muggle- and besides, not insufferable didn't necessarily mean she was smitten. That was a conclusion only his dear brother would come up with.
Later, he couldn't quite recall how it had happened that they had fallen back into their usual routine. They had left the Chinese restaurant- and only a moment later they were snogging in a dark corner nearby, without him offering much resistance. So much about him trying to be sensible...
He simply couldn't stop it. It felt much too good. And her lips tasted so different today, so much sweeter, so not like their usual angry sex... this time, she was kissing him for real.
"Your place or mine?" Edie breathed into his ear, interrupting his train of thoughts.
"Yours," Regulus replied immediately since he could hardly take her to Grimmauld Place and introduce her to his mother- although it would have been fun to see her shocked face. But he was not in the mood to be blasted off the family tree today. Besides, it wasn't only his dear mother he had to worry about. She would spread the scandalous news at her charity events, and sooner or later the Dark Lord would hear of his unseemly affair with a Muggle, and that would be the certain end of him... a rather unpleasant and painful end, to be sure. Naturally, he wanted to avoid that.
"I don't have one anymore." Edie said dryly.
"Oh!" The sexual infested mood was gone, and he asked with concern, "What happened?"
"Couldn't pay the rent anymore so those silly cows asked me to leave."
"I thought you're working at Spike's."
She merely snorted at that.
"Does he still refuse to pay you decently? Perhaps I should have a word with him and threaten to shrivel his bollocks."
"You don't have to do that. I'm not a damsel in distress so I don't need a bloody hero."
"Believe me, Milady," he grinned slyly, "I'd love to do that and it wouldn't be a heroic deed but rather showing the malicious trait of the Blacks. You know, my family has a liking for the Dark Arts and I'm not totally immune to them, either."
"Wicked!"
"Yeah, some would even call it evil. Unfortunately, there are laws that forbid me to curse Muggles just for the fun of it, and I will stick to them. In that point, I'm so not like my family or other pure-bloods."
"Too bad! Spike could use someone teaching him a lesson."
"I'll find a way. Meanwhile, I know a place where you can stay."
Edie followed him reluctantly. She didn't want him to do anything for her, but she was too curious to not accompany him. She could still refuse whatever dubious offer he came up with.
Months ago, when Regulus had started to take a liking in the Muggle world, in its fashion and music, he had soon come to realize that he couldn't store all of his new possessions in his room at Grimmauld Place- no restriction charm would keep them safe from snooping house-elves, and he really didn't want to explain his dear mother why he had a Muggle-style t-shirt with 'the Ramones' printed on it. Not to mention his growing record collection. Of course, he trusted Kreacher, but the other elves were obediently devoted to mother.
Therefore, after discussing things with Severus and Raven, he had rented a small flat in Soho, just around the corner of where they lived, and they were the only ones who knew about it; it was his secret hiding place in the Muggle world. Now he wanted to share it with Edie. He trusted her, and she needed a place to stay.
"You can stay here as long as you want," he said when he opened the door.
"I'm not a charity case, Black."
"Oh please, stop being difficult. After all, I'm not presenting you with a mansion, princess. Why can't you simply accept a friendly offer?"
"Friendly, eh?" Edie glanced around the Spartan furnished room. He was right, this was definitely not a mansion. It was a small but clean flat with a kitchenette that looked unused, and apart from that there was only a stereo system next to a pile of records and a cardboard box with clothes. Then her eyes fell on the big mattress lying on the floor, in the middle of the room. "And you expect me to pay with what? Sex?"
"What part of friendly you didn't understand? You know how things are in my world. I needed a place where I can keep my things without mother finding out about me being just another disgrace to the most Nobel and Ancient House of Black." Regulus snorted disdainfully. "Her whining about my ungratefulness could trigger rumours that sooner or later will reach the ears of the Dark Lord, and that would not only endanger my life but also Raven's and Severus'.
"Besides, I needed a Muggle address so I could open a Muggle bank account. Depending on how things will develop in my world, it's benefiting to know I can hide in yours for a while." For that case, he had already transferred a good amount of his inheritance heritage to the Muggle world. Being a Slytherin meant being prepared and not leaving things to chance; it's what distinguished him from reckless Gryffindors like his brother. "But don't worry, I won't bother you much. Most of the time I will be staying in the family vault or running stupid errands for his majesty."
Regulus went over to the kitchenette and opened the fridge, it was filled with bottles of Muggle beer. Picking two, he handed one to Edie in a slightly mocking toast. Cheers to misery, he thought, but after downing the beer his expression changed from serious to flirtatious and he offered her a mischievous smile. "Of course, darling, sex is optional. I'm sick and tired of mandatory fun."
"Wanker!" Edie groaned inwardly; she so hated his guts but she wasn't immune to his dubious charm. On the other hand, handsome rich boys weren't worth the trouble- and Regulus Black was definitely trouble to the power of ten. Especially since she'd seen sides of him today she really liked. "I'm not your darling."
"Alright, honey."
"I'm not your honey, either!" She really, really should decline his offer. If only... well, accepting it would save her a lot of trouble because then she wouldn't be a homeless punk come tomorrow evening, and not having to worry about where to stay could help her to focus on her arts instead. "You're a pest, you know?"
Regulus grinned at her. "Come on, love, stop hiding the fact that you find me nigh irresistible."
"Dream on. You said no sex-"
"I suggested it's optional. You may notice the tiny difference?"
"Fuck yourself. Lemme get it right: I can stay here for a week or two, until I find something on my own. And no obligations? I don't have to play happy house-wife and cook your dinner or give you a blow job every night?"
"Only if you feel like."
"Yeah, when hell freezes over."
"I remember it freezing over on quite a few occasions," Regulus teased her, happy that she had decided to stay for it was good to know her at a safe place, protected by his wards... well, to be honest, Sev had helped him with wards... "Anyway, you're welcome, sweetheart."
"Oh, would you please stop calling me silly names? I'm neither your darling, your honey nor your sweetheart."
"How about blueberry tart then? I mean, without intending to call you a tart," he quipped as he turned on the stereo, something he should have done as soon as they'd arrived here. Not because of their heated argument in a house with paper thin walls (the wards were sufficient enough to handle that) but simply because he never had enough time to listen to all of his records.
"You really are a pest, Black." Edie was almost laughing. It was exactly that attitude of his that made her get weak in the end... as much as it annoyed her.
"People keep telling me that all the time. Anyway, my sweetest blueberry, there is one thing I would like to ask of you-"
"Ha! I knew there's a catch in it!" She cried out, and it sounded almost triumphal. Posh boys never played fair. "So much about no obligations, eh? "
"It's about safety, girl. If you choose to call safety measures obligations, so be it. Nevertheless I have to insist on it."
"Oh."
"Yes, oh. This is a safe house, protected by strong wards. You cannot tell anyone where you're living now. You cannot give anyone your address. You cannot invite anyone to this place- I want to spare you the awkwardness of a situation where you can enter but whoever else not. Remember, I'm a wizard and shouldn't have told you about my world in the first place."
"Ah, that Statute of Secrecy?"
"Correct. Also, it's not really safe for me to... mingle with Muggles. No offence intended."
"No offence taken." Actually, she was even feeling a tad flattered by the fact that he seemed to trust her... but perhaps that was only because he could hex her if she deceived him.
"Well then, now that you know all that, do you still want to stay?"
-o-
Too close. When in the course of their conversation had she moved that close to him? Probably she had merely wanted to take a look at his record collection, but now she could almost feel his presence... and that wasn't just a magical trick. He had not initiated it. She had inched closer and closer to him.
It wasn't too late yet. She could still turn tail and run, leaving that madness behind. But if she did so, she would never find out if there was perhaps an exception to the rule when it came to posh boys, and perhaps Regulus Black was worth taking the risk.
Edie was well aware of it. He had told her all about the dangers of being close to him; Raven and Severus had told her, too. They had talked about the Dark Lord, about the conflict in the wizarding world- damned, she could live with that. But no one of them was aware of or had ever mentioned the peril of her actually falling for a posh boy, and she silently cursed him for messing up her life, her ideals and moral convictions.
Nevertheless, she accepted his offer. She would take the risk and stay, and she even accepted her own lame excuse that it was just because of a fridge filled with beer and a decent record collecting. It had nothing to do with Mr Black himself. Nothing at all.
Only a moment later, they were kissing again.