A/N: So...the last time I left you hanging! Now you shall know what happened.
Btw, I know that Snape's birthday is not in July, but for my story it has to be :)
Chapter 22: Back to School
January 5th 1978 (Thursday)
Hermione woke up, blinking at the bright light that was glimmering from the window. She was lying in her bed, under covers, and the sun was rising. The last she remembered was the cave, and Dumbledore casting the Fiendfyre curse…What had happened?
She frowned and pushed up into a sitting position, wincing at the sharp pain on her ribs. She stood up from the bed slowly, surveying her injuries at the same time. Aside the small migraine, it seemed that her ribcage was the only sore spot in her body.
There was a knock in her door.
"Come in," Hermione said quietly, after making sure she was decent. She was still wearing the same clothes she'd put on in the morning before leaving towards Little Hangleton.
Aberforth walked in, eyeing her with a scrutinising look. "You okay kid?" He asked, before taking a seat on the chair next to her desk.
Hermione frowned as she perched on the edge of her bed. "Yeah, I guess so…What happened? Is it morning? What…what day is it?" She asked, confusion evident in her voice.
Ab gritted his teeth, which made her even more puzzled. "It is Thursday morning. And I knew this would be too dangerous for you," He grunted, looking angry.
"What do you mean?" Hermione asked quickly, taken aback. Had she lost consciousness? Had something severe happened? She racked her brain, trying to remember.
"You were knocked down because some fiery beast my brother conjured tried to swallow you!" He exclaimed angrily.
Hermione stifled a shocked gasp. "What happened? Did we succeed?" Hermione asked urgently.
"Is that all you care about?" He said with a frustrated sigh. "Yes, the thing was destroyed. Your defence professor was able to put an end to it." He grumbled, and he could hear her heave a sigh of relief.
"I'm sorry Ab. But this is important. You must understand that." Hermione muttered carefully, while studying his expression.
Aberforth narrowed his eyes at her. "Is that so? Are you willing to risk your own life for the greater good, Hermione?" He said with an aversion to the wording.
She was quiet for a moment.
"Yes, I am." She whispered, looking down. She was damned if she didn't at least try to destroy Voldemort and save the lives and people that had grown dear to her.
"Mione!" Lily shouted with a bright grin from the other side of the main road of the Hogsmeade village.
The redhead had just stepped out from the Honeydukes shop as she spotted Hermione walking towards her. The girls had agreed to meet in the village around lunch time on Thursday, and then have lunch and visit the shops before retreating to Hermione's quarters in the Hog's Head pub.
"Lils!" Hermione replied and ran up to her friend. They hugged each other tightly, giggling as if they hadn't seen each other in a very long time.
"How are things?" Hermione asked, grinning as they walked down the main road, towards the Three Broomsticks. Hermione knew Lily had stayed at the Potters during her holidays until now, and would go back to her home the next day.
Lily beamed at her friend. "Well, aside from the awful incident at the New Year's party, everything is really good," She said, with a slight blush tinting her cheeks. "So good, that I'm actually a bit depressed to go back home…" She said and cringed slightly.
"Oh? Do tell?" Hermione said with a tight smile, shrugging away the despicable sting she felt at the mention of the party.
"Well, it's just…Everything is going so well with James, and his parents really like me, and I like them," She prattled cheerfully, but Hermione felt she had left something out as her friend's blush deepened.
They reached the pub counter and placed their orders before continuing their chat at a table in the corner.
"And?" Hermione pressed on as they sat down.
Lily buried her face in her hands. "Oh, Godric…It's just that we…you know…" She mumbled, looking anywhere but at Hermione.
Hermione snorted and shook her head in amusement. "You had sex, right?"
Lily bit her lip and nodded.
"I knew it would happen!" Hermione exclaimed with a cheerful laugh. Lily looked a bit embarrassed.
"I know I said something in the lines of me and James not yet being ready to take that step…"
"Yeah, you said it right before you left to spend almost the whole holiday in his Manor. Next to his bedroom," Hermione interrupted with an arched brow, grinning slyly at her friend.
"I know!" Lily said, looking ashamed. "But it just happened… Am I a total slag?" She said, cringing a little.
Hermione let out a huff of laughter. "Lily, please…You are dating him, are you not? And you wrote me that you love him, correct?" She asked pointedly.
Lily sighed. "Yeah, I am…I do…It's just happening so fast, you know…? By the way, do not tell him that I love him. Otherwise he won't let me hear the last of it if he knows I was first to admit it." She said with a serious face. Hermione sniggered and promised to keep her mouth shut. She suspected that James most likely had felt like that longer than Lily had, but said nothing to her friend.
They visited the shops after lunch, both ending up buying a couple of newly released books from Tomes and Scrolls. The girls spent the afternoon outside, walking along the narrow side streets of the village, until it was dinnertime. They retreated into Hermione's and Aberforth's personal quarters after exchanging a few words with Ab. He was mending the pub, which was not packed but busy enough, so the girls left him be. They had dinner upstairs and afterwards lounged in the living room, both reading their new books in front of the fireplace.
Lily eventually snapped her book shut and stared at her friend with a stern look in her eyes.
"What?" Hermione asked with a hint of bewilderment in her expression.
"You know what, Dumbledore." Lily said pointedly. "I have given you many hours to fess up, but now my limit is up. Speak." She said, crossing her arms after putting her book down on the table and eyeing her friend expectantly.
Hermione groaned. "It just happened…I didn't plan to do anything, but…" She sighed heavily. "It was after the party, and you know, after Sirius came on to me in the balcony, I really wanted some peace and quiet, so I went into an empty classroom –" Hermione explained but Lily interrupted her.
"He what?!" Lily said with a shrill voice. "Why didn't you say anything?"
Hermione took a deep breath, suppressing the mixed feelings of quilt and resentment as she thought about Sirius. "There was nothing to say…He told me he missed me. We kissed. And then he seemed to regret it right after it happened," Hermione explained wearily. "He confirmed it the next day, when he apologised and told me that nothing had changed between us."
Lily gaped at her. "You kissed Regulus and Sirius on the same night?" She asked, her voice rising into high octaves.
At Hermione's deep frown, she quickly continued, "But, um…Sirius. What a git." She muttered, shaking her head incredulously.
Hermione bit the inside of her cheek. "Well, we did talk the next day, and he did apologise. So, I reckon that incident was settled…"
"And Regulus?" Lily asked after a short moment, a small smile tugging at her lips.
Hermione sighed. "I went into an empty classroom to think and just be by myself. Then…Regulus came there. He said he didn't know I was there, and I don't really know why he stayed there in the first place, but then I hugged him and he looked at me in a way he has never looked before. And…and I kissed him…" Hermione said quietly, worrying her lip and staring at the fire.
"Oh." Lily breathed. "How was it?" She asked carefully.
Hermione's brows lifted as she eyed her friend with surprise. Lily merely shrugged. "What? You asked me about me having sex with James, so I think I have the right to know," Lily said matter-of-factly. "And besides, it is quite crucial to know how it felt, if we are trying to have some conclusion in this." Lily said simply.
"We are?" Hermione asked with confusion.
Lily grinned. "Well, of course we are. Now, spill!" She said, eyeing Hermione again with expectation.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Fine." She grumbled before her expression turned to thoughtful. Until that moment, she had actively tried not to think about kissing Regulus, even though deep down, she knew exactly what it felt like.
"It felt like…the moment after a rainstorm. When everything is fresh and clean… And like the tension after the lightning, when you're expecting the thunder." She said distantly, her mind whirling with images. "And…His lips were warm and softer than I had imagined, and as he kissed me back, I just…I stopped thinking. It was…" She spoke in a dreamy voice that eventually trailed off.
"Magic?" Lily said with a wink.
Hermione was pulled back from her stupor. She narrowed her eyes at Lily, who sniggered.
"But really, that sounds…amazing?" Lily said hesitantly after becoming serious.
"Yes…I suppose it does." Hermione whispered, absorbed in her thoughts. She remembered the warmth that had spread throughout her body and how addicted she had felt at that moment, wanting to taste his lips again, to be as near him as possible. Perhaps it had indeed meant something? Perhaps it was something she couldn't forget after all…?
Lily smiled at her knowingly. When Hermione noticed her friend eyeing her, she threw a pillow at her.
"Stop it, Lils. Let's talk about something else, okay?" She asked seriously.
Lily sighed. "Okay. Well. Sirius?"
"No!" Hermione yelled quickly but then resigned with a sigh. "Okay. You did find him, right?" She asked with a hint of worry in her eyes.
"Yeah, he stumbled back home the next morning, reeking of alcohol. Apparently, he'd gotten himself properly rat-arsed on his two-day bender." Lily said, pursing her lips and shaking her head in disapproval.
"He has been in a very foul mood since, not talking to anyone and merely sulking in his room every day." Lily said hesitantly. "What happened between you two? Did he see you and Regulus?"
Hermione huffed. "No. He didn't see anything. I told him because I wanted to be honest with him and I thought it would be better that he heard it from me than from someone else. It was the day before the New Year's party, when we were looking at the apartments. I told him after he had bought himself a flat." She said, frowning. She knew he wouldn't take it lightly but she couldn't change what happened with Regulus. And now she wasn't sure that she even wanted to.
"Oh." Lily said with surprise. "He didn't even mention the flat. Perhaps it's good that I'll go home tomorrow so James can have a proper talk with him…" She muttered, staring at the fire.
Lily had decided to spend the Friday evening and Saturday with her parents, before she would be returning to Hogwarts on Sunday. She hadn't had a chance to see them at all during their holidays, as they'd been in Paris, and she had been with James.
The girls sat in silence for a while before they headed upstairs into Hermione's room. She had transfigured her cosy armchair into a guest bed and positioned it next to her own bed. After they both had showered and brushed their teeth, they lay under covers in their beds, both staring at the ceiling, lost in their thoughts.
"Hermione?"
"Hmm?"
"Was that the reason you were so withdrawn at Professor Slughorn's Christmas party? Because of Regulus?" Lily asked thoughtfully.
Hermione sighed. "Well, I suppose yes. I mean, it's all a bit confusing…" She muttered, and Lily hummed in understanding.
"So…you reckon it's going to happen again? …You kissing Regulus?" Lily whispered after a moment of silence.
Hermione contemplated the possibility of that. "I don't know…" She replied quietly.
"…Do you want it to?"
Hermione was silent for a while as she examined her feelings. "Honestly…Even if I did, I don't know if that's a good idea..."
"Well, I'm sure everything will work out for the best..." Lily said reassuringly between yawning. "Good night Mione."
"Night, Lils."
January 6th 1978 (Friday)
The girls were walking through the village after having breakfast in the Hog's Head.
"I think it's kind of sweet, you know…The way your dad worries about you." Lily said, beaming at her friend.
After Ab had been inquiring about Hermione's wellbeing at breakfast, Hermione had quickly explained to Lily that she had taken a fall in the stairs the other day. Lily had of course been concerned for her friend, and had been quite relieved when Ab had insisted casting diagnostic charms on Hermione's side and her head. Hermione knew that under all the grunting and gruff exterior, Ab was actually very affectionate.
Hermione smiled. "Yeah, he likes to give the impression of being a grumpy old man, but he has his moments."
They walked forward and Hermione almost bumped into someone as she was glancing at the Honeydukes's shop windows. She stopped abruptly, lifting her brows in surprise as she saw a familiar face.
"Gideon!" Hermione said with a smile. Lily shot a surprised glance at her friend.
"Hey, Hermione." He smiled and noticed that Lily was standing in front of him as well. "Lily." He said with a polite nod.
"Professor Prewett." The redhead replied cordially.
Gideon turned to look at Hermione. "How are you feeling?" Gideon asked anxiously, eyeing her searchingly.
Lily arched a brow at her friend and her teacher. Hermione gave a small shake of her head and stared at Gideon with an incredulous look.
Gideon cleared his throat awkwardly. "I, um…just visited your father. He told me you fell down the stairs. Are you okay?" He asked, still eyeing Hermione, giving a quick glance towards Lily.
"Oh. Yeah, it's nothing, really. Just a sore rib." She said with a reassuring smile.
She knew the reason Gideon was so worried about her. After arguing with Aberforth the day before, Aberforth had told her that Gideon had sent Hermione flying across the cave with a banishing charm as the Fiendfyre had been barely a couple of feet away from her. Hermione reckoned that it had been the right thing to do, since none of them wouldn't have had the time to cast the distinguishing charm without her burning alive – the spell required much more focus and willpower than a simple banishing charm.
The last thing she remembered was the fiery phoenix closing in on her, and how the air had been hot, burning almost. And then, nothing. Apparently, Dumbledore hadn't had the strength to maintain the cursed fire to destroy the ring. He had crumbled in exhaustion and the others had had to step in. They were all lucky to be alive.
Hermione couldn't help but feel a bit frustrated that she hadn't acted. That she had been too slow to even lift her wand. What if she had been alone with the Headmaster?
Gideon gave her a weak smile. He cleared his throat before he spoke. "Well, I must go. I'll see you both in school next week." He nodded to the girls and left quickly towards the Three Broomsticks.
"Okay…What in the name of Merlin was that about?" Lily hissed to Hermione as she watched her friend stare at their teacher's furthering back with a small frown between her eyes.
Hermione turned her eyes quickly to her friend. "It's nothing. He's just friends with my dad, I suppose." She said with a shrug.
Lily eyed her sceptically. "Even you don't believe that, Hermione." She said and sighed. "But…I suppose you'll tell me when you're ready, yeah?"
Hermione smirked at her friend's perceptiveness. "Yes, I will."
"You're not having a fling with him, though?" Lily asked, her expression somewhere between joking and suspicion.
Hermione burst in laughter. "No!"
Both girls laughed as they walked back to the Hog's Head to gather Lily's belongings before she was leaving towards home.
January 8th 1978 (Sunday)
On Sunday evening, it was time to go back to school. As Hermione saw Lily and her other roommates hopping off from the carriage that was pulled by Thestrals, she knew something was amiss. She saw it edged on their faces; Lily, Mary, Alice and Marlene shared nervous glances before they started approaching Hermione, who was waiting for them near the front doors of the castle.
Hermione hugged her friends before she eyed them in confusion. "What's going on?" She asked slowly, as the other students walked past them into the castle and towards the Great Hall.
Alice and Lily looked a bit uncomfortable, while Mary was quick to explain the situation. "Sirius was fighting in the train." She said, watching Hermione's reaction carefully.
"Oh."
"With his brother." Marlene said pointedly, and arched a brow.
Hermione's eyes widened. "Oh. Bollocks."
"Yep." Mary said. "You've got some explaining to do, Mione." She said, keeping the tone of her voice light. "But not now, later, okay? Otherwise we'll miss the feast." Mary continued and nudged Hermione to move towards the castle.
Hermione glanced down, feeling embarrassed before she nodded. "I'd rather not." She muttered but followed the others into the Great Hall.
As Hermione sat down between Marlene and Mary at their house table, Lily and Alice took the seats opposite to them. Hermione looked around the table for the Marauders. The boys hadn't arrived yet, and she noticed the others were looking for them as well.
As if summoned, James, Remus and Peter walked towards the table. James and Peter sat beside Lily, while Remus settled next to Mary. Hermione greeted the boys, since she hadn't spent the day with them in the Hogwarts Express like her roommates had. Remus and Peter nodded to her a bit more reserved than usually, while James merely sent her a glare. Even though Hermione had expected this, she was still a bit taken aback by James's cold demeanour.
Soon all the students seemed to be seated at their respective house tables in the Great Hall, except for the Black brothers. Marlene eyed James with her brows furrowed. "Where's Sirius?" She whispered.
"He'll be here in a minute." James replied calmly and gave Hermione a disappointed look.
Hermione averted her eyes and looked towards the Entrance Hall, from where McGonagall was entering the Great Hall. Their Head of House walked briskly towards the teachers table with Professor Slughorn by her side, who was trying to keep up with her. Behind them trailed Sirius and Regulus, both looking ahead with blank expressions.
Hermione let out a stunned gasp as she noticed their dishevelled looks. Sirius was sporting a black eye, with a patch of dried blood trailing towards his temple from his cut eyebrow. There were bruises on his jaw as well. His hair was even messier than usual, and his shirt was severely crumpled. Regulus looked no better. His lip was bleeding, and he too had bruises and cuts over his face, his hair and clothing in the same condition as Sirius's. There was no question if the boys had been engaging in a brawl.
Without acknowledging the other, the boys headed straight towards their own house tables. Regulus took a seat opposite to Snape, his back to the Gryffindor table, while Sirius sat between James and Peter, his back to the Slytherin table. Unfortunately, Sirius now had a clear view at Hermione, and as he glanced at her with his eyes flickering momentarily towards something resembling revulsion, she tried not to let herself be affected by him. James gave her an expression that said, you know this is your fault, before the boys started talking quietly with each other.
The feast started after Dumbledore had given a few words to welcome the students back, and for a moment, everyone was solely focused filling their plates. Before Hermione reached to the servers in the middle of the table, brimming with delicious food, she snuck a glance at the Slytherin table. Snape was staring at her with a bitter look. He cocked an eyebrow as his mouth curved into a sneer. Hermione groaned inwardly and looked away. She had made one hell of a mess. She was content keeping her eyes on her plate for the rest of the meal.
"So…How was everyone's holidays?" Marlene asked from the group as she took a bite of the roasted chicken.
James shrugged, Sirius didn't even look at the others, and the rest of them looked uncomfortable. The atmosphere was tense, there was no doubt of that.
"Well. I had a quite nice holiday." Remus said kindly, and turned to give Mary a smirk. "Spent time with a certain special girl." He said knowingly.
"Oh? And who might that be?" Mary asked with a teasing voice. "Should I keep better care of my territory?" She continued, nudging Remus. Peter and James snorted at their plates, and Remus narrowed his eyes at them.
Hermione was glad that her two friends had found an understanding. Remus seemed to have gained much more confidence and was now generally more open and participating, and Hermione reckoned that part of it was because of Mary.
Mary took a sip from her pumpkin juice before she spoke. "Yeah, mine was great as well. The usual…Visited a bunch of relatives and then played house with this handsome man while my folks were on a small trip." She said, glancing Remus affectionately.
The boys gave their werewolf friend knowing smirks while the boy in question blushed slightly.
"I had a lovely time in France at Frank's grandparents' home." Alice quipped and smiled nervously. "And…Frank proposed," She said with a flustered grin.
All the girls in their group squealed in surprise and the boys eyed her in astonishment.
"You've been keeping this from us the whole day?" Lily asked in bewilderment.
Alice shrugged guiltily. "Well…I kinda wanted all of us to be there when I shared the news."
Hermione gave her friend a warm smile.
"Let's see the bauble," Mary commanded from the opposite side of the table, eyeing Alice expectantly. Alice showed her hand that was adorned with a white gold ring full of sparkling diamonds which sat in the band, surrounding one alluring, luxurious ruby. Between the diamonds and the ruby there were curvy lines, forming a Celtic knot. It was a classic ring, and suited Alice perfectly.
"Wow," Lily, Marlene and Hermione whispered in unison, as the girls leaned closer to take a look at the astonishing ring.
"Fuck me." Mary muttered.
The boys sniggered at Mary's crude language and everyone offered their congratulations to Alice. The news of Alice's engagement had lifted the mood quite a bit, and for a moment everything seemed to be normal.
As the feast was ending, Dumbledore made some announcements before he sent the students to their beds. Hermione was quick to dash out of the Great Hall to escape the uncomfortable tension that had started to build up again. She was unpacking her belongings when the rest of the girls entered the dormitory.
"So, Hermione. What was all that about? I mean, the boys didn't actually say anything, but…Were Sirius and Regulus fighting because of…you?" Marlene asked casually once she and the others had settled in and started to prepare themselves to bed. Lily gave a tight smile to Hermione and went to the bathroom to shower and brush her teeth.
"Well…" Hermione trailed, and heaved a frustrated sigh. "I might as well tell you. I kissed Regulus." She said quietly, looking at her lap. Marlene and Alice stared at her in utter surprise, while Mary chewed the inside of her cheek.
"Oh…" Alice finally said, trying to form other words as well but failed. Marlene was still gaping at her, while Mary cleared her throat and gave Hermione a sheepish grin.
"Lily filled me in about what happened at the party. Remus and I came to the terrace right after you left." Mary said hesitantly. "I don't know about the details, but I think Sirius was a bit out of line in there." She said, turning to look at Alice and Marlene. "He yelled at her and said some lousy things about her in front of James and Lily."
Alice nodded but Marlene scoffed, turning her eyes at Hermione. "Well…What did you expect? And why in the name of Merlin would you snog his brother?" Marlene asked incredulously. "I mean, when I suggested that you should get someone new pining after you, I didn't mean you should move on to his brother..." She shook her head disapprovingly.
Hermione sighed. "We were broken up with Sirius. I know it doesn't come as an excuse but I didn't plan to kiss Regulus…It just happened." She said helplessly.
"Do you regret it?" Alice asked carefully.
Hermione was silent for a moment. "I regret that Sirius was hurt by it." She said quietly.
Marlene looked at her with her lips pursed and it was obvious that she disapproved Hermione's actions. Nevertheless, she said nothing more to the matter.
Alice eyed Hermione thoughtfully. "So, are you two a couple now?"
Hermione gave a mirthless laugh. "No, we are not."
"Have you talked with him? Or Sirius? After the party I mean." Mary asked, intrigued.
Hermione shook her head. "No…Sirius won't even look at me and…well. I suppose I'll have to have a talk with Regulus eventually." She said with a shrug.
"Just give him time, Hermione." Lily said, emerging from the bathroom.
"Which one?" Mary asked with a smirk.
Marlene rolled her eyes and went to the bathroom. Hermione groaned inwardly.
"Sirius." Lily said with a pointed look. "I'm sure he will eventually realise what an arse he has been and then he'll apologise to you." She gave her friend a small smile. "Regulus has no reason to be angry at you. He should've known how his brother would react once he found out." Lily said with a shrug and hopped on to her bed after pulling the covers off.
Hermione sighed and rubbed her face. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Can we please just drop this?" She said wearily and went to the bathroom after Marlene came back.
Soon all the girls were in their beds, one by one drifting to sleep. Only Hermione was wide awake. She wished she'd have a vial of sleeping draught, as she was quite sure she was going to be up all night with her erratic thoughts.
Sirius followed his mates into their dorm after the feast, scowling ahead and slumping onto his bed.
"What did McGonagall say?" James asked as he started to unpack his trunk. Remus and Peter were also organising their belongings onto their personal shelves.
Sirius shrugged, looking down with an angry glare. "Detention next weekend," he grunted.
"Not bad, mate. Honestly, I thought it would have been much worse," James said with an impressed look.
James had been the one who had caught Sirius having his own brother in a headlock in an empty compartment of the Hogwarts Express. James had been patrolling the train with Lily, like the Head Boy and Girl were expected to, Lily in one end of the train and he in the other. It had been pretty bad, with both boys covered in blood, cuts and bruises, their clothes shredded and the compartment a mess. The bright side of it was that neither of them had used magic against one another, but only their fists. James suspected the consequences would've been much worse if they'd been duelling in the train. Nevertheless, he had to confiscate their wands and report the incident to McGonagall as they arrived to Hogsmeade.
"She took fifty points from both houses."
"Oh." James said, cringing a little but then shrugged. "No matter, we'll get them back like, in a week."
As arrogant as it sounded, they were bright students, and earning points in classes was easy for them.
Remus smiled at James and turned to Sirius. "Yeah, Pads. Don't worry about it."
"I don't." Sirius said with a glare to Remus.
Remus lifted his hands in surrender. "Okay then. Care to fill me and Pete in, why you were trying to mould your brother's face back in the train?" He asked grimly. "Or why you and Prongs suddenly act like two bloody knobheads towards Hermione?"
"No."
James sighed and looked at Sirius, his brows lifted expectantly. "Mate." He said wearily.
"Fine." Sirius said and huffed. "My dear brother snogged Hermione." He grumbled to Remus and Peter, who both stared at him with surprise and shock.
Peter gave Remus a helpless look, asking for the werewolf to take the lead in the matter. Remus knew Peter wasn't great in situations like this. When Sirius was outraged.
Remus threaded his hand through his shaggy brown hair and sighed. "When?"
"What do you mean, when?" Sirius spat, eyeing his friend incredulously.
Remus had to force himself not to roll his eyes. "I meant, when did it happen? Were you two together when it occurred?" He asked calmly. James eyed their conversation with a slight frown between his brows.
"We weren't together then. It was after the last party we had in our common room." Sirius said and then shrugged. "But I don't see the difference. He's my brother, Moony." He said and gave Remus a challenging expression.
Remus sighed. He knew better than to argue with his friend when he was in such a mood. James didn't say anything and merely eyed Remus with the same expression as Sirius.
"Have you talked with her since the New Year's party?" Remus asked hesitantly, while James went to the bathroom to shower.
"No."
"Are you going to?" Remus pressed on.
"Dunno." Sirius grunted and hopped to lie on his bed, flicking his wand on the hangings that closed around him and thus cutting their conversation short.
Remus shook his head in exhaustion to Peter who eyed the scene in bewilderment. The boys didn't talk about anything after that, and everyone went straight to bed after their nightly routines.
January 9th 1978 (Monday)
Hermione stood up early, not having a single hour of sleep last night. She showered, got dressed quickly, and was out of their dorm before her roommates had even woken up.
She decided to skip the breakfast and instead found an empty space near their DADA classroom, where she opted to wait the remaining hours before their first lesson, DADA, would start.
Her plans were interrupted, when someone opened the door to the classroom where she was sitting on the floor, leaning against a wall.
"Hermione?" Gideon asked with a surprise. "What are you doing here? You know it's not even seven in the morning?" He asked with a yawn.
Hermione eyed him suspiciously. "How did you know I was here?"
"You know my office is next door…" He said with an arched brow. "My Secrecy Sensor went off…It tends to do that when students sneak in the castle near its range, but it is usually quiet at this time of day." He said with a shrug.
"Oh."
"So? What are you doing here?" He pressed on, giving her a scrutinising stare.
Hermione shrugged. "Just, you know…Waiting for the first class to start…" She mumbled and looked down.
"The first…But why? Why aren't you in your common room? Or at breakfast? Or sleeping?" He asked in bewilderment.
"I just wanted to be by myself for a bit. And…I'm not really in the mood for all the drama…" She trailed off without looking at him.
"Oh. You mean the drama between the Black brothers?" He asked pointedly.
Hermione sighed and rubbed her temple. "Yep..." She said, her voice wavering slightly.
Gideon was silent for a moment, eyeing her thoughtfully. "Come on, then." He said finally, making a move towards the door.
"What?"
"You can have breakfast in my office. I won't have you in my class unnourished. We're going to have a tough lesson today," He said sternly.
Hermione wanted to scowl at him but since she knew he had a point, she followed him without question.
"What happened in the cave, Gideon?" Hermione asked as she took a sip of her coffee.
They were both eating breakfast at his desk. She knew only what Ab had told her – that the ring had been destroyed, but apparently not by the Headmaster. Dumbledore had somehow lost consciousness before he had managed to do that. She also knew that Gideon had knocked her down when the flames had been closing in on her, and that it was him who had managed to destroy the ring and extinguish the cursed flames. The events in the cave before her concussion were still a bit hazy in her mind and Hermione reckoned that she had hit her head pretty badly.
Gideon eyed her from behind his cup before answering. "When Dumbledore cast the curse, the ring fought back somehow. It whispered some nasty things to Albus, and made his stance waver. It was like he was in some sort of a trance," He said with a contemplative expression.
"What did it say?" Hermione asked anxiously. She remembered Ron and Harry both explaining how the Horcruxes they had destroyed had resisted them.
Gideon frowned. "Something about his sister and the events that led to her death," He said finally.
Hermione's eyes widened. "Merlin…"
"Yeah. He couldn't move, he couldn't say anything. He couldn't control the flames. I'm not lying to you, Hermione. It was pretty horrifying. That, and the fact that you were nearly succumbed by the flames." He said and let out a shuddering breath.
"I had to knock you down, and it wasn't a modest fall, let me tell you. I'm still a bit stunned how you were even able to stand the next day." He said with a worried expression. "Minerva and Fabian were trying to control the fire so that it didn't get you or the Headmaster. It was chaotic." He muttered.
Hermione nodded and gave him a small smile. "But you managed to end it? You destroyed the ring?"
"Yeah." He shrugged. "Feels like it was more luck than skill though," He said with a huff.
Hermione frowned and took another sip of her coffee. "In my old life, I think everything we managed to do regarding the Horcruxes was with luck," She said wearily.
Gideon sighed. "We need to be more prepared for the next one," he said and rubbed his face.
Hermione nodded. "I agree. We should be able to close our minds, as it seems that the Horcruxes attack our minds and use our weaknesses," she said thoughtfully.
"We'll discuss it with the others." Gideon said agreeably and continued, "That reminds me, when do you want to start your Occlumency training?"
Hermione smiled tightly. "As soon as possible."
Hermione was already sitting in the DADA classroom when the rest of the students drifted in. Lily was surprised and relieved to see her friend, and quickly took a seat next to her.
"Where were you? We missed you at breakfast," She whispered as their housemates took their places near them.
Hermione lifted her brows at her friend, eyeing her doubtfully.
"Well, I and the girls did." She insisted with a shrug. Hermione smiled at her friend. The class started and they were divided into pairs by Gideon. Hermione was facing Remus, Mary was paired with Sirius, Alice with James and Marlene with Peter. Lily was paired with Snape. James was already heading towards the pair, with every intention to stop them partnering up, but Lily turned to her boyfriend before he had the chance to say anything.
"James, it's okay. I can handle it." She said reassuringly, with a hint of warning in her voice.
"Lily, you can't be serious. Let's switch. I'll take care of Snivellus." He said and eyed the Slytherin with a dark look. Snape sneered back.
"James." Lily said coldly, her nostrils flaring. James gritted his teeth and shoved a hand to his hair in exasperation. Snape eyed the pair with disinterest.
"Fine." James said with a huff as their Professor started to hand instructions. Hermione and the rest of their group let out a silent breath of relief and focused on their own duelling partners.
Lily turned to Snape again. "Thank you for not taking his bait," she said quietly, as Snape stared at her in silence. He nodded slowly and eyed her carefully as she took her duelling position.
His stony expression faltered a bit. "Lily…" He muttered.
"Yes?" She said sternly, eyeing him expectantly.
"I wanted to thank you for the Christmas present. It was most kind of you. Although I wasn't in the knowledge that we were exchanging gifts. Otherwise I would've gotten something for you." He said with an inscrutable voice.
After a long debate inside her head, Lily had decided to give him a small Christmas present, as a peace offering, as well as a sign of her forgiveness. It was a new muggle novel that had been recently released, along with a small box of his favourite Honeydukes sweets; Liquorice Wands.
Lily stared at him for a moment and sighed. Her gift hadn't made the effect she was expecting. "Yeah, no problem," She said with a hint of resignation. He gave her a curt nod and took his duelling stance as well.
Hermione joined the others for lunch, and was slightly relieved to see that neither James nor Sirius was present. As they had the afternoon free, while the others were going to Herbology, the two Marauders had opted to skip lunch. She had seen Regulus in the Great Hall, sitting next to Snape and facing the Gryffindor table, but he hadn't looked up from his plate as she had glanced at their direction.
After lunch Remus, Peter, Mary, Hermione, Alice and Lily walked to the greenrooms, where Professor Sprout divided the NEWT students into small groups.
"Today we are starting with the general education on Fungi, which will last until the end of March." Professor Sprout spoke from the front of the greenroom. "The first subject is the Bursting Mushroom," She continued as she walked towards the table where several pots stood, each filled with a scattering of odd looking red and white mushrooms.
"The Bursting Mushroom can be disarmed with an Extinguishing Spell. Once neutralised, it can be picked up from the soil, which will permanently disable the Mushroom from exploding." She said before performing the spell on one of the mushrooms in the nearest pot. The mushroom, which had been weaving slightly before, stood now still. "After the harvest, the mushrooms are to be given to the Potion's Class Stores to use in your potion making." She said, flourishing her wand on the mushroom and collecting it from the soil and levitating it into a large jar.
"I want each group to grab a pot and disarm all the mushrooms in there, and then to harvest them into these jars." She said, pointing on the side where several empty jars were waiting. The students complied, and soon the greenroom was filled with incantations of extinguishing and levitating spells.
As Lily was the first in their group to examine their Mushroom pot, Remus turned to look at Hermione.
"How are you?" He asked hesitantly.
Hermione gave him a shrug. "I'm okay. Just don't know what exactly I was expecting when we came back to school…" She muttered.
"You know how he is, right?" Remus said with a frown. "Acting impulsively and then when he's calmed down enough, he regrets his actions…"
Hermione nodded. "That doesn't remove the fact that I am hurt." She said with a sad smile.
"No, it doesn't." He said with a smile. "But it is his brother, Hermione. Even if there had been years between you dating them, he still would've got angry and acted irrationally. Because in his eyes, you were his first. And he probably thinks that you still are his in some way." He explained carefully.
Hermione scoffed. "I'm not dating his brother. And he left me," She snapped.
"I know." Remus said not unkindly.
"But I understand what you mean. And I know I shouldn't have done that. But what is done is done," She said with a sigh and contemplated her next words a bit. "Do you think I should just leave him be for now, and ignore him?" She asked with hesitation.
Remus shrugged. "I suppose. I think he will talk to you eventually. Just let him mull things for a while and let him come to you, yeah?"
Hermione heaved a sigh. "Yeah, okay." She muttered.
"And how are you, then?" She asked after a moment of silence.
Remus gave a shy smile at her. "Never been better," he said and Hermione chuckled.
"I'm really happy for you, Remus." Hermione said, beaming at her friend.
Lily listened to their conversation and smirked. "Has the relationship advice been traded already? Can we get to work?" She asked teasingly. Hermione and Remus both rolled their eyes and started to work on the mushrooms.
It was dinnertime and all the Marauders were present again. Hermione sat as far away as she could from James and Sirius, as she wasn't in the mood to receive glares from them. While she listened to Alice chat with Lily about her holiday with Frank and his relatives, Hermione's eyes wandered over to the Slytherin table. Regulus was there, eating his dinner next to Snape, changing words with him every now and then. Suddenly he glanced at her from the corner of his eye and as their eyes locked, Hermione nudged her head towards the hallway. He gave her an insignificant nod and Hermione stood up.
"See you in the common room," She muttered to Alice and Lily, who gave her slightly puzzled looks. Hermione gave a reassuring smile to her friends and left the table.
She walked to the staircase and moved up the stairs until she reached the seventh floor. She pulled the Map from her schoolbag to check that no one was in the hallway before she started to pace in front of the wall. Her eyes stayed on the small dot that displayed her name on the Map. Even though it was already been a while since the adoption, she still was not quite used to see her name as Hermione Dumbledore.
She shook her head to clear her thoughts and put the Map away before she approached the wall across the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy. As the door appeared on the wall, she heard footsteps behind her. She glanced at Regulus and entered through the door, with him following her.
She walked further to the replica of the Gryffindor common room, situating herself on the couch in front of the fireplace. Regulus stayed behind, eyeing the room in mild interest. He walked towards the fire and stood there facing it, his back to Hermione.
"Reg…" She said softly.
He slowly turned around and looked into her eyes, his expression giving nothing away.
"I'm sorry you're hurt." Hermione said, looking at the fading bruises on his face.
"Why? You weren't the one attacking me on the train." He said indifferently.
Hermione eyed him warily and thought about what to say next. "But I told him. I had to. I didn't want to keep it from him."
"I know." Regulus sighed and threaded a hand through his hair. "I shouldn't have kissed you." He said quietly.
Hermione swallowed. "You…regret it?" She asked hesitantly, waiting his answer in anticipation.
"No."
"Oh…neither do I." She said with a relieved smile. She saw a hint of smile on his lips.
Regulus sat down next to her, propping his elbows upon his knees and dropping his face into his hands. He let out a muffled groan. "Hermione…We can't be together." He said quietly, glancing at her with a furrowed brow.
Hermione nodded to him and chewed the inside of her cheek.
"…I want to, Salazar only knows how much…Even if I somehow managed to get my brother to accept it, which by the way will never happen, there's still the fact that I'm being watched. It's too dangerous." He said and watched her expression intently as she took his words in.
Hermione nodded slowly. "I know. We can't risk anything, not when there are far more important things to do." She said, referring to the Order and its goal.
Regulus nodded in understanding as he turned to face her, examining her with a hint of disappointment in his eyes. He pushed a tendril of her hair behind her ear.
"What…What if no one knew? …About us?" Hermione asked, uncertainty crossing her features. "I mean, we are still going to meet because of the Order business," She said quietly.
Regulus stared her for a moment before he smirked at her. "You want to engage in a clandestine affair?" He asked with a low voice. Hermione blushed and bit her lip.
"Is that a yes?" He murmured, leaning towards her. Hermione let out a nervous breath.
"Yes." She whispered and swallowed deeply.
"Okay then." He grumbled, his face so close to her, she could feel his breath against her lips.
Hermione shivered in anticipation as his gaze dropped momentarily to her lips. He studied her with a piercing gaze before he gently pressed his lips against hers. A shiver ran through her spine. He nipped at the corner of her mouth, and then at her bottom lip. Hermione breathed heavily as he explored her lips; he seemed to be intent on taking his time to get to know her. Hermione supressed a groan as he continued fluttering kisses against her jawline, and her neck. When he gently sucked the skin over her pulse, she let out an embarrassingly breathy moan.
Regulus chuckled. Merlin, he sounded like his brother, Hermione thought and rolled her eyes.
He dragged his lips back against hers, brushing her lips with his while staring into her eyes. Each time his lips touched hers, he lingered longer. When Hermione was about to grab his hair and pull him tight against her, his tongue swept across her bottom lip. She sighed as the sensation shimmered through her, making her crave him, wanting to press herself against him. Finally, his lips covered hers properly, and he slipped his tongue inside her mouth after she let out a loud gasp. His taste was fresh, exciting and hot as she gently touched his tongue with hers. Regulus moaned at the touch, the sound of him sending a wave of heat rushing through her. She felt her body warm and arch towards him, as his hands took a hold of her waist. Hermione slid her hands around his neck and pulled him closer to her.
Regulus let out a muffled groan against her lips and deepened the kiss, gently pushing her to lie down on the couch, covering her body with his while kissing her at the same time. Hermione lost her ability to think just then, and it seemed that all she was capable of doing was to kiss, to taste and to touch Regulus. She could feel his body responding to her, hard and soft at the same time. He was breathing heavier and as she sucked on his bottom lip, Regulus let out a deep groan that sounded very much like her name. She longed to touch his skin, to press her body against him without any fabric between them. As she trailed her hands down his torso, and slid them under his shirt and touched the warm skin, she felt his body tense up.
Regulus thought he would explode just then. Hermione's slender body underneath his made his blood boil, and the soft hands that were touching his muscles were burning his skin. He could feel his cock twitching painfully, and resisted the urge to thrust against her and reduce the pressure of his desire. As Hermione ground her hips against his pelvis, Regulus hissed loudly and broke their kiss, shuddering on top of her.
He wanted her; there was no question about that. But he wasn't thinking clearly now. They had come to the room for a reason, after all. With his eyes closed, his mouth hovering next to hers, he waited several moments for his pulse to return to normal and the ache in his groin to ease.
Hermione took shaky breaths as they both calmed down.
"Perhaps we could continue this another time?" Regulus murmured against her lips. "I think we have some talking to do, and I'm afraid that if we continue like this, we aren't ready until the morning." He said, smiling slightly down at her.
Hermione chuckled. "Perhaps you're right." She said and touched the side of his face affectionately.
Regulus couldn't stop himself from leaning against her hand before he sat back on his knees and lifted her into a sitting position as well.
There was a short silence while they looked at one another, scrutinising the other.
"So…" Hermione started, her eyes moving over his face. "…How did the gathering go?" She asked hesitantly.
Regulus felt his expression harden. He frowned a bit before he spoke, going the events over in his head and deciding what she was allowed to know. "What do you wish to know?"
"Everything?" Hermione replied in bewilderment.
Regulus sighed, feeling unsurprised and slightly amused by her answer. "He's planning a raid against the Order on Easter Holidays. He wants my and Severus's attendance."
"But you're not marked yet…right?" She asked carefully, her gaze shifting to his left forearm that was covered with his shirt.
He rolled his eyes, not bothering to tell her that if he was been marked, he probably would've looked a lot worse. Being branded wasn't exactly a walk in the park. Still, Regulus pulled up his sleeve and showed her his unblemished skin. "No. I'm not seventeen yet. That he intends to do at the next Summer Solstice."
"Why?" Hermione asked with confusion. "I mean, why then?"
Regulus shrugged, not in the mood to explain the details. "It is a celestial event, and after the Summer Solstice, the daylight will gradually grow shorter each day, while the darkness grows." He explained vaguely.
Hermione nodded slowly, her brows pulled down into a small frown. "So…his followers take the mark after their seventeenth birthday, during midsummer?" She asked, her voice curious.
Regulus merely inclined his head.
"Does that mean that Snape is already a Death Eater?" Hermione asked hastily, dread flashing in her eyes.
"No. Sev's birthday is not until July, so he will take the mark when I do." Regulus said plainly.
"Oh." Hermione muttered, supposedly mulling the information she had just received in her head. "Do you know anything else about the upcoming raid?" Hermione asked, worrying her lip anxiously. Regulus's eyes flickered briefly to them, and he had to force himself not to think about how only a moment ago, she had been lying under him, pressing herself deliciously against him.
He cleared the tightness away from his throat. "No. And I doubt he'd tell us anything before we are marked." He said with a sigh, turning his eyes towards the fire.
"What happened in there?" Hermione whispered, sounding nervous.
Regulus turned to look at her for a moment. "You don't want to know, Hermione," He said seriously, images flashing in his head.
"Tell me," She said with a warning in her tone, which made his lips quirk up a bit before he schooled his expression into solemn one again.
Regulus's eyes moved between hers before he spoke. "Just the usual, I suppose. He made us watch while he tortured and killed a bunch of people, at the same time using Legilimency to examine our thoughts and reactions about his actions."
Hermione gasped, all colour draining from her face. Regulus shot her a pointed look, inwardly cursing her innocence and her naivety.
She seemed to gather her thought as she spoke only a short moment after. "Anyone the Order knows of?" She asked tightly, almost as if bracing herself.
Regulus watched her carefully. "Dorcas Meadows's husband Frank; he's the only one that was mentioned by name. About the rest…I don't know." He muttered quietly, looking away from her.
Hermione let out a shuddering breath. "Did he…make you do anything?" She carefully asked, as if she was afraid to hear his answer.
When she looked at him like that, her eyes filled with concern and compassion, it was nearly impossible to keep all the ugly and horrible memories locked in the deep, dark corner of his mind. But Regulus knew he had to, otherwise he'd break down. And he was a Black. He was going to be a Death Eater. He couldn't afford to be weak. "He won't expect us to use magic against his enemies until we are of age. But…For some reason, regardless of his hate towards the muggles, he isn't opposed to using their methods of torture and pain." He said, averting his eyes from hers again.
"You tortured someone?" Hermione asked with a mix of shock and disbelief in her voice.
Regulus merely looked at her.
"Reg?" She whispered urgently. She was starting to look nauseated.
Exasperation and bitterness rose inside him. "What? You didn't expect me to exchange mere pleasantries with him, did you?" He said roughly. "I'm going to be a Death Eater, Hermione. If I want to be in his inner circle, I have to play the part." He said, resentment evident in his voice.
Hermione was silent for a while, frowning in disagreement, seeming to harbour suspicions of him. "Do you? Want to be in his inner circle and do as he commands?" Hermione asked eventually, eyeing him with unease.
Regulus felt a small pang of unhappiness by her words. She didn't trust him. He gave her a piercing look, trying to show her his earnestness, trying to show her how afraid he was, and trying to let her know that she could trust him. "Of course not." He said quietly, his insides warming as Hermione's mouth quirked up into a small smile, and her eyes softened.
Hermione nodded, seeming to be relieved, before she picked up two galleons from her pocket and handed him the other one.
She'd spelled them, Regulus knew the moment he touched the galleon. He moved it between his fingers, inspecting it with interest. He was able to recognise some charms by their magical signature, or at least guess the correct one based on the type of the magic in the object.
"Protean charm?" He asked after a moment, smirking slightly at her surprised expression.
"How did you…" She started, but then shook her head in bewilderment. "Well, yes, it is actually. These two are connected with each other," she explained, and Regulus had to smile at her inventiveness.
"I suggest we use them to contact each other, and only meet in here. Is that okay?" She continued, her brows lifted in question.
"Yes. Only…does it have to be the Gryffindor common room?" He asked and gave her a teasing look.
Hermione let out a small huff. "Well, I certainly won't change it to the Slytherin quarters again." She said wryly. "The place gives me the creeps."
"Understood." Regulus said with laughter in his voice. "Whatever you want is fine by me." He said, staring into her eyes with a blank expression.
Before his mind started to whirl again and his eyes wander over her lips, he cleared his throat and asked, "And how was your holiday?"
Hermione pursed her lips. "Well…compared to yours, I suppose it was a bit dull one." She said with a shrug.
Regulus's jaw tightened slightly. They both knew that that wasn't the truth. He knew that something had happened to her during the holiday. Something horrible.
As she obviously didn't want to discuss the matter, Regulus merely lifted his brows with interest and took her hand in his, brushing her knuckles with his thumb. A small blush worked its way up to her cheeks.
"I, um…Just spent some time with friends and family." She said nonchalantly, shrugging lightly.
Regulus saw the hesitance in her eyes, and wondered what else she was hiding; besides the obvious injury she had suffered. "You saw my brother?" He asked softly, watching her reaction carefully.
Regulus assumed they'd met over the holidays, as his brother had practically ignored him during the train ride to London, but sought him out the moment the train had left back to Hogwarts.
Hermione gave him a weary and apologising look. "Yes. We went to see an apartment for him." She explained unenthusiastically.
Regulus's brows lifted in surprise. He had assumed that his brother was going to move on his own eventually, as he knew that their uncle, Alphard, had given Sirius a decent bit of gold. But what he hadn't guessed, was that Hermione had gone with him to search for an apartment. "Oh."
"We, uh…agreed to do it a long time ago, and when we broke up, he asked me to go with him…as his friend," She said awkwardly.
"Okay." Regulus said and eyed her thoughtfully, not able to stop the doubts seeking their way into his head. He assumed there still were some feelings between his brother and Hermione, since they had only just broken up, but how deep, he didn't know.
"I told him then. That I kissed you. And then I went to the Potters' New Year's party the next day, and…he pretty much lashed out at me at the party." She muttered, cringing slightly.
Regulus wasn't exactly surprised to hear how his brother had acted. "What did he say?" He asked quietly, staring at her impassively.
Hermione sighed. "It doesn't matter. Something similar what he said to you I suppose…" She said with a shrug.
Regulus's gaze hardened. "I certainly hope not." He said coldly, remembering exactly what his brother had said to him, or yelled, more like.
She touched his face affectionately. "Hey…I know we have to have a talk about him…and with him eventually but…let's not talk about it now, okay?" She said, and he could see a hint of desperation in her eyes.
Regulus gave her a nod. "Anything else you want to share? About your holiday?" He asked carefully, glancing at her hand that was still clasped against his, his eyes fixated on the bracelet, his thumb brushing the cold jewels and the thin chain around her wrist.
As he glanced at her, Hermione's eyes widened with recognition. "Oh! Thank you. It's lovely," She said with sincerity, smiling at him.
Regulus's lips twitched a bit. "I'm glad you like it. And wear it." He said, and was thoughtful for a moment, wondering if she was being evasive on purpose. "That's not what I meant though." He continued and gave her a slightly demanding look.
Hermione looked nervous all of a sudden, and frowned slightly before she spoke. "What do you mean?" She whispered with uncertainty.
"Something happened to you." He said gravely. "You were hurt."
Hermione let out a small gasp. "What? How –" Then her eyes dropped down to her wrist and her eyes widened with understanding. "The bracelet," she whispered.
"I assume you know it is charmed?" Regulus asked simply, and Hermione gave him a hesitant nod. "It gives a strong protection for the wearer, lessening the pain and damage one might receive." He explained, his eyes moving over her face, studying her.
Hermione frowned, supposedly processing the information. "But that doesn't explain how you would know I was hurt?" Hermione asked after a moment, her eyes searching his.
"When using magic like this, absorbing something physical through an object rather than using your wand, one has to direct it somewhere, as it can't simply vanish into thin air." Regulus explained, keeping his voice light while his gaze was trained on the bracelet.
Hermione swallowed audibly. "Where is it directed?" She said, her voice filled with dread.
He slowly lifted his gaze to meet her eyes, his expression giving nothing away. "I think you already know, Hermione."
She was startled, even though it was obvious that she had suspected it already. "But…why? Why would you voluntarily hurt yourself on my behalf?" Hermione whispered, looking at him with an innocent and awed look in her eyes.
He shrugged before he spoke, knowing that he couldn't tell her the truth. "The effect that comes through is weakened considerably. Don't worry about it, love." He said and brought her hand up to meet his lips, kissing her wrist tenderly.
Hermione seemed to be speechless, and merely gaped back at him. There was a mix of emotions flickering in her eyes, and Regulus was mesmerised by them. She seemed overwhelmed, doubtful, anxious and awestruck at the same time. She also seemed to be undecided whether she should scold him for his foolishness or express her gratitude for his thoughtfulness.
"Reg…I…it's too much," She stammered.
Regulus merely smiled at her. "It really isn't," he said, and as she opened her mouth to disagree, he continued, "Hermione, can we not talk about it right now?" He said, his fingers moving up on her arm.
She shivered at his touch, her eyes becoming darker. Regulus stared into her eyes with an intense gaze, wanting so many things at the same time, all of them related to her. He admired the way she let out a stammering breath, and how there was a subtle flush creeping up her neck and to her cheeks. He needed to be closer to her. He needed to feel her again.
"In fact, what if we don't talk at all for now?" He murmured and leaned down closer to her, closing the distance between them and capturing her lips in a bruising kiss.