CHAPTER SEVEN: RECONCILIATION

Flora usually thought of her parents when she was upset. She couldn't visualise their faces sometimes, remembering them only in nondescript, but oddly specific ways such as in her mother's powdery perfume, her father's rough chin, and even in certain lights and times of day; in the late summer afternoons, as the sun was getting low in the sky and the kitchen was cast in a golden glow, Flora would suddenly be reminded of her mother drifting around the room, of her father outside in the garden, smelling of fresh grass and earth. It reminded her of happier times with Remus too, when they played pretend games together, when his lycanthropy condition wasn't so bad — granted, it always had been bad. But Remus had once been small enough for her father to handle. Flora, even now, had never seen her brother when he transformed.

After the disagreement with Regulus she'd stormed into her room and sought out the two-way mirror to contact Remus. She wanted her brother, but most of all she wanted her parents. She didn't want this unpleasant, nasty boy in her home any longer. Her mother would've sorted Regulus out in a heartbeat. Now she held hope her big brother would sort him out. But as she picked up the mirror, she hesitated. Her mother's voice suddenly came to her:

Wrth gicio a brathu mae cariad yn magu.

Flora had spoken Welsh with her mother; her mother had taught her everything, anxious to keep her at home because she hadn't been able to keep Remus at home. The devastation of her mother's death left Flora very alone and very confused, unsure of how to navigate the world without her mother. But Flora never forgot the proverbs her mother often said.

While kicking and biting, love grows.

She'd said this whenever Flora and Remus fought. It came to her now. In truth, it irritated her a little to think these words as if they had anything to do with her and Regulus. Friendship, let alone any kind of love, was an impossibility. Flora threw the mirror aside and sat down on the floor of her bedroom, pulling her legs up to her chest, and cried. She didn't care if Regulus heard her. She yearned suddenly for her mother, wishing beyond anything to feel her soft, doughy arms around her again. It wasn't fair, she thought. It wasn't fair she didn't have a mother and it wasn't fair she had to stay cooped up in the house all day. Especially with someone so hostile as Regulus.

Her thoughts drifted. Regulus had looked so startled when she'd started to cry; that intense, stony look had dissolved and almost softened. It was not something Flora saw often in his face, but she had glimpsed it a couple of times in the past month. It was a look that threw her every time, no matter how brief it was; it reminded her that even in spite of his airs, he was just a boy, and a scared one at that. He couldn't leave the sanctuary of her home without putting himself in danger. Even Flora had more freedom than Regulus. Though Remus didn't like her to leave the wards, she still had done so once or twice to go into town just to get away from Regulus for an hour.

The idea of getting away from Regulus for a while appealed to her greatly in this moment. Flora decided she would do that now before self-pity and grief fully consumed her. Her tears had stemmed somewhat and she couldn't bear sitting there on the floor any longer. Wiping her face, she stood up and leaned over her dressing table to fix her makeup. Her dressing table was decorated with photos of her and Remus, her mother and father; it was also cluttered with a variety of cosmetics and perfumes, things she didn't really need these days because there was nobody (barring Sirius) that she wanted to impress. On the other hand, it wouldn't do to have Regulus think her unattractive, especially when he was so attractive. Flora was loathe to admit it, but it was true. Regulus was handsome. So each morning, like a ritual, she meticulously applied her makeup and took care with her appearance.

It had been a little over half an hour since she'd left Regulus downstairs. He was still there in the living room when she came down, but he didn't step out to meet her until she'd put her coat on, picked up a net shopping bag and opened the front door.

She'd known he was there, of course, and had known he might approach at any moment, but it still surprised her when she heard his sharp voice suddenly demand, "Where are you going?"

She turned. He was in the doorway, his eyes fixed on her. Though his tone had been abrupt, he didn't look combative or aggressive. He looked slightly worried, particularly as he swallowed thickly, noticeable enough for Flora to observe his Adam's apple in his pale throat.

"No where that concerns you," Flora replied.

"You have a shopping bag," he nodded to her hand.

"Yes."

"Are you going into the muggle town?"

It occurred to Flora to say something sarcastic to this question, but she really couldn't be bothered with him right now, so instead she said sternly, "Yes, and you're staying here."

He moved into the kitchen and made a beeline for his wool coat hanging on the hatstand by the door. Flora scowled.

"Are you deaf?" She snapped.

"I heard you," he replied coolly with his coat draped over his arm elegantly. He dipped down to pick up his boots, which were near Flora and at once caused her to take a quick step back. His curls just scarcely brushed her knee. "I'm coming too."

"You absolutely are not," Flora jumped into action and proceeded to turn away, pulling the door closed behind her. Regulus' hand caught the edge of the door and forced it back again. He had one boot on and the other half on his foot with the laces trailing. He was smirking a little, his eyes oddly playful.

"You wanted me to go for a walk with you before," he said, following her out of the house quickly. The air was crisp, but the sun was still bright in the sky. Regulus stumbled as he tied his boot and then hurriedly pulled his coat on.

"Yes, but not into town," Flora said, walking fast. "And that was before you were being a dickhead anyway."

"I thought I always was," he replied challengingly.

"You are," Flora said through gritted teeth. She stopped and spun around to face him. "Go back inside!"

Flora hadn't realised how close he'd been behind her, so her sudden stop brought them almost toe-to-toe. Regulus, being several inches taller than her, had to quickly slow his momentum so he didn't topple over her. They both stopped, meeting each other's eyes in surprise, and then quickly took a few steps back. Flora folded her arms, glowering up at him. "You're not coming," she said again with finality.

"Why not?" His smooth forehead furrowed.

"A couple of reasons, actually," Flora answered at once. "For one, I've seen what Sirius is like in muggle towns, and he actually likes muggles. Your sort are not discreet. Second, even I'm not supposed to be going into town. Remus will go mad if he finds out I've gone, let alone taken you along too. And additionally, I don't want to walk with you. Not after you almost broke my wrist."

Regulus scoffed. "I did not nearly break your wrist!"

"I don't care. It hurt."

Regulus just stared at her. Flora glared back. "And you won't even apologise to me."

"I swear I won't draw attention," he said quickly, ignoring what she'd just said and drawing back to her initial points. "And I won't tell Sirius or your brother that you took me into town."

"No, I know. Because you're not going!"

"Nothing will happen though," he insisted. "There's no Death Eater activity around here, and the full moon just passed a day ago, so I expect the werewolves will be resting."

Flora made a dismissive sound and turned her head aside, scowling at the garden gate. He made a fair, reasonable point.

"Please," he continued, "Just for an hour."

Flora turned her face to look at him again. "I thought you hated muggles. The town will be entirely muggles. Can you really bear such a horrible thing?"

"I can put up with it for an hour if it means I can get out of the house."

"Why can't you just go for a walk in the woods?"

"I've walked every inch of those woods," he frowned.

Flora knew she wasn't going to win this fight. He was going to follow her regardless of what she said, and so she finally conceded, albeit with heavy reluctance.

"Fine!" She huffed. "One hour though. And you're not to leave my side, do you understand?"

Regulus' face brightened at once. He smiled, actually truly smiled. It was a small smile, but one which briefly showed his teeth. Flora stared back at him, bewildered, and quickly turned and walked off ahead of him.

It was around a twenty minute journey into town, and Flora counted this as part of the hour they would be spending outside of the magical wards. They had a hill to walk down, which was where the confine ended; Flora knew when they walked through the wards because she always got a ringing in her ears as they neared it, which then abruptly stopped as they walked through it. Regulus kept a close pace behind her. They didn't talk and Flora preferred it that way.

They continued to traverse downward, soon approaching other muggle houses in a clearing along the road. Flora paused as they reached the main road to ensure Regulus stayed beside her; his eyes were wide as he observed passing cars, though they were sparse. It was a winding country road with little traffic and no real footpath for pedestrians. They had to walk along a grassy bank.

"Don't wander too far into the road," Flora warned.

"What is that?" Regulus asked as a great green-and-yellow tractor came barrelling down the road. He suddenly stood much closer to Flora, right at her elbow, shrinking even closer as it clattered past them.

"A tractor," Flora said when it had passed. "It's for farms."

"It's loud."

He was frowning to himself, his head turned as he watched it grow smaller and smaller into the distance. He then turned and continued to walk beside Flora, speeding up to keep with her pace.

"Stop walking so fast," he huffed.

"Stop walking so slow."

Flora was still deeply irritated with him. She'd wanted to walk alone to clear her head and let her emotions settle. Her wrist didn't hurt anymore, but she still kept touching it, rubbing her thumb over the bone absently. There was a faint red mark on her skin. Regulus noticed, but he didn't say anything; apologising to a muggle was so far beneath him. He shoved his hands in his deep coat pockets and trudged along beside her.

Flora stopped suddenly as they reached a tall post with a sign. Regulus blinked, confused.

"Why have we stopped here?"

"To catch the bus," Flora replied. "There will be one in a few minutes."

"The bus?" Regulus looked stunned and then outraged.

"Don't you know what a bus is either?"

"I know what a bus is," he snapped back. "Doesn't mean I've ever been on one. I've never even been on the Knight Bus."

"Well," Flora shrugged, "This should be a thrilling new experience for you."

"I am not getting on a filthy muggle bus!"

"Go back to the cottage then."

"Why can't we walk into the town?" He said impatiently.

"Because it's over two miles away and I'm not walking that distance with someone as unpleasant as you."

Regulus' jaw clenched. To Flora, he looked like a toddler on the verge of having a tantrum. But then he seemed to give in, albeit angrily, leaning against the bus stop post. He didn't say another word, and wouldn't speak to her even when they got on the bus. Flora paid his fare, of course, and he followed her to two empty seats. He hesitated as Flora sat down by the window, eyeing the bus seats with disgust.

"I am not sitting down on that," he said haughtily. As he said this, the bus pulled off the curb and caused Regulus to stumble quite violently, forcing him to grab the metal pole in order to steady himself. Flora smirked. Regulus quickly sat down, glowering. He glared at anyone who dared look at him, even a small child in a pram who had waved at him with sticky fingers. Muggles were muggles.

"It smells," he grumbled to Flora. "It's disgusting. Open the window."

Flora smacked the side of his leg without looking at him. "Shut up."

They reached town around fifteen minutes later. Regulus' sour mood had increased monumentally in this short time, and he certainly didn't appreciate it when Flora prodded his back to make him move to the front of the bus in order to get off.

"That was the worst experience of my life," Regulus declared quite seriously once they were standing on the high street.

Flora raised an eyebrow. "I am absolutely positive that's not true, Regulus."

He narrowed his eyes on her and then looked away with his sharp nose in the air. He frowned about at his new environment, eyeing every man, woman and child he saw with deep disdain.

"Come on," Flora said. "We're just getting food and some bits."

Regulus slouched along behind her. His bad mood was not lost of Flora and it was starting to put her in a bad mood too — or rather, a worse mood than she had been in previously. She was highly aware of him as they walked down the busy street. Each time she glanced over her shoulder to check he was still there, she was met with a grimace, as if she had forced him to come out with her. She simply could not work this boy out.

They walked into a small shop. Flora picked up a basket and handed it to Regulus. "You hold this," she said.

Regulus looked at her like she'd grown two heads. "What?" He spat.

"See those there?" Flora pointed to his white bony hands, "Use them and hold the damn basket."

She shoved the basket towards his hands and he begrudgingly took it, frowning deeply and muttering something under his breath about house elves and being a slave. He still dutifully followed Flora though, keeping close to her side as she went up and down the aisles putting mostly snack foods and puddings into the basket. They had all the essentials at home already. This trip was purely for the indulgence.

Regulus stared at everything around him, at the food on the shelves, at the people meandering up and down the aisles. Flora sharply elbowed him in the arm as they walked down the fridge aisle.

"Would you stop staring?" She hissed. "You look like a weirdo."

Regulus looked indignant and rubbed his arm. "I am not a weirdo," he replied in a rather offended tone.

Flora snorted softly. "Right."

Regulus turned his attention away and instead looked at the ice-cream in the deep freezers. He stopped, leaned over.

"Can we get this?" He pulled out a tub of chocolate ice-cream.

Flora looked over her shoulder to see what he was talking about, and then frowned at him. "It will melt before we get home."

He looked confused. "Melt?"

"Yes, melt," Flora replied a little impatiently. "What do you think ice-cream does if you take it out the freezer?"

"In my world," he began haughtily, "it doesn't melt. No matter how long you leave it. Even on a hot day."

"Good for you," she said.

"Your world is so inferior," he grumbled, putting the ice-cream back. He had a slight pout on his lips, and his eyes lingered on the tub for a moment.

"Fine," Flora huffed, conceding for the second time that day with him. "But don't blame me if it's melted by the time we get back."

His eyes lit up like a child. He grabbed the tub and quickly dropped it in the basket like he was afraid Flora would change her mind. Flora rolled her eyes, but the whole exchange had made her suddenly feel softer towards him; it was oddly endearing to see him so happy about something as simple as ice-cream. She abruptly shook the feeling away. It was fair to assume that Regulus had had very little to make him happy in the last month, the least she could do was allow this and share his little bit of happiness.

It was overall a short, uneventful trip out, but it did make Flora feel a little better by the time they disembarked the bus and trudged their way back up the hill. Flora made Regulus carry the bags, which surprisingly he didn't object to — in truth, it was because Flora made an offhanded comment about how skinny he was, which Regulus took rather personally and felt the need to prove his masculinity.

They walked a little faster on account of the ice-cream, only Regulus stopped short and put his arm in front of Flora as they neared the wards, halting her in her tracks too.

"What?" Flora said, at first irritated, but then concerned when she saw the look on his face. "What?"

Regulus' face was drawn tight, his body still like an animal listening for a predator. "There's someone at the house," he said in a low voice. Regulus, of course, had no wand and was just as helpless as Flora if anyone had come to attack them.

"Well, it's probably Remus or Sirius," Flora replied.

"It's not."

"How in the world do you kn—"

"Just shut up," he snapped. "Stay behind me."

Regulus walked ahead with caution, crossing through the wards with Flora at his heels. As they got closer to the cottage, they saw a young woman standing with her back to the two of them; she had long red hair and was wearing deep emerald-coloured witches' robes.

"It's Clem!" Flora said suddenly, pushing past Regulus.

Regulus blinked. He instinctively reached for Flora's arm to prevent her running, but quickly realised there was no need. As Flora ran up the path to the garden gate, the young woman turned and frowned deeply.

"Flora, how many times?" The woman said with exasperation, "How many times has Remus told you not to go anywhere?"

"Sorry, I know," Flora admitted, though she did not sound particularly remorseful. "We just went to the shops. We were barely gone an hour."

The young woman, named Clem, moved her eyes over Flora to settle on Regulus. She eyed him with unveiled animosity and suspicion. Regulus suddenly recognised her. Clementine Blackstone. She'd been in Sirius' year, but a Slytherin.

"Regulus," was all Clementine said in way of greeting him.

"Clementine," he returned stiffly, walking up behind Flora with the bags still in his hands.

Clementine suddenly smirked. "You got him to carry the shopping? I'm impressed."

"Yeah, he wanted to prove he has muscles," Flora replied dismissively, making Regulus bristle. "But hang on a sec, do you know each other?"

"Of course I know Baby Black," she replied, causing Regulus to ruffle again. "We were both in Slytherin."

"Oh," Flora said. She felt a little silly she'd never assumed Regulus and Clem would know each other.

"I came to see what was going on. Remus did some extra work on the wards, so now I know — and Remus knows — whenever you leave."

"What is this, house arrest?" Flora scowled.

"Why do you know?" Regulus spoke up, regarding her with equal distrust.

Clementine fixed her grey eyes back on Regulus. "Because I am a trusted member of the Order, that's why."

Regulus said nothing to this. There was sudden, palpable tension between them that Flora could not comprehend. Regulus had clammed up again, choosing to say nothing, though he clearly had a lot to say. Held up the bag containing the ice-cream, looking at Flora instead, and said, "This will be melting. Shouldn't you put it in that cold box?"

"Yes," Flora took the bag with a little sigh and walked into the kitchen. The door was already open, as Clementine had easily unlocked it with her wand to inspect the premises.

"You had me worried," Clementine said, following Flora into the cottage. "I'd hoped you'd only gone to the shops, but I was at least expecting to find Regulus here."

"Sorry to disappoint. He wanted to come with me," Flora explained vaguely as she put the ice-cream and other shopping away. Her mood had dampened again.

"He did?" Her surprise was evident at once and she looked quickly at Regulus, who was presently scowling back at her.

"I think he regretted it when he realised we had to take the bus."

"I am still here, you know," Regulus said indignantly.

"We know," Clementine replied to him. She looked at Flora again. "You can't be leaving the wards again, okay?"

"Why not?" Flora demanded challengingly. "I highly doubt a werewolf is going to snatch me away in the middle of a busy high street in broad daylight."

"There's a lot of empty country lanes and woods around here before you get near town," Clementine countered. "We know they've been around here. You can't go anywhere."

"It isn't fair," Flora said, feeling a little pathetic as she said it. But there was nothing else she could think to say. It was the truth and it was how she felt.

"I know it isn't," Clementine said in a slightly softer tone. "But just please… please do as Remus instructs. He's just trying to protect you."

"He's doing too much."

Clementine sighed, leaning back against the kitchen counter. She weakly smiled. "It's your birthday soon, isn't it? Remus has something nice planned for you."

"Is he actually going to stay for this one?"

"It's not going to be a full moon, so yes."

Flora turned the kettle on and mechanically began making tea as she talked to Clementine. Regulus watched her this time, mentally noting the process just in case he ever needed to make one by himself. He listened in silence to the conversation between the two of them, taking no part in any of it because he knew he was not welcome.

He didn't speak until Clementine left some twenty minutes later, and it was to ask Flora, "When is your birthday?"

Flora gave him a funny look. "Next Saturday."

Regulus only nodded. Flora had taken the ice-cream out of the freezer and served them each a bowl, which they ate at the table together.

"I… I'm sorry I hurt your wrist," Regulus said after a long moment.

Flora paused, stunned. He wasn't looking at her; his eyes were downcast, but he sounded sincere and looked so sheepish, like he would break if she didn't accept the apology.

"It's okay…" she replied.

There seemed nothing more to say. Regulus ate a little faster and put his dish in the sink when he had finished. Flora looked at him, hoping for some reason that he would speak again, say something, anything, but he avoided her eye; he skulked off upstairs to his room, leaving Flora alone in the kitchen.