𝕄𝕚𝕤𝕥𝕣𝕖𝕤𝕤 𝕠𝕗 𝔻𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕕

Sekhmet was going to go on a bigger rampage than a Hungarian Horntail if Regulus Black didn’t stop his incessant whining from the bottom of the girls' dormitory stairs. He had been going at it for hours and although Sekhmet would take any number of curses for him in a heartbeat she was about ready to rip his hair out by the roots if he didn’t promptly shut up.

The witch slammed open the door to her dormitory having had enough of her best friends complaining for the whole of Slytherin to hear. Her steps were swift and her chin was held up high, a look of fury in her eyes that made everyone in the hall give her a wide berth. When she finally made it to the top of the stairs she was met with Regulus Black’s stunning silver eyes staring up at her, a relieved smile on his face. Sekhmet rolled her eyes at him, trying her best to stay annoyed at his frankly childish behavior. The facade didn’t last long though, not once Regulus made his way up the stairs with the help of one of her spells, a skip in his step showing his satisfaction.

Sekhmet’s eyebrows rose, her lips twitching into a reluctant smile at his demeanor. Her arms were still crossed over one another as she looked down at him. At seeing her expression Regulus quickly shot her one of his infamous smiles reserved only for a few. She dropped her act completely after that, letting a small giggle slip out at his antics. If there was one person who could get Sekhmet Arafa to smile at any given moment it was Regulus Black.

The two black-haired students made their way down to Sekhmet and Dorcas’ shared dormitory, Pandora being an honorary member whenever she didn’t want to be in her Ravenclaw dorm. The old hallway was empty as they traversed their way to the very last dorm on the right. Sekhmet was tense, her face blank as she walked Regulus to her dorm. She knew why he had come— Evan couldn’t keep his mouth shut for more than five minutes when it came to something concerning any of his friends. The room, being stationed where it was, showed a beautiful view of the undergoings of the Black Lake. Sunbeams could be seen shining down through the water making the dorm room look as though it were bathed in the remnants of a patronus spell.

Sekhmet loved her dorm. It was one of the only places in the world where she felt truly at peace. Her side of the room was decorated with all sorts of photos on the walls that she had taken over the years. One photo depicted her and Regulus the first time they met, smiling at one another at the Black family ball and dressed as well as a pair of pureblood five-year-olds could. The Daily Prophet had gone mad at the idea of two such influential families meeting and had taken several photos of Regulus and Sekhmet’s introduction. Another photo was of Sekhmet, Horus, Anubis, and Osiris most recently at the eldest Arafa’s wedding. The family looked as exquisite as ever and the picture moved showing Sekhmet smiling gracefully while her brothers started pushing and pulling at one another as soon as the photo was taken.

Regulus smiled at Sekhmet’s choice of decor.

Sekhmet’s room also showcased several lotus flowers preserved in different stages of bloom. One flower floated by her ceiling while another was sitting on her dresser. Next to the flower on her dresser were several different books piled high on a sort of makeshift bookshelf. The books somehow looked as though they were on the verge of toppling over and simultaneously frozen in time never to be moved.

The dorm was empty aside from Regulus and Sekhmet, Dorcas having gone to do Merlin knows what. At this revelation Regulus focused himself, stepping forward to ask the question that had been burning in his mind. He didn’t wish to cause any tension between himself and his best friend, but he knew that if he didn’t ask now then he’d only assume the worst. After all, seemingly everyone else had always abandoned him for Sirius so why should Sekhmet be any different? Regulus had a bad habit of jumping to conclusions due to his past circumstances but he knew that Sekhmet deserved more from him than overzealous assumptions that held no real bearing. Regulus hesitated before speaking, debating whether he should say anything at all. He quickly opened his mouth however knowing that if he’d already made it this far he might as well put it out in the open.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Regulus questioned softly his vulnerability shining through, interrupting the quiet atmosphere. His head tilted toward her, eyes showing how he wasn’t angry but rather hurt and confused.

“Reg…” Sekhmet sighed her shoulders sagging down in sadness, “I just… I know you and Sirius have a tense relationship, but I’ve grown to like James and Remus— if only a little. Remus has always been the most tolerable out of the bunch but James has been helping me teach a young Ravenclaw girl, Amina, English. I figured that with everything going on right now teaching some defense lessons wouldn’t be a bad thing. I didn’t mean to hurt you, but I figured telling you I’d be spending time with Sirius wasn’t something that you’d want to hear”

Sekhmet’s head hung low, her voice conflicted as she shared her thoughts. She wouldn’t lie to him though her hesitation regarding his response was clear. Regulus understood what she was getting at for the most part. He had run into Amina and Sekhmet previously during one of their lessons. He knew that Sekhmet cared for the girl and that James was helping Amina as well. Regulus was also aware of the high tensions going around Europe at the moment and how important it was to try and remain prepared for what was to come. He wasn’t dense, he knew that the Dark Lord was bound to start a war, it just depended on whether or not the Ministry decided to retaliate. And despite Regulus’ conflicted feelings toward his estranged brother, he didn’t wish any harm upon him. He only wanted his loved ones to be safe, especially knowing that all of his friends would most certainly be roped into the Dark Lord's plans eventually. Sekhmet was a kind soul so her wanting to help anyone she could wasn’t out of the ordinary. Though many people would like to believe that a witch from such a dark family couldn't hold such affection she consistently contradicted the prejudice against her. The Arafa’s were often criticized however for believing that there was no such thing as light or dark magic leading much of Wizarding Europe to believe that the family would eventually fall in line with the Dark Lord. Regulus’ own parents planned to have him initiated into the Death Eaters once Christmas break hit in just a few weeks.

“It’s alright Sekhmet, you don’t need to explain yourself to me. I was just wondering why I had to find out about all of this from Evan.” Regulus replied, his eyes conveying his understanding as he extended an open hand toward Sekhmet and lifted her chin so she’d look him in the eye.

Sekhmet stared up at him, her expression one of relief now that she knew Regulus wasn’t upset with her. He never had been before but given her experience with men being disappointed in her, it was never too bad to be overly cautious.

“Thank you for understanding Reg,” she exclaimed her voice taking back its usual tone.

“Always mea dea” Regulus replied, his silver eyes going soft and his lips moving upward in the small beginnings of a smile as he pulled Sekhmet in for a hug.