Brothers, Brawls and gossip
The next day was the weekend, which made it much harder for Edith to stop herself from seeking her brother out. Rhea clearly had decided that distraction was the best method and decided to fill their day with as much studying as possible.
‘This is awful.’ She exclaimed, throwing her quill down.
Edith looked over at her work, ‘You’ve only written six lines.’
‘I know, my hands are cramping.’ Rhea sighed, putting a peppermint toad into her mouth. ‘I can’t wait for the first Hogsmeade trip. I’d do horrible things for a butterbear right now.’
Edith smiled at her dramatic friend and patted her head lightly, ‘There, there. I’ve finished my Transfiguration essay, you can read through for some inspiration.’
‘I don’t tell you I love you enough do I?’ Rhea grinned, grabbing the parchment. ‘Even if you are a massive nerd.’
Edith went slightly pink. ‘Am not! I’m just not smart enough to leave everything till the last minute.’
‘You’re a swot, my love.’ Rhea said, affectionately. ‘And it’s because you have nothing else to do. Which is why I have decided on a new mission for this year.’
Edith rolled her eyes, doubting anything good would come from this.
‘Mission Eddie Cahill gets a snog!’
Edith went bright red. ‘Shut up!’ She hissed, looking around.
‘What?’ Rhea said amused. ‘I’m being serious! Every year it’s study, class, study. You never stay up for parties and you never go out with anyone!’
Edith gave her an unamused look. ‘It’s not like I'm getting owls everyday asking.’
‘Oh hush up.’ Rhea, dismissed. ‘You’re a good looking grill Eddie! You’ve got a cracking pair of tits and you’re smart. It’s because you dismiss any lad who comes up to you.’
‘I don’t!’ Edith protested.
She did. Rhea was bang on. It wasn’t that Edith didn’t notice boys around the school, it was more of a case of none of them quite doing it for her. And she saw no point in entering some poor bloke when she knew it wasn’t going to go anywhere.
‘You do!’ Rhea disagreed. ‘The issue is you approach every boy like you’re looking for the love of your life! It’s not about that, it’s about having fun! Go on an awkward date at Madam Pudifoot's or have a cheeky snog in a broom closet. You don’t have to marry the bloke, just have some fun.’
Edith paused, maybe Rhea had a point. It didn’t really bother her, but it was becoming increasingly clear that her other sixth years were leaping ahead of her in terms of dating. She had had a few snogs over the years and had dated Ernest Carwright for a week in third year. But really that was about it. And between all the stress of her brother and NEWTs why shouldn’t she have a bit of fun?
‘Okay who were you thinking of?’ She asked Rhea, who grinned dangerously at her.
‘Well Sebastian Hanlon asked me if you were seeing anyone the other day.’
Edith tried to hide her surprise. Sebastian Hanlon was a beater on the Ravenclaw quidditch team, and rather good looking.
‘Really?’
Rhea rolled her eyes. ‘Don’t look so bloody shocked! I have told you before, you’re a catch! You’ve just got your nose in a book too often to notice.’
‘Okay, well what do I do?’ She asked.
‘Talk to him dummy! He’s in our potions class. And he is keen on you, so he’ll make the move. Just look around with that cute little smile you have and you’ll have a date to Hogsmeade in no time.’ Rhea grinned.
Edith wasn’t so sure
~
The rest of the weekend flew by, with the two girls studying and sneaking off to the kitchens (a huge perk of the Hufflepuff common room.) And soon it was Monday, which ended up in even more homework for them. Something Rhea was becoming increasingly vocal about.
‘This is getting insane!’ She groaned, laying face down on her bed in their dormitory.
‘I know.’ Edith replied, flicking through a copy of witch weekly.
‘Maybe I’ll just get a muggle job when I leave.’
Edith snorted. ‘You’d have to do even more study for that. They go to university after secondary school.’
Rhea groaned loudly, it coming out slightly muffled with her face still on her bed.
‘What’s wrong Ahuja?’ Their roommate Sophia said amused, coming into the room with Nadia behind her.
‘She thinks Flitwick is out to get her.’ Edith answered, still reading her magazine.
Sophia shuddered. ‘If it makes you feel better I don’t think it’s targeted. Professor Caltio Just assigned us two projects for muggle studies.’
Rhea groaned loudly again.
‘I can help you if you like.’ Edith offered.
Sophia grinned, ‘Really? That would be amazing. I just can’t wrap my head around light bulbs.’
‘Happens to the best of us.’ Edith shrugged.
‘Did you guys hear?’ Nadia cut in, looking like she was going to explode if she didn’t get it out.
‘Hear what?’ Rhea sat up, looking much more interested.
‘Sirius just got into a huge row with his brother in the entrance hall.’ She said, dramatically.
‘Regulus?’ Edith blurted out. ‘What about?’
‘No one knows.’ Nadia said. ‘Could be anything, everyone knows what those two are like. Not that I blame Black, Sirius, that is, his family sounds terrible.’
Edith stilled slightly. ‘Regulus isn’t that bad. I have prefect duty with him.’
The three girls looked at her with sudden interest, Nadia most of all.
‘Really, what’s he like?’ Sophia asked.
‘Um, quite?’ Was all Edith could really volunteer.
Nadia waved her hand dismissively. ‘Still, he’s in with a bad crowd. Everyone knows that, I mean that Rosier fella? He’s well odd.’
‘He’s not the worst of them.’ Sophia shook. ‘It’s Mulciber and Avery you have to watch out for. They're straight up cruel.’
‘Not to mention Snape.’ Rhea added. ‘He’s always given me the creeps.’
‘It’s best to avoid them all.’ Sophia agreed. ‘Anyway, what exactly is a switch?’
~
Tuesday and Wednesday came and went with the same speed as the previous day, and before she knew it she was making her way down the empty corridors with Regulus Black once more. The boy in question seemed to be in absolutely no mood for talking, greeting Edith with a small grunt when she had said hello to him. So the two walked in silence, with Edith glancing at him every so often and then snapping her head away. He stomped down the hallway with much more force than necessary, glaring ahead as if the hallway was the reason for every problem in his life, his face in a permanent haughty stare. They continued on like this for a good hour of their shift, Edith for once in her life choosing to keep quiet, worried she might provoke him and ruin the small truce they had.
Their silence however was soon broken by a rather loud scuffle, coming from a broom closet in the second corridor hallway. The two looked at each other before Regulus huffed, swiftly pulling out his wand and waving it towards the door. ‘Alohomora.’
The door sprung open to reveal a very embarrassed looking Marlene Mickinnon and a very smug looking Sirius Black. The two were in a very compromising position, Marlene’s skirt hitched up around her waist and Sirius’ tie loose and hanging low on his slightly unbuttoned shirt. Edith tensed up as she glanced at Regulus’ blank face, worried seeing the source of his anger would make his mood even worse.
‘40 points from Gryffindor for the both of you.’ He spat, grey eyes narrowed. If looks could kill Sirius would have been having tea with moaning Myrtle for all of eternity.
‘Hello brother mine.’ Sirius greeted, ignoring Regulus’ death glare. If anything he seemed absolutely chuffed by the whole situation. Edith briefly wondered if he had somehow planned it in order to get a rise out of the younger Black. ‘Hello Edith, hope he’s not making your night too boring.’
Despite herself, she smirked slightly at the older Black, amusement clearly clouding her survival instinct as she briefly caught Regulus' livid gaze. ‘Well you’ve certainly fixed that. Hey Marlene.’
Marlene smiled at her, ‘Hey Edith, how's things?’
‘Ah you know, the usual.’ Edith shrugged.
‘Coming to the Gryffindor party after the Ravenclaw game?’ She smiled.
‘Very optimistic of you, Ravenclaw might come through, you know.’ Edith grinned, looking between the group, and making a point of ignoring her patrolling partner’s glare.
‘Don’t be silly, Cahill.’ Sirius dismissed, waving his hand. ‘We’ll see you there. I’m sure Remus could do with a hello, seeing you’ve ditched him on his patrol shifts.’
Edith snorted. ‘Take it up with your other roommate, Potter’s the one who chose them.’
‘You poor thing.’ Sirius said sympathetically, glancing at her brother who was growing more irritated by the second, which seemed to make Sirius’ grin widen. ‘I’ll put some itching powder in his underwear for you.’
‘Keep my name as far from Potter’s underwear as you can and we’ll call it even.’ Edith grimaced.
‘I hate to interrupt this friendly catch up.’ Regulus gritted out, his grey eyes, dark and flashing. ‘But I think it’s best you get back to your common room.’
Sirius smirked, looking very amused. ‘Yes of course. Have fun with my brother Cahill, let me know if you want him as your next underwear victim.’
‘I’ll keep it in mind.’ Edith said dryly, watching the two of them walk up the stairs giggling.
Regulus had started sulking off down the corridor before they were even out of sight, his face like thunder. ‘He's an idiot.’ He spat out, pure malice in his voice.
Edith paused, unsure how to handle his mood. ‘Yes he can be.’
‘And he’s so bloody smug all the time.’
‘Well, yes.’
‘And he never takes anything seriously!’
‘Ironic, given his name.’
Regulus paused he pacing and stared at her, his expression clearing for a second. ‘Why are you so friendly with him anyway?’
Edith sighed. ‘I had a good few patrols that crossed Remus’s path last year. We’d stop and chat. Once you’re friendly with one you’re stuck with all of them, bit of a package deal.’
Regulus snorted, though it was more spiteful than amused.
‘I heard you two got into a bit of a row the other day.’ She said lightly.
Regulus paused, eyeing her, warry, ‘Yes.’
‘Siblings can be annoying.’ She shrugged.
‘You have no idea.’ He muttered. Then paused, looking at her. ‘Uh- I mean-’
‘It’s fine.’ Edith dismissed, waving her hand. ‘I got what you meant. Um, any updates on that?’
Regulus paused, as though thinking his next words carefully. ‘He did get into a bit of a back and forth with a second year student the other day. They um, well they called him an unsavory name.’
‘You mean a mudblood?’ Edith said, rather bluntly.
Regulus avoided her eye. ‘Yes.’
Edith shrugged. ‘Well that’s not too bad then. Thought it would have gotten worse by now.’
‘It doesn't bother you?’ He asked, looking a bit taken aback.
Edith shrugged again. ‘Nah, never really has. I mean it’s only an insult if you think it holds meaning right? Obviously being muggleborn we don’t exactly grow up with that word, the first time I was called it I had to ask Rhea why everyone seemed so offended. It’s only an insult if you actually care about the whole blood stuff and cause I don’t, it can’t really offend me.’
‘I never thought of it like that.’ Regulus muttered. ‘But it’s about the intent right? That doesn't bother you?’
Edith looked at him, well aware they were dancing around dangerous territory for the two of them. ‘I couldn’t care less if I am honest. They think they’re better than me? So what? I’d rather be me than any of them.’
Regulus stared at her for a moment, ‘I think a few of them would rather not be themselves as well.’
They walked the rest of their shift in silence.