October- 1974
"Arcturus!"
Had Regulus not been the only person in the common room, he wouldn't have paid any mind to Pandora as she walked in. He looks up from his arithmancy book, confused, and finds her smiling as she makes her way over. It takes him a second to remember his own name.
Quirking his brow, he tries to play along. "Athena?"
She laughs, climbing over the back of the couch. She rolls forward and lands with her feet over one end and her head in Regulus's lap. Her bracelets clatter as she gets comfortable.
"First game is this weekend. Are you excited?"
"Oh I'm simply bursting at the seams."
Suddenly, his textbook is being taken out of his hands. Pandora drops it on the floor before crossing her arms determinedly. Regulus notices that in place of her tie is a small tangle of necklaces.
"We should plan something special. For when we win."
"You're so sure that we will?," Regulus asks, though he's fairly confident himself.
Pandora hums her approval. "One hundred percent certain. I saw it."
Regulus snorts.
Pandora's relentless support for divination has become a daily routine. In almost every single conversation, she'll find a way to tie in the divine nature of being a seer and the importance behind her supposed title. Stories of her relatives who also claim to be prophets seem to get wilder and more far fetched as time goes on.
"Of course you did," Regulus chides. He rolls his eyes far more dramatically than necessary.
Pandora sits up, configuring herself to sit facing him with her legs under her. "I'm serious! I was only going off feelings before but this time I've actually had a vision!"
"And yet I still wasn't there to see it." Recently she had been casting little predictions and insisting that she could sense misfortune coming. All of these instances had been at times where she was alone, coincidentally. "Ah, well. Maybe next time."
He picks up his book and makes to leave up to his dorm room. He's just reached the staircase when she speaks again.
"Two hundred to fifty."
He pauses, turns back to look at her incredulously.
"Pardon?"
"The score. Two hundred to fifty," Pandora informs him. She's got a smug smile on her face. "At least two of their goals will be by Alice, Potter is going to start some kind of trouble, and you'll end up on top with the snitch."
Regulus stands in silence. He squints, looking for any sign of uncertainty to tell him that she's lying. Instead, he sees that she grows more and more proud of herself with each passing second. It's not enough to convince him, though; even he could've made that up on the spot.
"Alright," he says slowly. He inches back towards her. "Five galleons says you're wrong."
She laughs. "Only five? You must be scared to loose, then."
She's bluffing. Obviously she's just trying to rile him up like always. He doesn't see any gain for her though as she's basically volunteering to give him more money. Still, it's an offer he won't pass up.
"Fine. Ten." He sticks out his free hand.
Pandora eyes him, tilting her head curiously as she studies his face. Her cheeks start to glow a light shade of pink. Finally, she meets him in the middle and they shake, sealing the deal.
"Regulus Arcturus Black. You're going to regret doubting me."
"We'll see about that."
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Sunday, 6th October, 1974
Though quidditch matches aren't mandatory in attendance, Slytherin and Gryffindor games bring in almost every student in the school. Each section of the stands fills up with their designated colors, with the opposing teams houses safely on opposite sides of the pitch.
In the Slytherin locker rooms, Regulus can hear muffled, unending chatter from the people outside.
He does his best to tune it out, focusing hard on lacing his boots for the fifth time. He finishes doing up his right side and sits up straight. He shifts his feet— turning them this way and that, curling and flexing his toes— as he compares how they each feel.
The left is definitely tighter.
Sighing angrily, he bends over to yank both laces free and start over.
He doesn't know what's got him all wound up like this. He had never been this nervous for a match last year. In fact, it was unusual for him to be nervous about anything relating to quidditch. Flying was always the one thing that made him feel the most at ease. From the very first time he ever rode a broom, when he was only six years old, the rest of his life never seemed as troubling when he was up in the air. Now though? He was a complete wreck.
Regulus hears faint cheers in support of Gryffindor through the walls. The rhythmic chants seem to be orchestrated specifically for him, tauntingly torturous.
He threads his boot lace around it's hook so hard that it snaps, a large portion coming off in his hand.
"Merde!" He throws it down, his nostrils flaring as he breathes.
"Well that's unfortunate."
He snaps his head up to look at Pandora. She stands with her fingers threaded into her hair, weaving it into a braid to match the one on the other side of her head.
"Lucky for you, I have loads extra. Come on." She promptly turns and heads away. Seeing as he has no other options, Regulus follows.
She takes a clear elastic from between her teeth and closes off the end of her braid before digging into her bag. After a few seconds she pulls out a bright purple shoelace and smiles up at him.
"Are you joking?"
"I have a zebra striped one if this isn't to your liking," she informs him happily.
Regulus gives her a flat look and she laughs before patting the bench in front of her. He blinks. She rolls her eyes and leans forward to grab at his leg.
"The fuck?," he asks startled. He holds onto one of the walls of lockers to keep from tipping over as she places his boot on the bench.
"Hush."
Pandora unwinds the remainder of the broken lace from his boot. She threads her own into the hooks, adjusting the tongue of the shoe before pulling it tight and sealing it in a bow. When she's done she smiles at him and Regulus is still for a moment.
"I could have done that myself," he says eventually.
"And yet you didn't stop me." She pops up and starts to walk away. "Hurry up, yeah? We've got a game to win."
Regulus barely pays attention to Reese's pep talk before heading onto the field. The sun is high as they make their way out, no signs of the dreaded weather conditions that were rumored to be happening just yet. The green and silver portion of the stands voices their support to the players, though they fall short of lifting Regulus's spirits. As a group they join Madam Hooch near the center of the field.
Not a minute later, the Gryffindor quidditch team emerges from their own locker room to much louder praises than their opponents had received.
Regulus can barely hear himself think. His knuckles turn white from the effort he's putting into gripping his broom. He stares down at the grass, the purple accents on his right shoe clashing strangely with the rest of his outfit.
Suddenly, there's a bump at his shoulder. His gaze falls on Pandora once again. They stare at each other for a second which prompts her to speak.
"I said you don't have to worry about it."
He pauses, then narrows his eyes. "About what?"
It takes her a second to respond, clearly pained by her words. "The vision. I made it up."
Regulus's face turns into one of complete shock. She had never admitted to making up her predictions before, no matter how wrong she got them. Her stance on divination remained unmoved despite all her failed readings.
She looks away from him and lets out a breath, as if she really does not want to say what she has to. "It was just for fun, and I figured I'd have the money in time but I'm a bit short. So I'm coming clean."
Regulus doesn't know what to say. He gapes at her, then scoffs and falls into laughter.
"I knew it. Oh, bloody hell, I—" He shakes his head. The joy of hearing her confess drowns out any noise he was focused on before.
Pandora rolls her eyes, her head bobbling back and forth. "Yes, yes. You were right. Good for you."
"Merlin. That's brilliant." He sighs, feeling as if a weight has been lifted off of him.
"Either way," she cuts him off before he can gloat. She starts backing away and Regulus quickly realizes the formalities are done and the players are getting into position. "I wanted to tell you now so I could actually back out rather than be in debt to you. You're rich enough as it is. Maybe next time, though."
She shrugs a bit glumly before finding her way to her spot. Regulus's grin grows.
Madam Hooch blows her whistle and the players kick off.
They don't start out too great. Gryffindor scores three goals almost immediately, each one earning more cheers than the last. Pandora puts a stop to it when she knocks one of their chasers clean off his broom. The quaffle comes into Slytherin's hands and they quickly score a goal, and then another.
"There goes Gillian once more, heading for the goalposts. Just barely dodges a bludger from Gryffindor Thompson. She shoots— and it's in! Slytherin and Gryffindor are now tied 30-30!"
The Gryffindor's in the stands all groan in disappointment.
"No need to worry, folks. I'm sure it's only temporary. Nothing could keep our brave lions down for long!"
"A bit less biased, please, Miss Fawley." McGonagalls voice comes from the same source as the announcers.
"Right you are, Professor!"
Regulus snorts.
The game carries on. Slytherin scores, then Gryffindor, and then the reverse. Regulus and Marlene are posted at opposite lengths of the field, scoping the air around them. Regulus feels far more relaxed than he did only half an hour ago. Things are looking up, and he feels good about their chances of winning. The snitch has to be here somewhere—
"Fancy meeting you here, Black."
Regulus shuts his eyes, refusing to give James the attention he so desperately demands.
"Don't reckon you'll find the snitch like that, mate."
"Yes, and it'd be even easier if I was free of distraction," he bites back.
James laughs. Regulus goes back to the game, hearing the announcer break down the plays as they happen before him. Reese makes a shot that gets intercepted, and Regulus gives a noise of discontent.
"So how good is your eyesight?"
Though confused by the question, Regulus does nothing to entertain the conversation.
"I mean you don't wear glasses so clearly it must be well enough." James takes one hand off his broom, adjusting the pair on his face for effect. "Y'know what, I don't think I've ever seen a Seeker who wears glasses."
Regulus's jaw tightens. The quaffle drops to the ground and is quickly picked up again.
"I guess that makes sense though. You wouldn't want someone with bad eyes to be on the lookout for something so small."
The air is colder than it is on the ground. Regulus abandons the game for a moment to look into the stands and sees that they've captured the attention of a few students. The announcer finally notices them.
"Actually, maybe not. That's it right there, yeah?"
Immediately, Regulus snaps his eyes over to James, then in the direction he's looking. He squints in search of that little flicker of gold but he doesn't spot anything.
Suddenly, there's laughter. And Regulus realizes he's been duped.
He whips back, turning his broom so that he's aimed right at the boy. He watches James throw his head back as he laughs, holding one hand to his chest. Regulus sees red.
"Oh, oh merlin. You should've seen the look on your face." James wheezes, that stupid, sickening smile taking up most of his face. "You really think I'm that dumb, don't you?"
"Even dumber, actually," Regulus grits out.
"Give me some credit. I managed to trick you, didn't I?"
Regulus groans, equally annoyed at both James and himself. He flies a bit lower to try and get away.
James stays as close as possible. "Oh, don't get your pants in a twist. I'm trying to help, y'know."
"And how exactly are you doing that?"
Before he can answer, one of the other Gryffindor chasers comes near.
"Potter! Get your arse back in the game!"
"I'm trying, Alice! He's very charismatic, I can't help it!"
"James, I swear on my life! I will tell Frank to kick you off the team!"
"I'd do what she says, Potter." Regulus catches James's eye again. "She sounds like she means business."
James just grins at him before diving back down towards his teammate and zipping off. Regulus shakes himself out, clearing his head of the interaction and focusing on finding the snitch. He flies around a bit, hoping to get a better look up close.
The announcer comments on all the missed shots and dodged bludgers they see. A repeated chant of "Go go, Gryffindor! Go go!" has started up in the sea of red and spread over into the yellow section as well. The students, both on the field and in the stands, grow antsy at the lack of resolution. The sun shifts just a fraction in the sky, marking the passage of time.
Regulus takes up to flying alongside Pandora. She mainly stays on their end of the field, helping guard the goalposts. Much like James, she attempts to banter with him to no avail.
He's about to go back up and circle the pitch once more when he hears a faint buzzing at his side. He looks over and his eyes lock on the snitch; its transparent wings beating hard, keeping it up just a few feet away from his face. He reaches out and in an instant the ball zooms far beyond his reach, nearly to the other side of the pitch.
"I'm on it!," he calls to Pandora before speeding off in the same direction.
He's locked on target. Everything around him— his teammates, the incessant cheering, the voice of the announcer booming through the crowd— fades into the background. He's closing in. The snitch stays put, as if accepting it's inevitable seizure. Regulus leans forward, urging himself on even more, and reaches out to take hold of the golden ball.
He blinks, and everything has changed. It takes a second of hurtling towards the ground for him to realize he's been knocked from his broom.
He's not alone either. Marlene McKinnon has somehow managed to entangle herself around him, the two scrambling in the air as they descend towards the grass.
One of the Professors must cast a protective spell, as Regulus can feel that they slow down a considerable amount before finally landing. That being said, they did still fall, and so naturally they thump down rather ungracefully and end up rolling over top of each other once or twice. When their bodies come to a complete stop, Regulus finds himself laying directly on Marlene, covering her entirely.
"Merlin. Are we dead?" Her voice is strained, most likely from having the weight of a teenage boy on her chest. "Are you alright ?"
"I think so." Regulus grunts, pulling his arm out from under her so that he can roll off onto the grass.
"Arcturus!"
Pandora dismounts her broom, rushing over to kneel next to him. Her eyes are wide in shock. Standing above her, Regulus sees Madam Hooch appear.
"Are you okay?"
He opens his mouth to speak and abruptly stops. Something vibrates in his hand. He looks down and unfurls his fingers to reveal the small gold ball in the center of his palm.
A soft laugh falls from him. He takes Pandora's hand and she promptly pulls him up to his feet. Once he's standing he shows the snitch off to Pandora and Hooch, then raises his fist in triumph for the rest of the school to see.
"Regulus Black has caught the snitch! Slytherin wins 200-50!"
The Slytherin's in the stands immediately break out into celebration. Every banner changes to display green and silver, rippling and popping in the wind. The Ravenclaw's and Hufflepuffs sulk, and a majority of the Gryffindor's boo loudly, but Regulus hardly hears them.
Pandora sweeps him up in a hug, lifting him off his feet.
"We won! We did it! You did it!"
Regulus braces one hand on her shoulder. She spins them around aimlessly before tripping herself up and dropping them both right back in the grass. The rest of the team comes down and one by one add to the pile, crushing Regulus with their combined weight and joy.
The adrenaline turns everything into a blur. Hooch is blowing her whistle, declaring the game in favor of the Slytherins. The cheering continues from his classmates. The stands begin to empty, and Regulus is whisked away in a flurry of praise and celebrations.
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The Slytherin team finishes off their victory in the only acceptable way: a common room party. They carry on well into the night, which may not be the best idea considering they've got classes in the morning, but that's a problem for tomorrow.
Regulus is thoroughly pleased at the dedication that Barty has put into improving Slytherin parties. It's a major upgrade from the ones they had experienced in their first year— people are actually laughing and enjoying themselves.
He's currently sat with Barty on one of the couches— admittedly, a bit closer than they probably should be, and something in Regulus's brain is screaming at him but he's not quite sure what it's saying— drinking something that Barty thrust into his hand and promised was some kind of punch but is making his cheeks burn quite a bit. He doesn't really remember what they're laughing about at the moment but it doesn't matter anyways since Pandora drops down into the seat next to him.
"Regulus Arcturus Black. You owe me ten galleons."
Regulus takes a second to process what she's said. His face scrunches in confusion. "What? Why?"
"I do believe that was what we settled on when you challenged my prediction." She takes the glass out of his hand, sniffs it before taking a small sip.
"Oh come off it. You said yourself, you made it up."
"And that was a lie. I only told you that because you were psyching yourself out."
"Wait wait wait," Barty cuts in, leaning over Regulus to speak to her directly. "Dora, you had an other— another vision? And you didn't tell me?"
"I didn't want to jinx it. The future is a fickle thing, you know." She sips some more of Regulus's drink.
Regulus shakes his head at her. "No. No, I don't owe you anything. First of all, you backed out of the bet—"
"You bet on her vision?"
"Alright," Pandora hums thoughtfully. "I'll give you that. But I was still right."
"In what way?," Regulus practically shouts. He sees a couple students look over at him and chuckles, waving a hand to shush himself.
"I'm glad you asked." Pandora looks smug, listing her points off on her fingers. "Slytherin won two hundred to fifty— check."
"Lucky guess," Regulus responds.
"Alice scored three goals. I said at least two— check."
"That's not—"
"James!," she interrupts, drawing his name out with extra syllables. "James caused a scene. Stopped the bloody game just to talk to you— check."
"When does he not?" Regulus rolls his eyes.
"Wait— hey, yeah. What was that all about?" Barty nudges him.
Regulus waves a dismissive hand. Pandora continues despite the distraction.
"You came out on top with the snitch. Quite literally, seeing as you were all over McKinnon. Check and check."
"Brilliant," Barty grins. He's completely mesmerized by Pandora, as if simply being in her presence is mystical enough.
"Absolutely mental, more like." Regulus drags himself up from the couch. He grabs Barty's arm and pulls him up as well, turning him towards the staircase to the dorms. "Divination is rubbish! This proves nothing!"
"I'll convince you yet, Arcturus!"
Regulus grumbles the whole way up to their room, arguing with Barty's support of their friend. All in all, they won the match and that's really what's most important to him.