Year Two
"I don't see why this was necessary," said Annabelle, scowling as the staircase left without her, meaning she'd had to take the long way to potions,
"Sucks to be you, Annie!" Yelled Claire, and Annabelle scowled, And then peeves the poltergeist popped up suddenly before Annabelle and she yelped, stumbling backwards into someone's chest,
"I'm so, sorry, I didn't mean to, there was a poltergeist, and I scare eas- oh, hi Black," said Annabelle, looking up from where she was collecting her things, "You wouldn't happen to know another way to Potions,"
Regulus nodded, handing her the notebook that had fallen open,
"I know my way around the dungeon," said Regulus, as she followed him through the halls,
"Figures," said Annabelle,
"I also have all the stationary staircases in the school memorized," said Regulus, as they reached the first staircase.
"You are a genius. Makes me wonder why you aren't a Ravenclaw," said Annabelle, pressing her books to her chest, descending the stairs after him,
"What, What happened to your cheek?" he asked, glancing at her over his shoulder, he'd noticed it as soon as she'd sat down in the great hall the first feast of the school year,
Annabelle looked up, trying to concoct her best lie.
"Funny story, true story, even funnier how true it is," said Annabelle, "There was a seagull on one of me dad's boats and I had this sandwich, and I got between the bird and the sandwich, never a good idea,"
"You're lying." Said Regulus, point blank, "Most people would simply say it's private,"
"At least I didn't go with a fairy tale motif this time," said Annabelle,
"Clever. But funny story, true story, you are a terrible liar," said Regulus, smiling over his shoulder at her as she reached the bottom of the stairs,
"Well, I've gotten better," said Annabelle, "I try to lie at least once a day for practice, terrifying isn't it. A world where I can lie?"
Regulus shrugged, as he guided her down the hall, "I'm not worried."
"Arsehole." She muttered, "Why are you in such a good mood anyways?"
"Just happy school's started," he said, glancing at her, as they neared the classroom,
"Same."
-*-
Regulus was trying to balance a quill on its tip in the Slytherin common room and had gotten so close when suddenly someone bumped into the table,
"Quidditch." Said Barty, standing over the table in the Slytherin common room,
"Finally add a new word to your vocabulary, Barty?" Asked Regulus, arching an eyebrow,
"Look, the odds of us making it this year are slim." He said, "But next year with practice and scoping out the competition, we've got potential,"
"Why not just try out this year?" Asked Regulus, furrowing his eyebrows,
"Are you mental? They'll kill us out there," said Barty, "I happen to value my life, thank you very much,"
"Is he on about Quidditch again?" Asked Anthony Avery, walking down to the common room, "I swear it's all I've been hearing about. Him and his master plan,"
"It's quite simple. Step one, Grades, two, Quidditch, three, fly very far away from my muggle loving father, and four? Well, I'll be too busy celebrating to care about steps," said Barty, and Anthony laughed, As Regulus returned to his most important task,
Defying the laws of physics. Well. That's what she'd called them when she'd done this.
He remembered because Annabelle had finally succeeded in turning a frog into a quill, and then she'd placed the quill on its tip and had turned to that friend of hers, and said she was defying the laws of physics.
If a muggle born could do this, surely he, the proud backup heir to the Black family could too. Regulus didn't really know how he felt about her blood status.
He rarely spoke with her. Because he was scared of what others might say to him. But Annabelle didn't seem to care about that. She was always simply happy to see him.
"What are you even doing, Reg?" Asked Anthony, leaning over the table causing the quill to fall again, Regulus debated cursing him.
"Defying the laws of physics," said Regulus,
"Isn't that a muggle thing?" Asked Barty,
"Physics." Said Anthony mockingly, taming the quill from regulus outright, "how quaint. You know Aelin?"
"Yeah," said Barty, "So annoying, always with the, well having dirty blood,"
"Yesterday, I burnt one of her notebooks. If the school won't turn mudbloods away, perhaps it'll have to be their choice," said Anthony casually and Barty laughed, clapping him on his shoulder,
But Regulus' face was blank.
"They don't know what's good for them,"
"Do you really think that someone would leave the magical world after a bit of bullying?" He chimed in, Sitting up straight.
"Bullying has such negative connotations to it, I prefer, giving her a nudge in the right direction,"
Anthony and Barty were laughing and Regulus forced a smile before picking up an old library book whose owner was unknown,
"I'm going to return a book to the library," he announced, leaving the common room quickly and scanning the hallways on the way to the library,
He and Annabelle hadn't spoken in a month or so, but he did feel the need to warn her,
She was seated at a window, trying to turn a cat into a glass,
"Ferreverto," she said, and then she scowled when the cat dodged the spell, "Goddammit Lila,"
"The wand movement is wrong," said Regulus, and Annabelle flinched in surprise, before glancing at the book,
She pulled a piece of yarn from her bag, "Hold this above Lila's head for me, would you?"
He nodded, taking it from her and dangling it over the cat's head, distracting it,
"Ferreverto," said Annabelle, and the cat turned into a goblet, she grinned as Regulus lowered the strand of yarn, "Thank you,"
"It's nothing, really," said Regulus, scratching the back of his neck nervously, "I just wanted to find you because Anthony um,"
"Burnt my notebook," finished Annabelle, "I get that some people don't want me here, but I will take my revenge,"
"When?"
"All in due time my favourite member of the Black family, all in due time." Said Annabelle solemnly, nodding, before picking up the glass, "Now how do I get the cat back?"
"What are you going to do?" Asked Regulus,
"I've been storyboarding it, but I'll let you know when I pick something," said Annabelle, and he sat down next to her on the bench, turning her cat back into a cat for her. "What book is that?"
"It was my excuse to get out of the Slytherin common room," said Regulus, looking at the title and then hiding it,
"What is it?" She asked, reaching for it, but he gripped it tighter, "That embarrassing?" She wore a smile on her face, "What is it? Love stories?"
She moved to pull the book away from him,
"Stop that," said Regulus, trying to prevent a smile, "Or I won't tell you how to turn your cat back,"
She eased up and then snatched the book back and he watched her read the title,
The Dangers of a Mudblood
"I didn't know there was a book on me. Ordinarily you wait until someone is dead to write a biography," said Annabelle, opening the first page and gasping,
"What?"
"Apparently I'm turning you into a blood traitor," said Annabelle, "Why do you get a cooler nickname than me?"
"I'm not a blood traitor." Said Regulus, and she frowned, she was disappointed in him, "Well. I haven't quite been turned yet."
She smiled, "Oh?"
"It'll take more than a friendly muggle born to turn me," said Regulus, and she nodded, flipping the page of a book,
"Who is Alphard Black?" Asked Annabelle, and then she gasped,
"What?"
"Cousins get married?" She asked, looking horrified,
"Well, yes," said Regulus.
"Jesus." Said Annabelle, shaking her head, "That's, that sure is something, are you betrothed?"
She was reading from the book, learning all sorts of things about pureblood culture,
"No." Said Regulus resolutely, looking at her,
"You know this is staggeringly similar to muggle culture." Said Annabelle, "Come on, ill show you, in the library, they've got all sorts of books on muggle stuff I can tell you what's real," she said, hopping to her feet and shoving everything into her bag, her cat following at her feet.
"What?"
"I talk to you about one or twice a month, I just want to make it last," said Annabelle, reaching for his hand to pull him up,
He smiled and took her hand.
"What are muggles like anyways?" He asked. Walking down the hall, Annabelle's hand clasped in his,
"There's a lot of variation."