evergreen • remus lupin

13. the ball pt. 2

Selene was standing against the perimeter wall surrounding the Rowle Mansion staring at nothing. The castle gave off barely any light into the night so the girl couldn't see the evergreen trees swaying with the wind below but she could hear the icy waves crashing against the cliffs below.

She closed her eyes and breathed in the salty air carried from below when a certain gryffindor boy came up next to her and leaned on the wall. "You okay Rowle?" his voice cut through the silence.

"No" she breathed out, something about the two Black brothers were just so easy to talk to, Selene didn't need to put up walls and fake a smile and be someone she wasn't. Sirius put a comforting arm around her shoulder and she leaned her head on his shoulder

"What did Nott do?" Sirius asked, "and don't say he was an asshole I already know"

"He told me I was his and that I couldn't escape him" her voice cracked, "and that he got everything he wanted and he wanted me," tears started to escape her eyes, "and it's terrifying because he's right, I'm gonna have to marry him Sirius" she cried.

"Hey, hey" he turned her to look at him, "You aren't gonna marry him Selene if you don't want to, nobody decides your future, you just need to remember that" he hugged her tightly as she let her tears fall on his shirt, " And I'll marry you right now so he can't" and he got down on one knee "Marry me Selene Rowle?" he smirked

"Shut up" she laughed. He put his hand over his heart on mock hurt

"What? You deny my proposal?! I'm afraid then that this is the end of our relationship darling"

"Is it?" she raised an eyebrow he got back up to a standing position "is it really?" she laughed.
They both laughed for a little until they got quiet again, Sirius sighed

"Everything will be okay Selene" it was the first time she had ever heard him say her first name
"I promise"

"You promise?" Selene knew it was unlikely to be kept but she allowed herself to live in a fantasy where promises were never broken, just for a moment.

"I promise"

Regulus was standing, confused, in the ballroom, his best friend and brother were no where to be found. He thought he should go find them but something told him just to let it be, he was also scared of what he would find, he knew people did rash things when they were sad or mad. He continued to sit, bewildered, sipping his fourth fire whiskey of the night.

He set the empty glass down right as the two teenagers walked back into the ballroom looking much happier than when they left. Sirius nodded at Selene and the two parted ways, Selene in pursuit to Regulus.

"Hey" she said with a small smile grabbing a glass cup and filling it with firewhiskey

"Hey" he answered cautiously "What was that all about"

"Just needed some fresh air" she laughed he looked at her suspiciously, "I didn't snog your brother if that's what you are implying" she rolled her eyes and took a sip of her drink

"Good, you better not have"

"I did... not" she stuttered at the end.

"Are you trying to tell me something?"

"No... I didn't... I don't feel good" she reached her hand out and Regulus grabbed it,

"Selene?"

"Hey what's going on here? Does she need help?" A cold voice asked, the two slytherins turned to see Theodore Nott standing there.

Selene felt a wave of affection wash over her as she saw his chiseled jaw and dark hair. He was attractive, she just wanted to grab him and kiss him .