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—IT WAS NOW THE DAY OF THE YEARLY PUREBLOOD BALL. This year, it was being held at Malfoy manor. Rigel, with much reluctance, agreed to go, wanting to cheer Sirius up.
Right now, he was in his room, trying to get ready.
Rigel looked at his reflection in the mirror and then at the tie in his hands, sighing.
He sat down at the end of his bed, anxiously rubbing his face.
Someone knocking on the door caught his attention, making him look up. "Come in."
Rigel frowned and glared immediately when Tom, who was also wearing a suit, walked in.
Tom frowned in concern at the state Rigel was in, but remembered what he was there for. "Ri.. I just wanted to apologize."
"Get out."
"Rigel, please." sighed Tom, desperation evident in his voice. "I made a mistake.. and Merlin knows how much I regret it."
Rigel stayed quiet, and stood up, trying to tie his tie.
Tom sighed again and walked up to him, motioning for his tie.
Rigel, knowing what he was hinting at, merely nodded. He didn't have the energy to do something as simple as tying a tie, and it seemed like the older boy had noticed.
Their faces were now inches away from each other, and Rigel noticed this, looking away, while Tom was tying his tie for him.
Surprisingly, the two were the exact same height.
"You hurt me." said Rigel clearly, not looking away from the wall.
Tom stilled, his hand still on Rigel's tie. He looked up from it and looked at Rigel, who was avoiding his eyes.
"Nobody hurts me." finished Rigel, looking confused. He then looked back at Tom, who was already looking at him. "How did you have the power to hurt me, Tom? I tried my hardest to avoid that. I tried my hardest to hate you."
"You sound like you don't hate me anymore." said Tom a few seconds later, a hint of longing in that sentence.
"..I don't."
Their faces were, again, inches away from each other's. Tom tried his hardest not to lean in.
"..You don't?" whispered Tom with a small smile.
"I did." mumbled Rigel, looking like he was in thought. "I don't know what happened."
Tom tried not to tear up, realizing something that broke his heart way more than it should. "You want to hate me again, don't you?"
"I gave you the power to hurt me when you knew how scared I was of that." said Rigel clearly with a hint of hurt in his voice. "Yet you didn't think twice when you ruined our friendship."
Friendship.
The word Tom hated.
"And I was wrong for that." Tom tried, ignoring his cracked heart. "And I regret it very much. I promise to make it up to you, Ri."
"You can't. The damage is already done."
"Second chance?" asked Tom hopefully.
Rigel wanted to say 'no'. He really did.
But he was alone. So alone.
"Fine."
••
"We're here." said Sirius as he, Rigel, and Tom walked into Malfoy manor.
Remus and Cierra weren't with them, since Cierra was too young, and Remus didn't have the heart to leave her.
"Yes." Rigel nodded, his voice flat. "We're here. How wonderful."
Sirius sighed, giving his son a side-glance. "Please, Ri. Try to enjoy it."
Rigel didn't reply, watching as Sirius walked away. He glanced at Tom, who had grabbed 2 glasses of firewhiskey for them both.
He didn't say anything when Tom gave a glass to him, merely nodding once, and looked at the dancing heirs and heiresses.
"Still as awkward as I remember it." mumbled Rigel, taking a sip of his firewhiskey.
"And still all of them single and not betrothed." Tom joined in, sounding amused.
Rigel's lips quirked upwards, but he tried to hide it by drinking his firewhiskey.
••
Noticing a boy walking up to Rigel, who didn't seem to notice, Tom grabbed Rigel's hand and pulled him out of the ballroom.
"Tom?"
Tom hummed, not looking at him.
"Let my hand go." said Rigel, a hint of amusement in his voice.
"Oh—" Tom let go of his hand, giving him an apologetic look "—sorry."
The 16-year-old nodded and looked around, noticing they were in the backyard. "Why did you drag us out of there, anyways?"
"You didn't seem to be enjoying it and nor did I." Tom pointed out as they sat down, both of them looking at the sunset.
"Yes and that gives you a reason to literally drag me out of there."
"It does." nodded Tom with a grin.
Rigel almost smiled, but held it in.
Then, he frowned.
Why and how did Tom almost make him smile?
"Rigel?" asked the older boy, breaking the comfortable silence.
Rigel hummed questioningly, not looking away from the sunset.
