Paradox | T. Riddle ✔

~•3.2•~

The news of Regulus and Eleanor dating spread like wildfire throughout the school. True, they had told their friends themselves that they had gotten together but by the next morning, the entire school knew about it.

Reg wasn't comfortable with getting so much attention and was quite unnerved to see the whole school gossiping about the two. Even at breakfast, he could hear all the tables buzzing with whispers.

He tried to stand up to leave but felt Eleanor's grip tighten on his wrist.

"What happened?" She asked, marble green eyes connecting with his blue ones.

"Nothing."

"You haven't eaten anything either," she gestured to his untouched plate.

"Not hungry."

Amber Fawley who was sitting across from them spoke up in a low tone, realizing the reason to his unease, "Regulus, it doesn't matter. Ignore them."

"Where's Marcus?" He asked instead, eyes sweeping through the hall to look for his friend.

"He will be here soon," she replied, "be seated and eat."

He felt Eleanor's fingers gently interlace through his own hand, her grip reassuring as she mumbled softly, "Amber's right. Once you start ignoring everyone, they will stop bothering you too. Trust me."

Trust me, he took in a deep breath nodded, of course he would trust her. Those two words from her lilting voice made every other thing bothering him to fade into nonexistence. Almost as if in that instant there was only her with him, not the entire school stealing glances their way after every five seconds.

"Ah cute," Amber smiled, breaking his trance and he was glad she did because he didn't want anyone to gossip further about the two.

Eleanor had gestured towards his untouched breakfast again so he picked up his spoon at last, eating his share of mashed potatoes and Yorkshire pudding.

Soon enough, Marcus joined them as well and took his seat beside Amber.

"Detention right after breakfast," he mumbled hastily as he filled up his plate, "and here I was looking forward to a free period before Potions..."

"What got you in a detention?"

"In five words or less," Eleanor added after Amber's question immediately because she knew otherwise Marcus would launch into a detailed account of what exactly he had done to earn him a detention.

He rolled his flecked ocher eyes, disappointed at the opportunity to elaborate being snatched away by her, and shrugged, "I fucked up, a summary."

A smile twitched onto Reg's face as well while the girls laughed. Marcus was quite a troublemaker and probably the biggest reason Slytherin couldn't win the House Cup ever since the past six years.

No matter how much points they gained, he would lose them all due to his antics.

"Mark fucking up is a daily routine by now," Harold Greengrass chimed in, "what you say, Black?"

"No comments," Reg mumbled but noticing all of them stare at him as if expecting for him to add more, he sighed then remarked, "I've gotten used to it. You guys should stop making a big deal about it too."

"That's my bro," Marcus clapped his hand on his shoulder, "see, wouldn't hurt if you guys took some pointers from Reg here."

"Wouldn't hurt if you took some pointers as well from him and start behaving for a change."

Laughter broke out among them again but the bell rang announcing the commencement of classes.

"Off to detention, wish me luck," Marcus stood up reluctantly.

Amber kissed his cheek lightly as she spoke, "I hope you don't get another detention today."

"I hope so too," his smile widened as he pecked her on the lips.

"Fat chance," Eleanor and Harold added while Marcus glared at them for ruining their moment.

"Just because you don't get caught, Ellie, doesn't mean you can mock me like that. And Harold... Just you wait till we get to the dorm."

His eyes sparked mischievously, words rolling off his tongue to tease Marcus further, "ooooooh, should Amber be worried?"

Marcus's gaze flickered from him to his girlfriend, "of course not, idiot. Why would she get worried with me giving you a death threat?"

"Ah so that was a death threat now? Surely seemed like something else to me. Too bad, got my hopes up for nothing," he grinned cheekily and Marcus would have leaned over to punch him if not for the fact that he saw a Professor looking their way and chose not to create a scene.

"In your dreams, Greengrass," he remarked as he walked away only to hear his voice trail after.

"Sure thing, Warrington. And damn good dreams they are going to be."

"None of us need to know!"

Amber and Eleanor were both laughing at how chaotic the two were and hadn't noticed Reg slip away. When they finally stopped laughing, Eleanor's eyes flickered towards the spot next to her, finding it empty.

"Where did Reg go?"

"To the Library I guess," Amber replied, "we all had a free period so he couldn't have gone to class."

She nodded, fingers pinching the bridge of her nose as she stood up and followed Amber to the school grounds where the Gryffindor boys were holding their infamous Quidditch tryouts.

"Did these Quidditch freaks literally miss breakfast for a stupid team selection?" Amber's voice had turned slightly sour seeing the boys in scarlet and gold fly around on their broomsticks.

"Amber, come on... They're passionate about winning the Cup. It's Potter's last year as Captain so he wants to leave an impression. Not that we're going to let them win either way... What happened last year is never repeating or I am choking our team to death."

"Last year was a huge disappointment," Amber shook her head, recalling the final win Gryffindor had scored of the season against their house, "downright embarrassing even though I have zero interest in Quidditch."

Eleanor nodded, "not repeating again, I'll make sure of it."

She snorted, seeing Sirius wink upon seeing them approaching, his dazzling smile widening as he caught sight of Eleanor, "why is playboy over there so excited to see you?"

"Must have heard the school gossiping about me and his brother. Probably wants to know whether it's true or he still stands a chance," her reply was nonchalant, marble green irises meeting with the Gryffindor's stormy blue.

"I literally keep forgetting he's related to Reg, they're that different," she remarked, "and no please, I can't stand the sight of him so don't you dare go over to talk."

"As you wish."

The girls changed direction and walked over to the Lake instead, feeling the cool breeze engulf them welcomingly. Though as silence washed over them, Eleanor couldn't help but let her thoughts wander to Regulus.

His clear blue eyes that shone with wisdom beyond his years, the sharp facial structure with high cheekbones and those lips that were rough at the edges as he bit them often when deep in thought but had felt so perfect against her own each time they had kissed.

But then her thoughts also wandered to the increasing frown lines on his forehead, the fact that he had started to be much more reserved around them and was probably worried about something deep down.

At first she had let it slide, thinking that it was probably due to the fact that Sirius had ran off from home earlier that year and the brothers had been sour towards each other since. But sometimes it felt as if Sirius was the least of his worries and something else was plaguing him a lot.

She didn't want to see him so anxious all the time so as she walked by the Lake with Amber, she let her mind drift off towards ways to make him get relieved of whatever that was troubling him.

***