The Ice Queen [s.b.]

The Wedding Binder and Love Potions - 62

September 7th

"It's our first week back and you all already have an all-day detention?" Anna asks with a frown.

Marlene, Alice, Dorcas, Peter, Remus, and Sirius all nod somberly.

The girls all point to Sirius.

"It's your boyfriend's fault," Marlene accuses. "He was the one that said we should prank Filch."

"Hey!" Sirius interrupts. "You all agreed. Plus, Moony planned it."

"I don't care," Anna says with narrowed eyes. "But Ginger's in her own detention for cussing out a professor the entire day tomorrow, Lily and James are on Head Boy and Girl duties - also known as snogging, of course, and you all are in detention all day tomorrow, I will be bored. In the meantime, anyone want to play exploding snap?"

September 8th.

"Hey, Anne," Regulus calls as he catches up to her on the way to the secret passageway to Honeydukes.

Anna turns around with a fake smile, "Hey, Reggie. What've you been up to? You haven't bothered me in a good week."

"Oh," he laughs, "I haven't been in school. I was on a mission. I think I might've killed a member of the Order. Maybe even two?"

"I wonder what happened to you sometimes, Reg," Anna says wistfully, climbing up the ladder into Honeydukes. "Now do you have money or am I buying?"

"I'll buy," he says decisively as she helps him up and into the back of the store. "This is a date, after all. How could I let you pay?"

She glares at him, "This is most certainly not a date. This is freeloading, Reggie. F-r-e-e-l-o-a-d-i-n-g. Got it? Freeloading."

"Whatever you want to tell yourself, Love. Or would you prefer it if I called you Princess? You know, after last week, it was pretty rude of you to not call." Anna whirls around, stopping abruptly.  A huge, toothy smile makes its way onto her face. Regulus looks momentarily confused, but saves face by saying, "So Princess it is, then?"

"You said rude of me to not call," she beams, grabbing his arm and guiding him out of the store and to Hog's Head. "That's a muggle phrase, Reggie, dearest. You aren't the heartless arsehole I thought you to be. Well, I knew you weren't. But it's good to have proof every once in a while. Reg? Reggie?"

When she turns back, he's gone.

September 20th.

𝙶𝚎𝚝 𝚂𝚒𝚛𝚒𝚞𝚜. 𝙰𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚎.𝙲𝚕𝚊𝚜𝚜𝚛𝚘𝚘𝚖 𝟷𝟷𝟸. 𝙽𝚘𝚠.

Upon Ginger's opening of the message, she rushes to the Gryffindor common room. Especially because she doesn't recognize the handwriting and Anna isn't in her bed.

Sirius is sitting in there, despite the early hour, and Ginger calls out to him, "Sirius, here, now."

He snaps up and shoots over.

"What's wrong, Sullivan?" Sirius asks chipperly.

"I don't know. But I got a letter saying to get you and go to classroom 112 alone. I'll go with you, though," she admits.

He looks at the note, "That's Regulus's handwriting. Let's go."

Minutes later, they're outside the classroom, wands drawn. Then they hear Anna's laughter.

"Reggie!" her voice exclaims. "Don't be ridiculous."

Ginger exchanges glances with Sirius.

"Go back to the dorm, he said come alone, anyway," Sirius says, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in his gut.