Starry skies and Gardenias

Chapter 144

Quidditch practice was better than most days, and Regulus was feeling better than he did in weeks. 

He had passed his Apparition test, managed to have a conversation with Isabella, and if he stretched it a bit, he could call it a date, only in the back of his mind, that is. And Quidditch practise went nice. 

All that was left for him to do was to go to the prefects' bathroom and take a nice shower. Then go to bed, he'll do his homework tomorrow. 

"Hufflepuff doesn't stand a chance," their captain was saying proudly. They had their match in the first week of May, and the Slytherin team was confident that they would win. 

They would also get the Quidditch Cup, if Gryffindor fell back in the finals. 

It didn't take much to figure out that Gryffindor would most likely win against Ravenclaw in their finals. But if Gryffindor, which was tied with Slytherin for the Cup now, managed to score more than them, then the Cup would be Gryffindor's again. 

"For the seventh fucking year in a row," their beater grumbled. 

Regulus was thinking about his time with Isabella earlier in the day at Hogsmeade.

Everything was going fine for the first time in weeks, but Regulus should have known that he was hoping for too much. He should have known that all of it was only temporary. 

There was a sudden change in the atmosphere and the Slytherin team was starting to get aggressive when Regulus looked up and saw that the Gryffindor team were the ones who booked the pitch for a late-running session. 

No wonder the others went rigid now.

Regulus really didn't care. 

For a second, Sirius caught his eyes, but neither showed any reaction as to having seen the others.

Regulus' team didn't know that he was on good terms with the Gryffindors. No one did. 

It was a large crowd that came onto the pitch along with the Gryffindor team. 

There were the seven players, then Lupin, Peter, Lily, Meadows, Macdonald and some other girl whose name Regulus didn't know. 

The non-players went to take their seats on the stands.

Well, that was none of his business. 

He knew there was going to be an interaction between the two teams, a verbal quarry at least, if not hexing and jinxing. He should be ready in case something happened.

Regulus, as usual, wasn't going to say anything. Until he was provoked, that is. So he stood in the back as the others squared their shoulders and marched towards the Gryffindor team. 

Regulus was just alternating his gaze between the sky and Isabella, not really wanting to hear any of the nonsense that was going to issue. 

"Hey, Potter!" their captain bellowed across the pitch. 

James, who was undoubtedly flirting with Lily, snapped his head up to glare at them. 

Regulus admired James' perseverance. He wouldn't get dejected easily, or doubt himself every time Lily said something, instead James would try to make himself better. 

If Isabella ever did that to Regulus, he was sure he would spend the rest of his life wallowing in self-pity. 

. . .

Regulus froze. 

He didn't expect to be proved wrong so quickly. 

Isabella didn't have to say a single thing for him to feel miserable. She just had to smile at someone else other than him. That was enough to drag him down to hell and below.