Starry skies and Gardenias

Chapter 167

The snow slowly melted and February brought along with it a damp chillness.

The third week of the month also brought about the second match between Slytherin and Ravenclaw.

Regulus found it very heartwarming to see Isabella get all excited over his match. For the Cup, she said as she poured over charts of player positioning and tactics. She had managed to find old books on Quidditch tricks and spent time reading them with Regulus.

At first, both of them had very different reading paces and it annoyed them secretly to read it together, but slowly they got accustomed to waiting for the other to finish.

It was because reading together seemed much better when they sat in one armchair, Regulus with his hands around Isabella, holding the book open, reading over her shoulder as she rested her head on his chest, eyes darting across the page.

"Slytherin's pretty. . .umm . . .they're fine," Isabella said. "But your Chasers aren't as good as the Ravenclaw's,"

Regulus turned from the bookshelves and looked back at Isabella who was standing near the round table. She was wearing his Slytherin Quidditch jumper, her in a plait that she had thrown over her shoulder, studying the charts, and prodding the little figures with her wand.

"You've finished your Arithmancy homework already?" he asked.

Isabella nodded.

"We were supposed to do it together," Regulus grumbled.

"Sorry," Isabella said. "But McGonagall gave me some work. She's partnered me up with Turner for Transfiguration. . .Maybe keep the Quaffle within a triangular formation. . .Don't catch the snitch until you're a fifty points up, that is a fifty points more than whatever Ravenclaw has,"

"Turner?" Regulus said.

The Gryffindor prefect?

What was with Slughorn? Why didn't he do the pairing up of students anymore? He used to love doing that.

"Why did you suddenly go quiet?" Isabella said suspiciously, turning to look at him.

"I was thinking," Regulus said vaguely, looking away.

". . .You can't possibly be jealous, can you?" Isabella said slowly.

Regulus rolled his eyes. He knew that tone. Isabella always had that girly trill in her voice whenever she prepared herself to tease him.

"No, I'm not listening to any of it," Regulus said sternly, glaring at Isabella, who had a small smile on her face.

"You really don't have anything to be jealous of, Regulus," she said matter-of-factly.

"I don't do Quidditch planning for just anyone,"

She gave him a wink and then turned back to what she was doing.

Regulus blinked.

Then his mouth fell open indignantly.

"Hey!" he snapped, stuffing the book he had just pulled out from the shelves back in.

"Hey, you can't just do that and then act like nothing happened," he said crossly, stomping up behind Isabella.

"Do what?" Isabella said blithely, thoroughly enjoying this.

"Oh, I'll tell you what," Regulus huffed, taking her waist and swivelling her around to face him.

"You look like a Quaffle," Isabella commented brightly.