Starry skies and Gardenias

Chapter 168

March brought along a pleasant warmth along with it. The grass on the lawns seemed to look greener than ever, and the sky was becoming a clearer blue. 

It was with a stinging sorrow that Isabella would remember that around this time, her father would bring in the fertilizers for the new little flower buds and treat them carefully in the back. 

March also brought along a pile of homework, more than they had ever had. 

Isabella was, for the first time, extremely glad that she didn't have Quidditch. There just never seemed to be enough time to do the work peacefully, since the submission date seemed very close and it was the same for all subjects. 

"Why would you even take all of them?" Regulus would say whenever he saw her scribbling away furiously trying to complete her work on time.

He was irked that Isabella would rather do her homework than spend time with him. With his work, Quidditch practice, Headboy duties, they didn't get to meet up often anymore.

"You're still with Turner?" Regulus said dejectedly one evening. 

"Yes," Isabella replied, not looking up from her parchment, her quill darting furiously across the page. 

"It is apparently supposed to be difficult to turn living organisms into non-living things," Isabella said. "And McGonagall says that I need to lessen the burden so that I don't stress much. . .I'd much rather work by myself, really,"

Regulus nodded, his eyes falling on the pile of books beside Isabella.

Well, he might as well get back to his own Astronomy homework. He didn't like writing about Jupiter's fifteenth moon much now. 

He was just waiting for the student council meetings to start, and then they could spend some more time together. 

"You're going to crush that quill," Marcus pointed out. 

Regulus dropped his gaze to his hands where a black quill was clutched tightly in his fist, the feather getting squashed. 

It wasn't that he could just go over and punch Turner, was it? 

"Jealous, now, are we? What about your girlfriend?" Marcus said mockingly. 

"Sod off," Regulus snarled. 

Marcus scoffed loudly.

"I told you," he chided. "I told you, having flings is not going to help. It'll only make you a—"

"Shut up!" Regulus snapped, cutting him off. 

He stuffed his half-crushed quill into his bag, and stormed down the corridor, weaving his way through the sea of students heading to lunch.

It was way obvious that Isabella was uncomfortable with the crowd and just wanted to leave, but Turner, that arsehole, he was kept on talking to her, yapping away!

"Jefferson!" Regulus called loudly, getting Isabella's attention immediately.

She turned around to look at him, a flash of gratitude in her eyes. The next second, it was gone.

"Is there something you need, Black?" she said smoothly, ignoring Turner who was now forced to stop.

"Yes," Regulus said stiffly. "You are the Headgirl, aren't you? Come along, now,"