The Bug Collector | marauders

Rainbow Stag Beetle

Rose was beyond grateful that things had gone back to normal once she returned to Hogwarts.

She sat with the Marauders at breakfast, sent little smiles across the table to Sirius, discussed James' Muggle Studies class with him, and though Pete seemed to have grown quieter she still managed to get a laugh out of him from time to time.

She'd also missed being able to use the Marauders Map, Regulus didn't come to breakfast anymore so sometimes she'd ask to barrow it to check on him, his daily ritual seemed to be quickly visiting Xenophilius then running off on his own until breakfast was concluded.

After that, they actually had their first class of the day together, Divination.

"You look less dreary than usual, Black." Rose whispered to him, she hadn't known they shared the class, but once he walked in she knew exactly who would be seated next to her.

"You smell less like dirt than usual, Evans." He whispered back, pinching the bit of her thigh that was visible from under the table. She jerked at the unexpected sensation, and sending a pointed look at him as Regulus removed the smile that was forming on his face, promptly returning his attention to the professor(who held a variety of spiritual trinkets in their hands, showing them to the class).

"How'd you like the gift I left in your dorm before the break?" She asked quietly, looking forward.

"Oh, that was you?" He whispered sarcastically, she'd not left a note behind, but the gift itself was obviously from her. It was the beetle she'd found, properly preserved and framed. She'd also added a charm so have the bug's wings flap at every hour.

"It's cute, but sometimes when it moves I get this urge to free it."

"It's not alive."

"It looks trapped."

"I mean I can remove the char—"

"It's fine." Regulus interrupted quickly, right before the professor glanced their way.

Regulus sent them a small smile, falsely appearing enthralled by the subject they were teaching.

"We'll talk later, I can actually see you tonight." Regulus said, notably quieter than anything else he'd said.

"We will." Rose agreed with a small smile of her own.

What she didn't mention is that she'd already agreed to plans with Sirius that night, her roommates were all going somewhere together so it seemed the perfect time to attempt and reunite the boys, and they'd made it happen without Rose really having to do much at all.

Granted she could have warned them.

—

Sirius and Rose had been talking when Regulus arrived, pushing the door open and immediately removing his robes, beneath them he wore a grey sweater atop his Slytherin tie and white collared shirt, a chain with his family crest hung around his neck. His hair was tucked neatly behind his ears. The pitch black curls did not quite touch his shoulders. Silver rings adored his pale hands, his nails manicured to perfection.

Sirius looked nothing like that.

Sirius had the sleeves of his white shirt rolled up to the elbows, tattoos firmly on display, he wore a large gold ring with a ruby set into it. His hair was a mess of curls that went past his shoulders and began to fall down his back, his tie was tossed onto the bedside table. He wore chipped black nail polish.

The moment he saw Regulus he blinked a few times just to be sure he'd seen the right thing. He stopped mid sentence, they'd been talking about him and Moony's relationship, more so how Sirius was able to get him to open up so much(Sirius blamed the monotony of so many detentions together, Rose simply thinks Sirius is easy to open up to).