From Eden - Regulus Black (Complete)

Chapter Twenty-Nine

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OPEN LIKE A BOOK

Because the boys stayed out so late on the pub, Anne woke up before all of them and said her goodbyes to Monty and Mia before taking the floo to Three Broomsticks.

It was odd to see Hogsmeade during the summer, after all she was more than used to the several coats of snow, though she had gone with Lily and Marlene and there was no snow in sight at the time. But it wasn't weirder than the fact that when she stepped out of the Three Broomsticks, Severus Snape was waiting for her in front of the bookstore in muggle jeans and a black jumper. Yes, dear reader, indeed, quite the surprising sight for Anne, but not as surprising as Regulus Black also using jeans and a white blouse.

She waved at them. Severus gave her one nod, but Regulus smiled a bit to her.

"Good morning," she said.

"Morning," Severus answered. "I was told you wanted to talk to me. You could've written to me yourself instead of asking Regulus to be your mediator."

"Hardly what I did," she said. "We were talking about something and we were told you might want to listen to that conversation as well. Regulus was just kind enough to invite you to somewhere he enjoyed, and I was invited as well."

"I thought you'd bring Potter," Severus said.

"I'm fine on my own," she answered.

She didn't need anyone protecting her, especially from Severus, who taught her most of the things she knew. Of course, he didn't know that and most likely was looking at her as if she was a stupid little girl.

"Come on," Regulus said. "Let's go inside."

He opened the door and held it as Anne walked in, letting go of it soon after and making Severus glare at him once he had to hold the door for himself to walk in without a broken nose.

Inside the bookstore, the air was certainly not as warm and it made Anne sigh in delight. She hated summer – maybe because that was when she had to go back to Private Drive, maybe because she couldn't deal well with the heat and the punishing sunlight that would burn her all too white skin. But in there, with the sweet breeze of a spell, she didn't hate it as much as she usually did.

"Mister Orgue, hello!" Regulus said, going to the counter and leaning on it to see what was happening on the back.

The old man came from the back in white blouse and brown trousers.

"Mister Black, nice to see you again. Thank you for the letter you sent me," the man said. "Mister Snape and..." he hesitated. "Miss Anne Sage, correct?"

"Yes, sir," she answered, smiling at him. "Pleased to meet you."

"Indeed, dear," he said, smiling at her.

Mister Orgue looked at Regulus as if they were exchanging information in silence and that made the young boy blush a bit, but he turned to the two.

"Let's go," Regulus said.

He led the two colleagues to the back of the shop in a room that looked like a winter-garden with a small round table made of iron with a decent tea set, though it looked a bit old, and not in a quaint, vintage way. There were a few scones, which made Anne smile because she knew Severus really liked scones, though he always pulled a grimace when she would try to bake them for him, but he would eat more than one.