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chapter forty-two,
meanwhile, in london
Regulus Black had always known that he was a little bit hopeless, but standing outside a brimstone mansion on a brisk January morning, waiting to beg a murderer to marry his best friend's fiancé, had to be the worst of it.
"I despise you," his friend Evan Rosier said, shivering from underneath his ugly fur jacket. "I'm being serious, I actually despise you."
"You offered to come with me."
"I hardly had a choice," the blond boy replied, teeth chattering. "Between visiting a murderer with you, and hanging out with your brother... well I'd take tea with Emerita Zabini any day."
Regulus rolled his eyes, walked up to the manor's grand front doors, and knocked.
The mess that led Regulus and Evan to an accused murderer's doors had started with an innocent visit from Regulus's best friend. Upon noticing how disappointed Regulus was that he had missed the Salvatore Ball, Walburga had allowed him to invite one friend to Grimmuald Place to spend the rest of the holiday with once they had recovered from their cold. Regulus had initially asked for Beatrice, of course, but was faced with a sharp "no" from his mother. Walburga liked the girl, but she was still that — a girl, and it would therefore be entirely inappropriate for her to stay in Regulus's bed with him. Instead, Regulus was allowed to invite Evan up. (Evan had wrinkled his nose when he found out that he had to share a bed with Regulus, calling it "gay". Regulus politely pointed out that Evan himself was gay, and therefore it wasn't really logical to make such jokes).
The two boys had had an alright few days in Grimmauld Place. Evan confessed that he had never been away from his sister overnight before, so Regulus naturally teased him relentlessly, until Evan said that at least his sibling actually cared about him. Regulus punched Evan and ignored him for a few hours, until Evan made a funny joke and it was like nothing had happened at all. That was just the kind of friendship they had.
On Evan's third day in London, Regulus was very surprised when Walburga had knocked on his door at around tea time, telling him that he had another guest.
Beatrice Salvatore looked as beautiful as ever, dressed in a pale pink frock, her dark hair tied back in elaborate, yet loose braids. Her cheeks were unusually rosy, though, and her eyes ever so slightly puffy. Despite all the fuss Walburga had made about propriety and chaperones when Regulus had asked if she could stay for a few days, she had quickly led Evan out of the room, giving the two of them some privacy.
