From Eden - Regulus Black (Complete)

Chapter Fifty-Three

THE NIGHT OF NOVEMBER 6 OF 1976

Lily Evans was as quiet as a mouse as she got up from her bed, groaning uncomfortably as her feet hit the cold wooden floor of the dormitory. Slowly, she made her way to the middle of the room, opening with a movement of her wand the small space in the furnace and put another log into it before taking a step back, admiring her work and throwing another one in.

It was November, but was colder than any other November Scotland seemed to have experienced before. McGonagall had commented to Dumbledore that very day that she expected snow earlier than ever that year and Lily had overheard it, shivering in anticipation.

She hated to cold, it always made her sleepy.

But now, she was wide awake for some reason.

"Lily?" Marlene called out.

"Sh!" Lily quickly made. "Anne is asleep."

That made Marlene sit down slowly, trying to make as little noise as she could. It was rare for Anne to sleep so early in the night (before midnight), and it was even rarer to see her that deep into her sleep. No one dared to interrupt her in it.

"What's happening? Are you cold?" Marlene asked. "I can get you another blanket."

"No, I just can't sleep," Lily answered. She peeked out of the window. "I think I'm going out for a walk."

"It's almost midnight, curfew is already on," Marlene said itching around her eyes in sleepiness. "Don't be silly, it's so cold outside."

"Cold makes me sleepy," she answered. "I'll be back in, like, half-an-hour, I swear."

Marlene was hesitant, wearily looking around before shrugging it off. Lily was Head Girl, she certainly knew what she was going most of the time, Marlene was too much of a rule-breaker to say anything about it.

"Alright, then," the blonde said. "Don't wake me up when you come in again, though. I have Quidditch practice tomorrow and Potter will fuck my life up if I fall asleep on my broom again."

"Again?" Lily said, blinking in surprise.

But too late, Marlene was lying on bed again and she had the annoying habit of falling asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow, though she did wake quite easily at any point of the night. Lily, still confused by the story, turned to look at Anne once more, but she was still fast asleep as well, mouth slightly open – there was no drool, but she looked younger like that; if had no idea of who she was, she'd say she was fifteen or so.

Quickly, Lily got her coat and put it on before throwing her cloak over her pyjamas, making her way out of the dormitory in silence, feeling her legs complain about the cold making her joints slightly rigid and her knees crack on the very last step before she got to the Common Room.

Without thinking twice, she opened the portrait of the Fat Lady and made her way out of the Gryffindor Tower.

The Fat Lady woke up from her sleep, snoring loudly and looking at Lily in shock.

"Goodnight, ma'am," she said politely, blushing for being caught already.

"Going out at this hour, Miss Prefect?" the woman said, narrowing her eyes.

"A midnight walk does wonders for sleep, ma'am," she answered.

The woman rolled her eyes, shaking her head in clear disappointment.

"As if you were the only one using that excuse today, my dear," said the woman. "Now, now, don't take too long to come back. And tell your friends to do the same, okay?"