a little death | regulus black

[002] - you again?

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     A shot of gold, like Helio's rays, emerged wickedly across the sky in urgency from a tip of a wand. It was robust, flared in the form of flames. Nayeli Madris observed this from the back of the classroom. Professor Flitwick had stood atop a thick stack of books with his wand flickering above the student's heads. She took notes attentively as the words aimlessly went through her ears. It was the first day of classes, and everything was going well. Although, it did feel like she was invisible in the background.

It had been that way since yesterday. She unpacked her trunk, walked around the corridors, and skimmed through the library. No one had come up to make conversation, though. She was used to it, despite the number of years she had at Hogwarts. It was no surprise that people gave her wary looks. She did have a history of being enthusiastic about what she loved.

"Class dismissed!" Professor Flitwick's voice boomed across the classroom. Nayeli quickly snapped back into reality. She gathered her things with haste, stuffing them inside a bag. "Remember to practice the incantation." She nodded while walking out of the classroom.

The corridors were full of students swarming to get to their designated places. It reminded her all too well of a bee hive, busy producing honey in combs. Shoulders bumped against each other like bulls migrating in packs, aggressive and quick. Her feet turned in different directions as if a magnet was pulling at them. She came to a corner, running to cross into the next corridor. Before she knew it, she face-planted into a hard surface. Nayeli stumbled backward while holding her forehead.

"I'm sorry." She stammered out. "I wasn't looking at where I was going." Her eyes locked with the boy in front of her, gold and silver clashing. "You?"

"Me?" He waved his hand a bit. "Lovely surprise to see you, Ravenclaw." She rolled her eyes, proceeding to walk away. The boy latched onto her arm and dragged her back in front of him. Nayeli snatched her arm away from him. "Are we in the same year?"

"You tell me." She glared at him. "You're the one interested. I could care less if we were in the same year, let alone who you are." He gave her an amused smile. "Or are you here to bother me so I won't tell people about your conversation?"

"I'm not worried about that." He asserted. "I have a feeling I've seen you before. Not on the train, but somewhere else." She furrowed her eyebrows. "Now that I think about it, you're in my D.A.D.A class."

"Listen, I have somewhere to be." She told. "If you want to continue this conversation with yourself, you can. But I have to go." Nayeli glanced over his shoulder. His gaze grew steady, the same look in his eyes that he had on the train.

"Sorry for keeping you." He cleared his throat. She opened and closed her mouth, shaking her head. "Nice chat." The boy began walking away without a second glance. Nayeli stared at the ground in confusion. She had concluded that he was the most unpredictable person she had ever encountered.

Nayeli promptly went into the patio and sat down on the open wall. She perched her back against the open arch, her back to it with her legs straight out, ankles crossed. She had fished out her favorite book, placed it on her lap, and leafed through the pages. It was peaceful. The trees were waving in a joyful dance. The sun's rays peeked through the arches of the castle that blocked its powerful glare. She felt serene.

"Hey, you." The boy sporting yellow robes plucked the book out of her loose grip. He turned it around to see the cover, arching an eyebrow in interest. He looked up to see her scowling at him.

"Elio, has anyone ever told you that it's improper to touch what isn't yours?" Nayeli leaned forward to snatch the book from his hands, shutting it with a snap.