Remain Calm~ R.Black

Chapter Ten

Regulus found himself waking up the day after the dance pissed off. He didn't understand why he was feeling these...feelings. He was mad, sad, and overall confused. The thoughts he had about Veronica Lupin had made him mad because he couldn't understand them.

The thought of the girl drove him up the wall because she was everything he was jealous about. She had a tight-knit friend group, people who genuinely cared about her and family, even if not conventional, that was there for her. His own brother had become closer to the girl than he was, and he could see how close Sirius was to her, and Regulus wished it was him.

He also didn't understand why he lashed out as much towards her because she hadn't done anything to him, but when she was around him, he couldn't control himself. He wanted to like her, and be friends with her even though she was good and pure, and he knew he wasn't. So in his head, the more he pushed her away, the more any feelings or thoughts towards her were easier to push away.

The one thing that Regulus always thought about was why Veronica made him mad, and it was always when she rejected him in any sense, or walked away from him, or knew that she was being rude to him when he knows she was nice to everyone else. The feelings that made the least sense for him, were jealousy. He was jealous when she talked to her friends, jealous of when she was being flirted on by Andrew, jealous she went to the ball with Gideon, just an overall sense of jealousy. He hated it. Regulus didn't want to feel this way about her, but it seemed like everything he did to try to avoid the feelings, the more he felt them. He wished he could interact with her normally, but he didn't feel normal. He wasn't normal. No one else had the family he had, or was put in the situation he was in, so anything he did or say, he felt like he wasn't normal, but being around Veronica gave him the inkling of normalcy, maybe that's what scared him.

Regulus wasn't sure.

//

2 PM sharp Veronica was standing in the Gryffindor common room waiting for Andy while knowingly skipping yet another prefect shift with Regulus. She regularly skipped them now as his attitude towards her felt as if she had the right to miss one every now and then because he owed her. She would be missing their early afternoon rounds and also had 0 intention of going to their Sunday afternoon one. She sat on one of the chairs, idly picking at her nails when she saw someone walking down the boy's stairs and she looked up, grinning at Andy who walked towards her.

"Hey Veronica, are you ready to go?" Andy asked her as she nodded, "For sure, and call me Ronnie."

"Alright Ronnie, let's get going," Andy said, grabbing Ronnies hand and leading her out of the common room. Ronnie tried to hide her blush as Andy proudly walked the two of them through Hogwarts, hand in hand before making their way outside and towards Hogsmeade while making small talk.

"So what do you want to do first?" Andy asked, peering down at the short girl.

"I'm always down for coffee, you?" Ronnie asked as he nodded, "Sounds great, let's go to rosies cafe."

The two walked into Hogsmeade and down into the cafe as Andy directed Ronnie to sit down before going to grab them coffees. Ronnie smiled softly to herself as she watched him order their coffees before he returned to their table.

"Here you go, how do you take yours?" Andy asked, pouring in his creamer and sugar, "Milk and sugar..." Ronnie trailed off, feeling nervous as this was her first date. She sat in silence as she fidgeted in her seat while Andy watched her with adornment.

"Are you okay?" He asked after she started bouncing her leg anxiously.

"Yes, sorry, I'm just nervous I guess.'' Ronnie shrugged, trying to hide her blush, "Do I make you nervous?"