arcane | regulus black

d o r m s

Regulus and Lyra woke up to a loud gasp. The door was opened, Circe standing in the doorframe with her hands over her mouth. She was grasping for words but could find nothing to say so she just stared with a very confused look on her face.

It took Lyra a few moments to realise her situation. Her head was on Regulus' chest and his hands held her close. She was sprawled over him, comfortably cocooned.

Regulus was too disoriented to try and make a snide comment. "You really do have the worst possible timing." Was all he could find the words to say.

"Merlin knows I do." She shut the door and left them both alone.

"Before you jump to conclusions, nothing happened. Don't even think about it." Regulus said, before things got awkward.

"I remember some of it. Thank you. I appreciate it. That's the first and last time you're going to hear those words from me."

"You're a menace to society, has anyone ever told you that?"

"You, a few hundred times."

Regulus rolled his eyes at her comment as she rolled off him. It was obvious she didn't want to address the situation and he wasn't particularly keen on making friendly conversation with her either.

He took his waistcoat and coat from a chair nearby. Without saying another word, he left her room and walked back to his own. He knows it wasn't a big deal that they had just been in the same room for the night, but he couldn't help think about it.

There were no classes that day but every time he entered a room, he found himself looking for her. He thought of it as strange that he was suddenly so aware of her presence, but Regulus knows that it was simply just him wondering how the girl would behave now. After all, she had been the one to ask him to stay. He also thinks that it's not something to analyse- something he might be correct about. She had been drunk out of her mind, perhaps she just wanted some company. Intoxicated Lyra doesn't like being lonely.

On the other hand, Circe had hounded Lyra with questions about where Lyra's dress had come from so suddenly, why Regulus Black- Lyra's "sworn blacklist", the "pretentious snob" and "fucking twat"- was all cozy with Lyra in her room. She bombarded her with questions all morning about it and after a while, she realised that her questions were not something Lyra had an answer to.

But Circe's constant questioning had gotten Lyra to wonder if Regulus had been lying. How could she so simply trust his word that all he was doing was helping her? And she had woken up in different clothes. Her cheeks flushed at the thought of him seeing her naked.

"Lyra? Are you listening? You've gotten so red. Are you alright, sweetheart?" Finnick waved a hand in front of her place to get her attention. They had been sitting in his and Rome's dorm together for a while now. Everyone else had gone on patrol but Lyra was too tired to walk around the school that night. Finnick kept her company, updating her on drama Rabastan had told him.

After confirming a million times that Lyra wanted to listen to him, Finnick had started ranting about this absolutely darling guy he had met. If Finnick could've been giggling and kicking his legs, he would. And he could, so sat on the bed beside Lyra talking to her with elaborate hand movements and actions, until he realised she hadn't been paying attention.

"Are you alright?" He asked again.

"Yes, yes. I am. Sorry for not being more attentive, I'm just really out of it right now."

"Why? Did something happen?"

"No. Nothing. But yesterday absolutely sucked the life out of me."

"That was quite a lovely dress you had there."

"Yes. It was so perfect." She sighed, not having any energy left in her. Finnick smiled softly, understanding that she was tired. He turned himself fully to face her.

"We can talk some other time. It's not like the world is ending. You can sleep here. Rabastan is with Cordelia anyway."

"No, it's alright. I can go sleep with Circe." It was obvious that she didn't mean it.

"Lyra, literally just shush and sleep." Finnick tucked her hair back as he said that. And at that moment, Romeo and Regulus entered the room. Finnick turned around to talk to Rome and Regulus. "Oh, hello! How was patrol? Did you find any third-years making out?" Rome rolled his eyes and sat down on his bed.

"No, we didn't." Regulus replied, with a clenched jaw.

"Shame, I would've loved to threaten them." Finnick said. Regulus just shook his head laughing and took off his robes. He neatly folded them and placed them at the edge of Rabastan's bed. He took off his shirt in a swift movement and plopped onto the bed beside Romeo. "Lyra's gonna sleep here today, by the way."

"Why?" Regulus asked, looking up from his position on the other bed and sitting up to look at Lyra and Finnick. "What happened?" He asked. Romeo and Finnick exchanged a quick look that went unnoticed, lucky for them.

"She's horribly tired. Said she didn't have any strength after yesterday." Said Finnick.

"It's okay. We have space today so you can both stay." Romeo added to Finnick's statement.

"We have classes tomorrow. We'll be late if we sleep here." Regulus told them, looking at Lyra. He wasn't yet convinced it was a good idea, but really there was nothing to be convinced about. "Lyra isn't even allowed into the boys dormitories."

"Stop acting like you haven't had girls flowing in and out of your room this semester." Finnick said.

"You think too highly of him, Fin." Lyra grinned up at them. "It's alright. Don't be such a proper perfect little prefect, Regulus. Stay. It's okay."

And he did stay, but both him and Lyra had had the same thoughts running through their head.