Not forbidden, just hard | Regulus Black

Chapter 40: The wise words of professor McGonagall

wow this took me a lot longer than i wanted it to, my apologies

also i definitely fucked up the timeline a bit so in this chapter it's almost christmas break of 5th year, please let me know if at anytime in the past couple chapters of 5th year i mentioned it being some other time because i genuinely do not remember

anyways enjoy lovely's sorry i keep disappearing <3

Mum, 

I don't know what I did wrong. We were so happy, everyone said we were perfect. Now he can't even look at me. I thought he was different than them. I thought he was different that his family, I knew it. But how do I make him believe it again? How can I believe it again?

I haven't taken the necklace off. I can't get myself too even though the girls keep telling me I should. And you told me I should. Christmas break will be good for me they said. A time to breath. I don't think I believe it. I miss you.

Love, Everly

None of the trees close to the castle have leaves on them. The grass has frosted over, and the sky is gloomy. Winter is a terrible time to go through a break up. 

Everly just wants to close all the doors around her and never speak to anyone again. 

That's a lie. 

She just wants to talk to Regulus. No matter how many times her friends tell her it's not worth it. Every time there's a knock on the door she hopes it's him on the other side. Every time someone taps her shoulder she wishes it would have been him. Yes he was her boyfriend, but he was her best friend before that.

Every memory she has leads back to him it seems. Her first friend, her first crush even if she didn't know it, her first kiss, her first-.

She's been lashing out, even she knows it. That prank she pulled on Filtch two days ago was reckless, and offering to fight three Slytherin 3rd years that were hassling a 2nd year by herself this morning was stupid. But she hasn't been caught yet so there's no one to stop her. 

Brayden was trying to follow her back to the Gryffindor common room again after rounds were over. It's been happening more and more since her very public break up. He even tried to hug her after a quidditch match three days ago. 

"Get lost Marsh. I don't want to deal with you right now." Everly snapped, eying him over her shoulder. She was walking at such a brisk pace he was struggling to keep up. 

"I'm walking you back to your common room. It's not safe to walk alone anymore. Especially since you just lost your 'can't touch her' card." Brayden said, just as snappy. 

Everly stopped. "My what?" 

"You were dating the Black heir. The Slytherin prince if you will." He made a bowing gesture with his hands, " That's why none of the Slytherins dared to make you the target of their curses. Trust me, you are one of the top targets now. I mean with the break up and the fact that Sirius ran away to your family. I mean everyone knows." 

"I didn't know." 

Everly kept her head down the rest of the way, they walked in silence. She thanked Brayden on her way through the portrait. He may be an arse, but occasionally he does something good. 

Though she doesn't plan on listening to him. Her plan is too good to head his warnings. She's been planning this prank for a week, though it's going to take a little longer than originally planned because the map the boys made was nowhere to be found when she snuck into their room so she's going blind.