his bench. regulus black

five

----------- five

his kind gesture. -----------

Reggie observed the girl beside him. Her focused face peeked through the thick locks of copper that shone vivid in the mid-day sun. The girls tongue poked through her blush lips as she gently shaded her drawings. the brunette almost felt a chuckle rise in him as she would whip a dramatic hand up to flick her hair out of her eyes or aggressively shove her glasses up her nose-bridge. Falling back into reality, Regulus glanced back down at the book, only to find he had lost his place. he drew his attention to the top of the page to start over, but for some reason he kept reading the same sentence over and over. Over and over.

"So..." Black cleared his throat. The girl flinched slightly as he cracked the silence. "Red. You, uh...sculpt?" This guy was clearly not a master at small talk, that was made clear by the crack in his voice and the way he fiddled with his rings.

"Yeah, I've been sculpting and making stuff since I was young." toby gently tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, gazing up at him, adjusting herself to get more comfortable on his bench. "My parent forced me into it. They said it was the only thing that kept me from 'bouncing off the walls'."

"Oh, Merlin." the brunette laughed, subconsciously turning his body to face her a little more, "Knowing you now I can't imagine how awful you would have been as a kid. Your poor parents."

She threw her fist into his forearm, "Rude."

"Ow!" He hit her back. His eyebrows screwed in confusion as her face dropped in an expression of shock, and a small gasp fleeing her sweet mouth. "What?"

"I have to go to a meeting with Slughorn soon." Tob slouched, "Something about marks, I don't know. Anything that man says goes in one ear and out the other." Her face fell into more dread, "Shit! He wants to meet when dinner starts. I'm gonna miss all the good food."

"What's your favourite?"

"Ooh, the garlic dough balls are the best/" Her eyes lit up, "One of the only things Dumbledore's actually good for." She hide her quill in the inside pocket of her robes, "And I always swipe a handful of purple grapes, because they are delicious."

"Purple grapes?" Reg's face screwed up as he cringed, "Green grapes are so much better."

"No way. Purple is better." She fought with a soft smirk, "Oh no. Don't tell me you're one of those people that think white chocolate is better than dark chocolate?"

"That is just insulting. Dark chocolate is the best."

"Thank you! Posie says she hates dark chocolate."

Regulus tilted his head, "Posie?"

"Oh, she's my best friend. You know, Rosie Darling'. The blonde girl I'm always with." toby, "I call her 'Posie' because she hates it."

"How could you be friends with someone who doesn't like dark chocolate?" He joked although he held a stern tone.

"Because, I know she's lying. She only says she hates it because 'Char' hate it." She shook her head, "Poor, lonely girl"

"'Char'?" The boy dug deeper into her life.

"That's 'Charlie'. 'Charlie Thompson'. The three of us are a 'trio'. We came up with a nickname in first year, 'Neapolitan'" The ginger exaggerated, jazz-hands extended, "You see, Posie loves strawberry, she very bright and optimistic, and sweet. So, she's the strawberry. Char is vanilla, I love threw boy but he is just so plain and dumb, but in a good way. Like he's comforting, you know you'll like him. So, he's the vanilla. And me, I am chocolate, the best but also the worst, Posie used to describe me as a sugar rush, I'm fun at the start but sometimes I can be a handful. So, I am the superior flavour, chocolate."

"Wow, you guys were deep as kids." Regulus raised his brows, "What ice cream flavour am I?"

"Mint chocolate chip." The red-head didn't even take a second to think about it, as though the answer was on the tip of her tongue. "You're not every one cup of tea, but those who like you, really like you."

"Huh," He squinted, "Do you like Mint chocolate-...."

"Crap! I gotta go." Tob interrupted, throwing herself up and scurrying down the pebbled path, "Bye, best friend. See you later."

"Not your best friend! And I really hope you don't!"

____

"Are you listening?" The teacher huffed at the zoned out teen, "Miss Florence, are you listening?"

"Huh?" Toby perked her head up, clutching her rumbling stomach, "Yeah, I'm listening."

"Then what did I say?" Slughorn leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms.

"Something about me failing? My attitude..." The ginger squinted her eyes, urging to recall, "Oh! And you want me to get a tutor...You want me to get a tutor! Seriously, man!" Her face fell, a pout perching on her lips.

"Well, actually, I already have a tutor for you." The man corrected, "All you have to do is show up. And if you don't, it's an automatic fail."

"Ugh..." She drew out a long groan, slouching in the wooden chair, "Why...?"

"You know why, Florence. Be at the library after your classes finish, tomorrow. Your tutor will meet you there." He flapped his hand at her, "Now, you can go."

"Thank Merlin." She snatched her bag, bolting to the door and through the halls, determined to reach the hall before dinner ended. "Shit." Tob cursed as she caught the empty platter where the dough balls would normally lay as she stormed into the dinner-hall.

"Hey, Toby." Charlie gave the girl a small wave as she plopped down infront of him, "Here." He passed her a brimmed plate that had dough balls on one side, and a mix of green and purple grapes on the other.

"Aw, thanks guys." The red-head swiped a treat, wafting the garlic scent into her nostrils, "You're the best."

"Don't thank us." Rosie smirked, pointing to the head of the table, "Thank him."

Tilting forward, Toby gazed past the students until her eyes laid on a uninterested brunette, "Regulus?" A mild grin grew on her as they made eye-contact. The boy bit his cheek, subcoming something as she mouthed 'Thank you, best-friend' at him, before rolling his eyes and returning to the chatty Rosier.

"I thought you said he hated you?" Char muffled through a mouthful of bread.

"I won him over with my charm." Toby winked at him, "I always do."

"Sure..." Posie mocked, dramatically nodded her head, "Or! It could be that their is a fine line between love and hate."

"Oh, Merlin. You are delusional." The specy girl cackled, "Look, I get it, I spent so much time teasing the two of you about your undying love for eachother, and now you want to get back at me. But the difference is, whilst you two actually have something, me and Regulus are nothing. Nothing."

___