A Warlock's Hairy Heart {Regulus A. Black}

Chapter 24

No, no, no, no...
What was the time???? were the thoughts running through the girl's head as she hurried to the owlery.

By the time Constance had finally been let out of the hospital it was too late. True, her head now didn't hurt but she was an hour late or maybe even more.

Being Winter the sun had already set so the girl was now hurrying through the snow in almost absolute darkness. Luckily she had her wand to light her way a bit.

Finally the high pile of stones came into view. Nervously she ran up the stairs all the while questioning if the boy had waited a while longer.

The second she reached the top she searched around to find the answer to the question that she already knew. Slowly helplessness settled into the girl. If only she hadn't been so clumsy... Even then she had no clue what would have happened if she did come. Would he have rejected her?

All her doubt and insecurities came rushing up.

"He's long gone," a voice from the dark said startling Constance from her thoughts.

She turned around only to see a pair of bright blue eyes studying her from a dark corner. How did she miss that while searching around?

" What? Who?" Constance asked.

" The guy you're searching for," the boy simply answered his dark hair reflecting silver of the moon. Who is this guy?

Constance narrowed her eyes to study the guy more closely. His long legs streched down the wall he was sitting on and his back was leaned on the wall behind him. He looked calm and thoughtful his blue eyes studying her too. He even seemed slightly amused with the situation.

"So you're the true friend he talks about. "

True friend? Constance seemed confused, her anger gradually becaming bigger and bigger. Her defence system now high on alert.
"Who in Merlin's name are you?" she asked the boy.

"His friend. And you are the girl from the room of requirement," the boy casually let this information flow in the air leaving the girl even more suspicious than before.

"If only you had come on time," the guy seemed to shake his head in disapproval.

"I didn't know he had any friends," Constance stated crossing her arms. At least none that would know about the room of Requirement, she added quietly to herself. What tricks was thid boy playing?

"Maybe I expressed myself wrong."
His blue eyes were almost twinkling with amusment now.
"We are blood related."

~~~

Flashback

"Aaaaaa!" he heard Regulus yell. He had never seen the young Black so hurt. When Regulus had asked him to help him, he would have never expected this outcome.

After lunch he had seen the Black boy talking to Everett and Evan who were probably, like all the other Slytherins that day, talking about Barty battling some innocent poor boy, who was probably going to end up in the hospital wing anyway.

Regulus always attended this kind of things. However to his surprise the boy lied to the duo and walked to him asking him for a favour.

He knew that Regulus took this as shame. To let someone witness his pain so he stayed quietly in his corner of the owlery. At this times it was better to pretend he did not exist he had learnt.

At the beginning, the boy didn't understand Regulus' plan. Why would the boy want him to impose as the boy from the room of Requirement to meet some girl. But now, when he saw how hurt Regulus was, he understood. Black had been afraid of letting the unknown girl see him. He was afraid of being rejected.

"We shall never speak of this again," Regulus threatened to his friend sitting on the wall. He waited long enough for him to nodd before completely disappearing.

~~~

Ah. Of course. The big bad Regulus Black does not have friends.

"You know who he is," he smirked moving from the shadows. Constance now horrified took a step back. Had she really said that out loud?

"How?" the boy took a few steps toward her making her feel like a mouse trapped by a snake in a small corner. This guy was definitely a Slytherin.

"It doesn't matter," Constance shrugged it off finally getting her ability to speak.

"To me no. To him oh yes," the boy said and leaned on the wall next to her looking at the far white sea of snow. All of a sudden the fealing of a threat vanished from his demeanour. Hejust seemed thoughtful now. "You really did seem to break him."

Constance kept her distance. "What do you mean?"

"You broke him," Regulus' supposed relative told her. "You know, I finally had hope for him." This statement made Constance take a step closer. "But now you broke him. You build him up only to put him back down again."

Her hands formed fists and her nails cut deeply into her skin now. "No I didn't. You don't know what you are talking about."

"Oh really?" the boy turned his head to glance at the girl.

Con decided better to tell the truth now. Even if this was a trap of some kind. "Yes really."

"Why were you late?"

"If you must know I had an accident on the way. I bumped into a person and hit my head. I would never hurt him intentionally," Constance told this with crossed hands.

"Oh," the boy looked surprised.

"Have you never learnt not to judge people by appearance?" Constance's anger reached the top now. Who was he to judge her? It is not like Regulus hadn't hurt her before. "What about you oh creepy stranger sitting here in the dark talking to a strange girl? I should be questioning you."

At that boy's face lit up. He even let out something that sounded like a chuckle.

"What are you so happy about?" Constance scuffed.

The mysterious twinkle in his eyes only seened to grow." I can see why he likes you so much. Not that he would ever admit it."

Con wasn't sure what exactly they were talking about, but stayed quiet for the time being.

" You are quite a character when you argue. He needs someone like that. Who has good in them like you do. "

"Even if what you are saying is true. He will probably never forgive me anyway." The Hufflepuff wasn't afraid of the boy anymore so she herself leaned on the wall too observing the scenery.

"I can help you you know..." It took the girl only a second to realise he was waiting for her name.

"I'm not giving you my name without knowing yours," she stated stubbornly.

"Yet you know Regulus' name."

"That's different," she rolled her eyes.

"Nicholas," he finally said.

"How do I know I can trust you Nicholas?"  Constance still felt like this was a trick. Even if this boy was Regulus'relative like he said he was. Could he really trust him? The Black family brought nothing but pain to people like her. Why would Nicholas be any different?

"You don't. But every friendship has to have a start don't you think?"

The girl didn't budge whilst continuing to study him.  Her brow raised in suspicion. This really was getting out of hand.

"Constance," she decided in the end and held out her hand for him to shake.

At that he smiled.

"Now tell me Nicholas. How exactly are you planning on helping?"