Hiraeth | Regulus Black

Chapter Sixty One

"You're insane. I mean, I always knew you were mad but... You've really lost the plot now. Do we need to take you to the Hospital Wing?" Levi folded his arms, one eyebrow raised and a frown across his lips as he stared across at Esme.

The group, consisting of Esme, Levi, Dirk, and Piper, were sprawled out on the grass in the sun. Relaxing down by the Black Lake, they were relishing in the first signs warm signs of summer.

"You're an imbecile, Rogers. Don't you get it?" Esme scoffed, propping herself up on her elbows as she gazed up at the sky through squinted eyes.

"Can you argue quieter, please? Some of us have NEWTs to pass." Piper muttered bitterly as she shielded her eyes with one hand and continued to read from the enormous tattered book in front of her as she lay on her front.

Esme rolled her eyes, "You're missing the big picture here, Rogers."
"Which is what? It isn't enough for you to be trying to take down the whole of the Death Eaters from the inside - when even the Ministry and all of the Aurors can't manage it? You're just meddling now." He hissed in response.

"I'm not meddling!" She argued, closing her eyes and allowing the warm sunlight to wash over her.
"You so are." Levi smirked from where he was, opposite her but sprawled our lazily on the grass as he watched the trees on the horizon.

Dirk, sat cross legged with his own book in his lap, interjected, "Do you two ever stop bickering?"

"I'm not sure it's possible. Levi is just so wrong all of the time, it's impossible to let it slide." Esme mused cheekily.
Levi scoffed, "God forbid Avery has a nice bone in her body."

"You're both insufferable." Dirk muttered under his breath.

Levi sighed, giving in, "Go on then, Avery, explain your plan."
"I knew you'd come around." Esme flashed a grin, "Because this plan is going to work."

"You said that about all of your other plans. May I remind you that none of them worked as expected and all of them were dangerous?"
"This plan is safe, physically speaking."

Piper laughed, "As long as we don't actually have to do anything in your scheme to annoy Regulus."

"That's the best part. I'm solely relying on Sirius Black." She explained, "I will make them get along and this will work."
Levi sighed again, "I'm bloody happy I'm not Regulus and I don't have to put up with you."

"Oi, you watch it, Rogers!" Esme snapped with a hint of mischief, though she remained facing up to the sun with her eyes closed.

"What have you done this time?"

She opened one of her eyes to look up at Regulus stood over her. He smiled, placing a hand on her head and combing his fingers through her hair.

"Hi, Regulus!" Piper greeted warmly.
Dirk chuckled, "You took your time. Prefecting troubles?"

"Third years are the worst." Regulus explained with a heavy sigh.
"I say we get rid of them all." Levi laughed.

"What have I done?" Esme grumbled, "Me? I haven't done anything. Why do you always assume I've done something?"
He shrugged, "You're always up to something, of course."

Piper looked over at him, "Maybe you can get her to give us some peace and quiet? Yet again, I'm trying to revise."

"Careful you're skin doesn't burn." Regulus pointed out to Esme, pressing a kiss to the top of her head before sitting down beside her and reclining across the grass.

"Ugh." She only groaned in response.
"Glad to see you too." He replied.

Esme turned to him and, with a smile, whispered, "Whatever."
"Whatever to you too." He responded.