ALLURE OF MURDER ━︎━︎ Regulus A. Black

i. sign language

CHAPTER ONE,
sign language

. . .

   When Davie Acton first started Hogwarts, she hadn't a clue about socialisation. Truth be told, she had never left her house and only saw people whenever a ball was hosted by her parents. She spent most of her days in her room, locked up (occasionally sneaking out to the garden, but never further). It was almost as if her parents were ashamed of her. It made her ashamed of herself. And that was why Davie Acton didn't know how to act in public.

So instead of trying to make friends, she scouted the castle, trying to explore every single inch of it. And as the weeks, months, went by, Davie had found so many areas you wouldn't simply find by walking by—magical greenhouses stuffed with luscious plants of all colour or a tower filled with astrological artefacts and a magical midnight glow that fell though the small stained glass windows at night.

To say the least, she fell in love with the castle.

Hogwarts was her safe space and her home. It was her only friend, one she could trust with all her secrets. The girl couldn't imagine her life without the stone castle. Everything about being there felt right.

Until second year, little Davie Acton would talk to the castle as if it were a real person. At night, Davie used to sneak out of the Slytherin common room and go to the astronomy tower to look at the stars and talk about her day to the stones of the castle.

She remembered one specific night where she took off from her dormitory to the stars.

This was the night she met the person that would change her life forever.

Climbing up the stairs of the astronamy tower, she held onto the cold railing, feeling the cold of the night getting close and closer to her with every step she took. A blanket was draped over her shoulders and her hands held it tightly to her small body.

Once she had climbed up, Davie looked around the dark area as she started to walk towards the edge of the tower.

Small dots littered the sky in beautiful pieces of artwork that could be joined together with a simple touch of imagination and visualisation. An almost half moon lit up the world and Davie started to think about what would happen if one night the moon just disappeared. Would the stars be enough to light up the world? She didn't think so, but a smile still appeared on her face.

She had her elbows leant up against the metal railing of the tower, blanket bunched up to her chin with her hands holding her head up as she stared onwards.

She opened her mouth and started to speak. Speak about everything that had happened today — which was quite a lot; a girls potion exploding in class, four Gryffindor boys letting loose around 15 enlarged squirrels in the great hall, an unexpected letter from her mother and more. She must've been talking for hours because the sky started to brighten and her eyelids got heavier with every second. Davie didn't usually stay up that late when talking to the castle but today seemed to be an exception.

She yawned, closing her eyes for a second with the intention of opening them a few second later, but the softness of the blanket and the light breeze in the air didn't help with staying awake, instead she felt herself drift away into sleep. She took a breath, half conscious while her elbows started slipping from the railing.

Out of nowhere, arms grabbed her and pull her away from the edge before she dropped down the tower. That action woke her up. Her eyes shot wide open. Davie was now standing a good distance from the edge, a short but definitely taller than her boy standing a few feet away from her.

She couldn't remember their exact conversation, but what she could remember was the look of fear and shock in his pale face as he asked is she was okay and all she did was nod awkwardly. She also remembered her panic at the thought that he might've been listening to everything she had been taking about.

"I'm glad you're alright." He said, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his trousers.

Awkward nod.

He started at her for a moment, eyebrows furrowed before softening his expression as she looked down. He took a step towards her before sticking his hand out for her, "I'm Regulus. Reg for short."

Davie looked up, she couldn't see him properly due to the dark surrounding, but she could make out a slim figure with black curls on his head. She glanced at his stretched out hand and moved her hand slowly towards his to connect and shake.

His hand was cold and bony. Long, slender fingers attached to his palms. A light tingle travelling through her body at the human touch, a small smile appearing on her face.

She didn't know what to say as he started at her, expecting her to speak.

"Are you deaf?" He asked, but before she could answer he told her to wait and furrowed his eyebrows as if in deep concentration, bringing his hand up. He moved his fingers around in different motions, looking at his hand while doing so. Some movement took longer as he thought about them.

Davie knew exactly what he was doing. He was speaking to her in sign language.

Show off.

The boy messed up some of the letters which did give her satisfaction. She did understand what he had told her, though.

My name is Regulus. He told her in hesitant hand movements. Davie remembered him from a few classes they shared.

He dropped his hand back down to his side after a second, looking back at her. She smiled lightly before holding up her own hand and moving her fingers at a faster pace. Davie had learned sign language while locked up in her room. She read a book on it and knew it almost perfectly.

Once she was done she put her arm back to her side and Regulus let out a noise that was in between a scoff and a chuckled.

I'm not deaf. She had told him.

"Hilarious." He said, putting his hands into the pockets of his trousers.

Davie nodded, laughing slightly at the boys reaction. Once she had calmed down form her small laugh, they shared a stare. Now that her eyes had adjusted to the darkness once again, she could see that his eyes were of a blue-grey colour. A beautiful clash of sea waves crashing against rock cliffs.

She looked behind him at the sky, seeing it turning orange as the sun rose. She didn't say anything, just turned around and started to leave.

"Hey!"

Before she got to the staircase he caught up with her with a few fast steps and gently grabbed her by her arm. She stopped and turned around, looking back at him.

"What's your name?" He asked expectantly.

She hesitated, still staring into those beautiful eyes. He let go of her arm, looking down for a second before connecting their eyes once again.

"Davie." She told him, a smile threatening to make its way to her lips once again, but she stopped herself, biting at the tip of her tongue.

And with those couple of minutes, her future had changed completely.

A/N

Hi y'all soo I really like this chapter for no reason but I just do ok bye now