Stars and Mist | Regulus Black

c h a p t e r. t w e n t y - s i x

Day 2 of the game and Liora had to admit; she enjoyed this thing. Like the first two terms in fifth-year, she felt like a normal teenager going out with someone. It was too bad that she wasn't sure if any of that was real or not.

Checking her calendar, she read through the things she'd written and scrapped it. It was a Monday after school, and she'd been sitting on her desk thinking.

"What's up?" Liora's head jolted up in surprise, turning to look at Mirabel.

"Nothing, why?"

Mirabel let out an exhale. "I don't know. It's just that everything is so confusing, isn't it? When I think that something is true, it turns out to be some kind of parallel to the real truth."

"Okay. Here's my advice; stop thinking about it." Liora turned her chair around to face Mirabel, leaning forwards and smirking.

"How's you and Gabiel?"

"Liora!" Mirabel squealed, flushing and tossing a pillow at Liora. "You can't just ask me about that!"

"I'm your best friend, aren't I?"

Mirabel nodded. "We're fine. Gabiel is..."

"Gabiel is what?" Liora pressed. Mirabel had buried her face into a pillow. She looked up.

"I'm not sure how to explain it. It's better than Sirius, though. I don't know, it feels like I'm really happy with Gabiel."

"You kissed Sirius? Sirius Black?"

Mirabel blushed a bright red. "Only once, when we were in the arranged marriage, but it doesn't matter. What's going on between you and Black?"

"Which one?" Liora replied cooly, trying to shrug off the subject.

"Regulus."

"It doesn't matter, Mira. You're in love with Gabieeeellll~" she sang, much to the annoyance of Mirabel.

"But really, Ora, what's going on between you and Regulus?"

"Nothing!" Liora said. "I-"

A knock on their door cut Liora off. Both girls glanced at each other before Liora got up to open it, revealing Regulus. Mirabel stared for a second before bursting out into laughter.

"Nothing, huh?"

Liora scowled at Mirabel, turning back to Regulus. He gave her a wry smile.

"Bad timing?"

"The worst."

Mirabel, who was still laughing, waved a hand at them.

"Go, Liora, but you are telling me about this later."

***

"What was that about?" Regulus asked after they were a safe distance away from the Slytherin common room. There were a surprising amount of students wandering the corridors just like them, some looking carefree and others looking troubled. Liora snorted.

"Oh, it was nothing, just something we were talking about."

Regulus gave her a look, but didn't press.

"Anyway, what did you need?" she asked curiously. Regulus shook his head for a moment before stopping in front of the Room of Requirement. He waited a few seconds for the door to pop up before letting Liora go in.

"Magic can't make everything," Regulus admitted. "But I wanted to visit a place that might not even exist. I'm not sure..." Shaking his head, he opened the door to reveal a large structure.