Raven | 𝘙𝘦𝘨𝘶𝘭𝘶𝘴 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬

Chapter 64

Author's Note

Hello guys! I just wanted to thank you all for commenting and voting! Your comments are honestly what keep me motivated to write often. I'll try to follow those who comment frequently on both Crookshanks and Raven, just as a little appreciation. Thanks again! ❤︎

***

After placing their trunks above their seats and sitting down before each other, an awkward silence fell between Regulus and Alexandra.

     "So... are you waiting for your friend?" Regulus questioned, breaking the uncomfortable silence. "I'm not sure if he would want me here, to be honest." He joked.

     Alexandra didn't have to ask who he meant to know that Regulus was actually talking about Mike.

     "He's gone," she muttered quietly, the tone of sorrow visible in her voice. "He's gone away with his family. It's not wise for people with — with a family like his to stay in the country at the moment... considering everything that's going on."

     "Right..." Regulus mumbled, throwing his gaze down uneasily. He knew perfectly well what she meant by 'everything that's going'. And he wasn't proud to say that he was one of their lot.

The last summer hadn't been easy on Regulus either, as he had been asked by other Death Eaters to join them for a few missions, and he had no way of getting away from it. So he was bound to watch them torture and kill innocent people, without being able to stop them or to do anything to help the victims.

  "Won't you go seat with your Slytherin friends?" Alexandra tried desperately to draw him into a conversation in order to break the silence once more.

     "They're all out of Hogwarts now. It was their seventh year last year," he explained, now grinning. "Besides... I wouldn't really call them my friends."

"Oh?" Alexandra raised a wryly brow at him. "And who would you call your friend, Mr. Black."

A small yet warm smile was formed upon his lips at those words, as he whispered, "You."

      Alexandra smiled back at him, but could not find it in herself to respond, hoping that her cheeks hadn't turned pink. It seemed like centuries ago had passed from the end of their fifth year, when both of them had confessed their feelings toward each other, which made Alexandra wonder whether Regulus still liked her, or now only saw her as a friend.

Soon, the train started moving on and caught on more and more speed by each passing moment, finally leaving the King's Cross station and giving an end to Alexandra's musings.

     "Look, Alex," Regulus started after a long pause, avoiding her eyes, "I heard what happened to your grandfather over summer... I'm really sorry. I really am."

     "I'm sorry too," she said weakly, but managed to keep her smile on her face either way. But soon, she turned her gaze outside the window, losing herself in her own thoughts once more.

     "Hey," Regulus said softly, catching her off guard as he leaned forward and held onto her hand, giving it a gentle and comforting squeeze. "We'll make it through this."

      Alexandra didn't know what to say, so she just gave him a reassuring nod. Although the only thing she could think about was the rush that had run down her spine the moment his hand had touched hers.

***

Alexandra loved to have spent the next few hours with Regulus. There was something about him that made her forget all about her worries each time. She didn't know whether it was his frequent sarcastic jokes that made her laugh and eased her mind, or if it were in the way he looked at her with his grey eyes.

     Whenever she would lose her gaze outside the compartment's window to watch the mountains and rivers and trees, she would feel his eyes on her. But the moment she turned her head to glance back at him, he would briskly look away.

     Although Regulus was unaware of the fact that she could see his reflection on the window, which was a matter of amusement to Alexandra.

     After the train finally came to a stop as night had arrived, they left their trunks in the train, knowing that they would be magically brought up to the castle, and so they got off the train together.

     Alexandra immediately smiled when she heard a familiar voice shouting above the crowd, "Firs' years! Firs' years this way!"

"Hello, Hagrid!" Alexandra almost had to yell to get his attention over all the noise that others were making, rushing out of the train.

"Oh hello, Alex!" Hagrid smiled, but then it widened when his eyes fell upon the boy standing next to her. "And yeh must be Regulus, eh?"

"Yes." Regulus nodded curtly, always feeling uncomfortable when talking to someone he barely knew.

"Well, Alex has told me a lot 'bout yeh." Hagrid laughed and Alexandra blushed, clearing her throat.

Regulus grinned playfully, turning to glance at her sideway. "Did she, now?"

"Oh, shut up." Alexandra laughed nervously before getting a hold of his hand and dragging him away while he sniggered.

But the moment they reached the carriages, Alexandra came to a stop and let go of Regulus's hand, her eyebrows knitting together in confusion.

"That's weird..." she muttered under her breath, mostly talking to herself.

"Everything all right?" Regulus questioned, watching her carefully.

"Yeah... I mean... I thought I would be able to see the Thestrals... but they're still invisible to me..."

Regulus decided not to say anything in response, thinking that Alexandra was probably talking about her grandfather, and he didn't want to bring up a sensitive subject on, fearing that it would make her sorrowful.

Although he didn't know that Alexandra wasn't referring to her grandfather's death. Weeks back, she had seen her parents die right before her eyes, through her Marcellus's memories in the Pensieve.

She had thought that she would be able to see the Thestrals from then on, but as it turned out, one had to see real deaths to be able to sight those fleshless black horses.

As they got into one of the carriages that started taking them up to the castle, Alexandra seemed quieter than usual. All she could think about was her parents.

"Alex, are you sure you're okay?" Regulus asked once more with concern. "Look... if there's anything troubling you, you can talk to me about it."

"Thanks, Reggie." Alexandra offered him a little smile, though she wasn't ready to talk to anyone about it just yet.

She first had to speak with someone else, who could clear everything up for her once and for all.

She had to talk to the Grey Lady; the ghost of Helena Ravenclaw.