The Story of Regulus Black - Years 1-4

XCI. Detention with Professor Johnston

Regulus made it back to the party in the common room with little issues. The most pressing matter that he had run into on the way back from the owlery had been noticing a loose thread in the sleeve of his jumper, but that was truly it.

It felt nice - feeling this way. He didn't feel the urge to cry, he didn't feel like his emotions were on the very edge of bubbling over. He felt wonderfully and completely fine.

When he reentered the common room, he was met with cheers and congratulations from several of his fellow Slytherins. Various students clapped him on the back and wished him their best, and some even told him that they had been absolutely positive that he would be getting the position.

Regulus, despite the fact that he was definitely feeling a lot better, still wasn't the picture of what someone would consider a party-goer. So, he excused himself from the little group of congratulations, and he started on his way to the staircase. However, before he could make it there, he was stopped by a girl whom he had only ever met a handful of times.

"Regulus!" She called, and Regulus spun around with the confusion clear on his face - he certainly hadn't ever spoken to her enough to recognize her voice.

Verona Greengrass approached him, a stone-cold expression on her face. She looked Regulus over, and Regulus had the distinct impression that she was judging him. Finally - as if she were satisfied with what she was seeing - she met his eyes.

"I heard you made Seeker?" She asked.

Regulus nodded his head slowly, still unable to get over the confusion of why she was speaking to him. She was in the year below him, and Regulus could count the total amount of their interactions on one hand. He remembered meeting her once when the two had both been very young at a garden party that had been held at Uncle Cygnus's home. She was a pleasant girl, from what he could remember.

"Uh - yeah, I did." He responded.

She nodded her head. "Well, I suppose congratulations are in order, then?"

"Yeah, thanks."

"You're welcome." She paused. "Well, I guess that's all. Have a nice day."

"Yeah, you too."

She gave him a nod of goodbye, and she disappeared back into the thick of the crowd. He was rather confused as to why she was speaking to him at all - the two were definitely not the type that would become friends. And besides, from what he could tell, Verona kept to herself. She had a very tight circle of friends, and she rarely ever ventured out to different waters.

However, he brushed the interaction off, and he assumed that it was solely what she had said it was - congratulations.

Regulus turned back around, and he completed his journey up to the fourth years' dorm room. Upon his entrance, he had expected to find it blissfully empty - everyone was probably down in the thick of the party. However, that definitely was not the case.

Barty was sat on his bed, a rather sullen look on his face, pulling at the threads that poked out of the bottom of his trouser legs. He looked up at the sound of Regulus's entrance, and he gave him a small smile. "Hullo," he said.

"Hi," Regulus said, and he walked cautiously towards his bed, which was just to the left of Barty's.

Barty watched him do this with eyes that gave off an air of impassivity. "How's the party?" He questioned.

Regulus shrugged. "It's alright, I s'pose. I'm not really in the party mood right now, so I didn't stick around." Regulus paused. "Are you alright?"