The Story of Regulus Black - Years 1-4

CXIII. Perhaps He Should Have Known

Chapter Notes: all italicized dialogue is being spoken in French
CW: mentions of suicide & emetophobia

On 4 June, Christian Thibodeaux fucked up. Christ, did he fuck up.

"I got number four wrong," he groaned, dropping his forehead onto the table of the library, "I know I did."

Roland rolled his eyes and looked up from his Herbology book with a raised eyebrow. "How can you possibly know that?"

"I can feel it! I got it wrong!"

Florentin dropped into the seat beside Roland, an eyebrow raised. "What did you get wrong?"

"He thinks he got number four wrong," Roland explained, turning back to his textbook to study for their next exam. "I don't know how you can be so convinced, Chris. You're the smartest out of the three of us by far-"

"Hey!" Florentin protested.

"- and you're the one who got Prefect."

"That doesn't say anything about my capability to answer number four correctly," Christian replied flatly, taking his face out of where it was buried into his arms and rested his chin on them instead.

"What even was number four?" Florentin questioned.

"It was the one about ghouls," Roland offered.

Florentin groaned. "I got that one wrong, too!"

Christian gestured to his friend with an expression that said I told you so. "See! I'm not the only one!"

Roland looked between his two friends, exasperated. "I don't understand how you two can even know that you got it wrong! We won't even get our results until the summer!"

"I can just feel it, Roland! I got it wrong!"

Roland let out a short laugh and shook his head slowly. "You two are so weird."

Florentin punched Roland in the arm. "Shut up."

Christian let out a laugh and ran his fingers through his hair solely from reflex. Two more people came into the library and dropped down into the other seats at the table. Arlette sat down next to Florentin - who had officially been named her boyfriend - while Robin took the seat next to Christian with a smile.

"How do you guys think you did?" Robin asked, dropping his book bag onto the floor beside him.

"I got number four wrong," Christian and Florentin replied at the same time.

Robin raised his eyebrows and allowed his vision to flicker between the two of them. "How do you know?"

"We can just feel it," Florentin said.

"How do you even get a question about ghouls wrong?" Arlette asked, her hand holding Florentin's, and her head rested on his shoulder. Christian looked at the two of them and felt an ache in his chest at the sight. He wanted to be able to hold someone's hand - Regulus's. He wanted to hold Regulus's hand.

Why he had had to remind himself that it was Regulus's hand that he was searching out was beyond him.

"It was difficult! I can't remember things!" Florentin exclaimed. "How am I supposed to remember every little detail about a ghoul!"

"It was just how to defeat one!" Exclaimed Arlette, lifting her head from his shoulder and looking at her boyfriend with a twinkle of humor in her eye. "It wasn't that difficult!"