𝕄𝕠𝕣𝕖 𝕋𝕙𝕒𝕟 𝔽𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕟𝕕𝕤? [ʙᴏᴏᴋ 1]

༄ Regulus༄

Regulus Black is the star of the Slytherin quidditch team. The best seeker they have had for decades.

But his best friend is also a star. Danica plays seeker for Hufflepuff and is incredibly talented too.

Regulus looks in the mirror of the changing rooms, the cheer of the crowd outside echoing around the wooden hut, and he scrapes his hair back from his eyes. He's slapped on the back by a fellow team member, a chaser, before the captain leads them out of the room and onto the grass.

As tradition, the large Slytherin members square their shoulders and size the other team up. Regulus has grown in the last year and he stares at Danica. But how can he give such a beautiful girl a menacing look? He tries his best but his best friend pulls a face and sticks her tongue out and he has to stop himself from laughing.

Madam Hooch directs the teams to mount their brooms then the whistle blows and seven green and seven yellow players push off the ground and into the warm summer air.

Regulus flies up the furthest, keeping out the way until he is needed.

"Oi Black!" Danica's voice calls from the other end of the pitch. "Watch where your eyes are mister... the snitch isn't on my broom."

Regulus chuckles and shakes his head. "You're such a tease! I wasn't even looking at you!"

"Whatever you say, Black," Danica smirks and dives, showing off to him.

He rolls his eyes and focuses on finding the snitch.

"SLYTHERIN LEADS: 100 POINTS TO 70!" The commentator yells, her voice echoing around the stadium. "CAN DANICA BRING IT BACK BY CATCHING THE SNITCH?"

Regulus is competitive. Even if he is playing against his best friend, he wants to win. He has to win.

Danica does a lap of the pitch and then pulls up next to him.

"Is Reggie nervous that he's gonna lose to a girl?" She swerves closer and nudges his arm.

"Why would I be nervous!?" He says, trying to keep a clear head and focus on the match.

"Oh I don't know..." she says shrugging playfully before leaning up to his ear and whispering, "maybe it's because I'm better than you?" then she dives towards the ground.

"HAS DANICA OF HUFFLEPUFF SPOTTED SOMETHING?" The commentator says excitedly.

"Shit!" Regulus curses and leans forward on his broom, diving down to catch up with the blonde girl.

He watches as Danica pulls up just before she hits the ground and climbs high over the stands. He huffs and follows her, climbing further and further into the sky, leaving the noise of the stadium behind.

He squints against the sun and it reflects off Danica's bright robes and hair. He pushes his broom to go faster and he finally catches a glimpse of the snitch.

"C'mon Reggie boy!" Danica calls over her shoulder to him, as if she was talking to a child.

He groans and wills his broom to speed up but he is pushing it to its limits.

The snitch falls to the ground and Regulus dives at the same time as Danica. They are almost shoulder to shoulder and because he's heavier, he falls quicker.

"Fuck-" he hears Danica mutter, making him grin but his eyes don't move from the small golden blur in front of him.

He is gaining on it now.

But it pulls up and becomes level, letting Danica edge slightly closer.

"No you don't Black!" She says through gritted teeth.

He glances sideways at her and swerves his broom and gently hits her shoulder.

"NO YOU DON'T!" She shouts and swerves, bumping her shoulder against his harder than he did with her.

"Hey!" He says and tries to regain his balance but flies off course and he watches Danica swoop forward and grasp the snitch between her fingers.

She turns to him, grinning broadly, her perfect teeth on show and holding the snitch out, rubbing Regulus' loss in his face.

"BEAT YOU!" She yells over the cheer of the crowd then leaves him to do a victory lap with the rest of the Hufflepuff team.

"Great," he mumbles and flys to the ground and stomps off the pitch with the rest of the frowning, disappointed Slytherins.

"WE WERE GONNA WIN!" The captain shouts and glares at Regulus and a beater pulls off his leather cap, sizing him up.

He looks up at him and steps back but he finds the wall and he sucks in a breath.

"Oi! Leave him," a chaser says and tries to pull the bigger boy away, "s'not his fault."

"He just let his girlfriend win," the beater growls, not budging.

"She's not my girlfriend!"

"Yeah right... just friends don't flirt like that." The chaser grabs his shoulders and pulls him back.

"We're just friends..." Regulus sighs and slides along the wall to grab his towel.

"You let her win!" The beater persists.

"LEAVE IT!" The chaser yells and everyone pauses.

Regulus feels the heat rise in his cheeks and he quickly pulls his quidditch robes over his head, sweat dripping off him. He rubs his hair and pulls on clean shorts and leaves as soon as he can.

He has his towel slung around his neck, his chest bare and shining with sweat, his broom resting on his shoulder and he is not looking where he's walking. Danica runs into him full pelt and almost topples over because she's so much smaller than him. Regulus reacts quickly and pulls her close, holding her up.

"Whoa! Blacks showing off that chest now is he?" She smirks and giggles, shoving off him. "And no-" she adds in a whisper. "I did not just run into your bare chest and almost fall over... that never happened, okay?" She puts a finger to her lips then reaches out and swipes it along is chest before running up to the castle to celebrate with the rest of the team.

Regulus relaxes after that. His team is tense these days. Always bickering and looking for fights. Most of the time it's friendly play fights but occasionally it can get rough.

He sighs and shakes himself. Danica always calms him and he finds himself grinning as he makes his way slowly up to the castle.

*ੈ✩‧₊˚