𝕄𝕠𝕣𝕖 𝕋𝕙𝕒𝕟 𝔽𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕟𝕕𝕤? [ʙᴏᴏᴋ 1]

༄ Regulus༄

The next week is a blur of exams. By Friday everyone is tired and ready to stop. By Friday it sinks in that they have two weeks left until they catch the train back to Kings Cross.

They are no further on with finding the counter curse. Regulus is coming to terms with the fact that he won't be able to run away.

He huffs as he waits for his final exam to end. There is only so much you can write about witch trials and uprisings.

Regulus looks around and catches Danica's eye from across the room. He pulls a face like he's dead and she puts a hand over her mouth to stop herself from laughing. He smirks and does a professor Binns interpretation, making her have to bite her hand to stop a giggle from escaping. She looks away before anyone notices.

Eventually, professor Flitwick waves his wand and all the papers lift off the desks and into the air. They are dismissed a few minutes later and Regulus stands up so fast the room spins for a moment. He glances back to Danica who is making her way over to him, grinning and shaking her head.

"Black!" She says when they step outside. "Look what I did," she holds her hand up to show him teeth marks on it. "All because of your terrible impressions."

He laughs. "Surely they weren't terrible! You knew who it was!"

She pouts. "I want to get outside now, I'm tired of being in exams halls."

Regulus nods and follows her out with all the other students. They start to walk to the lake but a girl calls Danica over.

"Oh." She says and looks up at Regulus. "Sorry Reg, I'll be with you in a moment, I help her with quidditch, she said she wanted to speak to me."

She turns back to the castle and runs up to the girl. Regulus shrugs and sees the marauders sitting by the water already. He heads over to them.

"Hey," he says and sits against a tree, rocking his head back and relaxing in the sun.

Sirius stands up and sits next to him. "We've got two weeks," he says quietly, "I promise it will be done by then."

"You can't promise that," Regulus says, annoyed that Sirius broke his peace. "Can we just have an afternoon where we don't think about it? Just live how normal teenagers should."

Sirius nods and puts a hand on his shoulder before sitting with Remus again.

Regulus must have drifted off to sleep because he's woken up by James talking to Lily who abruptly stops when she sees he's awake.

"What?" Regulus says, suspicious. He hates it when people do that.

"Oh," Lily says, "nothing, don't worry." She turns to go but Regulus doesn't miss the wink she gave to James.

"What was that about?" Regulus asks James.

"You'll see." He says simply and lays in the grass, a cheeky grin on his face.

Seconds later Lily comes back with her friends. Danica is in the middle of them and his suspicion increases. He looks around at the boys and they all share the same look at James. The girls take seats on the grass forming a circle. Regulus just sits there dumbfounded.

"We're gonna play a game," Lily clears that part for Regulus and he looks at Danica who doesn't meet his eyes. "It's called Seven Minutes In Heaven."

Regulus hasn't heard of it.

"I've got a bottle and we're going to spin it twice," Lily explains. "The two people it lands on have to spend seven minutes with each other in a dark room. There's a small shed over there," she points to the small stone building.

Regulus is confused. "What do you do when you're there?"

James snorts and Lily shoots him a look to shut him up.

"Anything you want, Regulus." She says and puts the bottle in the middle of them.

She taps it with her wand and it spins.

Regulus watches in anticipation, his heart going one hundred times faster than normal. What if he has to go with a girl he never speaks to? That would just be awkward.

The bottle finally starts to slow. It spun for longer because magic was used and by now Regulus is trying not to show how agitated he is.

It lands on him.

His eyes go wide and he looks around. Great. Who is he going to spend seven awkward minutes with?

Lily spins the bottle again. The feeling is enhanced this time. He will definitely have to go. He can't show weakness. Not in front of his friends and a few girls he's never spoken to.

The bottle finally starts to stop. It is as if everything happens in slow motion.

Danica is the person it points to.

Oh.

He looks up at her and she has a blush creeping up her neck and cheeks.

"Off you pop then," Lily says cheerfully as she sits in James' lap. 

James looks at Regulus, smirking and winks.

Somehow Regulus can tell this is a set-up but he stands up and looks back to Danica. She slowly rises to her feet.

Together they silently walk to the stone hut. He opens the door and it is dark in there.

"I'm not sure what we're doing," he says as he steps inside.

Danica follows him in and closes the door. There is not much room and she stands very close to him.

"We've got seven minutes Reg," she says, obviously trying to sound unfazed.

He nods and leans against the wall. "So..." he says, looking anywhere but at Danica.

"Look at me," she says quietly and he sees her hesitate before cupping his face and gently running her thumb over the scar on his eyebrow.

The kiss flashes in front of his eyes as he looks down at her. She has a kind and loving face and Regulus won't be able to control his emotions for much longer.

"Reg," she whispers, "can we kiss?"

He stares at her for a moment then slowly nods.

He feels her hands wrap around the back of his neck to bring his face down. He leans down and their faces gradually have less and less of a gap between them. She tilts her head up to meet his then he feels her lips on his. Soft and plump and full of longing. This time they don't pull apart. Instead, they deepen the kiss and Regulus moves his hands to Danica's waist, pulling her hips against his own. She stands on her tiptoes and he moves his hands lower and picks her up. He feels her legs wrap tightly around his waist and he holds her close.

Tingles spread from his lips and down his body. He needs more and Danica shows him that she feels the same. Their lips feverishly move against one another. He slips his tongue out and along her lips and she opens her mouth to invite it in. He licks around for a little, tasting her, then they pull apart, breathing hard.

Danica rests her forehead on his.

"Whoa-" he breathes and holds her tightly on his body.

She smiles and closes her eyes again.

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