Ink in Paper - Regulus Black

Chapter Six

I think this is one of the most expected chapters in this book, so... well, here we go.

This is also a reminder to, please, as I warned before, don't hate any character completely just yet.

Luna's scar was itching something terrible that day.

When she was smaller, her father would joke that it was her heart that was itching since the scar went right over where her heart was.

It was the day of the full moon, which explained why the itching was worse than usual, but it was still uncomfortable anyway. The placement of the scar also didn't help matters – the scar was in three parts; three gashes that went down her torso in a crooked line. The biggest gush had been the deepest, it started near her collarbone, went over the swell of her breast and to her sternum, travelling down to the curve of her waist. The second deepest started just under her breast and went towards her stomach as if it would follow to the curve of her waist but stopped near her diaphragm; it had been the one that had hurt a couple of her ribs. The third gash was the smallest, it started right between her breast and ended under the contrary breast. The gashes formed an odd, open and crooked 'C'.

Lyall said that Luna had jumped away when the pain came, it was the only reason (alongside the strong iron and silver chains that held Remus' tiny little body back) that she wasn't in a worse situation.

Even with the moisturising cream Madame Pomfrey had given her to use on the scar to stop the itching, it was still uncomfortable under the uniform.

"Luna, are you ready?" Marta asked, knocking on the bathroom door. "I need to take a piss!"

"Coming out!" Luna called out, putting the cream into the necessaire with her toothbrush and waking to the door, unlocking it – Marta rushed in, closing the door as soon as Luna was out. "Sorry!" she called out once more.

Marta didn't answer.

Pandora was still waiting for Luna, sitting in her own bed with legs crossed and reading a book called 'Moss Types in the United Kingdom and Where It Survives', by some writer that Luna didn't recognise.

"Ready?" Pandora asked, smiling. Luna nodded. "Feeling alright?"

"Great," Luna lied.

Pandora smile grew. She believed it completely.

As they started walking out, Luna noticed a small detail.

"Where's your tie, Panda?" Luna asked.

Pandora touched her neck, suddenly remembering that she needed the Ravenclaw tie around her neck, even if she hated wearing it. She ran back to her bed and took the tie, but didn't put it on, just held onto it as she continued walking beside Luna.

"Rosalie was learning a new way of tying and I got it out of my neck to learn it, but then I forgot it," Pandora said.

"Did you learn the knot?"

"No."

Luna couldn't help but smile.

"You know how to knot the tie in the way you usually do, though," Luna said, looking pointedly at the untied tie in Pandora's hand.

Pandora nodded.

"I do know it."

Luna waited to make sure that Pandora had not understood what she had implies instead of just ignoring her completely, but Pandora's smile just showed her that she really had not read between the lines.