The Vanishing Cabinet...Black

thirteen. potions classroom

tw: mentions of torture and ptsd

SOMETHING HAD CHANGED. Whether it was the way he looked at her or the way she looked at him or something else, Malka Mei Arslan and Regulus Black had moved on from two corresponding friends to something...other. Something Malka hadn't ever experienced before, but she knew she could trust it, with how her heart fluttered every time she saw him, and how a bit of life seemed to light in Reg's eyes when she smiled in front of him.

But right now wasn't about that. Right now was all about Malka and Cass as the two girls ran around Hogsmeade, with a plan that would take all the way from nine a.m. to sunset.

They went to the post office first, since mail to Italy would get there faster with an experienced post owl compared to Tigress (though Malka would never admit it out loud). Cass needed to go to Dervish and Banges to get her cauldron repaired after she'd melted it with the Flame-Freezing potion she'd added too much Firecracker horn to it. Now they were at the Three Broomsticks, and Cass, and Malka had just filled her in on everything.

"Oh, no..." Cass's eyes rounded as Malka told her. "Well, I feel sorry for poor Mister Black, but the rumors about his brother are going to spread by the end of the week, he'll have to deal with the fallout,"

And true enough, they overheard some Hufflepuff seventh years talking about Sirius Black's flight away the next shelf over by the Love Potions. The girls ran around Hogsmeade for another few hours, sneaking some butterbeer (and in Cass's case, firewhiskey) back to their rooms.

"Oh, no, we have the Fire Potions' exam tomorrow," Cass bemoaned as they set their things around their stone beds. 

"And?" Malka raised an eyebrow. They had been studying five different advanced fire-related potions, and were both taking an exam and giving a presentation about a potion of choice tomorrow. Malka had already prepped quite a bit for it, and they had plans to meet with Regulus in the classroom tonight to finish their brew of the Fire-Breathing Potion.

"Oh, Merlin, I have Quidditch tonight," Cass said, frozen as she realized it.

"Oh. Is it required?" Malka said concernedly. They really were planning on finishing the Potion tonight.

"Yeah..." Cass said anxiously, chewing on her bottom lip. "We have a game tomorrow, remember?"

"Oh, right," Malka frowned. Ravenclaw vs Gryffindor had their quarterfinals tomorrow. "Okay, well, you already have our notes, right? Reg and I can just finish the Potion and we'll present it all together tomorrow,"

"Okay," Cass sighed in relief. "Thanks, Mal. I owe you,"

-

That night, Malka made the walk to the dungeons an hour and a half before curfew at 10 p.m. Reg was already there when she opened the doors, and the pungent smell of Firecracker horn filled her nostrils.

"Hello," Malka said with an awkward sort of ease, sliding onto a stool next to him, watching the Fire-Breathing Potion bubble, a thick, viscious electric blue substance that seemed to cool the entire room with its fumes. There was no one else in the classroom.

"Hello," Reg said, looking up at her and giving her that smile that pulled at his single dimple on his right cheek. "How was Hogsmeade?"

"It was good," Malka said and returned the gesture. "I sent some mail home to Itsy and Bitsy with the professional owls at the Post Office,"