Eudora 'Mercy' Flint

Regulus reached for the book hesitantly, his heart skipping a beat as their fingers brushed along one another. It was a simple, everyday thing to do any yet, the situation made it feel intimate. He took the book back, maybe a bit too slowly as his smile finally turned more natural. “Oh, I’m not offended… You’re just saying that to be polite.” Ever since he and his brother both started to move into the dreadful years of their teens, whispers from behind his back came back to him. Whispers about how much more good-looking the first born was. And it was alright. Regulus never thought of himself as lesser because of it. What he lacked in looks and personality, he simply made up for it in manners and brains. He was snapped out of his thought, however, when the girl stepped closer to him, his spine automatically straightening up, as if it wasn’t already. He couldn’t have reached higher anymore, no matter how much taller he wanted himself to grow in a matter of seconds. “M-Me?” Oh no. How was he going to tell her? There was no way he would be able to refuse that smile, or those cheeks. “I don’t– mm… I guess… I could… walk you there?” 

Mercy glanced down when their fingers brushed, deliberately not withdrawing from the contact. Despite the way she knew a lot of people saw her, she liked to think of herself as somebody who was grounded when they needed to be. Who wasn’t all diamonds and pink lipstick and Charms to curl your hair. So why was her heart suddenly pounding in her chest? She swallowed, looking back up at Regulus to offer him a nervous smile. “I’m not, Reggie.” She insisted, her voice barely louder than a whisper. “I wouldn’t lie to you.” She smiled again at his surprise, nodding in answer to his question. “There isn’t anybody I would rather go with.” She admitted, feeling her smile falter when he told her he could walk her to the party. “What?” She breathed, a frown creasing her brow as she struggled to hide her disappointment. “You... you aren’t going?” 

It was when the book was taken away from his grip that Regulus noticed how hard he was holding onto it, and the shame that bubbled up in him came out as a rush of warmth to his ears, probably making them change color to bright red. “Oh! No, no, no I’m not upset, not the very least!” He shook his head, taking a deep breath as he felt awfully stupid for not dressing up nicely, even though he didn’t mean to go a couple of minutes earlier. Merlin, he’d barely even looked into a mirror that day! “Sorry, I’m just uncertain as to… I dunno, what to say, because–” He let out a laugh to mask his embarrassment, a hand coming up so his fingers could run through his hair, messing it up as he did. “–you look really beautiful, sorry, I’ve already said that.” His voice trailed off by the end of his words, noticing his heart beat a little slower then, making him be able to gather himself finally. “So um, who are you going with, then? Helena is probably already there.” 

“Oh...” Mercy let out a sigh of relief, visibly relaxing. “That’s okay then, you had me worried.” She admitted, laughing breathlessly. She gently held his book back out to him, offering him an apologetic smile as she did so. She always found it delightfully endearing when Regulus lost his words, though tonight there seemed to be something stealing them from him. It wasn’t until he explained himself that she even considered her appearance may be a factor. She flushed again, her cheeks feeling hot as her smile grew yet again. “You should never apologise for calling a lady beautiful.” She said quietly, only half teasing. “You always look handsome, Reggie. I doubt you would be offended by my saying so.” At his question, she found herself laughing again, taking a step towards him as though challenging him to deny her. “Why, you, of course. Helena has already agreed to meet me at the party. And I can’t think of a more worthy chaperone.”

When she started walking towards Regulus, he panicked. He could only hope it wouldn’t show on the outside, but his frantic glances all around him and his sitting up straight, not knowing what to do with his hands was definitely a giveaway. When she didn’t opt to sit beside him was when his thoughts started to get a bit overwhelming. It felt strange to be the only one sitting out of the two of them. He should’ve done something. He wasn’t raised like that. He should’ve acted like a gentleman. But why should he? He wasn’t always the pinnacle of politeness around Mercy, even if she definitely deserved it. Why did he feel the need to do so now? Why would he even be thinking such things? Regulus stood up as well, back straight and chin up, as he was taught. However, it all felt awkward, with the two of them just standing there. He should’ve said something. Mercy’s warm smile was the only thing that melted his frozen behavior, finally having him let out the air he seemed to have taken prisoner in his lungs for way too long. “Hey, you uh…” His voice turned soft from strained, calming himself down as much as possible while in the presence of something that shined so bright, he could barely see. “Mercy, you look beautiful. I didn’t… think it was possible for you to look more beautiful than usual, but here you are.” There was quiet laugh leaving him, his hand gripping onto the hard cover of his book so hard, the tips of his fingers were turning white. “I’m… assuming you’re goin’ to the party as well?” 

Mercy’s smile only grew when Regulus fell silent. She knew he felt awkward, that much was obvious from his body language, but she didn’t. She never had in his company. That didn’t stop her face from flushing at his compliment though, and she bit down on her bottom lip as he stood before her, hoping the Charm holding her red lipstick in place was a strong one. “You… really think so?” She asked quietly, feeling a familiar jolt of something she couldn’t name as she caught his eye, determinedly holding his gaze. For one reason or another, she found herself longing to please him, to impress him. He was one of few people who made her genuinely happy. “I am.” She murmured quietly in answer to his question, glancing down briefly to see his fingertips turning white. With a gentle frown, she took a step closer to where he was standing, reaching to very gently pry the book from his grasp. She was hesitant to mention Sirius if that maybe wasn’t what was causing the tension but what else could be affecting him so? “Are you okay? Reggie, you seem… I don’t know. You aren’t upset, are you? I would hate for you to be upset.” 

“On the contrary,” Bellatrix shrugged. “You are beautiful, and I believe you’re stronger than you realise.” Smarter… well, perhaps, though she couldn’t quite bring herself to say that when the girl seemed so happy to follow the path her parents had laid out for her. Was she just resigning herself to that life and convincing herself she’d be happy, or was the truly naive enough to think that was what a happy life would be for her? “Choosing swatches would bore me to tears. I’d much rather leave that to someone else.” That said, if the person chose wrong… well, they’d only make that mistake once. 

“I suppose I could look at some with you though, if I’m around.” Which, hopefully, she would not be. Keeping herself busy would provide a good excuse as to why she couldn’t help with such menial tasks, without upsetting Mercy. Why Bellatrix was worried about such things, she could only put down to the fact that the blonde witch often felt like another younger sister. “You could take care of yourself too, if you wanted to. You might even surprise yourself how liberating it feels to be that capable.” 

Mercy looked up at Bellatrix, eyes shining with emotion as she allowed her words to fully process. Bellatrix Black thought she was beautiful, Bellatrix Black thought she was capable. Of course, neither of those things were true. Though she knew her appearance was acceptable given how much work she put into looking pretty. To hear the assurances coming from somebody who really was both of those things was incredibly validating. She felt a little of her hidden insecurity melt away, a hesitant smile beginning to tug at her lips. “You can leave choosing the swatches to me.” She pointed out, her smile only growing as she thought of everything she had learned about interior design over the years. “I’ve done my research and I like to think I know your taste well enough to find something you would like to see in your home.” She laughed quietly at the threat, shaking her head. “I also like to think you would be a little more forgiving if I was the one making said mistake.” She teased, feeling her heart swell when the girl begrudgingly agreed to accompany her one day when she needed to shop for furnishings. “No...” She said quietly, catching her friend’s eye, her smile still firmly fixed in place. It didn’t make her sad. In fact, she was quite content with knowing her future had been carefully arranged. “No... that life isn’t meant for me, I know it isn’t. And that’s okay.” She said quietly. “Thank you though... for believing in me.” 

@eudoramercyflint​

Head tilted back, banging against the back of the black leather sofa as Regulus let out an exasperated sigh, eyes rolling so hard he thought they would pop out of their sockets. But they did not, and nor did his ears decide to fall off of their place, no matter how much he wished as he sat in the middle of the slytherin common room with a book in his hands. Everybody around him was running around, talking in a voice louder than usual out of excitement for the party that was to come. His patience was running low. So low, that he was ready to stand up and hex every single self-absorbed witch and wizard in that room in a matter of seconds. That was when a familiar figure appeared in the corner of his eyes, the light color contrasting the darkness of the room making him look over and see her. It was as if all the annoying voices and conversations ceased to exist, if it was only for a moment. A long moment at that, as he noticed himself staring, lips slightly parted in awe at the sight of Mercy Flint standing on the middle of the common room. Regulus slowly closed his mouth to swallow and get himself together before he sat up properly and gave a weak wave to the girl, not knowing whether she would notice or not. 

Mercy wasn’t one to feel self conscious, but as she descended the spiral staircase to the mezzanine level that looked out over the Slytherin Common Room, she couldn’t help feeling a little nervous. It had taken her two hours to get ready. To manicure her nails, to curl her hair, to carefully apply the right amount of make up. She had even sent a magazine clipping to her daddy and asked for the dress in the image, a beautiful designer gown that was probably worth more than the average wizard made in a year. She was proud, she felt pretty. But that didn’t mean Regulus would think so. As she finally made her appearance in the ever crowded Common Room, she took a deep breath to steady herself, gaze quickly landing on a lone figure. Regulus was sitting on the sofa beside the fireplace, the green glow of the lake through the windows highlighting his rather frustrated expression. She frowned, watching him for a moment, wishing she could take away his pain. Nobody suffered like he did, and to make things worse she felt sure she was the only person who realised that. Brushing down her skirts, and checking her curls for one final time, she felt a familiar flutter in her chest as he miraculously turned to catch her eye. At the wave she couldn’t help but laugh, giggling softly at how endearingly awkward the gesture felt. She smiled warmly at her friend, her heart skipping a beat in the same way it always did as she made her way over to where he was sitting. She didn’t sit beside him, too anxious to gauge his reaction. Instead she delicately twisted her hands, biting down on her bottom lip. “Hello, Reggie...”

“Of course I did!” She replied back, matching Mercy’s excitement. Narcissa took pride in how well she knew her friend. While she was concerned sometimes about how excited Mercy was already about the prospect of marriage and falling in love, Cissa still wanted to be a good friend and share in her interests even if she herself preferred to keep her mind off of marriage until it actually happened. She shook her head at the question, placing the magazine down on the table between then. “I haven’t even gotten a peak yet. I saw it come in and wanted to go through it together. So hopefully, it’s not complete rubbish and we can find a few good things in here, but really I’ve never seen a bad issue.”

Mercy grinned, pulling the magazine towards herself almost immediately. “There’s no such thing as a bad issue!” She agreed, flipping open the first page to scan the contents. As much as she enjoyed reading the gossip columns, she was smart enough to take them with a pinch of salt, and she was far more interested in the beauty sections. “There’s a new spell to curl your hair!” She said excitedly, pointing to the page number with a perfectly manicured nail. “Cissa, can we try it tonight? I’m so tired of my hair, it always looks the same.” 

“I know you do,” she sighed, not inclined to try and argue the matter. Mercy had her plans, and that was great. But Bellatrix couldn’t imagine ever being happy living like that. “I really hope you get what you want, I do. I just think I’d be bored living like that.” Safety was nice, but what good was surviving if you weren’t really living? It was a half-life, in her opinion. The world was changing, they could all feel it, and she wanted to be out there experiencing it, not hearing about it second hand from some stuffy husband as she prepared his meals and looked after his children. “As for safety,” she shrugged. “I can keep myself safe. I don’t need a man to protect me.” 

Mercy beamed at her friend. It was no secret she looked up to the girl so to hear Bellatrix tell her she hoped her future was exactly what she planned it to be meant more than she could possibly put into words. “Oh, I know you would.” She agreed, sighing wistfully. “You’re so smart and strong and beautiful... I’m not any of those things, really. I’m suited to the life everybody wants for me and I’m happy with that. But I can’t see you choosing swatches for decorative cushions.” She giggled childishly at the very thought. She knew exactly what she wanted her house to look like, and she had spent more than her fair share of time picking out fabrics and patterns. But the idea of the other girl doing the same was beyond absurd. “You will help me when I’m looking at swatches though, right? Even if you hate it?” Her smile faltered at the mention of not needing a man. She knew she wasn’t smart or talented when it came to her studies. She would much rather not try than try and fail. But what did that mean for her in the outside world? She did need somebody to keep her safe. In fact, she was relying on finding somebody who could do just that. Her parents would never pair her with someone they didn’t believe capable of taking care of her, at least she knew they were taking that into consideration. “I know you can... it’s amazing.” 

“A sub plot?” Regulus found himself forgetting to swallow as he watched the girl nearly shine from smiling and laughing. He could only notice himself when she leaned in, making him gulp down the bite in his mouth quickly and just slightly lean in himself. Listening to Mercy talk about something she was much more passionate about was a unique experience. It was also relieving, to have his mind wander to brighter, lighter spaces, rather than having to be dropped into a pit of dark and unnerving thoughts on his own. “N-No, that’s not true. I might…” He sighed, eyes aching to roll in their sockets, but he stopped himself. “I might not be interested in the topic, but I’m still interested in your…. interests. If that makes sense at all.” Regulus leaned back, closing the newspaper and sliding it to the side for others to read. “Besides, if I found it so bloody boring, I’d tell you.” No, he probably wouldn’t. 

“Exactly!” Mercy agreed, feeling her heart skip a beat when Regulus leaned in towards her. She listened to him with a knowing smile, sure he was only trying to be polite. “It makes sense.” She assured him. “Though that doesn’t mean I believe you.” She laughed, trying to imagine her friend ever genuinely being interested in romance and weddings and fairytale love stories. He had a gentle side, a softness to him that not many people got to see. But that didn’t mean they weren’t still polar opposites. “Well, then Reggie. I’m flattered you don’t consider me boring.” She teased. “But to keep things fair, maybe you should choose our topic of conversation this morning.” 

[ @eudoramercyflint ]

It was a rare sight to see Narcissa with a genuine smile on her face. Those were usually reserved for her family and her close friends which is why at the sight of Mercy, the smile grew a little wider. She made a b-line to her housemate all the way down the Great Hall crowded with students enjoying their meals. While she was a bit peckish, Narcissa has more important thoughts on her mind.

She stood behind Mercy who had a couple people on either side of her. Rather than making herself known and politely asking them to move, Narcissa cleared her throat and glared at the person next to Mercy when they noticed her. She tilted her head to the side and when they still didn’t seem to get it she groaned and sharply told them, “move!” They seemed to reluctantly slide over a bit which was enough for Narcissa to slip in right next to Mercy like she wanted.

“Thank goodness you’re here I did not want to go all the way down to the common room to find you.” Narcissa started explaining to her, pulling her bag up onto the table and started to rummage through it. “I just got back from the owlery and look what came in!” She said with excitement as she pulled out the latest issue of Witch Weekly out of her bag and showed it off.

Mercy had only been making small talk when the conversation was interrupted. Which was why, instead of intervening, she watched Narcissa with polite interest, waiting to see how long it would take for her company to realise her friendship with the girl came before anyone else. After a few seconds too long, and a pointed glare from herself, the boy moved over and allowed Cissa to sit beside him on the bench. She beamed at her friend, knowing she almost definitely had something to show her. When she pulled out a copy of Witch Weekly, her eyes began to shine with excitement. “Oh, you didn’t!” She immediately sat upright, knowing Cissa wouldn’t have had the chance to dog ear any pages for her like she normally did. Instead they could look through the magazine together. “This is why I love you, honesty! Have you opened it yet?” 

“Oh yes, I’m well aware of how many Purebloods react to the presence of a pretty young girl, falling in line with her parents wishes. Or at least, pretending to.” It was a role she had played many times herself, both for her father’s business dealings and during events such as society galas. As outspoken as she could be at times, Bellatrix knew when to curb herself and hold her tongue. Sometimes, even she had to just stand there, smiling and looking pretty. It could be intolerable at times, but it had also taught her some valuable lessons about how the world she lived in worked. “Well then, safe is exactly what I’m sure you’ll be. Your father will make sure of that, until you are married off. Then I suppose it will be the job of your husband to ensure your safety.” Such a notion was almost nauseating to Bellatrix, who had ambitions far beyond being married off to produce heirs for some idiotic man who saw her as being worth less than him. Mercy, however, had never seemed to hold any such qualms about the future that had been laid out for her.

Mercy resisted the urge to roll her eyes, shooting Bellatrix a knowing smile instead as her familiar attitude began to shine through her words. It was endearing, she thought, though she couldn’t ever imagine sharing the same views as her friend. She liked the fire she saw behind her eyes. “Safe.” She repeated, her smile growing as she nodded in agreement. “Safe is exactly what I want to be. I’m not like you, Bella. I want a family and a husband and a pretty house to live in... I just want to be safe. I don’t want to prove anything to anyone, that all sounds so... exhausting. Don’t you think?” 

“Yes, I have. But that’s not a breakfast topic. Maybe later in the common room. Much, much later. With drinks and sweets involved.” He shot the girl a weak smirk, pouring himself some more orange juice just to down it all in one go. “I can think of much more exciting concepts, actually. Seldom do they include love.” It was something Regulus simply didn’t care much for. He had bigger things to get excited about. Of course, the concept of love itself could sometimes grow interesting, every once in a while, something he would mark down as a part of growing up. He had his moments with others. Most with Mercy, since she seemed to be the only one to actually stick around during the bad times. He had a sheepish smile forming on his lips, looking down as the girl mentioned him knowing something about romance. “Ah… I dunno. Romance sounds quite overzealous… But I reckon it all comes down to… moments to cherish with two people who share the same feelings for each other. I dunno.” He ended his sentence with the same words he started it with, shrugging before quickly munching down on another toast. “You know much more about romance. Why don’t you talk about it?” 

Mercy beamed at the thought of spending further time with Regulus, especially indulging in her sweet tooth. She had a fundamental love of sugar that, despite their many gifts, her parents simply refused to encourage. Her daddy had developed a habit of slipping her a chocolate bar when nobody was looking, but it wasn’t the same as sitting in the Common Room and helping herself to what she wanted. “Oh, Reggie. Don’t be so dull. Why can’t your exciting concepts contain love as... a sub plot!” She laughed at her own words. “Even the most exciting novels contain romance, you have to know that. It only adds to the story.” She laughed again, leaning over the table as though she was about to reveal some very important information. “But that’s exactly it, don’t you see? What could possibly be more romantic than simply cherishing someone’s company? If all you need is each other... well, that’s far more romantic than any grand gesture, is it not?” She rolled her eyes at his apparent indifference, leaning back again and taking a pointed sip of orange juice instead of answering his question. “Because... it’s no fun when my conversation partner obviously isn’t interested.” She teased.

“I’ve been questioning that for as long as I can remember, too.” Regulus added under his nose, contemplating on ripping the page out as he looked at one of the photos of a different article of some wizard who had his foot bitten off by a dragon, hobble around in the shower of flashlights arund him. He decided against it for now, finishing off his toast and starting to prepare another one, this time eyeing some poached eggs to go with it. “More like pathetic. The muggle part, I mean. I don’t know much about romance to comment on that part, but… whatever she’s done, she has not thought about the consequences of her actions.” He took a bite, glancing at the girl. “Or… maybe that’s exactly what forbidden love’s s’posed to be? Makin’ one completely lose control over their rational thinking?”

“You have?” Mercy asked curiously, wondering if Regulus would elaborate if she prompted him to. She watched as his knife moved of its own accord, carefully buttering another piece of toast as he pointedly read another article in the Prophet. “Well, of course it would be rather ridiculous to shun your family and run away with someone who isn’t even able to perform magic.” She agreed, wrinkling her nose at the very thought. “But forbidden love is a rather exciting concept, don’t you think?” She much preferred the idea of organised love, love approved by her family, love that would eventually better herself and her bloodline. But it was fun to lose herself in childish daydreams every once in a while. “Come on, Reggie. You must know a little of romance.” She insisted, grinning when he mentioned the loss of all rational thinking. “So you do understand.” She teased. “I knew it.”

This is what he got for sleeping in. He would miss out on these things. Eyes frantically moved from the left to right, reading the article twice over before he looked up at Mercy again, remembering that he should’ve answered. “Hm? Yeah, yes, no… um, why are you calm about this?” He asked, grabbing a couple of empty toasts and fishing his wand out from the waistband of his trousers to flick it at a buttering knife to do its own magic. “This is important, Mercy! It… I-It makes one question everything. The safety measurements at Hogwarts, the integrity of the Ministry… she’s the Minister’s daughter!” He took a bite of his buttered toast now, chewing as he spoke out of excitement. “You know how some people feel about her. It is dangerous to be a public figure…” He swallowed slowly, finally realizing that he might’ve gone a bit overboard with his theories. “Or…” He smiled softly to himself, pouring some orange juice to a cup. “…Perhaps I’ve read too many books in the summer containing politics and conspiracies. She’s probably just fallen in love and ran away, or something.”

Mercy shrugged, taking another bite of her toast, chewing it carefully and swallowing before finally answering Regulus’ question. “What reason have I not to be? Daddy never has liked the Minister. And you know Sage is lost in London somewhere. She’ll be back before we know it, people just like to be dramatic about these things. Don’t people go missing all the time?” She leaned forwards across the table, interested to hear his take on the information. “The safety measurements? Reggie, her mother left her in a crowd of Muggles. I don’t see what that has to do with the school’s regulations.” She laughed at the mention of the Ministry’s integrity. “Daddy has been questioning that for as long as I can remember.” She pointed out, knowing his parents very likely felt the same way. At the sight of his smile she allowed herself to relax, happy to see he wasn’t upset though she couldn’t imagine why he ever would be. “Perhaps.” She agreed, shooting him a wicked grin. There was something about the image of him spending the summer curled up in his bedroom surrounded by books that was endlessly endearing. “Oh, that would be so romantic! I wonder if she fell in love with a Muggle. Maybe she was trying to save the Minister’s reputation.” 

Black robes flowed over the equally as black shoes as they stomped down the floors of the great hall, eyes glancing to the side every once in a while as Regulus’ ears quickly caught up to the general topic around the tables at lunch. Something was wrong. There was a tension in the hall, mouths focusing on speaking instead of being stuffed with sandwiches or candy. He was already quite late, lessons starting in about 20 minutes, but he wasn’t too hungry anyway. Regulus was on his way to his usual spot at the Slytherin table by the wall when with a swift sweep of his arm, he snatched a copy of the Daily Prophet out of a third year Ravenclaw’s hands. It wasn’t like they were doing anything useful with it anyway. As he finally took a seat with a mumble that sounded like a “Afternoon–” to his peers around him, Regulus grabbed a pear from a plate full of fruit to chew on as he set the paper on the table. His eyes rolled, making a face as he saw that the paper was open on the page of Tricks & Trucks, quickly making sure to turn over to the Bad News segment. After all, there were times that what the general public of witches and wizards thought to be bad news, were actually quite good ones to him. That was when it’d all made sense. “Sage’s gone?” He leaned in some more after exclaiming and making other students around him look up to the familiar name, squinting slightly to make sure whether he was reading it right. It wasn’t like he knew Addison personally, but it was something that hadn’t happened before. Not with a Hogwarts student. “Have you heard about this?” 

Mercy had risen early to curl her hair before heading down to the Great Hall for breakfast. Her neutral make up was perfectly applied, natural and becoming enough to look effortless, though it had actually taken her at least thirty minutes of staring at her own reflection. Her uniform was neatly pressed, the top button of her dress shirt fastened with her Slytherin tie proudly on display. She couldn’t bear the thought of looking unpresentable, she enjoyed taking pride in her appearance. With half an hour to spare before she knew she was due for Breakfast, she had wandered down to the Hall early, sensing the uncomfortable atmosphere the moment she walked through the door. It hadn’t taken her very long to hear what people were whispering about, but she had shrugged off the information the moment she realised it wouldn’t affect her in any way. She was halfway through her second piece of marmalade on toast when Regulus hurried to take the seat opposite her, nose buried in a copy of the Daily Prophet. “Of course I have.” She said, watching him curiously. He seemed flustered, though she couldn’t understand why. “Reggie, is everything okay?” 

Her hand was pulled back, and for a second his own froze taking in the sudden chill of the emptiness on his skin before he curled his fingers into a loose fist and leaned back in his seat. He felt a warmth fill out whatever space there was in his chest at the sight of Mercy Flint smiling at him. She was always composed, anchored to the land and constantly tying herself to Regulus so that he wouldn’t fly away into a space of nothingness. That was the only was he could describe her. And he felt so bad for not being able to smile back at her genuinely, because every time he wanted to, we would be reminded of how he doesn’t deserve such a thing. How could he possibly make her understand how grateful he was for her? All Regulus could do is give her a look. A silent, serene look, accompanied by a shadow of pain and guilt. He couldn’t hold it for long, so instead he looked out of the window, feeling the train start to move slowly, the noise of parents and children around them making it easier to block out his worrying thoughts. “Still–”He started, taking a breath in. He was just about to start with a monologue about his perfectionism when the girl’s last words finally got to him. “Mercy…” He started, “…Thank you. But I’m absolutely getting an Outstanding.” He said, voice full of something that took a while to emerge: ambition.

Mercy could see something in his expression, an emotion she couldn’t quite place. Despite not being able to fully understand it, he was in pain and that hurt her. That was what she truly needed to focus on, anything more complex could be explored at a later date. She smiled when she felt the train judder, beginning to pull out of the station, and decided sporadically to jump up and sit beside Regulus rather than opposite him. She placed a gentle hand on his arm, laughing quietly at his mention of achieving Outstandings. “Well then, I already think you’re outstanding.” She corrected herself, raising her eyebrows as if to challenge him. “And if you’re so sure then you have nothing to worry over, silly.”