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“Are you alright?” a curious voice breaks the careful silence in the secluded corner of the library.
Regulus flinches and ducks his head, quickly wiping at his tear-stained cheeks. “I’m fine.”
“You really don’t look it.” The intruder— because that’s what they are, Regulus thinks bitterly— has an accent. Irish, or maybe Scottish, he can’t quite tell.
“Well, I am,” he replies tightly. “So go away.”
“Mm, I don’t think I will,” the stranger says promptly before plopping down on the floor next to him. Regulus’ brow furrows in indignation and he whips his head up with a fierce glare, finally getting a good look at whoever had the gall to encroach on his space.
The first thing he notices is how pretty she is.
The girl is his age, or maybe a little older, and she’s wearing a Gryffindor tie. The colours draw out the deep reds of her auburn hair, which is pulled into a simple braid that falls over her shoulder. Her head is tilted as she looks at him searchingly, though when they make eye contact she smiles, her jade eyes bright and keen.
“Hello,” she says, sticking her hand out to shake. “I’m Lily Evans, second year. I don’t recognise you, so you must be a first year, right?”
Regulus ignores her hand. “I said go away.”
“I know.” She drops her hand back into her lap. “What’s your name?”
“I don’t see how that’s any of your business,” he sniffs haughtily, though the effect is rather ruined by his teary eyes and splotchy cheeks.
“It became my business when I stumbled upon you crying in my spot in the library.”
It is moments like this that Regulus curses his pale skin, which turns a mortifying shade of red at her words. “Oh, your spot? Pardon me, I didn’t realise Madam Pince gave you ownership of these particular bookshelves.”
Lily levels him a stern look. “This corner is pretty much abandoned. My best mate and I are the only people ever back here regularly, so yeah, it’s my spot.”
“Typical Gryffindors, thinking the whole world revolves around the two of you,” Regulus says, fiddling with his sleeve in embarrassment.
“My best mate is a Slytherin,” she corrects, and Regulus’ whole world stops.
A Slytherin? Best friends with a Gryffindor…?
“What?” he asks dumbly, and Lily huffs impatiently.
“He’s not in Gryffindor, he’s in Slytherin.”
“And you’re still friends with him?”
Lily blinks at him for a second before some wave of understanding passes through her face and she softens.
“Of course I am. His House doesn’t change who he is.”
Regulus swallows thickly, looking away. “My brother said he hates me because I’m in Slytherin, and he’s in Gryffindor.”
“Well, your brother’s an idiot,” Lily says bluntly. “Anyone that hates people because of their House is a fool.”
Something in Regulus’ chest warms and he lets out a wet-sounding laugh, wiping at his eyes. “Well, Sirius has always been a bit thick.”
“Sirius?” Lily blinks, sitting upright in shock. “Your brother is Sirius Black?”
“Er, yeah. I’m Re—”
“Regulus, I know. Black wouldn’t shut up about his baby brother finally starting school the entire ride here.”
“Oh, lovely,” Regulus sighs, face warming for an entirely different reason now. He closes his eyes and leans his head back against the bookshelf behind him. “He’s both humiliated and disowned me within my first few days of school.”
There’s a moment of contemplative silence before Lily declares, “I’ve got to smack some sense into your brother.”
Regulus’ eyes fly open in horror.
“Wha— No!” he exclaims, scrambling off the floor to follow a fiercely determined Lily, who is already standing as she smooths out the wrinkles of her skirt.
“Someone has to. He cares about you, he’s just too pigheaded to see that,” she turns to Regulus, her green gaze fiery and brilliant and piercing in a way that makes him want to squirm. “Besides, that’s what friends are for, right?”
Regulus’ gut swoops. Is that what they are? Friends? He’s never had any friends— not if you don’t count Kreacher— but he’s also never felt like this about anyone, so he assumes they must be.
He nods once, just for a second, a quick show of acceptance for the hand she’s clearly extending. Lily beams at him and her smile is intense and warm, just like the rest of her.
“Brilliant. Be back in a jiff, then.”
Regulus blinks, his mind piecing together the meaning behind her words just in time for her to leave their secluded space. Then, he’s chasing after her.
“Wait, Lily, don’t…!”