a/n- I will get around to editing this chapter because it is not well written AT ALL. 

'Wait, so you're saying that you've never eaten a sweet before?' Ted asked incredulously.

'I don't think I'd like them anyway,' Regulus insisted. 

'None of them?'

'Nope.'

'Jesus. That's just.. that's not normal,' Ted said. 'You're worse than Gemma.'

'I do like sweets,' Gemma defended. 'I just don't eat them very often.'

'Weirdo,' Ted muttered.

'Say what you like,' she replied smugly. 'I'm the one with abs, not you.'

'I'm bored,' Iz whined. 'This conversation is boring.'

'That's because it isn't about you,' Luke said, rolling his eyes.

'Exactly.' She pulled out a mirror and began dabbing at her eyebrows.

'What are you doing?' Ted asked.

'My eyebrows,' Iz said, as though it was obvious. Gemma rolled her eyes- Iz had blonde eyebrows and she always claimed they were barely visible, insisting on drawing them on every morning.

'Right,' Ted said, furrowing his own brow.

The five were sitting in the Three Broomsticks, and had taken off their warm coats and hats, a fireplace being close to their table. It was supposedly only meant for three people, but they'd somehow all managed to fit round it.

'Okay but seriously,' Luke said, taking a sip of his butterbeer. 'You have to talk to your brother, Reg.'

'What do you mean?' Regulus asked warily.

'You need to tell him to leave the Slytherins alone!' Luke implored. 'I'm sick of their ridiculous pranks.'

'That is true,' Gemma interjected. 'Waking up with toilet paper looped round my bed is not a fun start to the day.'

'It was his birthday,' Regulus reasoned. 'He's bound to get up to some mischief.'

'Well why does it always have to be us on the receiving end of it?' Ted said heatedly. 'They all wonder why we hate everyone and then go pull shit like that.' Everyone went quiet for a minute.

'What if we pranked them?' Gemma asked suddenly. 'I mean, we probably wouldn't do it as well as they did, but It'd be something at least.'

'That's actually not a bad idea,' Ted said, his face lighting up.

'Yes it is,' Luke argued. 'We could get into so much trouble'.

'Not if we're careful,' Iz said excitedly. 'A prank would be so much fun!'

'What kind of prank?' Regulus asked uneasily.

'Nothing mean, like swelling their tongues up,' Gemma reassured him. 'Just something like a glitter bomb or... flooding their dorm or... setting them all on fire...'

'Ooohh a glitter bomb would be cool!' Iz said. 'Let's do that!'

'No,' Luke decided. 'We need something that would be easy to clean up, so the teachers would be unlikely to notice.'

'Well...' Regulus began, but his voice trailed off.

'Yes?' Ted prompted.

'Well.. We did start making Polyjuice potion in Potions,' he said slowly. 'It'll probably only take another week or so.'

'That's nice, Mr Black, but we're discussing pranks right now,' Ted snapped.

'Go on,' Luke said, understanding what Regulus was getting at.

'So... it was never really specified who that Polyjuice potion should turn us into, right?' Regulus continued, still very hesitantly. Gemma's eyes widened it realisation.

'Regulus Black, you are a genius!' Iz gasped.

'What?' Ted said. 'How? Huh?'

'God you are so slow,' Iz said. 'We could use the potion to pretend to be one of those four Gryffindor boys! What do they call themselves again?'

'The murderers,' Gemma told her. Regulus didn't bother correcting her.

'Yes, the murderers!' Iz said. 'We could cause all kinds of problems for them if we look like them!'

'What kind of problems?' Luke asked.

'We could get them loads of detentions,' Ted proposed.

'Put pink hair dye in their shampoo,' Iz suggested.

'Set the Gryffindor common room on fire,' Gemma said.

'Or we could just.. not do it,' Regulus said, slightly regretting his idea.

'No no, we won't set anything or anyone on fire,' Luke assured him, earning a disappointed look from Gemma.

'I suppose it would be quite nice, getting an insight into someone else's life,' she wondered aloud.

'Okay, that's perfect! We'll each be one of the boys,' Iz decided.

'Dibs on Potter,' Ted called out. 'I really wanna have muscles.'

'Hang on,' Luke said. 'There are four of those boys but five of us.' Everyone went quiet for a minute. Despite his objections, Regulus really did want to see if the life Sirius was living was worth leaving him behind for.

'I'll be that muggle-born girl,' Gemma said. 'The redhead. I can't remember her name, but I've got a good idea.'

'Your going to be lily Potter?' Ted asked hesitantly. 

'I think that's her name yeah.'

'That's gross,' Ted said, scrunching up his nose. 'That know- it-all mudblood-'

'Don't call her that!' Gemma snapped.

'It's what she is though!' He defended.

'We should think about this is more detail another day,' Luke decided, picking up his bag. 'I need to finish off some Ancient Runes homework.'

'Oohh I need to do that too, I'll come with you,' Iz said. 'And so will Ted, before Gemma rips his head off.'

'Huh?' Ted asked, but before he could object, he was being dragged away by Iz.

That left Gemma and Regulus. They sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes, before Regulus broke it.

'I need to tell you something,' he blurted.

'Oh?' Gemma said, raising her eyebrow. 'Does it have anything to do with why you decided to sit with Snape during breakfast this morning?'

'Yes,' Regulus said. Then he frowned. 'Wait no. I mean, kind of.'

'Okay?' she answered.

'I gave Elladora Hargreaves a note earlier. I told her to meet me in the common room.' Gemma stared at him, waiting for him to go on. He didn't.

'Um.. is that it?' She asked.

'Yes. We just have some things we need to talk about. I really feel like getting some things off my chest,' he said.

'That's... nice,' she said, still unsure of why he was telling her this. They descended back into silence, but this time Gemma did not feel nearly as comfortable.

'That's all?' Regulus asked suddenly. She looked up.

'What?' She said stupidly.

'I just told you I'm meeting up with a girl that we've barely ever even spoken to, and you have no questions about that?'

'Um.. no?'

'You don't want to ask why I need to talk to her? Or what I need to talk to her about?'

'I don't know what you want me to say,' Gemma said carefully.

'Something! Literally anything!' Regulus' voice was getting louder. 'What are we doing here Gemma? Are we even friends?'

'Of course we are!' She protested. 'Where is all this coming from?'

'Well, we have known each other for 2 months and 19 days, and not once have you asked me a single question aside from quidditch strategies. Do you care that little?'

'That is not fair I-'

'Or maybe it's only me. I'm sure if it were Ted or Luke or Isolde you would be-'

'What the hell is your problem?' Gemma snapped. 'I'm sorry I don't ask you all about your life and all about your problems but that does not mean you can have a go at me! We all have problems and we deal with them ourselves, because we aren't fucking children Regulus.'

'Well some people's problems are bigger than others!' Regulus snapped back. She stared at him, unable to think of anything to say back. He took a deep breath and stood, putting on his hat. 'I need to go. This was fun,' he said stiffly.

Gemma sat and stared at his now empty seat and still half full glass. She thought back to the conversation she'd had with him down by the lake that morning weeks ago. He'd told her that he was scared.

The truth was, she didn't ask him what he meant because she was afraid she knew the answer. The Blacks has always been a prominent household in advocating the importance of blood purity. Everyone knew that, and she didn't have connections, but Gemma did not live under a rock. 

Mulciber and Avery, who Regulus often conversed with, had made it no secret where their loyalties remained. And now he was talking to Elladora Hargreaves, and stressing out about the fact that Gemma did not ask him why, meaning that he was guilty about something.

Gemma knew what all of this indicated. But she shook her head, not wanting to believe it. Regulus was, probably, a good person. Why would he ever want to join the wrong side?

She shook her head, berating herself for jumping to conclusions so quickly. She left some coins on the table, and exited the pub.