Regulus Black's grey eyes stared deep into his own.

Regulus stood before the mirror in the dormitory, resolutely doing up the silver buttons of his dress robes, pushing them through eyelets stitched into the  fabric. Beneath the loose fit robe he wore black trousers, a white oxford with belled sleeves, and a form fitted green silk vest, which shimmered with pin stripes in a slightly darker shade of green - just enough to add a bit of texture to the appearance of the cloth. He was working the cufflinks that held the belled wrists in place.

Regulus's fingers slipped around his neck, checking the black tie he wore was properly under the collar of his shirt, his fingers slipping over the gold chain around his neck, the pendant it held carefully slipped beneath his oxford shirt so that it pressed against his heart.

You are so brave.

He didn't feel very brave at the moment, that was for sure.

He'd never felt so nervous and excited - simultaneously, no less - than he did at that very moment. He wondered what one might call this sort of feeling? Nervited? Excitous? In French, the feeling might be called frissons.

He drew a deep breath and it came out shaking and he distracted the anxiousness building in him by taking a small amount of Sleekeasy from the jar, running his fingers through his hair. Just enough to give  a bit of control, a bit of a shine,  but not enough to slick it back.

He stared into his grey eyes again. He supposed it was a gift - a mercy of the fates - that his face was well able to mask nervous energy even as it coursed through his cells and set his skin to squirming. The only indication betraying his true anxiousness was in the way his nostrils flared. It was his one tell. He drew a deep breath and kept his chin level, nose slightly upturned...

Regulus turned to he desk, where he'd laid his wand, and now tucked it into the small wand pocket stitched into the seam of his trousers.

One last glance at the mirror and Regulus drew a deep breath, then turned quickly to the doorway. If he stood there brooding over his look even a moment longer he'd never end up leaving the dormitory. At some point, a bloke had to call it quits with the preening and prodding and hope for the best.

Regulus was careful to slip out of the Slytherin common room undetected. Barty Crouch Jr. was sitting on the couch, but luckily he was so engrossed in a book called Seduced by the Dark Arts: The History and Origins of Dark Magic & Their Most Powerful Wielders, which he'd nicked from the Restricted Section of the Library earlier that evening, that he didn't even look up from the dusty old thing to notice Regulus as he ducked through the door.

The corridors of Hogwarts were abuzz, even down in the dungeons. People walked past him, dressed to the nines, and chattering lowly. Regulus felt a bit like he was swimming upstream as he made his way through past the kitchens, past the painting of the opal dragon, until he was outside the round door of the Hufflepuff common room.

He was shuffled to one side and leaned against the wall beside a statue of a plump witch with a wide, welcoming smile, holding a planter which had been filled with a plant that had a bunch of long streaming tendrils that touched the floor. The bottom of the plant's tendrils looked like baby versions of the plant itself, and wriggled about like a bunch of puppies on leashes. Regulus stared down at it and inched out of reach of the excitable growths. Regulus kept glancing down at the plant uneasily as the little sprouts tugged at end of the tendrils, trying to reach him, their leaves straining like outstretched arms. He was so busy focusing on the attack-plant that he almost didn't see when Maryrose Jenkins came through the door, but the dreamy colours of her hair and dress caught his eye and then he did a double-take and stared, forgetting all about the funny plant.

Her usually teal hair had been softened to a mint green only a shade off of white and adorned with a big poinsettia flower. Her dress was crushed velvet, green, and a big red bow had been tied around her waist so that she looked like a present. She gave off an almost effervescent glow that took away Regulus's breath.

Maryrose spotted him and her eyes lit up with joy as she came his way, her skirt fluttering about her knees, below which she wore tights that had sparkling glitter enmeshed in the fabric so that her legs seemed to glisten with every step.

"Wow," he breathed as she approached him, his mouth gone dry. His heart pounded so hard behind his ribs that he thought she must be able to hear the sound of it. "You look like a present!"

Maryrose laughed, her cheeks flushing, and she spun about on her last two steps to him so that the dress flew out and the sparkles danced over her legs, her mary-jane shoes chunky but somehow graceful nonetheless. She smiled when she saw his face, his eyes gleaming with admiration. "You like it?"

"I love you!" Regulus blurted out. "I mean - I love it. Sorry. You're beautiful."

Maryrose stepped up to him and ran a hand over his dress robes sleeves, then stood up on tip toe and pressed her red-coloured lips against his. "I love you, too." She blinked up at him, and he saw the long lashes on her eyes also had hints of a sparkle to them.

God, every part of her shimmered.

He felt so proud, walking down the hall with her on his arm. People turned around and looked at her with awe and complimented her dress or her hair as they walked past and Regulus made sure that he minded every rule of proper etiquette that Mother had ever taught him as he escorted his Princess to the Yule Ball.

Keep your chin level as you walk, Regulus, this is the dignified way to walk - with pride, with confidence now... Shoulders back, Regulus, keep your spine straight. You are of noble blood, boy, a little Prince. Do not forget that for a moment. Make eye contact with others as you pass - nod your acknowledgment. When walking a lady, you keep one arm looped through hers, a fist at your abdomen - keep that arm level, Regulus. Your other mirrors it, hand behind your back. Very good. You match her pace while escorting a lady, remember - a lady never rushes.... 

There were a hundred thousand rules, and he was determined to mind them, to live up to her beauty.

Maryrose shone like a light through the dark as they walked and Regulus kept sneaking glances at her smile. When she caught him peeking, her eyes twinkled and the smile deepened.

They were crossing the Entrance Hall when they were stopped by a heavy-set boy with a ruddy complexion and a thick Irish accent. "Maryrose!" the boy called and she paused and turned to look his way as the boy sprang up from a bench and started toward them. He wore plain brown dress robes. "Jayyyzus, Maryrose, you're lovely as could be."

"Thanks, Sean," she laughed and her cheeks turned pink.

Regulus recognized the boy - Sean Buckner - another Hufflepuff who Maryrose often spoke very friendly about. She'd grown up with him, she had told Regulus once, and he was one of her very best friends.

"Sean knows me better than anyone else," she'd once told Regulus. "I love him dearly."

"You love him?" Regulus had asked.

"Not the way I love you," she'd amended quickly. "Sean is like the dearest brother that I never had. I could tell him anything, could lay my life in that boy's hands, and feel perfectly safe. If you ever needed a confidant, someone to trust your secrets to, Sean Buckner would be the lad to give them to."

Now, Sean Buckner bit his lip as he looked at her dress and Maryrose let go of Regulus a moment to twirl about.  "Ah ye're very sparkly, that's for sure," Sean said. He looked to Regulus, "Ye're a lucky man, Black." 

"Don't I know it," Regulus smiled, eyes never leaving Maryrose.

She giggled and laced her arm back through Regulus's. "Are you waiting for your date to come?" Maryrose asked. Then, lowering her voice, "Did you ask... you know who?"

"I blundered and lost my nerve," Sean answered, shaking his head. "But she's got herself a date already anyway. Seen her a moment a go headed into the hall with some bloke." He shrugged.

"You should ask to cut in." Maryrose winked.

"Maybe." Sean's complexion reddened as he looked down, shy.

"You should," Maryrose encouraged him. "You've got nothing to lose. She's in seventh year, you'll lose your chance if you don't take it soon, darling."

Sean sighed and nodded. "I'll see if I can work up the nerve. But you lot - you lot have a grand time, huh?"

"Thank you, Sean." Maryrose  leaned in and kissed his cheek softly and he nodded, face still flushed, and waved as they turned, headed for the Great Hall. When they were out of ear shot, Maryrose leaned in to Regulus. "He's been pining for Annalee Mackinnon for ages."

"Annalee Mackinnon?  Really?" Regulus asked, raising an eyebrow. "Has he met her?"

Maryrose laughed gently, then said, "I know a lot of people think she's sort of stuck up but I don't think she is really, not deep down... I think she's scared more than anything. Sometimes people who are scared act a certain way to cover up what they're really feeling, you know?"

Regulus thought of some of the things he'd said and done in the name of covering up his secrets - in the name of being perceived as a member of the Noble House of Black rather than just plain old Regulus. He supposed that in a way a lot of those things had been done to cover fear. Perhaps it was no different for Annalee Mackinnon. 

But thoughts of Annalee fled from him as the doors to the Great Hall swung open before them.

The ceiling showed the night sky with shimmering stars overhead - little glistening points of white starlight across an inky black expanse. There was snow falling from among them, little shimmering snowflakes that never landed, fading and disappearing as they fell. The walls were lined with Christmas trees of all sorts, varying heights and types of evergreens - pine and spruce and fir - all decorated with warm white lights and sparkling stars and round gold baubles. A cluster of smaller round tables lined the near end of the hall, white table cloths covering them with gold place settings, including pretty gold crackers. Soft instrumental music floated through the air, tinkling like the sound of crystals and gentle wind chimes or sleigh bells. The  whole room smelled of the trees and of a soft mint scent that Regulus had always associated with snow in his mind.

There were already several people dancing on a wide golden dance floor that filled the far end of the Great Hall. The floor seemed to light up beneath their footfalls, giving a glowing effect to each couple as they moved, the snow falling over them gently. Others were gathering refreshments and having a seat at the tables, talking and pulling the crackers.

Regulus's eyes met his brother's from across the room - Sirius was sitting at a table with Lily Evans and his friend Peter Pettigrew, along with a Hufflepuff girl whose name Regulus couldn't recall. Sirius was talking to Lily Evans with flamboyant hand gestures, grinning and looking quite distinguished himself. He paused and Regulus saw Sirius's eyes sweep over him, head to food, inspecting his dress robes and Maryrose's beauty beside him. The slightest twitch of Sirius's mouth hinted at a smile meant just for Regulus - and he winked, and discreetly gave Regulus a thumbs-up.

Regulus blinked in surprise at this - Sirius had been rather hot and cold with Regulus for years. Regulus was never sure where he stood with Sirius, honestly, though he rather hoped that it was somewhat in Sirius's good graces for the most part... maybe. He had done a lot to drive the wedge between them, and he could understand why his big brother didn't trust him, even if that fact did break his heart most of the time. But then - then there were moments like this one when all of that seemed to melt away and for just a moment - be it ever so small of a moment - Regulus could see that old spark in Sirius's eyes. For a moment, they were just brothers without all the complications.

Regulus couldn't help but feel like the thumbs up had been a bit of a Christmas gift from the fates as Sirius turned back to Lily Evans and continued on with whatever it was he'd been saying.

Maryrose's eyes danced across the Great Hall with delight, and she looked eagerly at Regulus, "Oh isn't it beautiful in here?"

"Yeah it is," he agreed, nodding. If it wasn't so cliche, he would have said that it wasn't nearly as beautiful as she was, but he found his tongue locking up in his mouth.

"C'mon," she said, excitedly, leading the way.

A long table of refreshments, including gingerbread and a lovely golden punch in tall glasses which shimmered like champagne but smelled of apples and pears.  They each took a glass of the golden punch and a plate. There were tiny cubes of cheeses and all sorts of biscuits and pastries. There were sugar plums and a sweet fig flavored jam as well as a dish of sweet Yorkshire puddings with golden syrup and caramelized banana sauce to pair with scoops of  vanilla ice cream.

They sat at a table in a quiet corner. "You look really handsome tonight, by the way," Maryrose said. She reached over and fixed the corner of Regulus's collar that had somehow tucked itself in funnily.

He smiled, "Thanks."

"What's your favorite part of Christmas?" Maryrose asked.

"I dunno. I suppose the food. I'm enjoying this," he said, smirking and taking another bite of the warm pudding on slowly melting ice cream.

Maryrose giggled. "It is really good," she agreed, taking a bite. They were sharing plates so they could try everything and their spoons clinked together. "I like how still everything gets. Peaceful. Especially when it snows. It's like all the noise in the world turns off and if you close your eyes you can actually hear the snowflakes singing."

"And what do snow flakes sing?"

"Christmas carols, of course," Maryrose laughed.

"I ought to have known," Regulus answered.

"When I was little, Dad used to take Pandy and me ice skating," she said, putting down her spoon and looking out toward the dance floor. She lay her hands on her lap and watched the dancers as they moved across that golden floor. "It was always so lovely. And so quiet, too, other than the sound of us kids shouting. I remember once Pandy had fallen and Dad took her aside to see she was alright and I was still skating about and I paused right there, right in the middle of the pond, and the whole world stopped existing for a moment, everything except me and the snowflakes, and I swear I could hear them singing the Carol of the Bells."

Regulus smiled, watching her eyes glisten as she spoke.

"I've never been ice skating," he said.

Maryrose looked at him, "Never?"

He shook his head.

"What sort of things do you do for Christmas usually?"

"There's not usually a huge fuss over it at home, honestly," he answered. "Mother's not much into celebration. Usually on Christmas Eve we would have a small tree in the library and a special dinner, perhaps some presents, but it was always sort of muted." He paused, hesitating slightly, then added, "We always had birthday cake, though." His face flushed.

Maryrose stared at him for several long moments, her mouth open slightly, "I forgot it was your birthday as well. I'm so sorry she doesn't celebrate it proper."

"We never celebrate Sirius's either," Regulus said with a shrug.

"That doesn't make it less sad."

Regulus shrugged.

"I want to throw you a party."

He laughed, "I don't think you want to come to my house. It's terribly dreary." He paused, thinking about how little excitement he felt to be returning to Number 12 Grimmauld Place the next morning. He pictured the long ride on the Hogwarts Express and how only Kreacher would be there at the Platform at King's Cross waiting for him. He thought of the stiff greeting Mother would give him on the landing in front of the library door and he wondered if the Dark Lord would be there and his heart sank at the thought of prospect of having to sit at a long table lined with the horrible Death Eaters...

"Can you do that, too?" Maryrose's voice cut through Regulus's thoughts and he shook himself out of the reverie he'd fallen into, looking in the direction she was pointing.

Sirius had gotten up and was dancing with Lily Evans. He was showing off, clearly, for he was leading Lily in a waltz, their palms pressed against one another, his arm gently tucked 'round her body, guiding her through the steps. Sirius's movements, although accurate, were not as smooth as they ought to be, though, and Regulus watched him lead Lily along through the motions. He knew Sirius had always struggled with leading through the dance - he'd always done much better following - he'd heard Mother scold Sirius countless times. 

Regulus smirked. "I can do it better than him."

Maryrose looked at Regulus. "Really?" she asked. "Better than that? They look like something uot of a story book."

Regulus nodded.

"Prove it," she said.

Regulus looked at her. She was flushed with excitement, her eyes daring him. He smiled, then pushed himself up and cleared his throat, tucking one arm behind his back and bowing like a gentleman, holding out his palm to her. "Come on then. Come look like a storybook with me."

Maryrose laughed musically and slipped her hand into his, his fingers closing around hers, and he led her confidently toward the golden dance floor.