XIV —— romeo, oh romeo

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          FIANNA'S EYES SLOWLY PEEL open some time later. She recognises the row of beds on the wall opposite her, the sterile smell of bleach mixed with the castle's constant cold smell as the school's hospital wing. She visited her brother here all of the time, back when he was a student here. But she fell unconscious in the tunnel, who would've found her...?

"Thank fuck," her brother's voice says.

Remus is sitting at the chair beside her bed, closing his book when he notices his little sister's woken up. Fianna looks at him, beginning to frown.

"Why are you here?" she says.

"Uh, because when you were discovered without a chunk of your stomach, McGonagall told Mum and Dad?" says Remus, rolling his eyes. "You're lucky Padfoot wasn't in the house when Mum rang, because he would've killed your boyfriend by now — granted I'm going to anyway, but I'm sure Padfoot would've liked to join in—"

Fianna's eyes widen. "What do you mean, they told Mum and Dad?"

"Dumbledore's talking to them right now," says Remus. "You were badly injured, Fee... If that dickhead didn't take you straight here..."

"What do you mean?" she says. "Where is he now?"

Remus groans. "Don't start."

"Why not?" says Fianna. "I left before him — his mum figured out we were there so he stayed behind, where is he—?"

"Fianna?"

Regulus sheepishly steps out into her view, like he's got his tail between his legs. His left eye is all bruised; her stomach instinctively knots, as if it hurts her seeing him in pain. What is going on? she thinks, confused by her own body's reaction.

He sits next to her on the bed, taking hold of her hand. As he does so, Remus groans.

"I'm going outside," Remus says, standing up.

Fianna hears the door to the hospital wing slam shut. She knows the full moon is coming up, and that her brother's going to be easier to anger than usual — but it doesn't make it any easier for her, seeing him so pissed off with her.

"What happened?" says Fianna.

"I got back here, and I found you on the floor," he says. "I'm sorry — I wouldn't have taken you here if I didn't have any choice, I really didn't want to get our parents or the school involved. But I didn't know how long you had been out, and there was so much blood..."

"What happened to your eye?" she says, feeling more concerned about that than her own injuries.

"It's not swollen, so it's been worse," he says with a shrug. "It doesn't really matter, anyway — how are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," she says, but then she fidgets and winces, the Splinching wound sending a shooting pain through her stomach. "Fuck. OK. I'm fine when I don't move."

Regulus puts his hand on her forehead. "You've cooled down now, at least," he tells her. Her brows furrow, and uncomfortable, he looks away from her. "You were burning up when I found you. It's the only reason I didn't think you were dead."

Fianna smiles lazily, resting her head on the wall behind her bed. "I thought you liked lovers dying for each other?"

"Shut up," he says, although with more emotion than he perhaps intended.

The doors swing open again just after that, Hope and Lyall Lupin's voices trailing towards her, following with Madam Pomfrey's. Regulus swiftly moves to Remus' old chair, as Hope and Lyall rush towards Fianna, hugging her carefully.

"How are you, my love?" says Hope. "Are you feeling any better?"

"If I'm super, super still, I'm fine," says Fianna.

Her dad goes quiet for a moment, his eyes focused on Regulus. "This is the boy?"

Fianna winces. "... Maybe."

"He's Sirius' brother, Lyall," her mum says softly. And, like that, Lyall doesn't say another word about it; the years of Sirius' horror stories about his parents, tied with the black eye already on Regulus' face, seem to remind Fianna's parents that no matter how angry they are, Regulus doesn't deserve their angst. To his face, at least, she thinks, suspicious about her parents' calmness. If Remus was pissed off, why aren't they...?

Fianna clears her throat. "Um... this is Regulus..."

Remus covers his face with his hands, embarrassed for her.

"Have you been seen for your eye, sweetheart?" says Hope, softly.

Regulus looks surprised. "Um, no..."

"Madam Pomfrey," says Hope, without another thought, "Where's that cream you used to use on Remus? I think Regulus here could do with some."

"I'll have a look in the cupboard," says Madam Pomfrey, walking away.

"You don't have to," says Regulus, shifting in his seat. "I'm OK..."

Hope shakes her head. "I won't hear it. Suffering is never noble."

A small smile hesitantly creeps across Regulus' face, as Hope and Lyall return their gaze to their daughter.

"Pomfrey said it might take a few days for you to get better," says Lyall. "As long as you take the medicine, sweetheart, and rest, you don't need to stay here for it... Dumbledore said you can come home for a few days."

Fianna's heart swells with joy. The thought of being in her own bedroom, with her mum and dad downstairs; being able to see her big brother whenever she wants — being able to watch TV whilst she recovers. God, she's got so much to catch up! And to be whisked away from all of this nonsense for a while, to not have to worry about if she's acting the part of a girlfriend, to not have to think about Voldemort or Horcruxes... It sounds like heaven. Plus, it makes her think she's gotten away with this without her parents being angry, which is fantastic news.

"I'd like that," Fianna says, a small smile appearing across her face.

Hope smiles back at her, lightly squeezing Fianna's hand.

"OK, your dad and I can't stay much longer, so Remus is going to stay and take you home just after dinner," says Hope. "Is that OK?"

Fianna nods. From the years of Remus' hospital visits, Fianna's learnt that Hogwarts isn't exactly safe for Hope to be hanging around. Death Eaters aside, the castle itself was charmed to sniff out people who weren't welcome — meaning muggles. Dumbledore told them that as long as Hope was only in the school for an hour or less, the castle wouldn't become suspicious, leading to prompt visits.

Lyall hugs Fianna gently.

"We'll see you soon," he tells her. "Love you."

"Love you too," Fianna says, quietly, before her parents walk away.

Madam Pomfrey returns with the cream for Regulus, who silently applies it to his own eye as Remus sits back down, the opposite side of the bed to Regulus. He talks to Fianna about London, and what he and his friends have been up to. Apparently they had to talk James down from proposing to Lily last night, but Remus doesn't think it'll be long before they can't stop him, and he does it for good. Remus mentions something about Sirius, too, which is when Regulus conveniently excuses himself to return the cream to Pomfrey.

"Mum's livid, you know," Remus says, under his breath.

"She didn't seem it," says Fianna.

"I think she doesn't want to be looped into the same group as Padfoot's mum," says Remus, with a sigh. "In your boyfriend's eyes, at least..." Remus pauses. "No pun intended."

"Remus," says Fianna, coldly.

"Why the fuck did you think that was a good idea, sneaking into that house?" says Remus, lowly. "Could you seriously not keep it in your pants? You've heard all of the stories about Padfoot's parents, why would you ever think it was a good idea to risk stepping foot into that house? They happily hit their own children, do you think they wouldn't hurt you, too? Especially if she knew you were a half-blood, or that you're my little sister?"

Fianna crosses her arms. "You're being mean."

"No, I'm being perfectly reasonable," says Remus. "I can't believe you risked all of that just for a shag."

Her heart sinks. Softly, she goes, "I'm not going home if it's going to be a week of this."

"Can't you see, Fee? Your life fell into chaos the second you started going out with him!"

"My life would've turned to chaos anyway, because the entire world is falling apart!" says Fianna, glaring at her brother. "If it wasn't this, there would've been something else. Do you know what I noticed yesterday? The only kids going into Hogsmeade are Slytherins — kids who I know have Death Eater family. No one else feels safe leaving the school grounds, in case there's an attack nearby, so do not blame Regulus for anything that's happened to me recently, because it would've happened anyway. Better yet — what's your precious Order doing, because it certainly isn't making Hogwarts students feel safe!"

Regulus appears in front of them, clearly having heard the entire conversation. Fianna cringes at the fact, but her brother clears his throat, and says he has to check some things with Dumbledore.

"I didn't think you'd say that," says Regulus, quietly.

"Me neither," says Fianna. "Apparently everyone's angry with me. Like what they think we did is as bad as what Remus has done. You know he spent an entire month last summer, high on dragonweed? He went to my grandma's birthday dinner stinking of it, but no one noticed because I covered for him—"

"Fee," says Regulus.

Fianna looks up at him, her bottom lip jutting out, annoyed.

"God forbid I had sex with my boyfriend," she says, which sounds stupid anyway. She knows they didn't actually have sex, he knows that, because that'll never happen, because they're not actually dating. And yet she's being vilified for the boy she's dating, because apparently he's evil, when actually, they're trying to stop Voldemort.

"I think it's less that, and more who I am..." he says, softly.

"I know," she says.

Regulus sits down next to her again, holding her hand. Fianna looks down, at his hands grasped around hers, feeling surprised.

"I'll try and speak to Crouch this week," says Regulus. "Try and keep this moving."

Fianna nods. "OK, sounds good... I suppose it'll raise less suspicion if you ask on your own, anyway."

"Yeah, I think so too," he says. "I think I should go before your brother comes back... or worse, before he comes back with my brother."

Fianna smirks.

Before Regulus leaves, he hugs her carefully, kissing the top of her head. The smirk is wiped clean off of her face, as she looks up at him, surprised.

"I thought you were going to die," he confesses.

"Well, I'm still knocking about," Fianna says with an awkward smile. "You can't get rid of me that easily, Reg."

Regulus shakes his head, but smiles back at her, before collecting his overnight bag and leaving the hospital wing. Fianna didn't notice the bag, but assumes that means he hasn't gone back to his dorm room since they both returned. Her brows furrow; she didn't realise she was that badly injured, it was so odd seeing him that concerned...?

After a brief visit from Georgia (horrified but jealous Fianna can go home for the week), Remus takes his little sister home. Fianna spends the entire evening tip-toeing around her parents, waiting for the penny to drop, for the argument to commence. She waits for them to say something about Regulus, about how she's getting herself into trouble, being around him. She knows they're angry, but they're still being nice to her, offering her cups of tea and asking what she'd like for dinner.

And, paranoid but hoping good behaviour will forgive all, Fianna spends dinner in silence, trying to enjoy the first meal of her mum's that she's had in a while. She even offers to clean the dishes, which her dad tells her not to worry about, because she's poorly. Fianna winces at the comment, knowing that's their perfect way to bring up Regulus.

"Your boyfriend seemed concerned," says Hope, quietly.

Fianna freezes, as if hoping that she'll turn invisible.

"Well... he did think I was going to die..." says Fianna.

"Is he one of them?" says Hope.

Fianna frowns, trying to play dumb. "One of what?"

"Don't do that," says Hope. "You know what I mean."

"No, he's not," says Fianna, lying. "He doesn't believe in that — but his parents do, and his parents might pressure him into joining, so if you've heard anything that must be it—"

"I really hope you're not lying about this, Fianna," says Hope.

Fianna swallows. "I'm not."

"I don't like him," says Lyall, all of a sudden.

Fianna turns to him, still sitting at the kitchen table, next to her mother. She stares at her parents, not sure what to say, how to ease the tension of this situation. It's never her that gets into trouble — it's always Remus, and even then, they brushed it to the side because they were happy he had friends, that he was having a normal life in spite of his lycanthropy. They've never told her off, they've never treated her like this, like a little girl that can't make a good decision.

"No, I don't, either," says Hope.

"But you like Sirius," says Fianna.

Hope looks away from Fianna, clearly disappointed. "I think those boys are very different people," she says. "To let you step foot into that house, with a mother like theirs..."

"He didn't think she'd be there," says Fianna.

Lyall shakes his head. "That's beside the point. He clearly doesn't care enough to—"

"Yes he does!" she says, with more force than she anticipated. "You don't know him! He's spent an entire life living up to his parents' expectations — I know it's a good thing Sirius managed to get out, but none of you are understanding that Regulus had to go along with it, with what his parents wanted, so they didn't treat him the same way!"

"What they want," Hope echoes her daughter's words. "Like becoming a Death Eater—"

"Mum, come on," says Fianna. "He isn't like that—"

"I don't care what you think he's like," says Hope. "I'm not letting you throw your life away from some boy! If he is involved in any of that and you don't realise, the second one of his friends realise your brother is a werewolf and I'm a muggle, they'll kill you! I'm not having you get yourself killed because of him—!"

Fianna looks at her dad, speechless. But, to her horror, her dad goes:

"I don't want you seeing him anymore," says Lyall. "I mean it, Fee."

"Well, you can't stop me," says Fianna, moving to storm out of the room.

But her dad stands up, blocking her way.

"I won't let you go back," says Lyall. "I'll get your brother to get a job there and keep you away from that boy — I don't care, I'm not having you ruin your life—"

"Oh, because Remus always looks out for my safety?" says Fianna, fuming.

Lyall frowns. "What—?"

Fianna snaps, "Did Remus tell you about how he let me become an Animagus a couple of years ago, so he wouldn't be on his own during full moons when he was away from his friends?"

Lyall's mouth opens, shocked. Angry, Fianna pushes past her dad, determined to get upstairs and lock herself in her bedroom before this conversation can continue any further.

"Thought so," she mutters, before storming up the stairs, slamming her bedroom door behind her.

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           FIANNA'S HAD A MISERABLE FEW days at home, if she's being honest. Every time one argument ends another begins with her parents, both hell-bent on convincing her to break up with her (fake) boyfriend. Fianna knows this is a good reason to cut short their charade early, but part of her doesn't want that. All she keeps on thinking about Regulus, and his perfectly tousled curls, and his sweet (yet rarely seen) smile, and his humour and his charm and—

God. This is getting embarrassing, isn't it? Fianna fancying Regulus. But she can't help it. Her mind will drift away from him, and then slightest reminder of him will send her straight back, daydreaming about nothing but Regulus goddamned Black.

On Thursday night, she figures out how to use the sound-proofing charm, meaning she can play her Fleetwood Mac records long after her parents' bedtime. The wound on her stomach has almost gone, save for the ghastly scar along her ribs. Thankfully the Quidditch game on Saturday is Ravenclaw versus Slytherin, because she doesn't know who they'd sub in for her. Fianna knows herself well enough to know that she'd force herself to play, resulting in her wound getting worse. But she's planning on going back to school on Saturday, which is what matters.

She's lying on her back on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. Her mum had told Remus off the night before, so he wasn't talking to her either. As shitty as it all is, Fianna doesn't care. She knows her family will come around eventually, and she refuses to give in. She isn't ending this with Regulus. They're going to work together still to find this Horcrux, and once that is revealed one day, her family will be proud of her.

She just has to wait until that day.

There's a light tapping at her window, which makes her jump up. Outside of her window, Regulus looks in at her, standing carefully on the same ledge she uses to sneak out. Surprised, Fianna darts over to the window, opening it for him.

"Um, hi, Romeo?" she says.

"I've got bad news," he tells her.

Fianna frowns. "And you snuck out of school to tell me that?"

"Crouch has no clue about this cave, but he mentioned something about Inferi-infested waters, which apparently is a niche sub-section of magical geography," says Regulus. "I don't want to ask him anything else though, in case he got suspicious, but that's a good lead for us regardless."

She still doesn't understand, though, why he came all of this way to tell her this. "You could've waited to say this, though — I'm coming back on Saturday...?"

"I wanted to check on you," he says, softly. His gaze moves down to her stomach, his fingers lightly touching her waist. "How's your cut?"

"Um, it's basically gone now," she says, and she lifts up her t-shirt to show him. She tries to be tactful about it, though, since she took her bra off hours ago, and as much as she fancies this boy, she doesn't think that gives her the right to flash him.

Regulus nods, his fingers lightly brushing against her skin. "Good," he says.

"You really didn't need to come to see me," she says, returning to this.

"OK, maybe I missed you, too," he says.

Fianna rolls her eyes, trying to act coy. "I guess I've missed you, too."

"No, Fianna, I mean..." Regulus pauses for a second, as if debating something in his head. Fianna frowns. "I know this isn't real, between us, but I care about you. Seeing you like that the other day scared me... I don't think I've been this close to someone — to have someone I can tell everything to — in years. It's depressing, but I don't think I've trusted someone this much, since Sirius was little."

Fianna feels her stomach drop. Sirius? His brother? Likening her, to his big brother? She feels so embarrassed. She's spent this entire week fantasising about Regulus, and yet he's here, thinking they're just best friends? How sad is that, and how awful is she, thinking this is anything romantic when this boy is just grateful he's got a friend—

"Yeah," says Fianna, weakly. "It took us a bit longer, but we've managed to become friends like Remus and Sirius..."

Regulus pauses, as if surprised by something. Fianna doesn't really care; secretly she wishes he'll leave, so she can melt into the ground and die of embarrassment in peace.

"Yeah... that's exactly what I meant," says Regulus, slowly.

Fianna sits down on her bed. "Um, surely Slughorn is keeping a closer eye on you, what with us on the weekend...?"

"Yeah, uh, he is," says Regulus, awkwardly looking away. Fianna thinks his face is going red, but she doesn't understand why he feels embarrassed. It's her that read into this wrong. "I just... wanted to speak to you."

"OK," says Fianna, feeling defeated. "Well, I appreciate it. My parents are still so angry, I feel a bit like Rapunzel in her tower."

"Who?" says Regulus, frowning.

Fianna sighs. "I'll tell you another time."

Regulus nods, before awkwardly climbing back out of the window. Fianna wonders if she should've hugged him goodbye, but he was walking away before she could attempt to do so. Instead, she watches him leave, her entire body aching with embarrassment. Just because he's nice to you doesn't mean he fancies you, you idiot, she thinks.

After Regulus leaves, Fianna sinks back down onto her bed. Shortly afterwards she switches her records off and goes to bed, wishing this entire night never happened.

you didn't think the pining was over yet... did you

anyways i hope you enjoyed!! let me know what you thought and thank you for reading!! we're almost at 30k reads which is so exciting!!<333