𝐌𝐘 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐄

chapter eight ━━━ invites

               "REGULUS! WHERE SHOULD I-" Evan calls to Regulus after the quidditch tryouts but stops midway.

    He frowns confusedly at the sight of him staring up from the pitch. Only when he follows his line of vision does he understand.

    Evan smirks and quietly walks away, letting Regulus peacefully gaze at Ophelia in the stands.

    He strolls into the Slytherin Common room, his smirk still evident on his face.

    "Why the hell are you smiling like that?"

    Evan snaps his head to the side. His smile widens when he sees Theodore.

    Theodore was sitting on the floor at the coffee table, working on homework.

    "Theodore!" He grins and jumps onto the couch behind him, earning an 'oof!' from him.

    "Regulus is going to Slug's party with Ophelia!"

    Theodore's brows raise in surprise. "I'm shocked that he even plucked up the courage to ask her. What did he say to her?"

    "Uh, well, I wasn't there to see him ask her," Evan faltered for a second though perked up quickly, "But—!"

    Theodore rolled his eyes fondly at Evan's enthusiasm and turned back to his parchment, dipping his quill into ink. "But nothing, Evan. Regulus probably did not ask her; you know how he is—"

    Evan grabbed his shoulder and whirled him back. "But Theo— Ah, shit!"

    Upon grabbing Theodore harshly, Evan had made him knock over his bottle of ink all over his homework.

    "Theo, I am so sorry! Crap, let me help! Here—"

    Evan frantically takes off his uniform vest and starts scrubbing at the ruined parchment.

    "Evan! Merlin! It's fine! You're making it worse!" Theodore groaned, pushing him away.

    "We're wizards, you dumbass," He laughed, and with a wave of his wand, the classwork was back as it was before.

    "You're a genius, Theo!"

    "Shut up," He grumbled, but there was a light blush coating his cheeks that he hid with his hair.

    "No, you really are!" Evan's grin widens. "I never would've thought to just use magic!"

    "That's because you're dim, not because I'm a genius."

    "Hey! I just complimented you, and you're insulting me? How could you!?" Evan shoved Theodore's shoulder.

    Theodore laughed, and Evan's grin faded to a soft smile.

    Theodore's laugh fell off, and only then did he realise that Evan's hand was still on his shoulder.

    Evan swiftly took it away.

    The two were just staring at each other now. For the first time in Evan and Theodore's lives, the silence between them felt uneasy.

    Evan's lips parted slightly. But before he could speak anything else, Theodore cleared his throat and stood up from the ground, stuffing his homework into his satchel.

    "Well. . . I think I'm going up to the dorm now."

    "Right."

    "See you later, then."

    Without so much as giving Evan another glance, he marches up the stairs to his dorm.

    As soon as the door is closed, Theodore slides against it to the floor, mumbling a barely audible 'fuck'.

    Theodore had been so cautious, never cosying up too much to Evan, careful to make sure his feelings towards him were always friendly and nothing more.

    And whenever his feeling did stray, Theodore would push them down as far as he possibly could.

    Because, one, Evan did not consider him anything more than a friend. And two, Evan was known for flirting with many women in Hogwarts for fun. So Theodore supposed that it was safe to say that he was not interested in men.

    What had just happened between them made Theodore's feelings rise up again. But this time, they wouldn't go back down, no matter how hard he tried.

    Because what happened today was different. Every time Theodore's heart panged due to Evan, it was because he, Theodore, had fallen for Evan's usual personality.

    But today, Evan had grasped his shoulder softly and gazed at him with fond smiles.

    Theodore couldn't forget no matter how hard he tried. But he could try not to think about it.

    He gets up and shakes his head rapidly, and lays down on his bed with a sigh. He picks up a book in hopes of taking his mind off Evan.

( 🎨 )

               Time passes slowly but surely.

    Suddenly, the door bursts open with a bang.

    "Theo!" It's Evan.

    His heart starts fluttering in his chest like a butterfly.

    "What?" He manages to keep his nervousness from his voice.

    "Regulus just asked Celia Parkinson to the Slug Club party!"

    Theodore's heart calmed down. Evan is treating him like nothing had happened, so he would do the same.

    "That dumbass!" Theodore exclaims and exits the dorm room to find Regulus and give him a piece of his mind.

    But also mostly to not be in the same room as Evan.

    He finds Regulus lounging on a chair in the Common room.

    He grabs a newspaper from a table and rolls it up.

    He smacks Regulus on the head with it.

    "Ow!"

    "Regulus Black, you utter twat!"

    "What the fuck is up with everyone name-calling me so much!?" Regulus cries, massaging his head where he was just hit.

    "Because you're screwing up a lot more than you usually do."

    "What did I do this time?"

    Theodore groaned exasperatedly and rubbed his temples, "You dimwit, why did you ask Parkinson to come to the party with you?"

    "Why shouldn't I?"

    "Ophelia, obviously! You are to be married to her!"

    "We aren't married yet."

    "Merlin, Regulus," Theodore sighs. "I'm trying really hard to rationalise your actions and approve of them, but you're making it bloody impossible."

   "I am not the only one going with someone else. If Ophelia can do it, why can't I?" Regulus is fed up now. Why was Theodore always making him the bad guy? Ophelia was going with someone else to the party too. Heck, she even did it first.

    "Do you really want to end up like our parents, Regulus?" Theodore's words make him furrow his eyebrows. "Unhappy with our spouse and miserable for the rest of our lives?" He clarifies.

    "I won't turn out like them."

    "I really hoped our lives would be different, Regulus." Theodore closes his eyes and flops down on the chair next to him. "But whatever we hope, it won't happen. We will forever be under their control, won't we?"

    "Yeah," His words are a mere whisper, "We can never get out."

    Regulus' left forearm burned.

author's note ━━━ this evan and theodore thing was just something i just wrote in the spur of the moment, but i hope you like it haha! I'm excited to show you what i've got in store for them! also i'm writing this book much faster than i expected myself to lol. so the next chapter might be either late, or soon, depending on if this sudden boost of inspiration of mine continues!