𝐌𝐘 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐄

chapter ten ━━━ little different feelings

               REGULUS SLAMS OPEN the door as he storms into his dorm, quite audibly swearing under his breath.

    "Merlin, what's got your wand in a knot, Regulus?"

    "I do not have my wand in a knot, Theodore! If anything, it's Ophelia who needs to straighten her wand out!

    Theodore opens his mouth to argue but decides against it. "I- You know what? No. I don't want to hear what happened because I will probably take Ophelia's side. And I do not have enough energy to deal with more whining from you because of that!"

    "Traitor!"

    Theodore grinned. "Don't let our parents hear that out of context."

    "Dammit, Theo!" Regulus groaned, "Don't spoil my mood like that!"

    "It was already ruined, don't pin it on me."

    A silence settles between them.

    "Theodore. . . I need one. Please."

    His eyes hardened, "No, Regulus."

    "Please."

    The two then proceed to engage in a silent staring match of dominance.

    Regulus wins.

    He smirks triumphantly as Theodore rolls his eyes and sighs. "Cupboard, top shelf."

    "Thanks, mate."

    Regulus dashes to the cupboard and grabs the pack of cigarettes from the top shelf.

    He places one to his lips and lights it with the tip of his wand.

    "At least smoke by the window!" Theodore gagged at the smell. "Merlin, you're addicted to smoking at seventeen!"

    "I'm not addicted!" He pushes open the window. "I just. . . occasionally smoke to relieve stress!"

    "And when are you not stressed, Regulus?"

    Regulus does not give a reply.

    When he was fourteen, back when he and Sirius were on good terms, he had caught Sirius secretly smoking in his room.

    "Please don't tell mother, Reggie! I'll get in trouble! Here, you can take a drag from my cigar if you want!"

    Regulus had refused, he always was repulsed by the ashy smell.

    He took another inhale of smoke at the window.

    When Sirius had left, the smell of cigarettes was the only thing he had as a reminder of him. After all, his mother had burned all his sketches and photos containing his brother.

    "Dammit!" Theodore's voice snaps him out of his reverie. "I can't handle this smell, Reg. I'll be in the common room if you need me."

    Regulus nodded.

    "Oh, and Regulus? Please get rid of this horrid smell after you're done, ey?"

    Theodore closed the door shut as he left.

    He treads down to the common room, rubbing his eyes tiredly.

    He can't stop himself from glancing at the clock and then regrets doing so.

    Evan was still at Slughorn's party.

    He trudges towards the couches and is surprised at who's there.

    "Greengrass!"

    The sleeping girl startles awake. "Nott! What are you doing here?"

    "This. . . is my Common room. Why are you sleeping over here?"

    Arabella's nose scrunches, "I was here with Ophelia, I must have fallen asleep- why didn't she wake me up? Ugh, now my neck is all sore. . ."

    Theodore snorted and seated himself on the couch opposite her's.

    "Nott. . . you alright?" Arabella's brows furrow as she notices his gaunt face.

    "What?"

    "You look. . . tired and. . . sad. Did something happen?"

    He is speechless.

    "Oh, you don't have to tell me or anything!" She laughs frantically, "I just thought-"

    "No, it's alright." Theodore astonishes himself by answering. "Some things are happening that I cannot control, and it's just making me. . . kind of hopeless in life."

    Arabella smiled comfortingly, "Yeah, I get what you mean. . . just last year, I was obsessed with finding a solution for how I could live with some different feelings of mine. But now, I've just given up hope! Because-"

    "The purebloods would never accept us!" Theodore finished for her.

    Arabella's mind pieces things together in seconds. A large smile blooms on her face.

    "Oh, my Merlin, Nott. I can't believe you're an actually cool person."

    "Thanks, Greengrass."

    Now that Arabella considered Theodore her friend, there was no way he could escape.

    She springs from her couch and plops beside him, bouncing excitedly. "So, do you like someone!?"

    "No!"

    "You totally do! Oh- let me guess- it's Rosier, isn't it?"

    Theodore's eyes widened, his face scarlet. "N- no!"

    "Are you ever planning on telling him, Theo?"

    His shoulders slumped, and he looked away from Arabella. "I don't think I ever will. I don't think he's into me. And you've seen him flirting with women all around the castle. I don't want to lose him because he thinks I'm weird."

    Arabella sighed and rested her head on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Theodore. But I don't think Rosier would do that. He's a nice person."

    "Thank you. . . Arabella."

    The portrait door swung open, and Evan and Celia stumbled in.

    "Theoyoyo!" Evan slurred at the sight of him "What're ya-"

    He stopped as he realised that Arabella was there, with her head on Theodore's shoulder. "Hey! Look, you have a girl with you! I never thought that might happen!"

    "Shut up, Evan, it's not like that." Theodore pushed Arabella off him and got up. "Let's just go back to the dorm."

    Arabella had a slight suspicion. "Hey, Theo?"

    When he turned to her, she pecked him on the cheek quickly. "Good night!"

    "Good night?" He mumbled confusedly and started up the stairs.

    Arabella smirked inwardly at Evan's contorted expression as he walked behind Theo up the stairs.

    "They both like each other, don't they?"

    Arabella whipped his head back to smile at Celia Parkinson.

    She grinned happily. "I just commenced operation: Thevan. You want in?"

    "I'd love to, but. . . let's work on that ship name."

author's note ━━━ someone please give me a better ship name for theo and evan