If you hurt her -- Winter 1977

Some things were different with Regulus since I saw him last spring.  I knew how much Ember liked him and I wondered why he seemed to be acting weird -- maybe it was because he really liked her, too.  NO matter the reason I was going to figure out why he was acting the way he was.  I cornered him in the Slytherin Common room.  "Reg, hold on a sec," I said to him before he left to go wherever he was going to.

I stopped and waited for October to catch up to me.  I looked over at her.  "What's up?" I asked her, not entirely sure if I felt like speaking with her.  I knew that she was protective of her best mate, but I had a feeling this was not just about Ember.

I caught up to Regulus and walked out of hte common room with him since he seemed to want to be going somewhere.  "How are you?" I asked, figuring to start somewhere I may as well start with something easy to answer... at least, I thought it would be easy to answer.

I looked over at her.  "I'm fine," I said to her, easily lying to her.  Lying to Ember would be a cokmpletely different story.  "How are you...?" I asked, at least trying to assist in the conversation.

I resisted rolling my eyes at Regulus.  I mean, seriously?  He was not going to get me to focus on myself and not him.  "don't worry about me," I said dismissively.  "You seem like something is up.  So talk to me."  Because I swore... if he hurt my friend, I was going to kick his arse.

She was always so bossy.  I shook my head.  "There's nothing going on," I said to her evasively.  "And if you don't want an equal conversation, then I have things I need to do."  Like somehow prepare myself for the mission I made for myself.

I sighed.  "Okay, fine.  We can have an equal conversation," I said.  "But you're going first."  I smiled innocently at him.  Hopefully he would end up opening up a little bit... maybe.  It was Regulus that I was talking to... he was the king of secrecy.

"Fine," I said, gritting my teeth.  Honestly, October could be such a pain.  "What do you want to know?" I knew she wanted to know waht was on my mind, but no one knew that.  I was not going to tell a soul about what I was learning... what Slughorn had slipped one night after Slug Club...

"Well... what about you and Ems?  Is that why you're so... brooding lately?  I mean, I don't want her to get hurt, but you also need to do what's best for you, too, Reg," I said to him honestly.

I shoved my hands deep into my pockets, refusing to look at October.  "And if I don't know what that is?" I said rhetorically.  I was so used to knowing exactly the path I needed to take in my life -- even if it was not the one I wanted to go on.  but the more that I researched... the more that I was forced to do... the more that I fell down that slippery slope towards the Dark Lord... something was gnawing at me.  I was not that person -- not truly.

I was surprised by his answer.  "Reg... what is going on?" I asked, wanting to make sure he was okay becuase then that would mean that Ember would be okay.

I shook my head.  "Nothing to worry yourself with," I said to her.  "Trust me... I won't  hurt her."  I knew Tobi was more concerned about Ember than anything that was going on with me.

I sighed and stared at him.  "That's a promise I am expecting you to keep," I said to him seriously.

I smirked slightly at Tobi.  She was remarkably protective of Ember and I thought it was endearing.  "Don't worry so much, Tobi," I said to her simply.  "I don't plan on hurting her."

"No one ever plans on doing anything bad," I said in response, "but it still happens."  I looked him in his dark eyes.  I knew he was at least interested in what the darker students had to say.