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"Oh blimey, do we really need to know all of this?"
Hidden away in a corner of the library with two bookshelves on either sides, a head of blonde hair was bent over a textbook, the spine reading, Arithmancy. Papers with unintelligible scribbles were sprawled on the desk area in front of her, a prime example of the haphazardness within the petite girl's mind.
Marlene McKinnon was no doubt a brilliant girl. What with taking ten classes in her fifth year, balancing O.W.L preparations, and being a Ravenclaw prefect, anybody else would've collapsed from the pressures weighing down on her shoulders. Her idea of stress relief came in the form of convincing Regulus Black to accompany her to the library, then proceeding to burying her nose in textbooks and trying to not cry.
The Arithmancy professor had instructed the students to compose and memorize five number charts for a possible pop quiz. Though Marlene was excelling in the subject, memorizing five complex number charts seemed impossible to her. At most, she could memorize three — five was far out of her limit.
Looking up from the textbook cradled in her lap, Marlene took a quick glance at her notes, visibly cringing at the mess she was creating, then turning her gaze to Regulus. "I hate schoolwork," she whined.
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Regulus was grateful to whatever forces controlled the universe none of his dorm mates had asked him where he was going when he left the common room in a hurry. He was really not in the mood to explain to them that he was running late to meet a certain blonde Ravenclaw prefect in the library to
have a study datestudy.
He arrived to the massive library doors out of breath, and made sure to take a pause to collect himself before entering. He knew she was probably there already and he wasn't about to enter as if he had just run all the way from the dungeons, which he absolutely had. No, he would walk into the library with the poise of a Black, as if arriving just in time had been his plan all along.
They hadn't been in the library for long, but Marlene was getting frustrated with the Arithmancy assignment. With good reason too, and if he hadn't been thinking about that History of Magic essay he still had to finish, he would've been in her same position. Regulus wasn't a procrastinator by any means, but there was just something about History of Magic that put him to sleep.
"I think they're actually trying to kill us Mar," He said, the nickname rolling off his tongue before he could stop himself. He was paralyzed and turned to her, a tint of red coloring his ears. "-lene," He finished awkwardly. "In any case Arithmancy doesn't really matter, does it? Do we really need it anyways?" He continued while shifting through his textbook while avoiding making eye contact with her.
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Mar. Though slight, she couldn't help but hold on to the nickname as if it were a term of endearment. When it came to her feelings for Regulus, Marlene felt as if she were treading on thin ice; she had every doubt that he reciprocated her feelings, yet his mere gaze could always render her speechless. Stunned, she held his gaze for a second more before he moved his gaze elsewhere.
Holding in a sigh, Marlene studied his reddening features, taking note of how stressed her seemed. When she finally glanced away, she sighed, reaching forward to grab a hold of her assortment of papers, stacking them together as neatly as she could. It wouldn't be the worst thing if she pushed off her Arithmancy assingment for another hour or so, right? She could get to work on memorizing her Astronomy notes. "Well," Marlene started in response to his question, reaching for a separate stack of papers on the desk in front of her that had her notes. "If I wanted to be a Curse-Breaker for Gringotts like Tertius, then I would be required a passing O.W.L in Arithmancy. Otherwise, the class is... utterly useless."
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Regulus felt her gaze on him but pretended not to notice and flipped through the pages of his textbook, as if the Giant Wars were the most interesting thing he had ever seen. Marlene and him had been friends for a while, so a nickname wasn’t a scandalous event, but still he felt as if he was crossing a line of endearment he wasn’t sure he was allowed to. If only his house mates, or Merlin forbid his parents were to see him now, blabbing like a bufoon in front of a half-blood, they’d have his head before you could say “History of Magic”.
He looked up when she finally spoke. “Would you want to?” He asked, curious for her answer. “Be a Curse-Breaker I mean.” He had never spoken to her about their plans after graduation. It wouldn’t surprise him to see her do something really cool and unique. He didn’t have many choices and hadn’t given himself a chance to dream, but if things were different...Well, he’d never know.
Graduation wasn't always a thought that crossed Marlene's mind. Though she dedicated time and energy into ensuring she had some of the best grades for whatever she chose to do in the future, she really didn't know what she wanted to do. Her elder brother worked in the Ministry, and her elder sister was an Auror — Marlene lacked the traits required to pursue the latter.
"I'm not sure," she shared truthfully with a small shrug of her shoulders. "That's essentially why I'm taking all of these courses. Maybe... maybe there'll be a subject I'm fond of and choose to pursue." Of all her classes, Marlene's favorites had to be Astronomy and Transfiguration, yet she still wasn't sure of a career to pursue.
She met his gaze with a pleased smile, then asked, "What about you? I can't imagine you'd want to live off of your family's wealth for an eternity." To her knowledge, the Black family relied on the wealth they had accumulated from the earliest ancestors, and not many had serious professions.
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Regulus nodded as she spoke. "That's smart." He said simply. "Not Arithmancy by the looks of it, though." He added, a mischievous smile on his face. He crossed his arms and rested his head down, his eyes still on her as she spoke. Graduation was still so far away for them, but it felt like everyone was pushing them to make choices about their future. With the O.W.L.s coming up at the end of the year, they'd both have to meet with their heads of house, discuss their progress in their courses and find something that matched their interests, and their aptitudes. It felt so ridiculous that they had to pick a life-changing decision based on which courses they enjoyed as fifteen year olds, but that's how it was.
Regulus mimicked her smile, staring up to her from the table, and wondering how someone could make him smile so fast. But then as soon as she finished speaking his smile disappeared. Everyone knew the Black family was wealthy enough so that at least the next ten generations wouldn't need jobs, and from bits of conversations with his parents, that was the expectation of him. They expected him to hold up the family name, while he was at Hogwarts he did that by being Slytherin seeker and getting good marks, but after Hogwarts it was a little different. It had more to do with who he associated himself with, who he supported.
Regulus shrugged. "I'm also hoping one of these classes tells me something," He said, sitting up with his face resting on his left hand in a lazy position. "I'm doing well in Charms but I don't want to do that for the rest of my life." It was one thing to complete an assignment with highest marks, but another thing was to do it for a living. "And maybe the inheritance isn't that bad," He said, half-joing. "I can use my part to retire in Greece at eighteen."
Marlene side-eyed Regulus with a look that had the potential to kill were it not for her softer features. Though he was right — after today, she had no qualms towards not pursuing a career involving Arithmancy — she knew she needed to maintain an open-mind. She may be against the subject now, but for all she knew, she could take a fondness for it later in the year. Marlene glanced down at the Astronomy notes on her lap, then back up at him with a grin. "I'm sure you've heard this before, but did you know that Regulus is the brightest star in the constellation of Leo?" she told him. There was something about sharing what she had learned or was learning with Regulus that she loved. Perhaps it was because he too shared what he learned or was learning, and their bond was built over their shared knowledge.
Her voice faded when she said, "You're all named after stars," her attention returning to the neat handwriting scribbled on the parchment. Astronomy was one of the subjects she could admit to loving; it was amazing just how vast the universe was, and how much had yet to be discovered. Not to mention, what was already discovered is beautiful and extraordinary. At Ravenclaw tower, she could lay for hours, her eyes glistening as she gazed adoringly at the stars above. Her attention was reluctantly pulled from her notes when Regulus answered. Taking note of his stance, she mirrored him, her face being held up in her right palm and a curious smile twitching at her lips.
"What about quidditch?" she asked. Though she wasn't a massive fan of the sport, Marlene was known to attend the Slytherin games to support him from the sidelines. Most Slytherins weren't... fond of half-bloods and she took a risk with every game she attended, hiding herself with a scarf or a hat to block her head from the sun and hide her face. She knew Regulus loved the sport, or she assumed, at least, considering he was the Slytherin seeker. "Maybe you don't play with a professional team, but you can work at the Department of Magical Games and Sports?"
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Regulus' blush had receded, but when she referred to his namesake, he felt a warmth creeping back to his ears. He knew it was a Black family tradition to name children after constellations. Him and pretty much all his cousins were named after stars, maybe because of the symbolic meaning, or maybe for how stuck-up the names sounded. But he never felt it was as much of a compliment until Marlene said it so. He traced her face with his eyes, settling on her eyes as she turned to Astronomy. Maybe she would study the stars. Regulus' mind slowly started to imagine her up on a tower tracing the movement of the planets, maybe even writing a book or two. The edges of his mouth turned up on a little smile. He didn't feel like he was worthy of the compliment of his namesake, in his eyes it was Marlene the one of the two who really took after a star.
Regulus tilted his head in surprise when she spoke. "Quidditch?" He asked, confused. Yes he had been the seeker for the Slytherin team since his third year, and he wasn't bad, but he always saw it as a pasttime. His parents would never go to his games, and it didn't feel like a profession Walburga Black would approve for her son. When she continued talking he took a pause to think. "Organize the World Cup, things like that?" He asked, thinking about the department, which he was pretty unfamiliar with to be honest. "I don't know if I could deal with so many Quidditch divas." He joked.
Still focused on the topic of names, but straying from astronomy, she added, "My name isn't anything special. It's a combination of Mary and Magdalene." Her mother used to tell her that her father chose the name for its German origin, so Marlene supposed it had some sort of a special meaning. When she looked up from the notes, she caught sight of his smile and grinned.
Though he was only joking, Marlene could sense the pretense behind his tone. From what she knew of the infamous Black family, they prided over their blood status and wealth status, never daring to lower their standards, even if in the name of happiness. It didn't seem as if Regulus would attempt an occupation that his parents didn't approve of, though Marlene yearned for him to do what makes him happy in his future. "Well, you don't have to work at the ministry specifically," she told him, attempting to redirect her suggestion in a different route. "Maybe you can coach a professional team? Like the Holyhead Harpies?" Though it was a female team, they were a legendary team and the second-eldest team to ever exist.
"And, really, if you can't handle divas, I'm surprised you can handle your cousins." As soon as the words fell from her lips, Marlene's eyes widened in worry. It wasn't like her to openly insult others, and she would've never imagined herself insulting Regulus' cousins. "I'm sorry," she quickly said, her grip on her notes tightening in an effort to hold her nerves together.
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Regulus felt as if the words escaped his mouth before he could do anything about it. "It's not the name that makes someone special but the person." He began to feel a trickle of sweat on the back of his neck, like he did when questioned by his mother on Sirius' activities. Only this time he was nervous not because he was lying but because deep inside he knew what that statement meant. Maybe Marlene didn't think of herself as special, maybe her name really wasn't anything special, but for Regulus she was, more than she realized, and way more than he ever expected. Not that she felt that way about him, he didn't think, and not that he would admit to it and ruin moments like these, but Marlene had taken a seat in the center of his heart, and she wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.
He tapped his face with the fingers of the hand he was resting his head on, thinking carefully about her words. "I don't think I have what it takes to be a teacher," He confessed, using the broad term because unlike playing Quidditch, he had actually thought of teaching as a profession. It had started the year before when speaking to his Charms professor, who had noted Regulus' natural ability to guide his fellow Slytherins when they were lost in class. He was told to do well on the O.W.L., as Charms could open up a variety of careers, including being a curse-breaker, a teacher, and an auror. Surprisingly he thought that out of all of those, being an auror would be the one his parents would have the least issue with. He had heard them talking during the breaks. He needed soldiers, and if Regulus went to become part of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, he would have to be one of his soldiers.
It was as if she had read his mind as it drifted towards his family. Her comment amused him, but he tried not to let it show. Despite their outdated traditions and questionable actions, Regulus was still a Black, and he wasn't ready to be banished from the family as Sirius had been. "It's okay," He reassured her, sighing as he shifted his position to cross his arms in front of him. "You learn to live with it, I guess."
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"Oh." A furious red blush drowned her ears and swept over her cheeks, her teeth came into contact with her lips to bite down the incoming smile threatening to shape her features, and her brown eyes cast downward to train on her hands. They held her Astronomy notes with a tight grip, her normally pale knuckles paling further. Marlene wasn't accustomed to compliments outside of her family and professors, much less a boy she cared for in more ways than was considered platonic. But really, the likelihood of Regulus Black ever having feelings for Marlene was even more unlikely than Marlene agreeing with the treacherous deeds that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has done. And after all, it was just a simple statement. For all she knew, he didn't mean it in the way she was interpreting it. Though still flustered and unsure of a proper response, she muttered a shy, "Thank you."
She understood first-hand that it was difficult to make a decision that could alter your life completely. She found no malice in his protests towards her suggestions for an occupation involving Quidditch, instead taking it with a calm smile and a nod to her head. She knew that no matter what Regulus wished to pursue, it was up to his parents to grant approval. However, his comment about not being a good teacher brought a scoff to her lips. "You're a good teacher. Albeit shy, though I am too, you have a talent in helping classmates," Marlene told him, recalling the few months she had caught him doing so in her mind. He'd even helped her every once in a while with her studies or assignments.
An audible sigh pushed out of her lips with his reassurance. The last thing she needed was to ruin a friendship over a childish comment. Desperate to change the conversation, she leaned forward in an attempt to take a look at the textbook he'd been previously studying from. "What are you working on?" she asked curiously.
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Regulus' ears were already red, and he fiddled with the page of his History of Magic textbook nervously as she spoke. "You-uh..." He cleared his throat before glancing briefly at her, hoping to leave the conversation at that and that he wouldn't say any more embarrassing things that would get him caught. "You're welcome." He said finally, as if he had said the most casual thing.
He couldn't help but laugh a little at her comment. Only Marlene could believe in the far-fetched idea of him as a professor. She had a point about the shyness though. It was actually a little funny how both of them, not sharing a house and being a bit awkward (each in their own way) had become so close. "I think it's actually my undeniable charm that helps me," He joked, exaggeratedly flipping his hair out of his eyes.
He immediately went rigid when she leaned toward him. All of a sudden she was very close to him, or at least it felt like she was because she was close enough so that he could smell her shampoo, and he screamed in his mind for a second. Then the calm, cool, and collected Regulus took over, and he cleared his throat. "It's an essay," He explained, reaching for the piece of parchment next to him and clearing his throat again when he came back close to her. "For History of Magic."
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Marlene wasn't sure just how much more flustered she could get in that moment. When a violent hiccup erupted due to her holding her breath in, she found herself nervously giggling. Her laughter only grew as her giggles became chuckles to the point where she had to cover her mouth with her hand to keep from angering anybody nearby that needed the silence. She hiccuped once more, though it took her by less surprise than the first one had, and by the time she had stopped chuckling, her face was red for a different reason.
"Yes, because who could possibly resist you with that attitude?" she teased, wanting nothing more than to feed her urge to play with the strands of his dark hair as he flipped it out of his eyes. In an attempt to keep her hands down, she forced them under her thighs, practically sitting on them as she turned her attention to his essay.
While most found that History of Magic was a dull class that could easily entice students to falling asleep, Marlene had a penchant for the class and her high marks were proof of that. "Do you need help with it?" she asked, curiously. She also had a skill in essays, despite her continuous complaints over the rigorous assignment.
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