Storybook {Regulus A. Black}

Chapter 25

It was another Spring afternoon that many students spent outside enjoying the fresh air. However Constance and Regulus seemed to have a different idea of a calm Spring afternoon as they spent it sitting on different sides of a warderobe in the room of Requirement.

"Do you remember that deal we made a few weeks ago?" asked Regulus out of nowhere. Even though the two were barely able to have a normal conversation without one of them ending up offended the two felt there was something different this time.

At least for Regulus. Eversince Bellatrix's visit and his final encounter with his brother he couldn't help but keep thinking of the situation he had got himself into.

He knew it was wrong to think of his brother he even felt angry at himself for doing so. But he had tried everything to end the worries his head was creating. Unfortunately nothing was working. Whatever he tried his thoughts always came back to Sirius and the Dark Lord.

That was how it all led to that moment in their so called hide out. He couldn't help, but try as it was his last hope.

Constance was sitting on the floor with a book in her lap reading leaning on one side of the warderobe while Regulus was on the other drawing.

It had almost become a common thing to do for the two when they were in the room. The only thing changing was the music on the radio along with the boy's mood.

"What deal?" Constance asked curiously as she kept searching through her memory. Trying to remember what deal the boy was talking about.

"You know the one where I tell you something about me and you tell me something about you?"he continued expectantly although it was clear this concept was foreign to him.

Suddenly it hit Constance. It was deal they made a little while back. One that didn't go so well as he ended up thinking he was transparent, because of her good people reading skills.

"I'm not sure that that is the best idea," the girl replied uncertainly.

"Why not?" Regulus asked confused and on edge entering an unknown area.

"Don't you remember how that ended?"

"Yes I remember and I think... we should try it again." Regulus stumbled with the words having trpuble saying them.

It was a completely new sight of the boy Constance was witnessing in that moment. When she thought about it it seemed as if she was talking to a completely different person. So she came to a conclusion that something must be bothering him. For him to steep so 'low' and ask for something while being optimistic... It was uncharacteristically refreshing to hear yet troubling.

"Can we try?" Regulus asked almost unable to believe the stupidity of his own words. Saying that left him curling his finger into a fist and releasing them over and over again. He was getting angrlier at himself by the second.

After slight hesitation Constance gave up realising it was probably hard for the boy to do this, which could be heard in his strained voice,"Sure, what do you want to know?"

A momentary silence followed for Regulus was caught off guard. One thing the girl always managed to do. "What about your favourite colour?" he asked feeling a bit ridiculus. Another new thing to the boy. But he knew it was the only thing he had left to try. It was his last chance of distraction.

"Sunflower yellow," she answered simply. "Yours?"

The boy thought for a moment,"Any darker shade of blue."

The girl smiled a bit surprised by his choice of colour before continuing the game."Did you have a favourite kid-story when you were young?"

"The Warlock's Hairy Heart," he answered after only a second of thought.

Constance's eyebrows shot up at the name of the tale as she remembered the gruesome end. "You read that story as a child?" she exclaimed in disbelief.

Regulus thought for a moment ignoring the horror in the girl's voice.
"My mother liked to tell it to me and my brother every evening. It was the tale she thought would do us good to remember."

Constance knew she shouldn't have been surprised at the boy's choice however she couldn't believe any mother would like the child to hear the story which was not known to be shared with children commonly as it was gruesome and caused a lot of nightmeres. It is about achieving invulnerability. Avoiding love because of comfort and security.

The more the girl thought about it the more it explained why the boy wasn't used to expressing himself and showing his vulnerability.

"What about you? What stories were you told as a child?" the boy asked curious of the answer.

Constance looked down at the floor remembering her childhood was no pleasant thing for her too do as most of her memories consisted of her being locked in a room in the orphanage before Dumbledore finally found her.

"I didn't hear much stories as a child, but I did read a few muggle ones. My favourite was one of a little prince and his flower." Constance told remembering the three books she had had since someone had left her at the doorstep of the orphanage.

As the thoughts of the orphanage entered her mind she quickly shook it off. "If you don't mind me asking, why did you start drawing?"

It was a question that has been going around the girl's mind quite for some time for most of the purebloods she knows don't reall have a hobby such as drawing. And if they did doodle their skills weren't all that good.

Regulus looked down at the picture he had been drawing and thought for a moment."My mother doesn't really like noise in the house. So insted of playing around the house I ended up using my imagination by drawing. It's just something I do when there is nothing else to do."

Although the Hufflepuff couldn't see the boy she recognised the lie at the end. "I think you actually like drawing and it is not just thing you do when there is nothing else" Constance announced after gathering some courage.

Regulus couldn't help but smirk at the remark only the girl would oppose him. "Why is that?"

"No bored person would put so much detail and heart into a drawing. "