Hiraeth | Regulus Black

Chapter Sixty Four

"So what did you actually get up to?"

Esme groaned, stepping back from embracing Regulus but her arms remained hung around his shoulders, "You're like a parrot."
They had been in each other's company for the first time since the last day of school and Regulus had already asked her the same question four times. They hadn't even boarded the Hogwart's Express or loaded their trunks yet.

"Alright, fine, keep your secrets." He shrugged it off, leaning in to press a brief kiss to her cheek before their arms completely fell away from each other.
Esme winked, "I was going to." before turning on her heels and leading the way down Platform 9 3⁄4, pulling her trunk behind her.

Upon arriving at King's Cross Station, the two teenagers had promptly ushered their parents to return home, hoping to have their own reunion away from the watchful gaze of the families and without the mockery of their friends.

Regulus could tell, he knew for a fact, that Esme was up to something. She was acting as though she knew more than anyone else, as if she had been clued in on something and everyone else had been left out of the loop.
Esme was cocky at the best of times, but this new smugness was nagging away at the boy as he wanted to know what was going on.

"There's Levi and Dirk!" Esme called out with a brief wave, leaving Regulus to hurry to keep up right behind her so they weren't separated in the bustling crowd.

"Well look who it is!" Levi exclaimed with a broad grin, dramatically throwing his arms up in the air as the group reunited. He continued, proudly, "I hear congratulations are in order!"

Regulus asked, "What?"
"What?" Esme whipped around to suddenly face him, "Nothing." She turned back to Levi and hit him in the arm, "Shut up."
Dirk chuckled sharply, folding his arms as he learnt back against his trunk to watch the scene unfold.

"What?" Regulus asked again.
"Nothing." Esme repeated, pointing at Levi as she warned, "Don't you dare."
Levi laughed, "Have you not told him? What was your plan? Clearly he was going to find out this evening."

"How do you even know?" She questioned suspiciously.
"Oh," He nodded, "Dirk told me, of course. Why-why don't you want people to know? It's like... Most people's goal."

Regulus was becoming exasperated, "Will someone please explain what is going on?"

Esme started, "No-"
"Esmerelda is Head Girl."

The whole group turned to Dirk, who had made the mistake of letting his thoughts slip out of his mouth.
"Cresswell, you're a first class idiot." Esme grumbled, "How exactly did someone with your incompetence become Head Boy?"
Dirk shook his head, wearing a smile as he replied, "Thank you, most kind."

Regulus, though things had mostly been explained, was still utterly perplexed. "Are you guys serious? Am I having some sort of nightmare?"

"Yes, the worst has come to fruition. I'm, somehow, Head Girl and Dirk is Head Boy." Esme massaged her temples as she began to feel a headache growing.
"Worst?" Levi frowned, "What exactly is bad about that?"
She groaned again, "Well I can't exactly get away with coasting through school anymore, can I?"

Regulus ran a hand through his hair and took a deep breath before saying, "I suppose now is also a good time to tell you guys that I'm the new Slytherin Quidditch Captain."

"A-are you joking?" An enormous grin spread across Esme's face, "I thought you didn't want to be Captain?"
He sighed somewhat hesitantly, "I er... I thought about what you said to me last year and... The Slytherins are annoying and deserve to be taken down a peg or two so... I might as well be the one to do that."