Regulus Black had no right to make Éponine feel the way she did upon returning to the compartment she shared with Gian. After months of ignoring her whenever she made an attempt to reach out to him, he suddenly decided that it was the right time for them to try and work things out. However, as Éponine made it very clear, there was nothing to work out between them if he wasn't willing to see that he was in the wrong. Back in her fifth year, she had foolishly believed that he and Sirius could come to a compromise when it came to their beliefs. Perhaps find a middle ground of some sort. But Éponine knew there was no such thing as middle ground when one side was promoting genocide.

And while she didn't believe that Regulus was eager to take a life of another, his involvement with the Dark Lord was enough. The mark on his arm established that he was not only a supporter but a follower. For that, Éponine couldn't allow a discussion to go any further. It wasn't a matter of opinion when innocent lives were being attacked, tortured, and killed for something they had no control over.

Deep down, Éponine knew she had to let Regulus go. He had been her first love, but he was willing to hurt people that she loved too, like Gian. No, he didn't personally go after Gian, but he supported people who went after people like Gian. And maybe one day, if he hadn't already as Sirius had claimed, he would go after muggles and muggle-borns.

But she couldn't help but think back to a time where she had asked Regulus if he thought Sirius was right, and she had heard that slight hesitation when he finally answered. Like her previous beliefs, Regulus claimed he didn't support the violent actions of the Dark Lord, she remembered that he had only taken it into consideration when Severus approached him initially because he believed it was a way to save Sirius if it ever came down to it.

Back then, Éponine had told him that joining the Dark Lord couldn't guarantee Sirius' safety and Regulus seemed to agree. So what had pushed him to actually join? Had it been the pressure placed on him by his family? Perhaps after her own departure, they had questioned where his loyalty remained. It seemed like a likely scenario, considering his cousin was Bellatrix, who had threatened Éponine back when her thoughts were wavering.

Or maybe it had been her leaving that made him reconsider everything. Maybe he joined out of anger or out of spite, ready to go after a blood-traitor that embarrassed the Black family name. Either way, it didn't matter, he had still joined on his own accord and Éponine could not simply ignore that. She was only confused as to why he approached her, speaking her name so softly as if nothing ever happened.

She was considered a blood-traitor, so what business did he have with Éponine, unless they were fighting?

And to make matters worse, Éponine swore she detected jealousy in his voice when he mentioned Sirius and her nickname. Just when she had been contemplating whether to pursue her feelings for Sirius, Regulus made her questioning everything. But he had no right to do so because she had said a hundred times before, she was a blood-traitor, Sirius was a blood-traitor, so why did Regulus care so much about what happened between them?

Obviously, at the back of her mind, she knew the answer to her own question, but she didn't dare acknowledge it.

There was no time to be caught up in the drama, especially with it being her seventh year. Éponine had the N.E.W.T.s to prepare for, she had a career to think about after she graduated, she had things to do, and she wasn't going to let Regulus get in the way of it. For so long, she had allowed others to take away her dreams, now that she finally had control of her own life, she wasn't going to give it all up for the sake of one boy.

For the remainder of the train ride, Éponine performed her duties as Head Girl, checking in on younger students to make sure they were settled during the trip and making sure before they approached the school that they placed on their robes. Keeping herself busy proved to be the best distraction and by the time they arrived in Hogsmeade Station, Éponine had forgotten all about her earlier confrontation with Regulus.

She directed the first years that had sat with her and Gian, over to Rubeus Hagrid when they arrived at the station. Toulouse, among the other pets, were taken along with the students' trunks to be placed in their respective dorms. And finally, she and Gian were able to board one of the carriages to take them up to the school.

Gian noticed that Éponine was awfully quiet during the train ride and currently, in the carriage. She appeared irritated more than anything, her arms folded over her chest, and every so often, she would shake her head. He had heard what she said earlier when she entered the compartment ranting, and more than likely, she was still angry about Regulus becoming Head Boy. He couldn't blame her for reacting in such a way either, someone who clearly discriminated against a group of people in the castle, didn't exactly scream leadership qualities, so what business did Regulus have becoming Head Boy?

"Why do you think Dumbledore made him Head Boy?" he finally ventured to ask, bringing Éponine's attention over to him.

Immediately, her expression softened when she looked at Gian. " I don't know, Gian," she replied, " I've been asking myself the same question. The only conclusion I came come up with is the fact that he is considered a good student, academic wise. He's one of the top students, which means he was recommended because of that-"

"But he doesn't think muggles and muggle-borns have a right to be at this school!" Gian exclaimed. "Now they're giving him more power, did no one think that he was going to abuse that kind of power? Especially towards the people, he doesn't like?"

Over the years, Gian had developed a rather tough skin. He needed to after being sorted into Slytherin and even more so when everyone learned that he was a muggle-born. The snottiest of purebloods made sure to tell him that he didn't belong in Slytherin and he was a disgrace to the House. He learned to shrug them off or tell them to bite his muggle-born arse.

However, with the prospect of Regulus becoming Head Boy and abusing his privileges in the school, Éponine could see where Gian had suddenly become nervous.

"Listen to me," she told him, " no one is going to bother you, do you understand? Not him, not anyone. Not while I'm around, alright? I'm not going to let anyone hurt you."

"Yeah, that's great and all, Nin. But you're not going to be around me forever. This is your last year, so what happens when you're not around?"

Truth be told, Éponine didn't have the answer to Gian's question right away because the more she thought about it, everything he said was true. Once she left Hogwarts, she wouldn't be there in Gian's corner to back him up if needed. She couldn't guarantee his safety.

"Well," she said after a minute, " I guess that means we just have to prepare you for when I'm gone. I know several hexes that are known to strike a little fear in the heart."

Regulus arrived at the castle long before Éponine did, as he was already situated in the Great Hall when she walked in. She managed to choose a seat on the bench as far away from him as possible with Gian sitting right next to her. Not once did she look in his direction, keeping her eyes focused on the podium where the Sorting Hat had been brought out for the Sorting Ceremony.

Across from him, sat Avery, who looked absolutely miserable, no different from how he had been the entire train ride to the school. And down the way, sat Mulciber, who kept his gaze directed on the table in front of him. Initially, Regulus wasn't aware of what had caused a rift between his best friends, but the more he thought about it, the more it became clear. Over the summer, it was rumoured that Mulciber and Emmarentia were set to be arranged for marriage.

But a week later, the plans were cancelled, by which family, Regulus didn't know. And then it was Mulciber that was set to marry a girl from the Bulstrode family and Emmarentia was paired with a Carrow. Both of their intended were years younger than Mulciber and Emmarentia, making it rather uncomfortable. They were to wait until their intended were of age to be married and that was the end of that discussion.

As for Avery, his own marriage hadn't been arranged, but it was more than likely only a matter of time. And he had let it slip that he and Mulciber weren't allowed to talk to one another anymore. When Regulus tried to get more information out of him, Avery played it off that there had been a spat between their fathers and that was the only reason.

Only, that wasn't the only reason and Regulus knew that.

Sitting near Mulciber was Emmarentia, although she was hardly recognisable over the years. She had gone from a girl who demanded the attention of whatever room she was in, to a girl that tried to blend in as much as possible to go unnoticed. Her confidence had vanished and Regulus could only think back to when Éponine had smacked her in the Common Room and claimed she was nothing more than a coward.

So caught up in the affairs of others, Regulus hadn't even noticed that the Sorting Hat had already sung his annual song and was already sorting students.

Once more, Regulus stole a look in Éponine's direction to see that she was openly applauding each student that was sorted into any of the four houses.

When the Sorting Ceremony came to an end, Slytherin had welcomed several new students and Éponine took it upon herself to greet each of them as they came over to the Slytherin table. It was already nerve-wracking to be a first-year, away from home for the first time, surrounded by entirely new faces for most of them. And in the back of her mind, she always thought about one of them becoming another muggle-born sorted into Slytherin. She would never fool herself into believing that Gian would be the last to do so.

She didn't get to say much to them, outside of a warm welcome before Headmaster Dumbledore took to the podium to greet all of the students. Éponine didn't listen to much of what he had to say, since his speech was usually along the same lines every year. However, she couldn't feel the surge of anger that coursed through her body when she looked at Dumbledore. After all, she was holding him one hundred percent responsible for making Regulus Head Boy.

At one point though as she glared at the Headmaster, she swore Dumbledore looked directly at her and smiled.

What game was he playing at?

She remembered James always talking about how Dumbledore had blessed him by becoming Head Boy so that he could spend more time with Lily when she was made Head Girl. Of course, everyone had deemed him ridiculous, not truly believing that Dumbledore was playing matchmaker with his students. But when she decided to steal a look in Regulus' direction for a second and caught him looking her direction, she quickly focused her attention elsewhere.

Oh no.

Dumbledore announced that a new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor would be starting that term as well. However, they were apparently running behind schedule and wouldn't be arriving until later in the night, so they would all get to meet them the next morning when classes began. That would make the seventh Defence Against the Dark Arts professor that Éponine had witnessed since starting at Hogwarts. It made her think back to the DADA professor back in her fifth year, Professor Azariah.

She had been the professor the entire term, until just before the O.W.L.s exams, when she suddenly vanished. Her story had made it to the Daily Prophet, but no leads came about, leaving it to become a cold case. Some made the speculation that she had been a muggle-born and with the attacks that had been occurring at the time, she had been captured, probably tortured, and then killed.

Then came her sixth-year professor, Rehan Fifer, who seemed like a knowledgeable but young man. He was really nice to all of his students, always making sure they were staying on track with their work. But then he ended up catching a sickness that had him removed from the school near the end of their term. It was always so odd how the professors managed to make it practically one school year before meeting some horrible fate. She thought it had been a rumour that the position was cursed, but as she witnessed more and more professors drop like flies, Éponine knew there had to be some truth behind it.

The feast began as the wonderful smells overwhelmed the Great Hall, and the students were told to tuck in. Éponine made a plate for herself but didn't find herself very hungry. There were too many thoughts running around in her head to even focus on eating. Thankfully, Gian seemed to be enjoying himself as he spoke with other students around him and ate his meal without a problem.

And when the feast finally came to an end, Éponine found herself approached by Professor McGonagall. However the Deputy Headmistress/ Transfiguration Professor, also though it would be appropriate to summon Regulus over as well. Not noting the awkward air between them or simply not caring, McGonagall explained that it was their duty that evening to make sure that the students made their way to their Houses before curfew. More than likely, she warned, some first years would manage to get turned around and there was always a few that decided to test the boundaries of staying out past curfew.

They were given the password to the Slytherin house before McGonagall left them to give the passwords to the other Seventh Year prefects of the other houses. The two teens were left alone for a moment before Éponine walked off first to give the password to a sixth-year prefect so they could escort the students back to the Common Room and dorms.

However, once she finished, she walked right passed Regulus out of the Great Hall and he hurried right after her.

A/N: