Remus' socks drag along the carpet as he paces anxiously in the common room. Sweat beads on his forehead and he wipes it away with the back of his hand. The room was getting drastically hotter by the second. He pinches the collar of his shirt to fan himself. This was it. It was now or never. "Listen," he repeats to himself, "I have to tell you something." He scrunches his face at the words. "No, no. I'm sorry -" He groans, pawing at his hair anxiously. "Damnit!"

"Remus?"

His foot nicks the corner of the rug flipped up and he stumbles over, catching himself with the table. The veins on his arm are stressed, becoming very prominent as he pushes himself up. "Hey," he says wiping the sweat off his hands nervously. "Sit?" He gestures to the couch, taking a seat himself. "I know it's late, but I wanted to do this privately. When the guys weren't around." Remus' teeth graze over his bottom lip, forcing himself to look up rather than at the wall. He had to say it face to face. No sugar coating. Straight to the point. Drawing in a deep breath, he says the words that hung heavy on his back in one breath, "I think we should break up."

Abigail's response is the last of his expectations. There was no yelling, no crying, no tables being flipped. She just...sits there. Remus' hands cling to his knees, his eyes darting back and forth between her and the table. Any reaction would be better than the silence.

"We can talk about it in the morning," she finally states.

Remus licks his lips, shifting to face her. Maybe she hadn't heard him. "What?" he stutters.

Abigail presses her lips together, standing. She looks down at him pitifully. "You're not thinking straight since the full moon is tomorrow."

Remus watches as she starts to walk away, but he grabs her hand impulsively. She spins around, hitting him in the chest, gazing up with her doe eyes. "No," he says assertively. "I'm thinking perfectly clearly, thank you very much. We're done."

"What has someone said to you?"

"Nobody's said anything - this is all me."

"Don't be ridiculous Remus. You need me."

"I don't need anything from you."

Abigail crosses her arms angrily, her cheeks fuming crimson. "It's got to do with Black, hasn't it?" she asks with a snarl. "So you are gay?"

Remus stands his ground, rocking side to side from pure anger rising. "Yes," he admits. "You know, I thought Sirius was bad for me. But I was wrong. It's you. You're so...controlling!"

"Me?" Abigail rolls her eyes dramatically, pointing a finger to his chest. "You think I like being the girl dating the boy everyone calls a freak? You think I don't hear the rumors? That I don't see the stares? Let's get one thing straight, Remus. The only reason people like you is because of me!"

"If you told me that a week ago I would've believed you." Remus' stance relaxes. "I don't give a damn what you think anymore."

"So what, you're going to run around with Sirius Black now?"

"What I do doesn't concern you."

Abigail runs her tongue along her teeth, her left eye twitching. "I know you Remus, more than you'd like to think I do. That's what I get for spending six bloody years with you. I know you'll come back to me. When people start to reject you not only for being a freak but gay on top of that? Merlin - imagine what your father will say!"

"My friends could leave me, my dad could disown me, but guess what? I'll still be gay! You know me because you destroyed me. Picked me apart until you were the only one who could put the pieces together."

"But you love me. I love you." Tears sting her eyes as she reverts to sympathy.

Remus rakes his hand through his hair, walking across the room to breathe. "I loved you. A long time ago."

"We slept together! You can't fake that if you're gay! You're not gay Remus! Whatever spell Black has you under -"

"Abigail..." Remus strides up to her, brushing his thumb over her cheek to wipe the tears. His hand holds her face delicately and his eyes soften. "I'm thankful for what we had, but we're done. For good." Kissing the top of her head, he ascends the boy's staircase and disappears in the shadows.

*

*

*

Regulus Black hovers over a leather bound book in the depths of the library where nobody cared to look. The oil lamp in front flickers creating a wave of shadows over the words. A slam jolts him awake, vibrating the entire table.

"The library is closed," Madam Pince snaps.

Regulus shuts the book, sliding it back into its place under her surveillance. He unhooks his robes from the back of the chair and hurries out of the library. The corridors are vacant, nothing but himself and the few ghosts drifting alone in and out of walls. Mulciber, Avery, and Snape are lounging in the common room when he arrives, speaking inaudibly to one another.

"Where've you been?" Mulciber asks.

"None of your business," Regulus answers. "Why are you lot up?"

"Ward wants to duel your brother again," Avery tells him. "Thinks they should have another go around to get what he deserves."

Regulus rolls his eyes, "I'm sick of her. Why are you even tolerating her?"

"Her dad's got reigns with the Ministry. She can practically get away with anything."

"And," Mulciber adds, "she's got inside information about the Dark Lord's rising. Personally, I think she should just go for Potter and that filthy mudblood girl he's always after."

At the mention of Lily Evans, Snape shifts in his seat uncomfortably avoiding the other's stare. Regulus watches Snape out of the corner of his eye. He'd never been particularly fond of the boy since his first year at Hogwarts. Something about him always made Regulus uneasy; he never knew where Snape really stood.

"No, Potter's not a threat," Regulus says.

"He's a bastard though," Avery mutters.

"Whatever, Ward will get destroyed if she goes after Sirius. We all know she can't duel for shit."

Snape shrugs seemingly agreeing, "She's a bitch and deserves whatever happens to her. But if she goes after Black, I won't stop her."

"Even if she goes after Evans, too?" Regulus questions knowingly.

Before Snape can respond, someone else does. "Sometimes I think you're not even on our side," Muliber says gravely, directed at Regulus.

The thing about Regulus, is that he is royalty to the boys. Though he was years younger than his counterparts, they respect him. The Black's might not be branded Death Eaters, but they were one of the most respected families of the Sacred Twenty Eight, not including Sirius of course. Regulus believed he was practically a Prince, and so the others treated him as so. But Sirius is still his brother. And always will be. The pull between good and bad grows within Regulus more than he'd like to admit to.

"Of course I am," Regulus barks. "I'm getting the mark soon, aren't I?"