It was the first Quidditch match of that season, and Regulus was nervous.

He was the youngest member of the Slytherin team yet held the most significant task as the Seeker. The weight of catching the Snitch before the opponent team lay heavily on his young shoulders.

His friends were in the crowds, cheering for him, but he couldn't see or hear them over the clamor of all the students who had gathered in the stands. He could only see the tall hoops, the commentary box, and the pitch below.

Their team captain, Dorian Goyle, had rounded them up for a last-minute talk, their heads butted together as they discussed the strategy. Reg felt slightly insecure as he was the shortest and could be easily overlooked. Yet he held the most important position, and the captain's next words confirmed that.

"The only strategy is to score," Goyle's voice was fueled with adrenaline, "I don't care how many people you knock off their brooms; just score as much as you can. Nott and Avery, you will be shooting bludgers everywhere, don't miss a single player." Then his eyes focused on young Regulus and narrowed, "And you, kid, keep your eyes on the snitch. You have to get it no matter what happens."

He nodded, and the captain ordered them to take their positions on the pitch. Reg kept up with the older boys, mounting his broom upon the whistle. His clear blue eyes were focused on the playing field and the surrounding areas, looking for a flutter of gold.

It was a match against Ravenclaw and Regulus caught sight of Martha who was on Chaser on her house team. She smiled and sent him a thumbs up which caught him off guard as he hadn't been expecting that.

"Get moving, kid," Alastair Rowle's voice shook him out of his flustered pause and snapped him back to reality.

The Snitch was nowhere to be seen, but the game was going strong with the Chasers rushing to score and the Beaters throwing Bludgers everywhere. In the first half of the game, Slytherin had already committed some fouls, and Reg knew that even if he caught the Snitch, their marks would even out.

However, the cheers erupting from the crowd signaled that the Snitch had been spotted and his sharp eyes scoured the pitch for the tiny gold object. He saw that whizzing golden Snitch but instead of reacting swiftly, he observed that the opposing Seeker had spotted the Snitch too but was attempting a fake dive to fool him.

Reg wasn't one to fall for such easy tactics and he kept his eyes on the Snitch as ordered by the Captain. Swerving sharply to avoid the incoming bludger, he dived toward the Snitch, hand outstretched.

The other Seeker's broom collided with his but his fingers closed around the fluttering object and he reared the broom upwards, avoiding the crash. The crowd had gone wild with excitement as the snitch was in Reg's hand.

"Slytherin wins the match! A few more hoops in and the tide wouldn't have been in their favor, all thanks to Ravenclaw's excellent chasers..."

The commentator's voice faded when he landed and all his teammates tumbled over him. Shortly after, Dorian had hoisted him up as the team carried him back to the stands, celebrating their victory.

Regulus wasn't ready for all that attention and his unease was rather evident. He turned to see the Ravenclaw team and his eyes got locked with Martha again.

But he had to turn around as Arielle was waiting for the team in their camp and gave him a tight hug. "You were great out there, Reg! For a second, I feared you'd fall and break your bones but you didn't. It was so cool!"

"Our boy is a natural," Dorian remarked, patting his shoulder in appreciation. "Black, you did well today but you must do even better in the next game. Slytherin has to win the Cup this season."

Reg nodded and shortly after, he left with the other boys, leaving Reg and Elle in the camp.

"Did you see Martha? She was brilliant too, I was so proud of her each time she scored and I had to stop myself from cheering for Ravenclaw, or else our housemates would have gotten the wrong idea," Arielle resumed the conversation, knowing he wouldn't say much as always.

"She was good," he agreed, much to her delight, "Ravenclaw has a great team this season. Goyle thinks we'll face the most competition from them."

Her eyes twinkled mischievously, "Even more than the Gryffindors, you mean? Your brother and his friends are really good at Quidditch too, y'know."

He shrugged nonchalantly, "We'll see about that when the time comes. For now, I have to go and take a shower. I'll meet you in the Common Room before curfew."

"Alright, I'm going over to meet the Sommers then I'll be back. See you."

She had vanished so Reg too made his way back to the castle. As he was returning, he thought about the game overall. He could see then why his brother had been so crazy about Quidditch; the adrenaline rush, the people cheering, and the exhilaration of winning the game had fueled his veins too that instant.

As he entered the castle, he thought of going to the Owlery to send a letter to his parents. It had been his first Quidditch match and he was instrumental in the victory. His Mum would love to hear about it.

The owls hooted as he entered, sitting in a corner to write his letter. The Owlery always had a fresh supply of parchment, envelopes, quills, and ink for students to send letters back home. But usually the students came there only to dispatch letters.

Regulus was one of the very few who wrote it out in the Owlery and then dispatched it.

The quill glided effortlessly on the smooth parchment as the words poured out of him, the silence and calm making him feel quite comfortable. He had always preferred places that were free of all the unnecessary human chatter and offered a sweet solace.

However, his silent retreat was soon disturbed by the sound of shared laughter. He looked up to see the source of inconvenience and let out a weary sigh.

Sirius and his friends had shown up at the Owlery, their loud voices and chuckles ruining the distinct calm of that place. Of course, any place the Marauders turned up could hardly remain peaceful.

Stormy grey locked with clear blue as Sirius spotted him in the corner and a smirk settled upon his face.

"Lucky debut, Reggie. Slytherin would have lost if you didn't catch the snitch."

Regulus didn't know whether it was a compliment or a jab but he proceeded to ignore him, finishing his letter that had to be dispatched.

Sirius didn't seem to mind as he was soon distracted by something Remus Lupin said and then the obnoxious James Potter joined in, guffaws of laughter following suit.

They were always that noisy, he thought, tying the envelope on a barn owl's leg. Within minutes, the bird had taken flight and disappeared in the blue sky.

***