WEST COAST   ╱   REGULUS BLACK
꒷꒦ · ˚.‧ . written by ella . . . © -lostgardens
chapter 001 ━━━━ ❛ where it all began ❜

HOGWARTS,  1977

It was a chilly day; the air was crisp and cold, the ground was covered in snow, and Elysian was bundled in a thick coat and her Gryffindor scarf. Her shoes sounded against the stone floor as she made her way to the library; the strap of her bag rested neatly on her shoulder; and she clutched her coat tighter to her body.

The corridor was as quiet as usual, given the early hour and it being the weekend. Most people were catching up on their much-needed sleep. For everyone, including Elysian, the previous week had been especially difficult.

She was glad for the lack of wandering students; she liked a bit of peace and quiet while studying. Her feet continued down the corridor, leading her around the corners until she got to the all-too-familiar main corridor.

Her footsteps slowed as she saw him. He was wearing a long black coat and his Slytherin scarf. His dark hair rested in beautiful curls that eloquently complemented his pale skin. He sat on the stairs just a mere twenty feet away from her. He was so close, yet he seemed so far.

She didn't know his name, so she liked to call him "Beautiful Boy." He was reading a book; she couldn't see the title, but she was sure it was some type of poetry. She had seen him reading all types of poetry when she would glance at him in the library. She would watch as his brows furrowed ever so slightly as he focused on the ocean of words that flooded the page.

Her eyes were trained on him, but not in a tense manner. No, her eyes were soft as she admired him; she admired his beauty. He was...beautiful, that is. She had seen him around from the first day she stepped foot into the school that taught witchcraft and wizardry, but she had never had the opportunity to learn his name. Elysian never had the courage to ask him, or anyone else, for that matter.

But she knew he was important because of how the Slytherins regarded him and how everyone else stared at him—how the girls swooned just at the sight of him.

It's not like she hadn't thought about whispering to her friends about how beautiful and wonderful she thought he was even though they never spoke a word to one another, but she knew exactly what they would say, so she always wiped that notion from her brilliant mind.

Elysian was quickly snapped out of her thoughts when she felt his delicious olive-green eyes burning into her warm skin. Her eyes connected with his, and she felt her cheeks instantly heat, and the knot of embarrassment tightened in her stomach, making her feel queasy.

She quickly looked away, then back at him, not being able to take her eyes off of him for more than a moment, and she saw a subtle smirk on his pink lips. She felt something grow in the pit of her stomach, and her heart started pounding. She hadn't even realized that she had stopped in her tracks to admire him, but now that she was aware of it and so was he, she felt quite embarrassed.

Her feet began moving again as her dark eyes left his light ones. As she walked, getting closer and closer to where he sat, she felt his gaze pinned on her like a note on a board, and she couldn't help but feel a chill creep down her spine.

She didn't glance at him until she was passing by where he sat. He was still staring at her as their eyes met once again. It was a brief moment of eye contact, and Elysian sent him a small smile, which he did not return but instead kept his smirk in place.

After that, she quickly rushed down the rest of the corridor, until finally she reached the double doors that led into the book-filled room.

The library was empty except for Madam Pince, who sat behind her desk, just as Elysian had predicted.

The woman's hair was in a neat bun as her gaze rested on the bridge of her thin nose. She looked up at the West girl and gave her a pleased expression. Elysian didn't take any offense to it—it was no secret that the madam didn't like any students and was merely there to supervise the library.

Elysian made her way through the room as the strong smell of a cinnamon candle burned. She went to the back, finding her favorite table, and she sat down. Where her table sat, no one would disturb her. It was hidden away in a corner, behind many tall bookshelves. A large window sat beside it, giving her a wonderful view of Hogwarts' grounds, which were covered in a soft white powder.

Her bag was soon slung onto the table, and all of her things strode over the top of it. She pulled out her homework and assignments that she needed to complete for the following week, and she determined which books she needed.

Walking from the table, she began her search, looking for each book she would need. As she gathered the books, the doors of the library swung open, and she heard Madam Pince let out a distasteful groan at the sight of whoever it was.

Elysian couldn't see who it was from her position behind the bookshelf, but Madam Pince's distaste made her curious, so she walked back to the front of the room. That's when her gaze was drawn to him.

He was sitting at one of the tables, and it's like he sensed she was there, because he looked up from his book and sent her a small smile. She quickly looked away, feeling the heat rise in her cheeks again as a cheeky smile overcame her face.

She pretended to search the shelves for books she "needed" as she felt him still staring at her. The urge to look back at him to capture another glance at his beauty was strong, but she fought it, grabbing a couple of books that were absolutely of no use to her, and then she walked away.

The trail of his burning gaze was climbing down her back as she made her way to the back of the library once again. And it followed her all the way until she turned behind one of the bookshelves, and she was no longer in his line of sight.

Elysian went back to her table, set her books down, and then she began studying. The library was quiet. She heard the door open a few more times in the time she spent there, but nothing too disturbing.

Her eyes scanned the pages of each book; her quill dipped into the ink in her inkwell, and then it wrote on her pages of parchment. The sun shone through the big window as it got later in the day, and the cinnamon candle still burned strongly.

As she got through each book, they stacked up on her table one by one. And by the time she was done, it was midday and the sun was beaming, though the cold was still apparent. Elysian could feel the chill radiating from the thick glass of the window.

She stood up from her table, grabbing hold of all of the books. And just before she went to put them back in their proper places, she took a solemn glance out the window, seeing the white powder in her vision.

Hogwarts was a beautiful place, inside and out. The light and spirit of the school brought warmth to Elysian even through the harsh winter. The people, the love, and the magic were all so special; it was one of a kind, and she hated that some people took that for granted.

Letting out a sigh, Elysian walked away, taking the books to their respective shelves. And when she only had a few books left—the ones that she didn't need and hadn't even touched—she walked to the front of the library.

Madam Pince still sat at her desk, not even sparing a glance at Elysian as she came from the shadows. Elysian took a deep breath, preparing herself to see him. But when her eyes scanned the room, she saw that he wasn't there anymore. She let out a sigh, her shoulders slumping as she turned to put the books back on the shelf.

She could feel Madam Pince's eyes on her, and when she glanced at the woman, she saw her staring with raised brows, giving her a curious look. When their eyes met, Madam Pince looked away and back to the book that was in her hands. Elysian shook her head, putting the last book back in its spot.

She made her way back through the bookshelves, all the way to the back of the library. And when her table came into view, that's when she saw him. He was standing at her table, dressed in his long coat and black clothing, his Slytherin scarf resting in his hand, and he looked at each of her assignments that were sprawled on the table.

She quickly walked over to the table and began to gather her papers, ignoring his presence. She wasn't looking at him, but she could feel his eyes on her and his sly smirk on his lips. It felt like a weight was on her chest, and she couldn't breathe; he was that intimidating.

Once she had all of her things gathered, she put her bag strap on her shoulder, and she began walking away. But when he grabbed her hand to stop her, it felt like a billion bolts of electricity ran from her hand, up her arm, and throughout her whole body.

Pulling her hand away without sending him a glance, she began walking once more. Rushing was what she was doing; she was rushing past the shelves, past Madam Pince sitting at her desk, and out the doors. Now, she was in the corridor, and she could hear his footsteps behind her.

She didn't know why she was practically running from him. This was what she wanted, right? She wanted to talk to him and learn his name, but she felt that right now wasn't the right time to do or learn those things.

"There you are!" someone called out. She recognized the voice as an arm was slung over her shoulders, and she fought the very strong urge to roll her eyes.

Now with the added weight on her shoulders, her steps were slowing down. "What do you want, Sirius?" she asked, a very apparent annoyance lacing her tone as she looked up at the long-haired boy with bored eyes.

"I just want to spend some quality time with my future wife, that's all," he smirked, looking down at her.

His friends—James, Remus, and Peter—followed behind them, muttering to themselves. Elysian sent them a glare, and that's when she saw him again; he was standing at the end of the corridor, staring at her with Sirius' arm on her shoulders.

She quickly shrugged his arm off and took a few steps in front of him. Facing Sirius but continuing to walk, Elysian said, "That's never going to happen." Then she began walking away from the boy and his friends.

"What's never going to happen?" Sirius called out to her as he stopped in his tracks. "Spending quality time together, or the future wife part?" he asked. She didn't answer, and he just watched as she got further and further away.

He could hear his friends laughing from behind him. They were used to Sirius being turned down by Elysian, but no matter how many times it happened, it was always hilarious to them. "Shut it," he muttered, pushing James' shoulder lightly.

He stood there in the middle of the corridor, his hands on his hips. He didn't know why Elysian didn't want him. What was there not to want? And that's when his eyes landed on his brother, who stood sheepishly at the end of the corridor.

That's when he locked eyes with Regulus. The younger boy looked away for a moment, then back at his brother. "Ah, Reggie, brother!" he cheered, sticking his arms out in a welcoming manner. "How are you?" Sirius asked, walking closer to him.

HOGWARTS, 1996

"Wait, let me get this straight," Harry began, waving his hands around as he talked. "Sirius liked you?" he asked.

It was still dark in the classroom, given the late hour. Harry, Ron, and Hermione had gotten comfortable as they listened to the beginning of Elysian's story. Hermione had graciously conjured up some tea for them and lit some candles to get a familiar scent in the room so that Elysian's memories would more easily come to her.

Elysian took a sip of her tea, then took a deep breath. "No, Sirius was in love with me, Harry," she explained to him.

"And you and Regulus didn't even know each other's names?" He continued, perplexed as to how this was where their story began.

She nodded and took another sip of her tea. "Yes."

"I'm confused," he muttered, running his hands over his very tense forehead.

The stress of that year had clearly gotten to him; he was tense and more serious than he had been in any of his previous years, and no one could blame him for that; he practically had a target on his back, and, according to Hermione, this story could possibly be the key to eliminating the one with the arrows aimed at him.

Hermione turned to him, sending him an annoyed look that he didn't catch or just didn't pay any mind to. She took a deep breath and told him, "Well, if you let her tell the story, you won't be confused."

"Alright, alright," he mumbled, putting his hands up in defense. "I still don't see how this is going to help us, but please, continue," he said, gesturing for Elysian to go on.

"Thank you," she nodded. "Now, where was I?" She thought for a moment. "Oh, yes, I was sitting outside with your mother, Harry, and our friends, Marlene, Mary, and Dorcas—oh, and Severus was there as well." She paused for a moment, thinking back on the memory. "Now, Harry, this may be hard for you to hear because your father is in this one, and it's not one of his best moments."

HOGWARTS, 1977

It was later that same day. The air was still crisp and cold, and the sun still beamed, just not as brightly. Elysian sat in the snow under her favorite tree with Marlene, Lily, Mary, Dorcas, and Severus. They were all bundled up in their coats, scarves, and gloves. Lily and Serevus sat next to one another, while Mary sat next to Dorcas, and Marlene and Elysian sat next to them.

"It's too cold to be sitting out here," Mary groaned, rubbing her hands over her arms.

"It's cold, yes, but it also feels fresh and nice," Lily said. "And you need to start learning to enjoy the outdoors and nature; it's so beautiful, a lot more beautiful than the inside of the common room, where you're always sitting," she continued, looking between Mary and Severus, who was sketching some kind of drawing.

"I would rather be seeing the warmth of a fire than my breath because of how bloody freezing it is," Mary groaned, rubbing her hands even faster.

"Oh, stop complaining," Lily added, playfully rolling her eyes.

They sat there in silence after that, just staring at the beautiful sight in front of them as Severus continued to sketch on his piece of parchment.

Elysian took a deep breath through her nose, smelling the cold air as it filled her with an all-too-familiar feeling. She felt calm in that moment; a sense of relief came to her tense shoulders as she took in the trees and how they swayed ever-so-slightly with the small breeze.

But peace never lasted at Hogwarts, apparently.

"Oh, look, Padfoot, it's our favorite Slytherin, Snivellus." The girls and Severus heard the annoying voice of James Potter coming up from behind them.

They all turned and faced the boy. He was walking towards them with Sirius, Remus, and Peter, a smug smile taking over his face. Elysian rolled her eyes at the sight.

"What do you want, James?" Lily asked. Her tone was bored; she was already over his presence. It was no secret that Lily didn't like James Potter; she thought that he was rude, annoying, and all the other things she would never want to be around. But there was also a part of her that felt some attraction towards him, and she deeply hated that part.

Elysian watched as the four boys stopped in front of them. James stood with his hands in the pockets of his trousers, and his long wool coat trailed down the length of his body.

"Oh, we just wanted to see what you lot were up to," he replied. He glanced over to Severus, seeing him not paying them any mind, so James decided it was his duty to bother him and get the boy's attention. James snatched the piece of parchment from Severus' hands and began to study it. "What do we have here?"

"Give it back," Elysian said, glaring at James and his head full of dark curls.

"What was that?" he asked. Elysian looked at him and saw that he had his brows raised, staring at her with a type of confusion that was clearly fake. He knew exactly what she had said.

"I said give it back," she repeated, standing up from the ground. She brushed the snow off of her, but didn't break eye contact with the Potter boy.

"And why should I do that?" he asked, furrowing his brows as his friends snickered behind him. He took a glance back at them, giving them a knowing look.

"Because it's not yours," she added. "Honestly, don't you think you should have left the jokes and pranks in fourth year—you know, grow up a little like the rest of us?" she questioned him, her words coming out in an annoyed and condescending manner.

James scoffed, clearly vexed by her words. "Fine," he deadpanned, handing the paper back to Severus, who still sat on the ground next to Lily. Severus took the drawing back and put it in his sketchbook so that the boys didn't have another chance to take it.

A gentle hand was placed on Elysian's shoulder, and when she looked back, she saw Lily sending her a look that told her to just forget him, and she was going to do that until James started speaking again.

"Snivellus—sorry, Severus, come here," James said as he looked over to the boy sitting on the ground.

Severus slowly stood up, set his sketchbook on the ground, brushed the snow off his robes, and made his way over to the three. His steps were cautious as he glared at James.

Elysian knew that James was innocent in the rivalry, and neither was Severus, but Severus was more tolerable than James, and it didn't help that she felt bad for him and related to him; she knew what it was like to be a half-blood in that day and age.

"What do you want?" the long-haired boy asked as he stopped a mere two feet away from James. He was tense, anticipating the boy's next move.

"Oh, we just want to have some fun," he replied, a smirk taking hold of his face. Then he sent a nod to Sirius and Remus and watched as they moved in on the boy.

The two boys grabbed Severus by his arms as they pushed him back. Now everyone was standing, watching the boys move. They pushed him against a tree and held him there as James laughed.

"Let him go!" Elysian shouted, moving toward the boys. She grabbed onto one of Sirius' arms as Lily followed in her footsteps, going over to Remus and doing the same. "You bean stock, let him go!" she demanded of Sirius as he pulled out his wand, though she could see it.

Severus struggled against the two boys as everyone ignored Lily and Elysian. The rest of them stood there, too stunned to do anything. James stepped closer to Severus, but when he lifted his wand, ready to shoot some kind of spell—mostly a small one, unharmful to anyone—a voice called out, "Everte Statum!"

Everyone froze and looked at James, who was now lying on the ground a few feet away from his original position, groaning in pain. His wand was next to him; it had fallen when he went flying, and his body was sprawled out.

Elysian looked in the direction from which the spell had come, but she saw no one standing there. But then, that's when she saw a small glimpse of curly hair—very, very familiar hair. It was him. But why would he help them with Severus? Yes, he was a Slytherin, but he didn't have many friends—only Lily and Elysian; the other girls just tagged along as acquaintances.

She looked back to Sirius and Remus as they quickly moved away from Severus, going over to James to check on him. When she turned around, the curls were no longer peeking from behind the pillar—he was gone. Severus straightened out his robes, then ran his fingers through his hair as he looked at Lily.

James stayed on the ground as Elysian grabbed Lily's hand, tugging her towards the castle. "Come on," Elysian said. Severus gathered his things, and all of them quickly made their way to the castle. Elysian looked at the four boys with an angry look as she jogged.

What was their deal?

HOGWARTS, 1996

"My father was not a bully," Harry insisted, an angry look in his eyes. He held his tea cup in his hands, but he hadn't taken a sip of it; he just let the warmth sink into his hands, bringing him a sense of comfort as he heard all about the past.

"Really?" Elysian raised her brows, pretending to be surprised. "It's funny you say that, because I don't remember you being there," she added, a small laugh escaping her lips.

His mouth opened, as if he were going to retort, but he quickly snapped it shut when he realized that he was in fact not there and therefore had no right to tell Elysian what did or did not happen. But he still didn't believe her. He didn't believe that his father bullied Snape. He believed all of the good stories of the great James Potter he was told in all his years at Hogwarts.

She took a small sip of her tea as she watched the thoughts swirl around in the boy's head. Ron and Hermione sat next to him. They were both engrossed in the story but irritated by Harry's interruptions.

"Harry, we all had our moments when we weren't the best version of ourselves, where we did things that weren't in character for us." Elysian told him, setting her porcelain tea cup down once again. "Just because your father was like that in that moment didn't mean he was always like that," she added. "Let the story play out, and you'll soon see that."

꒷꒦ · ˚.‧ . ✺ ◛ ⋆⁺₊⋆

━━━━ ella's speaking !
hi, im so so sorry this chapter took ten years to be put out lmao

also, sorry for making james such a bitch in this. i'm doing it for the plot, but trust me when i tell you he won't always be like that

i hope you enjoyed!! make sure to leave a comment and vote!

kisses !

━━━━━━━━━ west coast,
© -LOSTGARDENS,      jan 2023

word count: 3944.  written: 1.6.23.  published: 1.6.23.