☼.* :☆ﾟ☽ ───𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐄
❝ an unexpected conversation ❞

☼.* :☆ﾟ☽───THE DAY WENT ON DREADFULLY SLOW FOR ELEANOR, the painful long lectures from Arithmancy class and the unsuccessful of non-verbal spell lessons in Defence Against the Dark Arts, at the end of the classes, she ended up with more homework that is due after the weekend, to which she was dreading. The dullness and the grey still clutched on the day, eventually bringing the pouring rain on the roofs and grounds of the castle, the gloominess still drowns everyone's enthusiasm. The only thing that everyone were looking forward this weekend was the Hogsmeade trip.

          Eleanor, Prudence and Cassius made their way to the dungeons after they left their last class of the day, walking through the crowded corridors, filled with the students from various years and houses. "Speaking of curiosity," Cassius said, the trio were near at the staircases "what would you two would want your endeavors to succeed if you won the Felix Felicis?"

          Eleanor's thoughts of what she would've done with the Liquid Luck made her wish she won it even though she knew she was miles away from winning it. She felt terribly bummed out about it. Before she replied, Prudence answered first, she let out a dreamily sigh, "Save it until I find the moment to escape my parents' inevitable decisions for me" Eleanor almost thought that Prudence was reading her mind because of how similar their endeavors are. "You, Cass?"

          "Use it to get lucky to go with my father to one of his business trips around the world, he never lets me come along with him and leaves me behind to stay with my dreadful aunt" Cassius muttered. She's always welcomed into Casterly Manor during the summer and whenever her father is gone for business, he'd be gone for a week or two and she'd stay in the Casterly's for a couple of days before deciding to go back home to stay in Dayne Manor with her aunt. The Casterlys and Daynes have remained close for a long time and are neighbors. Sort of neighbors, about five to ten miles apart from each other.

          "You don't like our sleepovers anymore?" Eleanor joked, the trio arrived the staircases and were heading to the main floor.

          "We're not twelve anymore, Elle"

          "And we're never too old for sleepovers"

          Cassius ignored Eleanor's remarks, "And what about you, Elle? What would you have done with Liquid Luck?"

          The auburn-haired girl shrugged, "Pretty much the same as Rue's" she glanced back at the girls for a second and forced out a smile.

          "Predictable answer. A very fine and lovely day would be a terrific one also"

          The girls went on about their day and classes from there to the Slytherin common room where they worked on their homework until supper. The rain slowly died down when evening proceeded, sky became partially cloudy at twilight, how unfortunate that it rained from morning and evening, but dies out when the sun begins to set. It's as if the day decided itself to bring desolation for fun.

          It's another night of patrolling as a Prefect for Eleanor, she prefers to patrol near the Entrance Hall so she can have a reason to step outside for a while to think, stroll around the Courtyard and enjoy the quiet nature. The night is quite chilly tonight as the official autumn is near, Eleanor's warm breath is shown as she breathes out into the chilly air, the moon is sharp as the curved knife tonight also, and peering over the clouds.

          "You're doing a brilliant job as a Prefect, Eleanor" her brother's voice spoke behind her as she stood in the middle of the Courtyard, she twisted around to see her brother approaching her, "What are you sad about this time?"

          "I'm not being sad," she frowned at him, "I was just looking around for any signs of trouble"

          "Yeah, you won't find any trouble in the sky, Eleanor. Trouble could be around the grounds" Esander joked. His smile slowly went down, he stood by her and looked up as well, "Seriously, what's on your mind now?"

          "Oh you know, life, as usual" she crossed her arms together on her chest, wrapping her cloak tightly to keep warm. "I'm not sad, okay? I'm just enjoying this calm weather as I can before it gets hideous again. Caught any troubles tonight?"

          "Just a couple of from second year and forth year, the library and the bathroom from the fifth floor. Anyway, got this from Arowyn today─" Arowyn is Esander's owl, whom he and Eleanor share to send out letters to their parents. Esander pulled out a letter from his pocket, "Of course, it's from mum"

          Eleanor took the letter to read, light her wand to illuminate to see what her mother had written. Her mother said that she and her father had a dinner with the Malfoys, Averys, Zabinis, Turners and Ambrose Dayne last Sunday, she expressed how much she misses Eleanor and Esander, and the Manor feels so empty without the kids. There was nothing new that was shared except that their father had gotten a promotion in the Ministry of Magic, now working close with them. At the end of the letter, her mother said to write back soon.

          "Poor mum, she could go insane any day now because we're not there" Eleanor finished reading the letter. "And dad got promoted" she said halfheartedly.

          "Six to seven years now since we've been mostly living in Hogwarts, she still can't get used to us not being there" Esander said almost sullenly.

          "And you still got like eight months here and you're finished school" Eleanor added.

          Esander smiled, softly chuckled under his breath, "You know, I used to worry about finishing school, sulking over the future and worrying what I'll do afterwards before I could figure it all out"

          "Have you figured it out yet? Besides marriage"

          He didn't answer quickly, the word marriage threw him off for a brief moment, "Yeah" he nodded. "I never asked and I noticed you're not hanging around with Ygritte anymore . . . I hope it's not because of me"

          Eleanor sighed, "It's not you, not really, I think, but it was her decision, I didn't drove her away. Maybe she was too scared of me knowing the fact that she's engaged to my brother" She was joking on the last part.

          "But I know whenever you're being sardonic most of the time, the topic you're joking about actually infuriates or irritates you" her brother knew, Esander is probably the only person in the world who knows Eleanor better than anyone else. He's the only person in her life that does not get infuriated or irritated by her mocks even when she tries to, he knows some of her sardonic remarks masquerades the way she truly feels.

          "I'm not angry at you or Ygritte," she admitted, "To be honest, I actually miss her. And I'm only angry because I know I'll suffer the same as you"

          He laughed softly, "You shouldn't worry about it, not now at least. You still got a lot of time, enjoy your freedom while you still have it"

          "Oh, I didn't know we had freedom all this time" she laughed.

          "Shut up," Esander scoffed as he lightly shoved her with his arm against her back, "If you wish to escape from your future arranged marriage, you could always end up like grandfather"

          Eleanor hadn't thought of their grandfather for a long time, their father never talks about him and he also refuses to talk about him whenever she and Esander try to ask about their grandfather. Their grandfather, Lucretius Casterly, the one that they call the unfortunate Casterly who was sorted in house Hufflepuff when he was in Hogwarts. It may seem that their father had disowned him, left him alone, be on his own, and they don't know why. Esander joked that their father was probably ashamed of him, embarrassed to prefer him as his father, to which Eleanor responded by punching Esander's arm for being mean.

          "To end up like grandfather does not sound bad now though, isn't it?" Eleanor muttered. "Wherever he is now, he's free . . . but hopefully, he's not alone" She and her brother don't even know if their grandfather is still alive or not.

☼.* :☆ﾟ☽───THE RAIN STILL FOLLOWED THE DAY, but it did not ruin the excitement from the students, it's the weekend, they're not in classes and it's Hogsmeade trip. Well, most were excited, some had grown out of the usual excitement they used to have from third year. The rain wasn't a downpour at least. The students are usually transported to the village by carriages that is most believed that they are being pulled themselves like magic, but unaware by most students that the carriages are pulled by invisible creatures called Thestrals which can only be seen when one had seen death. Eleanor didn't know that until the forth year when her brother told her.

          She wasn't planning on going to Hogsmeade right away, she had to go to the Owlery Tower and write back her mother. She didn't planned on skipping breakfast, she just lost the time when she was writing the letter in her empty dorm room, Prudence and Cassius had left to have breakfast. Writing a letter to her parents was always somehow difficult because she never have that much words or news (like her mother) to tell them besides how the school year or how the week has been for her and her brother. There was nothing new to add in the letter, Eleanor wrote as much as she could, what she likes and dislikes about her classes and the teachers or what she has learned from all of them, she added how much she misses her home, even though she doesn't quite miss home that much and the stuff she wrote on the letter was mostly blatant lies.

          When she left her dorm room, the common room wasn't empty, there were three students quietly sitting in one of the tables and the fireplace, seemingly studying or finishing up their homework before they go to the Hogsmeade Village, but one was reading a Daily Prophet, one that was sitting by the fireplace, and it was Regulus Black.

          Regulus Black was the younger brother of the infamous, Sirius Black. Unlike Sirius, Regulus was mostly a quiet kid, a good student who reads a lot of books and Daily Prophet. It's rumored that Sirius Black was the disobedient child of Orion and Walburga Black. Eleanor's father was acquainted with the Black family, specifically Orion, he invited the family once into the Casterly Manor once during a Christmas Party, Eleanor was thirteen at the time, she remembered that they only brought Regulus with them, she remembered feeling relieved that Sirius didn't show up, but looking back on why they didn't brought him with them to the party kind of make sense, she now knew why.

          She wasn't sure what brought her to approach the boy, she always has some sort of a knack of talking to almost anyone when she believes that they need in some company. They're almost acquainted through their fathers anyway, "It's been quite a while since we last spoke, haven't we, Black?" she sat down on the same sofa, she can't really remember the last time they spoke, just a time where her best friend was dating him.

          Regulus was a bit startled by the girl's sudden approach, "Uhmm . . . y—yeah, sure," he almost stuttered, "I guess" There he was, thinking that Eleanor Casterly is confronting him about Cassius, maybe Cassius had said some things about him, he wouldn't be surprised if she did, knowing the fact that those two are close.

          "So, how was your summer? I know it's been a month since we came back from Hogwarts," she has been wondering, if he was okay after Cassius broke up with him during the summer, completely avoiding him since then, she did felt bad for him, so that was her way of asking if he was okay after all of that.

          "It was fine, really" Regulus hesitated, not that he found her intimidating, it was just unexpecting that the Eleanor Casterly approached him and spark up a conversation with him. Sure, there was a time where he had a crush on her, the sudden fluttering feeling in his chest and his cheeks flustering whenever she looked at him or talked to him. Her gazes on him would make his entire world to stop turning and her smile would catch his breath. He'd envy all the boys in House Slytherin that had their eyes on her since he was in his third year, but neither of them, including himself had the chance with her after hearing from the whispers that she's rejected the guys who tried to ask her out. Surprisingly, that feeling wasn't there anymore. Maybe he had grown out of it? But there was a slight second where his heart had skipped a beat.

          "I imagine this is a bit strange for you . . . Me talking to you and all"

          "Strange? Oh, most definitely not," it kind of was, but he didn't want to come out as a rude person, especially not towards Eleanor Casterly. "I mean . . . Your father and my father are— practically friends, why shouldn't— we?"

          Eleanor pursed her lips as she nodded, "Yeah, uhmm— so, I was just passing by and saw you here all . . . mopey, wondering if you're all right" Eleanor wondered for a moment if he was actually heartbroken over Cassius, Eleanor can't deny that she'd probably be if a guy broke up with her through a letter, or maybe she'd be pissed. Maybe both.

          "Oh no, I mean—I wasn't being all mopey, just reading—" the boy raised the recent Daily Prophet, the news in the paper has been all the same, all about a war, the rumors and a man whom the paper refers as He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

          "Does it make you anxious?" Eleanor had heard stories about a Dark Wizard, she tries not think about it too much, not let it get into her head and distract her from school. The boy reluctantly shrugged in response, though his answer would've been no but he couldn't say it. Eleanor went on to say something, "I try not to think about it too much. What's important is that . . . we're still kids, we got bigger things to worry about and to focus on around here."

          If Regulus was still that boy who was madly in love with Eleanor Casterly, he wouldn't believe this moment where she gives him advices. But Regulus right now, advice was something he didn't really need. Although he couldn't deny that fact that she was actually right, he's still a kid, not even near sixteen which is months away, he should be worrying over simplest things like school instead of obsessing over following the news of what's happening outside the school. "You're right, I shouldn't worry over the world ending" he attempted to joke as he showed a hint of a smile without looking at her.

          Eleanor giggled softly. "Honestly, I think I'd be disappointed if it wasn't" she wasn't lying, the world to end before her inevitable planned future by her parents comes to her sounds like a relief.

          Regulus was slightly relieved and surprised that the girl has a bit of sense of humor.

          There was a brief silent between the two, trying not to make the silence rather awkward, Eleanor asked, "So, are you going to Hogsmeade today?"

          "I'm not sure now," he shrugged, "You just reminded me to worry over bigger things around here; . . . homework. I got loads to finish. Are you?"

          "Yeah, after lunch, I think" she then got on her feet, before she could forget about the letter she wrote for her parents. "I gotta go, I got a letter to send . . . maybe I'll see you around"

          Regulus had to ask, for some reason, "Would Cassius mind?" He didn't realized it was an odd question until he said it.

          "Mind that you and I are talking and making friendly conversation? I doubt it" she replied, but was actually uncertain. "I'm sure she knows you and I are acquainted. You're worried that she would?"

           "I just thought that her best friend talking to her ex would bother her, not like in a jealous way, just . . . bothered, as if you're fraternizing with an enemy or something" that was a dumb example when he mentioned enemy.

           Eleanor lowered her brows as she looked at him like he was strange, "Enemy?" she laughed lightly, "unless you broke her heart, she'd definitely be bothered, but she wasn't . . . I mean, I figured she broke yours instead"

           "Well . . . not really, but I think I understand why she did it" he didn't. But him dating Cassius sort of fell apart through the summer, barely answering each others' letters. Maybe that was why, or not. Whatever the reason was, he figured it was because of him. He does remember what the letter said. He does feel bad about something, that when he read the letter, he was actually relieved. He would never tell anyone about how relieved he was because he was afraid of they'd ask why and he wouldn't able to explain, or find a good lie.

          Eleanor will definitely remind herself to tell Cassius about this talk with Regulus, in case she's wrong. "She never told me why, if you're wondering" she assured him. "So . . . I'll see you then" she smiled and turned.

          "See you—" he said but she was already walking away, "—around" he murmured under his breath as he looked down at the paper he was reading.

☼.* :☆ﾟ☽───AUTHORS NOTE | i'm not gonna lie, I'm tempted to make this a love triangle while writing Eleanor and Regulus, like Remus x Eleanor x Regulus xD but I think friendship is preferred... I know it's been a while since I updated and I had this 2000+ words collecting dust the past month xD