Breath of Fresh Air (Open)

[brett]

Regulus took in a deep breath as he stepped out the doors of Hogwarts and onto the sprawling grounds. He was glad to finally be out of the dungeon commonroom that the Slytherins had to call there own. It didn't seem fair placement: the Gryffindors and Ravenclaws had amazing tower views...or so he assumed and the Hufflepuffs were right next to the kitchens.

Meanwhile the Slytherins had been tossed in the below ground dungeons. Regulus figured that they had to be placed below everyone else physically to balance out the fact that they felt themselves to be above everyone else mentally. He smirked at the thought as he continued on his way across the grounds and down to the Lake.

The Lake was by far Regulus's favorite spot on the Hogwarts campus and as he finally arrived at his destination it wasn't hard to see why. The sun reflected brightly off the cool dark surface of the water, the air seemed inexplicably fresher in this spot than anywhere else. Regulus made his way over to a tree just off the lakes shore, his usual spot to come and sit and collect his thoughts.

Breathing in another deep breath he put his back against the tree and slid down into a sitting position. His knees were bent slightly and his back was at a small angle from the tree allowing for maximum comfort as he slipped into a state of relaxation.

[bella]

OOC: Hope you don't mind, but I thought a Slytherin-Hufflepuff interaction might be fun. ;D


Bella walked down the steps of the castle, once finding herself in the wrong location because the staircase decided to switch course when she was half way down the flight. It took a little bit of maneuvering, but she was soon enough in the Entrance Hall and headed out to the grounds. It was a nice enough day and she was tired of being stuffed upstairs in the Common Room. She had her little rat Mipsy up on her shoulder with her pink nose working madly to take in all the scents. Occasionally her whiskers would tickle Bella’s neck.

She had no trouble deciding on where she wanted to go, always finding the lake the best place to go. Her walk was lazy and laid back, nothing faster then a stroll. It seemed nothing could go wrong until Mipsy decided she wanted to go exploring. Before Bella could catch her, Mipsy slid down Bella’s shoulder and onto the grass, her small form becoming distant and disappearing into the green. Bella muttered angrily and took up a faster pace, following where her little pet had last been seen.

“Oh great, just what I need…” She couldn’t help herself from muttering “Stupid Slytherins” shortly after, trying to act as though nothing was wrong and was invisible to him: Regulus Black, one of several Blacks roaming the halls in Hogwarts. She tried not to be prejudice, but Regulus wasn’t someone she fancied a chat with on a perfectly good day. Still, she caught herself stealing small glances at him just because he reminded her so much of Sirius, whom she was a bit more friendly with.

It was during one of those little glances that Bella felt her heart sink. “Oh, Mipsy…” she moaned quietly, watching the little white rat climbing up the tree Regulus had settled himself under. She was dangerously close to his head now…Mipsy was sniffing his hair, her tail twitching. Why did I have to pick the friendliest rat of the bunch? Bella thought in remorse as her already sunken heart hit rock bottom – Mipsy had crawled onto Regulus’s shoulder.

[brett]

OOC: I think it very well could be.

Regulus felt something tickle his head he reached up and ruffled his hair figuring a leaf or something had fallen from the tree, but then he felt something on his shoulder, he could feel it's weight on him, light, but much heavier than a leaf, and something that felt like...tiny feet? Regulus turned to his shoulder the rat's buggy eyes and pink nose amplified by the closeness, "Bloody hell," he shouted nearly jumping out of his skin.

It took Regulus only a second to realize that it was not a gigantic rat, rather simply a normal one kept as a pet, but he had already made a fool of himself. Looking up he quickly spotted who he assumed was the rat's owner. "This yours?" he asked still a bit upset by the incident, as he took the rat from his shoulder holding him in his hands for the girl to reclaim. The girl, he recognized, was a Hufflepuff in his year...Isabella if he remembered right.

Looking from the girl down to the rodent in his hands made him wonder. Why would someone keep such a thing as a pet? They were small, hideous little creatures that were easily lost and had no practical purpose. At least owls were good for mail, the only use he could think of for a rat would be disposing of a surplus of cheese and somehow he doubted that was why people kept them around.

[bella]

Bella was silently cursing her stupid rat – why did she have to be so darn social? She wanted nothing to do with Regulus but no, Mipsy just had to go and say hello. She had almost begun to mutter her pet’s current location to him when Regulus found out for himself. He jumped and swore at her rat. She obviously felt a protective sense fall over her and wanted to shout ‘Let go or her!’ but that seemed very wrong as it had been her own fault Mipsy had landed there in the first place.

Still, at least he didn’t harm her. He simply snagged her and held Mipsy out. Silently, she nodded and told Mipsy from him, feeling regrettably, the need that she should probably apologize for disrupting him. If it hadn’t been for her darn manners Bella would have ignored the incentive and just left him there. But that was considered ‘rude’ which she just didn’t do.

“I’m sorry,” she said as calmly as she could, holding Mipsy to her chest, “She normally doesn’t get away like that. She just gets excited when she sees new people. I didn’t mean to bother you.” Bella looked down at Mipsy, finding her lack of a conversation unnerving. Bella wasn’t one for uncomfortable silences. “Mipsy just likes people,” she shrugged, “Sometimes it gets me in trouble. Again, sorry…” What was she supposed to say to a Slytherin she hardly knew and wasn’t even sure if she wanted to know? “She didn’t scare you that bad, did she?” It was sort of a childish question, but she was running out of topics. She nearly smiled when Bella wondered if she might hurt his pride, asking if he were scared of such a small creature, “She wouldn’t have bit you or anything.”

[brett]

Regulus listened to Bella explain the situation and he was still in a semi relaxed state, despite the interruption, so he was going to just let it go. Just say, 'no problem, now beat it' to prove his Slytherin attitude still held and then go back to sitting underneath the tree relaxing. After all it had all just seemed to be an accident. Then she said the word scare.

"I wasn't scared," Regulus said defiantly. "I just hadn't been expect the company of a filthy rodent...or her pet rat," he added allowing a quick smirk to cross his features. The rat may not bite, but Regulus did. "And honestly, how poor do you have to be to have a rat as a pet," he said taking a typical Slytherin shot: insulting other people's wealth. Regulus usually didn't take much joy from insulting others, but in this case he felt the girl had brought this upon herself.

"Why don't you two just scurry away now and find someone else to bother," he said dismissing the two. He realized now that he hadn't called into question the name of the rat, mipsy? But it seemed too late for that now anyway. He quickly realized that there was no one else around and he probably could have and maybe even should have been nicer to Bella, but again what was done was done.

[bella]

This was exactly why Bella tried her hardest to just leave Slytherin alone – they were all the same. None of them ever were nice to you, they all thoughts they were better then you, picked on you about the stupidest things, and they often landed themselves in detention. Who wanted friends like that? Anger flickered across Bella’s face – ‘scurry along’, how dare he. She was not leaving until she got her say.

“Rats are not ‘filthy rodents’, I mean, wouldn’t you know? Most Slytherin’s are dirtier then rats anyways! All of you are the same! It’s not my fault Mipsy decided she was going to try and be nice to you, don’t treat her like filth! And me either for that matter: I am not poor nor if I was do you have a right to pick on me about it!” Bella tried to stop herself, but words were flowing fluently now in her anger. Really, he hadn’t done her that much wrong, but somehow he got under her skin.

“Why don’t you go tease someone else, because I’m not really in the mood for it. Slytherin’s just ruin my day, it doesn’t matter which one it is. Is that why you think you have to act so tough? Because you’re in slimy Slytherin? You don’t have to be a jerk and I don’t have to be a sweet little Hufflepuff. If you haven’t noticed, I’m a little ‘Puffer’ – that’s what you call us, isn’t it? – and I’m arguing back!” Bella took a huffed breathe. “You’re all the same. No one has ever proved me wrong.”


OOC: Bella's mad. RAWR! lol.

[brett]

Regulus listened to what Bella said all the time thinking of insults, perhaps now he could make a comment about naming a rat Mipsy. Then once again the last sentence caught his attention before he could begin to retaliate. "Is that a challenge?" he asked intrigued by the possible proposition. True he was a Slytherin who probably should have been firing back insults, but one thing Regulus prided himself on was proving people wrong.

He wanted to comment on the whole 'puffer' thing, but felt it might be too Slytherin-like and he would have lost before he even started. He never really used the nicknames anyway: Puffer, Gryffindork, he had never heard one for Ravenclaws, but he was pretty sure they were usually just referred to as nerds. So, actually it seemed like Puffer was the nicest one, but still not all that nice. Hufflepuff was a stupid name anyway, Regulus thought he may actually prefer Puffer.

It wouldn't be difficult for Regulus to act nice...unless he was provoked in which case he would let Bella have it. In that case though it would be because he was a Slytherin, it be because she had said or done something to upset him. No one in the Most Noble House of Black took lightly to being insulted not even his Gryffindor brother Sirius. Basically as long as Bella stayed cordial so would Regulus. He may even let Mipsy rest on his shoulder if she so wished.

[bella]

Bella was seemingly taken aback, “A challenge?” she echoed him, still glaring him down. “You think you can prove that Slytherins aren’t actually all the same? You?” Maybe poking fun at his pride wasn’t the best approach, but she couldn’t stop herself. She was probably getting herself into a lot of trouble just by talking to the boy. Things never ended well when Slytherins were involved…and he thought he could prove her wrong about that? Fat chance.

“What are you trying to suggest Regulus?” she continued fervently, finally saying his name, “That they are nice Slytherins? Because the only ones I’ve ever met have been lowlife scum with nothing better to do then tease little first year because they won’t dare take on only older since they don’t know good enough spells to handle it!” Oh my God, Bella just shut up. You’re digging yourself a bigger hole… What was she going to do if he decided to aim one at her? He wouldn’t play fair.

She couldn’t recall ever setting out one day and plan to take on a Slytherin boy. Really, what was she going to do? She should have just taken Mipsy and left, but no, her small dose of pride couldn’t handle that, no, she had to open her big mouth and look at where it had landed her. The anger that was aimed at herself seemed to be turning over to anger at Regulus, who in all honesty hadn’t done anything. “Is that what you’re trying to tell me, is it?” she asked again, trying to calm down.

[brett]

Regulus smiled enjoying the fact that he had somehow managed to rile Bella up without even really trying. "Well, I have never picked on a first year...I mean I like messing with them, but it's nothing like what your probably thinking," he said attempting to defend himself, but not doing a very good job. He just thought it was funny to levitate first years out of they're chairs, or give them potion that would turn there skin purple...it was just pranks really, no worse than what his brother did.

"I'm not saying Slytherins are nice, because nice is a relative term. They're nice to me, but probably not to you. All I'm saying is that not all of us are evil," Regulus said able to keep his cool only because Bella had already lost hers. So there was really no more fun to be had in provoking her, especially if it would interfere with his proving a point. Besides she was working off stereotypes which didn't really apply to him anyway, so why defend those who they did.

"Now, what do I have to do to prove that not all Slytherins are the same?" Regulus asked looking to get down to business, so he could go back to relaxing. Would she want to duel to prove that he could handle it? Maybe not, because when she lost she would probably just yell at him for picking on a girl and thing her point still stood. Whatever she chose he was determined to prove her wrong...though he didn't want word spreading that he was nice, eh, he could deal with that later.

[bella]

Why did you let your big mouth talk? Bella was beginning to become more irritated then mad, at now it was geared more at herself then him. There was something very wrong with that. She had become so engulfed in her own thoughts that she was barely aware he was talking to her – what he said wasn’t important, was it? Oh my God, your horrible. Bella forced herself to actually listen to him then, just to make herself feel better.

You don’t pick on first years, do you? She let that one slide, finding it very irrelevant at the moment even though she’d been the one to bring it up. “I'm not saying Slytherins are nice, because nice is a relative term. They're nice to me, but probably not to you. All I'm saying is that not all of us are evil.” She stared at him, disbelieving. “That’s my whole point! You’re only friends with your House! You can’t honestly tell me that you have any friends outside your own House, do you? And I don’t count Sirius, so don’t you dare use him as an example. You’re not even friends with your own brother, are you? Because he’s in Gryffindor, right? What happens during Summer Vacation, you all buddy-buddy at home, where no one’s looking?” Whoops. Bella instantly felt bad for dragging family into the matter. Shoot, if Regulus only knew about her own situation. Crazy free-loader father and an alcoholic mother on her death bed; Bella silently thanked God that Regulus didn’t know about all that.

Bella wasn’t sure what to do with herself at this point. Talking anymore would not help her, and she was getting no where. Not only had she jabbed at his pride, now she was poking at his family. She had no right to do so; I’m no better then him… No, no, no! She was just riled up; Bella wasn’t normally like this. It was a lame excuse for her behavior. This was why she'd been placed in HUfflepuff. In a rather defeated tone, she muttered out “Sorry, that was uncalled for…you don’t have to prove anything to me…” There was no point anymore. Why did you have to let you big mouth talk?

[brett]

Regulus had been ready to go after her until the words sunk in. Did he have friends outside his house...there was Indigo, but he only talked to her because she was astoundingly beautiful and the most amazing girl he'd ever met. Then there was his cousin Annie they were still friends, but that was only cause they had grown up together. Then of course there was his brother.

It was the summer vacation comment that cut deepest because of what happened the past summer. They were usually friends when they were alone, but that was a choice he and Sirius made together and he didn't like the fact that it was assumed to be his idea. But even in their own house they couldn't be friends for fear there parents would find out. They wouldn't have to worry about that anymore though. "Sirius, was kicked out of the house this summer," he said once she had finished speaking. His usual cocky arrogance replaced by a sad broken tone.

Regulus had no idea why he had divulged this. It wasn't really a secret he supposed, but it was painful to say. He remembered vividly as his mother scorched out his name on the family tree. He could see his brother walking away from Grimmauld Place for the last time. It wasn't like he died or anything, though his parents figured him to be as good as dead.

[bella]

Bella had been keeping her gaze carefully trained on her shoes, feeling stupid for even bothering to pick a fight with him. He had just handed her back her runaway rat but no, she had to go and open her mouth. Sometimes being social was a pain in the butt. But when Regulus spoke his tone was pained, “Sirius was kicked out of the house this summer.” She stared at him for a full minute before really processing it. She’s heard rumors about that, but she hadn’t really believed it. I mean, maybe it was just another lame attempt for attention?

“Oh, wow,” she finally muttered, “I’m sorry…I don’t fancy that went over very well.” Bella wasn’t sure it was her place to try and sympathize with him. Only a moment ago she’d been yelling at him. She had no right to try and give any ounce of comfort, nor was she even sure she was really willing to offer it. “I’m sorry,” she repeated lamely, “I didn’t know.”

Her gaze was back at her shoes, her stomach flipping. So Sirius really had been kicked out. She knew the Blacks were famous for the hate against anything but purebloods, and that it hadn’t been a welcomed event, Sirius being placed in Gryffindor. She could only imagine how Regulus had been taking it, and his sisters…would they be upset or happy? “Where did he go?” she asked before really ever deciding to. Bella, just leave him alone… But she hadn’t moved.

[brett]

Why hadn't Regulus put his guard up? This girl had no right to know these things, so why had he told her? Why was he still standing here? It was obvious really, he'd been wanting to talk to someone about it since it happened. But who did he have to tell?

He had tried talking to Sirius, but it was so hard to get him alone. All his friends were Slytherins and celebrated when he told them as though it was the best thing that could have happened. He never wanted to bring it up around Indigo, because he never really thought about it around her. Also he wasn't sure they had that sort of relationship yet; so far it was mostly just flirty conversation. So who did that leave? The Huflepuff girl and her rat with the silly name.

"Just kinda wandered at first I guess...then the Potters put him up," Regulus said keeping his tone low and sad. "Mum and Dad have always been after Sirius and he's always gone right back at them...I kinda always knew it would happen sooner or later...guess I was just hoping for later," he added keeping his eyes away from Bella. He preferred addressing the open air. Besides he didn't want her to get the chance to look into his eyes during a brief moment of weakness.

"I know we're in rival houses and whatever, but he's still my brother," he added, then as an afterthought, "Still think all Slytherin's are the same?" he asked glancing at her quickly. At least it looked like he proved her wrong.

[bella]

Bella seemed to have guessed wrong. For what felt like a long time, they just stood their, both staring at the ground with no words to be spoken. She almost thought about dismissing herself at last, just to leave him alone. Obviously he was focused on his own thoughts, which left her to mull upon hers. But he finally spoke, still defeated. She didn’t dare look up – she was nearly scared at what she might see. Was he going to be angry at her for asking, annoyed she wouldn’t just leave him alone, happy to have someone to talk to? Bella would never know, because she was too frightened to look up.

Still talking to the ground, she answered “I suppose he’s happy there though, so I mean, it can’t be all bad. It would be hard of course, I’m not saying you’ve been left with a family happy about him leaving while he’s off playing at the Potters…it would be hard for everyone. I guess a lot harder for you, since you’re caught in the middle of it…do you even like your parents?” Bella silently swore at herself – why did she let things slip like that? She had to learn how to keep her mouth shut. “I just mean, you don’t seem to…well…you don’t…” She trailed off, knowing she was doing more damage then good.

“Still think all Slytherin are the same?” She had finally looked up but was greeted by nothing, for Regulus was still staring at the ground. Bella felt immensely stupid and fell into something of self loathing. Obviously he had his own problems and surely she hadn’t made his day any better. Part of her wanted to start yelling again, but it was pointless and would get her no further then before. “I told you that you didn’t have to prove anything to me,” she muttered almost inaudibly, hating herself even more.

[brett]

"I love my parents," Regulus answered the question, not mad though he felt maybe he should be. "But I love my brother too...I just never thought I'd have to chose between the two...sometimes I wonder if I made the wrong choice," he added disappointed. Why was he still talking to her?

"I know I didn't have to, and I wasn't saying those things to prove you wrong. I was saying them because I needed to get my thoughts out. Now, if you could please answer the question, Do you still think all Slytherins are the same?" Regulus repeated the question slowly working his way to a more normal tone, though he was doing his best to leave out the arrogance.

It may have been stupid and selfish, but he wanted this small victory. After all the uncalled for shouting Bella did the least she could do was admit she was wrong. It wouldn't make anything different in the relationships he had with his family, but he wanted the little satisfaction that came from knowing he was right.