when you first asked regulus out on a date he was confused. you’re pretty, you come from a wealthy, pure-blood family, but he didn’t understand why on earth you were asking him out. he begrudgingly accepted, hoping maybe you’d leave him alone after that. but you didn’t. you kept coming back for more of regulus black. after a while he began to soften. he had stopped flinching when you tried to hold his hand, he started conversations with you unprompted, he even initiated physical contact.

regulus had never had a loving relationship with anyone before, but dare he say he liked this. he liked you.

“does he actually think you like him?” he overheard one of your friends say in the common room.

surely they weren’t talking about him. surely…

“yeah, he does.” he hears your voice. regulus freezes. he frowns, listening to your conversation for a bit longer. regulus never thought he would be mocked, or bullied, or made fun of even in the slightest. he’s a black for god sake! nobody mocks the noble and most ancient house of black.

“wow. i didn’t think anyone could make regulus soften up.” he hears your friend laugh. he scowls. he hears a bag of galleons being placed into your hands and realises that this entire relationship was just a bet. he was a bet. he walks into the common room and storms past you, stomping up to his dorm.