The warm sunlight of the late afternoon streamed through the tall windows of the common room, casting golden streaks across the dark green drapery. You were adjusting your cloak, preparing to leave for a long-awaited outing with your best friends, when Regulus entered the room. His presence, as always, was magnetic, but today, there was something different—an icy tension in his gray eyes and a set line to his jaw.

"Where are you going?" he asked, his voice low but laced with an edge that made your stomach tighten.

"Just out with my friends," you replied, smiling softly, hoping to defuse whatever storm was brewing.

His brow furrowed. "Friends?" His tone twisted on the word, skepticism dripping from it. "Or him?"

You sighed, turning to face him fully. "Regulus, come on. You know there is nothing between us," you began gently, your voice soothing, careful to not stoke his jealousy. "He is only a fr—"

The sharp sting on your cheek stopped your words cold. The room seemed to freeze, the sound of the slap echoing in the silence. Your hand flew to your face, trembling as your skin burned, not just from the strike but from the shock of it. You looked up at him, wide-eyed, disbelief and hurt pooling in your gaze.

Regulus stood before you, his chest heaving slightly, his hand still raised as if he couldn’t quite believe what he had done. The moment stretched painfully, a suffocating silence enveloping you both.

"I…" he started, his voice cracking as his arm fell limply to his side. His eyes flickered with something—regret, fear, shame. "I didn’t mean to…"

Tears welled up in your eyes, but you didn’t let them fall. You stepped back, your body shaking. This was not the Regulus you knew, not the Regulus you loved.

"Don’t," you whispered, your voice trembling as much as your body. "Don’t you dare try to explain this away."

He reached for you, desperation in his movements, but you flinched, the involuntary reaction cutting him deeper than any words could.