Lately, Regulus hadn’t left your side.

It wasn’t like before — before when you were simply friends, when his protectiveness had been casual, almost brotherly.

Now, it was different.

He stood closer, brushing against you like he couldn’t help it. He always found you first when you entered a room. His hand would settle at the small of your back without thinking. His gaze lingered too long when you laughed.

You felt it in every glance, every lingering touch — a silent question hanging between you, unspoken but undeniable. It had become easy, almost natural, to believe that maybe, just maybe, Regulus wanted you the way you had always secretly wanted him.

Tonight was no different.

At first.

You sat in the armchair by the fire while you kept glancing toward the door, half-expecting him to walk through it any second.

Minutes passed. Then longer.

A soft laugh — his laugh — caught your attention, drifting from somewhere behind the tall bookcase at the edge of the common room. Instinctively, you smiled and rose from your seat, your heart lifting at the thought of him waiting for you, maybe planning some secret, some surprise only meant for the two of you.

But then... He was not alone.

Another girl stood close, her hands wrapped around his neck. Regulus had his arms around her waist, pulling her closer as he kissed her like he meant it. Not clumsy. Not uncertain. Like it was familiar. Like it was natural.

For a second, your brain refused to understand what you were seeing. You stared, your body frozen, heart thundering painfully in your chest.

No.

No, that’s not... he wouldn’t...

But he did.

It wasn’t an accident. It wasn’t a mistake.

It was deliberate.

You stumbled back instinctively, your breath catching in your throat. He didn't even see you. He was too lost in her.

You had been so sure. Every smile, every touch, every moment... they meant nothing. Nothing at all.

You backed away blindly, retreating to the armchair by the fire like it could somehow protect you from the weight crushing your ribs.

The fire crackled softly, but you felt cold.

Numb.

You thought about every little thing he'd done in the past few weeks.

How carefully he had made you feel like you were his.

And how easily he had handed himself to someone else.

You bit your lip, trying to will the tears back, trying to silence the hollow, aching betrayal blooming inside you.

You had trusted him.

You had trusted the way he made you feel seen, wanted, safe.

And he had shattered it without even looking back.

Across the room, laughter floated through the air — not yours, not his. Hers. His. Tangled together.

You sank deeper into the chair, pulling your knees up to your chest, wishing you could disappear.

Wishing you hadn’t been so stupid as to believe that someone like Regulus could have ever been yours.

But then, a voice interrupted your thoughts...

"What are you doing up so late?" Regulus whispered.