8

"does it hurt?" she asks.

"a bit."

"be honest with me."

"yeah, it burns," he tells her. "but how-"

"it was a decision out of anger, and i wish i had never done it, please don't say a word to anyone, no one knows, well except you now."

"yeah, your secret is safe with me."

regulus could tell the girl was trying to hold back her tears. he pulls her into a hug.

elizabeth euphemia potter was brutally honest yet so secretive. you would never think a girl with a smile on her face almost all the time could ever be hiding this much from everyone.

she pulled away, and wiped her tears, "wanna go to hogsmeade now?" she asks. "it might distract us for a while."

"yeah, let's go."

they walk out of the bathroom. although elizabeth didn't like him in that way, she was holding onto his hand, and he was holding hers.

they walked down to hogsmeade, elizabeth's hand never let go of his.

she had never felt this much support from anyone, and regulus; he never felt support.in a weird way, they were perfect for each other. they understood each other. they related to each other in ways no one did. and they both realised it.

they had reached the three broomsticks, "fancy a butterbeer?" she asks him.

"y-yeah," he answers.

they walk in, and take a seat.

"so - erm, regulus, i never talk about this, but since you're my friend now, is there anyone you're interested in?" she says, but it doesn't sound as if she wants to ask, it seems like she's trying to create conversation and be a 'normal' teenager.

"yeah, there's this one girl; i've liked her since first year," he tells her, and she looks at him. he couldn't help it, he smiles, looks at the floor and continues talking, "she's absolutely perfect, she is so brutally honest and funny, and can be so secretive, which makes no sense, she just understands everything i say to her, like sometimes i don't even have to say anything, she'll just know what i'm feeling."

he then looks up, and sees elizabeth.

"that's- that's really great actually, she sounds really great," she smiles.

how could someone so intelligent be so thick? he had just described her. how did she not realise?

regulus took a sip of his cup, and when he put it down, he froze at the sight of someone; sirius, james, and lily.

elizabeth turns around.

"oh shit," she says. "would you mind hiding under the table with me?"

"but that would be so—"

"hey lizzy," james says.

"don't call me that."

"what you do mean- oh wait, sorry, you're on a date-"

"no i'm not, james," she quickly says. "him and i are just friends."

regulus looks over at elizabeth. just friends. was that all they were going to be?

"right, just friends," james winks.

"just go james."

"okay."

he walks away from them.