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Regulus hates this. The ornate dresses, the insipid dancing, the hollow pleasantries. Really, she has no idea why she agreed to come.
Well. Regulus’ eyes involuntarily land on a shock of wavy auburn hair across the room.
She has some idea.
“You’re staring again,” a voice behind her informs gleefully. Regulus shoots a glare over her shoulder.
Barty grins as he pops a greasy sausage roll in his mouth. His dress robes are wrinkled and sloppy, though he seems unconcerned. His tie, the one Regulus had to force him to wear before they attended this horrid Christmas party, is gone. She’s not sure why she bothers.
“What are you doing?” Regulus sighs as Barty slinks an arm over her shoulder and tugs her closer.
“What, I can’t hold my date? My gorgeous, smoking hot, sexy—”
Regulus elbows him in the ribs and he stumbles back with a cackle. She whirls around and narrows her eyes at her idiotic best friend.
“You’re never letting this go, are you?”
“My dear Regulus, you’re the one that begged me to be your date to this stupid thing,” Barty says, eyes bright with humour. “You better believe I’m milking it.”
Regulus rolls her eyes. “You were invited too anyway.”
“Oh, you and I both know I wasn’t going to come. The only reason I was invited in the first place is because Slughorn’s an arse-kisser.” Barty leans in with a grin. “Admit it, Reggie. You love me.”
Regulus scoffs. “Fuck off, Crouch.”
“Aw, love you too,” Barty laughs before he sighs dramatically. “It’s a shame, you know. If only I weren’t horribly gay and you weren’t horribly in love with Evans, we would’ve made a hot-arse couple.”
“I’m not in love with her.”
Barty’s expression is blank and unimpressed before a slow, mischievous smirk spreads across his face. “I guess you won’t mind if I do this then.”
Before she can even blink, Barty’s shouting across the room over the chatter and music, dragging her over to where Lily’s standing. “Oi! Evans!”
“Barty!” Regulus hisses as she tries to rip her arm out of his grasp. Lily’s already turned to look at them, wide-eyed in her stunning grey dress. Regulus’ face goes hot and she groans. “Vous êtes le pire, I hate you so much—”
Barty ploughs forward, only stopping once they're in front of Lily to utter a cheerful, “Hello, Red.”
“Crouch,” Lily says slowly, eyes darting between him and Regulus in bemusement.
“Me and Reggie here were just talking about how absolutely ravishing you look tonight. Isn’t that right, Regulus?”
Oh, she’s going to kill him.
Lily blinks at Barty before a small amused smile quirks her lips. Her face—flecked with milky white patches that Regulus privately thinks makes her even more captivating—goes a pale pink, and Regulus is officially useless. She’s never seen Lily blush before and she finds that she’s helplessly enamoured by it. She wants it to happen again and again, wants Barty to never stop talking just to see that rosy flush painting her cheeks deepen.
Suddenly, green eyes lock on her grey ones and oh, there goes Regulus’ brainpower. Her mind empties of all thoughts except those unfairly bright eyes and she surely looks like an idiot right now but the thing is, she doesn’t even mind. Regulus would happily spend the rest of her life making a fool of herself for one Lily Evans.
Lily searches her face, looking somewhere in between curious and fond. “Is that so?”
“Oh, absolutely. Would I ever lie to you, Red?” Lily levels him a flat look and Barty grins. “Well, I’m off, girls! Be sure to use protection. Evans, you might wanna cut those nails of yours, they seem a bit long—”
“Okay, thank you, Barty!” Regulus all-but shouts, cherry red in the face as she shoves him away. Barty cackles as he leaves willingly, cupping his hands to shout, “Have fun!”
An old, stately woman wearing an atrociously large hat—no doubt one of Slughorn’s esteemed guests—looks at them in scandalised outrage where she helps herself to a cucumber sandwich a mere few feet away. Regulus cringes, face hot to the touch, and turns to share a look with an equally warm Lily. It takes only a moment for the two of them to burst into laughter.
“Oh, Merlin,” Regulus gasps. “Sorry about him.”
“Don’t apologise,” Lily giggles, reaching a hand out to steady herself on Regulus’ shoulder. “It was funny.”
“Yeah,” Regulus breathes, the warm touch sending sparks through her body. Lily turns to look at her then, face soft and contemplative, and she can’t help but feel overexposed, her soul laid bare.
Lily’s hand slides off her shoulder, trailing down her pale arm. Delicate fingers grip her own, holding her hand gently. A thumb sweeps across her knuckles and she shivers.
“Dance with me?” Lily asks carefully.
Regulus swallows, her heart racing. “Okay.”
“Yeah?” Lily’s glossy lips curve into a hopeful smile. Butterflies absolutely swarm Regulus’ stomach at the sight.
“Yeah,” she says, and Lily beams at her as she tugs Regulus into the cluster of dancing bodies.
“Fair warning,” she starts as she carefully places her hands on Regulus’ waist. A new song starts, gentle and slow and oh-so romantic. “I’m absolutely dreadful at dancing.”
“That’s okay,” Regulus sighs, looping her arms around the taller girl’s neck. Tugging her down lightly, she murmurs softly, “I’ll teach you.”