nothing is sacred [regulus]

[pandorah]

The day was actually rather decent. After a rash of chilly days followed by nothing but rain it was nice to see the weather perk up for once. Though this sudden rash of warmer weather only made her think that it would be much colder very soon. Days like this, around this time of the year, never lasted for very long, a few weeks at most. Since the weather was complying however she decided to spend some time outside, studying or perhaps even managing to relax some. It was the weekend as well so there was no need for her to be wearing her uniform. Which was nice because she didn't feel like having a skirt on for once and would enjoy not having any real responsibilities for a little while at least. Even the Ravenclaw Prefect liked a break, sometimes.

Still when she left her common room she brought with her both her pet Sasha and a simple book. It was a horror story about some small village becoming overrun with evil, she hadn't yet started it but was eager to see if it was any good. Pandorah read for both pleasure and other reasons, in fact she spent most of her time with her aristocratic nose shoved deep within a book. Slung over her shoulder was a light sweater just in case the weather grew sour, you could never tell. It matched the color of her jeans, black and obviously rather new since there was little fading on it. Her shit was also simple, though expensively made and a bright shade of crimson. She had wanted to add a bit of color to her wardrobe since, besides her uniform, she usually wore black or gray. Shoes were flats and the leggy girl had pulled her long dark hair back into a high ponytail at the back of her head that swung back and forth when she walked.

Standing at the exit of the school she scanned the courtyard, hoping to not run into certain people so this day would actually be a nice and relaxing one instead of something confusing and frustrating. The last thing she really needed was one of two boys in her general vicinity. Not spotting either of them she let loose a sigh of relief and fairly bounded down the stairs out into the courtyard itself. Her footsteps carried her to one of many trees about and she planted her butt on the ground right up against the trunk of a larger specimen. “Finally, a nice day, quiet around me, we can relax completely without a care in the world.” Her grin was genuine as she stroked Sasha's back, the all white feline arching up at her touch and purring contentedly. “Let me get settled and then you can figure out where you want to sit.”

Setting the book down she lay on her back instead on the ground and hiked up her knees, one crossing over the other. Lifting the volume it blocked the sun from her eyes and she began to read. Her familiar hopped on to her stomach causing Pan to cringe a moment, then the animal walked around in circles and finally settled herself.

Nowhere on her face or in her demeanor was the girl she usually portrayed. This didn't seem like the girl who was caught with her hands practically in Sirius Black's pants, nor the one who was so discombobulated around Castor Prewett that she had almost started to cry. Without the stressors of those boys, or other people bugging her about all the rumors, she was just Pandorah Koenig, Ravenclaw Prefect and lover of books.


ooc: hope this is alright, I started out strong then suddenly lost the idea I was going with lol.

[mitzeh]

A not overly cloudy sky and a remotely good mood Regulus had woken in in the morning were both a change for good from the past few days. The fact that it was weekend could help a little too, if not the former, then most certainly the latter. The younger Black liked the actual school part of school, as much as a fifteen year old can at least, but he had been way too irritable lately to enjoy his classes properly. The interesting ones bore him, the boring ones were a torture. A break was more than welcome, even if it was for only two days. Perhaps he could finally clear his mind - the fact that he had repeated this exact words in his head last Saturday and the Saturday before didn’t discourage him. He couldn’t stay like this forever, after all. It was possible that his mood responded to the weather; it would certainly explain why today, when the sun was shining brightly for the first time in weeks, he was feeling much better than a day before. He hoped it wasn’t the case. The forthcoming winter would be hard to live through if it were.

Free time didn’t mean that he didn’t have to study, however, and frankly he didn’t mind. He read for his own pleasure mostly, regardless of whether the topic he was investigating was a requirement for one of his classes or not. Unlike his brother, who was smart of course, but only ever bothered to learn things when it was completely necessary or when it would help him with one of his many pranks, Regulus was both intelligent and invested in expanding his knowledge. He didn’t see magic simply as a useful device, like many less insightful wizards - it was a part of him that he was most intrigued by, and wanted to know everything about. Growing up in a house where exploring the Dark Arts along with White Magic was not only not banned, but even encouraged had only fueled this thirst. Regulus was aware of the vast potential magic held, how it could be used for everything and anything. It frightened him sometimes, but mostly he found it exciting.

Which was exactly why he had decided to enjoy the last days of sun in his own way. Instead of wandering around the grounds aimlessly, alone or with other Slytherins, he was sitting under a tree, a thick book on Potions in his lap. At the moment he was right in the middle of reading about a particularly nasty elixir that could put a person into a sleep they would believe was reality, and a rather nightmar-ish reality at that - an awful poison actually, if one didn’t wake up already insane, they would go crazy soon enough, no longer being able to tell what was real from the dream. It surprised him how easy it was to prepare. Young as he was, Regulus already knew that with many nasty magical things, potions and curses alike, few of them were actually complicated enough. Most could be performed by advanced Hogwarts students - the only thing guarding people from being hexed was morality. How stupid. He was so invested in his thoughts that he didn’t even notice someone had dropped their things on the other side of the trunk, in fact, he remained blissfully oblivious until the person started speaking.

At first he opened his mouth, ready to answer, not aware that the stranger was talking to someone else. Her words didn’t make much sense to him. Then he heard purring and at least that became clear. Regulus still didn’t know why she had decided to sit there - granted, he was rather slim and the tree wasn’t the thinnest one around, but surely she must have known someone was already occupying it? The boy cleared his throat for good measure, before poking his head out from behind the trunk to take a look at the girl. Quick glance told him she wasn’t from his House, but other than that he was completely clueless. She wasn’t wearing her robes as he did - Slytherins were traditional like that, the green and silver badge with a snake on it sat proudly at the front of his black clothing. “Not that I mind the company, even though there are plenty of other trees around here you could choose from,” he said, not without a dose of non-hostile sarcasm, “but could you not talk to your cat all the time? I’m trying to read here.”

[pandorah]

She hadn't noticed him, didn't even really care. When Pandorah had scanned around she was just making sure there were not a lot of people around where she wanted to be. The other side of the tree didn't even cross her mind and Sasha hadn't stalked around to spy on the person either. So when she was busy with her book and her cat she hardly expected to hear another person speak up. Hearing a voice however she looked up and was surprised when there wasn't anyone there. Turning on to her side she looked around some more and frowned. Since the person was no where near her that she could see it meant that they were either in the tree or on the other side of it. On the other side made far more sense then in it and so she set her book down and gave her feline a look. Someone has a bad attitude, she thought to herself.

Her body turned and she fastened her pale gaze on the one who was speaking the moment she caught sight of him. “Oh I am sooo sorry. Did my speaking with my familiar disturb you?” Her accent dripped with sarcasm and she gave the boy, whose name she knew but couldn't place at that moment, a flat glare. “Here, let me appease you Slytherin and do what you want. Far be it from me to actually talk, outside, where there are people running around and yelling and generally being loud. What a travesty.” It was fairly obvious she wasn't giving a damn what he thought or what he said and she made sure to roll her eyes so that he got a good look at them.

Looking down at Sasha, who had stepped off of her mistress to see what was going on, she spoke to her again. “It looks like someone is rather high and mighty about themselves my pet. Someone even thinks I give a damn what they want.” reaching out a hand she began to stroke Sasha's white fur causing the feline to start purring yet again. The Ravenclaw may have said or done more but there wasn't much else to bother with and he hadn't been overly rude just an idiot, in her mind. She didn't have anything against Slytherin's, both of her parents had been from that house. In fact she had nothing against any house, every person was different and judging someone by their house was silly. However his holier than thou attitude really did smack of the house he came from and it made her laugh. “Oh, I do wonder if you are a cliched person or not. And now I remember who you are, Regulus Black. Should have recognized it sooner.” Her shoulders shrugged and she leaned back against the tree to pick up her book.

ooc: sorry if it seems short, couldn't get much more out of her lol

[mitzeh]

Regulus didn’t back down under the girl’s glare; he did, however, raise one perfectly shaped eyebrow, indicating that he did not understand her attitude. Not in the slightest. He may have been a haughty young man who firmly believed in his family’s superiority over certain people, but being an aristocrat wasn’t all about privileges and arrogance, after all. His parents had raised him right and while some of his peers were often offended by how high he held his head, the youngest Black actually prided himself on being a polite, well-mannered wizard. He only ever lost his calm around his brother, and around his enemies, should he have any, that is. Despite popular belief, there were very few people this particular Slytherin actively disliked. Usually, even if someone crossed him, he would have his revenge in one way or another and forget all about the incident; the nature of his paybacks was malicious enough that almost no one wanted to repeat the experience and so didn’t try to irritate him anymore. Regulus was aware of a certain reputation he had in his House, and quite frankly it didn’t bother him much. After all, Slytherin was home for the cunning ones, he just tried to live up to expectations.

Still, the girl’s sarcastic response was a more than unpleasant surprise. Regulus grimaced slightly, but his voice kept its usual calm when he replied. “Yes, it did, in fact, disturb me. I wouldn’t have bothered you otherwise, would I? I have managed to tune out the background sounds so far, but your voice is simply too close to ignore properly. I do apologize if my comment offended you,” he offered stiffly, barely holding back a sigh. So much for a peaceful afternoon. Well, at least now he knew for sure she wasn’t from his House, the way she had spit out its name; though with her attitude she might as well be one of them. He studied her more carefully, trying to put a name to the face. He had a creeping suspicion that he should know her, although he couldn’t quite figure out why. Perhaps she was a prefect, that would make sense. Not a Gryffindor most certainly, he would know if she was. The history of rivalry between this House and Slytherin was long and rather violent at times, and their respective prefects rarely gave up a chance to take points from students from the opposite House.

His gaze followed the stranger’s movement involuntarily and he stared at the cat rather curiously. Regulus wasn’t much of an animal person, he had too little patience for them and quite frankly he probably wouldn’t even know how to take care of another being – most of his life it was house elves who did everything for him – but he rather liked felines. His Patronus was a proof of that. They were independent and, in some ways, reminded him of wizards and witches coming from those old, wealthy and influential families, in the way they treated other beings. Aristocracy of animal kingdom, so to speak. “A cat pet seems to suit you,” he mused, not really caring if the girl paid attention to what he was saying at all. Truth be told he had once asked his parents whether they could get him a cat, too, but they had been adamant in their refusal. They were noisy and it would only keep ruining the ancient furniture, his Mother had explained. He hadn’t asked again.

He almost wanted to say something like “are you sure you’re not a Slytherin?”, but most probably it would only get him another bunch of insults. Regulus had never been one for arguments or unjustified rudeness, if anything, he preferred to avoid confrontation whenever it was possible. Although he could and did ignore most of her comments, he couldn’t not react when she spoke his name. “I am flattered that you would know who I am,” he said, raising his eyebrows. “I’m sorry I cannot say the same about you, though perhaps I should?” Regulus asked, mildly confused. He didn’t usually forget the names of people he had met, thus it was only logical that they hadn’t talked to each other before, but then again how would she know who he was? A sudden realization hit him, and this time he couldn’t stop himself from sighing, seemingly displeased. “Ah. You must be one of my brother’s friends, I assume. I’m sorry to have bothered you.” He watched her reach for her book, but he couldn’t see the title. Not that he was interested anyway. Really, he ran into way too many of Sirius’ acquaintances these days.

[pandorah]

Maybe she was just a little too touchy lately, or perhaps it was that ever present moodiness that followed her like a cloud of fog, clinging to her person and rarely ever leaving. Either way she was snappish and rude without much provocation, and it had nothing to do with what house he was in or whose brother he was. Even if she was a bit irritated and annoyed with the latter. Then again, who wasn't?

Pandorah watched him raise a brow and wondered if she had mistook his tone or heard something that just was not there. Being more often than not ready to fight or argue she wouldn't put it past her self. There was no way she would apologize however, she just didn't see the point in it. He was who he was and essentially the same went for her. Pan knew she was haughty, and argumentative and so should most people by this point in time. Though that was assuming that he even knew who she was in the first place. Not everyone followed who the Prefects were of other houses, usually just Head Boy and Head Girl.

Her full lips pulled downward into a frown when he began to speak to her once more, responding to what she had told him. “Apology accepted. Maybe I am just too used to being bothered recently so I am a bit on edge, not your fault.” She nodded in his direction indicating that she did in fact accept his and meant what she said. It wasn't an apology on her part as she wasn't really sorry for being her self but she didn't mean to treat him improperly for an imagined slight. “I wasn't going to continue speaking all that much anyway. I was planning on reading in peace. It is, in fact, too loud anywhere else but too nice to stay cooped up inside. I get enough of cold weather back home.” Her shoulders shrugged and she looked around quickly before turning her pale gaze back to the younger boy.

When she looked at him again she was peering at Sasha. Not the she blamed him, her bright white coloring and banner-like tail did happen to catch peoples attention easily. “You think she suits me huh? I won't argue that, I know what type of person I am. Anything else just would not fit me all that well.” She was speaking to him now in a more normal tone though her voice did have threads of wariness within it. She was trying not to be a complete bitch to Regulus because he hadn't done a damn thing to deserve it. There were plenty of other people who did things that she did not like or rather loathed that she could release her tension against, not him.

“I know who a lot of people are, I make it a point to.” Pandorah had been studying people since she started her first year here at Hogwarts and made sure to know who the ones from the most influential and important families were, and those that harbored great intelligence or power. It was just something you needed to know she figured. Know thy enemy, or however the saying went. “I am Pandorah Koenig, a Ravenclaw Prefect. Whether it was important or not, now you know.” Her family too was incredibly wealthy, powerful and influential, many famous Slytherin's were from her family line. Though there had been Ravenclaw's of note the more infamous of the Koenig's had simply been those with less morals than the rest, like her father.

His comment about her being one of Sirius's friends was met with a derisive snort. She wasn't sure what was going on between her and the other Black boy, it was at best complicated and at worst a grand mess. It was something she really rather not think about on this lovely day, when she had wanted to relax. “Sirius and I are not exactly friends. I just know that he is a very big trouble maker and therefore I know him somewhat well, along with the rest of his group.” They were in trouble so much she figured everyone knew about their group. It was amusing to see however that his attitude changed so quickly when he thought she was a friend or something of his brothers. She had noticed they were not exactly close, nothing like her and Lexi. Sasha pulled away from her and went around the tree a little to sniff at Regulus, curious and not sensing anything from him that would cause her to shy away.

“Seems like Sasha is curious about you.” Pandorah almost used his name again but decided against it for now. She wanted to see how he at least responded to the cat and her reaction to his assumption about Sirius at the least.

[mitzeh]

Regulus nodded curtly, acknowledging the girl’s almost apology. He could tell she wasn’t really sorry for snapping at him, but at least she had decided to explain her mood a little and he could appreciate that. It was much more than he had been expecting anyway. “I can most certainly relate to that,” he replied, simply stating a fact. He’d had many things on his mind lately – the issues concerning Sirius alone had been enough to give him headache in the past, and now he had to deal with an additional package of trouble that had come with the rising of a new Dark Lord. To say the least, it had been making him feel quite irritable as well, even though he did suspect his self-control was much better than the Ravenclaw’s. He smiled at her politely, and even though it didn’t reach his eyes, he wasn’t giving off hostile vibes either. “I must admit I do not mind cold weather that much. Then again, I spend most of my time in a dungeon, so my judgment might be slightly impaired,” the boy answered, even though his gaze shifted briefly to the sky. He wondered if it would rain later.

The next smile he gave her looked a tiny bit more genuine than the previous one. “Oh, I could think of a few possibilities,” he mused, telling the truth too. Animal kingdom was very vast, for the lack of better word, even more so once you included magical creatures that Muggles knew nothing of. It was simply impossible to limit your choice to just one kind of animal, without even considering the rest. Regulus wondered briefly what would represent him best. He didn’t usually harbor this kind of thoughts, seeing them as useless and silly and generally a waste of his precious time, but it wasn’t like he was doing anything important right now. Somehow, he couldn’t come up with a satisfying idea, perhaps because it was usually hard to judge yourself objectively. He would ask, if he was a type of person who goes around asking people such childish question. Given his nature, he was more likely to become an animagus and find out what his inner animal totem was this way; he’d heard that you can’t exactly choose your animal form and instead are made to discover what represents you the best. He also wondered briefly whether, if that was true, there were useless animagi. It seemed rather counterproductive, given the amount of time one had to spend learning how to become one, but what if someone’s animal form turned out to be, say, a fish? Then again Regulus couldn’t quite imagine a kind of person who would be a human equivalent of a fish, so maybe perhaps it wasn’t such a ridiculous theory.

“Smart,” he commented, abandoning all his previous thoughts of animagi and fish and animals in general. It was, to say the least, a stupid train of thoughts. He would much rather focus on what the girl was saying, especially that yes, he was capable of appreciating her self-assigned task of knowing everyone important in the school. His parents had insisted that he know that, too, but he had limited himself to learning the names of people whose parents were big fish in the Wizarding World, not really bothering to match faces to them. He hadn’t missed much this way; most of the people his parents would like him to associate with were in Slytherin anyway, so he was an acquaintance of most of them without really having to try. Still, the boy rose his eyebrows as she introduced herself. Koenig was a name as influential in their world as Black – he felt almost ashamed for not knowing her. “Ah,” he said, relaxing a little. At least she had a good reason to be arrogant – she was a pureblood, like himself. “I apologize sincerely for not recognizing you sooner. I should have, for more reasons than one,” he added. Of course he had also heard the gossips about her and his brother, but he had paid them little mind as he wasn’t at all interested in this kind of things. To tell the truth, Regulus thought it rather silly that some people seemed to find the news about who was courting who so fascinating. Surely there were things in this world more worthy their attention?

Once again he was vaguely surprised as his mention of Sirius was met with a snort on Pandorah’s part. So she wasn’t exactly one of his brother’s fans – that was something new. He’d heard that almost every girl in school (and some boys, too) was practically obsessed with his brother, yet another thing he could barely understand. It was good to know that there were still some females who knew how to use their brains properly. “Well, the assumption seemed justified at the moment,” Regulus explained, although he didn’t seem keen on elaborating on the subject. Not everybody knew about the brothers’ severed bond and the younger Black liked it that way – he could only guess Sirius didn’t feel the same; he probably wished everybody knew that he wanted to have nothing to do with his family – therefore Pandorah was excused in mentioning the Gryffindor, especially that it was Regulus who had brought his name up in the first place. But it was still a sore spot for him, so he only ever talked about Sirius with his family – and even then he wouldn’t say much, usually just agreeing with whatever insult was thrown Sirius’ way. The fact that he didn’t want to acknowledge how hurt he was by his brother’s behaviour certainly didn’t help.

Fortunately, he was spared this time as the white feline approached him. Regulus eyed the cat curiously, now that he could watch her freely. She – the name suggested that it was indeed a female – was a beautiful animal, and the youngest Black had a soft spot for beautiful things. Having grown up surrounded by luxury, he appreciated beauty when he saw it, whether it was an inanimate object or another living creature, human or animal. He smiled, this time with his eyes as well, reaching out to Sasha. “As I am about her,” he said evenly, touching the feline’s fur once she had smelled his skin. He stroked her back absentmindedly, looking back to Pandorah. “She looks admittedly stunning. You must be taking very good care of her,” he complimented.

[pandorah]

She honestly didn't feel like being rude for once. Not that it would be a problem if she was since she rarely cared but she was enjoying just being herself, which was or rather had been rude only a few moments before. Though now she was more even tempered and that was good, it could still change with a moments notice. This was one of the main reasons why her list of friends was so very small. People could not handle both her blunt truthfulness and the wildly shifting moods that she sported.

It was interesting to really realize that this boy, Regulus Black, was related to Sirius. They were very much nothing alike. Both were attractive yes, but that was probably something normal in their bloodline. Also he had plenty of money she knew that as well. Her father talked about their family before, he was oh so interested in people that were like him. She however was not, at least not in being sorted. Deitrich was a lot calmer and definitely darker than his daughter. He often expressed his distaste over how out of control he claimed she was and how much he wished she could keep her temper under wraps. Her father and her did not get along too well, since she started getting older and having her own thoughts and opinions. Her expression soured for a moment then she shook her head to put the thoughts away. It was never a good thing for her to start thinking of her father and his expectations of her.

It amused her when he relaxed upon knowing who she was but she did not let it show. Names did have power after all and not just knowing them but having them as well. “Apology accepted, again. My, what a conscientious young man you are, always making sure to apologize when you believe you are wrong. How rare.” It gained him a true smile, though small it was still real. Not many males admitted to being wrong and he had done it twice, how interesting. “People usually know me because I am a Prefect, and rather bossy.” A shrug of her shoulders was all else she had to say or do about that.

“You are correct the assumption was justified. Especially considering rumors and all.” Noticing that the mention of his brother bothered him she decided to leave it alone. They were not exactly friends so she had no place asking but yes she was curious. The two of them were so different personality wise and had been put in completely, and often warring, houses. Besides she was a naturally curious young woman and it itched at her to say something, her self control was strong enough to not let that happen.

Sasha purred, and rather loudly too, when Regulus began to stroke her back. Pandorah couldn't help but laugh at the attention seeking feline as she arched and bent to get the most of his touch. Her laughter was quiet, almost like it itself was shy, didn't get out much. Though passionate she did not find a lot to smile about and even less to really enjoy for laughter. Cruel smiles and laughs were completely different. “I do take very good care of her. I take very good care of all the things I have, including myself.” Now that she mentioned herself she realized her legs were not in the most comfortable of positions and had to switch around to get more comfortable. Even if she was flexible sometimes things could still cramp her, like awkward positions for too long.

“I know I am not the most stimulating of conversationalists today and now it is my time to apologize. I have been so frazzled that my mind is on break it seems.” Pandorah hated to come off as ditzy or unintelligent, because it was so not the truth. Even so she could not think of anything else to talk about with the Slytherin. Not that she had come out here to talk to anyone at all but it still felt odd. One of her brows quirked as she watched he cat curl up next to Regulus and start to doze off. It didn't bother her if Sasha wanted to sleep by him but she hadn't expected something like that from her so soon.

[mitzeh]

The Slytherin rose one elegant eyebrow at the girl, once again not quite understanding what her point was. Perhaps he really should spend more time around people outside of his own House; they seemed to all have such weird… habits, or manners, whichever would be the better word here. Pandorah’s words caught him a bit off guard, he was, after, just being polite. Still, the smile she gave him was pleasant, least because it made her look even prettier. Yes, that was the reason, too, but Regulus rather liked how her face seemed to lighten up a little, barely noticeable, but after over four years in Slytherin and fifteen years in the Blacks’ residence one was pretty well trained at noticing such nuances. He offered her one of his own in return, just as small, the corners of his mouth turning upwards a little. Still, the boy’s eyes remained wary as always; one friendly gesture was anything but a reason to lower his defenses. “Exactly. When I believe I am wrong, he responded, sounding rather amused. “Which doesn’t happen often. I am used to being right, after all.” It was true, and he didn’t see a point in trying to pretend it wasn’t. Regulus was, in fact, a very stubborn person, even more so as his experience had taught him that once he’d made his mind up he was rarely wrong. He got the spells easily, he could alter them or strengthen them after giving it enough thought, he found solutions to various problems and there were only few he couldn’t put his finger on – mostly those concerning himself, not theory of magic, and he didn’t like thinking about them too much. He also never made judgments without proper knowledge, which usually took time, but it was almost always worth it. All in all, Regulus Black wasn’t used to making mistakes, and while he could and would apologize for being unintentionally impolite, he would argue much more if it was the matter of opinions.

“Ah. I’ll remember not to mess with you, then,” he added, not really surprised about finding out she was a Prefect. He had suspected so, after all. He also doubted that he would have to go out of his way to do as he’d just said; despite being a Slytherin, or perhaps because of that, Regulus rarely found himself in an argument with a Prefect from any House – most of the times he was sneaky enough to avoid confrontation with them. The information provided was quite useful however, so he made sure to remember it. Who knew when it could come in handy.

“The rumours, yes.” Regulus eyed the Ravenclaw girl with a rather analytical expression, as if wondering how much said rumours were true, if they were true at all. Or maybe just how much she knew, or suspected, about his relationship with Sirius. As for the former, he wouldn’t say she was involved with his brother in any way, although he couldn’t be sure; as for the latter, well, he didn’t know. He suspected that she knew little to nothing, if she wasn’t a close friend of Sirius’, but everyone in Hogwarts was more or less aware that the Black boys didn’t speak kindly of each other, not to mention that his reaction a few moments ago had been enough clue. He did doubt, however, than she would so much as suspect just how severed were the bonds between them. As far as he knew, Sirius wasn’t – surprisingly – all that open about leaving their house for good. Then again, what did Regulus know about his brother?

The cat’s purring brought another, more genuine smile on the boy’s face. He always acted more relaxed around animals, probably because they weren’t as devious and cunning as most humans, himself included. Pandorah’s presence meant that he was guarded all the time, but she could probably tell how much he enjoyed Sasha’s company. He scratched her behind the ear briefly, before stroking her fur again, watching the cat for a while. The Ravenclaw’s voice though made him look up, once again raising an eyebrow at her unusual choice of words. “I can see that, yes,” he commented, looking her over. It could be a compliment as well as a sarcastic remark – it was up to Pan to decide how she would take it. “Good job with that, too.”

He chuckled at her last comment, which was so far the most emotion she had got out of him. “Don’t apologize, I’m not complaining after all. But if that’s the case, perhaps I should stop bothering you?” He cocked his head to a side, just a bit, though enough to resemble a curious bird for a while. Something dangerous probably, with his sharp features and penetrating, shrewd gaze. Yet, if it wasn’t for those eyes, lively and shining with intelligence, it would be hard to imagine this calm, collected boy as something more than a polite gentleman, an aristocrat proud of his pure blood, but relatively harmless. The way he observed the world around him, however, suggested that there was something more to Regulus than met the eye. It could be unsettling at time, but something kept telling him that miss Koenig wasn’t a person that got uncomfortable easily.

[pandorah]

He wouldn't be the first person completely confused when in her presence. Pandorah was a special individual with wildly swinging moods and a violent temper that rivaled even her fathers calm one. She was dangerous and deadly but also rarely cared enough for anyone to bother with them. If there was a person she ever heavily disliked, woe be to them. As it was she got used to being the person most people avoided, or hated. It was like they could tell she wasn't quite right or as nice as she might seem when not doing anything but reading or working.

Pan could not help herself and she laughed when Regulus mentioned often being right. Wasn't that how most people saw things? She knew she felt right more often than not, and was a big enough bookworm to point out facts and anything else needed to back herself up. People usually got rather annoyed with that and she was left smirking and feeling smarmy. The only mistakes she often made had to do with her temper and her suddenly flaring of it and losing all sense of self. Which was why she had kept to herself so much during her years here at Hogwarts. If she had no friends or anything else then there was no one to lose it on and no one who could ruin her perfect reputation with the authority figures. Until recently, damn it.

“Not many people mess with me, and some even run when they see me.” Her teeth were shown this time, the grin was full on predatory and she didn't even try to hide it. She knew what she was, and that was the beauty of it all. Pandorah apologized rarely for being herself, unless well time would tell. Certainly she never said she was sorry to her father anyway, or friends since she only had a few and hadn't yet been open with them totally.

One brow quirked up when he didn't bother her about the rumors and she wondered which rumors he thought she was talking about. Either way it wasn't something she needed to worry about and did not elaborate any further. Let him think what he would, she owed no one anything.

“It seems that you enjoy animals a great deal, or at least Sasha.” Perhaps it was obvious and unnecessary but she brought it up anyway. Seeing him smile genuinely was a lovely sight and she filed it away. He didn't seem like the type that did that very often, smiled in such an unguarded way. Perhaps, like her, he was distrustful of everyone around him except those exceptionally close. His words were taken as a compliment, because deep down she was such a vain and narcissistic creature. She knew she was lovely to look at, but the personality kept people at bay. A pretty face did not hide the monster within all that well once she opened her mouth and venom began to spew forth.

She shook her head, her hair getting in her face some. “Oh, no you do not have to stop bothering me, I'm just so preoccupied lately.” Though of course she didn't tell him that he wasn't bothering her, that would be too nice and she wasn't known for that usually. Unless she knew someone very well and even then her brother got her barbs and sarcasm sometimes more than anyone else.

She watched him after she had somewhat reassured him and a smirk settled about her lush mouth. Her own icy gaze was cruel, lacking compassion or care. She looked very much like a cold blooded predator and did nothing whatsoever to deny or change that. Tall, strong and dangerous. Her skin was milky white, hair black as pitch and eyes cold as ice. The nicknames she was known as around the school amused her to no end and she enjoyed screw with people and bossing them around, sometimes going too far but people were too scared to do much about it. “I bet you scare some people, I can see it on your face. So many cowards running around here, makes it more fun.”

[mitzeh]

Pandorah’s laughter did not come as a surprise to the younger boy, or so it seemed at least. He simply watched her, calm as always, apparently not in the least offended by her reaction to his words. She was a stranger, not an enemy, therefore he saw her more as a curiosity than a threat. Being affected by her, that would be foolish, childish, useless – and the younger Black was well aware that it wasn’t the way most people would see it, yet despite knowing how different he was from the majority of his peers he didn’t want to change. They were not important – and thus it remained Regulus’ habit to simply observe other humans rather than get involved with them, study their ways and behavior and tendencies. In the fifteen years of the Slytherin’s existence very few had gained the privilege of becoming people he would care about enough to make them able to hurt him; and none of them wasn’t a Black.

It was supposed to be a common thing among the Slytherins, yet Regulus remained under the impression than to most of them it was simply a pose, or perhaps they just chose their important ones less carefully? He could never understand how some people could claim to like – love – so many others. To care about was to leave oneself open, easy to harm; one of the first lessons Regulus had learnt, way before he even understood its true meaning, was: trust no one who is not of your own blood. After Sirius’ betrayal he had shortened it to simply trust no one.

The predatory grimace that followed the laughter only seemed to elicit more cautious curiosity from the boy; a spark of interest flickered in his grey eyes as he studied it for a few seconds. Now that – that was fascinating, a beast lurking right below the surface, ready to strike. He recognized that look – he saw it often on another female face, beautiful with its high cheekbones and pitch black hair surrounding it, alluring with the madness only visible to those who could stand noticing such things. What he saw in Pandorah’s smile wasn’t exactly the same, no – Bellatrix’ insanity ran much deeper, was more intense – but it was close enough. He could understand why she claimed that so many tended to avoid her. Even though they could not see the monster underneath, there was something primal in everyone that made them instinctively avoid the danger. Regulus however – Regulus did not run; he took precautions and observed the darkness from safe distance, as fascinated by it as he was by everything unique. Perhaps he was somewhat insane himself. “Is that so?” he asked, sounding more amused than scared. “I believe it is quite a valuable trait in a prefect, isn’t it. We should all respect the authorities, after all,” he said with a crooked smile, sarcasm clearly audible in his voice. Slytherins in general did not value authorities as such, and the youngest Black in particular was not too fond of them; the only people he ever listened to without hesitating were his parents, the only ones whose opinions really mattered to him were his family, and so far he had not met anyone else he would respect enough. He was definitely not impressed with the prefects, unless they had done something to gain his recognition.

“I am quite fond of felines, indeed,” he answered, looking up at the Ravenclaw, albeit briefly before turning his gaze back to the cat. “They are such… complex creatures, aren’t they?” Regulus smiled dryly. “Deceiving, mischievous, independent, intelligent. Unlike dogs, they are not blindly loyal to anyone and everyone.” He retracted his hand so he could take a more comfortable position, one that allowed him to both lean against the trunk and look at Pandorah without twisting his neck painfully. “In fact, if I wasn’t so attached to snakes as well, I would say they are perfect totem animals for Slytherin, don’t you think?” Regulus himself was much like a cat, and then again he was nothing like one whenever his family was concerned. Blind loyalty was in fact a good term to describe his devotion to them; he may have had different opinions at times, but in the end he would follow his parents instructions, even if it lead him to eternal damnation. So far no one had managed to make him question these values.

Preoccupied. Something in the way she said it made him wonder if there was a hidden meaning behind that statement. Second-guessing everything that came out of people’s mouth was a Slytherin’s second nature, after all – it was necessary to survive in the nest of snakes. “I think I can relate to that,” he answered simply, not giving anything else away, neither with his tone nor expression. The statement was true enough to pass as just it – the truth instead of a lie, even though it could mean anything, from being overloaded with homework to having to choose a side in the oncoming war; a war that many did not even know about yet.

He rose both his eyebrows upon hearing Pandorah’s last comment, although he couldn’t say she had caught him off guard with such statement. To have someone say it so openly was somewhat unusual, yet he knew she was actually right – even though he did not go out of his way to make people fear him, he was aware of the fact that most Slytherins who had been around him long enough were more than cautious about him. Regulus was quiet and polite, but he was also way too secretive even for Slytherin’s standards, and he was a Black after all, the heir to the family that was known for its dark allegiances and insanity running in the blood. It was actually interesting how similar he and Bella were, and yet how different. She was wild and cruel and downright scary, while he was composed and analyzing and indifferent – yet everybody could tell just by looking at the two of them that something was not quite right with these teenagers. Regulus’ analytical focus made people uncomfortable, and although he did not seem as untamed as his cousin it was somehow clear to everyone that he was not above doing serious damage just for the sake of curiosity; while Bella lashed out chaotically, Regulus was always precise with his hits, but still the final result would be the same. And the worst of all – he was much too clever for people not to fear him, his knowledge being his most fearful weapon. His magical potential, his skills – already greater than most people’s thanks to his exceptionally aristocratic bloodline – combined with his ability to absorb information and process it with the speed few could match made him indeed dangerous. On some level Regulus knew all that, yet he couldn’t care less. He just wanted to know as much as he could; he sought knowledge, not power. It amused him how people could not differentiate between the two. “I do not try to make people fear me,” he said evenly, “still, some of them do. I believe it’s instinctive. From evolutionary point of view, it is better to live a coward than die a hero, don’t you agree?”

[pandorah]

Oh if Regulus only knew what type of animal she had lurking right beneath the human skin surface she sported on a daily basis. Not to say she wasn't human, but she was of a baser nature more often then she would ever care to admit. Pandorah was a predator and any prey that caught her attention was usually played with like a cat would a mouse, and ultimately destroyed in some fashion. Sometimes she wondered which one was the real her and which was the fake. Were they both a part of who she was? The truth was far scarier than anything she could manage to come up without of nowhere and the Ravenclaw, prized for her quick wit and intelligent mind, stopped thinking about it all together and would move on to something else. Fact was, thinking about her own mental state was frightening.

“Hmm respecting authorities can be good. It all depends on a persons interpretation of respect though.” While she was a Prefect and behaved rather well when here at Hogwarts, her behaviour back home was much different. It was like the wall was broken down, all masks were taken off and she was free to really be herself. It was a dangerous thing and she knew it but that didn't stop her. All she wanted was to make sure her reputation was spotless while here but that was already screwed up and it was leaving her unhappy. There were cracks in the wall, fractures in the masks she presented to others and part of who she really was had begun to show even without her noticing. She respected the authorities here by behaving around them, though lately she was beginning to act a little differently.

She would definitely have to agree with him on the subject of felines. They were complex and intelligent, aloof and affectionate. Pandorah found that she had so much more in common with them than any other animal. “I have a dog back home, I do love him as he has always been there for me. Not judging my...differences like humans are won't to do.” Her tone changed as she almost tripped over what she really wanted to say, it became smoother and colder. “Then again neither has Sasha.” One brow quirked, expertly manicured of course, she had control over her physical appearance so more often than not everything was in place. “Cat's for Slytherin's, yes it does seem to make sense now that I compare. People are too fond of thinking Slytherin's are all cold and not affectionate and horrible, when they are not.” Shifting her weight she propped one arm underneath her ample chest and huffed out a big breath of air. “Most of my family have been Slytherin's so I know from experience how they can be, how varied.” It was the same with Ravenclaw's and probably the other houses as well. Some people just lumped them all up together in their first impressions and left it that way.

This time both of her brows rose to his comment but she let it be. There was no use badgering him about how he thought he could relate to that. He either could, or couldn't, plain and simple. It didn't matter the hows or whys of it. Pan herself was not aware of any war coming, at least not yet. Though once she found out about her her first thoughts would probably have to do with her father. Mr. Koenig was a towering man, taller than any student here that she had run across, strong magically and physically. He was rather imposing and very strict on his way of thinking. Those icy blue eyes, the same that she and Elexrian sported, would shoot straight to your soul and judge you. He was also a gentleman and very manipulative and tricky. Pan loved him but was not fond of him because of how he treated her and her brother. There was no way her father would be on any side but his own and what he thought suited him best.

Regulus reminded her of her father, a much younger version of course but still the resemblance was there in the way he composed himself. That made her frown but she didn't speak on it aloud. The last thing she wanted to do was to compare anyone with the failure of a 'dad' that she had waiting back home comporting himself in horrible ways with women. Lifting a hand she pinched the bridge of her nose and took a deep breath letting it out slowly. Now was not the time to think about him or what he did, she was at school and away from that.

“I would never wish to be a coward. If I live a little less because I didn't back down then so be it. However, I will not be sticking my neck out for just anyone either. They would have to be very close to my heart and so far there is only one person who I have that feeling for.” That one person as of right now was her brother. Though she really was unaware how much of a good person she could be when push came to shove, maybe sometime it would have the opportunity to showcase itself. Sasha mewled for attention and pawed at Regulus's hand, claws extended. She wanted more attention and she wanted it now. Pan laughed and scooted around the tree so that she was next to the younger boy but not exactly touching. Touching was, not advisable, she wasn't too fond of it really. “Would you always run or stand and fight? That is something a person can talk about till they are out of words but you never know until you are put in that type of situation. I haven't been, yet. I know I will be, Arithmancy is very useful.”