Hell of a Season - Sura

[Regulus Reinbach]

The night had cooled considerably, but the air still hung thick in forest where a lone figure should have been forbidden to tread. Unfazed by prior warning, the figure crept through the brush, only occasionally feeling the gentle snap of a twig too small to escape his notice. The forest floor was much easier to move in now that the weather had warmed. During the fall and even early winter months it was near impossible not to announce you presence with every step crunching freshly fall leaves. Though the sun had long since gone down, and the young man held his wand at the ready, the tip was not ignited. Rather, it was an enchanted pair of quidditch goggles that Regulus Reinbach had chosen as his visual aide.

This would be the second field test for the clever young 6th year, and his first venture into the forest with them. The initial trial hadn't lasted long. What had seemed adequate in a dimly lit common room ended hugely disappointing outside the castle walls. So far this second round was turning out much better. The view from the goggles was was a hundred different shades of bright blue. It would takes some serious figuring, and perhaps too much research to normalize the daytime color balance. The goggles had already been laced with a whole manner of charms, so who even knew if adding more could negate the existing ones, or cause counter effects. Anyway, it wasn't unbearable, it just wasn't perfect, and Regulus couldn't stand imperfection.

After awhile the blues began to feel natural, they translated more easily into the forest of the day time, just tinted; details became clearer, still not quite crisp, but he could definitely see better and farther than his wand light ever allowed. More importantly he was much harder to see. The forest was getting more dangerous and might soon earn it's forbidden title. Regulus refused to fear anything, at least outwardly. If he were truly unafraid he probably wouldn't have bothered with the wand, and certainly wouldn't be holding it at the ready, but he was. The goggles granted a certain amount of additional safety, but he was from the the only creature who had learned to adapt to the dark. He may no longer be a glowing beacon, but he could still register as prey or a threat and with everything coated in blue, that extra two seconds to take aim could save his life.

Perhaps it was the quiet assessment of the risks making him paranoid, but Regulus had the sudden feeling he was no longer alone. He stopped his progress, hoping to hone in on where the invisible eyes that watched him originated. Precipitation had cause his shirt to cling to his back, and a rustle just behind his left ear caused him to spin round quickly. He was greeted, by a blinding ray of light, which caused him to stumble backwards and fall to the ground. He ripped off the goggles and pointed up his own wand. "Oye! Watch where you point that thing," he shouted. Igniting the tip of his own wand, shining it onto the darkness beyond the light pointed his way he illuminated the face of his would be attacker.

She was much prettier than he had expected. Though really he hadn't expected anyone at all to be following him, not at this time. And, his eyes were still adjust, both to the dark and the sudden return of color to the world, but he was fairly sure the girl was from Galaxia, his grade. And with a few more seconds, of squinted staring he was sure of it. He'd passed plenty of class time casting glances in the direction of this face. "So, are you going to help me up? Or am I pulling you down with me?" Regulus asked coyly, his earlier irate tone having been completely erased.

[Sura Haughton]

Sura rolled over noisily in her four-poster bed. The soft creaking was not enough to wake anyone else up, however, and for that she was thankful. It wasn't that she would feel particularly bad for waking any of the other girls from their slumbers, but that some of them were downright irate when their sleep was interrupted around exams. People always talked about how smart and clever Ravenclaws were, and how naturally academics came to them. What those people don't tell you is that the Ravenclaw common room and dorms were essentially snake pits of stress and anxiety during exams. Sura didn't count herself among the eternally stressed in her house, but she certainly had a few friends who were, and experience had taught her to be on her very best behaviour during exams, lest she have to walk herself to the Hospital Wing after ingesting a rather nasty draught that caused her lips to fuse. She'd seen that particular dose of wrath exacted in the past, and she had no interest or intention of having said wrath exacted on her.

Finally, when she had decided that sleep was not going to come any time soon, Sura threw her legs over the edge of the bed and grabbed her cloak from a nearby hanger. As she made her way to the Common Room, she breathed a silent sigh of relief to see that the only occupants were out cold on their textbooks. She pushed on the portrait door to leave, thankful that it was not uncommon or unaccepted for she or her housemates to charm the squeaky door into silence for a few days at a time.

The corridors were cool now, and the evenings condensation was beginning to settle on the windows. As she stepped outside into the night air, the same condensation immediately settled on her cloak, giving it a glittery, shimmery sort of look. Shivering, she pulled her hood over her head to cover her identity. She had enchanted her shoes to not leave footprints, so even if someone did see her, by the time they got outside, they would not know which direction she had gone in to follow her. Besides, even if they did know where she was going, it was unlikely that they would follow her. After all, the Forbidden Forest wasn't a place many people wanted to go unless they had good reason. For Sura, it just so happened that she got along with the centaurs in the forest rather well. They were always wonderful for some intelligent conversation or insight into whatever situation she found herself in.

When she reached the cover of the forest, Sura shook herself to dislodge some of the moisture that had beaded on her cloak. It was a little warmer here than out on the open grounds, but still not quite warm enough to take her cloak off. She was thankful that she had chosen the right pair of shoes for her night.; any other pair and she'd be soaked and freezing already. Her eyes began to adjust to the brilliant darkness of the forest, and she blinked a few times as she gathered her bearings before setting off. Her feet were as quiet as one's could be on forest floor. The only sounds that she could hear were the occasional snapping twig, her light breathing, and the occasional hoot of an owl high above her. Mind you, there were rarely other sounds in the woods at this time of night. Which is why the sound of only two more feet caused an icy hand to grip her heart tightly.

Sura had never run into trouble in the woods before, and she sincerely hoped that she wasn't about to. The sound was ahead of her, so as she crept forward, her fingers wrapped silently around her wand. She was nearly able to get in front of them to see who they were, until her foot slipped on a rather sneaky pile of leaves. "Fuck," she hissed, drawing her wand and lighting the tip. Step one, blind the living hell out of her possible assailant. Step two, possibly hex the living daylights out of them.

The shadowy figure tripped, surprised by the sudden light, and fell backwards. Her light was greeted with theirs, along with a rather miffed voice. "Oye! Watch where you point that thing!" Why was that voice so familiar? Sura allowed the tip of her wand to fall ever so slightly so that she could see the man's face. A student. Well that was a surprise. As they studied one another, she became more and more surprised. He was in her year, and a Slytherin to boot. After a few moments, the name came to her. Regulus Reinbach. They'd had several classes together in their years at Galaxia, and though she had never really met him personally, his reputation preceded him: a cocky Slytherin with a penchant for loving and leaving. She'd had detention with him once when a few Ravenclaws and Slytherins had clashed after a game of Quidditch. She would give him one thing: he was quite good looking up close. "So, are you going to help me up? Or am I pulling you down with me?" Ah, there was that delightful trait already.

Sura snorted and rolled her eyes as she extended a hand to the man on the ground. "Get up, Reinbach, before I decide to give you a kick in the ribs." His hand was warm in hers, a stark difference to the cool night air. As he stood up, they came face-to-face for the first time, their noses mere inches away from each other when she looked up. So this was the man that the other girls in her house raved and ranted about. She couldn't decide if she agreed or wanted to smack him across his smug Slytherin face.

[Regulus Reinbach]

Regulus grabbed the outstretched hand, which fit neatly into his own. His thumb quickly caressed a small patch of pale skin, feeling it's softness. Typically Reg's pride kept him from accepting any sort of help, particularly after an embarrassing fall like the one he'd just experienced. When, it was a quick and easy way to make skin to skin contact with a pretty young girl however, he had no difficulty making an exception. After all, hand shakes were so overrated.

Standing in close proximity to Sura now, but now quite ready to let go Regulus couldn't help staring straight into the young girls eyes; a cool steely blue, almost gray, and so very entrancing. Maybe it was the way she had so easily deflected his charm, or the sudden warmth from the cool night that had sparked in their joined hands, or perhaps it was purely to do with the closeness, but Regulus found his head falling forward towards Sura's; angling just enough to perfectly align his lips so they pressed gently into hers.

It was only a brief moment, barely a kiss at all compared to his usual fare, but it was just enough to flood his lips with warmth that flooded quickly into his face and down the rest of his body. "If you're going to slap me, just know that was worth it," Regulus confessed as he pulled his head back, his hand having already dropped hers. He was fully prepared to have the casual smirk slapped right off his face, seeing as he certainly wasn't ready to remove it himself, even if it meant sacrificing crucial seconds to brace his cheeks against attack. Like he said, it was worth it.

It certainly wouldn't be the first time he was smacked for being forward. But Regulus had decided long ago to never let such perfect moments for a kiss go to waste. He feared this was what cost him his shot with Ana, he had hesitated and now she was lost. Sura however, was here, and whether she had enjoyed the impromptu peck, in a matter of less 60 seconds she had learned exactly what kind of man Regulus was, and that everything she had likely heard about him was true. Unfortunately, as was often the case, he was void of very much information about her.

"So, Haughton," Regulus began, deciding to stick with her chosen penchant for use of surnames. "What's a girl like you doing all the way out here at this time of night?" he inquired, his eyes studying her face in the dim light. It was perhaps too vain to suppose she followed him, but the weather wasn't exactly ideal for a midnight stroll either. "Sleep walking?" he suggested, though his tone implied something more intentional. It was the excuse he used whenever he was caught out in the forest...it was a rare occurrence, and he'd only actually been stopped once within the forest itself. Usually it was just before he left the castle, if he misjudged the prefects rounds. He always claimed to be sleepwalking.

[Sura Haughton]

And not a person here is innocent;
we're both as guilty as a sin.

Sura found herself curiously mesmerized by the look on Regulus' face. It was lacking the usual look of Slytherin superiority and loathing, something she had come to learn didn't happen all that often. Sometimes it was just because they were preparing to chat up a pretty girl, other times it was because they really weren't the giant douchebag that they let other people think they were. Nonetheless, his gaze held hers, and she didn't feel like tearing herself away just yet. Obviously, he was sizing her up just as much as she was him. That was not shocking. What was, though, was the sudden heat of his lips against her. As soon as it began, it was over, but it was enough.

Her jaw dropped. He had just kissed her. Regulus Reinbach, who had known her all of 2 minutes now, had just decided to kiss her. What the fuck? "If you're going to slap me, just know that was worth it," he said, the trademark Slytherin smirk returning back to his face. The corners of her mouth curved upwards and she laughed out of surprise. The sound echoed off the trees around them, melodic. She shook her head and pointed her finger at him, backing up a step. "Ohhhh Reinbach, I'm not one of your little Slytherin hussies or Hufflepuff giddy girls. If I decide to slap you for that, you'd better be thankful that it's all I decide to do." She looked him up and down once, crossing her arms. "I think you'd made a great weasel, and that's a pretty basic Transfiguration at this point." Her voice was teasing, the corner of her lips turned up in a smirk of her own.

In her opinion, a lot of the girls that she went to school with needed to man up when it came to the boys at school. If you were going to play games with someone that plays them practically for a living, shouldn't you then be prepared to have to get your hands dirty once in a while? In her experience, it was very rare to find yourself with one of Galaxia's known players who wasn't only interested in loving and leaving you. She'd taken care of several sobbing girls in her time, and or that exact reason, she always tried to make sure that she didn't take these things too personally, unless they were obviously serious.

"So, Haughton, what's a girl like you doing all the way out here at this time of night? Sleepwalking?" The final word in his question practically oozed sarcasm. She snorted, rolling her eyes. "The opposite, actually. Couldn't sleep. I don't know if you've ever been in a Ravenclaw dorm during exams, but they are the last people on earth you want to wake up because you aren't sleepy." And wasn't that the truth? She had seen several seriously uncomfortable fates fall on people in her house who had messed around during exams. She preferred not to be among their numbers. "They make Slytherins look like saints."

"I come out to talk to the centaurs. Incredibly intelligent creatures. And they have a fantastic hand for Divination," A breeze rolled past them, causing goosebumps to ripple across her skin. Sura pulled her cloak in closer. "But enough about me, what are you doing out here, Reinbach? Sleepwalking?" She smirked and cocked her head to the side. She was actually interested to see what he'd say. Most of the time, when you got caught in the Forest, you made up a bullshit but believable excuse. Such was standard practice, and it worked almost every time.

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Tagged: Reg
Music: Hourglass by the Hush Sound, and Appreciation by The Spill Canvas
Notes: Not my absolute best, but I hope it will do!

[Regulus Reinbach]

Dropped jaw was a good sign, though searching Sura's icy blue eyes it was difficult to see any emotion behind all the surprise and confusion that had jumped to the front of her gaze. That brief kiss had held promise of something beyond the fullness of a pretty blond's lips, though; something Regulus might well deem worth further explanation depending upon how these next few crucial moments unfolded. But a whole ten seconds had gone by now, and his face was not sporting a shiny red palm print.

Regulus' left eyebrow popped up at the playful threat. Clearly she wasn't familiar with the surprising arm strength a select few Slytherin girls had. He rather liked that her confusion hadn't affected her spirit though, it was no fun if they turned to putty after only one kiss. And this girl was just so damn intriguing...even if her transfiguration choices were a little less than original. "I can promise you I'd make a much better sea otter," he grinned.

Weasel he had done, and he didn't like it. It was an odd feeling to have your mind suspended like that, it wasn't like being an animagus, you lost control of the animal form, becoming virtually a spectator in what was once your life...very unpleasant feeling, and Regulus hadn't much cared for the implication either. Weasels were dirty creatures, and not exceptionally clever. Sea otters, at least, had sense: figuring out how to use a rock balanced on their stomach to break open oysters. "Much cuter too," Regulus put in, hoping to lodge the suggestion into the young Ravenclaw's mind. This was far from the last time he intended to see Sura and lest he offend her in the future he wanted to save himself from a second go round as a flea bitten weasel.

In fact Regulus had been in the Ravenclaw dorms during exam time. It was a rather a favorite pastime of his, 'breaking in' to Ravenclaw tower by outwitting a statue. At the time in question he had been hooking up with a then seventh year, she was pretty and blond, and he had been hoping to relieve some of the stress of exams the only way he knew how. This was about all Regulus cared to remember about the night in question, and he had no intention of telling his new companion even that much. Instead he merely nodded knowingly at her assertion that it was far from a welcoming environment. "Well, Slytherin girls are much sounder sleepers," he put in, knowing again, from his own experiences that his house was no kinder when roused, it just took a bit more to wake them.

Coming out to talk with the half breeds? The girl certainly was not disappointing his interest. She was obviously not only incredibly clever (and incredibly beautiful) but also quite brave to have not only approached but actually managed a peaceful encounter with the Centaurs. Regulus actually didn't mind them himself, strong, majestic, intelligent, but just like any other wild beast they were dangerous and he could hardly fathom ever approaching one for a chat. Once again he found himself simply nodding his head in affirmation of her claims about the Centaurs intelligence and gift for divination. He would love to talk more about this development, but the conversation had already turned over to him, and that was a topic he never could resist discussing.

"But enough about me, what are you doing out here, Reinbach? Sleepwalking?"

"That's the official answer," Regulus let this precursor response hang in the air for a moment before continuing. "Unofficially?" Regulus took the few steps back to the spot where he had initially fallen and located his quidditch goggles. "I like to use the forest as my personal trial grounds for experiments like this," he explained holding up the goggles. Anticipating her next question he closed the distance between them once more and after extinguishing the light from his wand began sliding the goggles over her ice blue eyes, "See for yourself." It wasn't often that Regulus shared his experiments, not until he had perfected them, or if they required a victim, but he was willing to make an exception. He felt oddly safe in forest, as though secrets shared here could be kept here.

"It's only the second trial and there's still issues to work out," he explained in a rare moment of anxiety. This is why he couldn't share anything, what if Sura found the enchanted goggles dull, or worse simplistic. "So, what do you think?" he asked managing to replace at least most of his nerves with a casual nonchalance.

[Sura Haughton]

And not a person here is innocent;
we're both as guilty as a sin.

Regulus appeared relatively unfazed by her threats, as the look on his face remained smug, if not even more so than before. It was refreshing to meet someone who took such words with a grain of salt, preferring to maintain their composure instead of turning the situation to something completely negative. It seemed to her that many of the more, ahem, romantically popular boys at the school were not used to girls talking back, and when they encountered such a situation, the mudslinging began quite quickly. Sura felt a certain amount of disappointment when she thought about the subject. It wasn’t to say that she felt the girls at the school were weak. She simply felt that when it came to these boys, they were far too forgiving. With that in mind, someone had to put them in their place once in a while, and Sura had no problem being the one to do it. Though she had never followed through with the Transfiguration threat, as expulsion was not something she was interested in, she did know a person or two who made an excellent hair growth draught. Nothing says “mind your manners” like surprise back hair.

"I can promise you I'd make a much better sea otter, much cuter too." Sura had to laugh at the idea. The grin on his face and his teasing tone of voice confirmed her previous notion that Regulus was not as uptight as so many of the other boys at school. He could take a little bit of verbal berating, and match it if he so desired. What an intriguing boy he was turning out to be. “Oh, you think so? Well, I’ll definitely take that under consideration the next time you pull a stunt like that then.”

She shrugged in reply to his comment about Slytherin girls and their sleeping habits. “I’ll have to take your word for it, won’t I?” She could certainly imagine those girls being cranky if roused from their beauty rest for no good reason. They could be catty with one another on a good day, so starting the day on a wrong foot with one of the other girls was doubtably a happy situation. Though she imagined that Ravenclaws were probably more successful in casting or brewing exactly what they wanted, with a high degree of efficacy, Slytherins were likely more...creative in their methods of revenge. The thought made her stomach turn a little. Try as she might to remind herself that not everyone that ended up in Slytherin turned out to be Dark witches or wizards, the ones that were tended to have extra twisted methodologies when it came to revenge. Several images from a book she had flipped through in the Restricted Section of the library came to mind. They had certainly not been of someone being handed puppies and candy...

Sura looked down at the goggles in his hand, cocking her head slightly. "I like to use the forest as my personal trial grounds for experiments like this." Sura followed suit and put out the light on the end of her wand, blinking a few times to allow her eyes to adjust to the darkness. Slowly, the shapes of the forest appeared before her eyes, before finally sliding into sharp focus Her eyebrows furrowed slightly and she pursed her lips as she gazed at the goggles again. They looked like ordinary Quidditch goggles, the kind you saw every single player at school wearing. ”See for yourself.” Looking from the goggles to Regulus’ face suspiciously, she frowned. He was becoming very friendly, very fast. It was peculiar, especially when it came to someone like Reinbach talking to a Ravenclaw. “If these are hexed or cursed and something happens to me, I swear that I will do something to you that makes you wish I had turned you into a weasel...” Her attempt at seeming non-chalant about trying the goggles on was at least partially successful, save for the crack in her voice in the end of the sentence caused by the lump rising in her throat.

She closed her eyes tightly as Regulus gently slid the goggles on her face. They felt like regular Quidditch goggles... But when she opened her eyes, she realized how entirely wrong she was. She jumped, startled at the change in her vision. Her world was suddenly tinted a hundred shades of blue, but she could see everything. Every curve of a branch, leaf on the ground, groove in the bark of the tree beside her. Nothing was shrouded in the usual darkness of the forest. She could now see everything that she heard, and although the blue did put her off a little, it was nothing that she couldn’t get over to have the chance to be able to see in the dark without lighting her wand.

”So, what do you think?” Sura had to smile at the tinge of nervousness in his voice, similar to the sound hers had made only moments before. She took a deep breath, looking around at her surroundings. “I think that you’ve done a really, really good job,” she admitted, her voice a little awe-struck. Her eyes began adjusting to the blue tone of the world, and soon the goggles were feeling more and more natural. “I mean, there’s the whole world-tinted-blue bit, but that’s fixable. And even if it isn’t, fuck it, you can see in the dark!” Such a tool could be so useful, both in well-intented ventures and mischief.

The thought made her stop, and she turned to Regulus. She slid the goggles off her face, handing them back as she smirked. “What’s the occasion for designing them, hmm?”

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Tagged: Reg
Music: None!
Notes: None!

[Regulus Reinbach]

“Oh, you think so? Well, I’ll definitely take that under consideration the next time you pull a stunt like that then.”

"Please do. But you have to admit, part of you liked it, just a little" Regulus grinned. The threats were all well and good, but his ego was starting to take injury at the promise of future repercussions. Surely, it hadn't been that long that his talents could actually be slipping. No, it was unthinkable. Regulus was just on his game as ever well perhaps not ever...there was that month towards the end of 5th year that he still hadn't quite topped.

Offering to take him at his word? Even given the context this seemed to be a groundbreaking night. "Well you certainly don't have to, but I recommend it," Regulus said matter of factly. He would be more than willing to give Sura a first hand experience to prove he spoke the truth, (her opinion of him had become oddly important in such a short time period) but he could guarantee she would not thank him for the opportunity. The proverbial sleeping dog had nothing on a Slytherin girl, and Merlin help you if you interrupted a particularly vivid dream.

She didn't trust him. It was obvious, even before she spoke. Regulus couldn't be surprised, that reputation of his that he was so proud of didn't really highlight honesty as a redeeming trait. If anything it called attention to how adept he was at the art of the lie. "Sea Otter," he corrected. "Now shut up and just trust me," he half requested, half commanded flashing her a crooked little smile that he hoped would come off as trust worthy...or at the very least endearing.

Reg couldn't help but chuckle slightly as Sura jumped back, presumably because her entire field of vision just got a shiny coat of blue paint tossed over it. It was definitely a shock if you weren't expecting. But it was the slow coming seconds that mattered most, as her eyes adjusted to the goggles, and she focused on what exactly Regulus had bestowed upon her.

“I think that you’ve done a really, really good job,”

Regulus beamed at this response. It was a genuine and honest compliment of his work. Regulus had gotten so used to criticism and sarcasm, with only the occasional begrudging offer of respect that he hardly knew how to respond. Luckily he was saved from having to do any more than smile appreciatively before Sura spoke again. Even her criticisms though held remnants of her initial awe. The Ravenclaw girl was more than earning her keep as his companion. "If it can't be helped I'll just tint the lenses to make it look intentional," Regulus confessed having already settled on his plan B for the goggles. He figured he should give the goggles some sort of tint or marking anyway... accidentally taking his modified specs out to the pitch in the middle of the day for practice could only end poorly for his striking blue eyes.

“What’s the occasion for designing them, hmm?”

First a kiss, then threats, and now Sura was questioning his motives, it was a wonderful little trifecta of getting to know you. So much more interesting than discussing the weather. "Well, not all of us are such good terms with the Centaurs," Regulus countered that familiar smirk lifting the corner of his mouth. "Not to mention the bright white light announcing my presence sort of kills the stealth element, which is crucial to my late night adventures," he continued raising an eyebrow and smoldering his gaze. The adventures he spoke of usually consisted of sneaking into the kitchens, library or forest, but he had to make them seem enticing somehow, and distracting girls from his words with his eyes was his go to move.


(( 6/20 made some quick modifications, felt a bit rambly. if you need me to put anything back let me know.))

[Sura Haughton]

And not a person here is innocent;
we're both as guilty as a sin.

Sura raised her eyebrows as Regulus commented about the surprise kiss he had just planted on her unsuspecting lips. "Please do. But you have to admit, part of you liked it, just a little." Typical Slytherin male. Quite the specimen, really. “Well, Regulus,” she said, putting some emphasis on his name. “That is something that you will just have to go through life without knowing. Do try your best to go on though, dear.” A teasing grin appeared on her face, and she winked. The kiss had not been a bad one by any means. She had experienced plenty of those, and this particular kiss had not fallen under those criteria. At the same time, she really couldn’t call it a great kiss either, because it had started and ended before she had realized what had actually been happening. At least it hadn’t been awful. That was really the important part.

”Sea otter, now shut up and just trust me,” he said, his voice sharp. If it hadn’t been for the smile that appeared on his lips immediately after the phrase was given breath, she probably would have gotten quite cranky with him. However, that was not the case. She simply couldn’t help it. She grinned and looked down at the ground, laughing. The sound was melodic, and actually out of pleasure. He had a better sense of humor than she had expected him to have, and she had to give him credit for it. “Alright,” she said, her voice coated in mock exasperation. “Just do it then.” The smile on her lips was still there as she closed her eyes.

Sura had never seen or heard of anything like this before. The enchantments on these goggles were guaranteed not to be easy ones, and likely quite dangerous if they were cast incorrectly. She was quite impressed that a student had been able to take the project this far. Sura wracked her brain as she looked around the forest, which was tinted in the most brilliant blues imaginable. She couldn’t think of a single spell or charm that would make this happen, though there could of course be holes in her knowledge. Coating the lens in a potion probably wouldn’t do it either. And all that left open the possibility of spellmaking, which was really quite dangerous, especially when the maker was a student. He certainly was taking a risk. But then again, what did she really know about him? Maybe he had been doing this sort of thing for a while now.

She clucked her tongue as he mentioned the possibility of tinting the lenses to make the goggles appear as if the world was supposed to be a million shades of blue when you were wearing them. “Oh, I hope you don’t give up that easily,” she sighed, looking at the world around her. “These would be even more brilliant in full colour, and you’ve already obviously come so far.” She bit her tongue, about to make a joke about Slytherin versus Ravenclaw success drives. Best not to wake the sleeping dragon with that one. Besides, he had been nice enough so far. No need to start mudslinging until he did.

Regulus smirked as mentioned her good relationship with the centaurs, and she returned it in kind with a shrug. “Not hard to make it happen, you just have to not be a giant jerk, that’s all.” She nodded as he mentioned the need to be stealthy at night, having to agree with him. The forest wasn’t really the place you wanted to be waving around an orb of light. That kind of presence would draw the wrongest kind of attention you could get in the forest. Something that Sura herself liked to avoid. As she turned to look him in the face, her breath caught in her throat for a moment before dislodging itself and continuing to her lungs. She hadn’t seen his eyes properly before, but they were really quite, well, dazzling. The familiar look in his eye told her he was playing the seductive card, but she refused to give in that easily, Did he really think she was going to swoon after she had known him for all of five minutes?

“Really though, they’re fantastic, well done. I’d very much like to see the finished product one day,” she noted, tapping them once with her index finger. Without any warning, she froze. About what sounded like fifty feet to their left, something was walking through the leaves. It wasn’t just a rabbit prancing through the forest either. The footfalls were deliberate, and they were getting closer. Her eyes widened as she adjusted to the darkness again, and she swore under her breath, looking to Regulus. “So, I think it’s time we found somewhere else to be. Like, right now,” she hissed, turning her head to look in the direction of the sound. The footsteps were getting closer. They weren’t centaur steps either. “Regulus?” she said, looking back at the boy in front of her.

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Tagged: Reg
Music: None!
Notes: Soooo whatever that big, scary sound is? That's up to interpretation right now. I'm thinking big, scary, and wants to eat us. Time for running and hiding, perhaps?

[Regulus Reinbach]

"It will be a struggle," Regulus conceded, his smirk erasing any sincerity in his words. He was nearly convinced he already had his answer anyway. Sura's continued presence was all the proof he needed that blond had taken some form of enjoyment from the meeting of their lips. Still, Regulus would have to consider a more convincing encore if he wanted to add the Ravenclaw to his list of admirers.

For now though Regulus was content to rely purely on that other precious talent of his, charm. He was able to successfully soften Sura's resolve, a genuine smile over taking his lips at the sight of her exasperation as she closed her eyes and allowed him to slide the goggles over her eyes. It was a surprisingly enjoyable experience, just watching Sura take in the landscape through the lenses. It was as if a third party confirmation had made the goggles real. They were no longer, just a side project or something he had been tinkering with, but a real tangible object.

"I'm not giving up," Regulus shot defensively. "I just can't be sure that addressing the color issue won't just create a whole new host of problems that would impair the goggles effectiveness." he explained. In truth, he wasn't sure it would be a problem at all, he had simply made the mistake of vocalizing a lazy thought. He really had come a long way, and just wanted to be content in his achievements, at least for the night, before he went back to addressing flaws.

“Not hard to make it happen, you just have to not be a giant jerk, that’s all.”

"What you call being a giant jerk, I call having a personality," Regulus countered. It was a comment that perhaps would not go over too well with the Ravenclaw. Still. Sura would have to admit Centaurs weren't exactly known for their tolerance, laid back attitude or sense of humor, and a lot of what Regulus would consider good fun, was liable to get him and arrow through the chest. He was sure he could be cordial with the half-breeds if he wanted to, but it just really sounded like it would be a lot of work for a boring conversation.

Regulus was preparing to agree to giving Sura a pair of goggles once he'd made his final revisions, when she stopped. The smile faded from Reg's face and his ears instantly perked. There was a rustling and crunching in the brush, but Regulus couldn't place it. In a way, that was a good thing. It ruled out a large number of predatory hunters, including werewolves, which could spell a very bad end to the night. There was weight behind the footsteps though, so they were far from safe. Sura's call of his name snapped him from the place his mind had drifted, rifling through a catalog of creatures and was sound their footsteps made. Regulus' eyes met Sura's, and without a word he plucked the goggles from her and gazed toward the sound.

The night once again sprang alive in vibrant blues and Regulus quickly spotted their party crasher. Unfortunately, it had spotted them as well, and it was about as pleased as they were to see unexpected company. Regulus instinctively reached for Sura's hand, pulling her behind him, already three steps along before calling "Run." He doubted she needed the encouragement, but the word left his lips all the same he guided her through the dark forest. As Regulus ran, doing his best to make sharp cuts around trees without sending Sura to the ground, the beasts name popped into his mind. Graphorn. Big hulking creatures, the skin was actually a deep purple rather than the royal blue it had appeared through the goggles. They were mountain creatures, and non-nocturnal, both advantages that worked in favor the forest frequenting couple with night vision goggles.

Unfortunately, they still couldn't quite break away. Graphorns don't have hooves, like the muggle oxen they resemble, but rather four-toed feet, that made the tight turn Regulus attempted little trouble for the monster. Turning and fighting wasn't an option. Not only did the monster's momentum and sharp horns provide a deadly advantage to the opponent, but graphorn's hides were as tough as dragon's making them impervious to spell work. No, running was the only option, but the graphorn was gaining. Reg had hoped the narrow running lanes would slow the beast, but the big body was plowing through everything in it's way.

That's when Regulus had an idea. He veered his course off to the right and quickened his speed as the trees began to clear out, right before a giant oak tree. Sura still in tow, Regulus ran hard for the Oak, hoping the Ravenclaw would guess his plan. The graphorn gained speed quickly now that the turn had been abandoned for a dead sprint. "Split right!" Regulus shouted, maybe 15 feet short of a full on crash with the tree. They were close enough, and it was big enough that he didn't have to worry about Sura not seeing it. Luckily, the Graphorn had become so enthralled in the chase, and built up such speed that stopping was not an option. The monster smashed into the imposing tree. The impact rippled through the trees surface, a low cracking sound emanating through the trunk. The impact had sent a shock wave that knocked regulus off his feet, as he came crashing down to the left of the tree. He struggled for his wand, knowing that the tree and it's trunk would soon be parted. He pointed his wand and guiding the massive tree's fall in the direction of the stunned graphorn. The creature, quickly realized it's peril, but being unfamiliar with trees began to high tail it back the way it came, precisely along the tree's trajectory.

Ultimately the animal would outrun the tree fall, and Regulus hoped find it's way back into the mountains. As much as he would have liked to bring home an adolescent graphorn as a trophy, he was much happier to have simply survived. And saved an additional life while he was at it. At least he hoped, that life was still safe.

With no time to bask in his victory, Regulus, scrambled to his feet. "Sura!" he called rushing around the fallen tree trunk. It was perhaps an unnecessary amount of alarm given, how easily he could see in the dark, but that only reminded him that she couldn't. Still, it wasn't long before he located her. "Well...that was fun," he said his smirk creeping back onto his lips in hopes of imitating a return to normalcy.


((I may have rushed it a little...let me know if you want anything changed))

[Sura Haughton]

And not a person here is innocent;
we're both as guilty as a sin.

”It will be a struggle,” he said, the classic Slytherin smirk on sitting on his lips. Sura could not help but roll her eyes at him, shaking her head. “I promise that I’ll try not to make it too difficult on you,” laying the sarcasm on thickly over her accent. Half of her wanted to kick him in the shin, and half of her wanted to actually hear out whatever it was he had to say. Regardless of how flirtatiously and egotistically laden the comments were. She sincerely hoped that this was going to be worth holding her tongue and keeping a well-placed kick or smack contained.

So far, Regulus didn’t really seem like all that bad of a guy. He obviously thought highly of himself, that much was clear to her already. He was also quite confident in his chatting-up-women skills. Clearly he wasn’t shy, judging by the fact that she hadn’t known him a minute and he had kissed her full on the mouth. From what she had heard around school, the boy certainly wasn’t an innocent, and certainly not the humblest of people. He could charm the pants off of, both literally and figuratively, nearly anyone he set his sights on, or so she had heard. Obviously, this was the perfect time to give him a run for his money. If he thought that she was going to give up to him that easily, he obviously didn’t know a single thing about her.

Sura’s mouth displayed a smirk of its own when Regulus began getting defensive over his goggles. His ego really was as fantastically large as everyone said it was. She held up her hands, shrugging her shoulders upwards. “Okay, okay, I won’t encourage you to pursue the ventures you’re obviously passionate about anymore. I apologize,” she said, her voice teasing and playful. If the boy couldn’t take encouragement from her, she was beginning to doubt he’d ever get along with her. She wasn’t sure how far she could push things with him, either. He wasn’t exactly that easy to read, until his emotions got the best of him. Not the greatest of traits for someone to have, but not exactly one of the worst either. At least that gave her something on him.

"What you call being a giant jerk, I call having a personality," he quipped. Sura put her hand over her heart in mock shock, her hand floating over her chest. “Oh, and he’s sassy too, huh?” She laughed, the sound echoing off of the nearby trees. “So you think I don’t have a personality then, is that it? You seem to be digging your own grave with me over here, sir.” She couldn’t make herself feel offended by the comment, regardless of how many ways she thought of it. He just didn’t seem that malicious, or hadn’t appeared to be up until this moment. It would be a shame if he started now. He was starting to seem like quite the interesting man. He could keep up with her smart mouth for one, which was something that she could appreciate in a man, especially in one with as much pride and ego as Regulus obviously had. He hadn’t turned his nose up at her yet for being in a house other than Slytherin, either, which also gained him a few points. He might be a little bit of a pain, but he was fun.

Only a moment after she had heard the sound, Regulus had grabbed her hand and yanked her in his direction. He wasn’t willing to let her get eaten by whatever was coming for them in the dark. That was a pleasant surprise. ”Run!” came his shout, and Sura gathered herself the best she could. You didn’t have to tell her twice. She gripped his hand tightly so as not to accidentally lose him in the dark. She could see a little bit, but not enough to make the escape she needed to. She didn’t even know what was following them! For all she knew, a great bloody werewolf had wandered into their woods and had decided that she and Regulus were to become their next meal. Not the way she wanted her night in the forest to end at all. Sura stepped high as she ran in an attempt to avoid the roots and fallen branches on the ground. It seemed fairly certain that she was done for if she ended up on the ground. Regulus tugged her around unseen obstacles, the only sound made by the leaves under their feet and their breathing. Sura could feel the adrenaline pumping through her veins, heart pounding on her ribs. This was absolutely ridiculous.

Suddenly, Regulus’ hand left hers at the same time his voice reached her ears. Without a second thought, Sura dug her foot into the ground and propelled herself to her right. She had sprinted what must have been a good twenty feet before she head a crash, the sound of their pursuer hitting a tree, hard. Whatever it was, it had been very, very large. The impact sent a shock through her, which distracted her footfalls just long enough for her to trip. She hit the ground hard, winding herself. As she rolled onto her back, she gasped for air, trying to fill her lungs back up. Blood was singing in her ears, her hands trembling from the adrenaline rush. Merlin was she ever going to be able to breathe again? ”Sura!” She heard the voice, but didn’t register it for another moment when she finally took a full breath. “Holy crap,” she wheezed, her struggled breaths now turning into pants. What she figured was his body materialized slowly out of the shadows above her, and she put her hand to her face. “Fun? I sincerely, sincerely,” she muttered, trying to slow her breathing. “Do not want to know what you do with your time on a weekend.”

Sura placed her hands over her eyes, alternating her attempts to steady her breathing with a colourful variety of curse words. “Thank you, though. For hauling me out of there and not letting me hit a tree,” she panted. “I’m feeling like if you hadn’t, being on the ground trying to get over being winded would be the last of my problems.”

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Tagged: Reg
Music: None!
Notes:

[Regulus Reinbach]

“Okay, okay, I won’t encourage you to pursue the ventures you’re obviously passionate about anymore. I apologize,”

"Apology accepted," Regulus smirked. This was rather fun. He hadn't had a good back and forth, someone who could keep up in quite some time. Of course there was always Ana, but she seemed to somehow be slipping away from him lately. She wasn't as playful as she had once been, and outside of meals, class and practice, they barely saw each other. It was a significant chunk of time yes, but always obstacles, other people stood in their way then. Out here in the moon light it was just Reg and Sura. Just them, just talking, the rest of the world off somewhere else spinning round without them.

“So you think I don’t have a personality then, is that it? You seem to be digging your own grave with me over here, sir.”

"And you, Miss, are putting words in my mouth," Regulus defended himself with a toothy grin. "But, so long as I'm digging, I think you can turn your personality off to appease company. While, I am cursed to forever be myself," he explained hoping he wouldn't come off too offensive. He hadn't meant for it to be, but it seemed always to be the truth. Ravenclaws could stand to be boring for the sake of their company. It seemed half politeness and half genuine interest in what their conversational counterpart had to say, Regulus was sorely lacking in both qualities. He could be just as intellectual as the next person, but intellect didn't have to be dull, as he and Sura were both living proof.

...

Two thoughts had dominated Reg's mind as he ran. Stay upright, and keep Sura close. He had succeeded at both up until the very last second, and only by disobeying his own commands at that moment was he able to preserve both there lives. Sura was panting heavily, trying to catch her breath, and in truth so was he, but adrenaline was still coursing through the young man's vains so he felt no pain, with the triumphant grin plastered on his face, knowing that he had just been challenged by death himself and won.

“Fun? I sincerely, sincerely,” she muttered, trying to slow her breathing. “Do not want to know what you do with your time on a weekend.”

Regulus collapsed to the ground beside Sura, chuckling. This had definitely been much more exciting than most of his weekends, though the exhaustion wouldn't have been unfamiliar with Ana's recent obsession with two-a-days. "Deep breaths," Regulus urged. "In through the nose," he demonstrated inhaling deeply "then out through the mouth," the words were pushed out through a long breath. Being winded was nothing new to the young man, but Sura seemed to be struggling, and seeing as he was in someways the cause of her loss of breath, the least he could do was teach her how to get it back.

"Well, it's hardly my usual method of leaving a girl breathless," Regulus grinned through another long exhale. "But," he inhaled again. "I'm glad you're alright." It was a simple, perhaps even stupid thing to say. Of course he was glad, he was the one who helped save her, but it seemed somehow important that she know this. "Actually, in a way, you may have saved me too," Regulus said delving into his own thoughts. "If I didn't have you to think about, I would have tried to fight it," he said, glancing at the stump where there once stood a mighty tree. He should shudder to think what the Graphorn would have done to him, but he was instead curious. If he were alone, running simply wouldn't do, but how could he beat a beast that deflects magic. Even with his goggles granting him vision what hope did he have? What would it have even meant to beat a beast that was so nearly indestructible? In a strange way he owed Sura his life for forcing him to draw the line between bravery and stupidity and come out on the more flattering side.


((Bit of a wait, and as usual I'm afraid I didn't give you enough to work with, but hopefully it's okay))

[Sura Haughton]

And not a person here is innocent;
we're both as guilty as a sin.

"Apology accepted," he said with a smirk, the kind that made Sura want to let her upper lip curl up and her eyes roll back. He was just as snarky as he was smug, and it was maddening. And yet, she was still standing here, listening to him talk and watching his ego puff up like a cranky bullfrog. So there had to be something about him that she found interesting, something that was keeping her here, listening to him chat away. Slytherin through and through, she thought to herself, biting the inside of her lip to keep herself from giggling at the thought. "Oh, good. My world might have come to a grinding halt otherwise," she teased, pressing her fingers into her cheeks.

Sura snorted indignantly when he mentioned that she might turn off her personality for the sake of company. "Oh dear boy, you obviously don't know a thing about me. If you get to be yourself, then so do I." She crossed her arms, shrugging her shoulders. "You're just going to have to deal with me as I am. And if you don't like it, you can walk away any time." At this point, the two of them had been exchanging enough jabs in a playful manner that he would likely take her last words as such. Her words, of course, were never meant to be hurtful, but she was not willing to put some of herself tucked away in a proverbial box just to appease some Slytherin boy whom she'd never had a conversation with until this night. No, he was going to have to deal with her just as she was, snark, charm, and all.

The wind was rushing past her ears, whipping her hair to the side of her head as she ran. Keep running, and don't let go of his hand, she thought. Don't look back, just trust him. It was easier said than done, considering that she could barely see anything at all, save for some minimal detail on the trees nearby, lit up by the bit of moonlight that made it through the dense canopy above them. She could hear the feet of whatever was chasing them hitting the ground, crunching the leaves beneath it's feet. How it had not caught them yet, she had no idea. Maybe adrenaline really was all it was cracked up to be. And just as soon as it had started, it was over. She was on her back, gasping for breath. Her hand flew to her chest as she attempted to steady herself, although it didn't appear that there was much point in the attempt right now. Not while her blood was still screaming past her eardrums, anyways.

She scowled deeply as she followed his instructions, trying to take deep breaths to steady herself. Her lungs were on fire with effort and adrenaline, and it was downright uncomfortable. "That," she wheezed. "Was bullshit." She wiggled her fingers while she took deep breaths, as they'd gone rather tingly at the lack of oxygen in her body. It wasn't something that she was not familiar with; it had happened once or twice before, and then her feet had been tingly as well. But, unfortunately, prior experience didn't make the feeling any less uncomfortable. She knew she was just going to have to wait it out and keep wiggling.

"Well, it's hardly my usual method of leaving a girl breathless," he said through an exhale. She could practically hear the smirk on his face. Sura snorted, cutting off her exhale for a moment. "I'll have to take your word for that, I suppose," she laughed. It made her feel a little better: lighter and less tingly. She would never admit that she'd heard girls gush about him. His ego would probably expand too far and kill them both in what she imagined would not be a pleasant death. She chuckled as he thanked her, nodding her head. "You're welcome, then. Although I've gotta say that would have been the stupidest thing you could do out here at this time of night. So you're extra welcome." She chuckled again, pushing herself up onto her hands. Her breathing was back to normal now. She looked around, squinting in the dark. "So, any idea where we've run?"

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Tagged: Reg
Music: None!
Notes:

[Regulus Reinbach]

"Yours wouldn't be the first world to halt awaiting my forgiveness," Regulus rattled off with the arrogance he had become famous for. His impact on the lives of others was significant, not nearly as significant as he hoped it to be, certainly not enough to keep the world's turning, but all the same he wanted to deliver a message. His influence was not to be underestimated.

"You're just going to have to deal with me as I am. And if you don't like it, you can walk away any time."

Regulus smirked, the look was practically a permanent fixture on his lips at this point. "You won't be rid of me that easily," he assured Sura. He wasn't exactly the most tolerant person, but he also wasn't going to walk off from a girl for choosing to have a personality rather than agreeing to whatever their company said. That after all was what underlings were for. Sura, he hoped would be more of an equal, if she was up to the challenge.

She certainly was doing everything to prove herself. Not just with wit and intelligence, but she trusted him with her life, consciously or not, it was a significant gesture. So far Sura was keeping up with him in every sense of the word. He just had to hope it would continue.

"That,"she wheezed. "Was bullshit."

"Graphorn actually," Regulus grinned through a heavy breath. He couldn't resist the set-up created by the visual similarity between the magical graphorn and the muggle bull. As was nearly always the case the magical beast was bigger and deadlier. But the graphorn wasn't meant to be violent, not unless provoked. At least that was what he had been taught by the Care of Magical creatures teacher, but the danger emphasized was spot on. The attack must have been motivated by confusion, disorientation, or maybe Regulus wasn't so crazy when he sat alone in the dark an felt an ever present pair of eyes watching him.

"You don't have to take my word," Regulus teased his eyes narrowing seductively. There was after all a very easy way for Sura to learn first hand how he typically left the girls of galaxia gasping for air. She merely chose this route, and considering the current predicament he couldn't blame her. Priority one would have to be finding their bearings no matter how much her curiosity might be eating at her over the mystery Regulus considered himself to be.

"I had the advantage in the dark," Regulus reminded her not appreciating her calling his plan to fight the beast stupid. He didn't disagree mind you, he just didn't like hearing it. "Probably the best shot I would have had at one, but I suppose escaping with my life is a satisfactory consolation."

"So, any idea where we've run?"

Regulus surveyed the area, rubbed a bit of dirt between his fingers, mostly for effect, and sighed. "Very far off course," was the best answer he could come up with. He strapped on his goggles, stood up and paced about before pulling his wand. "Point me," he ordered the wand which prompted a wispy blue compass rose to spring from the wand tip. The rose, spun about, to and fro before settling on the fact that true North lay straight ahead and off to the left. Regulus waved away the compass in frustration. He had tried to keep his running route parallel to the forest exit, but he couldn't be sure how successful he had been.

They had definitely gone deep enough into the forest that the shortest route (which he believed was due East) would be the safest. and having already cheated death once tonight he didn't quite feel up to tempting fate. "How adventurous are you feeling tonight?" Regulus asked a cunning smirk playing on his lips hoping his usual arrogance could do enough to hide his genuine concern.



((sorry I may have ended too early, but I didn't want to push too far ahead. and also my brain just suddenly started dying))