"Regulus Black. Regulus Arcturus Black. Heir to the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black. Only son." He looked at himself in the mirror: black hair, grey eyes, typical black features. He was surrounded by green: Green walls, green sheets, green fucking everything. It was all up to him now.

"Toujours pure," he told his reflection. He was drowning in green.

"You could just turn him into a toad."

"I can't turn him into a toad. I mean I should. I can't. Don't tempt me," Lily said. She fixed her red hair in front of the mirror and smoothed her hands over her outfit. They were in their dormitory getting ready for their dates for Hogsmeade. She turned to look at Alice who was sitting on her bed.

"How do I look?"

Alice looked her over and made a face. "I don't know. Did you steal those from my Granny this summer? I could've sworn I saw her wearing some like those last—"

"Alice!"

"Kidding. You look fine. I just wish you'd chosen different shoes. Those are ghastly."

"They're comfortable. Michael specifically said to wear comfortable clothes."

Alice rolled her eyes. "Blah. Michael. He's so boring."

"He's not," Lily said, looking at Alice through the mirror while she fixed her makeup.

"He is. You're just in denial. Anyways, back to James. What are you going to do about him? Think he'll jinx Michael? I hope he does."

"Alice," Lily gave her a look. "He better not. I haven't been able to properly date a bloke since third year because of him. Honestly, turning him into a toad is probably not a bad idea. There, I think I'm ready."

Alice whistled. "You look beautiful. Michael's going to drop dead when he takes a look at you." She glanced at her watch. "I've got to go, Frank's waiting on me. Have fun with Michael!"

"Have fun with Frank!"

Alice was at the door when she looked back at Lily's shoes one last time. "You sure you don't want to change them?"

Lily rolled her eyes. "Alice," she waved her forward, "Frank. Go."

Alice sighed. "Fine," and she turned and left.

Michael was perfect. He was a gentleman, he didn't even try to hold her hand, he spoke proper, he was good looking, and he wasn't a troublemaker. He was passably smart and able to hold a conversation. Which is why it didn't make any sense. Lily would never admit it but Michael was boring. They weren't even thirty minutes into their date and she was already trying to find some excuse that wouldn't make her sound like a complete bitch when she ditched him.

"You want to go to Madame Puddifoot's? I hear—"

"NO!" Lily yelled. Michael stared back at her, eyes wide in shock. Embarrassment quickly took over. "Sorry. Er—I don't think—I—Michael—What I mean to say is, I don't think this is going to—POTTER!"

It was too late. Michael's legs had turned to jelly and he'd fallen into a heap in the middle of the street.

James Potter and his friends were all laughing. Except Remus, of course, who looked on in mild amusement and disapproval.

"Potter!" Lily screamed again. She felt her anger rise within in her. The pressure in her head made it feel like it was going to pop at any second. She aimed her wand at him. Their eyes widened and they choked on their laughter.

"Run, James!" Sirius screamed, pushing him forward. She fired jinxes at them but they disappeared into Honeydukes and she wasn't able to find them after that. Another Hogsmeade trip ruined.

"Fuck!" Lily said out loud. She'd forgotten Michael.

After getting Michael to the hospital wing, Lily decided to go back to the common room. She wasn't about to crash Alice's date with Frank, nor did she want to give Potter the satisfaction of seeing her wander Hogsmeade alone. He'd laugh or worse, join her. She shuddered. As she walked the halls she saw someone walking in her direction. Lily groaned. Black.

"Did Potter send you? You couldn't just leave it alone?" she said.

As she got closer, she realized it was Black, only not Sirius Black. He was taller and not as bulky, probably due to him being a seeker not a beater like his brother. Regulus smirked at her.

"Evans. I take your date didn't go as well as you hoped?"

Lily huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "Well, don't look so smug about it."

"Me? Smug? That would imply an 'I told you so'."

As a fellow prefect, he'd been present when Michael, the 6th year Hufflepuff prefect, had asked Lily out on the date after one of their meetings. He looked at Lily's disgruntled expression and laughed.

"Was it really that bad?"

Lily finally snapped. "Bad? It was horrible! Oh, I don't know what's wrong with me! He was nice, almost too nice, you know. He'd open doors for me and was just so unbearably polite."

"The horror."

"Seriously—"

"Sorry, I'm Regulus—"

"Oh, not you too! That joke's so old." Lily glanced at Regulus. They'd slowly started walking in the direction she'd been headed. It was opposite of where he'd been headed, but Lily felt strangely reluctant to point it out.

"Didn't I tell you, though? It's like you've never paid attention at him during the meetings. Actually, you probably haven't. It's like he's not even there."

"He seemed nice. He was stuttering and everything when he asked. I couldn't say no."

"And there lies your problem, Evans. It's a two-letter word. Not very complicated."

She scoffed at him. "I can say 'no'. I just didn't see a problem with giving him a chance."

"Where is he then?"

"Hospital wing."

He stopped and turned to look at her eyes wide, laughter bubbling forth.

"You're shitting me. Potter got to him then?"

She nodded. They continued walking in amicable silence. It was rather confusing for Lily. This was the first real conversation she'd had with the Slytherin prefect and it was nice. Not Michael nice, actual nice, the nice that would lead to more conversations.

"Why are you here?" She asked.

He pretended to be confused. "I go here."

"You know what I mean. Why aren't you at Hogsmeade with the rest of your friends?"

"It's complicated."

"Does it have anything to do with your brother?" Silence.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have asked," Lily said.

"He ran away this summer."

She looked at him shocked.

Regulus ran his hands through his hair. "I don't know why I'm telling you this."

"You need someone to talk to. I imagine Goyle isn't a very good listener." He actually cracked a smile at that.

"No, none of them are for obvious reasons." Regulus glanced down at Lily. "You want to head to the kitchens?" he asked.

"So she really blasted him off the family tapestry?" She took a sip of her hot cocoa.

Regulus nodded, his mouth full of treacle tart. They sat on a small table in the corner of the kitchens. The house elves bustled around them preparing that night's dinner, every once in a while one would come up and ask if they needed something else.

"There was nothing I could do unless I wanted to end up blasted off right along with him. He offered to take me with him, you know."

"Why didn't you go?"

"I don't know. I just froze. You must understand it's all I've ever known. My parents look to me now and I can't leave them without anything. Besides, where would I have gone? Potter's? I think not."

"But you don't believe in all that nonsense, do you?"

"Obviously not, Lily. I can't look at you and think you're any lesser than I am."

"But you're still thinking of joining Him?"

"I don't know. My parents obviously want me to. Well, my mother does, at least. Father doesn't trust him too much. Thinks he's shady."

Lily almost flew out of her seat. "He is shady, more than shady! He's a murderer!"

"That's not confirmed."

"I can't believe this! You actually agree with him! It's all bollocks then? You actually agree with all that mudblood shite—"

"Lily, don't say that! I don't think you're a mudbl—that word. I just don't think it's right that we have to live in hiding. We're wizards, we shouldn't fear muggles. On the other hand, what do you think they'd do to us if they found out?"

"I know perfectly well what they'd do. I was one of them before I got my Hogwarts letter."

"It's not the same, Lily. You still had magical blood."

"My parents then. They don't think I'm this monster you make it seem they'll make us out to be."

Regulus rolled his eyes. "That's not what I meant."

"Come stay with me this summer."

He choked on the bite he was swallowing.

"'Scuse me?" he choked out between coughs. "You hardly know me. One conversation doesn't make us friends."

"Then lets keep having conversations. Frankly, I think you need better friends."

"It's not safe."

"Your reputation means that much to you—"

"For you, I meant."

"I can take care of myself perfectly fine. And I've already decided to be friends with you."

"Lily, I don't know. This shouldn't even have happened."

"Why not? Is it so abnormal for a Gryffindor and a Slytherin to be friends? Or a mudblood and a pureblood?"

"Please don't keep on saying that word."

"Why, because I'm here? I bet you say it with those tossers you call friends. Let me show you a different way," she said, reaching out her hand to him. "You can decide which is better."

Regulus looked at her. She was beautiful. Her red hair was haloed the soft candlelight. Her green eyes sparkled with determination, the palm of her hands, slightly pink and inviting. He took it. His hands looked rough completely covering hers. They felt fragile even though he knew the power they could wield. Silver met green, it wouldn't be so bad, he realized, to drown in green.