Mary Arched An Eyebrow, Her Lips Twitching Into An Amused Smirk As She Watched James Adopt His Regal

Narcissa turned the serpent-shaped stopper in her hands, her expression cool but faintly touched with a wry smile. She didn't glance back at Regulus immediately, letting the soft glow of the library lamps play across the antique's coiled form.

"Fitting, yes," she murmured, her voice smooth and measured, but with an undercurrent of something sharper. "Though I sometimes wonder if it's the serpent that defines us, or we who give it meaning." She tilted her head, finally meeting his gaze. "Perhaps both."

Her lips curved in a faint smile, not unkind but marked by the weight of their shared legacy. "It is a good pick," she agreed, setting the stopper down with deliberate care. "You’ve always had an eye for what suits the family, haven’t you, Regulus? Even when you kept yourself a step apart." There was no reproach in her tone, only a quiet acknowledgment of truths best left unspoken.

Turning slightly toward him, her fingers brushed the edge of a nearby shelf. "The Blacks and their serpents," she mused. "I wonder if your brother will ever fully be able to shed his skin."

Regulus stood a step behind her, quiet but present. His gaze was fixed on the book stopper in her hand. "I didn't mean to startle you." He said, stepping back and giving his cousin space. His eyes drifted to the antique bookshelf stopper she'd acquired. "A snake for a Black — it’s fitting." It was quite interesting, really. The way everyone in his family gravitated towards serpentine imagery. Was it out of genuine pleasure, or was it some inherited trait they'd all received along with their name. To be part of the Black family was everything, once. Still was, on the surface.

"It's a good pick." He smiled.

CHERYL BLOSSOM (RIVERDALE)

Mary raised an eyebrow, her lips curling into a smirk as she crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair. “You thrive in chaos? I’d never have guessed, Black,” she quipped, her tone dripping with playful sarcasm. “And here I was thinking you were the poster boy for order and discipline.”

Her gaze flicked over to the window where the moonlight spilled in, painting the room in silvery hues. “As for me,” she continued, fixing him with an amused look, “I was actually enjoying the quiet—something you seem determined to disrupt. But I suppose it’s hard to expect peace when Sirius Black is on the prowl, keeping lonely ghosts company and all.”

She leaned forward slightly, resting her chin in her hand, her smirk deepening. “Skipping essays for mayhem, though? Tempting offer. Care to elaborate on the mayhem, or is it the type of thing one just needs to go with the flow?” Her eyes sparkled with intrigue.

Sirius leaned against the edge of the table, a mischievous grin creeping onto his face as he ran a hand through his tousled hair. "Well, you know me, McDonald. I thrive in the chaos of the night," he replied, his voice smooth and teasing. "Besides, someone’s got to keep the ghosts company. They can get a bit lonely, you see."

He glanced around the dimly lit room, then returned his attention to her, his eyes glinting with mischief. “And what about you? Lost in the depths of coursework or just enjoying the quiet? I’d like to think it’s the latter, but then again, I’ve never been one for schoolwork. How about we skip the essays and cause a bit of mayhem instead?”

where: Ye Olde Curiosity Shop who: open

Narcissa wandered through the aisles of the curiosity shop, an object catching her attention. Slender fingers collected the bookshelf stopper in the shape of a snake. It looked expensive yet there was something else about it... something magical perhaps. Excitement sparked in her blue hues. Her attention was pulled away from the antique as she felt someone at her side.

The blonde turned abruptly to the person. "Do you know it's rude to sneak up on someone?" Fingers clench around the snake book stopper in a possessive manner.

Spencer’s initial reaction was to stiffen slightly at the sight of another person, his usual instinct to ward off company. But then, realising it was Regulus, he sighed softly and offered a faint, begrudging nod—an acknowledgment that didn’t quite extend into warmth but wasn’t outright dismissal either.

“Regulus,” he said, tone even as he moved his glass aside. “Suit yourself. Just don’t expect much conversation out of me tonight. Long day.”

He gestured vaguely at the stool beside him, the barest flicker of an olive branch. As the bartender approached, Spencer added, “Though if you’re here for the Wizards Brew, avoid the draught on tap—it’s gone off.”

Chatter whirled around him in the small space, alcohol clinging to both furniture and clientele alike. Regulus, for his part, was not intending on adding to the middling hum of the establishment. Regulus had once thought that the Three Broomsticks would be less busy when they were able to come and go as they pleased, but it seems that Hogsmeade mandated days were not the only time the place remained busy.

Heading towards the bar, he'd barely had time to recognise the familiar figure before the man was telling him to leave. "I could." He said, settling down at the bar to order his own drink. "Or I could agree not to bother you and sit down regardless."

Alecto's smirk lingered, but her hand dropped gracefully to her side, the movement deliberate. "Wise of you to assume I’d risk it," she replied, her voice smooth, almost mocking. "I know better than to let curiosity get me killed."

Her gaze flicked to the object, dark and tempting, before locking onto Regulus with a sharp intensity. "Not all of us are foolish enough to play with fire when we don’t know how it burns."

She took a step back, her expression cold but calculating. "But I’ll give you this—sometimes the best way to learn is to let someone else make the mistake."

Regulus stopped to look at the witch, his sharp gaze flickering between the object and her outstretched hand. "You might be looking to sate your curiosity, but I'm not willing to be your cat." There was no denying that the dark urge of the object was overpowering. However, Regulus had learned already that some things were better left untouched and unexplored. The argument for seeing what it could do was intriguing, for no other reason than the seductive pull of magic. But it was a distraction from his actual task. "By all means, offer your own paw."

LET HER DO IT!!

my youth is yours

{ spencer tag dump }