Secret Corridor in the Dungeons

[Sorry. I'm watching Shrek. I was busy demonstrating I know quite literally every line even after not seeing it in like a year.]

"You're not so bad, for a mud- muggleborn," he said hastily, staring at her again. She was a strange one, this girl. He wasn't sure what the word he was looking for was, but there was something about her that Reg couldn't help but find intriguing. He could see what Scorpius and Teddy saw in her. Teddy- shit, he still had to have a talk with that one. While he'd never say it to her face, he actually somewhat cared about Faye's well-being, and was not going to let Teddy fuck things up. He'd leave her alone, or he wouldn't make any more 'mistakes' as she had so kindly put it.

"Uh, thanks!" Faye replied, "You're not so bad, for having been prejudiced against muggleborns." She looked back down the cigarette in her hand and took one small drag. Her eyes looked both ways down the corridor, not knowing what to think about this situation. If you had told Faye that later in the year she would be leaning against a wall in the dungeons, smoking a cig with Regulus, she never would have believed you. She probably would have sent you to the Hospital Wing to get checked. She shifted her weight from her heels to her toes and vice versa, "It seems awfully quiet today. Usually there are loud, pounding footsteps up above..."

"Yeah. Honestly, it's a relief. There are too many damn people in this place, and they never know when to shut up," he said irritably, taking another drag and staring at his feet. Once again, he was at a loss for words and lost in thought, trying to sort out his mind. Cormac, Sirius, Gellert, Viktor, Dee, Tam, Teddy, goddammit, there were too many people with too many things making too many problems, and Regulus didn't have the patience or the wisdom to figure all of them out. At least down here, he could escape, if only for a little while. Unfortunately, that was yet another problem- it was only for a little while, he always had to leave, go back to everything. And he had to do that again, soon.

"That's the main appeal of this place. Even with the hustling and bustling above, this place is always going to be open and empty. Unless, Teddy is here or something..." Faye sighed, thinking about what Scorpius had told her about Teddy. He had called her a bitch and she had no idea why. The fight she had with him may have triggered this attitude, but to call her a bitch was uncalled for. She rested her head on the wall and took a long drag. She closed her eyes and wished that the school wasn't filled with this much drama. Her eyes opened in time to watch the smoke slowly rise up to the ceiling and she tilted her head back to face Reg, "Most people who pretend to be content with their lives generally can't shut up. It means dealing with their emotions or thoughts."

"I much prefer this way of dealing with emotions and thoughts," he said, lifting up the cigarette. "Much easier. Far less effort than pretending, and far more effective." Regulus leaned against the wall, trying to figure out what Faye was thinking about- she looked a little upset. "What's bothering you?"

"Yup, glad I could help introduce you to it," Faye smirked and let her hand fall to her side, tapping the cigarette lightly. She watched the burnt pieces of paper fall to the floor. After a couple of moments, she found herself debating whether or not to take another drag. She decided to wait a bit longer and, with her free hand, she brushed a strand of her hair from her face, "Oh. It's - well - Scorpius and Teddy talked yesterday. Teddy said some things that got to me, is all. I can tell Scorpius held back on how he felt about the whole thing, which makes me worry about what's going to happen to my friendship with Teddy."

Regulus frowned, not liking that Teddy was upsetting her again. "What did he say?" he asked, trying not to sound as irritated as he felt, though his irritation was more at himself and the fact that this irritated him at all to begin with.

"Well," Faye took a deep breath and continued, "He told Scorpius that he might not have been my first choice and that he shouldn't be quick to judge me, because I am a Slytherin. He also said that he wanted nothing to do with Scorp or his 'bitch of a girlfriend'," She smiled, but it wasn't because she was happy. She wondered where her friendship with Teddy went wrong.

Regulus looked thunderstruck for a moment, stunned that anyone would say such stupid things about Faye, particularly if they actually liked her, and were supposedly a friend of hers. His shocked look quickly changed into one of anger. "I've had it with this kid. He can't go saying things like that!" he said frustratedly, trying to figure out where this Teddy guy might be at the moment. Regulus had almost gone a week without punching someone, and Teddy was looking like the perfect target at the moment. "You're a lot of things, but you're not a bitch. Even I said you weren't a bitch, and I think most women are bitchy," he rambled, his fist clenched. "I think Teddy and I need to have a little talk," he muttered, extinguishing the cigarette and tossing it to the ground and picking up his bag.

Faye stepped back, hoping not to get in the way of this sudden outburst of anger. She sidestepped and her cigarette fell from her hand. Fortunately, she was planning on finishing it off anyway. She watched Regulus and worried about Teddy's well being for a moment. That passed quickly, remembering the harsh words and the insults. He did deserve some type of pain, even if he had been a good friend in the past. She didn't know what she could have done to anger Teddy like this, but she knew it wasn't enough for him to call her these things, "Thanks. That means a lot to me," She muttered and watched him gather up his things, "I know he's done dreadful things, but if things do get a little violent..." She reached into her school bag and pulled out a pair of brass knuckles she bought due to advice from her self defense coach named Bon Qui Qui, "Use these. They may help."

Regulus saw the brass knuckles and laughed. "I think I'll do just fine without them, thanks. I know how to pack a punch. Lots of practice, see," he said with a grin. "Nobody hurts my friends. I'll see you around," he said, and walks off to kick some Lupin ass.

Faye watched him leave and slipped the brass knuckles bag into her bag, "Alright. See you later!" She worried for a moment about Teddy's well-being, but he had called her a bitch. If he called her a bitch, he would definitely see a bitch.

Regulus practically ran to the corridor after his encounter with Cormac, and pulled out a cigarette. Lighting it up and taking a long drag, he felt the relief come setting in. How the bloody hell was he supposed to react? What was he supposed to do?! His friend, his best friend... he'd never wanted to hurt him, he didn't want to hurt anyone like that, especially not after knowing what he put Dee through. He sighs and leans agains the wall, half hoping someone will show up, half hoping to be left alone to his thoughts.

Gellert was walking to his dormitory when he smelled smoke coming out of the corridor, following the smell thinking of how badly he could use a cigarette. Or a pill, really, but a cigarette would do too. He saw the cloud of smoke, and, behind it, a familiar, handsome face with dark hair and chiseled features. Regulus. He came to a complete stop, surprised.

"Oh--hey."

Regulus nearly drops his cigarette in shock when he realizes the person wasn't Faye, as expected, but instead it was none other than Gellert. "Uh, hey," he said, turning red. He thought about putting out the cigarette but figured the damage was done at this point, and there was no reason to waste it. Gellert probably thought him revolting now, for falling to the level of a muggle, using these things. It was something that irritated Regulus as well, but the benefits of smoking seemed to outweigh the cons in his mind, even if it meant degrading himself to the behavior of a mere muggle. "Er... how're you?"

"Um," he said, unsure of what the appropriate response was. He half wanted to just ignore the cigarette altogether, but it didn't seem as if Reg was embarrassed--he hadn't even put it out. Had someone caught him smoking in the corridor, he would have immediately confunded them--he didn't want to be associated with Muggle things such as these. "I'm fine," he said, leaning casually against the opposite wall, "are you?" He hadn't meant for it to come out that way, and he flipped his hair out of his eyes for something to do.

"No, no not really," he said, not bothering to lie. He just didn't see the point, and somehow, he didn't think Gellert would believe any lies he told anyway- there was just something about Gellert that made Regulus suspect that he always knew far more than he let on. He was surprised Gellert had gone this long without some sort of demeaning or scathing comment about Regulus' muggle-like behavior, but didn't say anything. "Er... so, what have you been up to?"

"I've actually been away this weekend. An old friend got married. Dissapperated to Bulgaria, watched the ceremony, went to a party, and now I'm back." This was awkward, skirting around the subject, with Reg still standing there dragging on his cigarette. "So, um," he gestured vaguely at Reg, "you smoke often?"

Regulus leaned against the wall, running a hand through his hair again in his anxious state. "Uh. Not until recently. I'm guessing you didn't expect this from me," he said with an awkward laugh. "I know, it's pathetic. But the muggles have to get something right every once in a while, right?" he said, trying to make light of the situation.

"I mean, if you ever try to quote this in the future, I'll incessantly deny it, but, I mean, it's not like I've never smoked a cigarette before, Reg." He bit his lip, half wanting to tell Reg about how right he thought Muggles were about some things--about how often he swallowed a pill and went into his own world... "I don't blame you," he said, quietly.

Regulus stared at him, completely bewildered. "Huh? You've done this stuff? I'd have thought you above this kind of thing," he said, not really trying to mock him, but it came out in such a manner. At his last words, Regulus looked even more confounded.

He blushed a little--unheard of for him: Gellert Grindelwald didn't blush. "I have. I mean, not regularly. I like to try new things, though. So someone offered me a cigarette," he shrugs, "I smoked it. Not a big deal." It felt like a big deal, now, though. He clicked his tongue stud and looked at the ceiling.

Regulus had to bite back a laugh as Gellert flushed; he couldn't possibly be seeing this. The great Gellert Grindelwald, blushing? What madness was this? He forced himself to keep a straight face, and reached into his pocket and pulled out the open pack, which only had two more left at this point. He didn't really remember going through them quite so quickly, but it had been a stressful week, he supposed, and had just needed them more often than anticipated. Luckily, he still had plenty left in his bag. "Well, would you like one now?" he offered, trying to make him feel less uncomfortable, and very aware he was probably failing at it. He does not think it's sexy the way Gellert toys with his tongue stud all the time, no, no he does not. NO HE DOES NOT VIKTOR BECAUSE REG ISN'T A FLIRTY JERKFACE UNLIKE SOME PEOPLE.

[-stabs self with the Vorpal sword of guilt-]

[...IT FILLS YOU UP.]

"Um," he hesitated, looking from Reg to the cigarettes in his hand. "Sure, thanks," he said, actually trying to sound cool and composed, something that usually came effortlessly to him. He took one between his fingers, lit it with the tip of his wand, and took a long drag, leaning against the stone wall.