HP: Those Years Sleeping with the Half-Blood Prince

"The prefect is on patrol?" he asked, his voice calm and his manners impeccable to the point of being rigid.

Lily nodded, about to ask the routine question, when Ian gestured to the other end of the corridor. "Lily, you check over there first, I'll be right there."

Lily glanced at them, asked no further questions, and walked off in another direction with her wand in hand.

Only the two of them remained on the terrace.

Regulus did not look away, still gazing outside. "Prefect Burke."

"Just call me Ian." Ian walked over to him and leaned against the stone railing. He didn't look at Regulus and spoke casually, "It's windy here."

"Quiet," Regulus said.

His complexion was indeed worse than before; the pale blue under his eyes had almost turned into a bruise, and his lips were almost bloodless, but he still stood straight, like a string that had been stretched too tight.

"Haven't been sleeping well lately?" Ian asked.

Regulus gave a short, cold laugh. "There are a lot to think about."

"for example?"

"For example..." Regulus paused, his voice lowering, "...how to become a proper Blake."

There's something weighty in those words.

Ian didn't answer; he waited.

“My brother,” Regulus said suddenly, “is very happy at the Potters’ house now. My mother has received photos, holidays, Christmas…” He twitched his lips, “and they’ve even prepared a room for him.”

"Do you miss him?" Ian asked.

Regulus remained silent for a long time, so long that Ian thought he wouldn't answer.

"I miss him," he finally said, his voice so soft it was almost carried away by the wind, "but I also hate him. He's gone, leaving me with everything...

"All of what?"

"Expectations, responsibilities, and..." Regulus didn't finish, but Ian understood, as well as everything that surname carried: glory, shackles, and something growing in the darkness.

The sound of Pipi's shrill laughter echoed in the distance, reverberating through the corridor.

"Professor Slughorn's tea party," Regulus changed the subject, his tone returning to its usual calm, "you attended the one last week."

"Um."

"Do you remember? Someone mentioned Carlo's name."

Ian's eyes flickered. Limia Caro, a seventh-year Slytherin, was attracting the attention of the "distinguished alumni" at the tea party.

"Just mentioned it," Ian said.

"Soon it won't just be a topic of conversation anymore," Regulus said coldly. "They need fresh...blood, especially, talented blood."

He turned his head and looked at Ian directly for the first time. "You and Snape are both on the list."

"A list?"

“It’s a long list,” Regulus said. “Some people will receive invitations, some will be monitored, and some…” He paused, “will be flagged as needing to be treated with caution. You belong to the last category, for now.”

Ian's eyes flickered; the petty squabbles at the academy couldn't change the attitudes of those important figures towards them.

"Snape..." Regulus looked away. "Lucius has been watching his research, and so has that man. You need to make a choice soon."

The wind picked up, causing the hem of his robe to flutter.

"I understand." Ian didn't delve into the topic further. "Thanks for reminding me."

"You're welcome."

Lily's footsteps could be heard in the distance; she was waving from the other end of the corridor.

Ian straightened up. "It's time to go."

Regulus nodded.

Ian took two steps, then stopped without turning back. "If the string is stretched too tight, it will break."

There was a moment of silence behind me.

"It's better that it's broken." Regulus's voice was very soft.

Ian didn't say anything more and walked towards Lily.

After patrol, Ian returned to the common room, where Severus was still by the fireplace with a book on his lap, but he was clearly not reading it.

He only looked up when Ian sat down next to him.

"Something happened?" Severus asked.

"Regulus," Ian said briefly, taking the hot cocoa from Severus, "is in even worse shape."

Severus frowned. "What did he say?"

"A reminder," Ian said, taking a sip of cocoa.

"As expected." Severus ran his fingers through the pages. "He wasn't ruthless enough."

"Hmm." Ian leaned back on the sofa, looking at the fire in the fireplace. "That gives us some room to maneuver."

The number of people in the common room gradually decreased. Kevin and Aris returned from the library, carrying thick books, both looking tired.

"Professor Binns assigned a fifteen-inch goblin rebellion analysis," Kevin slumped into the opposite sofa. "I'd rather deal with goblins."

“At least the goblins won’t make you write a thesis.” Aris sat down and rubbed his temples. “Besides, Professor Binns’ requirements were very clear: the focus was on Gringotts’ role in the Third Rebellion, and you’ve gone off-topic.”

"I think what I wrote makes a lot of sense..."

"You're confusing fairies with house-elves, Kevin."

Kevin let out a wail.

Ian smiled, finished the rest of his cocoa, and Severus closed his book and stood up.

"Did you go back?" Ian asked.

"Um."

They walked together toward the dormitory. The corridor was quiet, with only the sound of their footsteps.

"You're thinking about Regulus," Severus suddenly said.

"Partly," Ian admitted, "but more about how long we can keep going like this."

"What?"

"Like this," Ian said, "inside the walls of Hogwarts, pretending the storms outside can't get in."

Severus walked in silence until he reached the dormitory door, at which point he spoke in a very low voice.

"Then let's do as much as we can while we still can."

Ian looked at him; Severus's face was half-lit and half-shadowed in the dim corridor light, but his eyes were very clear.

"for example?"

"For example, do well on the OWLs exam, learn what you need to learn, and prepare what you need to prepare." Severus pushed open the door. "The walls can't be completely airtight forever, but we can make ourselves stronger."

Ian followed him into the dormitory. "That makes sense." Ian took off his robe. "Then let's start working twice as hard from tomorrow?"

Severus was already sitting on the edge of the bed, starting to unbutton his shirt. "When have you ever not studied?"

"That's true."

Ian laughed.

Severus looked up at him, and the corners of his mouth seemed to curve slightly, very faintly, and quickly disappeared.

But Ian saw it.

That night, Ian lay in bed, listening to Kevin's soft snoring and Aris turning the pages of a book, unable to fall asleep for a long time.

He recalled Regulus's silhouette standing in the wind, the "list," and the increasingly frequent reports of disappearances and attacks appearing in the corners of the Daily Prophet.

The walls of Hogwarts are indeed getting thinner.

But as Severus said, they could still do something.

He turned his head to look at the bed opposite him. Severus was sleeping with his back to him, breathing steadily.

Ian looked at him for a while, then closed his eyes.