Needing a Few Things [Regulus]

[bellasterling]

Bella apparated to Diagon Alley landing near a bench not to far from the road. It had been awhile since she'd been back to this place, probably since earlier in the year. Though as she walked around her house she knew it was time for a visit and to pick up a few extra things she had been needing. Though before she could get to anything like that she was in need of getting some more money from her vault at Gringotts. She usually took out enough to last awhile each time she came to shop, but it seemed this time she had shortened herself.

Soon after her long stop at Gringotts she shook her head not believing the long line that had kept her waiting longer than expected. I guess I happened to come at the wrong time, she thought to herself absently as she started to make her way through the crowds of people. Her first stop Flourish and Blotts, one of the places that happened to be her favorite, not at all surprising as she was a former Ravenclaw.

As the day went on she finally exited from Madame Malkins Robes For All Occasions, three bags in her hand. She was surprised as she pushed her cloak away from her wrist to look at her watch and see that only two hours had passed. Bella assumed of course she'd been at Diagon Alley way longer. Sighing away her thoughts she turned onto the street and headed right into a passing man all her bags dropping to the ground as she tried regained her balance.

"Damn....I'm terribly sorry. I should have been watching where I was going," Bella said her voice a little louder than normal as she bent down to pick her things up, pushing her books and new robes back into her bags. Too many times in her life she tended to be the clumsy one and always run into people. Sometimes she wondered in surprise why it was that no one out of anger had ever jinxed her or yelled at her. This time she hoped was no different.

[Regulus Black]

Regulus was hurrying down Diagon Alley, trying to make it to Gringotts and finish all the shopping before the end of Katie's nap. If he could get all the errands done, perhaps he could floo his brother and ask him over for dinner and the telly...and he and Adriana could get out of the flat together.

He was focused on the tasks he had to complete--bank, then apothecary, then into the menagerie to price owls...it wasn't a very crowded day in Diagon Alley, but there were enough people out to make a one-track mind a hazard. He'd bumped into shoulders and accidentally pushed people out of his way in his haste down the street...but the worst happened when he was passing the robe shop. Knocking into a woman, Regulus turned just as she dropped her bags. She immediately began apologizing, trying to pick up her things.

"No, I ran into you," he said, frowning at her. Apparently she'd been in a hurry too. "Here, I'm sorry," he handed her a book, brushing the street dust off the cover. Frowning at the woman, he suddenly had a strong feeling that he'd seen her before...

"De ja vou," Regulus muttered. "I think I know you. Weren't you a Ravenclaw...Statler...Sterling?" he tried. All of the things that had happened at the end of his seventh year had reduced anything inconsequential to a blur of memory. Sometimes it alarmed Regulus that he could look straight at someone and recognize their face instantly, but be completely incapable of remembering their name.

He reached over and helped the nameless girl he thought he knew (or had known) up after she'd gathered her things, shaking his hair away from his eyes and peering at her, still racking his mind to figure out who she was.

[bellasterling]

Bella listened as the man before her spoke telling her it was his fault and that he was sorry. Part of her couldn't even remember who had ran into who. To her saying sorry and telling people she should have been watching where she was going was an automatic response when she'd bump into them. It wasn't a surprise though as seeing she'd collided with too many people to count in her life time.

Sighing quietly she glanced up just into time to see one her of her books newly dusted off being held in front of her and a frown light his face. The action though was soon followed by words in which explained the confusion she saw in his face. He thought he knew Bella, which she could have guessed he did once he said her former house and last name.

"Yes Sterling's my last name and I am a former Ravenclaw. But I have to say I don't remember....." she paused though as she suddenly got a good look at the man before her. He looked like one of the four pranksters in her years at Hogwarts. Sirius Black. She knew that he had a brother, everyone knew and she automatically assumed this was him. "Wait now that I think about it you look like one of the Blacks.Are you Sirius' brother?" She asked hoping she hadn't just totally made a fool of herself.

"Oh and sorry that I don't remember your name. I assume you don't like getting called 'Sirius' brother' all the time," she said smiling at the guy before her as he glanced down at her bags in which she had carried on her shoulder against her side. She was glad nothing had gotten ruined in the fall, after all it'd be a pain to have to buy it again especially since most of this stuff wasn't that cheap. Not that she blamed anyone. It was an accident after all, she thought to herself absently as she glanced back up to the guy waiting patiently for his answer.

[Regulus Black]

Regulus, once upon a time, would have been extremely annoyed that the only way she recognized him was through his brother. Back in the days when they'd hated the very cores of each other, when every time they spoke resulted in an argument, when sometimes those arguments escelated into duels. Sirius being older, the duels were always rather tilted in his favor, and Regulus had been magically humiliated more than once at the hands of his brother. Not that he'd always played fair either, but...he always felt that it'd hurt him more to be rejected by Sirius than it had for Sirius to be rejected by him. When they were younger, his older brother had been his hero. In retrospect, Regulus could safely admit that having his hero turn on him had been one of the worst, most tragic aspects of his life.

Now, however, he just nodded in response to her question. "I'm Regulus," he said. "You were in Sirius's year, right?" Even so, he wasn't sure why he recognized her face. Students two years apart generally didn't cross paths, or get to know each other on a name-basis. Regulus could count on one hand the number of friends he'd had in Ravenclaw...and he couldn't ever remember being anywhere near their common room. The only Ravenclaws he'd had classes with, of course, were those in his year. Frowning and still trying to remember, he ventured honestly, "I have no idea why I remember you. Not trying to be mean, but..."

Regulus laughed at Sterling's apology, waving one hand to dismiss what she said. "I don't get called Sirius's brother very often, actually," he replied. "Didn't in school, either...after you go off at a few people for bringing up your ex-brother, others catch on and stop doing it." He recalled distantly several such conversations, where he'd made enemies of people simply because they'd associated him with Sirius. Now, it was rather amusing to think about. Since his brother had started babysitting Katie, he was in their apartment fairly regularly. "He got disowned when we were still in school together. Ran off to live with James Potter...I didn't get disowned until a few years ago," he explained, knowing that anyone who knew them from Hogwarts wouldn't understand why they were suddenly able to speak calmly about one another without an explaination.

[bellasterling]

Bella watched and listened as he gave her his name, Regulus. In the minute he told her his name a sudden wave of familiarity rang through her mind. I've met him, she thought to herself suddenly knowing for sure she had at least once in her whole time at Hogwarts. Almost immediately she racked her brain for when and why they'd met. She almost cursed out loud when she found out she couldn't remember. It was almost as if she'd locked that piece of memory away for good in the useless section of her brain after she'd left from Hogwarts. Which of course wouldn't surprise Bella in the least bit.

"Well Regulus, I can't really say it's nice to meet you since I have a strong feeling we've met before, but anyways the name's Bella. And yes I was in Sirius' year actually," she said nodding slightly. How could she forget him and his other three friends? After so many years of hearing and seeing their pranks and not to mention hearing the bad reputation of Sirius from many girls, hell no there was no way she'd forget those four. They had sure left their mark in her mind and many others in there year also she would assume. Shaking her thoughts away she looked up to Regulus just in time to see him frown and hear his words.

"No it's alright. I get exactly what you mean. I have the same feeling, but for some reason I can't remember when, where and why we'd met. I have to say though now I'm hoping I remember," she said bitting her lip trying once again to rummage through all her memories hoping to see one with Regulus when he was younger. Seeing though that she was once again disappointed she shook her head as she heard the man's laugh and him speaking.

Bella was glad that she hadn't upset him in anyway from calling him Sirius' brother after all she'd remembered clearly that they had pretty much hated each other in their years of school. Something she still didn't fully understand till this day. Not that she sat around thinking about there relationship every minute of the day. As he went on explaining they both had gotten disowned and she thought somehow that had been the thing that had seemed to repair their relationship if not fully but a little. After all Regulus could now talk about his older brother without the hatred and anger in his voice she'd notice.

"Well it's good to hear your guys' relationship might have been saved, if not a fully but a little. I mean after all I remember how you both got angry with hatred when someone mentioned the other," she said smiling at him. It was always good to hear from old Hogwarts peers and to see how there lives turned out, whether positive or negative.

[Regulus Black]

He instantly recognized the searching look in Bella's expression and laughed, just as she spoke. "I have the same feeling," Regulus agreed instantly. "I have no idea where we've met before, or why. We'll call it a new meeting, then. Pleasure to meet you," he grinned. "If you weren't carrying those bags, I'd shake your hand to make it official." He honestly wasn't surprised that he couldn't remember it. There had been so much going on during his last few years at Hogwarts that he'd let a lot of little details slide. They'd probably ran into each other in a corridor at some point, or fallen down some stairs, or something. Inconsequential in the scheme of the other things that were happening at the time.

Regulus shook his head. "I hope I remember too, but it probably doesn't matter. So how has life been treating you, post-Ravenclaw?" he asked, smiling lightly at his words. Knowing that he'd have to answer a reciprocal question, but not really caring about it any more. Now that the Dark Lord was gone, there really wasn't anyone to answer to for sharing such details. Regulus would be the first to admit that he didn't miss the way things used to be.

He shrugged one shoulder. "It was just the way things happened. Several decisions differently, and the world would be a different place today." And how true that was--if he'd made a few of the wrong decisions, Regulus could easily see a different world. A world where Voldemort had won...where he himself had died...where Harry was not little Harry Potter, one of a trio of miracle survivors, but instead The Boy Who Lived. He shook his head, clearing those thoughts from his mind. What was done was done, and it had all turned out for the best.

"Well, tell me about yourself, Bella Sterling. Maybe something will help me remember where we met before," he suggested.

[bellasterling]

Bella watched as Regulus instantly agreed with her about meeting some place, sometime in their Hogwarts years. It made her smile to know she wasn't the only one, knowing it would just embarrass her, making her seem like some sort of stalker or something in her old days.
She laughed at his words about not shaking her hand because of her bags, not thinking it was possible. She glanced down at them and noticed both hands held them as she stood there outside of Madame Malkins Robes for All Occasions.

"It's a pleasure to meet you also Regulus," she said smiling up at him her words sounding funny, not thinking she had ever re said it was nice to meet someone. Not that she minded. It was always nice to run into old acquaintances from her Hogwarts days, whether she remembered them completely or not. All these thoughts and mentions of Hogwarts made her sigh quietly knowing her dream job was waiting there for her inside those castle walls. I'll be there once again. Soon if I have any control over it, she thought to herself absently Regulus voice coming to her mind as he began to speak.

Hearing his words made a small smirk flash upon her face. "Well I'm doing pretty well right now, even if it is just waitressing at the Three Broomsticks. Soon though I hope to fall into my dream job, hope being the key word," she answered him shrugging lightly. "How about yourself?" She asked looking up to him now her hazel eyes searching his face. She had known he'd been one of the ones who were on Voldemort's side back when he was alive, though now she didn't know what side he was on or anything. Part of her hoped he'd changed and came to his senses. Now that she thought of it he would have probably been put in Azkaban if he was still in league with all the followers, so maybe he had.

"Yes indeed it would be," she said nodding along in agreement with his words. She couldn't even imagine what the world would be right now if Voldemort had lived that night. She shuddered just thinking about it. Shaking her head she listened to his next question smiling a little. "Well as you know I was in your brothers year. I'm a former Ravenclaw and work at the Three Broomsticks. I live in Hogsmeade and hope in the future to teach at Hogwarts. My dream job of course," she said smiling. "Anything specific you were thinking of asking?" She asked grinning at her complete different self. Things had defiantly changed.

[Regulus Black]

When she glanced down at her bags, Regulus smiled brightly. It was times like these that he couldn't remember why he hadn't had more friends in other houses in school...perhaps Quidditch made him too attached to Slytherin. He laughed at Bella's expression. "It feels weird for me to say it too," Regulus admitted, smiling brightly. They may not have been friends in school, but Bella Sterling seemed like a nice enough girl now.

He was surprised when she told him where she worked. "The Three Broomsticks? I've been there a lot lately, actually. That does sound like a good job, though...all the Hogwarts kids going through." Regulus added curiously, "What's your dream job, then?" He glanced away from her when she asked him what he was doing with his life. "Well...Adriana Bell and I have a daughter. For a long time, I was just....living like a muggle. But now," he paused significantly, and he was sure that Bella knew what was different between the past and the present, who had been removed from the wizarding world, "we're getting back into things. I'm not currently working anywhere, but I'm thinking about the Ministry." Wouldn't be the first time a Black ended up there, and with his cousins in Azkaban....he might as well contribute something to make up for all that they'd taken away from society.

Regulus shrugged, shaking his head. "Not really. Unless there's more, like...you've started dating one of my old classmates or something. But other than that, I think I've got the facts, Bella." He smiled lightly at her. Hearing about the lives of his former acquaintances---though he couldn't remember how he knew her specifically--always made Regulus feel more content with the way his life had turned out. When they'd had Katie, he and Adriana had gone through some of the most difficult times in their lives...hiding and deserting the Dark Lord, passing information to the Order...it had been very dangerous.

Regulus laughed lightly and said, "Won't it be difficult to transition from the Three Broomsticks to the school? I mean...the kids will already recognize you, won't they?" he chuckled, amused by the mental image. If Rosmerta had walked into a classroom when he'd been in school, it would have been Regulus's favorite class of his entire run of school by far.