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Sympathy [Harry Potter]
Title: Sympathy
Fandom: Harry Potter
Rating: PG for one curseword
Characters: Regulus, Kreacher
Summary: Regulus is pants at Potions. Kreacher is his sympathetic ear.
AN: For hh_sugarquill Fic Challenge #57
Word Count: 608
Sympathy
Regulus knew he should be good in Potions. It was just a stereotype, but all Slytherin excelled at Potions. Look at Severus and his Potion work, and he wasn't even pure-blood. Sirius was brilliant at Potions, and he was in fucking Gryffindor. Even that Evans, a mudblood, Gryffindor, and girl, could do circles 'round Regulus in Potions. He had already been feeling the burn of shame, but now his blushing disgrace had turned to disgusting green envy-- quite literally. Their most recent potion had exploded right in his face, given him great green puss-filled warts on a dingier green background. Madam Pomfrey had handed him a cream to put on it every day for a fortnight, and even she had been trying to suppress a laugh at his appearance. It was no wonder that Regulus saw no reason to leave the dungeons in the foreseeable future. If his mother heard about his failure in Potions-- and since the whole school knew he saw no reason his mother wouldn't find out-- he would get a Howler about it. He'd rather be here when that arrived than in the Great Hall anyway.
Regulus could think of no one to comfort him, no one that would have sympathy for him. Even the Slytherins, his housemates and brethren, thought Potions was easy and that he was an arse for being so bad at it. With Slughorn as their head of house, he often slipped them hints, so that only added insult to injury; how could he be getting hints and still blow up his face?
Regulus pulled the blankets over his aching face.
Suddenly, the crack of Apparition sounded near his bed. He jumped, knowing that no one could Apparate within the walls of Hogwarts, and wondering if he was hallucinating now also. He turned his head to see Kreacher, his mum's devoted house elf, standing there with a Howler in his hand.
"Mistress insisted Kreacher deliver this in person," Kreacher explained almost sympathetically.
"'S alright," Regulus groaned, "Been expecting it. Say, how did you Apparate into Hogwarts? Everyone knows you can't."
"Elf magic, sir."
"Oh."
"If it makes Master Regulus feel better, Kreacher doesn't think Master Regulus should get a Howler for not being good at everything."
Regulus laughed weakly. "Thanks, that does make me feel better, a bit."
Kreacher beamed, showing a row of scraggly teeth. "Kreacher can make the Howler disappear."
"You can? That's brilliant! Would you? Please?"
"Master is polite with Kreacher. Kreacher will do whatever Master Regulus asks, even if it is distasteful and base."
"Hold on, I'm not going to ask you to do anything distasteful and base! I mean, am I? It's just... don't you just make it disappear?"
"Kreacher will have to eat the Howler and it will give Kreacher an upset stomach."
"No, don't do that," Regulus groaned. "Just-- give it here, let's give it a listen." Regulus took the envelope, and the timer immediately started going, the envelope smoking. He cracked into it and opened it and listened to his mother wail at him. She spent a particularly alarming amount of time on how he might have ruined his marriage eligibility by compromising his looks.
"Well," Regulus turned to Kreacher, "At least she found the bright side. Maybe I won't have to marry Bellatrix after all."
Kreacher let out a sharp keening sound that Regulus took for a hearty laugh.
"Thanks, Kreacher. You'd better get back to her. Tell her how distraught I was by the letter, I guess."
"Yes Master."
Kreacher Disapparated and Regulus swung his feet over the side of the bed, thinking that perhaps he would go to classes today, after all.
Fandom: Harry Potter
Rating: PG for one curseword
Characters: Regulus, Kreacher
Summary: Regulus is pants at Potions. Kreacher is his sympathetic ear.
AN: For hh_sugarquill Fic Challenge #57
Word Count: 608
Sympathy
Regulus knew he should be good in Potions. It was just a stereotype, but all Slytherin excelled at Potions. Look at Severus and his Potion work, and he wasn't even pure-blood. Sirius was brilliant at Potions, and he was in fucking Gryffindor. Even that Evans, a mudblood, Gryffindor, and girl, could do circles 'round Regulus in Potions. He had already been feeling the burn of shame, but now his blushing disgrace had turned to disgusting green envy-- quite literally. Their most recent potion had exploded right in his face, given him great green puss-filled warts on a dingier green background. Madam Pomfrey had handed him a cream to put on it every day for a fortnight, and even she had been trying to suppress a laugh at his appearance. It was no wonder that Regulus saw no reason to leave the dungeons in the foreseeable future. If his mother heard about his failure in Potions-- and since the whole school knew he saw no reason his mother wouldn't find out-- he would get a Howler about it. He'd rather be here when that arrived than in the Great Hall anyway.
Regulus could think of no one to comfort him, no one that would have sympathy for him. Even the Slytherins, his housemates and brethren, thought Potions was easy and that he was an arse for being so bad at it. With Slughorn as their head of house, he often slipped them hints, so that only added insult to injury; how could he be getting hints and still blow up his face?
Regulus pulled the blankets over his aching face.
Suddenly, the crack of Apparition sounded near his bed. He jumped, knowing that no one could Apparate within the walls of Hogwarts, and wondering if he was hallucinating now also. He turned his head to see Kreacher, his mum's devoted house elf, standing there with a Howler in his hand.
"Mistress insisted Kreacher deliver this in person," Kreacher explained almost sympathetically.
"'S alright," Regulus groaned, "Been expecting it. Say, how did you Apparate into Hogwarts? Everyone knows you can't."
"Elf magic, sir."
"Oh."
"If it makes Master Regulus feel better, Kreacher doesn't think Master Regulus should get a Howler for not being good at everything."
Regulus laughed weakly. "Thanks, that does make me feel better, a bit."
Kreacher beamed, showing a row of scraggly teeth. "Kreacher can make the Howler disappear."
"You can? That's brilliant! Would you? Please?"
"Master is polite with Kreacher. Kreacher will do whatever Master Regulus asks, even if it is distasteful and base."
"Hold on, I'm not going to ask you to do anything distasteful and base! I mean, am I? It's just... don't you just make it disappear?"
"Kreacher will have to eat the Howler and it will give Kreacher an upset stomach."
"No, don't do that," Regulus groaned. "Just-- give it here, let's give it a listen." Regulus took the envelope, and the timer immediately started going, the envelope smoking. He cracked into it and opened it and listened to his mother wail at him. She spent a particularly alarming amount of time on how he might have ruined his marriage eligibility by compromising his looks.
"Well," Regulus turned to Kreacher, "At least she found the bright side. Maybe I won't have to marry Bellatrix after all."
Kreacher let out a sharp keening sound that Regulus took for a hearty laugh.
"Thanks, Kreacher. You'd better get back to her. Tell her how distraught I was by the letter, I guess."
"Yes Master."
Kreacher Disapparated and Regulus swung his feet over the side of the bed, thinking that perhaps he would go to classes today, after all.