"Esme?"

Regulus called out as he knocked gently on her bedroom door, pressing his ear up against it for any sign of life.

It had only been three days, perhaps he was being a bit obsessive. Though he hadn't heard from Esme at all and that worried him slightly.

"Esme? Are you awake?" He knocked on the door again.

"Yes."

Slowly, he turned the handle on the door and it creaked open. The curtains were still shut, despite it being a particularly sunny midday, and the light illuminated the heavy dust coating the still room.

There was a clear figure under the large duvet covers on the bed, buried beneath blankets and cushions.

"Esme? What's going on?" Regulus walked around the bed cautiously, picking up books and clothes that lined the floor and placing them neatly on the desk opposite the bed. Coming to a standstill, he tucked his hands in his pockets and looked down at her, "Your parents said you haven't gotten up in three days."

"Something like that." Esme mumbled into the duvet that was pulled up, over her nose.

Regulus knelt down in front of her and ran his hand through the top of her knotted hair as he asked, "What's wrong?"

"Our lives are over." She sighed, closing her eyes again, "I'm just a slave for the rest of my life. Why bother with anything anymore? There's no escape."

"Esme, how many times do we need to go over this?" He stood back up, looking around at the messy room, "We will figure something out. This isn't over. We just need to bide our time so we can figure this out."

"I don't want to talk about it anymore." She grumbled, rolling over to face away from him.

"Alright, fine." Regulus shrugged, running his finger along the spines of some of her tattered books rammed into one of the many bookcases lining the walls. "Do you mind if I pick a book?" He asked, pulling one out from the shelf and glancing over its faded cover.

Esme grumbled something unintelligible so Regulus took that as an affirmation.

"Merlin, Esme... The state of these books." He opened one of them and flicked through the pages. It's spine was distraught, some of the pages hanging on by a thread. Regulus shook his head at the condition of the books - all showing signs of heavy use. "Why have you folded down so many pages? It must be impossible to keep track of where you are. Oh!" He picked up another book and the pages separated entirely from the hardback cover, "This is just a nightmare."

"Regulus." Esme mumbled, curling up into a ball under the mountain of pillows.

"Okay." He sighed, "I don't recognise any of these books so I suppose we might as well just start with this one."

Regulus moved back around the bed, sitting down beside Esme and opening up the first page of the large book. He presumed it was some sort of muggle novel as he started to read aloud the first chapter.

Esme listened intently, hoping for any distraction from her perilous, obsessive fears.

Occasionally, Regulus would mutter something disapproving about the state of the books. He was not at all impressed by the torn pages and pencil scribbles Esme made in the margins or the bizarrely underlined words, which seemed to make no logical sense to the boy.

Esme even smiled slightly when Regulus let out a very audible gasp at the sight of one page which was completely drowned in black ink.

He really did offer a small ray of light in the pit of despair that Esme was drowning in.

This carried on for nearly two more weeks. Every day Regulus would arrive at the Avery household, much to the displeasure of Lucas Avery.

Although, much to the joy of Regulus, each time he arrived to keep Esme company she would sit up a little bit more as he read aloud various books. The first few days, she had lain hopelessly in the bed, often times not even facing him. Then, one Tuesday he got annoyed at a cliffhanger and surprisingly Esme cuddled into his side. Then, suddenly, a few more days later, she was sat upright and resting her head on his shoulder as he read so she could follow along.

"Um, Esme..." Regulus began slowly. He winced slightly as he folded down the corner of the page to act as a bookmark. Then he shuffled in his seat, straightening up, and looked down at Esme, "About sitting inside all summer..."

"Ugh." She groaned and lay back down in the bed, "What's up?"

"As much as I enjoy reading with you, your parents are not at all impressed by me spending all-day everyday in your bedroom. I'm somewhat nervous your father might scalp me." Regulus admitted.

She laughed at this, replying, "Scalp you? I think he's more likely to transfigure you into a worm... But sure."

"A worm?" He turned to face the girl fully, "That's oddly specific. Has he said something to you?"

Esme shook her head, "Reg, my father isn't going to do anything to you. Even if he did turn you into a worm, I'd keep you safe in a pot of dirt."

"Right, that makes me feel loads better." He ran a hand through his hair.

"Back to er... More important things." Regulus pushed the worries of becoming a worm out of his mind, "I was thinking it might be a good idea to go outside. What do you think?"

"Why?" Esme groaned, pulling the duvet up and over her head, "What's the point?"

"Fresh air? If I spend much more time in this dust-riddled room, I might get asthma." He complained, "Besides, I need to keep up my quidditch practice."

"Okay! Okay, alright. We can go over the hill tomorrow. You can fly your broom there. Maybe it's a good idea." She begrudgingly admitted.

"It is. Promise." Regulus nodded happily.

"Ugh." Esme groaned again, pulling more blankets over her head, "I can feel the giddy energy radiating from you."

He laughed, "Well that'd be because I sense a second flying lesson happening."

"No! Absolutely not!" She exclaimed sharply.

"Yes. Absolutely yes. It's happening. No backtracking now." Regulus chuckled gleefully.

"Merlin, you're so annoying." Esme sighed and finally poked her head out from under the covers.

Regulus pressed a kiss to the top of her head and smirked, "You're just annoyed that you're wrapped around my finger."

"Oi!" Esme prodded him in the side, "Don't get cocky. That's my job."

"You're right." He agreed, sliding a hand around Esme's shoulders to pull her against his side, "Now back to this book."