could to act like nothing was wrong, to act like she was happy. She put all her effort into revising, into Quidditch and into spending time with some of the people that meant the world to her (Donna, Jasper; they had finally revealed to him about Ivy's and Regulus'....relationship? Sirius and Lily). She even started reading the Daily Prophet (something that certainly heightened her anxiety) yet, whenever night came, she felt more than alone. Well, not all alone truthfully, she could never be alone when her mind was swarming with thoughts about him.

It seemed that everything led to him.

Every stupid little thought. Whenever she had to do her Astronomy homework, she would think of him. Whenever she was playing or even thinking about Quidditch, Regulus Black was still present on her mind. Even whenever she studied for literally any class that she shared with him, his stupidly gorgeous eyes were on her mind.

It certainly didn't help when she would walk past him, like right freaking now. As she walked in between her best friends, she felt her breath hitch in his throat. At the opposite side of the long hallway there he was, walking besides Evan Rosier. It suddenly felt like the walls around Ivy were closing in, her breathing became shallow. Donna and Jasper were quick to notice, sharing worried looks with one another.

"Ivy?" Donna asked gently, grabbing her friend's hand to catch her attention. The blonde finally looked at her friends, swallowing hard, "What is it?"

Ivy felt her cheeks heating up, an embarrassed feeling settled in her stomach. Why on earth did she have to react in such a way? Why on earth - out of all the corridors in the enormous school - did Regulus and Evan have to choose this one?

"I'm fine," Ivy quickly replied, doing her best to keep her friends distracted as they walked, they were getting nearer to the two Slytherins, "I'm fine," She breathed out, hoping that the more times she would say it, she would start to believe it herself, "I-I just remembered," Her eyes widened with realisation, "Lily wanted me to meet her, I'll see you two later," She didn't even let Donna or Jasper reply as she turned back around and began to speed-walk in the direction they just came from.

It's not like she was lying, Lily had actually asked her to meet her in the common room, but she decided that she would take the longer route, try clear her head out even that tiny bit before she met up with her sister.

Regulus would be lying if he said he wasn't disappointed when he spotted Ivy Evans rushing through the crowd in the complete opposite direction. He had tried to act as oblivious as he could when he first noticed her at the opposite end of the corridor. His chest ached and his head felt oozy. He hadn't stopped thinking about her since that day in the Astronomy Tower and he couldn't help but kick himself for doing that, for breaking her heart, for breaking his own heart. But, whenever he would glance down and catch a glimpse of that...that thing, he knew he was doing the right thing; he couldn't risk her life for his own selfish feelings.