XXX. Halloween 1973

                                    

                                          
Regulus received his Slug Club invitation the Monday before Halloween, which took place on a Wednesday that year. 
                          
Regulus very much did not want to go to the Slug Club party, but he knew that he had to. Not only did he have Slughorn as a teacher three times a week, but he was also Regulus's head of house. There was little chance for Regulus being able to avoid Slughorn completely. So, Regulus Black turned to Carson Nott. 
                          
Regulus was eating dinner the night before Halloween, and he kept stealing glances down the table. Carson Nott, Harrison Willis, Wyatt Pearce, Walden Macnair, Gillian Fairman, and Corban Yaxley were all sitting in a large group towards the middle of the table, chatting happily amongst one another. Regulus noticed how much attention Gillian was giving Carson, and he took cognizance of the glimmer in her eyes whenever he would speak. He was fairly positive that Gillian Fairman was much more interested in Carson Nott than she was letting on.
                          
Ever since Quidditch tryouts, Gillian Fairman had been oddly kind to Regulus. She would wave to him in the halls, talk to him during Quidditch practice, walk with him to and from the pitch, and even sit with him in the common room while he did homework sometimes. Regulus didn't necessarily mind that much, he enjoyed the company. In fact, it felt nice to have someone to consider a friend. Of course, he had Barty, but it still felt good to have more than one. 
                          
He often found himself wondering if this was how Deacon, Francesco, and Benjamin felt when they were together. 
                          
Regulus stood from the dinner table, and Barty gave him a funny look. "I have to go talk to Carson about tomorrow," Regulus reminded him, and recognition dawned on Barty's face. 
                          
"Right. Good luck," and he turned back to his food.
                          
Regulus walked down the length of the table, nervousness coursing through his veins. He was walking on the opposite side that Carson was sitting at, so he didn't know exactly how he was going to gain Carson's attention and Carson's attention alone. 
                          
When he reached the group, he stopped behind Corban Yaxley and cleared his throat. They all stopped talking and looked at him. 
                          
"Oh, hello Regulus," Gillian said with a smile, "what's up?" 
                          
"Uh - Carson, can I talk to you a second?" Regulus turned all of his attention to the captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team. 
                          
Carson gave him a once over, and it appeared that curiosity got the better of him. He hit the table with the palms of his hands and stood up. He gestured towards the doors to the entrance hall, and took a step towards them. 
                          
"Shall we?"
                          
Regulus and Carson walked into the entrance hall and away to a small corner so that no one would be able to hear them. 
                          
"Alright, little Black, what's up?" Carson asked, and he smirked at the tenseness that was brought onto the younger boy by the nickname. 
                          
"Do we have practice tomorrow?" Regulus asked. 
                          
Carson gave Regulus a strange expression. "No? We went over this at the last practice, I'm not wasting my last Halloween at this bloody school at practice. We're throwing a party in the common room, and I'm not missing that." 
                          
Regulus heaved a sigh. "Well, can we... can we do it anyways?" 
                          
"Why? Do you not like Halloween or something?" 
                          
"No, I do. Well, I haven't really had much experience with it. Parents never liked it. Anyways, that's not why. I have to go to this stupid Slug Club meeting tomorrow, and-" 
                          
Carson burst into laughter. "The Slug Club! Merlin, I remember those lousy get-togethers! Had to go for the first four years, but one day I just stopped going, and so Slughorn stopped inviting me. So, you want me to schedule a practice and get you out of it?"