LI. What's the Cruciatus Curse?

                                    

                                          
For the next few weeks, Regulus spent all of his time ignoring Deacon Ackland and pouring himself into his studies. More than anything, he wanted to avoid the boy at all costs. He felt bad for saying no to hanging out with the boy, but he also knew that he couldn't say yes. He couldn't risk his parents finding out. He didn't want them to be mad at him. More than anything, Regulus wanted to risk being Crucio'd again. He was terrified of it. Regulus, a thirteen-year-old boy, was terrified of his own parents. 
                          
Francesco had also spent a lot of his time ignoring Deacon. Though, in a very different way. Francesco was still spending time with the boy, of course, but he wasn't speaking to him very much. Every time he was around the boy, he got an array of odd feelings that he didn't know how to place. He didn't like the feelings. He didn't want to experience them. So, he began speaking to him less and less. 
                          
Deacon was sad. Deacon was very, very sad. Fran wasn't talking to him. Regulus wasn't talking to him. Benji was stuck in an awkward in-between state of hanging out with the two of his friends. He would spend some days with Fran, and some days with Deacon. Deacon missed his friends. But he didn't want to tell them, for he felt that it might look like he was trying to guilt trip his friends into being friends with him. And he really didn't want to feel like he was guilt tripping them. Deacon was just very, very, very sad. And he didn't know what to do to fix it. 
                          
Benji didn't know what to do, either. He didn't know what was going on with his two friends. He didn't know why Fran was acting so weird, and he didn't know why Deacon was so sad. He could tell that Deacon was trying to hide his sadness from his two friends, but he could see it clear in the eyes of the boy. What was worse, he could hear the boy crying himself to sleep almost every night. He wanted to go over to the bed and comfort him, but he didn't want to risk making it worse. 
                          
Everyone's dynamics were being thrown through a loop, and no one knew how to fix it. 
                          
Quidditch tryouts came and went, and aside from the bad moods of both boys, Regulus and Deacon made the teams with ease. Evan Rosier protested Regulus's appointment to Seeker, saying that he had only made the team because he was friends with Gillian. Gillian argued with him, and she even had to have a very long conversation with Slughorn after hitting him with a Bat-Bogey Hex. 
                          
It was the end of September.
                          
Regulus Black was walking from Defense Against the Dark Arts by himself, seeing as how Barty wanted to stay behind and have a quick conversation with the teacher about an essay. He was halfway down to the entrance hall when someone suddenly appeared at his side. 
                          
"Hullo, Regulus! How's your day going?" Deacon asked, adjusting the strap of his bag on his shoulder and smiling meekly at the boy. 
                          
Regulus didn't say anything. He sped up his pace. 
                          
Deacon had to jog a little to keep up. "Are you alright?" 
                          
Regulus didn't answer. 
                          
"Regulus?" 
                          
"Can you leave me alone?!" Regulus snapped, rounding on the boy with an air of rage about him. 
                          
Deacon recoiled slightly from the anger of the boy, and hurt flashed through his already sad eyes. "I'm sorry," he muttered. 
                          
Regulus relaxed his body and looked apologetically at the boy; he looked as though he might cry. The same ghost of pain crept up Regulus's spine, but he ignored it. He felt awful. But he couldn't apologize without giving Deacon the wrong idea. 
                          
"I just wanted to know... I know you've been ignoring me and everything, but I just wanted to know if you wanted to hang out for a bit later?" He forced a small smile, but it faltered seconds later.