It Runs In The Family Solo Finished

Banner by: Liana Kerr

The Miller Manor. 15th April 2022. In the evening.
Mentioning @Faye Simmons, Henri de Bourbon
Colour code - #831100
Outfit

The Miller Manor

Reducio

𝕿he grandiose Miller Manor, with its marvelous ivory white bricks and gentle grey roofs, stood tall and proud over the green fields of West London and hidden away from Muggle eyes. The gardens stretched far and wide almost like a park, ending with large black double gates charmed with the most powerful protective wards. Anyone who was deemed an intruder would find themselves unable to get pass the entrance, and instead restrained with invisible binds as the Head of the family was alerted of the unwanted presence.

Regina had secluded herself to the music room in the West Wing since the early hours of the afternoon, sitting in front of the grand piano as she immersed in a poignant melody, her long dainty fingers dancing gracefully upon the keys. Time and human presence were lost to the young Heiress during moments like this, where she was allowed a temporary escape. What she couldn't express in words, she did it through music. It was one of the most emotive ways to touch the deepest corners of a person's heart, and if one gazed upon Regina as she played her favoured instrument, they would not recognise the usually jaded and cynical girl--unguarded and her walls loose.

It was partly why she never let anybody watch her aside from her family, and even then, it was very seldom.

A sudden crack of noise resonated within the room and Regina immediately recognised it as one of their house elves. She didn't turn around, but the way her fingers paused on the ivory keys was the only indication she was waiting for the creature to speak.

"Is Mippy not disturbing you, Milady?" The ravenette acknowledged instantly the small and timid voice belonging to their meekest elf. "M-Master has ordered Mippy to request your presence in the dining room, dinner is almost ready, Milady."

And he cannot be bothered to come tell me himself. Typical.

"I understand. You are dismissed."

Regina stood up just as another air crackled again, signaling the house elf's departure. She smoothed out her dress before carefully closing the piano lid. Henri had come to London with her when they'd boarded the train to spend the first week of Ostara with the Millers and he was a constant welcoming presence around her, but now the days seemed quieter and less tolerable without her younger French cousin. Even though he was a special case, he was still the only one who understood her for they shared similar festering darkness and issues no ordinary person could comprehend. Henri also served as a buffer, for a lack of a better word, whenever Rebecca wished to instigate an argument with Regina. Now that he'd returned to France, her patience with her contemptible sister would run dry quicker than the falling sand in the desert.

It was half an hour later that the youngest Heiress was sat at the dining table alongside her family, quietly eating her food whilst half-listening to her older siblings discuss their most recent academic achievements with Father. She was only half way through her plate of spring lamb when she was suddenly addressed by Louise Miller.

"Regina, I noticed that the house elves had made a rather peculiar ballgown and had had it sent to you at the beginning of the month," Mother began. "It looked entirely different from what you usually wear, and I was under the impression that I have already sent you that purple gown to wear to the Blossom Ball."

There was a hush around the table when the rest of Regina's family members shifted their attention to her. She felt the hair on her nape stand on end.

"Is there something you would like to tell us, dear?" Louise asked with that ever poised tone of hers that promised no tolerance for deception.

"It was merely a gift for a friend, Mother," The ravenette answered calmly. "She simply did not possess any appropriate attire on hand so I did her a favour."

"A friend?" Harold, the younger twin, piped up. "I wasn't aware you had started making friends, Gina. Who is she?"

Regina's senses started to tingle when she caught Rebecca's malicious grin out of the corner of her eye.

"Someone you feel generous enough to offer such exquisite clothing belonging to our family's stature must not be a simple friend, sister mine. In fact, I believe you seemed quite cozy with each other during the celebration," The blue-eyed witch taunted. "We all know how you behave socially and I do not think you would do that for just anyone."

It took everything in her to not hurl her entire dish at Rebecca's smirking face. Instead, Regina held tightly on to her cutlery as she shot a warning glare at her older sister, which was returned just as fierce before the Miller patriarch cut through their animosity with a loaded question directed at his youngest daughter.

"And who exactly is this person, Regina? Are you seeing her?"

The ravenette knew better than to give a wrong answer and take the bait. She'd grown accustomed to receiving interrogations like this from her unaffectionate father, enough to read between the lines and hear the actual hidden question. She knew exactly what he was implying--whether or not she was involved with a Pureblood, and if she had forgotten that she was to be betrothed next year.

"Just...a Ravenclaw underclassman named Faye, Father. We are merely friendly acquaintances, nothing more," She replied with the slightest hint of hesitance as she met Alfred Miller's stare head-on.

"And what is her last name?"

"That..." Regina hesitated. She knew her father was a prejudiced wizard and he wouldn't be pleased to know that Faye was a Muggleborn. Her last resort would have to make up a convincing lie. "Her last name is Simmons...I know it is not a common Pureblood name, but she is from Ireland. Perhaps it is different over there."

But she'd paused for too long, because once again, her sister had made it a mission to make her life a living hell.

"I saw them at the ball, Father," Rebecca chimed in, almost too enthusiastically. "They did not notice me, but I saw Regina with her. She had red hair and looked a bit daft. She did not look one bit Pureblood to me."

Regina felt as though the world had frozen over. All at once, millions thoughts raced inside her head and her emotions threatened to burst. So Rebecca had seen them, and that conniving twat had been planning this from the start. That was why she'd been tamed as far as the first week of holidays. She'd been waiting for the perfect moment to put Regina in a bad light and turn her into a rebel in the eyes of their parents.

Her feet was faster than her consciousness, standing up so quickly the chair scraped loudly against the marble floor and making her head spin. Her sister had done the same thing at the same time, both witches glaring at one another across a table like two wild animals seconds away from pouncing--a hissing viper and a growling lioness. It was only because of the Miller twins' quick intervention and the patriarch's booming voice that snapped Regina out of her bubbling anger.

"Enough!" Alfred shouted, his expression stern. "I see that both of you have yet to improve your antagonistic behaviour towards each other even at home. Sit down and finish your meal."

"Forgive me, Father, but it appears that I no longer have an appetite," Regina gritted, her venomous glare never leaving Rebecca's. "Please excuse me from the table for tonight."

"Regina!"

The ravenette stomped away, not looking back even at her mother's disapproving call. She knew she was in for a punishment, but she could not help to be in the same room as her dastardly sister any longer. And it came almost as a reflex to become defensive when she'd attempted to smear Faye's name. If there was one person Regina would always be protective of, it was her air-headed Ravenclaw friend. It mattered not if it had any other meaning to that.

Regina was going to retreat to the East Wing where the bedrooms were, but she instantly recognised the footsteps of somebody catching up behind her in the hall. Years of being tormented by that very person had compelled her to memorise even the sound of her steps. As soon as Rebecca neared, Regina whipped her entire body around and blocked her sister's arm which had thrusted a wand into her face. She swiftly shoved her elbow into Rebecca's stomach and grabbed the wand as the older female staggered and fell backwards into a sitting position. Regina wasted no time in pointing her sister's wand at her.

"You would not dare," The Snake hissed.

"And you would have?" The Lion retorted. "You are also not exempt from the threat of expulsion. I know you, Rebecca. Intimidating me has always been your favourite move, but that will not work forever."

She took a step forward, and delighted in the way her sister flinched at the vicious glint in her unnatural purple eyes.

"If I use your wand right now, who do you think would receive the repercussion? The Trace will activate when harmful spells are casted around an underage wizard. Who do you think they would believe when the Ministry shows up at the manor and discovers that it was from your wand?"

In truth, there was very little chance that she could actually prove that she wasn't the culprit of underage magic outside of Hogwarts, but Regina was confident that she could set it up to make it seemed like Rebecca had attacked her. Using the latter's wand instead of her own would already seal the deal and she knew Rebecca understood this as well. The odds were more on Regina's favour if she truly decided to make the move.

"You will not be able to deceive them."

"You wish to test out that theory?"

They both fumed at each other. And all of a sudden, Rebecca's lips curled as an amused laughter escaped.

"You like to make people believe you are not wicked, yet here you are making such a serious threat to your own sister," The older girl said. "You try so hard to conceal your darkness but it is always right there, waiting for a chance to lash out. And you think you are so righteous?"

There was a brief moment of silence where Regina contemplated those words, and when she finally spoke, her voice was colder than ice.

"I suppose it runs in the family, then."

Rebecca's smirk instantly pulled into a frown. Deciding not to humour her sister any further, Regina turned on her heels and head to her room after dropping the wand unceremoniously on the floor.

The warning was delivered.

WC: 1814