𝕄𝕠𝕣𝕖 𝕋𝕙𝕒𝕟 𝔽𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕟𝕕𝕤? [ʙᴏᴏᴋ 1]

༄ Regulus༄

Regulus paces his dorm, sticking to what he told Danica: two hours. He checks his watch and he has fifteen minutes left until he can go and get her.

"What's up with you?"  Tom says as he polishes his boom from his bed.

"Nothing," Regulus says shortly.

"We haven't been alone for a while, have we lover boy?"

Regulus ignores him as images from their fight after the last quidditch game flash in front of his eyes: the blood running down his face; Danica's eyes full of fear, love and worry; the kiss.

He runs a finger over the scar on his eyebrow.

"Hey! Loverboy! Answer me!"

He snaps and spins around to face the bigger boy. Tom grew over the summer and he stands up, squaring his shoulders.

But Regulus has also grown and they are eye to eye. Their jaws are clenched as they stare one another down. Regulus can see a vein pulsing in Tom's neck.

"Mm," Tom sneers at him. "Your whore of a girlfriend won't be here to save you this ti-"

Regulus shuts him up by slamming him into the wall, pressing down on his neck.

"The fuck did you call my girlfriend?" He hisses.

Tom looks at him, struggling against his grip and he chokes out, "n-nothing-"

Regulus narrows his eyes and presses harder on his airways.

"Sure you said nothing," he manages sarcasm though he is shaking with rage. "SAY IT AGAIN!"

Tom gasps for air that he can't manage to get. Regulus watches as his lips turn purple, his eyes watering and he slowly stops struggling, giving up. That makes Regulus come back to his senses and he releases the boy.

Tom falls to his knees, clutching his throat and filling his lungs with oxygen.

"Say that about my girlfriend again and you are dead!" He spits the last word out.

Tom swallows and nods, shakily getting to his feet and staggering out of the room.

"What the fuck Reg?" Regulus jumps at the furious voice and Danica pulls the cloak off. She is standing in the centre of the dorm and is looking directly at him with big, watery eyes.

"Did you hear what he called you!?" He realises his voice is shaking and he takes a breath to calm himself.

Danica nods and looks down.

"Not everything has to be sorted with hurting people," her voice is high like she's holding in tears. "You of all people should know that."

"Sorry," Regulus says quietly, embarrassed that she saw him fighting again. "I'm so sorry," he tries to find her eyes but still she won't look at him. He steps closer, closing the gap between them and he envelopes her in his arms. Her small frame melts into his strong one and he comes aware of how much he's missed her touch. Slowly he moves his hands around her and picks her up, walking her over to her bed and sitting down with her on his lap.

"Reg?" She asks in a hushed voice.

"Yes, love?" His own voice is low and rumbling.

"I know I already sound mad because I can see the thestrals-"

"You're not mad," he interjects.

She looks up at him and nods, "okay, but I'm gonna sound mad now..." she trails off, gazing into his eyes.

He lets her look for a while then his curiosity takes over.

"Baby?" He softly brings her back to him from wherever his eyes took her.

Danica blinks and bites her lip.

"Yeah..." she whispers, "please don't think I'm mad..." she talks slowly, thinking her words through. "I spoke to my mum earlier..."

Regulus looks at her confused, "but I thought you haven't spoken to her since she left?"

"I haven't."

"Then how-?"

"It was in my head, Reg," she looks at him, smiling slightly. "But it was her."

Regulus searches her eyes and can see she actually believes that she was talking to her mother. He doesn't have the heart to break it to her that it was just her own voice.

"What did she say?" Regulus asks.

"She told me what I should do. She said that if I wanted to die I should get an animal to kill me, nice and slow..." she bites her cheek and looks down then hurries on. "But I saw a thestral and it's baby and..." she trails off, her eyes glossing over. Regulus waits for her to continue, the thoughts of her dying plaguing his mind. "I said to mum that I wish that was me... the thestrals I mean... she joked and said 'you wanna be a thestral? Or you wanna have a baby?'" Danica looks into his eyes and smiles.

"Good sense of humour your mum has," he says.

Danica nods and continues her story, "so I said 'no I don't wanna turn into a thestral, I wanna have a baby' and mum asked if I wanted it with you."

She stops talking and waits for Regulus' response. He mulls over her words and nods slowly.

"I would like that," he says quietly, smiling down at her. "Did your mum say anything about me?"

Danica nods, "she said that you're a good guy and I deserve you... but I don't deserve you, I know I don't."

"No baby, it's me that doesn't deserve you."

They stare at each other for a while, enjoying just being in each other's arms.

"We should get to bed before anyone finds us," Regulus reluctantly destroys the peace.

Danica nods and slides off his lap and walks over to the cloak and picks it up and walks into the bathroom with it, just in case one of the boys comes back and she's in there.

Regulus watches her go in then gets up and follows her.

"Can't resist me, can you?" Danica smirks and jumps on the counter to remove her makeup with a damp cloth.

"Not when you look so good all of the time," he says putting himself between her legs, taking the cloth from her hand.

She looks at him with an eyebrow raised as he cups her face with his spare hand and rubs her makeup off with the cloth. Danica closes her eyes and lets out a breath, her shoulders lowering as she relaxes at his touch. He watches as her body language changes, how she is different since coming back from the forest, more relaxed, smiling easier.

But Regulus can't take his mind off what she said about dying. How she must have been so close but the sight of the thestral and her baby made her see that there is still something worth living for.

He removes her makeup and kisses her eyes, her cheeks, her nose then her lips. She smiles against his lips then she kisses him back, wrapping her legs around his waist. Regulus lifts her off the counter and into his arms, holding her tight, making a vow with himself that he will take care of her and she'll never get to that stage again. She won't have to talk to an imaginary voice in her head to stop herself from ending it all.

Regulus will make sure of it. He will look after her how her mother was supposed to. How her father was supposed to.

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