Raven | 𝘙𝘦𝘨𝘶𝘭𝘶𝘴 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬

Chapter 78

As their end-of-term graduation ceremony arrived, the seventh years all had to take the boats in which they had been brought here in their first year and cross the Black Lake in them to get to the Hogwarts Express.

"It's the end of an era," said Alexandra with a sad smile, watching the castle while they grew further away from it as their boats magically floated away through the lake. "I'll miss it here."

Regulus had a little smile at the edge of his lips as he watched her. So many memories were made in these castle halls, both good and bad. He could remember the day they had met at the Potions' classroom, when she had blown up her cauldron in his face, covering them both in a green slime.

They might not have had a good start, but it warmed Regulus's heart each time he thought back of the first kiss they'd shared, or those times they would sneak off to the Room of Requirements and read a book together.

But now, as the boats sailed them away, they knew that all these memories were all frozen in the past, and they were something both of them could look back at and smile in the future.

But Regulus was snapped out of his thoughts when Alexandra suddenly said out-of-the-blue, "Would it hurt?"

He blinked at her a few times in confusion, staring at her as she still had her gaze fixed upon the magnificent castle with an obvious hint of sadness in her eyes.

"What?" he questioned, his eyebrows furrowing.

"To get a Dark Mark," she said, lowering her voice as she finally looked up at him. "Would it hurt to get it on my arm?"

Automatically, Regulus's glance fell down on his own own left forearm before he looked back up at her, nodding feebly.

      "A little..." he muttered, avoiding her eyes. "It might burn a bit at first."

A silence fell between them as Alexandra glanced back at Hogwarts one last time until their boats turned the corner on the lake, and the castle finally disappeared out of sight.

"Alex," Regulus whispered, holding her hand softly in order to get her attention. "Are you sure you want to do this? There's still time to back out —"

"I have to!" She cut him off firmly. "They've got Edna! If — if I don't do as they ask, they — they will kill her! If they haven't done that already, that is..."

"I-I'm sure she's fine," Regulus tried to say comfortingly, though his voice didn't come out too reassuringly.

They both fell silent as their boats stopped at the shore along with the others. Regulus got out of the boat first and then raised his hand up for Alexandra to hold, so he could help her out as well.

"Thanks," Alexandra whispered, giving him a half-smile.

But even though she was safely out of the boat, Regulus didn't let go of her hand and held it firmly in his, as if to silently reassure her that everything was going to be all right, and that he was always going to be there for her, no matter what.

With their hands laced together, they walked onto the Hogwarts Express for the last time, knowing that they would forever miss this castle and every little memory it held.

***

The hours flew by quickly, Alexandra's heart beating faster and faster by each passing minute. She had her head leaned against their compartment window, watching the graceful mountains and the heaving rivers outside, her thoughts far away.

She had rolled up her sleeves, her glance falling down on her bare forearm every now and then automatically, where she would receive the Dark Mark shortly.

     She was sure that the Death Eaters were soon going to try and approach her at some point and to take her away with them. And when that time came, Alexandra knew that she was obliged to do as they asked, if she wanted to keep Edna safe.

But soon, as the sky had turned dark and night had cloaked the earth in black, the train finally slowed down and at last came to a stop shortly in King's Cross Station.

      Regulus, being eighteen and of age, had asked his mother not to come to the Station this year to pick him up, reassuring her that he would go back home on his own. And to his great relief, his mother had agreed. Although in reality, he just wanted to be there for Alexandra.

"Where would you be going now?" Regulus asked her as they were making their way out of the station, carrying their trunks away.

"Back to my grandpa's old house," she answered quickly, having thought about it all the way here on the train. "There's no point in hiding anymore. If they want to summon me, they can find me there, and I'll go with them quietly."

"Alex, if you ever needed anything, I —" Regulus was saying, but he stopped in mid-sentence when his eyes caught sight of something behind Alexandra.

She briskly turned around to see what had gotten him to look so horrified, that she saw two men in black cloaks standing a few feet away from them, right outside the station.

"Stay behind," Regulus whispered to her quietly so only she could hear him, though his eyes were fixed on the two cloaked men.

He then stepped forward and stood in front of Alexandra defensively, his stern gaze on the two Death Eaters, who were both now sneering at them.

"Rosier... Rookwood..." Regulus nodded at them, his voice cold and stern. "What do you want?"

Alexandra had never heard those names before and had never seen their faces in the wanted posters, yet she had no doubt that the two men were both Death Eaters. Although they looked oddly familiar to her, and she had a hunch that she had seen them both at the Malfoys' Christmas Balls.

"I think you know very well what we want," one of them said with a smirk, his eyes falling upon Alexandra.

But Regulus moved fully in front of her, his legs carrying him forward automatically. Both him and Alexandra had reached out for their wands in their pockets, yet hadn't drawn them out just yet.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Rosier snarled, his eyes going back again on Alexandra. "You don't stand a chance against us, and you'll come quietly if you know what's good for you. After all... I'm sure you miss that elfish nursemaid of yours. Edna, was it?"

Alexandra's heart was now pounding in her chest. This was all her fault. If she had surrendered herself willingly earlier, they wouldn't have captured Edna.

So with that thought, Alexandra moved away from Regulus, starting to walk toward the Death Eaters. But Regulus quickly grabbed her wrist, preventing her from moving forward.

"Alex..." he whispered, gazing into her eyes with his grey ones, as if begging her to stay behind.

But instead, Alexandra only smiled at him reassuringly and leaned in, brining him into a quick hug as she whispered in his ear,

"I love you."

Regulus was frozen on the spot, unable to get a grasp of what was going on as Alexandra moved away from him with her trunk being left behind, walking toward the two Death Eaters.

"Miss Starling." Rookwood nodded at her and then raised his arm for her to take.

She wanted to look back at Regulus one last time, but Alexandra wasn't sure if she had the strength. So holding back her tears, she took the Death Eater's arm and the next moment, they Disapparated away.