𝐩𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐚 || 𝘳.𝘢.𝘣𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬

114. life without you

"Dora deserves to see me when I'm not in a fucking mess, Andy." Regulus smiles slightly, leaning forwards to press a brotherly kiss against his cousin's forehead. "Tell her I said I love her, and tell Ted I said Happy New year." He says with a nod before strolling out of the cottage glumly, Andromeda watching him with eyes welling with tears.

Meanwhile, Maria Potter is sat alone in the Potter Manor, her eyes red as she sits on her bed drinking a glass of gin. There's a quiet knock on her door and in walks Remus Lupin who she had called on the telephone that Lily had supplied each of them with. It's very useful, hers is a pale pink colour that plugs into the wall with a circular dial and the phone makes a clicking noise when she places it on the receiver.

She flickers her eyes up at him and he sighs, closing the door behind her and strolling over to the bed.

He watches Maria's mouth open and close, more tears gathering in her brown eyes as she tried to formulate words.

"I know." Remus whispers, instantly wrapping his arms around her smaller body as he sits next to her on the soft mattress. "I know."

Maria clings onto his arm as she sobs into the crook of his elbow and he smoothed down her slightly disheveled hair. The werewolf is angry because of Regulus' dimwitted responses to Maria's valid questions — and since it's a day until the full moon he's not exactly feeling very forgiving.

"You're gonna be okay, Mar." Remus whispers, kissing the top of her head softly and feeling her shake her head against his arm and he lets out a small, sympathetic chuckle. "You will. We've got a spare room at ours, if you want to stay with us tonight."

Maria pulls away from him slightly, sniffling quietly and nodding her head, yes.

Her and Regulus had recently heard Mickey talk to them of a friend he'd had in his previous job, how he missed her terribly. So, Regulus had made it his mission to find Daisy, when he had he told her about Mickey. She was all for joining Mickey at the Potter Manor, considering her most recent masters — how Maria hates that word — hadn't been too friendly, to sugarcoat it.

So, now, at least when no one is home Mickey will have his best friend for company.

The two sat and spoke for a while, about Regulus and what had happened because he could barely understand a word of her distressed whimpers through the phone. She had then told him that she didn't want to speak about Regulus, so Remus told her about what it's like to live with Sirius and Peter — without James being there to scold any of them.

He tells her of late nights and the various clubs and bars all in close proximity of their flat. Perhaps that's why they chose to live smack bang in the middle of the city.

Maria wonders where Regulus is right now, her best bet is probably at Andromeda's. She wonders how her life will be without him in it.

When they were at school it was simple, they'd simply avoid one and other at all costs yet their days were the same, the same classes and the same timetables.

But, now they're so used to waking up to one and other and being able to sleep close to each other. Being able to laugh about their day and have glum talks of war and horcruxes. They'd shower together, bath together, go out together.

And now they can't.

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In a swift second, February came and went. Valentines Day was a complete mess, it basically consisted of Remus, Sirius, Peter and Maria sitting in the apartment living room and eating pizza whilst sharing sob stories and watching some weird dolphin documentary. There had been few attacks, most on muggle families and crowded streets. Bellatrix had came when the boys were out to try and apologise to Maria for capturing her but Maria had shook her head and simply shut herself in the bathroom away from the lunatic of a woman.

Regulus has been moping around and has also been spending more time than he wishes to at Malfoy Manor during essential death eater meetings. Voldemort had been joyous to hear of the tragic end to the Potter girl and Regulus' relationship, saying that she was a distraction from his true potential.

He had screamed at Rebecca Barnes in private, pointing accusing fingers with every harsh insult that escaped his lips. He had been so enraged by her smug face, the way she would look and him and smile and twirl her hair around her finger flirtatiously. She had been on the verge of tears by the time Regulus had left, his heartbreaking words had really pushed back on her selfish schemes.

Sirius has been searching for Regulus for two months and has now finally found him with a simple spell that lead him straight to where the tousle haired boy had been sat in a café. He doesn't know why he didn't think of the tracking spell first but at least he's here now.

So, sitting across from his younger brother, Sirius shrugs off his leather jacket and leans his elbows on the wooden table.

"What are you doing here?" Regulus mutters, taking a sip of his coffee and Sirius scoffs quietly, look at the taller Black incredulously.

"Where've you been?" Sirius asks him, raising his eyebrows at the tired looking eighteen year old in front of him. "Hm? Because we've been looking everywhere for you. Even Maria is worried that you've disappeared off the face of the earth. So, where the fuck have you been?"

"Why do you care?" Regulus glances up at Sirius , narrowing his eyes and leaning his own elbows on the table. "I've been with Stan and Lyssa. They agreed to keep my whereabouts a secret from you lot. I've been doing a lot to try and get into the inner circle. But I can't."

"You're a fucking prick, Reg." Sirius breathes, leaning back in his chair and shaking his head in disappointment. "What—how could you leave us in the dark? We all care about you, Jesus Christ! Let someone care about you."

"If this is some pathetic tactic of making me feel bad, trust me, I do." Regulus snaps, looking at Sirius with his tired grey eyes. "I fucking do. I would do anything to be able to go to Maria and tell her that I need her back. That I love her! But I can't because us being together will get people killed."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Rebecca, she spoke about a prophecy. That me and Maria will be the cause of all of your deaths!" Regulus breathes. "Because I couldn't not be a selfish arse and leave her be."

"You're going to believe that bitch?" Sirius asks him in complete disbelief.

"No! Of course not, but she got me thinking about everything that has happened and I. . ." Regulus releases a deep breath, as though not wanting to show his emotion in his voice. "I'm scared of what me being around her could cause. I don't want to be the reason that any of you die, I can't be."

Sirius stares at him for a second, "you won't be. Because this is nobody's fault but Voldemort's. No one else is to blame. Certainly not you."

"I just can't."

Sirius sighs and stands up.

"Dad died." Regulus mutters, looking up at Sirius who was just about to walk away from the table. "I heard about it a week ago. He died in January."

Sirius swallows thickly and nods his head before strolling out of the café into the cool afternoon breeze.

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hey guys...
you mary fans are going to LOVE the next few chapters :))

hope u enjoyed lovelies :)

—grace xxx