From Eden - Regulus Black (Complete)

Chapter Forty-Three

SPARK

Before actual fire, there's a spark in the wood. The embers are what are in the very bottom, shining bright, but not warm enough to burn anything yet, and those embers lead to fires that grow and comfort people and animals.

The first look that Regulus and Anne shared as she walked into the compartment was the spark; their smile, the ember, starting a fire they would never be able to control in some time.

Regulus smiled.

"Hi!" he said.

"Hello, Little Prince," she answered.

He opened his arms for her, initiating the physical contact with her this time, because he walked towards her as allowed her to embrace him as well. Her arms were around his waist, his over shoulders, petting her back gently. Silently, he noticed that although he could feel her body a lot better against his when her arms were around his neck, that hug felt a lot more intimate and he was rather comfortable with that.

"How was your summer?" he asked in a low voice.

"You know how my summer was," she laughed against his arm. "You were there."

"Well, I didn't know what else to ask," he admitted.

She chuckled, pulling away from him to look at his face. She held both of his hands, leading him to sit next to her, holding his hands on hers over her lap.

"You could ask me if I missed you," she teased.

He raised his eyebrows.

"And did you?" he asked.

"Very much," she laughed. "Oh, I'm so glad to see you again. I was so worried that I couldn't see you. Letter are good and all, but it didn't make me any more tranquil about your situation. I managed to talk to Severus, who insisted that you were alright without me, but that didn't make things better as I wished it would."

"It's fine, Anne, really," he said, shaking his head. "I wasn't called upon yet, I have to missions to complete for now, just went to a few meetings where we talk about possible futures, no more than that."

"Meetings?" she asked.

"During the summer, all Saturdays we would meet after dinner to talk. The Dark Lord has a lot of plans for the politics inside the Ministry, but you know that already, and you know that he already has a foot inside of it – it won't take long for him to get more power," Regulus said, squeezing her hands in his. "I'm starting to get truly worried about something..."

Anne pulled her legs up the seat, criss-crossing them, turning completely to Regulus.

"You can tell me anything," she promised.

"The child Bellatrix lost... I have the suspicion it might have been the Dark Lord's," he admitted. "The way the two reacted and the way Roddy seemed to be holding back, he was so angry and yet so... quiet. Roddy isn't quiet, ever, even when we want him to."

"It's a probability," Anne agreed. "Bellatrix is known for being more than loyal to him."

"She's obsessed!" Regulus said, sounding almost disgusted.

"You cousin found someone who accepted her very... odd mentality as something good in Tom Riddle," Anne said. "Your aunt tries to hide it; your uncle tells her to hold her tongue and her husband was a controlling piece of shit. Tom Riddle saw her violence and her madness as power; of course, she was going to cling to him."