20| h e a r t b r e a k

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C H A P T E R  T W E N T Y
h e a r t b r e a k
|lily|

She notices his change. He doesn't smile that often, he doesn't return her glances, he doesn't pay attention.

He just doesn't.

All he ever does is hide his emotions and scratch at his left forearm. One would miss that motion or the few flicks of fear and sadness is his grey eyes but she's observant.

She notices.

He's colder, like he's preparing for something. She doesn't know what and God doesn't she hate not knowing. He's her best friend, well, at least she thinks he is. One of her closest.

She, obviously, confronts him about it after she let it go on for a week. It hurt her more than it should but it was so easy for her to care about him. There was just something.

"Why are you ignoring me?" She demanded as she pulled Regulus into and alcove. He looked stunned, then annoyed and then finally quite hollow. She felt her anger disappear a little.

"Why shouldn't I ignore you?" He snapped back. Such a simple sentence had such an impact on her, and she jerked back like he had physically hurt her. He saw this, and the flash of fear, then quickly softened up to her. "Lily... now is not the time."

He never usually said her name. It was usually Red or Evans.

"Really? I think now is a perfect time," she retorted, spinning them around to her back was facing the only way out of the alcove. "You've been ignoring me and I demand a proper answer. Tell me, Regulus."

Regulus frowned and pushed his hair back with his left hand. She saw his sleeve roll up a bit then saw some black ink on his skin. Now she was frowning—since when did Regulus have a tattoo?

"I can't, Lily," he finally said, his voice breaking. "I just can't."

"Why not?"

He looked at her, his face tilted down and his eyelashes almost touching his skin. He looked so vulnerable. So open. So broken. "Because you'll hate me. I don't want you to hate me."

Lily laughed and rolled her eyes. "Like I can ever hate you, Reg."

But then he looked so dead and emotionless. Suddenly, tears welled up in his eyes and he was practically sobbing, repeating, "I'm so sorry." He coughed, then sniffed, and then touched his left sleeve. He pulled it back.

"I'm a Death Eater, Red."

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Hey! Sorry for the long wait! Hope you enjoyed :)

~Imagine.

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