I cannot believe this is the last chapter, I know it seems a bit confusing or ambiguous the entire story soo far so I really appreciate those that have stuck by me this far (you have no idea how much i appreciate you guys). So here goes...
Sitting in the tower, the air heavy with the weight of unspoken words, I finally mustered the courage to speak my heart. "Regulus," I called out softly, my voice barely above a whisper. He continued to stroke my hair as i laid on his lap, He sat up and looked at me, his expression guarded yet curious. I took a deep breath, steadying myself before I continued, but he cut me off, as he shook his head. "No Elizabeth".
My heart was pounding in my chest. "Don't you think i see it happening, Dumbledore's added more restrictions now, time restrictions please listen, there's still hope." I sat up and looked at him, his head down at the floor. "I believe you can change."
Regulus's eyes flicker with a mixture of disbelief and sadness. "You don't understand," he begins, his voice strained. "My parents Eliabeth, I cannot just leave them like that. I am not Sirius" he spat out and I shook my head, in disappointment.
I reached out to gently touch his hand, offering him comfort. "Stop trying to be someone that you are not. Who knows who they will come for next?"
He looked up at me, his eyes red and his lips pursed in fear.
We paused, silence around us. "Who am i without all of this, Elizabeth?"
My chest fell and I ran to him, held his face in between my hands with his eyes red as tears rose. "You're someone capable of doing the right thing, of breaking free from the expectations that weigh you down." I earnestly said.
He looked at me, searching my eyes, I kissed him lightly before he took my hand and moved it away from his face, to intertwine it with his. "Will you promise me one thing Elizabeth." he kissed my hand and I nodded without any pause.
"Yes, of course, my lo-" I replied without hesitation. "I will stand there for you, always and forever. I will never leave you."
-
Weeks passed by and life at Hogwarts continued as usual, at least for those. Time passed by, classes went by and I held onto the hope, hidden smiles and touches I withheld with Regulus in between classes. I find myself seated on the Gryffindor table in the grand hall, lost in thought, when I heard a familiar voice call my name. I looked up to see Regulus stood a few meters away, his expression tender yet determined. He echoed and i nodded. Slowly I got up and left, in route with him.
He took my hand in his, his touch sent a warm shiver down my spine. "I love you," he whispered, his voice filled with sincerity, "so much. The very thought consumes me so much."
This kiss was bittersweet, with the last rays of sunlight that caressed the earth before dusk descended. Locked in his embrace, it felt as if time stood still. A part of me now hoped it stayed there and we never left. The world around us faded into insignificance, that left only the echo of our intertwined breaths and the gentle brush of their lips. There was a tenderness in the way his mouth met him, as soft touch as his caressed my face to deepen the kiss. I closed my eyes as his hands moved around my body, taking it all in. He moved in a delicate dance, each touch infused with longing and promises. I moved away to catch my breath and he continued. I laughed as I pushed away, "Regulus, what's wrong?"
He did not say anything. With a flick of his wand, he enchanted the necklace he gave me when we were children, "to make sure i'll always find my way back to you." He paused.
I frowned. "Regulus" i looked up at him, "what do you mean?"
He looked at me, one last time, and we embraced. He lightly whispered words that I carried with me forever. "When death takes my hand, I will hold you with the other and promise to find you in every lifetime," he vowed and then left. I called after him but he never responded. I remember that afternoon. I looked for him, everywhere but he was nowhere to be found.
I got nothing but a letter and i withheld his promise.
-
December 1979
I looked at myself in the mirror as I adjusted my black dress. I smiled, he would have loved this dress. He would have-
"Are you ready Elizabeth?" Sirius asked with Remus.
I jumped in surprise and turned to them. I nodded, words could not come out simply because this did not feel real.
In the sombre setting of the funeral, where mourners had gathered under a heavy, grey sky, Regulus had stood with a quiet dignity that belied the turmoil within. His tall frame had been stoic, his posture straight, yet his eyes had betrayed a depth of sorrow that had seemed to pierce through the veil of grief that had hung over the gathering. That was what he deserved but sadly, nobody attended it but Remus, Sirius and I.
There was a gravestone that looked like something was dug up and a box was put in but the truth was that the box was empty. Nobody found Regulus's body, nobody knew what happened to him, he just disappeared, presumed dead.
Dressed in dark, formal attire, Sirius had exuded an air of solemnity as he had stood, his presence echoing the solitary state of melancholy and isolation we all felt with Regulus. His usually vibrant brown eyes had been dulled by sorrow, that reflected the weight of loss that had hung heavy in the air. As the mournful dirge of the funeral hymn had filled the air, Sirius had stood with bowed head, his dark hair tousled by the gentle breeze that had rustled through the surrounding trees. His hands had been clasped tightly in front of him, fingers intertwined in a silent gesture of mourning.
Despite the heaviness of grief, there remained a quiet strength in hope thatt somewhere perhaps he was alive. That was what Sirius chose to believe in. "he still chose them" Sirius choked out, I gasped and turned but Remus intervened and tried to talk to him.
"Whatever, Elizabeth, if he wanted to change he would have fought and done something about it." he turned back around, "he would have, he could, he should have come to me and told me, I would have-" he broke away and left. Remus paced towards him but paused and looked at me, I nodded and forced a smile on my face as Remus followed Sirius to comfort him.
"Oh Reg," I whispered, tears streamed down my face. I heard steps and looked around to find nobody. "Remus" I called out. Someone walked towards me and I gasped as memories rushed back. "Kreacher" I whispered.
"Master Regulus left this for you" Kreacher bowed and gave me an envelope.
I opened it to find his ring with his initials RAB and a letter. I paused and put the letter back into the envelope. Truth was as this war raged on I grew unsure on what to hold onto, my life had lost purpose. This war grew but James had Lily, Remus had Sirius but I stood alone.
We had made so many promises, what we were to do after we graduated, in this lifetime how he would- I sighed, it would never happen. Now everything turned hollow and empty. All was gone. Regulus had drawn memories into my mind I could never erase. Painted colours in my heart, i could never replace. The light in my sky had gone.
I remained rooted to the spot, my gaze fixed on the final resting place of the departed. In that moment of quiet contemplation, i hoped to find solace amidst the sorrow, a flicker of hope amidst the darkness of loss but nothing was there, not even Regulus. I held his ring in my hand and brought it up to my rest under face as I sat by his grave.
"Master Regulus also left this for you." he walked towards me and I hesitated as Kreacher took his hand out. I wiped my face lightly as I felt the mascara fall down my face. I took the box from Kreacher and opened it, I gasped. The necklace I had, he gave me from when we were kids. "I'll always find my way back to you." I remembered that I cried that day, more than I had ever cried before in my entire life. Where were you, Regulus? Why have you not come back to me?
In the end, i was ready to give it all up—everything. I was half out of my mind with love, but I found the letter tucked in one of my books on my shelves. My hand shook as I hesitantly opened it. I sighed.
Some people are born with tornadoes in their lives, but with constellations in their eyes. Other people are born with stars at their feet, but their souls are lost at sea. I wanted people to know that half of my soul, my beating heart, was not lost at sea, gone forever, never able to return, but I owed it to him. So in the end, Regulus Black did teach me something, he taught me that life gives you tornadoes and to deal with them head-on, even if death comes around, because the truth is that you are meant for death in some twisted, non-sick, non-toxic way, but there's nothing wrong or nothing to be scared of. Instead of fearing this moment, you should live it that way when it comes; you won't regret anything. And that's what I did. I decided to live for Regulus Black. I, Elizabeth Black, lived.
I decided to work harder to win the war. I decided to live for him. Regulus's death would not have been in vain. Hence this book.
I vowed to keep my promise to Regulus, to remember him in the future, and to ensure that there are good people in the world. Change is possible, and Regulus is an example of that. This book proves it. This is the book.
This is my story, our story. Regulus and mine. Arcane and whole.
***
THAT'S A WRAP! Genuinely, I have no idea how quickly I wrote this because I have been in the BIGGEST reading and writing slump because of my dissertation, but listening to this new Taylor Swift album has got me back into it, so with that said, I hope you enjoyed it! I may write some bonus chapters; comment any requests!
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING THIS!