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35 - The Abduction of Persephone
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Feelings. The middle ground between mortals and celestials. Mesmerizing how the celestials created mortals so close to their resemblance, yet far from perfection. Because feeling was what made mortals were mortals. Whereas it was meant to make such monochrome life graced with spectrums of colors—it was a double-sided knife. It was a flesh-embedded marrionettist, puppeteering mortals' psyche through viridescent strings. Taking over their decision, words, and blinded them from risk. In the end, feelings made humans spindled on the verge of death's kiss, source of chaos and muse.
Mortals and their so-called intelligence tried to explain feelings, and came up with names, chemical chain reaction—endorphins, dopamine, at last, the
infamous love hormone: oxytocin.
Gemma was sure the said hormone was ruling all over her body since last night that it lingered on her being. The evidence was apparent, shade of peach seeped to her cheeks, beamed almost glittery. The squealing and series of—oh my god screams that she muffled with her pillow. Thank High Merlin, he created silencing spells for moment as such.
Foreign frenzy metastasized her nerves, sparked a thrilling sensation as if it was injected through her fingertips. Teenage hormone was crazy at times, but knowing the fact that she kissed the boy she fancied—what type of fifteen-year-old girl wouldn't feel like taken to the moon and back?
Compared to the Irish witch, who was clueless about love, Martin McKinnon knew better. Despite the fact that he only fell in love to one girl all his life, for years he'd read enough Sherlock Holmes to notice the odd demeanor when the said feeling stung someone. He witnessed them in the Irish witch. She hummed to herself everywhere—the Ravenclaw's common room—she hummed in class, corridor. He was profound that every single brick of castle would know the melody of Gymnopedie no. 1 by now.
"What is it?" He finally gave up with a sigh, cyan eyes directed to the Irish. He maintained his tone low seeing as they were in the library, and Madam Pince would not hesitate to swat her stick out for sounds over 120 Hz. "Out with it, Gemma."
"What?" she arched her brows, hand scribbling on the Ancient Runes that she wrote fluently as if a second language. The Irish batted her lashes gently as Martin narrowed his eyes suspiciously at her.
"You seemed so content over everything lately, Sherlock." mused Martin, leaning closer to gain the witch's attention. Her face beaming so goldenly with lips plump and melon-pink. The last time he saw her this ecstatic was the first time the brunette pranked Sirius Black back on her first years. He went on, "It's creeping me out, normally, someone who has to face OWLs would be stressed out—hang on."
The blond raised his pointed finger to touch her cheek and she turned with rosy-tinted skin, "What now, Watson?" she queried back, voice euphonious.
"Did you get the OWL questions from Alphard?" he inquired right back, grinning devilishly as the blond leaned back to the girl. "You sent a letter to him the other day didn't you—is that it?"
Gemma's first respond was pressing the palm of her hand against his incredibly close face, pushing him back. "No!" she chuckled silently, shaking her head before spoke, "That's cheating, McKinnon."
"Come on." Martin rolled his eyes, shrugging, "I was just guessing." he defended as she returned to her notebook. Eyes fixated on the witch, wandering on her side profile. Five years and he never got tired of the witch, he watched her from the shy Irish girl bloomed into sight of sore eyes kind of girl.
"I'm just in a good mood." she began with a soft huff, mumbling inaudibly after that. Hands raised to comb-out between her obsidian hair. "Or you prefer me to vex the hell out of you?"
God, he thought to himself, he could feel his heart rate picked up the slightest. Persephone had been the Elysium's eternal flower for so long and if he had an eternal life to waste just to adore her he would, always will—as long as he wouldn't lose her.
Martin hummed, "No," he denied calmly, turning back to his herbology book. He had tried to undo what infatuation did to him, but feeling was a double sided-knife. The moment he tried to chase the feeling away, it would stab his heart even further. He squinted his eyes then said, "Potter's inviting us to sneak in their common room tonight."
It had been a routine for the marauders sneaking the two fifth years to the crimson and gold common room. Blame the chaos on the McKinnon siblings, in spite of missing what they called television back at home. The siblings introduced them to monopoly, and needless to say their friendship had never been the same since then.
James had been a little too ambitious in winning the game. Sirius would repeatedly ask Marlene how did the game work. Peter would be sniggering at the back while the blond siblings running out of breath yelling to the chaotic Gryffindors. Most of the time, Gemma would sit and talk to Remus while Sirius and James fought over paying money.
The witch turned her head with knitted brows, "They do really love monopoly or what?" she clicked her tongue, grinning widely at him.
"Nah, it's Lily, she brought uno." stated the blond coolly. Gemma tsk-ed quietly remarking how close Lily had become to the four trouble-makers. The boy put down his quill and raised his hands for stretch. His quidditch biceps poked through his shirt, giving her a side-eye, "So, do you want to go?"
Out of his speculation, the witch shook her head briskly hand brushing the azure P pinned to her robe with a bitter smile, "I have to do the patrol tonight." informed the girl, he groaned dramatically as he tossed his head back in defiance.
"Can you just switch your schedule with Levy?" he suggested, mimicking the Merlin's heiress pout as she grinned. "I mean—" Martin paused, hands nudging the pile of books before her, presumably whatever made Gemma so happy had made her doubled her brain capacity. "—You've been such a book nerd. A night to pass the goody two shoe and be you know—"
"What?" The Irish girl jested, brows raised as she placed her hand on top of her book. Martin held his breath as he met the pair of sapphire.
"Be—uh—y'know." he stammered, fully aware that his heartbeat wasn't working the way normal humans did. The scene of her features scrambled words out of his brain. Auburn eyebrows raised freckles dotting like galaxies, perhaps even better. He peered down to her lips, pomegranate lip-gloss and all. That was enough to recall his memories, then blurted out. "If you get too close I might want to replicate what I did after Slughorn's party."
At that, her body flinched, feeling nauseating wave coursed through her. She swallowed thickly, before turning her head back to her book. Martin knew he mastered taming vicious, flesh-eating plants or animals. But he couldn't even tame his words around her. The blond noticed he said the wrong thing when she cleared her throat.
"I was joking." said Martin abruptly, swallowing thickly and faked a chuckle.
"Yeah, of course." she muttered in a hush, eyes peering to her book. "Tonight is Levy's schedule. He covered my shift last time, so I have to replace his shift."
With that, the blond drew his lips into a line and peeled his gaze away. Sequencing the words: Stupid, Idiot, and Wanker—inside his mind.
***
Duty was the only reason the Merlin's heiress was looking forward to her perfect patrol. Mainly due to the wizard stood by her side was the person Gemma dreaded to see as much as she wished to avoid and hide her face six feet under the ground. Slytherin's green prefect pin next to the Ravenclaw's azure blue under the chandelier-lit corridors.
Two things had made her usual prefect patrol felt like hour-long cardio. First of all, the awkwardness between her and the Slytherin's prefect was almost astronomical. The Irish witch wished she could be slandering Potter's ass on uno rather than squeezing her wand most of the time due to the wizard's presence.
Persephone admitted she was guilty as charged for repetitiously thinking about their kiss. Gemma preferred burying her nose in a pile of books, to get her mind off the kiss. Aside from the breathtaking snog, there was a teeny tiny detail. Right after they jerked apart, the witch shifted away and ran to the Owlery hiding her embarrassed face. Leaving the Slytherin speechless behind her.
Excellent, Gammaliel.
Second, when she peeled her gaze curiously to the boy, Regulus didn't look ecstatic at all. Hades was masking it all in with his stoic persona. Black had a reputation to be the cold prince of Slytherin and she should've known better. Gemma had been itching to break the ice, for god's sake, the patrol was quieter than graveyard. He was walking as if he was a man-made machine and muscle-wired than an arrogant prat of a soul.
Gulping her pride in, she fidgetted on her wand then spoke, "Are you in a bad mood?"
The Slytherin boy pulled his hand to his back, peering down to his shoes, "No." he began with a rocky voice, clearing his throat right after, "Why?"
Her eyes transfixed at him momentarily, before she briskly turned away to the empty corridor. "You are awfully quiet tonight."
You are the quiet one, Raven.
That was a moment of relief for Regulus, knowing his facade was working. She failed to notice that the Slytherin had been stealing one, two, and too many glances to her way. His hand fidgetting on his wand, hoping it would wash over the cold that wrapped his fingertips. Gammaliel curved her lips upward, biting her lips and he hated the sight of that. Because he would rather do that—no!—Regulus shook his head at the thought.
That's scandalous, thought Regulus. He wanted nothing but to bang his head to the main door as he was spun in the ecstasy of pomegranate kisses. He seemed unable to drain the thought of it from his mind. The perfect addition to his already sleepless night, now he couldn't stop thinking about her more than he should have been.
"Merlin's knickers." he breathed deeply, cursing to himself to erase the thought of replicating the kiss inside his head, hearing that she scrunched her nose in disgust.
"Oh come on!" Gammaliel started, hands waving in the air. Huffing out of annoyance, she turned on her heels and shot a look at the boy. "Can people stop using my ancestor's name in cussing!"
Regulus grinned, "Merlin's dic—"
"Regulus!"
"Merlin's private parts then." he teased snarkily, she shook her head in defiance.
"Urgh!" Gammaliel threw her hands down, furrowing her brows when the boy was grinning wider than ever. Before he spoke another word she tore her gaze away, "You know what, stop talking. Just so you know, I had a better plan than this boring patrol."
"You wish for noise so I made noises and you told me to shut up. Dear Merlin, be consistent for once." jested Regulus just as witty, he stepped forward with a small smirk watching the witch's bratty pout. He continued, craning his neck to meet her eyes. "So you think I'm boring?"
"Not the point." Her ponytail swayed as her head motioned to follow his gaze. Gemma pivoted away, leaving the boy behind her. The witch looked over her shoulder, meeting the boy's gaze. "Well, if you prefer to walk in silence then you are just as dull."
"Is that so?" queried Black as she turned away and nodded. A teasing smirk dangling on his lips, spark of idea stroke his brain then he blurted out. "Well, you didn't think I was boring when your chatty mouth was on mine."
Great, you're digging your grave.
Regulus's eyes intuitively transfixed to the witch, Gemma came to a halt and stopped her footsteps immediately. Her stomach's bugs went wild, flipped upside down and around at that sentence. The girl was stunned silent—in a way, someone must have slapped her soul out of her. So quiet that he could hear Filch's cough from the fifth floor.
Navagio irises darkened from the dimmed light as Regulus pinched himself wishing if it was a dream he could wake up before he said something stupid again. Since the previous night, the witch hadn't said a word to him. Black translated her pause as the entrance of his grave. He might as well dug deeper to reach hell and never showed his face.
Then his footstalls came before his minty breath was fanning the skin behind her ear, "If I might have a say, you enjoyed it, no?"
Silence.
"Now you are quiet." mused the Slytherin prefect shortly after, masking the panic crawling to his chest and quirked an eyebrow at her. Black leaned closer, "Am I that boring that you run away after that?"
"You are a scoundrel, Black."
Azure eyes darted to follow his faint whispers as she ignored her bickering heartbeat. While cursing her Irish genetic lotteries inside her mind, her blush was visible even from Avalon. His footsteps echoed once again and her eyes followed him shifted to her side. He smirked. "A scoundrel?"
She studied him up-close and raised her chin with daring eyes. Albeit, however tough her annoyed facade was, the elegance in his posse managed to shed it away. She breathed out. "A hundred percent."
"Mhm," Regulus crouched closer until he could feel her breath aginst his jaw, the smirk on his lips deepened, laced with mischief. "Then, what do you call someone who kissed a scoundrel?"
Heat slowly crept to her neck, it tinged her skin carmine up to her cheeks. Gemma thought of looking away but that would mean she was defeated in what ever game they were playing, so she held her gaze. "I knew I should've ditch this patrol."
"Okay." stated Regulus, hands on his back darting his grey eyes to the empty corridor. His tone wasn't as smug as earlier until he said confidently, "Let's leave this place." hearing that Gammaliel blinked rapidly, trying to double-check what she heard. He extended his right hand in front of her. "You said the night is dull, so why don't we have a little runaway?"
"Right now?" Gammaliel quirked an eyebrow, marking her doubt. Surely, it passed curfew and when the two always had their rendezvous trip, Black wasn't this impulsive but he nodded with certainty flickered on his eyes.
"You always ask stupid questions." Regulus puffed his chest, and she could understand why the witches were adoring the Blacks brothers. His gaze was gentle at the same time weakening. "Come on."
"Where are we going?"
"To hell." replied Regulus nonchalantly, with that answer a small smile formed on her face. The witch reached his hand and entwined her fingers with his, a perfect fit. As his calloused hands grazed her softer palm he peered down feeling the electrifying circuit from her touch. Grey eyes flickered full of confusion, darting back to meet her marine pairs.
It felt as if heaven and hell had collided. A guilty pleasure that enthralled him to uncertain degree. She was a spirit made out of the finest stardust, the summer psyche that brought frosted flower alive, wild and unruly. While he was nothing but a soul feasting over deaths, purity, and tenebrous tree.
Rationally, she should be repulsive for him the way sun and moon wouldn't share the sky. But he found serenity in her, a beautiful chaotic soul that he had grown to pay little details of. It was no longer to seek her flaw but to cherish her. He cared about her—deeply—a part of him hated himself for it. But feelings was never rational nor was it logical. That it made the celestials committed an absent-minded act as much as humans at times, Eros and Psyche's tale was enough evidence.
"Take me to hell then." she smiled brightly, and he was unsure how to form a facade in front of the person he ever really cared about.
Swinging his hand closer to his body, Regulus discerned the heat-wave that rained over him. He couldn't help but smiled and with that, the Slytherin prefect led her to the east wing, marching to a statue of Gregory the Smarmy. And that was, the abduction of Persephone in this reality.
Maybe it was Zeus's trick of retelling, so the god would always be portrayed as the almighty God of heroes. After all, despite how ironic the goddess who brought life to mortals had fallen in love with the embodiment of death. Their feeling were true. As the stone wall shifted and shut, the prefects vanished to the unknown.
Hogsmeade's spring air wasn't something the two prefects prepared for. However, had it not because of the cold, Regulus wouldn't have a valid reason to hold her hand. After a glass of Three Broomstick's extra sweet butterbeer, the prefects exited the pub like a pair of harmonious stars. Their eyes had never left the other's and they stood so close as if some sort of black hole had occured on the space between them, pulling as close as they allowed themselves to be.
"How did you know the path?" queried Gemma curiously as Regulus pushed the front door, allowing her to pass before he did. Frosty air washed over them once they were out of the lively pub. A glance at villagers clock, it was nearing the witching hour.
"Evan." He answered coolly, Regulus had no problem being a pleaser for teachers, or important figure in his parent's acquaintance Ballroom. Yet, he always tried to please them half-heartedly. And that night, he tried to please her as if it was his hobby, for the sake of seeing her adoration beam again.
Gammaliel nodded, "Of course." she threw her gaze to the ground as she spoke. "You know, Evan always know what's cool since we were younger."
"I heard you grew up together."
She gave series of enthusiastic nod. "We did!" her voice was high-pitched, filled of joy. "We met when we were seven. He moved to Somerset with his uncle and we had a lot of lessons together."
His eyes were onto her side profile, watching her eyes gleamed with passion. Regulus peered down at their hands, fingers intertwined, tugged inside his robe pocket for warmth. He bit his inner cheek, trying to dim the excitement burning in his chest. He cleared his throat, "It must be nice."
"It is," there was gentleness in her voice as she nodded. She inhaled deeply, "Evan is my first friend and honestly, I don't think I'll be who I am today had I not met him."
Silence followed her melancholy remark. The two prefects found themselves was surrounded by nothing but the crisp spring air in Hogsmeade High-street. During their usual visit, the village would look like it was coming out of Christmas card—the little thatched cottages and shops,all covered in thick layer of fresh snow; holly wreaths on the doors and strings of enchanted candles hanging in the trees.
During that mid Spring, the snow on the roof had melted away. Trees and grasses were sprouting back to life, the scent of wet grass and hot chocolate from honeydukes invaded the air as saccharine as flowers nectar. In a distance, wandering fairies were beeping its light on one budding tree. Lights and candles were dimmed, their footstalls echoed as they turned to one of the empty alleys.
"Regulus." she called first, the Slytherin turned to face her with a rare, contented expression. Merlin, how the sight of it lurched her soul. She pushed past the thought of his death out of her brain. Albeit, it churned her heart, the thought of knowing how he would die had allowed maggot to feast over her fear before it swamped her being, completely.
"Yes?" Regulus queried back, stopping his steps as she did. The euphonious crickets melody was failing to distract him from staring at her.
Silver eyes helplessly darted to her face, trailing down her lips. He looked back to her eyes, glistening dark sapphire. Lips melon pink, satelliting around him and teased him to no end. It tortured his mind, the thought of having tasted it once and the slight probability to taste it again drove him mad.
"I'm sorry about the other night." Gammaliel breathed unlike she ever did before, hands dug to her pocket to stop herself nicking and pinched her skin anxiously.
Regulus raised his brows, his shoulders stiffened an apparent sign it was what he was waiting for. He tilted his head, "Can we talk about it?" his tone was genuine his gaze to her was filled with softness as if she was made of a star he always talked about. He kept surprising her throughout the night, he wasn't the Regulus Black she met last year.
"Sure."
"Did you not like it?" he queried with a raspy voice, nervous had strangled his throat. Gemma furrowed her brows in respond, curving her lips upward. "Did you not like it when I kissed you?"
"I do." she answered firmly. The witch tilted her head to examine his face, a soft sigh escaped from his lips. "I really do like it. If you are referring as to why I left, it's because I wasn't sure what to do." the girl admitted, keeping her gaze solely towards him. "I don't have the experience in things as such . . . let's put it that way."
Regulus dug his hands to his pocket, leveling his gaze to her, "That—that makes the two of us." he replied right back, stammering. Receiving a nod from Gemma, the boy cleared his throat hoping he could swallow his awkwardness away. "I guess that will be good if we could be inexperienced together."
Gammaliel's brows were arched down. From the village street lights, the Irish caught the way love had stung him, all carmine-faced and a dose of heat was threatening to attack his chest. She teasingly asked, "What are you insinuating?"
Black inhaled deeply, and cold poking his lungs like needles. It tinged in a good way, and he wasn't able to decipher what he was feeling. He could take a guess, but he would never say the word out loud. Steams came out of his quivered lips while his gaze fixated at her. Regulus was arranging the proper words to say, pushing aside the foot-long essay inside his mind telling him not to speak what he wanted.
He shoved the devil's whispers to push her away, because for once in his life, he had never been that happy around someone. The poison was futile when his living antidote stood before him.
"The thing is, I don't know the word, but I know of words." began Regulus, fingers nicking his robe.
Hesitation vanished from his eyes as he went on, "Like, I want to do things with you—I mean not that way... I mean stargazing, letters and everything felt better with you. It's infuriating how badly I am with this—you see, I'm not...I'm not Rosier nor any other boy who could sway words." he paused, and words spindled against his rationale.
Deep down, the Slytherin was terrified to jump into the pit of feelings. How it held both saccharine and cruciferous essence—whereas heartbreak was one torturing battle, falling in love was sailing the seven seas of the world. Limitless, full of temptation and surprises that he wasn't sure of how the deep seas would treat him. But he knew it felt right to be around her.
Regulus's icy irises enlarged, his heart ached with lips parted. "Gammaliel," he spoke hoarsely, shoulders sagged as he went on. "I know I owe you many more dates to make up for my rudeness and incredibly dim-witted words of mine—and perhaps, dances or flowers too. But I would be remiss to not tell you that I wish we could—"
"You do not owe me dates, or any countable things Regulus. Truly, haven't I made it clear to you that our interaction shouldn't always revolve around owe and offers." The Irish cut him off, marine irises dilated at him. "If the word you want to hear from me is that I fancy you too... I do, most ardently."
Before he knew, Black was sailing in Navagio sea held by her eyes. The fleeting of his heart washed over him, ecstatic, once he tasted her pomegranate gloss again. His fingers tangled in her hair matching the continuous flow of euphoria through his blood. Eagerness pushed their body until her back hit the lamp-post. A small chuckle rasped out their mouth, unwilling to part just yet.
"Now, Goddess." he whispered to her ear, with a wicked grin he nuzzled closer against her pulse point, "This is the perfect time to be awfully quiet."
A nod was all he needed and he felt the curve of her smile between their kiss. How could he miss this all his life, yet had it been not for her he wouldn't want to kiss anyone. If hell felt this good, the both of them wouldn't mind staying. One or two love bites later, Regulus was busying himself straightening his collar to hide it from Evan's attentive eyes.
The prefects were marching back to the Scottish castle, the witch tapped her wand on the brick the way he showed her earlier. The bricks shifted as it revealed the secret passage entrance, allowing the torches light to poke through first. The moment they stepped out the path, a sigh of relief came.
Gemma shot up, eyes narrowed in surprise as she found a boy stood before them. "Where the hell have you been?"
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Author's note:
Thank you for 20k reads! ☺️💞
Have a good day!
And this chapter is why I'm team Regulus🥺