•°. *࿐CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE
the disrupted ball ⋆.ೃ࿔*:･
𝓡egulus Black held the orange plastic bottle firmly in his grip, one hand on the sink and one on the item. Beads of sweat fell from his forehead, splashing against the water he had run. Fear and anger was all he felt, his need to feel something other than that was strong. Regulus knew he could see Elora, she would make him feel something other than this but he couldn't, he didn't want to reminisce in what happened and seeing her face would only bring the horror back.
"Don't be an idiot" The boy whispered to himself, pushing away from the sink and staring at his reflection in the mirror. The bathroom was dark, the door locked tightly and a candle burning brightly beside him. Sirius was gone, he wasn't coming back, but he couldn't quite come to terms with it. His mother appeared somewhat sad, her temper to a minimum and her frown firm, however neither one of his parents said anything.
Kreacher appeared beside the boy, holding onto his hand which gripped the bottle. "Regulus, you don't need to do this" He whispered, aware of the time and the fact the boys parents were sleeping. The brunette sank down to the floor, pushing his friend away. "You don't get it, I cant go on like this" He whispered back, the elf returning to his side and sitting with him.
"There's ways around it, have you spoken to the girl?" Kreacher asked, looking up to the boy who instantly rolled his eyes. "I told you, her names Elora- Kreacher you know this" The elf looked away, he had never loved the relationship Regulus and Elora held as it distanced himself from the boy, however he respected the boys wishes and he equally held a liking for the girl.
"If this really is what you want, then as your elf I won't stop you, but as your friend, I will be deeply disappointed" Kreacher said once more before vanishing out of the bathroom. "Aren't you all" The boy whispered, opening the bottle and pouring a singular pill into his hand.
He crushed it with a razor blade, placing it aside and using a piece of paper to inhale the drug. Tears fell from the boys eyes as the rush hit him, his mind turning numb and his eyes drooping slightly. "Im sorry" He whispered to himself, falling against the tiled floor and lying down on it. His brunette hair collided with the coldness of the tiles, sending his body into ecstacy.
Regulus' tears turned to a permanent frown as his gaze reaches his wrist, the dark mark was all he could see, hear and smell. Panicked he rushed to his feet, climbing clothed into the shower and turning on the water. Specs of water fell onto his hair, drowning it in his tears. The boy picked up a sponge, running it under the water as he began to scrub his wrist. The sponge scraped against his skin, peeling away a fresh layer and burning it red. The mark didn't disappear, and never did his pain.
He sped up his pace, scrubbing until his skin bled and his tears turned to sobs, his clothes drenched in water and blood dripping from his wrist where the mark remained. "What have I done" He whispered, falling against the shower and bringing his knees up to his chest.
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Elora placed herself infront of the mirror, her black laced gown falling against her feet. She had made sure to find a long sleeved dress, the sweetheart neck and lace covering up the dark mark in which she couldn't get out of her mind, a tattoo of death. "Are you ready to go?" Ariyah called, knocking twice on the door before entering. The brunette looked towards the girl, her own light blue gown fitting her waist perfectly. "Regulus was supposed to come" The blonde whispered, looking towards her friend through the mirror she stood infront of.
"Im sure he will be there, he's probably just busy" Ariyah spoke, walking towards the blonde and placing her hand on the girls shoulder. "Can you put this on for me?" She asked, picking up a snake necklace from her vanity. The necklace a gift she had bought herself to honour Regulus, she remembered how upset he was to get into Slytherin, ironic given the fact his whole family belong there. However, he had always looked up to Sirius, and he watched as his brother gained respect at Hogwarts, friends for life and love he held closely, and so the girl not wanting the boy to be ashamed of himself brought a snake necklace, to make him feel less alone.
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The two girls walked hand in hand, Eloras hair pulled back into a tight low bun and Ariyahs settling at her hips in ringlets. "Are you ready to do this" The blonde whispered towards the brunette, the girl holding onto her hand even tighter as they pushed open the grand door to the ball. Crowds of people danced and drank within the double doors, laughter and smiles filling the air. The smell of rich champagne and truffles lingered under the girls noses as they walked further into the ball.
Sirius Black walked over to the two, his suit pristine and his hair neatly combed back, a smile plastered his face, a tie hung tightly on his neck, and beside him was James Potter, looking equally as dashing. "Well I must say girls, you each look beautiful" Sirius spoke, although his eyes were settled on Ariyah as he said it.
The brunette blushed a shade of crimson, looking away as laughter escaped her lips. Noise sounded from the double doors, Regulus stumbling in wearing a shirt with no blazer or tie, only a pale waistcoat, his buttons undone at the top and his hair messy. He wore white puff sleeves and a grin. "Don't tell me-" Elora whispered, looking over at her lover who could barely even walk. "Do you want me to handle this" Sirius asked, standing beside the girl but she shook her head. "No" The blonde replied, storming over to the boy and grabbing his arm toughly.
"I waited an hour for you" The girl spoke, dropping his touch once he had stood up and fully acknowledged her. "Wendy" Regulus stuttered, moving his arms to wrap them round the girl but she slapped them away. "You're just embarrassed because I was like...this amazing thing like your special creation or something and you don't like who I am now" Regulus grew cold at the girls absence, anger and pain rising in his throat. "Who are you, Regulus?" Elora asked, turning to face the boy. "This is me Elora! Here this is who I am!" He shouted back, his voice suddenly turning from pain to humour, as though the drugs were toying with his mind and emotion.
The blonde turned away from the boy, walking in the opposite direction but the boy followed behind her, a glass of champagne in his hand. "Do you want to know what I honestly think of you?" The girl asked, turning to face him as her temper rose. "What do you think of me?" He asked, a sudden interest in her words had him following her every footstep with anticipation.
"I despise you" Elora lied, wanting to hurt the boy yet he couldn't take her completely seriously. "Why do you despise me?" He asked, sipping quickly at his glass. "Because instead of being good, happy and useful you are lazy faulty and miserable" The blonde sighed, trying not to cry with how much the boy had let her down. She understood he was hurting, but she was hurting too, and this act of rebellion he was putting on was so selfish, after everything they had achieve, he would just waste it away in a second.
"ooo, this is interesting" The boy smirked, amused by her anger and taking no hurt towards her words. "Yes well selfish people do like to talk" Elora replied, the two still walking further and further into the party. The three friends watched eagerly from a distance, their gazes set on the two and what was to come. "Am I selfish?" Regulus laughed, harder than he had intended to.
"Yes very selfish" The blonde spat, tired of his games and implacable humour. "With your money, talent, beauty and-" She added.
"You think im beautiful" Regulus' smirk grew, stopping in his tracks as he placed down the glass of champange and looked towards the girl. "yes of course you like that you old vanity" She replied, continuing to walk away in which the boy followed. "All these good things to enjoy and you can find nothing to do but waste yourself away- don't try and pretend you aren't high, I know you better then you know yourself and I won't sit here and watch you do this" She spoke, each word crushing her heart as he continued to act like a fool.
The boy reached forward, grabbing her arm and pulling her back. He held her hand close, reaching his head back and speaking in a mocking voice. "Oh I will be good for you saint Elora I will be good" He exaggerated as though he was acting out a play, soon to be followed by the laughter in which he found himself funny.
"Aren't you ashamed of a hand like that?" Elora asked, looking down to how he held her. "No im not" He replied, shaking his head and bringing her hand up to kiss tenderly. "It looks like its never done a day of work in its life and its ridiculous" She snapped, pulling her hand sharply away from his grip, sending his body falling forward at the action.
"You gave me this ring, for my fourteenth birthday- remember?" Regulus asked, his humour cutting to a minimum as all joy was pulled from his body. "I feel sorry for you I really do" Elora spoke, walking closer to the boy as he held his gifted ring in his hand. "I just wish you'd bare it better" She added, looking the boy up and down with disappointment.
"You don't have to feel sorry for me Elora, you'll feel the same one day- when we are married and have children, your life being handed to you on a gold plate, our house big and luxurious, a grand stair case and glass chandelier" The boy responded, picking another glass up from a waiter.
"Well I would be respected if I couldn't be loved" The girl said, Regulus growing annoyed at her words. "But you are loved Elora, I love you so dearly" The boy begged, getting down on his hands and knees infront of her. "Then why are you doing this to yourself, its selfish Regulus"
"What have you done lately, oh great writer" Regulus spoke, standing to his feet and downing the rest of the champagne in the glass. As he finished his words he fell forwards slightly, placing the empty glass on the floor. "Perhaps you are fantasising about how next to help Tom" He said, walking away from her.
"Tom Riddle ladies and gentleman" The boy shouted, although the crowd was too loud for anyone to hear. He picked up another glass, throwing the continents into the air as the music turned down and everyone stopped to stare at the two. The boy awkwardly spun around, stumbling out of the room as everyone watched eagerly towards the girl who said nothing.
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A moment went by before the music began blasting again and everyone treated the situation as though nothing had happened. Elora fell silent, a cold draft blowing in through an open window and sending goosebumps on the back of her neck. She peered her eyes, a black figure appearing through the window as another did through the door, and then another, each covering an exit.
Regulus was unable to get out of the door, a figure stood right infront of him, preventing him to do so. Each one was wearing an iron mask, but the two weren't stupid, they caught glimpse of the marks on each of their wrists, Bellatrix's curly hair falling out of one of the masks.
Everyone fell silent as the tallest figure took out his wand, "Avada Kedabra" the voice called out, pointing his wand towards a girl in a bright pink dress, her face froze as her body blasted backwards, smashing against the floor. And just like that, she was dead. "The devil, he's here!" Someone screamed out, everyones silence turning to a mass of screams and panic as spells we cast at those running and more and more bodies continued to get trampled on as they fell towards the ground, the life removed form each of them. Regulus turned around, almost as though it was in slow motion, the shock from Eloras mind caused everything to become slow "Elora" He shouted, reaching out his hand and picking up his pace as hundreds of students began to scream and run around in panic. "Regulus" She called out, almost a whispered. The two running towards each other in fear. As their hands met, he pulled her close, pointing towards a door at the end of the room.
"Wait- we cant leave the others" Elora panicked, suddenly coming back to reality. She circled around to try and find her best friends. "I am not letting you get hurt" He replied, pulling her towards the door but she stopped him. "I am not leaving here without Ariyah" She shouted, the boy sighing and nodding his head. "I will find her, I promise but I need you to go. Please" Regulus begged, pushing the girl through the door and holding it tight before she could protest. He grabbed a candle holder and pushed it through the door handles, preventing her from getting out.
"Regulus!" She screamed, kicking at the door and trying to unlock it. "Elora I will find her, and the others but I cant risk your life for it-" A spell was cast just above his head, causing the boy to fall against the floor. Elora kicked harder at the door, "Regulus!" She shouted even louder but the boy took off, crawling against the floor and looking for the others.
He watched as Bellatrix took hold of Ariyah, wrapping her arm over her neck and holding her wand towards it. Sirius dropped his wand, pleading with his cousin who refused to comply. The girl suddenly vanished with Ariyah in her hands. The boy watched as his brother fell towards the ground, picking up his wand when he caught eyes with his brother and began to run over.
Regulus stood to his feet, joining his brother as the both of them crouched down behind a table. "She's got her, I don't know where they've gone" Sirius panicked, his head in his hands and his forehead sweating.
"I think I might know- Malfoy manor, can you apparate there whilst I go and get Elora?" Regulus asked his brother who nodded his head, closing his eyes and disappearing from the boys side. The younger brother took off, heading towards the door and beginning to pull the candle holder away. When he opened the door Elora sat by the window, tears in her eyes and her head placed against her knees.
She looked up, startled but then inflamed with anger and relief when she saw the boy. "Regulus Black how dare you scare me like that, you left me in here, unable to help you or anyone else I am not some item you can just lock away"
A hand suddenly collided with Regulus' shoulder, the boy falling cold as Eloras face dropped, as though she had just seen a ghost. Her eyes trailed up to the figure behind the boy, her skin turning pale and her body suddenly gasping for air. "Long time no see" Tom smirked, walking in with Lucius behind him and carefully locking the door with his wand.
Regulus sharply moved his shoulder away, walking back until he was next to the girl. "What do you want" He spat, holding his hand out for the girl to take in which she did immediately. "Didn't you enjoy the little show we put on? Me and Lucius thought you two of all people would enjoy it the most" The dark haired boy spoke, waving his wand about as though it was a careless.
"Lucius" Tom spoke, the boy pulling out his wand as Regulus did the same. "Expelliarmus" He shouted, sending Lucius' wand flying across the room. "I always forgot you were quick with you spells" Toms chuckle was low and cold. Lucius held his breath, walking closer towards the two, distracting Regulus as Tom pointed his wand towards the boy. "Stupefy" He said calmly, the boy flying across the room and smashing into the wall. "Merlin-" Elora called out as the blonde boy grabbed hold of her arm and pulled her back into him.
Lucius grabbed onto the girl as Tom did the boy, the four apparating from the room.
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