The Project | Sirius Black x reader | ✔

A promise for silence

How long had it been since then? You didn't know. You didn't want to know either. Letters piled up on your desk, completely untouched. You hadn't seen the light of day since the wedding, as you'd made sure to keep your curtains closed with a spell so Mildred couldn't open them. 

You still wanted the world to stop spinning, to stop existing for a little while so you could clear your thoughts and forget everything you had seen as the wedding had neared midnight. No- you wish you could undo the inking on Regulus' arm. 

"Miss (y/n)..?" Mildred whispered as she closed the door of your room behind her. "Please miss, you cannot stay locked in here until the end of summer."

You knew she would try to open your curtains like every time she came, to no use, but Mildred always tried. "You haven't touched the dinner I left on your bedside table either... At least eat a little bit, miss (y/n)."

"Leave Mildred," you grumbled from under your blanket. "Take the food and leave."

"...I cannot do that, miss. It's bad for your health," she sighed, and you felt the foot of your bed sink a little bit under the weight of Mildred sitting down. "You have many letters, too. Shouldn't you open them?"

"I don't want to."

"Okay," Mildred hummed. "Claude bought your Hogwarts supplies today for you, knowing you wouldn't want to leave your room... Miss, is there anything I can do?"

"No," you shook your head, shutting your eyes. "Please take the food on your way out."

"Miss (y/n)..." she sighed, standing up. "Master Regulus is at the entrance again. You should really let him in, it seems he needs to talk to you about something important."

"...Make him leave," you tried not to let your voice break mid-sentence. 

"But- he's come here every day to talk to you, and you've refused every single time!" Mildred exclaimed. "You cannot send him back again, miss. It's... it's not good for your family's reputation."

"Make him leave," you repeated. 

"Forgive me, it's a little late for that," she sighed, and the door of your room opened.

You quickly sat up, looking as Regulus came into the room and Mildred left. He didn't say a word, he just stood at the door, looking down.

"Why..?" you managed to say coldly after a minute. 

Regulus didn't reply, and you didn't ask again. He was now looking at you with a tired and stressed expression, and you were returning the stare. It was dark in your room, but there was enough light to see him very clearly.

The silence prevailed for a long and arduous ten minutes of internal conflict. Regulus was the one who came to see you, and yet he hadn't said a word since being there. "Why?!" you repeated, leaning your head on your hands to hide your face. "Why would you-"

"Let me explain," he sighed. "I want to make sure we're on the same page."

"Page?! We're not even in the same library!" you raised your voice, standing up. "How dare you show up here to make sure I 'understand' you! How bloody dare you."

"(Y/n) please. I came here to talk and nothing more," Regulus said, sitting down on your desk's chair before taking out his wand and pointing it at the door of your room. "Muffliato."

"Talk..? Talk about how you're a..." you couldn't finish your sentence as tears spilled down your cheeks and sobs tied a knot in your throat. "How could you... how could you!"

"You're not wrong to hate me, but don't guilt me either," he tugged on the sleeve of his shirt nervously. "I never meant for you to find out. You weren't supposed to. I was careful around everyone, especially you."

"I don't hate you," you mumbled. "I just- I'm just... I'm hurt, Regulus. I'm hurt and heartbroken at this. How could you even think of doing that?! Much less actually get the mark! What about me, your brother... everyone?! What about Dafne?! You're friends with her, aren't you? She's a muggle-born! And that mark- you know exactly what that represents."

"None of you have anything to do with this," Regulus scoffed, "and that's exactly why I came here to talk to you. You cannot know, (y/n). No one else can know."

"...You came here to buy my silence," you frowned in disbelief. "What right do you think you have to show up in my house and force me to keep quiet. You have a lot of nerve to do that."

"You don't have another choice. I never wanted to get you meddled in this. The wizarding world is at war, (y/n). It's dangerous enough that you know, so stop being so stubborn. Don't get others involved in something that isn't their business."

"Not their business?" you repeated. "My best friend is a death eater! Sirius' brother is a death eater! Like hell it isn't our business!"

"I'm sorry you found out. I truly am," his voice cracked as he looked down, a single tear falling onto his hand. "You don't deserve to be brought into this, (y/n). That's why you mustn't tell anyone."

"And you deserve it?" you held in your breath for a few seconds, doubtfully walking towards him. "You deserve to be part of this terrible war?! Why? What happened that made you become one of his followers, Regulus?!"

"...My parents are glad," Regulus looked up, forcing a smile through his crying. "They're proud of me for this. I- I've made them proud for the first time, (y/n). I've wanted to make them proud at least once."

You kneeled in front of him, wrapping your arms around Regulus tightly before he did the same. You were hurt, infuriated, betrayed, but he was broken, and no matter how much you wanted to throw him into a lake for bearing the dark mark, you couldn't let him try to piece himself together alone.

You fisted your hands and lightly punched his chest, leaning your forehead against it at the same time, as tears spilled onto Regulus' shirt. "Dammit, Regulus. The course of your life has been decided, and you could be in peril. All that for what? For the approval of parents who never cared for you?!"

"I'm sorry," he cried, leaning his head on your shoulder as he stooped off the chair and onto the ground. "Don't tell anyone. Don't even think of it. Especially not Sirius... Please don't tell him. Please. You cannot let anyone know, it's dangerous."

"It is dangerous," you nodded. "You're in a dark world with no escape now, aren't you?"

"I don't want to drag you or anyone in it," Regulus whispered. "So please promise me you won't say a word, (y/n)."

"...Okay. I'll keep your secret," you gulped reluctantly. "A promise for a promise, Regulus. Promise me you'll be safe. That you'll do everything in your power to be safe, and I won't say a word about your dark mark."

"...I can try to do that," he looked up at you, blinking away the remaining tears. "We've been sheltered from the war at Hogwarts, but you'll be a seventh year in a few days. When you graduate you- you'll be exposed to the war. You won't be protected by headmaster Dumbledore anymore. By keeping this a secret, you're staying safe as well."

"Yeah... I'll carry the burden of your secret. So this means we're accomplices now."

☆☆☆ AUTHOR NOTE☆☆☆

With two heavy promises, I can now close the last Hogwarts summer storyline. 

Well then, things seem to have taken a somber turn. Carrying the burden of the dark mark's secret, being an accomplice to a Death Eater... not even seventh year yet and already this? 

Pls I was so fast to write this chapter but I waited like ten hours before publishing so I could let the cliffhanger of Midnight Waltz sink in.

AND YES, I CHANGED THE COVER OF THE PROJECT, SO FEAR NOT. 

- Camille and ᓚᘏᗢ