Through Death and Destruction | Regulus Black

Chapter 22 - lie to me

It had been just over two months since Amaryllis and Regulus had left Hogwarts. In that time Amaryllis had done what had been expected of her. She wasn't thrilled by it, as many would be, but that didn't mean she didn't want the child growing inside of her. It was still her child after all, and she was going to give it the best life she knew how.

"Amy, what are you doing?" Regulus asked her when he noticed she was just sitting at the table and staring out in front of her.

She'd been sitting there a lot over the past few days. The days since she'd found out. She was, in her head trying to come up with the best way to tell her husband what she'd done. Because really, she didn't think he'd be happy.

"I'm thinking." She responded still not making eye contact with him. "I need to tell you something and I don't think you'll be very happy."

Regulus was confused by this. He didn't think there was anything Amaryllis could do to make him angry with her. Things were strong between them.

"I'm sorry, I really am." She told him.

"What did you do?" He asked.

"I made deal." She explained her speech getting faster the further along she got. "The Dark Lord came to visit me just before we were married. I made a deal with him so he'd cover my mark for the wedding. I knew there was a chance Sirius or one of his friends could be there and if they saw it I'd be arrested. I couldn't have that happen."

"What did you do?" He asked again.

Amaryllis had been dreading this. She didn't want to have to tell him. But she knew it wasn't fair on him.

"I'm pregnant." She said.

Regulus just stared at her. He didn't have any words for what she'd just told him.

"He said I must at least be with child a year after our marriage." She explained.

There was silence for a moment as Regulus tried to process what Amaryllis had told him.

"We never agreed on this." He shouted at her.

If it weren't for the world she was in, she would have certainly recoiled the volume of his voice. However, having to act the way she had been meant that she didn't even flinch. She was so much better at concealing her shock.

"It was this or death." She responded smoothly looking him directly in the eye. "I'd rather be stuck with a child than be killed for not producing one."

"You didn't have to make that deal." He told her.

"Oh yeah and be arrested on my wedding day." She snapped standing up, so she was closer to his level. "That sounds like it would have been amazing."

"So instead you're going to have a baby in the middle of a war." He pointed out.

Amaryllis sighed and went back to sitting down. She needed to relax. If she wasn't relaxed she didn't think there would be any way for her to convince Regulus to relax.

"I know it's not ideal." She responded. "But it saves both our lives. Don't you want to have children?"

"Of course, but once the war's over." He said.

"And if we get arrested?" She asked.

"It's worse if we have a child." He said.

"I want to know, that no matter what I'm going to be able to have someone out there that loves me." She explained. "If you're taken from me I want something to hold on to."

Amaryllis stood up as she spoke. She knew it was getting ridiculous, all this standing up and sitting down but her mood kept changing. She kept calming down slightly then he would say something making her annoyed again.