The Art of Dying - R. Black

thirty five

Regulus Black

Part of me wants to leave right now. To not get her anymore involved with this-, with me. But as the pale morning sunlight is shining in through her bedroom window, casting shadows across the duvet, I can't bring myself to leave.

I'm selfish.

That's why I came here in the first place. I could've gone to see Evan, or Barty, or even Pandora. But I wanted to see her again.

I didn't have any intentions of sleeping with her again, it just happened. And now I'm worried that she's going to wake up and hate me even more.

Meredith shuffles beside me, starting to wake up. I ran my fingers through her hair, memorizing every freckle on her face.

She opened her eyes and smiled at me.

"You're still here," She whispered.

I nodded, "Yeah, I'm still here."

Meredith sits up in bed, the white sheets pooling around her waist. "I thought that you might've left, gone home."

I shook my head.

Meredith glances over at me before getting out of bed, wrapping a fluffy robe around her body.

She paced around her room, getting clothes out of her dresser. When she took off her robe and started to get dressed, I looked away, peering at the back yard outside of her window.

"This doesn't change anything between us," Meredith said.

I looked back at her. She was smoothing out her shirt, looking at the wardrobe in front of her.

"I know," I replied, trying to hide my disappointment.

As much as I wanted her to say that she'll take me back, that we'll figure things out, that it doesn't matter because we love each other, that's not going to happen.

I glanced over at the clock on her nightstand.

10:23.

"I have to go home," I said, watching as she moved about her room to get ready for the day.

Meredith stopped and looked over at me.

"You're actually going back there?" She asked, her voice quiet.

I nodded, "Yes, I have to."

"No, you don't. You don't have to go back."

I frowned, "Trust me, princess, I do."

Meredith picked up my clothes off of the floor and sat them on the edge of the bed. "Okay," She muttered, sounding slightly annoyed.

I started getting dressed, trying to ignore the loud silence between us.

"So, what are you doing today?" I asked, silently cursing myself for the stupid question.

Meredith sat on the edge of her bed and put on her shoes.

"I'm going to Marlene and Dorcas's flat," She answered. "They're having some people over for Easter."

"Your parents aren't home?"

She shook her head. "No, they're both at work. So that's why I'm going to see my sister and her friends."

And her friends.

"Is my br-, is Sirius going to be there?" I asked, buttoning my pants.

"Yes, James and Lily are on their honeymoon so I would assume he'll be insufferable without him."

I grabbed my shoes off of the floor and slipped them on, feeling Meredith's eyes on me.

"Why'd you tell McGonagall to switch up patrols?" I asked.