From Eden - Regulus Black (Complete)

Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Three

THE PREPARATION

TW: SUCIDICE IDEALISATION (very short part of the chapter, don't worry, but beware before you continue)

Anne stared at the letter in her hands and the small boxes of different colours in front of her on the dinner table right after breakfast while everybody else was getting ready for the burial-service, Regulus sitting beside her with Laurie on his arms as she frowned, uncomfortable with what she read.

"Do you mind reading it out-loud?" Regulus asked, his curiosity winning from his respect this time around.

"It's just... Dumbledore and Monty left things to me in their testament wishes," she explained, still frowning. "It's odd. I mean, I expected something from Monty, of course, but Dumbledore's testament certainly took me by surprise."

"What did they leave you?"

Anne put the letter down, getting up from her seat and fixing the long, dark skirt of her black dress and sighed.

"More than I expected," she admitted. "Dumbledore left me his wand," she admitted.

To leave someone a wand was... intimate. It was something done between father-child or, perhaps, lovers and since they had neither dynamic in their relationship, the present certainly was an odd one. She blinked at the letter in silence as she finished reading it

"Did he say why?"

"They said there's a ring and a letter inside his box," she added, not answering Regulus' question.

Slowly, he reached for the box of silver colour, adorned with silk ribbons tying it together. He put it right in front of her so she could open it once she was ready for that. It didn't take long, as he thought it would. Anne reached for the box and pulled the ribbon almost straight away with a concentrated frown on her face.

She took the letter almost straight away, not even looking at the other contents inside.

"Will you read it to me?" Regulus asked. "You don't need to, if you think it's too personal."

"There's nothing personal between Dumbledore and I," she answered. "Whatever he has to say, it's probably bullshit anyways. I'll read."

"Alright," he said in a mumble.

Anne opened the letter, taking a deep breath as her eyes travelled through the page of small calligraphy. She had to squint her eyes to understand it completely, but she managed to start reading.

"Dear Miss Anne Potter, if you received this letter, this means my adventures on mortal earth are done and I began a new one in somewhere far away and new. This also means that the war isn't over and I died in action and I have failed you and left you to deal with the consequences of my actions once more and, for that, I apologise," she read. Regulus nodded along in support. "My death will mean a lot to the world either we like how it sounds or not. My death will make Tom believe he's won, but you need to make sure he knows he's wrong soon enough. He's already gathered all the support he could and nobody will sway sides in other countries anymore, our main worry is our dear Kingdom and Ireland," she stopped once more, to signify a change of paragraph. "My dear child, I know of the stone and cloak you have in your possession and, therefore, I believe you know the significance I believe my wand to have, and I leave that for you, hoping that you know the instructions of those who have it in their possession – do not be selfish with that, Anne. Be careful and leave your recklessness to other parts of your life, but not to the Hallows. Make sure you don't have all of them together and on you," she took a deep breath, ignoring Regulus' confused look. "With you I leave my sister's ring as well. That one has no magical significance, but only sentimental. In old times, many soldiers would adorn their armour with ruby for it was believed it would affect its protection of the body and some even went as far as putting it inside their skin, though I have the faith you'll be smarter than that. With that ring I promise you that, in life, I was completely committed to our cause."