RISE OF THE FALL | R.B.

XXV.

Disclaimer: The Harry Potter World belongs to J.K. Rowling.

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CHAPTER XXV.

"Reia," Regulus said softly from outside the door, his voice muffled.

But Reia ignored him-and Josie, as she tried to get him to go away from the inside of the door.

"Josie, please," Regulus begged, "please, let me in. I need to talk to her."

"No, go away, Reg," Josie said firmly, "She needs time to herself. To think. To figure things out."

"Time won't explain anything to her," Came Regulus' muffled voice, "It doesn't talk, and it never will. But it will let me talk for it. So let me, Josie. Please."

"I'm sorry, Regulus," Josie said with a sigh, "I can't. Reia's orders."

Reia interrupted, "No, it's okay. Let him in. I want to talk to him, too."

Josie gave her a surprised look, and Reia just shrugged.

"He's right," Reia said, "Time won't explain itself. I need him to explain to me."

She got to her feet and went to the door, turning the doorknob and opening the door.

She hadn't cried-she didn't cry, even though she'd felt like crying. She had very much wanted to.

But Reia didn't cry about things like these; she didn't cry about things that she knew she could get out of.

"Reia," Regulus breathed, scanning her carefully as though making sure that she was okay, "I'm sorry...I..."

Reia pulled him close and hugged him, treasuring the comfort that she felt in his arms.

"Don't say sorry to me," Reia said, gently touching his cheek, "Tell me why."

***

"My mother," Regulus sighed, "is very insistent on me finding a pure-blooded wife."

Reia swallowed, "As I would expect."

Regulus shook his head, shutting his eyes, "But I don't want a pure-blooded wife. Not when you're here. Not when you're my friend-not when there's you, Rei."

Reia smiled a little, "That's sweet."

Regulus smiled at her, but as he continued, it quickly disappeared, "My family don't care about what I want, though. They think I need a pure-blooded wife. And they think that they have already given me so much freedom by just allowing me to even be near you. But being around you-being your friend-I've realised that there's more to the world than just blood purity, and prejudice, and that people are more complex than just pure-blood, half-blood and muggle-born. People are more complex than their blood status."

Regulus glanced around the empty dorm; it was empty, because Josie had left the moment that the two of them had sat down, silently excusing herself from the room.

Regulus was glad of it, too. He didn't need an audience-nobody other than Reia-listening to him tell this story. Even if it was Josie.

But Reia was the only person that Regulus was sure would never tell his parents about what he was about to tell her.

"And I want to be near you, but they don't think I should. They don't think I should even speak to you. But we've been friends since First Year-and I'm sorry for everything-,"

"How did your parents even know?" Reia interrupted, placing a hand on Regulus' arm.

"They knew," Regulus clenched and unclenched his hands, "because obviously, somebody told them. It could've been Josie, for all I know. Or Lucius, or Narcissa, or Fagan. I really don't want to suspect them, and I don't it was them-but I don't care who it was." He set his jaw, "Somebody told them-it doesn't matter who. It matters why. Why would somebody who knew of our getting together ever tell my parents? It wasn't like we began snogging in the corridors and made it really obvious-and I didn't tell anybody other than Lucius...did you?"

"Only Josie and Narcissa," Reia shook her head, "Only them."

Regulus sighed, "Anyway...I'm a...a...bad person. I come from a family of dark magic and pure-blood and prejudice and hatefulness...it's...not fair to you."

"Are you breaking up with me?"

"No," Regulus said quickly, "No, no, no. I'm just...are you okay with this? My parents...they have ties with the worst people. I have ties with the worst people." He glanced down at his forearm before quickly meeting her eyes, "I don't want you to become ever tied to me if you don't want to."

"I don't care," Reia shook her head, "I know...I know we're just kids-but our lives will become real the moment we graduate from Hogwarts next year. We will not be kids anymore. And we will all develop ties with bad people. We will all find traitors amongst our friends. And it doesn't matter who you are tied to, Reg. Because we are all tied to people. And I don't care about a mark on your arm which you had no choice in."

"The thing is, Rei," Regulus said, "It's not just any mark. It's the Dark Mark. And you don't have one. And I don't ever want you to get one."

"I won't." Reia promised him, "But...I don't care that you do have one."

"Reia," Regulus said, frustrated, "My Mother and Father are willing to harm you-hurt you just because I want to be with you. They are very cruel people."

Reia shut her eyes, "They won't ever be able to catch me."

Regulus shook his head, "Rei, this isn't a joking matter. I don't want you to be hurt. I don't want us to become so difficult that it causes you fear, or worry, or stress."

"It doesn't," Reia reassured him, "Regulus, the thought that I'm with you-that I'm your girlfriend-it does not cause me fear, or worry, or stress. In fact, it makes me very, very happy. Besides," She added with a small smile, "You'll always be by my side, won't you? You'll always be here."

"Of course I will be," Regulus said with a nod, completely sincerely; completely genuinely.

A moment of silence hung between the two of them.

"It really does make you happy?" Regulus asked, breaking the silence at last.

"It does," Reia promised him, "You don't ever have to worry about that. When I look at you, I don't think about the mark on your arm-even if it's a Dark Mark. When I look at you, I think of Reg-my best friend, my boyfriend, the friend who had supported me through everything."

Regulus smiled.

Author's Note:

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