[ 1 ] EXPLODE ( r. black ! )

nineteen || without a doubt

ACT ONE; CHAPTER NINETEEN
WITHOUT A DOUBT

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THERE WAS A persistent grab of her lower arm that caused her to spin round in a rage of fury. Before she could tell the boy to take his hands off, he'd studied her face and predicted the order, letting his gentle grip fall. The act didn't soften Eleanor's heated mood and she continued in her stormy path, even though Regulus' face had written every emotion she had wanted to see from him.

                However, then he spoke and Eleanor couldn't grasp enough calm energy to listen to the full sentence, but she knew it started with, "What you heard wasn't how y—"

                "Save yourself – and me – more embarrassment and don't deny what I clearly heard, Black."

                Knowing it was useless to try and continue, the boy settled on another form of stopping Eleanor by speeding up his pace so he could stay in front of her. For a moment, her mouth opened to warn him that by jogging backwards he was increasing his possibility of injury but she was too angry to care – and she somewhat knew she'd prevent it despite everything. Even when, yet again, his voice brought more anger than she could stomach.

                "Where are you going?"

                "I don't know." Eleanor replied in a huff, coming to an abrupt stop that Regulus clearly didn't anticipate so soon, causing him to take three steps to reclose the gap between them. "To tell Dumbledore, maybe."

                "Eleanor, you can't." He stated firmly, making her scoff, which he waved away with seriousness the only thing she could read clearly. "I'm not saying that to save myself and I'm definitely not saying it to save them lot in there... If you tell anybody then they'll know it was you, so they'll kill you and everyone you care about. This meeting is too important for mistakes."

                Still soothingly furious, the girl rose an eyebrow and prepared to strike where she knew it would hurt. "What's it about? Getting your Dark Mark? Oh, I forgot you'd already bloody gotten it!"

                Admittedly, as the boy flinched his left arm back to hide away, Eleanor's anger faltered only to be plastered on thicker. No matter how many dark thoughts about escaping death the easiest way, she couldn't possibly imagine receiving the Mark. All of the rumours of horrific procedures – ones that, Eleanor had read, must be done with a clear mind unless they wished to be on the receiving end as it rebounds – brought sickness inside of Eleanor.

                While he rubbed his left arm as if he hoped that would make the tattoo that aligned itself with death fade away, Regulus firmly looked into Eleanor's eyes. "I'm doing what I have to do."