Love, Life, And Lies- Regulus Black

.fleeting happiness.

.this life or any other, you won't be alone.

The sunlight was a lovely change. The weather during the entirety of the last few weeks had been a rush of torrential downpours. Yet on the last day of exams, it had stopped. Summer, it seemed, had been ushered in behind the full force of spring storms. As I stepped out into the courtyard after my last and final exam, the bright rays hit my face, easing its gentle warmth into my soul. The air was warm and sweet, and the branches of the trees that lined the forbidden forest swayed in a gentle breeze. I closed my eyes, desperately clinging to the moment. Serenity was a rare feeling, so when it's brief moments came, I cherished it.

"Breathe the free air again, my love." A gentle voice echoed behind me. A slight smile fought its way to my features as I turned to catch a glimpse of him. Seeing him there, leaning against a stone pillar, arms folded against his chest made my heart speed up to a remarkably rapid pace.I sighed as I thought of what it would be like to indeed breathe "free" air as he had implied.

"You use the term "free" very loosely. We may be finished with the restraints of school, but we are still caged animals waiting to do our master's bidding."

He chuckled slightly, his eyes crinkling in the corners. "That was a remarkably depressing sentiment, and one that I am going to choose to ignore."

"Well, what if I have a hard time ignoring reality?" I questioned, my smile widening as I took in the gleam in his eyes.

He moved towards me; his movement no was fluid and graceful. "Then, for a small moment, let's not ignore it, but rather escape it completely."

"And how do you propose we do that?" I breathed, my breath catching in my chest as he neared me.

"I might have a few ideas." Came his reply, his voice unwavering. The fiery look in his eyes was enough to make me lose my cool. He reached for my hand and pulled me against him. His breath fanned across my face. He reached up and tenderly stroked my cheek, his fingers light and soft against my skin.

All at once, I remembered where we were. The school courtyard was not the most private of places. Anyone could be watching, and the thought of someone seeing us together in such a way terrified me. It was our secret, and it was precious.

"Regulus, not here," I whispered, letting out a slow breath and drawing upon all of my willpower to push myself out of his embrace. "Anyone could be watching."

A horrifying image came to my mind of Severus Snape walking around the corner and catching us together in a close embrace. Anyone who saw us together would happily take such information to the Dark Lord, and undoubtedly my life would be shattered to pieces yet again. But if that were to happen, I wouldn't ever recover from the loss. Regulus was my light and without him, my life would be thrown into a darkness so thick that I would never find my way out. It would kill me. I might have been too cautious, but too much caution was never a terrible thing, especially when the alternative was to have my entire soul ripped apart.

He sighed in resignation; grabbed my book bag and my arm, and pulled me from the courtyard down the path that led to the Black Lake. As luck would have it, we were the only students who had wandered so far from the school courtyard. We resolved to sit under a giant beech tree that graced the shore of the lake.

The sight was remarkably beautiful. Pale green leaves from the nearby tree swayed lightly in a warm breeze. The surrounding mountains also added to the majesty of the setting. Purple wildflowers were starting to grow on their peaks; their reflection appeared as bright as purple glass in the water.

We sat in silence for a few moments. Regulus had his back to the tree trunk, and I leaned comfortably against his knees, watching the birds soar around the grounds. As he gently ran his fingers through my hair, I realized that I hadn't felt so at peace in ages—possibly even years. Every waking moment was spent agonizing over my life as a Death Eater. There was never any escape. Yet, at this moment, it all felt so distant. Almost as if it was a distant dream that didn't hold any significant value.