Stars and Mist | Regulus Black

PART ii

"You're playing a dangerous game, Liora Mistead-Gaunt, and one day it'll come and bite you in the back."

"At least I don't have that ugly mess of a tattoo you call a 'mark' on my arm."

 ***

The new school year is a mess. No one cares about grades, no one cares about their O.W.Ls, and the only thing people care about now is the war. The library is filled with students, but not to study like it was last year; this time, people are checking out defensive spells in hopes of protecting themselves. 

After all, no one wants to die.

 Liora Mistead-Gaunt is reserved. Every day, she has to remind herself don't talk to people. It isn't as hard for Mirabel; the latter doesn't talk to many people, and Liora Gaunt and Gabiel Ollivander can be trusted. Unfortunately, it's hard to avoid someone when they're hanging around you day by day, and Liora has to remember that nobody can be trusted.

 Regulus Black is excited. He's just been notified that the Dark Lord has a mission for him, and he wants to show the best side of himself to Voldemort. He knows that Evan is on the Dark Lord's side, but there's an inching feeling that crawls up Regulus's spine whenever he sees his friend. It's like Evan knows something he doesn't, and Evan wants to tell Regulus what he knows but can't.

 People always say that there are two sides to every story, like a piece of paper, but they often forget that a good story is three-dimensional and real. So when Regulus is told to make his first murder, he is forced to consider what the Dark Lord wants from him, and if the Dark Lord is lying about anything- maybe even his heritage. But if Regulus disagrees with Voldemort- if he wants to defect, will that ruin him? 

***

"I'm not of either side. The world is three-dimensional, not a cartoon, and often in a war there are more than two conflicting sides."