Raven | 𝘙𝘦𝘨𝘶𝘭𝘶𝘴 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬

Chapter 32

Alexandra felt a shiver rush down her spine at those words. She had heard him say it before, but this time it felt different. It felt more real.

    "I — I don't understand..." she whispered, shaking her head. "If you really like me, then why would you try to push me back?"

     "That's exactly the reason I do it, Alex!" Regulus snapped loudly, catching her off guard by his harsh tone.

     He then huffed loudly as he turned his back on her again, running a hand through his black hair in frustration. Alexandra's heart was racing and her thoughts were going wild as she watched him pace around the room anxiously.

      "W-well," she started with a little stutter, looking down at her feet, "I — I like you too, Reggie."

     Alexandra couldn't see his face, but Regulus had gone pale at those words, so he just turned around to face her with horror washed all over his face.

     "No." He shook his head weakly. "You can't..."

     "Why!?" Alexandra asked in frustration.

     "Damn it, Alex! Because I'm trying to protect you! Don't you see!? As long as you're with me, you're not safe!"

     Alexandra was growing tired of all the unanswered questions in her life. First it was her grandfather; she had asked him about the mysterious murder of her parents which had occurred fourteen years ago, but he had only told her that he was trying to keep her safe by hiding the truth from her.

     She believed that her grandfather was a liar all through and through, that he was a Death Eater, and that he wasn't a good man. Was Regulus lying to her too?

      But just then, she realized something.

     Alexandra looked up at Regulus with an unreadable expression upon her face. "I'm going to ask you something, and if you answer me honestly, I'll promise to stay away from you as you wish. Could you do that?"

      Regulus hesitated at first. But knowing that at least her being away from him could keep her safe, he finally nodded. "I will."

      Alexandra gulped, before saying, "You said whenever we're together, it means that I'm not safe — for whatever reason that there is. Is that true?"

     Regulus nodded again, not sure where she was going with this. "Yes, it's true."

     "Then tell me why," she demanded in her soft voice, yet more firmly than ever before. "Give me a reason, and I will do as you say."

      Regulus remained silent as he stared into her eyes; it was as if they were talking to him. As if she was looking through his soul with her ever so dreamy gaze.

      "Okay... I'll tell you..." he whispered, "but you have to know that before I met you — things were different — if I knew you back then like I do now... there was no way I would've agreed to it."

      Alexandra's heart was now pounding in her chest. She was afraid to know the truth, but she needed it all the same.

      "Agreed to what?" she said in a mere whisper.

     Regulus looked down. "To get closer to you under the Dark Lord's orders."

      Alexandra took a step back. Her eyes widened and her mouth suddenly went dry. She couldn't breathe, as if all the air in the room had run out. She felt paralyzed at those words.

      "No... you wouldn't..." she muttered desperately, but Regulus didn't deny it like she had hoped he would. She tried to quell the tears in her eyes and the lump in her throat as she spoke. "B-but why...? Why would h-he even want this?"

     "He — he wants you to — he wants you as one of his Death Eaters," Regulus finally said.

     She took a step away from him. Alexandra couldn't believe her ears. This had to be a nightmare. It couldn't possibly be real. It just couldn't.

     "But — why me?" She looked away miserably. Her head had started hurting. "Is it — it's because of my grandpa, isn't it? He is the one who wants me to join them!"

     But to her surprise, Regulus shook his head. "It wasn't your grandfather's idea. I haven't joined the Death Eaters, yet, but we still hear what's going on, and I can assure you that it wasn't because of your grandfather. If anything, from what I've heard, he's been trying to keep you out of it."

      "He was — he was trying protect me?" she said in a hollow voice. "But why would the Dark Lord want me? I've got nothing!"

      "Avery's been saying otherwise," Regulus explained. "He said the reason the Dark Lord wants you to join his Death Eaters has something to do with your parents."

      "And — and you knew this?" Alexandra questioned, still in shock. "You knew about this when I found out that my parents had been murdered!?"

      Regulus remained silent, but at last he gave her a weak nod, making her heart sink painfully. She felt betrayed and she felt like a fool, because she had trusted him with all her heart.

     "I'm so sorry, Alex —"

      "So was it all an act?" she asked, a tear falling from her eyes and trailing down her rosy cheek. "When you told me you liked me on the night we were at the Astronomy Tower? When you wanted to kiss me, but then the raven stopped us?"

     "I — I didn't know you back then!" Regulus tried to reason desperately. "But I do now, and I mean it when I say my feelings for you are real! You have to believe me, Alex!"

      Alexandra said nothing for long seconds. The silence around the room was haunting them down. But then she finally broke it and whispered without even looking at him, "Thank you for your honesty."

     She then turned on her heels to leave the classroom, but Regulus ran forward and grabbed her wrist firmly, stopping her and preventing her from stepping away from him. He wanted to say something, but he couldn't find the words.

      "I'm so sorry..." Regulus said again, but Alexandra wouldn't look at him. She just faced away from him, so he wouldn't see her tears.

      "Please let me go..." she whispered again, holding back a sob.

     At last, Regulus released his grip on her and Alexandra ran out of the classroom, tears rushing down her eyes as she felt more broken than she had in her whole life.

     So Regulus just stayed behind in the corridor, watching her leave as he let out a sigh under his breath. "At least you'll be safe now."