Raven | 𝘙𝘦𝘨𝘶𝘭𝘶𝘴 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬

Chapter 85

Pain... That was all Regulus could feel in every bone of his body. It was an unbearable feeling of agony that made him feel as if he was being burned alive from inside.

Kreacher had Apparted them into some place Regulus didn't recognize, but where it looked to be a forest as they stood among the dark trees and woods.

Regulus hadn't recovered his full strength, but all he could do was to lean down against a tree trunk as he cried his eyes out. There was an emptiness in his heart and an ache in his soul that he was sure he could never wash away.

She was gone. Alexandra was gone. Forever.

And it was his fault. If he hadn't ordered Kreacher not to take commands from her, then she would be here. She would be here to smile and to giggle the way she always did, or to peck him sweetly on the lips.

But now, the only time he could feel her lips against hers or to feel her touch was if only he was to dream of her in his sleep. And if that were the case, he wished to never to wake up again, so he could forever be with her in his dreams.

"She's gone... Alex is gone..." Regulus managed to whimper between his painful sobs, his eyes closed as his tears streamed down his cheeks, burning them like salt against fresh wounds.

It pained him to think of Edna. What would she do if she heard that Alexandra was dead? What about Hagrid or Mike?

How could Regulus live on, knowing that he hadn't done anything to save her?

He didn't know how long he was sitting there in the woods, along with Kreacher, but it seemed as if long hours had passed, for he could now see the sun slowly rising in the horizon, even though his vision was blurred by tears.

A short while after Apparating into this forest, Kreacher had left Regulus alone for a short amount of time in order to bring back some water for him. But it was hard to swallow it through the sobs that kept on burning his throat.

He was too dazed that he hadn't even realize that Kreacher had handed him the locket of Salazar Slytherin. But the moment Regulus looked down at the locket in his hands, it was as if blood had covered his eyes in rage.

So in a quick motion, he got to his feet and threw the locket away with a yawp and drew out his wand, pointing it down at the locket as he yelled, "BOMBARDA!"

Regulus was hurtled backward as the ground around the locket exploded, but when he looked back at it a few moments later, to his great astonishment, the locket laid there unharmed.

Gritting his teeth together, Regulus punched the tree behind him in fury, letting out a cry in pain. Again, the tears started to leave his eyes uncontrollably as he leaned his forehead against the tree trunk, crying his eyes out.

"I — I can't — take this!" he cried out between sobs, his eyes burning. "It's my f-fault... all of it is m-my fault..."

Kreacher too was shedding tears silently as he watched him from afar, knowing that there was nothing he could do to help him.

"I can't return anymore," he muttered under his breath, mostly talking to himself. "If the Dark Lord sees through my mind and finds out I have his Horcrux... he'll kill both me and my entire family. I — I have to leave."

"Where to, Master?" asked Kreacher quietly, watching him with concern.

"I don't know," Regulus whispered, moving away from the tree as he wiped his old tears away and tried to hold back the new ones. "I can't go back home. I'll just put everyone in danger."

He then started walking around, glancing at the Slytherin locket on the ground every once in a while, his mind racing and his thoughts pondering.

"I don't want anything to do with this anymore..." he mumbled, gazing down at the Horcrux. "She died because of this. Because of him."

Kreacher watched him warily until Regulus finally turned to face him, holding his expression firm. He looked to have made up his mind.

"I want you to take this locket with yourself, Kreacher, and do anything you can to destroy it," he said, breathing heavily. "If my parents ask, tell them you don't know where I am."

"But where would Master Regulus wish to go?" asked the house elf. "What can Kreacher do?"

"Find Mundugus Fletcher," said Regulus, knowing that house elves had the magic to track others down. "He has influence everywhere, even in the Order founded by Dumbledore. Bewitch him, and make him believe that I was killed by other Death Eaters because I had second thoughts about working for the Dark Lord. He will spread the word."

But Regulus didn't say anything about Alexandra. He didn't want to spread lies about her death, because she had died a hero.

Disappearance was a common matter these days, and after some while of not showing up, others could assume for themselves what had happened to her.

"Enchant the Black family tree so it would show that I am dead," said Regulus, trying to think fast. "And in the years to come, if someone once again asked you about what had happened at the cave, I want you to tell them these exact words: Master Regulus told Kreacher to take the locket and, when the basin was empty, to switch the lockets. And he ordered Kreacher to leave without him. And he told Kreacher to go home and never to tell my Mistress what he had done but to destroy the first locket. And he drank all the potion and Kreacher swapped the lockets and watched as Master Regulus was dragged beneath the water."

Even as he uttered those words, he felt his heart sink painfully in his chest in pain. He kept on seeing Alexandra each time he closed his eyes even for a brief moment, remembering the way she had looked into his eyes as she was dragged away from him, gone forever.

      "There's one other thing I would want you to," said Regulus as he turned to face Kreacher, his mind racing. "I want you to find Lisa Goldman."