Jondrette Girl | Regulus A. Black [2] ( ON HOLD)

Chapter Five

Regulus Black had no right to make Éponine feel the way she did upon returning to the compartment she shared with Gian. After months of ignoring her whenever she made an attempt to reach out to him, he suddenly decided that it was the right time for them to try and work things out. However, as Éponine made it very clear, there was nothing to work out between them if he wasn't willing to see that he was in the wrong. Back in her fifth year, she had foolishly believed that he and Sirius could come to a compromise when it came to their beliefs. Perhaps find a middle ground of some sort. But Éponine knew there was no such thing as middle ground when one side was promoting genocide.

And while she didn't believe that Regulus was eager to take a life of another, his involvement with the Dark Lord was enough. The mark on his arm established that he was not only a supporter but a follower. For that, Éponine couldn't allow a discussion to go any further. It wasn't a matter of opinion when innocent lives were being attacked, tortured, and killed for something they had no control over.

Deep down, Éponine knew she had to let Regulus go. He had been her first love, but he was willing to hurt people that she loved too, like Gian. No, he didn't personally go after Gian, but he supported people who went after people like Gian. And maybe one day, if he hadn't already as Sirius had claimed, he would go after muggles and muggle-borns.

But she couldn't help but think back to a time where she had asked Regulus if he thought Sirius was right, and she had heard that slight hesitation when he finally answered. Like her previous beliefs, Regulus claimed he didn't support the violent actions of the Dark Lord, she remembered that he had only taken it into consideration when Severus approached him initially because he believed it was a way to save Sirius if it ever came down to it.

Back then, Éponine had told him that joining the Dark Lord couldn't guarantee Sirius' safety and Regulus seemed to agree. So what had pushed him to actually join? Had it been the pressure placed on him by his family? Perhaps after her own departure, they had questioned where his loyalty remained. It seemed like a likely scenario, considering his cousin was Bellatrix, who had threatened Éponine back when her thoughts were wavering.

Or maybe it had been her leaving that made him reconsider everything. Maybe he joined out of anger or out of spite, ready to go after a blood-traitor that embarrassed the Black family name. Either way, it didn't matter, he had still joined on his own accord and Éponine could not simply ignore that. She was only confused as to why he approached her, speaking her name so softly as if nothing ever happened.

She was considered a blood-traitor, so what business did he have with Éponine, unless they were fighting?

And to make matters worse, Éponine swore she detected jealousy in his voice when he mentioned Sirius and her nickname. Just when she had been contemplating whether to pursue her feelings for Sirius, Regulus made her questioning everything. But he had no right to do so because she had said a hundred times before, she was a blood-traitor, Sirius was a blood-traitor, so why did Regulus care so much about what happened between them?