-UndoubtedlyYours-

-Chapter♕Five-

✧RED FLAGS✧

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***

Her mother lied.

As claimed that first night, Rhea had blindly waited for her mother's promise into fixing the situation. But clearly, it had been overrun by a compromise, to truly discover if there was anything between them.

It seemed they only heard Dolohov's voice, that 'she's utterly perfect,' and they ate that up. Rhea blamed herself, that the subtle hints hadn't been enough. And while she attempted to put on a good show or make the reasonable attempt...Each event had slowly trickled down her sanity.

She agreed to whichever dress her mother wanted.

Played the dutiful wife to be for Dolohov, and stood as the laughing stock to the rest of their community.

Weeks had passed since their trial run, and with the time moving forward. Her parents thought it best to start talking the possibility of a proposal date, which left Rabastan's rumor of a possible year to multiple of a courtship to have been a complete and utter lie.

The only person who seemed to see her through her pain was Sirius, who watched from a distance every time she was brought to the dance floor. Course she snuck in a dance here and there with him and Regulus when she had the chance, as well as her brothers and father—To keep up appearances on that end.

"I'd marry you in a heartbeat if I were older, you know that." Sirius would say, and it would elect the first genuine smile of the night. It was cruel to even think about that possibility. But at least he was honest, at least it came from the heart and would undoubtedly be protective.

But unfortunately for her, she had been carted for even stepping near Sirius Black—From both her brothers and her parents.

Seeing as though he was a Gryffindor and all, but Ravenclaw was considered the neutral ground. It never made sense to her, how was it that this was the safety net she needed.

Had she been in Slytherin—All of this wouldn't have been an issue, perhaps even then her parents would love her.

Sirius had snuck a book into her grasp one evening, a small one—Not much heavier than a paperweight. It had been a delightful gift, especially when she realized she could speak to himself without the wait of an owl.

It seemed they both needed a helping hand, and of course, Sirius was the first to mention that if she ever wanted to escape the word of the purebloods—There was a home at the Potters waiting for her.

However strange that sounded, she thanked Sirius—But it wasn't worth the agrimation. Though the temptation of escaping to Andy was another discussion. The former Black daughter turned Mrs.Tonks had been the talk of the decade it seems.

But it had only happened within the last few years.

Rhea had vented her heart out to Sirius Orion Black as best she could, and his writing company paired with her purchased textbooks had been the light she needed to cope.

Especially when the dates were starting to appear closer to one another, and it was as if Dolohov had moved in with the amount of time he spent at the Lestrange manor.

She was simply thankful he wasn't allowed upstairs, that it was still considered her safe haven. The only time she truly ventured out of the confinements to social events.

Where and Sirius made it a habit to speak before it.

However Rhea's patience was being tested this very night. She didn't doubt that Antonio favored his liquor, and it hadn't been the first time she had to warn him that perhaps a switch of drinks would be best. He waved her off or snarled in her direction, making it apparent that the intake of fire whiskey was breaking down his character.