Tʜᴇ Dᴀʀᴋ Lᴏʀᴅ's Aɴɢᴇʟ | Tom Riddle √

109: Memories of Regulus Black

In the middle of the night, Cassiopeia abruptly woke up in Tom's arms. He slept peacefully, his arm wrapped around her. She stared at him for a few moments, then remembered the box her aunt had sent. She assumed there was a reason for its protective enchantments.

Cassiopeia gently pulled Tom's arm away to ensure he didn't wake. She carefully rose from the edge of the bed and made her way to the table. With her wand, she opened the locked box.

"Marius," she whispered, and the box clicked open. Inside were two tiny bottles, each no larger than her thumb, and a folded piece of parchment tucked into a corner. Her curiosity reached its limit.

She glanced at Tom, who was still sleeping, and unfolded the parchment.

Cassie love,

I know you're clueless about what I've sent you.

This is something Vivien wanted to give you when you completed your sixteenth year. I couldn't give this because of the Dark Lord, but I somehow found a way.

Keep this as a secret; the vials inside of this are memories of your parents. As per Vivien's instruction, Kreacher handed me this that night when you were with him.

(Use a pensieve)

Please take care of yourself, love. Tom Riddle is not the person you think. Stay with Draco!

With Love,

N.M

She swallowed hard, reading the same words Draco had said. "Tom Riddle is not the person you think."

The mystery surrounding Tom deepened, and a flood of thoughts clouded her mind. She needed a pensieve to view these memories.

Cassiopeia put on a pair of black jeans since Tom's t-shirt was already on her. She quickly sneaked out of her room with the wand and the two vials, locking the box with her aunt's letter inside.

Remembering a place where she might find a pensieve, except for the headmaster's office, she apparated to the corridor near the Room of Requirement. She stared at the blank wall and closed her eyes, picturing a pensieve.

The sound of doors opening reached her ears, and she quickly entered, finding herself in a room with light blue marble floors, ash-colored walls, and a crystal white pensieve similar to the one in the Manor.

Cassiopeia walked up to it, her heart pounding in her chest. She placed the V.L.F. vial on the floor and opened the other, letting it fall into the pensieve. She took a deep breath and immersed herself in the watery memory.

She was in her father's room, and his back was turned to her. He had raven hair just like her. As much as she longed to call out to him, she knew she couldn't.

"Master," she heard Kreacher's voice behind her. She turned to see the elf, not much older than she had seen him. "Mistress Walburga is having a discussion with Miss. Flint."

"What?" Regulus gasped as their eyes met. "I don't know what to do, Kreacher. What if Mother doesn't like Vivi?"

Her father sank onto the bed, burying his head in his hands. Cassiopeia couldn't help but think he was handsome and endearing, more so than in the photographs she'd seen.

"Master, Mistress Walburga seemed impressed by Miss. Flint," Kreacher reassured as he walked over to her father.

"We both know she hated the fact of blood-supremacy," Regulus raised his head, looking in Cassiopeia's direction. "Vivi!"

He walked right past her, causing her to gasp. Turning around, she saw him enveloping her mother in a tight embrace.

Whoa, she's prettier than I thought, Cassiopeia thought.

"What did she say?" her father cupped her mother's cheeks, his eyes locked onto her.

"She's fine with me when I said pure-bloods are the best," Vivien rolled her eyes, pulling her father's hands down and walking in. "What about your master?"

She pointed her finger at the articles hung on the wall.

The scene shifted, enveloped in a thick black mist. Now Cassiopeia found herself in the room where the Black family tree was.

"Sirius, you cannot leave us," her father's voice was desperate as he looked at the young Sirius.

Cassiopeia couldn't help but notice, Sirius Black was more attractive than her father. He was taller and had smooth, flawless skin, fiddling with the ring on his middle finger.

"I'm not a puppet like you, Regulus," Sirius turned around. "Remember, if you ever need me for anything, I'll be there no matter what. Because you're my brother."

"Please, don't," Regulus called, watching his brother walk away without another word. Cassiopeia turned around, watching her father's glistening tears in his eyes.

"Da—dad," her voice cracked, and another black mist covered her vision.

This time, she found herself inside a dark cave covered in water. She stood on a rock, with her father and Kreacher. Regulus was drinking a potion from a tall basin, wheezing each time he finished a small cup.

"Master," Kreacher held a locket in his hand.

Regulus took the Slytherin locket, handing it to Kreacher and retrieving a fake one. He placed a small piece of parchment into the fake locket, then placed it inside the basin, clutching the edge for support, panting heavily.

"I'm thirsty," Regulus blurted out, sitting on a small rock. He reached for the basin to drink from his cup slowly.

"Master, don't," Kreacher warned, but in the next moment, silver-colored hands gripped Cassiopeia's father's hand. He struggled to break free, while Kreacher was also attacked by the spectral hands.

"Go, Kreacher," Regulus yelled, casting weak spells at the hands. "Pledge your loyalty to Vivi, save my child from the Dark Lord."

"Mast—"

"Kreacher, go!"

Then another black mist swirled before her, and tears began to fall down her cheeks.

Once again, Cassiopeia found herself in her father's room. He sat in a chair, his legs crossed, looking in her direction.

"I don't know whether you will be a son or a daughter, and I don't care. If you're a boy, I think your name is Caster, and if you're a girl, it's Cassiopeia. I wish I could be a good father to you, my child. I hope you will not despise me since, by the time you hear this, I'll have committed suicide. You might hate me for leaving you and your mum. But, remember one thing, I love you with all my heart, and I know you will make me proud one day. Goodbye!"

With another black cloud, Cassiopeia stumbled out of the pensieve, panting. She almost wailed, clutching the edge of the pensieve, bending down.

"I—I cannot," she cried.

Cassiopeia sobbed alone, struggling with the tumultuous emotions that swirled within her. She couldn't comprehend why she continued to love a person who had played a role in the tragedy of her father's life. The realization hit her like a tidal wave, leaving her gasping for emotional breath.

As her tears flowed freely, she understood that her love for Tom dated back to a time before her conscious memories of her parents. It was a love that had been etched into her very soul, a connection that defied reason and explanation. Yet, this deep love didn't diminish the need she felt for her father, who had loved her even before she existed in the world.

Her father had, at great personal cost, set in place safeguards to protect her, ensuring her safety and well-being. His ultimate sacrifice weighed heavily on her heart, and the pain of her conflicting loyalties was almost unbearable.

She clutched her chest from one hand, crying, "I cannot do this anymore."

A/N

Vivien's picture will be there in the next chapter:!

And next chapter will be her memory.

Will she love Tom in the same way she did after this?

~ monoceros_x 🦄