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STARCROSSED
five minutes
REGULUS BLACK COULDN'T seem to keep his hand from shaking as he pointed his wand at her. He tried to muster the anger that Bellatrix had told him to and his infinite potential in life that Narcissa had told him to, but he couldn't.
He didn't want to be angry. He had felt what it was like -- the little drop of honey of something close to normal. Something close to love.
Love that didn't leave, but instead begged him to kill her because of her love for him.
His wife.
"Would you like me to turn around?" she whispered. "You could never hurt me."
Tears clouded his vision as he tried to bite back a sob. Her star was on her way past him, glowing brilliantly in the distance, but not near him. She was off to light up someone else's life. Make them feel loved. Somewhere else, sometime else.
"We'll see each other again," she whispered. "This isn't goodbye. It's see you later."
"I'll see you later then?" he asked as he struggled to keep his wand up. "What would you like for dinner?"
"What do you suggest?" she asked as she smiled kindly, waiting.
"The house elves make a superb stuffed duck," he said with a sad laugh.
"Stuffed duck it is, then," she said quietly. "Anything else?"
"Raspberry trifle for dessert," he said. "It's my favorite and I'm sure you'll love it too."
"I'm sure I will," she said quietly.
"It- it feels as if I've known you forever and yet I cannot remember meeting you before," he choked out.
"What a shame we had to meet at the end, hm?" she asked with a sad smile.
"I love you," he whispered.
But, then, the shield over the bowl faded away, revealing the treacherous liquid inside. He couldn't look down at his work.
He couldn't let her say it back. He didn't want to find out what he'd do if he'd allowed her to.
He stared down at the bowl and saw the shell to the side, picked it up and spooned some of the liquid into his mouth. He had prepared for this. This is what he'd made Kreacher drink.
A wildfire raged with every sip he took and his choked in tears didn't put it out. Instead, the burning flames of guilt and shame were stoked, only to be met by the substance.
Except, he didn't see any horrible visions. He didn't see any hauntings from his past. No, no. He was in the present, for once.
Haunted by the green light, haunted by who he had become.
Kreacher, however, watched from his stationed place next to Regulus's boat in confusion and concern. For he could have sworn he saw his master cast the only unforgivable curse you couldn't take back — avada kedavra — and talk to someone for hours and yet, Regulus was the only person in the entire cave, as he'd always been.
