Rabbits and Rattlesnakes [Regulus Black/OC/Tom Riddle ]

Chapter 12

The day had arrived and I was ready. 

We arrived at that same manor and stood awkwardly in the library. I reached out to hold Regulus' hand because his fidgeting was irritating, but he swiped my hand away. I rolled my eyes, wondering why anyone here would care if they knew we were sleeping with each other. I took a loop of the old room, swiping fingers across the dusty books trying to distance myself from the nerves expelling from Regulus' pores. The door opened and I turned around slowly, expecting to see the Bellatrix woman and her cutting stare again, but as I spun around I immediately felt winded by his stare.

"My Lord." Regulus bowed his head, making the man nod in response before turning his eyes back to me.

"My Lord." I nodded, my knees bending slightly with the movement and my eyes flickering back to his as I raised myself again.

"Regulus..." He turned his head towards the boy. "...I would like a moment to talk with Miss Griffin." I held my breath. It was happening. Regulus nodded, staring at me with those rabbit eyes as he closed the double doors, leaving me alone. I stood still and quiet as his eyes assessed me, knowing not to make the mistake of talking first. He was taller than I remembered, and the stark contrast between his hair and skin made him glow in a way that made my eyes sting. He kept his hands clasped tightly behind his back as he took a step forward, a stern yet cocky expression on his face.

"Are you enjoying your tasks?" He asked plainly. I was nervous... again. No one made me nervous. But, I wasn't one to buckle under pressure.

"Very much, my Lord." I stated, a slight curve on the edges of my lips. He nodded slowly.

"And you've been satisfied with young Regulus?" I felt my fingers twitch and his eyes darted immediately down the them, a small thin smile growing on his lips for a moment. "As a mentor?" He added. I stretched my fingers out before matching his stance and placing them behind my back.

"Of course." I smiled sweetly. "He's a talented teacher." If he wanted to fight under the belt then he'd picked the wrong opponent, as a girl I'd had to learn how to deal with this type of conflict a long time ago. He nodded, taking another step closer, and another.

"From what I've heard, you might be more teacher material than he is." I tried to control my breathing. The shadow. The first time I'd come to the manor. The person outside the door. Had he really heard us? He watched my brain working as he continued to approach me. He stopped close enough I felt slightly overwhelmed by the size of him so close to me, but far enough that he was out of my reach.

"Why thank you my Lord, but what exactly was it you 'heard' to make you view me so highly?" I refused to avert my eyes from his, despite the intensity of his stare making me feel as if I were choking. He smiled, again.

"Your techniques speak volumes." His voice was low, each syllable enunciated perfectly. "Stupefying the adults was not a part of the given plan." I smiled slightly. I had been ready to keep going. He broke first.

"It worked well." I stated, making his eyes widen slightly. "As long as we ensure numbers to your cause surely it doesn't matter-"

"Rules matter!" He hissed. He took one more step forward. I'd made him take one more step. He was no longer in his comfort zone, he was in my space, my zone. He was giving me so much information about himself that my nerves began simply turning into excitement. He looked down, seeing how I was biting my lips to stop myself from smiling. His angered expression slowly melted back into that self-assured stare with his face bowed down over mine. 

"I like your style Miss Griffin, but be careful. I wouldn't want you forgetting who your leader is. It would be a shame for such a young, spritely thing like you to lose their way." The words on his breath washed over my face, his chest rising and falling delicately just in front of me. We had both showed more than we had wanted, but that only made us both more intrigued, more determined. However, we both knew what motivated him, what his goals were. He didn't know what I wanted, which killed him. His hands unclasped and I looked down to see the lines where the blood was rushing back after being cut off from his tight grip. He reach out and grabbed my forearm, softly bringing it up in between us. Him touching me sent a series of vibrations through my legs, my mind immediately imagining that grip being elsewhere. He slowly pushed my sleeve up to my elbow. He lifted his wand and placed the tip on the inside of my wrist. He looked at me for a moment.

"I'm sure." I whispered. It was the same voice I used with Regulus, and it clearly worked on the Dark Lord too as I felt his grip tighten slightly. He kept his eyes on my face as he began pushing the tip of his wand into my skin. My mouth opened slightly as the burning began. He liked it, watching me in pain. I watched his eyes staring at my open mouth. I smiled, still keeping my mouth open and breathing heavily. I wanted him to know I liked the pain.