𝕄𝕠𝕣𝕖 𝕋𝕙𝕒𝕟 𝔽𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕟𝕕𝕤? [ʙᴏᴏᴋ 1]

༄ Regulus༄

It's almost summer again. Almost time to leave the safety of Hogwarts.

It's dark times. Sirius, Remus and James say how they are going to fight now they are done with school. He still has one year left. One year until he can get out.

There is one thought that keeps replaying in his mind though:

What if he didn't go back to school in September? What if he could end this? As soon as his parents are dead then he can have a normal life. No one else will find him and use him. No one will try and kill him. If his parents are dead then this will all be over. Everything they have been through will come to an end.

He gazes at Danica laying on her stomach in the grass, reading an essay.

Everything he put her through will be sorted.

It's like he's made his decision there and then, as the summer sun beats down and the peaceful world envelopes them. It is just the two of them and he knows what he has to do.

He will sort this out. He will protect her and he will give her the love she deserves.

Suddenly he realises she's staring at him and he meets her eyes, not hiding the fact he wasn't reading his work.

"You know," she says and crawls over to him and lays her head in his lap, "you really should read that essay, we're doing NEWTS next year and you need to get a good grade. But I can tell you'd rather study something else."

He looks down at her smirking face and he smiles, biting his lip.

"This is far more interesting than an essay," he says quietly as he takes her hand and brings it up to kiss.

She bites her lip and smiles as her cheeks turn rosy.

He doesn't want to spoil the moment so he refrains from telling her his plans. Regulus bends down towards her but she rolls away off his lap and into the grass.

"Oh you're a meanie," he jokes and leans over to her.

"I know I am!" She gets up and runs away, barefoot and her short skirt showing off her legs.

He huffs and gets up and chases her. He watches as she turns back to him, laughing and grinning from ear to ear.

"Come and get meee!" She teases and runs off into the trees beside the lake.

He shakes his head and continues chasing her. He runs into the trees, looking around for her. He slows to a walk and listens carefully.

"Danica?" He calls out for her.

No answer.

"Danica?" He asks again, spinning in a circle.

Still nothing.

"Come on, baby!"

He runs a hand through his hair, beginning to stress now. He can't lose her-

He jumps as legs circle his waist and hands clutch his chest.

"Got you!" Danica laughs in his ear.

"Merlin, baby," he lets out a breath and relaxes, "don't scare me like that!"

"Sorry..." Danica says quietly, all her laughter gone and she slips off his body.

He turns around to face her.

"No," he says, "I'm sorry."

He watches as she bites her cheek and looks into his eyes.

"It's not your fault, Reg," she says and cups his face with her small hand.