𝑮𝑹𝑨𝑪𝑬𝑳𝑨𝑵𝑫 𝑻𝑶𝑶 , hp

prologue

GRACELAND TOO !
★ prologue
— FOURTEEN YEARS EARLIER . . . October 29th, 1981

"The moral of this story is that no matter how much we
try, no matter how much we want it... some stories just
don't have a happy ending."
— Unknown
↬✩↫

GRIMMAULD PLACE NEVER FELT SO SUFFOCATING through Theodosia Kensington's eyes than right now. The air surrounding the strawberry blonde felt thick with devastation. A feeling in her gut told her nothing would ever return to the way it was— as if the world was ever fine to begin with.

Evangeline watched as her sister paced around the dining room, holding her slender hand over her quivering mouth. Salty tears pricked the corner of her eyes, begging to spill out onto her flushed cheeks.

"Thea..." Evangeline began, just to quickly be cut off by her younger sister.

"What if something's wrong, Eve? What if something happened?" Theodosia began irrationally hypothesizing.

"If something did, we would have heard from Pandora by now." Evangeline attempted to calm her down, now standing from the loveseat she was previously sitting in. "Take a breath, Thea."

Theodosia's sobs became more prominent. "I can't. What if he's hurt? I can't lose him, Evangeline."

Enveloping her sister into a hug, Evangeline stroked Theodosia's hair as the cries broke through. Evangeline could care less if her dress was ruined by the relentless tears and running mascara. "Everything works out in the end, sœur." All Eve felt was guilt. She loved the man responsible for her sister's pain. Tom was too well intertwined with her soul to simply not love him.

Pulling away slowly, Theodosia and her glossy glazed over eyes looked upon her older sister with immense sorrow. "Evangeline, I need you... I need you to promise me something. Make the unbreakable vow."

"The unbreakable vow? Thea..."

"Please, Eve. Swear to me, that if anything happens to me or Regulus.. you will protect Yvette with your life." Theodosia's voice trembled through her sobs and sniffles. Her clothed arm reached out, meeting her sister's, frowns painting their faces as they grasped each others arms.

"I swear, Theodosia. I will protect and love Yvette until my last breath."

Glowing silver strands encased their limbs in a bind, soon seeping into their skin, forever sealing the vow. Evangeline let out a sob of her own, lunging forward to pull her sister into yet another embrace.

"Please, Thea... Please don't die." She pleaded.

"You know I can't make that promise." Theodosia choked out. "The Dark Lord will be summoning me soon."

"Thea, just run away! Run away from all of this, please!"

"I couldn't run even if I wanted to, Eve. He would find me and he would find Yvette. It would only be a matter of time." Yvette's cry rang out through the Black household. "Shh, mon étoile, mére is here." Theodosia cooed, scooping Yvette into her arms. Yvette had immediately calmed down, the sound of her mother's hushed sweet nothings soothing her.

The door flew open harshly to reveal an askew Regulus, hair messy, some strands sticking to his sweaty face. "Mon amours." Regulus breathed upon seeing Theodosia and Yvette. To him, Yvette and Theodosia were his lifeline, they would always be what he would fight for.

"Regulus," Theodosia couldn't help but smile at his return, a breath that had been stuck in her throat now escaping in a sigh. He practically bolted towards them, gathering them both in his arms. They stood silently, feeling a small glimmer of peace for just a moment. "What has happened?" The strawberry blond pulled away reluctantly.

"I found the horcrux." Regulus explained with a pained expression.

"And?"

"I am going with Kreacher to destroy it." His voice felt strained as if dying of thirst.

"What? You'll die, Regulus." Theodosia's face turned sour as she handed Yvette to Evangeline who promptly left the room to leave the couple to their tension-filled conversation.

"Isn't that the point? We took these marks," Regulus slid up the sleeve on his forearm, the dark mark practically squirming under his skin before reaching for Theodosia's arm that bore the same mark. "To protect Yvette, Thea. If destroying this horcrux means dying to protect you both, then so be it."

"Reg, please." Theodosia sobed, fisting the collar of his jacket. "Please don't leave us. Come back to me. Come back to Yvette."

"I'll do my best, mon lumière des étoiles." Regulus leaned forward to plant a firm kiss to Theodosia's forehead. "Here. In case I don't come back." Tears were now escaping his own eyes as he dug through his pocket and handed her three letters addressed to herself, Yvette, and Sirius. Theodosia's eyes screwed shut as she buried her face into the fabric of his coat. At this point, she was violently shaking as Regulus rubbed his hands up and down her back firmly. "I love you, my Theodosia."

As her name rolled off his crimson lips, it felt like the first time. When he had spoken it like a sacred prayer. But something in her gut told her it would be the last time.

"I love you most, Regulus. Always."

↬✩↫

THE EVENING OF OCTOBER 31ST, 1981 WAS one of insurmountable sorrow felt around the entire wizarding community. Theodosia tossed and turned the previous night, praying to any god that would listen to her pleas.

She had slipped out of bed, her slippers covering her cold feet as she made her way to Yvette's nursery. There Theodosia stood holding a sleeping Yvette in her arms.

Theodosia... Kensington... Black... I summon you to the Malfoy Manor. And should you fail to arrive, your precious daughter will face the consequences.

The voice left a ring in her ears as she rushed into Evangeline's room, whisper shouting her name. "What, Thea?"

"He summoned me." Theodosia solemnly placed a longing kiss on Yvette's head, giving her one last squeeze before handing her over to her sister. "I have to go. Remember the vow. I love you, Evangeline."

Before Evangeline could respond, Theodosia was already gone. Eve knew she wouldn't be coming back.

And she was right.

↬✩↫

| hayley speaks ! |
lets just pretend regulus didn't die until 1981 😃

but anyways, live laugh love angst 😍