origami. . . REGULUS BLACK

fourteen.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Perhaps, In Another Life
April 23rd, 1979.

          Mallory waited patiently for Regulus to speak. He had shown up on her doorstep fifteen minutes ago and still hadn't said a word about why he was there. Mallory was starting to know him and she knew that he was nervous as he kept biting his nails while he paced in her living room, but he refused to speak for now. In the meantime, Mallory rose from the sofa and headed towards the kitchen where she poured herself a glass of firewhisky. Drinking alcohol had somehow become a little more regular for Mallory, though she hated the bad habit, she couldn't help herself.

"You shouldn't drink that much," Regulus chirped in, finally speaking up as she was about to pour herself her second drink. When she looked up, his eyes were on her but his mind seemed somewhere else. "I thought a lot since the ball."

"Oh, look, he speaks!" Mallory exclaimed with a snort as he rolled his eyes. "Thought of what?"

"This mission. Us," he admitted with a sigh as he pinched the bridge of his nose, clearly exhausted. Mallory bit her lower lip, considering whether or not to let him speak but as he opened his mouth, she settled on letting him go further with his idea. "As I told you last week, there are men, young and old, who wish to court you. Do you know what the procedure is when it comes to courting someone?"

Mallory wished she remembered what her father had taught her but she didn't, "No, sorry."

"For example, Lucius courted Narcissa while they were still at Hogwarts. He asked her on multiple dates, a lot of them were chaperoned by Aunt Druella. Then, they started to appear together at events such as balls or dinners–"

"You are courting me," she said with a frown.

"No, I'm not. I haven't properly asked you," he told her. "Mother knows that I am not courting you. Besides, I haven't asked your father for your hand."

"But–but we are doing what Lucius and Narcissa were doing!"

"I know, Mallory. I know," he reassured. "But if...if I court you then you'd be safe from other men who want you. They are dangerous and vicious men, Mallory. I cannot allow myself to let you go with them."

She let out a long sigh, "So, that means you are asking to court me."

"This is it, yes. I'm asking you if I can court you," he said softly. "Can I? I promise to keep you safe."

"Regulus, I need time to think," she told him as he nodded his head. He grabbed his coat, rising to his feet. "Are you leaving me?"

"Mother is waiting for me, so yes. Sorry," he replied as she waved him with a careless hand. "I will wait for your owl."

Mallory watched as he left, leaving her by herself with her thoughts. Mallory knew that it was a good idea to accept his offer, if he was right–and there was no doubt that he was because he knew people from this side, he knew how dangerous they could be. After what happened with Rodolphus, she was sure of how vile these men were. They were simply pigs. But then if she accepted, she would lose Fabian–was she okay with that? Lately, they hadn't talked and when they saw each other, it was as if Fabian held a grudge towards her for spending her time with Regulus.

Hours later, she sat in her living room once again but this time with Alastor Moody and the Prewett twins, "What is it, Mallory?" Alastor queried.

"Regulus asked me something today," she admitted quietly, fidgeting with the ring her mother had given her. "I haven't given him an answer yet because I wanted to know what you were thinking. He asked me if he could court me."