May Death Do Us Part | RB ✔︎

TWENTY THREE ☆ BLACK

Mona's standing right in front of me.

I feel like I'm hallucinating.

My jaw hangs open, my mouth dry and my muscles stiff.

Her face is paler since the last time I'd seen her, her lips chapped and her hair darker. Her face is slimmer, her hands at her side as if she has no idea what to do with them.

And when she chokes on a sob, her body jolting. And I spring into action.

I rush forward, wrapping my arms around her and squeezing her so hard I'm worried I might squish her to death. I drop my head into her neck, inhaling the smell of her. Strawberries.

"Reg." She whispers, tears falling down her face and I pull back, taking her cheeks into my hands. "Sirius... I..."

"I know." I cut her off, nodding once. "And I know you didn't have a choice. I will handle everything later. Right now, I just want you."

I press her lips to mine and she smiles against me, her arms wrapping around my shoulders. She pulls back, her eyes brimmed with tears and I press a soft kiss to her forehead.

"I'm sorry, Regulus." She whispers, pulling away completely. She wipes beneath her eyes with the sleeves of her tan knitted sweater and says, "for everything. For Sirius. For Novaline. For-"

I gently lift a hand, suspended in midair as I stop her from speaking any further. "All is forgiven, Mona. We have bigger things to worry about now."

And it's those words that have everything rushing back to her. Where we are, who we're surrounded by, what's going on.

It's been nearly a week since Tom told me about Mona. Three since she died and came back.

And now, the world knows that she's still alive.

The Minister of magic wasn't too pleased when she unveiled herself to the public in London. In fact, he had aurors chase her through crowds until she apparated away.

He thinks of her as a threat. As someone who needs to be contained, be stopped.

She was served some papers which told her to be here on this day at this hour in this room.

So here we are.

It's four o'clock on Friday, July third, 1998. Mona and I are standing in the lobby of the ministry, waiting for them to call us back for her trial.

They're trying all of the known death eaters. The other Slytherins had to go through the same process, but now, it's her turn.

Mine ended three days ago.

The verdict? Not guilty.

Tom and Mattheo stood trial together, both found not guilty.

Theo was accompanied by Gryphon. When he pled not guilty, the minister attempted to argue it. Gryphon shut it down instantly, somehow accidentally revealing their bond to the wizengamot.

But Gryphon's grown since her time in Hogwarts. She's gathered the attention of the public and the ministry is afraid to move against her.

Theo was found not guilty.

Draco and Coraline were tried together and Cora wasn't stressed. She already knew the outcome of her trial. Not guilty.

Enzo was being tried with accessory to murder. Anna intervened, said he was with her all night. They asked how she could be sure, given her new royal status and all of her new duties. She said, and I quote, 'I'm sure if you spent the night with mister Berkshire, mister minister, you'd find it pretty memorable, too.'