The Life and Lies of Cassiopeia Rosier- Regulus Black

.the other side of the stars.

.death must be so beautiful. to lie in the soft brown earth, with grasses waving above one's head, and listen to the silence. to have no yesterday, and no tomorrow. to forget time, to forgive life, to be at peace.

The air around me shimmered as the barrier between the living and the dead grew thin. When my vision finally cleared I could make out the scene before me. My breath caught in my throat as the familiar scent of pine and dirt my senses—a scent I hadn't smelled in years.

I was standing in the forest clearing, the place we had played as children. The place we had always gone to escape the noise of the world. The place we had been married in. Now, it was silent, save for the whisper of wind in the trees.

Somehow I knew that this was the gateway between life and death. But I couldn't go back, the only way was to move on. Despite all that I had been through, my hands trembled. I had no idea what awaited me. I had done terrible things in life. Would my soul be doomed? Was there any sort of rest for someone like me?

And then, I was not alone anymore.

A tall figure stepped out of the mist like a memory brought to life, his face still soft, his eyes still bright like starlight. His hair tousled just the way it had been the day he left me. His lips curved into that smile I had dreamed of for years, a smile that had warmed me on cold, sleepless nights.

I blinked, hardly daring to trust my eyes. My heart thudded in my chest. "It can't be—" I whispered, reaching out my hand, but hesitated at the last second.

"Hello, my love." Regulus said, his voice just as I remembered—deep, steady, filled with a love that time and death couldn't touch.

A sob of joy broke from my lips, but it was laughter too, pure and sweet, because I knew. I had always known, somehow, that we would find our way back to each other. And then it was all too much and my legs gave out. 

"You died," I whispered, I unable to fully wrap my mind around his presence.

He moved closer and crouched down before me, his hand brushed a lock of my hair behind my ear. And I felt the touch—light, gentle. Real. "I did. But I never left you. Not really."

Tears spilled down my cheeks as I finally let all the emotion engulf me. And once they had started, I couldn't stop them.

"I've been so alone." I sobbed, and then his arms were around me. Solid, and warm and so very real.

Regulus shook his head. "No you haven't, my love." He said as he stroked my hair. "I've been with you, every step of the way. From the moment I crossed the veil, I've been there beside you."

I sobbed, a raw, anguished sound tore from my chest. "Where were you when I needed you? When they destroyed me? When our daughter was born, when I held her in my arms alone?" My voice cracked and I couldn't continue.

"I was, there my darling." he said, his hand resting over my heart. "You couldn't see me, but I was there. Every second of it. For every tear you shed. When you cried yourself to sleep, I held you. When you stood up to them, I was beside you. When you brought our beautiful Stella into this world- you were so strong that night, so beautiful- I was right there, watching, loving you both."

I trembled beneath his words. "Why couldn't I feel you?"

Regulus sighed, sorrow in his gaze. "Because grief blinds us to what's just beyond the veil. You couldn't see me through the pain. But I never left you. I never will. I promised you that wherever you go in this existence I will find you. Whether that is in life or in death."

My throat tightened as the weight of all I had carried fell away in his presence. I had felt so abandoned, so broken, but now—now I could see that he was right. I had never been alone. Regulus had been there, in the quiet moments, in the dark. His love had never faded.

"The ones who love us never really leave us," he whispered as he leaned in, his breath warm against my ear. "We're bound to each other, across life and death."

My chest ached, but it was a different kind of ache now. I reached up, and cupped his face, feeling the warmth of his skin under my fingertips, and I realized—for the first time in years—I wasn't afraid anymore.

"I missed you," I said, my voice trembled- but this time it was with love, not sorrow.

"And I missed you," Regulus replied, as he brushed a kiss to my forehead. "But I was never far. I'm still here, and I always will be."

I closed my eyes, and let myself believe it, let his presence soothe the wounds that had scarred my heart for so long. He wasn't gone, not really.

He never had been.

With a smile on his face he helped me stand, and hand in hand we made the final crossing, ending our story the same way we started it.

Together.