wicked | regulus black

chapter one

LUNARIA

The paint scratched off the wall as Lunaria Reed dragged her perfectly manicured nail across the dull grey shade, locked in the small room awaiting her fate. She'd lost count of how long she'd spent cooped up in the spare room of her parents' manor. They'd sent her - or more accurately summoned their house elf to apparate her there - with no explanation, other than to await further instructions. After a few hours her throat had grown hoarse, the screaming getting her nowhere, tears had streamed down her porcelain cheeks until they too dried up. So she waited. And waited. And waited.

It was a room she was unfamiliar with. In the Manor there were many rooms, most of which Lunaria had explored in her youth and yet occasionally she'd come across a room that offered up a secret or two. And yet this room; it offered her nothing. No secret doors, no secret documents with pages spilling secrets, no artefacts riddled with dark magic begging for her to undo. Nothing. Just four grey walls and a glass of water that refilled itself and repaired itself every time Lunaria threw it against the wall.

The day had started much like any other day. The house elves had woken Lunaria up by pulling back her curtains before proceeding to help dress her in clothes that were far too formal for her liking. Then she made her way to breakfast where she was joined by her family in complete silence. Not even the sounds of cutlery against plates could be heard - the Reed family were far too well-trained for that. Breakfast was always a rather dull affair when Lunaria was at home, there was nobody to observe and understand - she'd mastered her parents quirks and mannerisms years ago, hence why she knew there was trouble when her father's owl landed on his shoulder at exactly 10:37am, twenty three minutes ahead of schedule.

Lunaria gently placed down her cutlery, swapping it out for the glass of pumpkin juice that had appeared earlier, curiously glancing at her father whose face had paled considerably as he read the letter clutched tightly in his hands. Her mother reached over a comforting hand to try and aid her husband, only for him to snatch his arm away as he stood.

"Father? What's wrong?" Lunaria had asked, only to be ignored when her father sent her a warning look as he stood, making his way over to the fireplace.

"Pipsky." He called out, sighing impatiently as he waited mere seconds for the house elf to appear. "Take Lunaria to the waiting room. Now." Pipsky nodded meekly before walking over to Lunaria, who was less than impressed.

"The waiting room? What- Father what is going on?" Lunaria pushed as she stood to her feet, glancing between Pipsky and her father, the feeling in her gut twisting furiously as she felt something horrible begin to hang in the air.

"What have I told you about asking questions when the topic doesn't concern you? Be quiet and do as you're told." The man scolded as Pipsky held onto Lunaria's hand gently, looking up at the girl with apologetic eyes.

"Father please-" But her pleas fell on deaf ears as Pipsky began to apparate the two of them to 'the waiting room', as she felt the familiar tug of apparition she heard two words that made her stomach drop.

"He's coming."

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

Back in the dank, grey room, Lunaria let her mind wander. As soon as she'd heard her father say those words, she knew who was coming - she knew what was coming. There'd been talk for over a year about a new wizard. A dark wizard. He was collecting followers, people who blindly believed and agreed with his ideals, which from what Lunaria could tell were more than a tad racist. Whispers of Mudblood's and their place in the wizarding world had been on the rise not only in the dark corners of Knockturn Alley, but in quiet common rooms at Hogwarts, the library at her Manor when her parents thought she was asleep, the ballrooms that hosted every pureblood in British society - that was the worst.