The Storm | Regulus Black

Ring Around her Middle Finger

It was time. Agatha made her way down to the last dinner of the Blacks stay. She was trying to steady her nerves, her heels wobbled unsteadily as she walked down the flights of stairs. Fear of getting disowned nearly tipped her over the edge, she was probably going to burst into tears the moment that her parents raised their voices at her. She felt like throwing up, crying, flinging herself off the railing she was grasping so tightly. She took a few deep breaths.

One, two, three, in. One, two, three, out. One, two, three, in. One, two, three, out.

This would be the first time in her life that she deliberately went against her parent's wishes. This would be the first time in her life that she was going to make the chance of disownment probable. This would be the first time that she was not perfect.

She braced herself, wiped her clammy hands on the soft fabric of her gown, fixed her hair and took one more deep breath before walking into the dining room.

Here we go.

The air in the room wasn't as thick with tension as Agatha had thought, not yet anyway. She stood beside her seat and waited for Caractarus to arrive—bloody hell, that boy always had to be late. Her hand gripped the backrest of her chair so hard that she was afraid of it disintegrating in her hands.
She made eye contact with Regulus, he didn't look as nervous as she felt. God, she needed lessons on how to look bored at all times.

Caractarus entered.

"Let us sit," said Herbert.

They tucked into the beef wellington which tasted like sawdust, the mashed potatoes felt like sand.

"So, how have you, Agatha and Regulus, felt about the stay?"

They made eye contact again. Agatha sen him an infinitesimal nod. Now.

Everyone was staring at them. The family portraits of ancestors stared and ancestral relics on mantelpieces on the sides of the room were a reminder of the weight of tradition.

Regulus cleared his throat. "We need to talk about the arrangement."

Agatha's mother's eyes lit up, a faint smile appearing. "Yes, we were just finalizing it. It's going to be the event of the decade."

"I don't believe so," Agatha said firmly, cutting through her enthusiasm. "There isn't going to be a wedding."

The room went deathly silent, the only sound was the faint ticking of the grandfather clock in the hallway outside. Their father's eyes narrowed, grips tightening on the arm of their chairs. Their mother's smiles faded, replaced by looks of icy disbelief.

"What did you just say?" Herbert demanded, his voice low and dangerous.

She squared her shoulders, meeting his gaze. "We don't want to get married."

Caractarus' eyes widened before he closed them regretfully.

Walburga's eyes flashed with anger, her voice rising. "What you want? This marriage has been arranged for months. You don't get to simply decide against it."

"We won't go through with it."

Orion stood up, his towering presence casting a shadow over them. "You will marry," he said. "This isn't about love. It's about duty, about honour."

Agatha somehow managed to leave the tremble out of her voice. "We're not cattle to be traded off for your alliances."

"Don't you dare speak to us like that," her mother snapped, standing up to face her daughter. "We've sacrificed everything to secure your future. This marriage is the best thing for the both of you, whether you see it now or not."

One, two, three, in. One, two, three, out. One, two, three, in.

One, three, two. No.

No.

Three, two, one. Out.

In. Out. In.

One, two, three.

Fuck.

Regulus said, "We don't even tolerate each other."

Orion scoffed, shaking his head in ridiculed disbelief. "You've been coddled too much if you think marriage is about happiness. It's about stability, about securing your place in society. Your happiness is irrelevant."

Herbert stepped forward, his face red with anger. "You'll do as you're told, or so help me—"

"Or what?" Agatha's panic had subsided and her eyes were blazing with defiance. "You'll force us down the aisle? Drag us there kicking and screaming?"

Her mother's voice was icy. "Agatha Drusilla, you ungrateful, inconsiderate— do you know how many families would kill to be in your position? We've given you everything, and this is how you repay us?"

Walburga's face darkened, his voice a low growl. "You've been led astray by foolish ideas. You will see sense."

"We won't go through with it," Agatha said.

Her mother stepped closer, her eyes cold and sharp. "Oh, you'll go through with it, my dear."

"Because if you don't, you'll have nothing," said Herbert. "No family, no inheritance, no future."

Caractarus' breath hitched in his throat. "Father—"

"No, Caractarus." He was still watching Agatha with the most hawk like eyes, full with warning. And she was scared. "You'll be cast out, left to fend for yourself. Is that what you want?"

Walburga took her temples into her hands. "Good Lord, this is Sirius all over again."

Orion leaned closer to Regulus, his voice a harsh whisper. "You think you're strong enough to survive without us? Without our support, our protection? You'll be nothing, and you'll have no one to blame but yourselves."

"You would really rather choose throw everything away for a foolish notion of independence? You have no idea what you're doing."

The room fell into a tense, suffocating silence. The threat of being cut off was looming over them like a knife.

Finally, Walburga spoke, her voice cold and final. "You have one last chance to reconsider. To do what is right, what is expected of you. Refuse again, and you'll no longer be our children."

The weight of her words hung in the air. Regulus glanced at Agatha, seeing the same fear mirrored in her eyes. They were trapped. Agatha's worst fear had become a dilemma, a choice. Would she rather be unhappy in a marriage or fend for herself on the streets, unknowing of everything that lurked around the corner? She couldn't be an outcast, she couldn't. She needed her status. She needed the respect. She couldn't be like Sirius Black, who even she had bullied in the halls of the Hogwarts castle. She needed the safety of being a Burke.

Oh fuck.

She had to marry Regulus Black.

They made eye contact and he looked as if he'd come to the same conclusion.

They averted their gazes to their parents. And they nodded.