Mine to Protect

Chapter: 7 the first spark

The following days were a blur of secret meetings and whispered conversations. Regulus and Aurora spent every spare moment together, planning, strategizing, and trying to figure out who they could trust. The weight of their shared burden seemed to grow heavier with each passing day, but they found comfort in each other's presence, a silent understanding that neither was truly alone in this fight.

One evening, after another clandestine meeting in the Slytherin common room, Regulus led Aurora out into the cool night air. The castle grounds were quiet, the only sounds the distant hooting of an owl and the rustling of leaves in the breeze. They walked in silence, the tension between them palpable, until they reached the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

"I wanted to show you something," Regulus said quietly, his voice almost lost in the stillness of the night. He gestured towards a narrow path leading into the forest, partially hidden by the shadows of the trees.

Aurora hesitated, glancing at him with a mix of curiosity and caution. "What is it?"

Regulus gave her a small, reassuring smile. "It's a place I go to think. Somewhere I can get away from... everything." He paused, then added, "I thought you might like it."

With a nod, Aurora followed him down the path, her heart pounding in her chest. The forest was dark and mysterious, the trees towering above them like silent sentinels. But there was something oddly comforting about the place, as if it was a sanctuary from the dangers that lurked outside its borders.

After a few minutes of walking, they emerged into a small clearing. The moonlight filtered through the canopy, casting a soft, silvery glow over the scene. In the center of the clearing was a large, flat rock, smooth and weathered by time.

"This is it," Regulus said, his voice soft. "I come here when I need to clear my head. It's peaceful, isn't it?"

Aurora looked around, taking in the beauty of the place. The air was fresh, the night quiet and calm. For a moment, it felt as though all the worries and fears that had plagued her were far away, unable to touch her here.

"It's perfect," she whispered, turning to face him.

Regulus met her gaze, his eyes filled with an emotion she couldn't quite place. "I thought you might like it," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.

They stood there for a moment, the silence between them charged with unspoken feelings. Aurora's heart began to race as she realized just how close they were standing, the warmth of Regulus's body radiating towards her. She could see the conflict in his eyes, the way he was struggling with something inside himself.

"Regulus..." she began, but her voice trailed off as he took a step closer, his expression intense.

"Aurora," he said, his voice low and filled with emotion, "there's something I've been wanting to tell you. Something I've been trying to ignore, but I can't anymore."

Aurora's breath caught in her throat. She could feel the tension building between them, a magnetic pull that she couldn't resist. "What is it?" she asked, her voice barely audible.

Regulus hesitated, his eyes searching hers as if looking for permission. Then, with a sudden resolve, he closed the distance between them, his hand gently cupping her cheek.

"I care about you, Aurora," he whispered, his voice trembling slightly. "More than I should. More than is safe for either of us."

Aurora's heart swelled with emotion. She had known, on some level, that her feelings for Regulus went beyond friendship, beyond the bond they had formed in their fight against the darkness. But hearing him say it, admitting it aloud, made it all the more real.

"I care about you too," she confessed, her voice shaking. "I don't want to lose you, Regulus."

For a moment, they just stood there, the world around them fading into the background. Then, as if drawn together by an invisible force, Regulus leaned in, his lips brushing against hers in a soft, tentative kiss.

The touch of his lips sent a jolt of electricity through Aurora's body, and she found herself responding instinctively, her hands reaching up to rest on his shoulders. The kiss deepened, filled with all the emotions they had been holding back for so long—fear, longing, desperation, and something else, something that felt like hope.

When they finally pulled apart, both were breathless, their foreheads resting against each other as they tried to process what had just happened. Aurora could feel the rapid beat of Regulus's heart against her chest, mirroring her own.

"I shouldn't have done that," Regulus whispered, his voice filled with regret. "It's not safe, Aurora. I can't let you get hurt because of me."

Aurora shook her head, her hands tightening on his shoulders. "I don't care, Regulus. I'm not going to walk away from this, from us. We'll figure it out, together."

Regulus looked at her, a mixture of fear and hope in his eyes. "Together," he repeated softly, as if the word itself was a lifeline.

~~~~~~~~~
I'm two days late I know