DON'T CRY - regulus black

chapter one

1978

CHAPTER ONE; THE TRAINRIDE
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The low rumble of the Hogwarts Express vibrated beneath Belle Avery's boots as she strode purposefully down the corridor, her blonde hair, smooth and sleek, falling just past her shoulders and swaying in time with her steps. Platform 9 ¾ had been packed, as always, a whirl of noise and chaos, but she had cut through the crowds like a knife through butter, cold and untouchable.

Belle's hazel eyes-almost forest green in this light-scanned the compartments as she passed. Her expression was set in stone, her features arranged into the perfect mask of disinterest that she had mastered over her six years at Hogwarts. The whispers had started before she even reached the platform, but now, on the train, they intensified, following her like a shadow.

"She's going to marry Regulus Black, you know..."

"Pureblood royalty, that one. But Merlin, is she cold."

"They say she's worse than her brother."

The last comment nearly made her smile. Worse than Mason? Perhaps, but only because Mason was too charming for his own good. Belle, however, didn't care for charm-at least, not in public. She carried her coldness like a shield, a protection from the weakness that emotions brought.

But not everyone saw the icy facade. There were a select few who knew how to thaw her defenses, though that number could be counted on one hand. And as she approached her compartment, where she knew two of those people waited, her heart gave a small, unbidden lurch of relief.

The compartment door slid open before she reached it, and there he was-Regulus Black, his pale face framed by the dark waves of his hair, his grey eyes scanning her with an intensity that always made her feel as though he was reading her every thought.

"Belle," he greeted in that low, familiar drawl. "I was beginning to wonder if you'd gotten lost."

She stepped past him into the compartment without acknowledging the jibe, her cloak brushing against his arm. Her pulse quickened for a moment-an irritating reaction, but not unexpected. Regulus had that effect on her, and he always knew it.

Inside, Alecto Carrow was lounging against the window, legs stretched out, her wand lazily twirling in her hand. "About bloody time, Avery," she muttered. "I thought you'd decided to ditch us for the Gryffindor lot."

Belle shot her a sharp look, though her lips curled slightly. "As if I'd lower myself to that."

Alecto grinned, showing off her slightly crooked teeth. "Well, you do have a bit of a soft spot for the Black traitor, don't you?"

Belle didn't respond, but her gaze flickered to Cordelia Greengrass, who sat beside Alecto, preening in the reflection of the window like she was some fairy tale princess. Cordelia was a vision of near-perfection, with her platinum blonde hair, wide doe eyes, and lips painted in her trademark red. Beautiful, and fully aware of it.

Cordelia glanced up from her self-admiration and smiled sweetly at Belle. "Ignore Alecto. She's just being mean because she didn't get enough sleep. And you know how cranky she gets."

"Shut it, Greengrass," Alecto snapped, but there was no venom in her voice.

Belle allowed herself to relax slightly, dropping into the seat beside Alecto. These two girls, as maddening as they could be, were the only ones she allowed herself to be soft with. Alecto's brash, talkative nature could be grating, but Belle knew there was a loyalty there. And Cordelia-well, Cordelia was Cordelia. Not the sharpest tool in the shed, but she had a beauty and innocence about her that Belle found oddly endearing, despite her growing tension with Thomas Avery, Belle's father, who had his eyes on Cordelia for more than just her looks.