June 16, 1979
Dear Journal,
I didn't see him at all again today. I asked Barty and Evan where he was but no one seemed to know. It was late again by the time I went outside, knowing exactly where to find Regulus. I saw him sitting by the lake but I could feel immediately that something was off. As I walked closer, I could see him holding his left wrist and I heard soft crying. I gently sat down beside him and he quickly hid his wrist and wiped the tears off his face.
"What are you doing here?" he asked.
"I missed you today," I said as I brought my knees to my chest and wrapped my arms around them, "Didn't see you anywhere."
He tried to sound neutral, "I was... busy."
"Doing what?" I prodded.
A bitter lie rolled off his tongue, "Just... studying."
"Regulus..."
His heart clenched. I could sense it. I could practically see it.
"Yes?" he asked.
"Can I see you wrist?" I asked as gently as I could.
He froze, gripping his wrist tighter, "Why do you... why do you want to see it?"
"Regulus..." my face softened as his eyes brimmed with tears again, "I already know... Mum told me..."
His heart sank. Slowly, he pushed his left sleeve up, showing me the dark mark on his forearm. I was silent when I saw it. And then, slowly, I brought my hand over to it and gently rubbed my thumb across it. His breath hitched. He closed his eyes as the tears started streaming down his face.
I looked up at him, "Regulus..."
He opened his eyes and looked at me. But as though he couldn't take it, as though he were embarrassed to be crying in front of me, he looked away, "What?"
"What are they doing to you?" I asked.
He scoffed, "Why do you care?"
"Because I care about you," I said, staring at him intently, "I always have... You were my best friend. I never stopped caring."
He looked at me, "You care about me? Even when you know I'm a death eater?"
"I could never stop caring."
The tears continued to stream down his face.
"Regulus..." I took both of his hands in mine, "What are they doing to you?"
"It's... nothing. It's nothing."
"Regulus."
He sighed in defeat and looked away again before muttering, "It's... the cruciatus curse."
A soft, quiet gasp left my mouth, "What..."
"They..." his voice cracked as he continued, "Use it on me... they use it to punish me."
"Oh, Reggie..."
I couldn't stop myself from wrapping my arms around him in an embrace, holding him close. He melted in my arms and he wrapped his arms around my waist as he buried his head in my shoulder and let himself cry.
"It's okay, Reggie... I'm here..." I whispered.
A quiet sob left his mouth and I pulled him impossibly closer. It felt so comforting for both of us. It felt so right.
"It's okay... everything will be okay... we'll get you out..."
Estella Flint
YOU ARE READING
Meet Me at the Graveyard
Fanfiction"I would much rather go in there alone than run the risk of bringing you into that hell!" "Regulus, please." Pleading was the only thing I could do. But I knew he had already made up his mind.
