The Life and Lies of Cassiopeia Rosier- Regulus Black

.to love fiercly.

.what is stronger than the human heart, which shatters over and over and still lives?.

The term began with a snowstorm. A few icy flurries danced through the air as I boarded the Hogwarts express. By the time we reached the platform in Hogsmeade, the few flakes of falling snow had turned into a raging blizzard. The storm was so thick that I could hardly make out the lights of the castle that normally illuminated the mountainside. The chill in the air was the kind that tore through your cloak and bit deep into your bones. Oddly enough, it didn't bother me as much as it should have. Feeling that icy chill had become quite normal.

Regardless, I pulled my cloak around my body as we walked up the path to the carriages. Regulus, seeing my action, took the emerald scarf from around his neck and wrapped it around mine. His fingers grazed my throat, and I was amazed at the warmth that erupted where he had touched me. He held my gaze for a small moment and smiled slightly. His eyes held a dark glaze, one that had hung around us all since Christmas.

Our time on the train had been gloomy, no one spoke, each seemingly deep in thought. Yet, somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew that they were all weary of me. Whether it was fear or jealousy, each one felt a deep emotion regarding what they had witnessed me do in the presence of the Dark Lord. There were a lot of things I regretted about my actions, but I did not regret planting fear in the hearts of my classmates. If they feared me, I was untouchable.

A grunt startled me, and as we approached the carriages, I realized that they were not pulling themselves the way they usually did. They were being pulled by beasts that I had never encountered before.

They were large, like a horse, but oddly reptilian looking. There was something quite sinister about their appearance as if they had been touched by death itself. Their bodies were skeletal, bones jutting through the black coat of flesh, large bat-like wings were attached at their shoulders. But the most terrifying thing about them was their large, white, pupil-less eyes. They were milky like the mist that clung over the black lake on a stormy day, and they seemed to penetrate my very soul.

I was so startled by their appearance that I jumped backward, knocking into Regulus, who braced me before I fell over.

"What is that?" I breathed, shock registering in my countenance. The carriages had pulled themselves the entire time I had been at Hogwarts, so why were these ghastly beasts suddenly here?

"It's a thestral," Regulus replied, sending a wary glance at the beast. I was surprised that he knew what they were. "They pull the carriages up to the castle."

"Why aren't the carriages pulling themselves like they normally do?" I questioned, curious as to what had sparked the change. The wind whipped against my cloak, threatening to rip it from my body, icy flakes of snow caught in the whisps of my hair.

"Thestrals can only be seen by those who have witnessed death, Cassie. They've always pulled the carriages. You've just never been able to see them before." He stated, pulling his cloak more tightly around his tall frame. "But now that you have seen death-," his voice trailed off, I was sure as not to make me relive the events of the past week.

I felt like my body was frozen in place, aware that the sinister omens of my life had been building up. I had seen death, and I had been the one who caused it. The guilt that accompanied those actions had been crushing. It was a weight that I almost couldn't bear. But knowing that I had no choice but to move on, I tore my gaze from the Thestrals and climbed into the carriage.

When we finally reached the castle, a wave of warmth greeted us. All of the students bustled inside, each shielding themselves from the snow that cut through the air like shards of glass. It was a warmth that didn't quite reach my bones. Almost as if my insides were covered in a thick layer of frost that couldn't be thawed.