Hiraeth | Regulus Black

Chapter Eighty Four

Really, it was all too much for one mind to comprehend. The amount of trauma one person can deal with is only really so much. Especially when you feel as if you're all alone, drowning in it.

Esmerelda had always been used to being on her own. That was really why, despite her heartbreak over Regulus not telling her the truth about why he didn't return to Hogwarts, she was able to cope and function by herself.
There was something about being in that cave though... Something haunting that she knew would never leave her.
Sitting on the floor of Grimmauld Place, moments after her escape, Esme really began to understand how she couldn't deal with this by herself anymore. It was too much.

Where had her childhood gone? She was still a teenager after all.
Children weren't meant to be raised in the midst of a war, and teenagers weren't meant to fight in it. But, she supposed, wars were never just and fair.

All Esme knew was that she needed to survive this. Someone needed to remember all of the atrocities that had happened to ensure it never happened again.
So Esme had to keep going. She had to keep living and keep fighting, and she knew who exactly she was going to be living and fighting alongside.

Regulus Black finally let out a long, shaky breath. Every muscle hurt and his head was struck with a blinding pain so he could barely remember what had even happened. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the brightness of the kitchen before he looked down at Esme.

He was lying on his back in the cold, tiled floor, which did nothing to alleviate the aching of his entire body. Esme knelt over him, gripping onto his jumper as her head was buried into his chest.
After a minute of just watching the girl, his other senses kicked in and he realised she was hysterically sobbing.

"I can't believe you did this!" She cried, her face pressed harshly into his jumper as it soaked up her tears.

Regulus opened his mouth, trying to reply but his throat was too hoarse to force out any coherent words.
He coughed, causing Esme to slowly lift her head and look at him. He had only seen her in such a state once before - after they'd been branded with the Dark Mark.

"You're okay, you're alright. We're safe." Esme repeated, like a mantra. He wasn't sure if she was trying to convince him or herself.

"It's okay, you're alright. Oh my god, you're alright."
Esme couldn't completely believe it. He was there. He was in front of her. He was safe and alive. He was really, utterly and truly, unharmed.

"I love you so much, you daft idiot." She wiped some tears from her eyes.

Her hands still balled up his jumper as she fought to hold back her tears again, "I-I thought you'd... I wasn't sure if I'd managed to save you. I..." Esme's voice faltered as she knelt down to rest her head in the crook of his neck, wrapping her arms tightly around him.

"Esme..." Regulus' voice croaked out, "It's okay..."

Eventually her cries subsided and Esme sat up, looking down at him still lay on the floor. Regulus closed his eyes, starting to feel the effects of the potion subsiding. Finally he was starting to feel a little more like his usual self but he was still adjusting to what was happening and, of course, what had just happened.

"You, you idiot!" She exclaimed harshly, "You're a complete arse, Regulus Black! What was that?" She hit him in the side of the head.
"Ow!" He complained, rubbing where he'd just been struck, "You hit me. Why would you hit me?"

"Because you're an idiot! You-you terrified me... I thought I hadn't managed to save you."

Slowly, and with several grunts of discomfort, Regulus pushed himself up and looked at her, "Thank you... For coming and saving me. I didn't-I expected to die there."