martha my dear * POTTER

𝟬𝟴

𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘢 𝘮𝘺 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘳
°∴,*⋅✲

¡! CHAPTER EIGHT !¡

"excuse me." martha chanted while quickening her pace to the dark haired boy in front of her. clutching the folded piece of parchment in her hand she made her steps larger to catch up. "'xcuse me!" she shouted again while pushing a few first years out of the way with her shoulder, and apologising to them.

huffing heavily martha came to a stop when she saw the boy stop and look behind him. taking in his sharp features she held up the bit of parchment and waved it at the boy expectantly with an eyebrow raised in question. he tilted his head to the back slightly, exposing his neck, in a gesture of saying follow me.

stepping smoothly around a gaggle of blushing fourth years she continued to walk behind the boy. appearing in front of what seemed to be a unused class room- he had disappeared.

"uh hullo?" martha asked bashfully, a slight heave leaving her chest from the quick paced walking. "are ye in 'ere?" rubbing her clammy palms up and down her robe.

"marth-"

jumping out of her skin and squealing loudly she shot her body around, for a hand- quite forcefully- to be shoved against her mouth.

"be quiet." he hissed. "nobody can no i'm here with you." he let go of his grip.

"try not to sneak up on a girl next time then, reg." she offended under her breath.

grabbing her shoulders and pulling her into a tight, well needed hug he grasped her close. wrapping her own arms around his torso and bringing one up to rest on the back of his head. being a inch taller than the girl it wasn't difficult.

"merlin, i've missed you reg." she inhaled the boy she'd looked after since second year.

"i've missed you too marty." he responded quietly, not fond of the soft emotions bubbling behind his eyelids. pulling away from the hug martha held the parchment out in front of his face, tapping it against his chest twice, she nodded.

"what's this all about aye?" lowering his gaze to the parchment he delicately nipped it from her fingers, opening it up and showing it to her.

in his neat scribe the parchment stated, 'Sirius.'

"yer know i'm not sirius." she tired to joke.

the fifteen year old looked up to the hufflepuff. eyes glazed over, hair unkempt, deep purple under his eyes. regulus caved. falling heavily into the girls arms, salted water dripped unwillingly from his eyes, trailing quickly down his pale face; racing each other like they do on window panes. his chest was heaving at a painful rate, muffled cries and dried out screams clogged in his throat begging, begging for freedom.

gravity pulled the two tightly to the floor, Martha's own eyes stinging and burning at the sight. rubbing his back and whispering sweet words into his ears.

"i- they- they told me. i'm- i'm going t-to be, o-one of them" he whimpered coarsely.

"i'm going to be one of them." came out horribly rough, his voice cracking so loud. the pain was unbearable he had been tarnished another delicate painting hung on the wall, slashed and ruined by societies deems for the slytherin boy.

his portrait was painted over heavily in the markings of the dark mark, covering every nook and crevice of the strokes. he couldn't be regulus black anymore. he simply couldn't.

holding the boy tighter to her chest for a moment longer and breathed out her own sob.

"i'm so sorry darlin' i'm so so sorry." she cried softly into his hair. regulus squeezed her back in response. pulling away from the embrace she grabbed regulus' hands in hers and held them lovingly in her lap. martha thumb ran the traces of his knuckles, the lines of his veins and the outline of his wrist. "i've got you, you safe with me, i promise, i'll do everything in my power to help you reg." pulling his hand up to her mouth, she pressed a soft kiss to the bruising of his knuckles.

"i've got you."