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12 Grimmauld Place, London,
A seventeen-year-old Regulus Black paced back and forth in front of the gate, his mind restless as he anxiously awaited news from inside. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he muttered under his breath, "It's alright… It's alright… Eli has just lost consciousness… It's nothing serious… It's alright…"
"Regulus… there's no need to worry. Isn't your mother checking on Elizabeth? What's got you so worked up?" Orion Black, a stern-looking man with brown hair and eyes, spoke to his son.
"I… I know, Father… It's just that..." Regulus began, but he was cut off when the door creaked open, and Walburga Black stepped out, gently closing it behind her. The moment she appeared, Regulus hurried toward her, his face etched with concern.
"Mother… What about Elizabeth…? How—how is she? How could she lose consciousness so suddenly?"
Walburga's sharp eyes fixed on her son, her brow furrowing as she spoke with a stern tone, "Regulus… calm yourself. Don't lose your composure over something so small."
"I… I'm just a little worried…" Regulus stammered, trying to justify his anxiety.
Walburga let out a quiet sigh. "I understand, dear. Love has a way of making even the hardest and oldest hearts tremble. But you're still so soft and young…"
"Mother… please… Elizabeth, how is she? Why did she lose consciousness so suddenly?" Regulus pressed, his concern growing.
At his words, Walburga's stern expression softened for a moment, and a rare, almost imperceptible smile tugged at her lips. She reached out, brushing her fingers gently against Regulus' cheek. With a fond gaze, she said, "There's no need for concern, Regulus. Elizabeth is with your child… and sometimes, these things happen to witches during pregnancy." She added, "There's no need to worry... her condition is stable. At present, she's resting. You may go and see your beloved."
"I... I see," Regulus murmured, letting out a sigh of relief. He nodded, then said, "Then, if you'll excuse me..."
With that, he stepped past Walburga, opened the door, and walked inside.
…
Inside the room,
As Regulus stepped into the room, his eyes fell upon a beautiful young girl in her mid-teens. She had blonde hair and blue eyes, and was lying on the bed, a blanket draped over her. She was Elizabeth Sayre.
Closing the door softly behind him, he called out gently, "Eli…"
"Hm? Regulus… is that you?" A faint response came from Elizabeth as she tried to lift her head.
"It's alright… I'm here. Don't try to get up," Regulus reassured her, his voice soft yet firm. He moved to her side, sitting in the chair beside the bed, and gently took her hand in his. "Eli… how are you feeling?"
"I'm just a bit tired…" Elizabeth murmured softly, her voice slow and faint.
"Yeah… looks like it," Regulus replied, nodding as he observed the clear signs of weakness on Elizabeth's pale face.
Seeing her weakened state, Regulus felt guilty… but there was nothing he could do to ease her pain. All the potions that could help her in the state of pregnancy have already been given to her and anything else could harm the baby, therefore she has no choice but to deal with this…
He gently brushed his fingers over her forehead, his voice barely above a whisper, "I'm sorry you have to go through this..."
"Don't apologize…" Elizabeth murmured, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "I want this too… to give you a child."
"Hm…" Regulus hummed softly in response, his hand continuing to gently caress her forehead.
Feeling comforted by his touch, Elizabeth smiled, a look of delight crossing her face before she asked, "Regulus… weren't you supposed to answer Master's call?"
Regulus hesitated, a conflicted expression flashing across his face as Elizabeth mentioned the Dark Lord. But he quickly masked it with a smile and replied, "It's fine, Eli… Master only needed a House Elf for something, and I've already sent Kreacher."
"A House Elf? Why would Master need a House Elf?" Elizabeth murmured, a doubtful look crossing her face.
Regulus shared her doubts, though he wasn't sure himself. He shrugged and offered a simple reply, "I suppose we'll only know once Kreacher returns…"
"I see…" Elizabeth murmured then, she added gently, "Do you want to talk to me about something?"
Obviously, she had noticed the hesitation in his tone and wished to help him out if possible.
For a brief moment, Regulus was stunned, almost ready to pour out his doubts to the one woman he could open up to without hesitation. If it were any other time, he would have. But Elizabeth, already struggling with the pregnancy, didn't need to carry his burdens too. So, he shook his head, opting for a safer topic. "Nothing really… I was just... thinking about names for our child."
"Oh? Have you thought about it?" Elizabeth asked, her voice filled with a touch of surprise.
"Of course…" Regulus nodded, a slight, embarrassed smile creeping onto his face.
"Hmm… tell me, then. What names have you thought of?" Elizabeth asked, intrigued.
"Well…" Regulus hesitated before continuing, "I'm thinking of Rigel if it's a boy, or Lyra if it's a girl… Rigel Black and Lyra Black. What do you think?"
"Not bad…" Elizabeth murmured, gently caressing her growing belly as she repeated the names softly, "Rigel Black and Lyra Black…" She paused, a tender smile forming as she added, "Just a few more months, and our little one will be born…"
"Hmm…" Regulus hummed thoughtfully, his gaze fixed on Elizabeth's smile. Though she was younger than him, there was an undeniable motherly charm about her that captivated him. It mesmerized him, and once again, he found himself falling even deeper in love with her. He stared at her, lost in the moment, before suddenly blurting out, "Eli… I love you…"
Elizabeth froze, her eyes widening in surprise. "Where did that come from?" she asked, her voice soft with astonishment.
"Nothing…" Regulus shook his head, a smile tugging at his lips. He gently took her hand, bringing it to his lips for a tender kiss. "I just wanted to tell you how much I love you…"
"Mister…" Elizabeth replied, a faint blush creeping onto her cheeks. "We already have a child here... if you want another…" she teased, though a playful glint sparkled in her eyes. But, if she were honest with herself, the idea didn't seem so bad. "But if you truly want, then…"
"No… no, that's not what I meant…" Regulus said quickly, shaking his head with a light laugh. He gently held Elizabeth's hand and added, "I just want you to know… I really, truly love you…"
Elizabeth smiled softly, her eyes warm. "I know… you do."
The two of them gazed at each other, their faces drawing closer with love and unspoken expectations in their eyes. Their lips were nearly touching when, suddenly, there was a sharp pop. A small, hunched figure with an unsettlingly grotesque appearance and bat-like ears appeared in the room.
"Oh… for Merlin's sake… Kreacher… could you not just–!" Regulus shouted at the House-Elf, but his words faltered as he noticed Kreacher's precarious state. "Kreacher…!" he exclaimed, rushing to his side.
Even Elizabeth struggled to sit up, wincing in pain, but she managed to rise with difficulty, her face etched with concern as she looked at the House-Elf.
The grotesque figure, lying on the floor and gasping for breath, whispered, "Master Regulus… Master… Kreacher has…" but his words trailed off as he lost consciousness.
Worried, Elizabeth asked, "What's wrong with Kreacher?"
"He is alive..." murmured Regulus, checking for the House-Elf's breath. He quickly drew his wand and began to perform some tests on Kreacher, muttering, "This... seems to be the result of... some curse..."
"A curse? Could it have been Master?" asked Elizabeth, offering the only possibility that made sense, one that fit his character all too well.
Regulus clenched his teeth and swallowed nervously. He didn't immediately agree, instead saying, "Let's not jump to conclusions... First, let me take care of him, deal with the curse... then Kreacher will tell me everything." He gently lifted the House-Elf into his arms, then turned to Elizabeth. "Eli... you need to rest. This is just a small matter... don't worry about it."
"I... see..." Elizabeth nodded hesitantly, lying back down with a forced smile.
With that, Regulus left the room with Kreacher.
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A few days later
"Do you have to go?" asked Elizabeth in a trembling voice.
"This is something that must be done..." Regulus nodded solemnly, his expression serious.
"What needs to be done? Ever since Kreacher returned, you've been so distant, so worried about something… and you won't tell me anything. What happened to him? What did Master do to him?" Elizabeth asked, her voice trembling, a look of worry on her face that seemed on the verge of breaking into tears.
"I… I'm sorry, Eli… this is something… I can't share with you," Regulus replied, shaking his head with the same solemn expression.
"Why not? Am I not your wife? Didn't we vow to share everything together? Or do you still see me as a child? I'm not a child, Regulus… I… I…" Before she could finish, a sharp pain gripped her womb, and dizziness washed over her. She stumbled, nearly collapsing, her vision blurring as she lost consciousness again.
"Eli!" Regulus exclaimed, his heart racing as he rushed to catch her. He gently eased her back onto the bed. "You mustn't worry so… not in your condition," he murmured, his voice full of concern, as he quickly grabbed a towel to wipe the sweat from her brow.
"Don't leave me…" Elizabeth murmured, tears slipping down her cheeks as she reached out, gripping the sleeves of his robe with trembling hands.
"I'm here…" Regulus responded, forcing a smile as he sat down beside her, gently brushing her forehead with his fingers.
"Don't go…" she pleaded again, her expression desperate.
"Yes… I'm here…" Regulus repeated, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead, hoping to soothe her troubled heart.
"Promise?" Elizabeth whispered, her voice fragile.
"Promise!" Regulus replied, nodding firmly. He raised his wand and cast a gentle charm on her, murmuring, "When you wake, I'll be here... with you."
Those were the last words Elizabeth heard before the spell took hold. As her eyes fluttered shut, the room filled with the soft, steady rhythm of her breathing as she slipped into a peaceful sleep.
Once she had drifted off to sleep and her grip on his sleeves loosened, Regulus gently withdrew his hand from hers and rose to his feet. He paused for a moment, gazing down at her with a conflicted expression. He raised his wand once more, casting a memory charm on her, specifically erasing the memories tied to Kreacher's return in such a distressed state. 'It's for the best you don't remember this…'
As the memories faded from her mind, Regulus withdrew his wand before pressing a soft kiss to her forehead, then leaned down to place a tender kiss over her womb, where their child was growing. "This must be done…" he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "Such evil cannot be allowed to exist..."
With one last look, he turned and quietly exited the room.
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Outside the room, Walburga, who had heard of the commotion inside, was waiting for him, and as soon as Regulus walked out, she spoke to him, "Son… where are you going… Your child is about to be born in a month or so… in these times, you must stay wit–"
"This is important, mother…" spoke Regulus, interrupting her.
Walburga stared at Regulus for a moment before noticing the mask in his hand as she said, "Are you responding to the Dark Lord's summons?"
Regulush also stared at the mask in his hand and answered vaguely, not wanting to explain much. "Well, something like that…"
Hearing him, Walburga became a bit concerned. She approached him as she held out her hands. Holding his cheeks, she spoke to him, "Son… about being a Death Eater… your father and I have talked about it… and we have come to the conclusion that we do not wish for you to follow that path anymore… isn't that right, Orien?"
Orion Black nodded solemnly. "The Dark Lord cares for nothing but power… His methods have grown extreme. We… do not approve of such extreme measures. Besides, your child is about to be born. It's better to leave this life behind and start anew at the Ministry…"
Regulus stood still, stunned by his father and mother's words, before a sense of relief washed over him. He nodded, his voice firm. "It's alright… this time, I'm not answering the Dark Lord's summons. There's something else I need to do… something I must finish before I leave this life behind." Without offering further explanation, he strode towards the fireplace with Floo Powder in hand, activating the Floo network, and said, "This is the last time..." before disappearing into the green flames.
At the same time as Regulus, Kreacher, who had been hiding outside the room, quietly slipped away with a light pop sound.
Walburga and Orion stood in silence, watching the empty hearth.
Unbeknownst to them, this would be the last time they would ever see their son.
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That's it for this chapter. Hope you enjoyed reading this one!
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