BORN TO DIE

IX PAPER CRANES
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REGULUS BLACK WAS THE SWEETEST SOUL Esmerlda Nott has ever had the pleasure of knowing. The sweet boy Esme had grown up with did not deserve an ounce of the pain he's forced to endure, and that is why she vowed to never leave him. The boys body shook as Esme cradled him in the astronomy tower, the inky sky taunting him as his brothers star shown brightly above them.

"It's alright, I've got you. Let it out" Esme whispered as she brushed her hand through his hair. Regulus' sobs echoed the tower and the girl rocked them back and forth.

He had the pleasure of witnessing Sirius refer to James potter has his brother early that afternoon, and that's something Esme could never imagine the pain of.

and for the icing on the cake, he had been forced to take the dark mark.

She sighed as she ran her fingers through his hair. "I don't know if you remember, but when we were young and our parents would have their talks — me and you used to sneak out the back door and run. We ran so far we found the abandoned garden on my estate. You were so fascinated on how the vines wrapped around the porcelain statue of my great great grandmother. You didn't stop rambling on about seeing it again for weeks." Esme rambled on, her voice a soothing tone — a calm voice only few had the opportunity of hearing.

Regulus' sobs soon turned to gentle breaths as Esme kept speaking about their happy memories, somehow reminding him that although his brother was gone — his sister was still there, holding him and protecting him for every evil in the world: even if it was just for a moment.

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Barty used his wand to hold up the paper crane in front of Esmeralda's face. It was a blessing and a curse being sat beside the boy — one, he was hilarious, two — Esme wanted to rip his wand out of his hand and shove it down his throat.

Esme kept her eyes focused on the parchment, but when the crane hit her face she quickly grasped it and crushed it before throwing it harshly in Bartys face.

"That took me fifteen minutes!" He exclaimed, cradling the crumpled paper in his hands. "You're a wicked witch, Nott. Horrible even" he grumbled, not daring to look at Esme.

"Oh shut up, you git. It's a bit of parchment" Esme spoke as she rolled her eyes.

Barty gasped, his hand going to the right side of his chest. "My heart is breaking, Esmerelda Nott."

Esme raised a brow, "your hearts on the left side."

Barty scowled before putting his head down. Professor McGonagall rambled on about transfiguration, a subject that Esme was not very interested in. Her mind wandered to the night prior and her hand brushed her neck where concealed love bites rested. Her cheeks flushed slightly, a pink tint that was not quite noticeable.

She heard the bell chime, signifying the end of the school day. Esme quickly walked the halls of Hogwarts, ones which quickly deserted of students as classes once again had arrived.

The girl wandered aimlessly as she stared at the paintings around her, unaware of the eyes watching her. An arm shout out from the shadows dragging the girl into a broom closet.

"What the fuck!" She yelped as she was pressed against the wall. Two arms placed either side of her denying her exit. The soft aroma of peppermint and honey tea mixed with broom polish filled her senses. She clashed her hand against James potters chest. "You complete bafoon! You scared me!"

James chuckled, a smirk drawing from his lips. "C'mon! You should've seen your face" he laughed slightly before drawing a peace of hair behind her ear.

Esmerlda narrowed her eyes as she stared at him. "What exactly do you want, Potter?" She asked, her lips pursuing with drawn eyebrows.

James raised an eyebrow, "so it's potter now? If I recall correctly you couldn't stop screaming 'James ' last night?" His words almost echoed as Esme scoffed.

"I fear your memory has failed you."

James chuckled, his eyes never leaving her — "shall I give you a reminder?" He whispered, his head ducking down to the crook of her neck as he peppered small kisses against her delicate skin.

Esme sighed at the contact. She knew this was wrong, if her parents found out — they'd have her head. Yet, she couldn't find it in herself to stop him. There was something magnetic about James potter, he was an a drug she found herself slowly craving more often than not.

"This is wrong" she murmured as her hand trailed his neck.

James continued, "then tell me to stop."

Esme didn't, she let her hands wander into his hair. "No one can know.."

James lifted his head, "that's the fun of it."

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Esme stood in her dorm bathroom, Slytherins had the privilege of private showers and toilets considering most came from prestigious families that would donate money so that their child could live lavishly whilst away from home. The mirror was fogged up as she wiped it, Esme moved the wet locks of hair away from her neck as red blotches began to form into love bites which she found extremely tacky. James however, was obsessed with them. She muttered a spell, pointing her wand to her neck as they magically turned into the pale shade of her skin — hidden from prying eyes.

Evan was sat on her bed when she emerged from the bathroom. A cigarette hanging loosely from his lips.

"Esme" he greeted softly.

"Evan" she replied, walking towards the wardrobe.

"You were at a party last night," Evan began, the sound of his cigarette burning as he took a drag. "A Gryffindor one at that."

Esmeralda rolled her eyes, she spun around holding her towel at her chest. "Evan, darling it was a party. Get over yourself" she spat, grasping underwear and a large shirt she quickly changed.

"We've talked about this, Esme — you cannot be infiltrated with the like of those" Evan sighed, running a hand across his face.

Esme rolled her eyes, she walked towards him and placed her hands on his thighs as she knelt infront of him. "I'm not, you need to trust me" she sighed, speaking softly. She needed to keep Evan's trust — she cannot have things slipping to her parents, and if she's to marry him...

She needed Evan's trust.

Evan's eyes softened, his fingers danced between the ends of her hair, "I do. I just, I cannot loose you."

Esme smiled, "you won't." She wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. Her smile dropped as one thought danced throughout her head.

It doesn't feel right when it's not James.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ RIN TALKS

We're slowly leaning into the plot...

Also it acc kills me as an avid rosekiller stan to right Evan like this but as we all say, for the plot.