- Chapter Seventy-Two -
"If not for the vow, you wouldn't be breathing."

The morning came with peaceful splendour. Elladora woke to an empty dorm room, the other girls having gone down quite early whilst she tried to avoid the rush of Slytherins that would be filing out of the dungeons at the early hours of the morning. She'd been in the house long enough to know that they were always nearly the first ones in the Great Hall after the return on the holidays, it wasn't an agreement or some sort of thing, it was just a natural occurrence that you pick up when you spend your days in quiet surroundings.

Last night had been filled with boring plans talked about in small hushed whispers that Elladora didn't pay much attention to. She had her mission, act like she normally would and lie to the Death Eaters, easier said than done she presumed but knew that she could get through it. She wasn't kept long when she came back to the Common Room the previous night, instead kept with the group for a little while longer before heading up to bed when Snyde proposed that he was doing the same.

Actually falling asleep was an easy feat too, it had been quiet, peaceful and she did not have to bother with any sneaking around since most of the girls had been downstairs in the Common Room when she went up to bed. The curtains had been pulled safely around the sides once she had gotten changed into her pyjamas, the dark mark on her arm taking her by surprise at first but once the shock settled in, she finished her changing and climbed into bed with a small swear.

The burns from the vow were also still there, they seemed to be light every time she looked at them so she had no idea why they were still there. From the time that she got the vow to now, they should've at least mostly faded. Maybe it was permanent, she didn't mind, it's not like she was going to roll her sleeves up anyway. That was something she had to be careful of, careful not to roll her sleeves up or wear anything that someone could see the marks on her arm through.

If she did that, she'd be done for. The bruises on her hips from Macnair's grip had still yet to fade and that reminded her of another thing she had to do, tell Regulus about the safety she had guaranteed them both. He might be upset with her at first for wasting her firsts on someone she didn't care for but that was easily out ruled by the fact that they were safe and no longer had to prove much of their loyalty.

Every night Elladora thinks about what she could have done differently and the guilt eats her up. But apart from that, falling asleep was no big deal. Neither was the waking up where Elladora was greeted by another silence and when the curtains were opened, no one was there. Breakfast had only started ten minutes before that so she could still make it with extra sleep, even the Slytherin dorm room beds are more comfortable then the one at her house and that is saying something.

Her school uniform felt odd on her, she had not worn it for only two weeks and still it was like she had never stepped foot in it before. She slipped her cloak on last, slipped her shoes on, grabbed her bag and her wand before exiting the room and walking down to the main Common Room with a small bounce in her step, the day was going great so far and she hoped to keep it that way so everything could feel mostly normal except for the nightly meetings she presumed they had to have in the Common Room courtesy of Evan checking in regularly with letters.

When Evan himself had been at school, Elladora had paid no mind to him but now she wished he was here more than ever. He may have been a Death Eater but he was the nicest one out of the lot and he could surely keep them in check considering he was the leader of the younger part of the group despite not even going to Hogwarts. He would've been a right side better at acting leader than Macnair was at the moment.

Luckily for Elladora, there was no one waiting for her downstairs in the Common Room so her mood only lifted more as she exited into the main dungeons and was greeted with the cold chill that the corridors supply despite the fire lamps on the walls. It was dingy and depressive but she was out of it soon enough and up on the first floor where plenty more students milled around impassively. Some were reading, some were chatting and some were kissing, making up for lost time in the holidays with no idea what's to come. They were in the midst of the war yet none of them cared, Elladora wished she could be like that.

She eventually reached and turned into the Great Hall, immediately welcomed by the smell of the delicious breakfast that the house elves made for them down in the kitchens. Elladora wondered if they served pancakes, after Remus had introduced her to them they were practically her first choice for a breakfast food. Porridge long forgotten with the new knowledge of pancakes.

"Elladora!" Someone called from the Slytherin table and she looked over to see Regulus waving her down, now would be a good time to tell him about their safety since none of the others were around him. The marauders were sat at the Gryffindor table, distracted on their own conversation with a spare bowl of porridge next to them.

Elladora frowned slightly but decided to make a quick conversation with Regulus before she joined the boys at the table she normally sat at. Regulus gave her a quick smile as she slipped into the seat opposite him, a similar yet rushed smile on her own face.

"Okay..." She exhaled slightly and he furrowed his eyebrows at her behaviour but didn't interrupt her and just her continue. "I just wanted to let you know that I did the tradition and we are officially protected before marriage, safe from large tasks that he might set us."

Regulus paused in his eating, his forkful of scrambled eggs half up to his mouth at her words but he stopped with his mouth open and looked over at her with another confused expression. He slowly put the fork in his mouth and chewed on the food before responding to Elladora as she sat patiently with him.

"What are you on about?" He asked with a small laugh, taking a sip of his juice.

"You know..." She trailed off, nodding her head at him but he just shook his in return; she frowned at his lack of knowledge. "The tradition." She said clearer with more enunciation.

"What tradition?" Regulus mocked her with a smile, his words also become clearer with more enunciation.

"The thing..." She trailed off again, begging him to understand. He now dropped his playful persona and stuck to his genuinely confused expression as she faced him. "Where you...come on, Reg! The tradition for new recruits who aren't married yet."

Regulus placed his fork down on his plate and looked up at her again, tilting his head. "There are no traditions for new recruits who aren't married yet." He told her, shaking his head as he watched her face drop into an emotion that could only be described as disgusted horror. "Elladora, what did you do?"

"I-" She cut herself off, her eyebrows furrowing as she thought back to that night. Regulus watched as her face dropped even more if possible and she gaped down at her empty plate before putting her head in her hands and muttering. "Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, oh my god. No, what did I do?"

"Hey, hey, hey, listen to me." Regulus calmed her down slightly, reaching out to take her hands away from cradling her face. All tones of mocking, joking and playfulness had gone and he was no deadly serious. "What did you do?"

Elladora stared at him, shaking her head subtly in absolute hatred of herself.

•*•*•*•*•

"Macnair!"

Regulus Black's voice echoed through the castle so loudly that Elladora was sure that Dumbledore could hear it from his office all the way across the school. Reg was angry, more than angry, he was furious. As soon as she had started explaining what had happened, he was angry and as the story went on, he became a physical embodiment of rage. He had immediately leapt from his seat and started out of the hall, Elladora coming after him to see what he was doing.

"Macnair!" He yelled again, face red with frustration. Elladora followed him as they turned a corner, she was yelling at herself in her head. Stupid. How could you be so stupid? Foolish enough to believe a boy like Macnair. Said boy was talking to the other members of the Death Eaters at Hogwarts when Regulus spotted him.

His steps turned into strides as he got closer, yelling out the name of his target. Macnair turned curiously at the sound of his name being shouted across the hallway but as soon as he turned, his cloak had been grabbed and he had been pushed against the wall with force that could've cracked the stone it was made out of. Surrounding students groaned as the other Death Eaters became alert and stood up straighter at the conflict.

"You proud of yourself?" Regulus seethed to Macnair, both boys face to face as the formed had him struggling against his hold. "You proud of what you did? What you ruined? What you lied about!?"

"Regulus." Elladora said in a warning tone, grabbing his arm slightly but Regulus released one of his grips of Macnair and swatted her away, leaving her to back away slightly.

The two boys were face to face, their chests rising and falling with panting breaths. Everyone around them watched in anticipation and then...Macnair laughed. He laughed. A kind of sick laugh that wold make goosebumps appear on your skin every time you hear it. A laugh that would probably haunt you for decades with no reprieve. Regulus jostled the boy again.

"You think this is funny?" He asked in another angry whisper.

"Yeah, actually." Macnair nodded at Regulus but then turned his head so he could see Elladora behind him, nervously fiddling with her fingers. "I honestly thought you were smarter than that, Hargreaves, come on now."

"I thought I was too." Elladora mumbled but made no move to repeat herself in a higher volume.

"No, but seriously, it was so easy-"

A fist flew towards his face before he could finish and Regulus lost his grip from the punch that he threw, freeing Macnair but also sending him to the ground with a large thud. The surrounding crowd let out noises of reaction and the Death Eaters took a step back from what was about to go down.

"You're a dick!" Regulus shouted at him as Elladora grabbed his arm and started pulling him away, they couldn't afford a confrontation right now. He pushed her away slightly and stalked back towards Macnair as the boy stood. "That was her first time and you made it hell for her!"

"What's going on here?"

Elladora turned, shocked by the sudden voice, to see Sirius Black and the others by her side. She glanced between them, Regulus, Macnair and the other Death Eaters. No. Not here, not now, not like this. She couldn't risk anything coming out with them all here in one place.

"Nothing's going on." She tried to say and stood in front of them but she was easily too small to block the view. Sirius only looked over her and she glanced nervously back towards the scene to see Macnair staring.

"Hey, Reg, you sure it was her first time?" He asked and Regulus began to get riled up again.

"What's he talking about?" Remus stepped forward and Elladora went to try and push him away, pleading for them to leave but he held her wrists delicately and squinted at Macnair who was smirking at them.

"Cause to me..." He continued his question directed to Regulus but it was obvious that he wanted everybody to hear him. "It looks as though it might've been here fifth and you're just mad she didn't put out for you."

Regulus went to throw another punch but Elladora got there first, grabbing his arm and pushing it back down to avoid hurting anyone from who they were supposed to be helping.

"What did you just say?" James had joined in, growing angry like Regulus as he approached Macnair and Elladora made an attempt to push them all away from each other yet her pleads seemed to go ignored.

"I said that Black is mad because she wouldn't put out for him, shame, she seemed like she was enjoying it."

That seemed to be the final straw for everyone. Regulus and James both launched forward towards him, Snyde and Avery drew their wands on them whilst Remus, Peter and Sirius began to yell at Macnair but take no action. The crowd around them was growing bigger and Elladora's breathing began to pick up heavily as they all squared each other up.

"Leave each other alone." She worked her way between them, one hand on Regulus' chest and the other on Macnair as she tried to push them away from each other. "Just all of you get out of here, don't you have something better to do instead of fighting a battle that I can figure out myself?!"

The area around them was more or less quiet.

"Now, leave." She practically ordered, Regulus opened his mouth to speak but she silenced him with an authoritative glare. James begrudgingly walked away, sending wary glances to Elladora as she stayed behind with the others.

Remus, Sirius and Peter followed James around the corner as the crowd dispersed and Regulus stayed in his place behind the barrier that was Elladora. She looked thoroughly dejected, violated, confused and angry at the same time.

"Thanks-" Macnair was about to say.

"If not for the vow," Elladora whirled around to face him, her eyes narrowing into a dangerous glare whilst her hands kept working on keeping Regulus back. "You wouldn't be breathing."

She can't believe she had been so stupid.

•*•*•*•*•
A/N: this chapter is...bad 😍

i knew what I wanted to happen but I didn't know how to write it if that makes sense. Also it's midnight rn and I'm tired so I wrote this when sleep-deprived. The last couple of paragraphs are written on my phone so that's why they're bad.

If you stick with me through my moments of shitty writing, I love you 💜