"You could stay," Regulus murmured, his voice warm and low against her ear.

His arm rested comfortably around her waist, anchoring her in place as if he had no intention of letting her go. His breath was steady against her neck, but she knew he was awake, watching her.

"Stay?" She turned to face him. "I've already stayed the whole night."

"And I'm asking for more." His fingers traced lazy circles on her skin beneath the sheets. "Not done with you yet."

Darya let out a soft laugh, brushing back a lock of his tousled hair. "You've gotten greedy, haven't you?"

"Not that I think you mind."

Darya raised an eyebrow, fighting to maintain a serious expression. "What makes you so sure of that?"

Regulus propped himself up on one elbow, the sheet slipping slightly to reveal his bare chest. "Well, I seem to recall you asking me to kiss you... more than once last night."

Darya's cheeks flushed, but she refused to let him see her flustered. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Regulus chuckled softly, leaning down. "Is that so?" His lips brushed her skin.

"Mm-hmm," she murmured, her voice weakening as his kisses trailed along her collarbone. "You're imagining things."

He hummed, unconvinced. "Imagining things, am I?"

She smirked. "Yes. I'm sure you're mistaken."

His hand slid up her side, stopping below her ribcage. "Maybe I am," he said softly, teasing. "Or maybe you're enchanting me like the Siren you are."

Before she could protest, his mouth found hers in a slow, languid kiss, his fingers pulling her closer. For a moment, the world outside his room ceased to exist, and all she felt was him—the warmth of his skin, the way his lips moved with a mix of hunger and tenderness.

Darya raised an eyebrow, though her heart raced. "Last night was... interesting," she teased, "but you shouldn't get ahead of yourself."

"Interesting?" Regulus kissed her neck lazily. "That's not what you said last night."

She swallowed, pulse quickening as his fingers traced her chest. "I say a lot of things."

His lips brushed just below her ear, and he hummed softly. "Oh, I remember. You were very talkative. Begging, if I recall."

Darya's face flushed. "I think you're confusing me with someone else."

"Am I?" His hand slid lower, his grip firm enough to send a shiver through her. "Because you didn't seem so shy last night when you asked me to kiss you here," he whispered.

"Regulus..."

The heat of him, the way his body pressed against hers—it was intoxicating. Her head swam, the line between memory and reality blurring. And then, with a sudden jolt, Darya realized what was happening.

This wasn't real. It had been once, but now it was just a memory—one Regulus was manipulating, pulling to the forefront of her mind like a puppet master.

He was toying with her inside her head.

Cold reality settled in her bones as her senses sharpened. The Dark Lord was nearby, his voice a low murmur as he gave orders to another Death Eater.

Regulus stood just a few paces away from Darya, his face neutral, wand at his side. He hadn't touched her, hadn't moved. But she felt him, teasing her, testing her control. She shot him a sharp look, her eyes narrowing. His lips twitched into the faintest smirk.

'You're distracting me,' she thought sharply, trying to keep her mental walls intact.

His voice slithered into her mind, smooth and teasing. 'Distracting you? Is that what you're calling it?'

She clenched her jaw, glancing at him from the corner of her eye. He was enjoying this far too much.

'This isn't the time, Black,' she shot back, her mental voice sharp. But even as she thought it, her pulse quickened at the memory of his lips, his hands...

'Oh, but I think it's exactly the time,' his voice purred in her thoughts. 'You look like you need something to take the edge off.'

The Dark Lord's voice continued to drone on, giving orders. She tried to block Regulus out, whispering, 'Focus!'

'That night,' he murmured into her mind, sending a shock of heat down her spine, 'you didn't seem so focused then, love. What was it you said to me? Ah yes, something about how I was—'

Darya bit her lip to stifle a gasp. He was deliberately pushing her, pulling her back to the night they spent together, unraveling her.

'I didn't beg,' she shot back defensively.

Regulus's mental chuckle vibrated through her. 'Oh, you did. But I'll spare you the embarrassment—for now.'

'You need to stop,' she hissed mentally, trying to sound stern.

'I will,' Regulus replied, his voice a soft whisper in her mind. 'Just as soon as you admit you're still thinking about it. About me. About that night.'

Darya exhaled sharply, biting back the surge of heat. She needed to regain control, to stop this before she completely lost herself.

Just as she was about to snap, a voice cut through the haze.

"Regulus," the Dark Lord's cold voice sliced through the tension between them. "You and Darya will handle this task. It requires... subtlety."

Darya's heart stuttered at the weight of those words. You and Darya.

"As you wish, my Lord," Regulus replied smoothly. "We won't fail."

"See that you don't," the Dark Lord said coolly, dismissing them without another word.

As the other Death Eaters began to filter out, Darya could feel Regulus's presence inching closer.

"Looks like we're stuck together again, love."

"Shit," she muttered under her breath.

Regulus chuckled softly. "Mm-mm."

She shot him a glare, but the heat in her stomach was already threatening to undo her. "You're impossible. Focus, Reg."

He arched a brow. "Oh, I'm focused, darling. Don't worry about me."

As the Dark Lord's voice faded into the background, Darya realized with a sinking feeling that she hadn't caught a single detail of the mission. Regulus had been in her head the entire time, teasing, distracting her, and now she had no idea what they were supposed to do.

Her stomach flipped as she tried to replay the Dark Lord's words in her mind, but all she could focus on was Regulus toying with her thoughts. When she glanced at him, his knowing smirk confirmed the worst—he'd noticed.

"You didn't hear a word of the mission, did you?" he murmured, leaning in, his lips brushing against her ear.

Darya stiffened, heat flooding her face. "Of course I did," she lied, her voice too sharp, too quick.

Regulus's grin widened, his fingers skimming her arm. "Is that so? Because I remember you being rather... preoccupied."

"What did the Dark Lord say?" she demanded, steering the conversation back to the mission.

Regulus shrugged casually. "You really didn't catch any of it?" He looked far too amused.

"Regulus," she snapped, her patience wearing thin.

He leaned in again, his breath warm against her ear. "We're retrieving something. Just you and me. No one else." His lips brushed her ear. "But don't worry, I'll handle the details. You just try to keep up."

Darya's fingers twitched with the urge to hex him, but she held back, grinding her teeth. "Stop messing around."

He leaned closer, his breath warm as he whispered, "You'll find out soon enough. But really, Darya, I'm flattered. I didn't realize I was so distracting."