Hey, I'm back!

For those who don't know, I already posted the first chapters of my Severus Snape fic in case you're interested. It's called Indigo Night (after Tamino's song, as you'll realise). I hope you can check it out.

Here's another chapter. Again, moving the plot along finally. LEAVE COMMENTS!

By the way, I went out Saturday with a few friends and the singer noticed us and liked my friend's tiktok?? OMG??? Also, I hurt my knee on the way back home because I fell in the metro. But I feel much better already.

Luna felt her chest tightening, heartbroken as she saw the tiny little dead bodies in front of her.

All six of the mice she had tested the potion that she had drunk herself had died.

"Perhaps it was too much?" one of her classmates asked. Though it sounded genuine, she could see that he trying to hold back his laughter. "You may be small, Miss Lupin, but I do believe the mice are smaller and need smaller doses."

Some people chuckled at the jab of Luna's size and the jab at her intellect. Luna didn't laugh or smile in politeness, she just stared at the dead mice in the cage, shrouded in sadness, guilt and disgust, but above all it was the confusion.

It was quite the conversation that she had tested her potion on herself before on animals. Some people had said she was being overconfident and, perhaps, stupid for experimenting in such a dangerous way.

The very potion she was drinking and that made her feel strong, was the reason why all those tiny lives had been taken. It was her fault, even if indirectly. It was her fault. Her blood had killed all those tiny, white, red-eyed mice that the class used.

"I don't understand," Luna whispered.

Professor Soo watched her for a moment, taking in her expression and her reaction. Something in the way she was looking down, back hunched in defeat and guilt all over her face made him hesitate in finishing the class, even though the sun had set already.

"Alright, class, you're dismissed. Put your experiments in stasis and take off," Professor Soo said, putting his hands in his hips to watch the other students. He smiled forcefully at them, watching them start moving. "Miss Lupin, you stay back. I believe it's for the best if we experiment with the mice to find out what exactly in the potion killed them."

The other students started to move, getting their bags and supplies before slipping out of the classroom quickly. All of them were tired, very interested in going to their own beds and eating a good enough meal. The students there were so starved for success that they often forgot food until they were sent home.

Once they were left alone in the classroom, Luna sighed in defeat, putting her elbows on the table and lied her head between her arms, hiding her face from her professor.

"It happens. Not everything you do will work out," Professor Soo said, frowning a bit at her reaction. "Really, some things will just... fail."

"I didn't fail!" she exclaimed, looking up at him.

Her eyes burned, but didn't dare to cry, swallowing up her tears. She looked down again, but didn't lower her head.

"Miss Lupin –"

"No! I didn't fail. Really. God, I tried it several times on my own body, I have the minimal dose to the mice. There's no reason for them to die!" she said, looking at the corpses in angry disappointment. "The amount I took... if should've killed me."

"But it didn't."

"But it didn't, so something must have happened," she said, nodding to herself.

Professor Soo looked at the recipe, pressing his lips together at the one ingredient that allowed him to scold her for over an hour. Using her own blood was a disgusting, dark thing, even with the best of intentions. Not only the sanitary situation was questionable at best, but there was also the knowledge that blood made the potions far too volatile for wide shipment.

"Perhaps..." he started, wondering out loud.

Luna's eyes turned to him, listening intensively.

"What are you thinking?" she asked, voice small.

"Blood."

She sighed, leaning back and crossing her arms close to her chest.

"I know, I know..." she whispered. "Nobody likes my idea of using blood. But I just didn't want my body refusing –"

"No. That's not what I meant," the professor answered. "The blood is the main ingredient different from the original potion; the others are very common and not toxic. There's no other reason for the mice to be dead, like that, especially so suddenly. I can't think of anything else."

She frowned, eyes widening just a little it though she tried to control it unconsciously.

"You think my blood is toxic?" she whispered.

Slowly, Professor Soo shook his head.

"I think everybody's blood is toxic to others without compatibility. I think that everybody has a poison inside themselves, and that's the only poison that won't kill us," he explained his thoughts. "What do you think, Miss Lupin, of teaching me the potion? Because I do believe we need to do more testing. Do you want extra credit for staying extra time? If this works, you'll have another thing written under your name before you're graduated. It's quite the honour."

He didn't need to convince her.

"Yes," she answered.

And it took over three weeks for the discovery to be completely official. From then on, every person has a poison that their body understands as medicine: their own magical blood. One single poison one's body can metabolise without training, one that someone else's body cannot understand and will die.

The joined paper was success...

Unfortunately.

"This is a suicide mission, Evan, and you're forcing my hand into it," Regulus said, trying his best to keep his voice in check. There were still people in the Rosier Manor, and he didn't want to be overheard even if they were in Evan's bedroom. "You gave Him my name, promised I would make the mission, but how? How will I make it without dying in the process?"

Evan leaned against the closed door, watching as Regulus paced from one side to the other, uncomfortable and so obviously scared.

There were footsteps shapes on the bedroom cream-coloured carpet. The bed was a mess, the wardrobe was open with the clothes inside completely scattered, some folded, some just thrown inside and some even crumpled and then thrown in.

"I didn't think anybody else would be capable of surviving it," Evan admitted.

"And why do you think I would?" Regulus asked bitterly.

"Because you'd do anything for Bellatrix not to take your title. You have no children, no brothers or sisters, just your cousins, and your eldest cousin is Bellatrix. You'd survive out of pettiness," Evan answered with a laugh.

Regulus scoffed.

Easier for his father to survive past Bellatrix's lifespan than for him to survive this suicidal mission that the Dark Lord was sending him in. Orion had yet to officially pass his title to Regulus, but the rumours of his retirement were already spreading, and Bellatrix wasn't happy about it. Since Sirius was born, Bellatrix was aware she would not inherent the title of her uncle because she was a 'second option' as a woman, so she married the heir of another family both as her mother's request and as a way to continue getting power enough to satisfy her hunger. But that didn't stop the bitterness to fester once Regulus was born and the power that she really wanted got even more untouchable for her with another person in the line of succession, and then Sirius disappeared from the line. And now she could taste it again.

If Regulus was dead, Bellatrix would've been the only person that could inherent the title by blood... at least, that the world knew about.

Florian could get the title, though it would be really scandalous. Some people would've been uncomfortable and might even go against the decision of allowing a 'bastard' to take over, but Regulus would've been a lot happier with the idea of Florian taking over rather than Bellatrix.

"So I either die, and Bellatrix takes over my title or I somehow survive this bloody suicide – nay! Homicide attempt!" Regulus insisted.

"Careful, Black. That's sounds an awful lot like treason," Evan said, lowering his voice.

"I'll die if I follow orders, Evan," Regulus insisted, turning to glare at Evan. "I do not speak ill of the Dark Lord; I speak of my own abilities. I cannot survive kidnapping a creature from another country and smuggling it back into Britain without being detected, so I either die in duty, get arrested on the way back or I'm tortured and killed for failing. How is that an escape? How is that fair?"

Rosier leaned forward and narrowed his eyes.

"Do you have a name that would do a better job than you? Do you have someone else that you believe will climb ranks faster?" he asked.

Regulus pressed his lips together and stopped walking.

"I'll die, Evan," he insisted.

"You're doing this for the rightful cause. You won't die," Evan said. "You know that the Dark Lord will find a way to bring you back into the country without a hitch. Why must you be so sceptic?"

"Because my life will be on the line, and so will my men's!"

"It's a direct order, Regulus. Do not break it, otherwise it is treason," Evan insisted, putting his hands on his hips.

Regulus straightened his posture, raising his chin and glaring at Evan, putting his hands behind his back.

"Are those my orders, sir?" Regulus asked.

Evan's top lip curled in anger.

"Yes."

"Then I shall die in your name, sir," he answered.

"Those are not the orders."

"They might as well be."

Evan sighed, looking down and shuffling his weight from one foot to the other. He tried to his hide annoyance and contempt for Regulus fear and insistence, but there was nothing Evan could say that would change his mind.

"Regulus –"

"I shall take my leave, sir. I'd hazard I have preparations to make beforehand; packing and writing a will," Regulus said, cutting his friend's words. His eyes cold as ice, feelings hid behind a steel curtain. "I'll see myself out, there's no need to walk me, I thank you regardless of your intentions, but I believe it's time that any sort of unprofessional relationship we have to be cut off."

"We are practically cousins –"

"From now on, we are colleagues in the Academy and you are my superior. No more, no less," he insisted, putting his hands to the side of his body, raising his chin a bit more, looking down at Evan. "Thank you for your politeness and hospitability, Mister Rosier. I'll be on my way now. Excuse me."

Regulus moved at once, so suddenly that Evan jumped, flinching as if believing that he would be hit by the famous and destructive fists that had fought in his name more than once in school. But instead of hitting him, Regulus merely stepped aside, walking sideways to open the door just enough to get out of the bedroom without pushing Evan away from the doorway. He closed the door louder than necessary.

Evan stared at the door once it was closed, still and unmoving.

Their friendship was over, and – more likely than not – so was Regulus' life.

Regulus and Luna sat together in the most private seats of the inn's restaurant, hidden behind a thick curtain, illuminated only by the candlelight lit in the candelabra over the table they were sitting in, food untouched.

The restaurant was mostly quiet, with just soft of cutlery and murmurs of low conversations drifted through the air, just low enough to not disturb the dim intimacy of the corner they were sitting in.

It was past dinner. People were starting to leave, but neither of them would move. It was past the time where pretending would do them any good.

"My paper will be released tomorrow," Luna told him.

Though it would usually make them happy, it would also announce Luna's condition to the world. She would, most likely, receive even worse looks from her companions and even more disgust from the elite society.

Luna sat there with her knees against her chest as they sat in the booth, chin resting on her knees and arms wrapped around the shins. She was sitting sideways. Her coat was still on though it wasn't so cold inside the restaurant, it was a pale green hideous coat, frayed at the sleeve that reminded Regulus to buy her something new, something warmer. Somehow, Luna seemed to know something was going to change.

Regulus sat across from her, perfectly still. He wasn't Occluding completely, but somehow there was still distance in his eyes that communicated to Luna that something awful was coming her way. It was like Regulus was wearing his Mask while eating with her, like his soul was curled inwards.

He had barely spoken since they had sat down.

"You'll be fine," he said.

Luna blinked. "I –" she started, but stopped.

She didn't know what to say. There was something in Regulus' tone.

"I have to go," Regulus said.

The words dropped like cold stones between them, crushing any sort of hope Luna had.

"Go where?" she asked.

There was a pause, just long enough to make her even more nervous. His eyes didn't leave hers, carefully looking for any indication of a reaction, but Luna was frozen in place, staring in searching for an answer. He looked exhausted.

"Greece."

"Greece? For what?" she asked, voice quieter.

"A mission."

Her stomach flipped.

He might as well have said 'goodbye', and it would've landed softer against her chest. He might have said that he was walking to his death, and it would've sounded less cruel to her. But he just sat there, unable to find something better to say that the truth, looking put together in his threadbare black sweater and gloves.

"What?" she whispered.

"Someone crossed a Lamia with a Rakshasas. They have a few of those creatures. One of the mothers birthed in the northern mountains during the last season, and the Dark Lord wants a pup."

Luna stared but didn't speak at first.

"You're joking," Luna said, shaking her head slightly.

"I'm not," he admitted, nodding slowly.

"You're going into an unknown creature's nest and going after its pup?" she asked, breath leaving her in a rush. She pushed her feet down. "Do you even know what kind of magic guards its sort of nest? You don't even have a name for it! They'll kill anything that breathes too close to their children. I heard Auntie Euphemia speaking about Rakshasas before, they are violent and lethal. Not even giants go near them during the winter."

"I know," he mumbled.

Luna shook her head, baffled.

"When do you leave?" Luna asked.

"Tomorrow afternoon. We'll start the mission the morning afterwards," he explained. "I'll be accompanied by ten of my men."

"Who told you to go?"

Regulus locked his teeth together for a moment, voice flat when he replied.

"Him... and Evan Rosier."

Luna pushed her back against the booth. Her hand was shaking slightly as she reached down to hold the seat.

"Evan?" she asked, confused. "How could he do this to you? Everybody knows that going after creatures during the winter is the most dangerous situation. That's when they are most violent because it's hunger season."

He nodded, watching her reaction. He didn't like how pale her face was. He frowned when she reached to massage her chest, but it was mostly out habit other than real pain or uncomfortableness.

"We aren't friends anymore, as you can imagine," Regulus said with a shrug.

He raised a single eyebrow when she sighed in what seemed to be annoyance as a response. Then she shoved her hand into her coat's pocket, searching for something while scrunching her eyebrows.

Slowly, she took the vial from her pocket and put it over the table carefully. Small. Orange-red, almost luminous in the candlelight. Standing in between them over the table like an unspoken threat.

"What is that?" he asked, staring at the vial.

"You know what it is."

"I most certainly do not. I might be good in potions, but I never cared for it," he answered.

"Blood Avens in oil for safety," she answered flatly. "Or... Red Stom, you might know it as Red Storm."

Regulus felt his whole body go cold at once. His eyes snapped to hers, widening in shock. The room seemed to have gone impossibly still.

"You shouldn't be carrying that around," he said, voice low and sharp. His eyes narrowed as he looked around, though he knew nobody could see them. "How do you have this? This is banned in half the fucking continent."

"Only in common stores."

"...but not in Academies. You stole it," he realised. "Luna, this is dangerous. Just breathing it in causes hallucinations."

"It causes death," Luna corrected, voice cracking. "Avery tried to use it on me to cause me to accidently kill myself, and he tried to blame Severus Snape on it by making him bring me my supplies. I suppose Snape wasn't interested in getting blamed for manslaughter due to a mistake, so he warned me. He saved me. I pinched it, though."

"I'm not going to take that."

"Then, please, don't go."

He flinched. There was a request that he couldn't follow.

"Luna –"

Luna leaned forward.

"No!" she said, louder than she meant to. She looked around, still covered by the curtain. Her hand clenched into a fist on the table. "You told me when you thought I was sick and dying that I should've told you that before I made you fall in love with me, so you don't get to do that, Regulus. You don't get to walk here and say that you're going to steal a monster's pup and probably die on that mission, then act like we're meant to ask for dessert afterwards."

Regulus bowed his head slightly, guilt obvious.

"I didn't come to argue," he said.

"Why did you come? Certainly, you didn't expect me to fucking listen that and stay quiet," she said, crossing her arms to hide her shaking. "There's a reason besides my blood that your mother doesn't think I'm your perfect little bride. I won't lower my head to your stupidity."

"If I don't go, they'll kill me."

"If you go, you'll die anyway."

"But I have a chance to try!" Regulus said. "I'll come back to you."

"A chance isn't certainty. What did you expect me to say? 'Good luck'?" Luna asked, horrified at the mere thought. "Maybe 'I hope the creature didn't get the Lamia venom, so it won't paralyse you quickly enough'?"

He looked at her in embarrassment, it almost looked like he was in pain. Everything inside of his corroding.

"I just wanted to say goodbye. Warn you, to make sure you didn't think I just went and disappeared," he explained. "I wanted you to know that if something were to happen to me, you'll receive a pension per month for at long as you can possibly be alive from my own personal vaults. My parents cannot stop it. The family's solicitor is already aware and has signed it off, though I did have to answer a few uncomfortable questions."

"I don't want your money!"

"I just wanted a goodbye," he said.

A horrible sound got caught in Luna's throat, thick and wet. It ached in his heart in response.

"I can't," she whimpered.

Her eyes filled with tears.

"I need to go, Luna. I can't stay. I must protect my family, and they'll be punished too if I disobey direct orders," he said.

"So take Death with you, if you're so interested in killing yourself," she said, pushing the vial of potion towards him.

"Luna –"

"If you're going, please, take it. Just in case..."

He took a moment, sucking his lips in for a second before giving her a grave nod. He took the vial from the table.

"Just in case," he agreed.

She sighed in relief, watching him put the vial in his pocket carefully.

"Don't think for a single second that they care if you die, Regulus, because they won't. You're just attempt number one, and they'll send other people until they get what they want, alright?" she said, trying to keep her tears in check, but they slipped down her cheeks anyway.

"But if I say no, if I run, they'll send other people and get it anyway, while putting me in a list to die. And not just me, but my parents, your parents, your brother... you," he said. "It doesn't matter that we are no longer together anymore, I care and they all know it. You'd be dead before I'm out of the country. I'm buying you time."

Tears flooded her eyes even more, dripping down her chin and wetting her green coat and white shirt. It was vicious.

"You absolute idiot," she whispered.

Her tone made him let out a soft, broken sounded. A mixture of a surprised laughter and an understanding sob. His eyes were wet too now.

"Yes. I am," he said.

She reached over the table, taking his hand in hers and forcing a smile, as if she wished that the last image he would have of her would be in that dinner, smiling at him. Her eyes fleeted down, towards his cape's pocket.

"Just in case," she said. "Throw it on the ground harshly, the reinforced glass will break, the mist will come. Run as fast as you can. Leave the others behind."

"As you wish, my love."

He pulled her hand to his mouth, kissing the back of it gently. Her skin was so warm against his lips.

"If I don't come back –" he started.

"I'll kill you," she snapped. "Don't even think about it. You'll come to me."

He gave her a watery, humourless smile.

"I'll try," he promised.

"Not good enough. Not try. You'll do it. You'll come back to me," she said.

Wishful thinking, they both knew it, and yet she chose to believe so wholeheartedly.

He took a deep breath, putting her hand down, but not letting go of her just yet. He watched her.

"If I can, I'll write I'm back to warn you," he said.

"You better."

Regulus glanced at the candle, watching how much it burned. How fast time had passed, forcing him away from his own only true love.

"I must go," he said.

They both stood at once. Silently, they stared at one another, memorising each other's features as best as they could, unsure of how long they would spend away from each other. And then, without another word, he leaned forward and kissed her lips just once, just barely a graze – a silent goodbye that she couldn't dare to refuse.

Once he left, she didn't sit down again. Luna stood there, staring at the curtain still moving from his slipping out, smelling the untouched food and the burning wax of the candle as it burned finally, flame flickering and then it went out, leaving her in the dark all alone.

I hope you all liked it! It means the world to me that you are all still reading and commenting. Thank you so much!