CHAPTER EIGHT
The Ball
February 16th, 1979.

Mallory was completely nervous at the thought of seeing Regulus Black again. They had not seen each other nor talked since the dinner and now they had been summoned by Moody. Her coat hugged her body as her heels echoed through the quiet street. After the dinner, Mallory had decided to be more sophisticated, more pure-blood in a way. After selling herself as a perfect and chic pure-blood, she couldn't be seen as herself outside anymore.

Pushing the door to a random room that Moody had rented in the Leaky Cauldron, she shrieked at the sight of Regulus. Urgently, she checked her watch to see if she was late or not but to her surprise, she was five minutes early.

"He's not here yet," he notified her as she sat down. "I arrived five minutes ago."

"Oh."

She made a mental note to arrive at least ten minutes early to meetings now. Mallory hated being the second person to step in the room, she hated the looks and having to talk.

"You look—" Regulus paused, cocking his head to the side. "Different," he concluded as she rolled her eyes.

"I'm not different, Black. I just have to blend better in the pure-blood community after the dinner."

He smiled softly, or at least she thought it was a smile, "My mother did really enjoy your presence."

"I noticed."

"Mallory..." he started but was cut off by the door flying open, he sat down rapidly and Mallory hadn't realised he had tried to approach her. "Moody."

"Black," the man greeted, then turned his head towards Mallory. "Abbott."

As usual, she offered him a cocky and toothy smile, "Hi," she breathed out, somehow relieved to see a familiar face with whom she got along. "Nice haircut."

Moody grunted, waving a careless hand, "How was the dinner, mmh?"

"Brilliant," Mallory said. "She likes me."

"Ah, that's good, that's good. Black?"

Regulus cleared his throat, "I have to take Mallory to a ball tomorrow night. It's at the Malfoy manor."

"Perfect. All is well," he said, glancing at Mallory. "Good job, Abbott. Now I'll leave you two and we'll see each other in a week, is that right?" They both hummed as they watched him go away.

Mallory and Regulus were now alone and had no idea how to overcome the awkward atmosphere that had settled in. Mallory was looking out of the window, trying her best to not look at him–even though every inch of her was dying to just face him. Regulus, on his side, laid eyes on her the entire time. He watched how her eyes fluttered very slowly, how she licked her lips here and there and how her leg bounced up and down.

"I have to admit something," he started, breaking the silence. "I didn't tell everything I knew to Alastor Moody."

Mallory frowned, "Why?"

Regulus offered a soft shrug, kissing his top teeth, "I do not particularly trust him," he admitted, leaning closer to her and Mallory swore she could feel his breath on her arm. "But I trust you so I will reveal to you what I hid from your mentor."

"Sod off, Black," she muttered with a roll of eyes. "If you trust me so why do yo–"

He cut her off, running a hand through his hair, "The Dark Lord requested my house elf, Kreacher. He didn't tell me why."

"What do you mean?"

Regulus ran a hand through his hair again, "He—we were at a meeting and he was required to use a house-elf, I volunteered."

Mallory frowned, "Why? If Kreacher's so important to you, why would you say yes?"

"I—" he breathed out, rising on his feet in a nervous manner. "I wasn't thinking, okay? It is not as simple as it seems, Mallory. Am I supposed to say no to him?"

"Well, if it's for Kreacher then yes!"

"I don't want anything bad to happen to him," he admitted quietly, his head falling down and Mallory almost felt some pain at the sight of him. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" She queried, standing up as well and walked towards him. He looked up at her and she swore she could have seen his lower lip quivering. "Regulus, it is alright, yeah? I'm sure he doesn't mean harm to Kreacher."

"Right, right," he said quietly, closing his eyes for a second and clenched his jaw so tightly that Mallory wondered how he even fully opened his mouth. "Have you picked out a dress yet?"

Mallory nodded her head, "It's a green and long one. It is classy and should fit the occasion," she told him.

"Perfect," another long pause then he said. "Shall we stay together until the dinner or—"

Mallory cut him off, "We can, only if you agree to buying me chocolate."

"Chocolate?" He queried, an eyebrow arched.

She shrugged, rising to her feet, "Craving it. Are you coming or not, Black?"

He chuckled, deciding to follow her, "Right, I'm coming."

To her own surprise, Mallory enjoyed Regulus Black's company as they walked through the city to reach her flat. There hadn't been one single blank in the conversation. Regulus happened to be a much better talker than she was, it was as if he was never running out of things to say.

Regulus, on his side, noticed that Mallory wasn't very comfortable with sharing a full conversation with him but he didn't mind. He talked, which had surprised him considering Regulus was never one to talk at all. Weirdly, he felt awfully alright with her presence, he even felt somewhat happy.

"Take off your shoes," she said softly as she unlocked the door. "We need to talk about us and what we're going to tell your people tonight," Mallory notified him as he agreed with a low hum, following her through the familiar flat.

His hands were pinned behind his back as he said, "Perhaps we should say that you fell in love and–"

"No, no, no," she cut him off with a bitter laugh, sitting down on her sofa as he did the same. "You fell in love first and we are going to tell people that because you've told your father that I was beautiful. Therefore, you should be the one who fell first."

"Right, touché."

Mallory smiled, clapped her hands together and continued, "About the tiny details, just go ahead and invent them. I'll follow your lead."

"Okay."

"Who will be here?"

Regulus thought for a second. Keeping in touch with his family members was not something he was entirely good at but he tried to remember who his mother had talked about, "Well, for starters, Lucius and Narcissa since they are hosting the ball. Then, Bella should be here with her husband, Rodolphus. A very strange man. Do not stay by yourself with him, okay?"

"I'm a big girl, Regulus. I think I can handle myself if–"

He cut her off, his lips in a thin line as he shook his head from side to side vigorously, "No, not there. If anyone is suspicious and I'm not with you, find me, alright?"

"If you insist."

"The Notts should be present too. Tiberius is–" a pause as he smacked his lips, trying to find the right words to describe those people to Mallory. He found himself creating a long list of awful adjectives to describe them and it made him realise how bad they were. "He's a bit different. His wife, Matilda, is older and loves those events. If the dress is as good as you described it, you'll have her in your pocket. She's very fond of clothes."

Mallory snorted, "How can you know these people so well?"

Regulus gave her a small shrug, "I've grown up around them and I'm a good observer, Mallory."

The list went on and on as he described each one of them to Mallory, though sleepiness sometimes found her as he talked. There was nothing wrong with knowing the enemy but perhaps, she knew too much at this point. Regulus seemed to have noticed because his voice faded away and soon, Mallory was out of this world.

It was Regulus who, hours later, shook her gently to wake her up, "Mallory, it is soon time. You must get ready," he told her quietly. Mallory groaned, refusing to open her eyes so he shook harder. "Mallory."

"Bloody what?" She exclaimed, grunting. "What is it?"

"The ball is starting soon and you are not dressed," he said.

Her eyes widened as she jumped to her feet, running an anxious hand through her hair, "Why didn't you wake me up earlier? I–Merlin's tits, you are ready!"

"Well, yes."

"For fuck's sake! I have to do my hair and–and bloody hell, we are going to be so late," she whined, running to the bathroom as Regulus simply watched. "You could have just not let me fall asleep, Regulus!"

He followed her to the bathroom, sighing, "You were a tad sleep deprived so I let you sleep," he explained as she didn't answer and shuffled through her drawers.

Mallory put her hair in a ponytail, hurrying herself to apply some makeup that Regulus had no idea what was for. Soon, her hands gripped each side of her shirt and pulled it off. Regulus's breath caught up in his throat as he turned on his heels, ignoring the blush on his pale cheeks.

"Scared of me showing a little skin, Reggie?" She teased as he rolled his eyes, clearing his throat. "After telling us that you had been caught in Slughorn's classroom with–who was she?"

"A slytherin," he replied casually.

Mallory hummed, "I meant her name, Reggie. What was her name?"

"Caitlyn."

"Merlin!" Mallory exclaimed loudly, chuckling. "Caitlyn Gaunt! You shagged Caitlyn Gaunt. How interesting," she said, applying mascara. "Tell me, was she good?"

"Was she–what are those questions, Mallory?" He said, scoffing as she shrugged. "Was Vance good?"

"Em? Oh, she was brilliant," she replied softly as Regulus turned back around, watching her. "So, how was she? I've heard some good things about her."

Regulus sighed, his back hitting the wall and he let himself slide down so he could sit down on the wooden floor, "Salazar, awful," he admitted with a tiny laugh, refusing to meet her eyes. "It was as if she had never kissed someone–I mean, I never judge people by their experiences but it was truly bloody awful."

"Ah," she clicked her tongue. "That's a shame then. I am not going to lie to you, I am a bit disappointed. I really thought she was good."

"You can be very strange, Abbott."

"For what?" She frowned. "For talking about sex with you? Have you never done this with your mates?"

"Yeah, with my mates."

A laugh escaped her red painted lips, "Oh, so I am the problem. I'm not your mate," she said as he opened his mouth to argue but closed it, knowing she wasn't wrong. "Well, get used to me being around, Black. I'm all that you have for now."

"Right, my apologies."

Moments later–Regulus had lost track of time in all honesty but Mallory finally appeared in front of him and invited him to stand up so they could head out. Regulus found himself, staring at her and the way the dress hugged her body perfectly. He never was the type to look at people in a certain way but he couldn't help himself with Mallory. It was as if she was doing it on purpose and it drove him insane.

"How do I look?" Mallory broke the silence, spinning on herself and Regulus cussed at himself mentally. Definitely on purpose.

Regulus ran a hand through his hair, smiling, "Beautiful."

"Thank you, Reggie."

If he hadn't been so mesmerised by her at the moment, he would have argued with her about the nickname that he loathed but he let it slide. Instead, he offered his arm like his father had taught him and breathed in deeply as her arm linked with his. Even though he should feel comfortable walking at night, he felt a little terrified at the thought of crossing paths with his brother who was known to be here most of his time. What if he tried to hurt Mallory seeing her with him?

As soon as their feet touched the land and their eyes set on the manor that an uneasy feeling submerged Regulus. He felt anxious and he realised that this was bigger than he ever thought about. Mallory wasn't just meeting his parents, she was meeting half of the Dark Lord's army and he felt somehow sick at the thought.

"Just stay by my side, please?" Regulus pleaded softly, walking towards the open doors.Mallory didn't say anything but he hoped she would listen for once. As they entered, the atmosphere shifted and Mallory almost clung to his side. "This is the Notts," he bowed his head towards the couple next to the buffet.

"She looks like a picky eater," Mallory commented, hoping that gossiping would make her feel better.

Regulus snorted as he continued to walk, trying to find his cousin, "She is a picky eater," he replied, finally setting his eyes on Narcissa who was chatting with her friends. "Ah, Cissa!"

"Regulus!" She exclaimed happily, walking over to him and kissed his cheek softly. Then, she looked at Mallory right in the eyes, smiled and said. "You must be the girl aunt Walburga cannot stop talking about. Mallory, is it?"

"That's right. Nice to meet you and thank you for letting Regulus invite me," Mallory said, her tone soft and her words articulated. "It looks like a marvellous ball."

Narcissa smiled widely and Regulus looked at Mallory proudly because she had listened to everything he had said earlier, "Thank you so much, Mallory. Reg, how about I fetch Lucius so he can meet your lovely friend?"

"Of course."

She walked away as Mallory released a breath, "This dress–" she groaned, straightening her posture. "It's suffocating!"

"You are just not used to it," Regulus reminded her, scanning the room. His eyes landed on Evan Rosier, his friend and he turned them the other way swiftly. He didn't need the whole world to know he had brought Mallory Abbott to a ball. "You look fabulous in it, alright? Just...breathe through it."

"Reckon Lucius will like me?"

Regulus shrugged, "We never know with him."

"Ah, you must be Mallory Abbott," his slow and loud voice echoed behind the pair. "How delighted I am to make your acquaintance, Miss Abbott."

The way he said her last name made her want to throw up but she put on a smile, "The pleasure is mine, Mr. Malfoy."

"Please, call me Lucius," he said with a smirk. "After all, I have heard that we might be family soon."

Mallory went rigid and did her best to talk, "Well, as you wish. You may call me Mallory."

"Brilliant. Well, Mallory, I'm sure we will have the opportunity to see each other soon," he gave her a smile and bowed his head towards Regulus to greet him. "Regulus."

Regulus stayed silent as he watched Lucius go away. Soon, they were only two again and Mallory was grateful for it. She hated to admit it but he was right—this whole place felt suffocating, so did the people. All she wanted was to run away.

Regulus's hand found Mallory's lower back as he pushed her through the crowd and towards the buffet, "Eat something," he said. "We are just going to greet two or three people and we are leaving, alright?"

"Alright."

"Do you need a drink?"

Mallory shook her head, "No but I might need the loo before we go. Can you tell me where it is?"

"It's down the hall, on your left," he indicated her as she thanked him. Promising she would be back soon, she started to walk further in the manor.

Mallory couldn't remember the last time she felt so petite. All of these people had killed people or tried to. They were criminals in a way but were never charged guilty considering their high status. A few minutes later, she finally found the bathroom and pushed the door, but someone stepped in front of her.

"Sorry, wer—"

"Mallory Abbott, is it?" The voice sent chills down her spine as she looked up to see a familiar face. Rodolphus Lestrange. "I've heard a lot about you."

"Did you?" She forced a smile.

He hummed, bringing his finger to caress her cheek, "Yeah, heard that you were beautiful. Little Reg wasn't joking," he whispered, chewing on his gum loudly and Mallory fought back her grimace. "Precious little thing."

"Thank you, you're very kind," she told him, smiling. "I need to use the loo though, can I?"

"Of course."

Despite his positive answer, Mallory was trapped between the door and his gigantic body. His two arms were stretched on each side of her face, his palm pressed against the wooden floor. There was nothing she could do because she had promised Regulus to behave properly, and if she ruined it, he would get angry at her and so would Moody.

So, she prayed. Prayed that Regulus would somehow wonder why was she taking so long and would come check on her. Rodolphus's breath was getting closer and she could feel it on her lips, and she could smell the horrid garlic bread he had eaten earlier.

"I—I really need to use the loo," she said again, her voice soft and pleading.

"Just one kiss and you will be free to go, darling."

"I—"

He sighed, grabbing her face with one hand as she gasped at the sudden contact. He was holding her chin tightly and she knew it would bruise overnight, "Don't make a fuss, alright? You're beautiful but do not get on my bad side."

"Rodolphus?" The familiar voice echoed through the corridor and Mallory thanked Merlin that he heard her. Regulus was standing there, a frown on his face and his jaw clenched. "What is happening?"

He finally stepped back from Mallory, putting his hands up in surrender, "Nothing. Just chatting."

"Right. Mallory and I are leaving," Regulus then notified, approaching them. "Did you go to the loo?"

Mallory smiled weakly, "I was about to. I will be quick," she told him, entering the bathroom.

"Isn't Bella around?"

Rodolphus shrugged, "No idea where your cousin is."

"Just stay away from Mallory next time, yeah?" Regulus said sternly, his eyes never leaving Rodolphus's. "She's not yours to touch."

All he did was chuckle and it made Regulus sick. How could he be so fine, even though he had been caught red-handed, trying to hurt Mallory.

"Are you alright?"

"Were you guarding the door?"

Regulus smiled timidly, "I—Yes, I was. I didn't want him to wait for you," he explained. "I'm sorry that I wasn't there."

"It's fine," she replied quietly. "I just need to go."

"Of course, let's go," he told her, grabbing his hand in hers. Once again, Mallory did nothing to stop him and instead squeezed it. "Is it alright if I sleep on your sofa?"

"Of course."

"Thank you."

"No, thank you," she whispered as he hurried himself to drag them out of here.

When they made it home, Regulus tried to talk to her about it but she shut herself and headed towards her bedroom. Minutes later, she poured herself a drink before heading to bed. No words were uttered as she went to bed, and Regulus laid on the sofa. His eyes glued on the white ceiling as he watched the shadows on it, if he focused enough, he could hear quiet cries and he debated if he should go or not. Once again, he reminded himself that he was merely her friend and she didn't want to see him at all so he ended up closing his eyes once her cries had turned into soft snores.

—————
authors note, finally updated this book! i'm so happy with how things turn out and can't wait to read the rest! i love you and thank you so much for the support!!!

but i live for angsty reg and mal