Regulus Black

She stared at me, her hazel eyes wide. Her hair was slightly darker, her blonde hair less noticeable.

"Regulus?"

It was really her.

"You're alive?" I asked, swallowing the lump in my throat.

Meredith looked me up and down before her eyes settled on my face once again. "You're alive?" She asked, her voice quiet.

I nodded, waiting for her reaction, but none came. She just stared at me like she had seen a ghost.

Meredith swallowed, nodding at me. Then, she turned around and started to walk away.

"Meredith-"

She kept walking, her pace hurried as she pushed through the crowd. I followed after her, running to catch up as she left the market area.

When I got close, I reached out to grab her hand, only for her to pull it away. Meredith turned around, a look of complete anger and hurt on her face.

"Don't touch me," She said. "I thought you were dead for two fucking years. You promised me that you would come back for me, and you never did. Everyone thought you were dead! You're a fucking liar."

"And I thought you were dead!" I replied, my eyes falling onto small scars that littered her skin.

Meredith's face dropped, and she stared at me.

"No, but my whole family is," Meredith answered.

I frowned, "I'm so sorry."

"I don't want to hear any apologies from you," She replied, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Please-," I stuttered. "I want to explain everything to you. Just half an hour of your time, I'll explain everything. I-, I live two blocks away."

I watched Meredith's expression, trying to read it. I used to be able to know exactly what she was thinking and feeling, but now I couldn't tell if she was going to punch me or hear me out.

"Fine," She said. "Lead the way."

I let out a sigh of relief. I really thought that she was just going to walk away.

I led the way to my flat, two blocks away. We walked in silence, Meredith trailing a bit behind me, her lips pressed together into a thin line.

We took the steps up to the third floor, the silence between us was deafening. I fumbled with my key for a bit before unlocking the door. I stepped inside and Meredith followed, an unreadable look on her tanned face.

"Do you want water? Tea?" I asked.

Meredith shook her head, "No, thank you."

I sat down in my armchair, anxiously twisting my family ring. Meredith sat down opposite me, setting her bag on the couch beside her.

"So you're not dead," She said.

"No," I replied. "I'm on the run."

"That means your mission was successful?"

I nodded, "It was. Hence why I'm on the run. I'm not even sure if Voldemort knows about it yet. If he did, I would be hunted and killed."

"Why didn't you come back for me? At least tell me that you weren't dead?" Meredith asked, her voice wavering.

"I didn't want to put you at risk. You should've never had to get wrapped up in this."

"I chose to get wrapped up in this, remember?" Meredith muttered. "And I suffered my own consequences. But you promised me."

I inhaled sharply. "I did it for your safety."

"I don't need your protection, I've done quite fine on my own these past two years."

"I know."

We both fell silent again, and I found my eyes drifting towards the scar peeking out of her dress, cutting across her collarbone.

"Meredith, I thought you died too."

She shook her head. "I almost did. Two Death Eaters came to attack us. They killed my parents, killed Marlene, and burned our house to the ground. One of them was Barty."

My breath hitched, and I felt like I couldn't breathe.

"I don't know who the other one was," Meredith added. "My memory of the night is foggy, I think it was tampered with."

"I had no idea-"

She cut me off. "I know you didn't, you were 'dead', remember?"

"I should've come back for you," I admitted. I reached for her hand, only for her to move just out of my reach.

"I'm sort of with Jack now," Meredith said, looking a bit flustered.

"Sort of?" I frowned.

Meredith nodded, "I don't know where we left things when I left in July."

"So he knows that you're still alive?"

She nodded, "Yes. Him and Dumbledore, that's it."

"Why'd you fake your death then?"

"I didn't," Meredith said. "Dumbledore said it's better for them to think that I'm dead, so that they won't keep trying to come after me."

My eyes met hers. "And that's exactly why I didn't tell anyone that I was still alive," I said.

That struck a nerve. Meredith's passive face changed into an expression of understanding, and she quickly looked away.

"Do you love him?"

Meredith stared at me. "I do, I love him," She answered after a moment's hesitation.

"And you're happy with him?"

"Yes," Meredith answered, a confused look on her face.

It felt like I had been punched in the face. I want her to be happy more than anything in the world, but selfishly, I want to be the one that makes her happy.

Even if she was still happily with him right now, she is not happy. Meredith's entire family was murdered in front of her, several of her friends killed in the war.

"I miss you," I whispered, hating how pathetic I sounded.

"You don't even know who I am anymore," Meredith replied, her voice soft.

I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees. "I know, but I want to get to know who you are now," I said. "If you'll let me."

"I don't even know who you are anymore, I haven't spoken to you in two years."

"I will happily tell you everything I did in those two years if that means that I get to be in your life again. I don't care if you're with Jack, or if you're with someone else, I don't care. I'll deal with my own feelings about it as long as I still get to have you around. But selfishly, I want you to be with me," I took a deep breath, watching her reaction. "I still love you, Meredith. There was not a day that passed where I didn't think about you. And when-, when I thought you died, it felt like the world was falling apart around me."

"Reg-"

"I know that I hurt you by leaving, but if you give me a second chance, I promise you that I will never leave you again."

Meredith stared at me, a shocked expression on her face. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, and she cleared her throat.

"I still love you too, but I'm not going to let you back into my life if you're going to keep breaking promises," Meredith admitted. "You have no idea how badly it hurts to watch the love of your life walk away and not return. I couldn't even go to your funeral, I couldn't even mourn you properly."

I got up from the chair, sitting beside her on the couch. When I reached for her, she didn't move. Meredith let me touch her. She smelled of that same jasmine perfume she always wears, and very faintly of cigarette smoke.

Cupping her face gently, I spoke again.

"I swear on my life, I'm never going to leave you again," I confessed. "I'm always going to love you, Meredith."

When she didn't say anything in return, the anxiety started bubbling in my stomach. I was afraid that I had spoken out of turn.

But what she did next is what surprised me.

Meredith leaned in, her lips brushing against mine. She paused, her hazel eyes meeting mine. When I made no move, Meredith kissed me properly.

One kiss from her lit my body on fire. I only want to be with her.

She pulled away, her hands dropping to her lap.

"I'm always going to love you, Reg."