It was the eighth day of December.

Angel Alice Angelica knew the side effects of being an angel too well: firstly, your back would always ache from carrying heavy wings. Secondly, your head would feel sore from balancing your halo on top of it. Thirdly, the homesickness would always be crazy. Finally ━ the one she was struggling the most with dealing with today: you could always feel your assigned human's emotions.

It was both a blessing and a curse, to feel so deeply.

Regulus bounced his leg and bit his lip. Angelica could feel his anxiousness, and it was slowly driving her crazy.

"Regulus, could you kindly try to relax for a moment?"

He flinched at her words.

"You are so quiet, I sometimes forget that you are here."

"I will always be by your side, Regulus. It is my duty."

He nodded and reached for his cup of hot chocolate while the flames in the fireplace grew fiercer.

"So, you are going to help me today?"

She nodded and reached to fix one of her wings ━ it was stuck in the chair she was sitting on.

"You are doubting yourself. You must remember how strong you are ━ you won't even need my help."

The young boy tilted his head downward and stared intensely at his cup. Less than a minute later, soft sobs could be heard, and big tears were splashing into his drink.

Angel Alice raised her eyebrows and bit down on her lip. What was she to do now?

Regulus' emotions had gotten the hold of him, as he knit his fists together, trying to look away from the black ink on his left arm that shaped the very thing he was the most afraid of ━ the very thing that had ruined his short life.

"Hey..." she tried, but he did not react.

Unsure, feeling her hands beginning to shake, and her chest hurting because she could feel the way he was gasping for air, she got up from her chair. Tears were forming in her eyes, as she slowly walked over to Regulus, and pulled him close, wrapping her arms around him, and feeling him bury his face in her neck.

"I don't want to," he whispered, a whimper escaping his lips.

"I'm going to be there, okay? Every step of the way."

And without Regulus noticing, Angel Alice added a dose of courage and a dash of hope into his hot chocolate, before they were to prepare him for the day's Death Eater meeting.