Previously

A flash of green.

And in that single second—before she even knew it had hit—she saw it reflected in Regulus's eyes.

Her father turned.

Eyes wide.
Caught her gaze.

And then—
They fixed on her.
One last time.

Before the light faded from them,
And he fell, lifeless.

The world stopped.

It didn't slow. It stopped.

Cassie couldn't hear the trees anymore. Couldn't hear the wind. Couldn't hear the Death Eaters shouting. 

Just the her own pulse,  "No," she whispered, already moving, already running.

"No—no, no, no—Dad—"

Cassie was already sprinting, boots slipping in blood-wet grass. She fell to her knees beside him so hard she barely registered the impact.

"Dad?" She crawled forward. Her body felt numb, like she was moving through water. The pain Bellatrix had carved into her just minutes ago—gone. 

"Dad," she gasped, reaching for him with bloodied hands. "Dad—hey—come on—wake up—Regulus—"

Her hands shook violently as they gripped his collar, pulling him up.
"Wake up," she breathed. "Come on, wake up—Dad, please—" Her voice cracked. "You're not—this isn't—"

She pressed her fingers to his throat.

No pulse.

No breath.

"No," she whispered again, more to herself. "You're just unconscious. You're just—You've done this before. You're good at this, right? Right?"

Her hand pressed harder against his neck, desperate, searching for even the faintest flicker of pulse "You're not dead," she whispered hoarsely. "You're just unconscious—you're always dramatic like that—yeah, that's what it is. You're just faking it to scare me—"

She pressed harder. Searched again. Again. Again.

Still nothing.

"Come on—wake up—you're not—stop pretending, this isn't funny, stop—wake up!"

But there was nothing.

His head lolled sideways, mouth slightly open. His grey eyes—once glittering with the thought of killing Thomas—were dull now. Blank. Staring past her like she wasn't even there.

A broken sound escaped her throat.
half sob, half scream
It was the kind of sound that came from something cracking apart 

And then her magic snapped.

There was no warning.

Her arm—already faintly veined—turned entirely black, Like ink crawling up to her shoulder in seconds. Magic surged outward like a shockwave-  Blood dripped from her nose. The ground split beneath her, Death Eaters blasted off their feet by the force of her fury.

But Cassie didn't even notice.

She was cradling Regulus, fingers in his hair, tears pouring down her face as she rocked him like that could undo it all. Like she could trick death into giving him back. 

Her scream turned into sobs, hands shaking him like she could force his soul back into his body. "You don't get to do this," she choked. "You don't get to leave me - I just—I just got my life back. You don't get to do this."

She pressed her forehead to his.

Her voice cracked. "Please."

Kreacher appeared beside  her face streaked with soot, eyes filled with tears. "Mistress—Mistress—please—Master ordered—Master Regulus said get you out—he said—he—"

"He's not—he's not dead—" Cassie whispered/  Her hand gripped Regulus's coat. "He's just...he's resting-" her voice broke into little pieces. 

"Sirius," she gasped suddenly, eyes wide, desperate. "Sirius will know what to do. Yes—Grimmauld Place—we'll go to Grimmauld and— Kreacher. Grimmauld. Please."

Tears were slipping freely now. She didn't bother to wipe them.

"Get us out of here."

"Mistress—" Kreacher sobbed. "We must go—Master is gon-"

"He's coming too," she whispered fiercely. "He's just sleeping. Right, Kreacher? Tell me he's just—he always looks like this when he sleeps. You've seen it—tell me—"

Kreacher's chin wobbled.

Her voice cracked again as she leaned closer to Regulus. "Come on. Please. I'll keep you safe. You kept me safe. It's my turn now. Just—wake up—wake up, please—"

"GET THE GIRL NOW!" Bellatrix howled from the far edge

Cassie flinched at the sound.

"She's the one the Dark Lord wants!"

Kreacher whimpered and reached for her again. "We must go, Mistress. Now. Before they take you—before Master's sacrifice is wasted—"

Cassie barely registered what he was saying. Her body had gone numb. All she could feel was the cold of Regulus's skin beneath her fingertips.

They were going to take him

"No," she choked out. "No one touches him." She turned her body, shielding Regulus with her own, curling around him like she could protect him "You're not taking him," she said hoarsely.

Bellatrix's voice was closer now. "CAST THE CRUCIATUS IF YOU HAVE TO—JUST BRING HER!"

Cassie didn't flinch.

But Kreacher did. His hand shot out.

"Hold on," he rasped.

A single tear streaked down his wrinkled cheek.

Then—crack.

Cassie, Regulus's lifeless body cradled against her chest, vanished.

****************
Grimmauld's Place

They Apparated into the hallway with a crack 

It was dark.

Cold.

Silent.

Only a flickering lamp on the wall cast a weak glow, like even Grimmauld Place didnt want to witness this.

Cassie hit the ground on her knees, Regulus's limp body still in her arms, her wand clattering beside her.

"Kreacher," she rasped,  

Kreacher let out a noise—something between a sob and a squeal, still clutching his own face in grief.

"Kreacher," Cassie rasped again  "Go. Get Sirius. Now."

"M-Mistress—Master—"

"Now!" she snarled, her arms tightening around Regulus's body. "He'll fix him. Sirius will fix him." Her voice cracked. She was crying. She hadn't even realised it. The tears were just... there. Sliding down her cheeks like they werent hers.

Kreacher vanished with a loud pop.

Cassie pressed her shaking fingers to his throat again.  Regulus still cradled in her lap. Her hands were shaking. Her breath came in short, gasping sobs.

She pulled her wand out with a trembling hand. "Rennervate," she whispered.

Nothing.

"Please wake up. Please."

Still Nothing 

 "Don't—don't do this to me. You said you'd never leave me. You promised, Dad. You promised."

Then—

A voice from the top of the stairs, followed by cluttering of footsteps "What is it now, you cursed little—"

Sirius.

He froze.

Because halfway down the hallway, in the flickering light—

Cassiopeia was on the floor.

Blood soaked her boot, a gash torn through fabric . Her hands, wrapped around Regulus's limp body, were stained crimson. Her wand dangled uselessly from her fingers. faint black veins were threading up her arms Her curls clung to her face, damp with sweat and blood. Her face—usually unreadable, cold—was red and swollen and streaked with tears.

Regulus was unmoving in her arms. His temple bloodied. Shoulder torn . Eyes open, vacant, already gone.

Sirius's mouth parted in horror, He went white. He didn't move.

Cassie looked up, gasping, and staggered to her feet. "Sirius—please." Her voice cracked. "He got hit—he—do something. Please—heal him—fix him—please—"

Her voice broke. She stumbled toward him, leaving a trail of red in her wake.

Sirius's chest heaved.
He saw it.
That look.

The way Regulus's head slumped, the color of his skin. The unmistakable absence of life.

He had seen death too many times to pretend.

It was real this time. There was no trick. No Polyjuice. No faked deaths.

Regulus was—

"Cassie—" Sirius started, voice barely there.

"Please!" Cassie screamed, falling to her knees at his feet. Her hands fisted in her own hair, head bowed. "You hate me, right?! You didn't want me—fine—KILL me! I'll kill myself! I swear, just—just wake him! Please—please!"

Sirius stood frozen.

She was a wreck.

Her composure—gone. That unshakable, snarky façade shattered. Her bpdy was bent ,hair matted with dirt and blood, and her voice was raw, human. Wailing.

He had never seen her cry.

Not once. Not when He told her he wanted her dead. Not when she bled in St. Mungo's.

And Sirius broke. He walked forward slowly. Knees buckling, he crouched beside Regulus,  He pressed his fingers to his brother's pulse point.

Nothing.

He tried again.

Still nothing.

Cassie crept closer behind him, trembling, her body barely holding itself upright. "You can fix him, right?" she whispered.

Sirius didn't look at her.

His voice broke.
"He's gone, Cassie. I'm sorry."

"No." She lunged forward, shaking Regulus violently.

Her screams echoed through the house, Sirius watched in despair. Cassiopeia Black—perfect, unshakable, cold-blooded Cassie—was sobbing like a child. Like something in her had broken beyond repair.

"You're lying," she hissed, eyes burning through her tears. "You're just saying that because you hate me. You always did. You didn't want me. You wanted Harry."

"Cassie—"

"I'll give you everything!" she yelled.  "You want the Black estate? It's yours! You want the fortune? Take it! You want me gone? I'll leave - Ill kill myself- I'll hand you the knife myself.  Just—please—fix him." 

She clutched Regulus again, her head on his chest. "I don't care what you do to me. Just Get him back- Ill give you everything- Ill give you my life- please-

She bent over Regulus and hugged him, sobbing into his shoulder. Her whole body trembled.

"Please," she whispered.

"Cass—" Sirius tried, his voice cracking.

"He isn't gone." Cassie hissed

A gasp from the stairs. Molly Weasley had come down, hair tousled, wand in hand, and froze at the sight before her. "Oh my God."

Cassie looked up at her, eyes bloodshot. "Mrs Weasley- Molly—please. Tell him. Tell Sirius he can have anything he wants. Just please—please tell him to just—bring him back."

Sirius looked up at Molly, and for once, she didn't have an answer.

Cassie's magic began to crackle as she scrambled for her wand. Her body glowed faintly , hair lifting from her shoulders. The wall behind her singed. Her veins darkeining to a grey. 

"Cassie," Sirius said carefully, eyes wide.

She didn't hear him.

"Rennervate!" she cried 

Nothing.

"RENNERVATE!"

"Cassie—"

"RENNERVATE!"

"CASSIE!" Sirius shouted grabbing her by the shoulders.

She flinched, eyes dazed.

He shook her—not hard, but desperately, like she needed her to hear it as much as he needed to.

"HE IS GONE CASSIE- HE ISNT COMING BACK."

And just like that, the screaming in her mind stopped. The magic stuttered. Her limbs went limp.

She just... stopped.

Like her body finally realized it wasn't allowed to break.

Her fingers fell slack, palms still coated in blood, the hand that had been clawing at his robes now hovering inches from her face, limp. Slowly. Like her body had just realized who she had broken down in front of.

Cassie blinked once. Slow. Her breath stuttered.

And then, like muscle memory, her hand moved on its own—fingers brushing over her cheeks, smearing the tears, trying to erase the evidence. A futile attempt at composure.  A smear of blood dragged down her cheek. Her nose twitched.

Her mouth opened—then closed.

And then she slumped.

Not dramatically. Not like a faint. She just... folded in on herself, like someone had taken the bones out of her. She hit the ground hard on her knees, and stayed there, spine curled, forehead almost resting on Regulus's shoulder.

Her hair fell like a curtain over her face. Her body didn't move.

Didn't shake.

Didn't breathe like someone crying.

Just still.

Like whatever soul was in her had gone with him.

Sirius stood frozen, chest heaving.

He'd never seen her like this.

He had seen her hate- her fury

But this?

This was worse than fury.

Worse than hate.

This was emptiness.

This was the girl who snarled at him over dinners If he said anything against regulus.

The girl Sirius had left behind.

The girl he'd never protected.

And now she was cradling the one person who had.

His brother.

Her father.

Regulus Black.

Gone.

And Sirius—he couldn't fix it. Tears were stream down his face- He couldn't even say sorry. Not when it was all too late.

He just watched her. Helpless.

"Cass," he tried again, gently this time.

Nothing.

He glanced behind him. "Molly—please—"

Molly was already there, her own eyes red and glassy as she nodded. "I'll get some blankets. I'll—" Her voice broke, hand over her mouth. "I'll help."

"Burial." Cassi e said suddenly

Sirius blinked. "What?"

She didn't look up. Her eyes remained fixed on Regulus's face, her voice flat. Empty. A dead thing from a dead girl.

"I'll bury him."

"Cassie, you—you don't have to—I will-"

"No one else will touch him," she said. Her voice was Barely there. "Kreacher," she called. The elf came forward instantly, eyes brimming, his tiny body shaking.

"Mistress—"

But Cassie didn't look at him.

"Take us," she said. "To the Black family graveyard."

Kreacher froze.

"Mistress," he whispered again, more frantic this time. "Death Eaters—watching. They saw you vanish. They'll come. You are not—"

"Let them come." Her voice was steady now but Hollow.

"They can try to take him from me," she whispered, tilting her head like the idea amused her. "Let them try."

Cassie looked up then, finally. Her eyes were dry now.

Not because the grief was gone.

Because it was too much

"Let them come." 

Kreacher whimpered, hand reaching out instinctively for hers. "I won't let them touch him," she said again "He deserves a burial. A proper one. He saved - He died protecting—"

Her throat closed around the rest. She swallowed hard.

"He'll be buried as a Black. As my father. In the family graveyard."

She moved to stand. Her knees buckled for a second, but Kreacher was already there, supporting her without needing to be asked.

Cassie rose slowly, one hand in Kreacher's, the other clutching Regulus's cold fingers.

Sirius took a step forward.

"Cass—I'll come with you."

Her head tilted—just slightly.

She didn't say yes.

Didn't say no.

Didn't even look at him.

Just... kept holding Regulus's hand like it was the only anchor keeping her from floating away into madness.

Kreacher, his ears shaking, extended a trembling hand toward Sirius.

Sirius paused.

He hadn't touched Kreacher in years.

He  blamed him for everything.

But now?

Now Kreacher had stayed. Kreacher had mourned. Kreacher had loved Regulus more fiercely than any of them.

Sirius was the one that hadn't understood what loyalty meant.

Not until watching Cassie, and this elf, and a body that had once been his brother, all connected 

He reached out. Slowly.

Kreacher hesitated—then offered his hand fully.

And in one horrible agonizing moment—

they all disappeared.

*****************************************************

The Black Family Graveyard

The Black family graveyard laid forgotten behind an-iron gate, covered with ivy and moonlight. stone angels staring down with hollow eyes, their wings cracked and moss-covered.

Sirius stood frozen just past the gate.

He hadn't been here since he was eleven.

Not since his mother forced him to memorize the headstones. Not since Regulus trailed after him, asking too many questions.He never thought he'd come here with his brother again.

Not like this.

Cause Back then, the graves were warnings. Now... they were all that was left.

Cassie however didn't pause.

She walked straight ahead, dragging Regulus's limp body behind her with Kreacher's help, her jaw set. Her boots crunched over gravel. Her cloak dragged in the dirt. Her hands were still shakking, but her eyes were locked ahead—glassy, furious, far away almost hollow

Sirius trailed behind, silent. He didn't belong here. Not anymore.

She stopped beneath the willow in the center of the graveyard. The Black family crest was etched into the marble slab below it. Rows of headstones surrounded it—proud names, cruel names, dead names. She stared at the empty patch of earth 

"Here," she said.

Then dropped to her knees.

And started digging.

With her bare hands.

"Cassie," Sirius said hoarsely behind her. "Let Kreache—"

"Don't." She didn't even look up. "This isn't a job for magic."

She kept digging.

With her hands.

Sirius dropped beside her.

Wordless.

Together, they dug. Dirt under fingernails. Breaths shallow. The air was thick with rot and legacy

When the hole was deep enough, Kreacher gently lowered Regulus in. His tiny hands cradled Regulus's head like he was laying down a prince. And he indeed was

"Master Regulus," Kreacher sobbed. "The only Black who ever cared For Kreacher- The only one who—who was good to-" The rest of his sentence was drowned in wails.

Cassie was still. Her lips parted like she was about to speak—but nothing came out.

She looked at Regulus's face. Blank. The blood had dried in the folds of his robe. He looked peaceful. Wrongly so.

She swallowed.

Then grabbed a nearby stone—

She carved with the tip of her wand, each letter crooked and angry.

REGULUS ARCTURUS BLACK
WILL BE AVENGED.

That wasn't enough.

"You were all I had." She suddenly said, voice monotonous as she pulled out the dagger—the first one Regulus had given her.

She looked at it for a long moment.

Then pressed the blade to her palm—and sliced.

She didn't flinch.

"Blood for blood," she just whispered.

 Blood welled and fell freely, splattering over the stone, over the dirt, over him.

Then—

She raised the same blade.

And hacked at the bracelet on her wrist. The one Regulus had spelled himself at the start of her third year- The protection charm. A tracker.

It snapped on the second strike.

She didn't flinch.

She let it fall into the grave beside him. Like a last offering. Like she was burying the last part of her that believed she could be protected.

Sirius watched, silent. Tears falling, his mouth parted like he might say something. But he didn't. He couldn't. He didn't deserve it.

Cassie looked down at Regulus. "I promise you, Dad... Rookwood will scream. I'll make him beg for death and I won't give it to him. I'll make every nerve in his body scream. He'll scream till his lungs rot, and then I'll start hurting him.""

Her hands shook. Her shoulders trembled. But she didn't cry.

"You have hid and Fought enough dad, time to rest" She whispered and reached down And started covering him with dirt. Fistful by fistful. Slow. 

Sirius turned away, unable to watch. His hand covered his mouth. His eyes shone.

But he didn't leave.

When the grave was nearly full, Cassie dropped the last of the dirt, knelt beside it, and whispered something so soft Sirius couldn't hear.

Then she kissed the stone.

Sirius stepped forward, gently this time.

"Cass—"

"Don't." Her voice was flat. Hollow. "This was never your grave to mourn."

She didn't look at him. Just moved forward, knees folding beneath her like her bones were giving out, settling beside the headstone aand she whispered something Sirius couldn't make out.

Sirius didn't ask. He didn't dare.

He stayed back, watching her silhouette shake slightly in the moonlight crouching over the stone

************

Later—much later—the moon had shifted. The night passed. The grave had stilled but Cassie was still sitting there. Unmoving. Like if she sat long enough, maybe the earth would give him back She was hunched over, fists dug into her lap like she was holding herself together with sheer force of will.

She didn't even flinch when her eyes finally closed.

Her body gave out before her mind ever could. Collapse without the crash. Exhaustion hit like an ambush, her head drooping, blood-streaked face shuttering. She went still, 

Sirius noticed first. He'd been watching—arms still crossed

"Cassie," he said softly.

No response.

"Cassiopeia" He stepped forward.

Still nothing. She wasn't asleep. Not really. Her body had just... powered down.

Sirius moved without thinking, dropping to one knee and carefully looping his arms beneath her legs and back. She didn't stir as he lifted her. Her head lolled against his shoulder, blood and dirt smearing onto his shirt.

"No—no, leave Mistress alone!" Kreacher cried, flinging himself between them, "Not the blood traitor—!"

"Please, Kreacher," Sirius said, voice tight, raw.

"Master must not—must not touch her," Kreacher snarled, tears streaking his face, "She is the heiress - all the Noble House of Black has left—Master will ruin her—"

"I just—let me fix something. Just once." Sirius's voice cracked mid-sentence "Please, let me... just this once, let me try."

Kreacher hesitated. He looked from Cassie's limp form to Sirius's face. And for the first time... he didn't see the boy who ran. He saw the man left behind. Kreacher nodded

"Could you... could you get her things? Or all of his things. Just—anything of theirs." Sirius asked

He couldn't say the names. Not yet. Couldn't say Regulus or Cassiopeia without choking on them.

But Kreacher understood.

Kreacher gave a stiff, reluctant nod. "Yes... Master." And with a soft crack, he vanished.

Sirius adjusted Cassie in his arms and stared at the grave. He swallowed the knot in his throat.

"I should've protected you both, Im sorry Reg" he whispered to the dirt.

Then he turned, and began to walk back through the Black family graveyard—Finally doing his goddamn duty—carrying his daughter.

She weighed almost nothing in his arms. Too light. Too still.

Sirius tightened his grip on her. Just a kid. His kid.

He inhaled shakily—and Apparated.

*********************************************************

THE TEARS WONT STOP AS IM EDITING THIS-

LOOK AT ME- CRYING LIKE I HADNT PLANNED IT ALL SINCE I STARTED THIS WHOLE BOOK-

NOOW- ALR- FOR THE QUESTION YALL HAD- WHY KILL OFF REG- WHEN THEIR LIFE WAS GETTING BACK- 

AHHH- SOO- IF YALL HAVE READ THE CANON - WHICH I ASSUME YOU HAVE- YOU WOULD KNOW REGULUS BEING ALIVE CREATES GIANT PLOT HOLES IN THE WHOLE HORCRUX PLOT- WHICH IS BASICALLY THE WHOLE BASE FOR YEAR 6 AND THE WAR-

SO IF REG WAS ALIVE- IE. HE HAD THE HORCRUX- IE WHOLE DUMBLY HARRY SEARCHING FOR IT - FOLLOWED BY DEATHLY HALLOW PLOT GOES TO WASTE

BELIEVE ME I TRIED MY BEST TO WORK AROUND THIS OPTION COS I REALLY DIDNT WANT TO-

BUT IN THE END IT ALL CAME TO THIS

BUT--- IM TRYING TO MAKE IT WORTH IT- AND I FEEL THIS IS ONLY GONNA MAKE THE STORY AND THE CHARECTERS BETTER

PS- IM TRYING THIS NEW THING WERE I AM ONLY POSTING A CHAP WHEN I HAVE 70% OF THE FOLLOWING CHAP DONE- WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT I DID WITH THE PROLOGUE 

SO THIS MAKES MY POSTING A BIT MORE CONSISTENT TILL COLLEGE PEAK HITS

TILL NEXT TIME 

MXRIDDLE