23 Dec: Somebody to Die For: Regulus

[Bronwyn Nott]

Humming to herself in the kitchen she shared with her fiance, Bronwyn was content. Work today had been a real drag, the only real thing to talk about was what had happened at Dora’s party the night before to Ethan. She was glad for his company in her job at the Ministry, he was much more pleasant to be around than Evan Rosier - who had been a guest at last night’s get-together. He was crude and annoying, yet they all seemed to remain friends with him for some reason. She had even dated him, once upon a time, when she had been young and wanting to date because everyone else was. Evan had been plenty of her firsts, which she often tried to forget and deny. Just like she pretended they hadn’t spent the next two years after dating him casually hooking up with him when she wasn’t tied to anyone. Thankfully, he’d seemed more interested in Dora last night than her, which she couldn’t hate him for, Dora had looked absolutely fantastic.

But Regulus had never shown, and that was a bit strange. She knew that his mother had been in a state, and that’s why they’d decided she would go on ahead to the party. With their public engagement and relationship, the last thing she wanted was to upset Walburga by demanding Regulus’ time. After all, after they were married this flat that was “theirs” would technically actually be theirs. And Wyn was excited for that, a life together with someone she loved. Her friends were not so lucky, even if they both did have more exciting jobs and lives than the one she was leading. Sure, Lydia loved Charlie, but she’d grown to love him because they were tied together, not because they were meant to be together.

Flicking her wand, dinner started about the small kitchen in the flat, pasta - the only thing she really knew how to cook - going for dinner tonight. Tomorrow was Christmas Eve, which would be spent with her parents, and then Christmas with all the Blacks, which meant seeing Bellatrix and Narcissa, both of whom she was desperate to impress. They were important to Regulus, and while they had Alphard and Aunt Ophelia’s blessing on their relationship, it was important that his family liked her. Opening a bottle of wine, she poured herself a glass before she downed it, filling it back up as the cat they had adopted wound around her legs. “He’ll be here soon Beau, and I’m sure he has a good reason for ditching us last night.” Looking in the mirror, she fluffed her hair, hand twisting the engagement ring on her finger around as she waited for Regulus.

[Regulus Black]

Regulus Black had been through the wringer in the last twenty-four hours, and as he neared Wyn's flat, the young man paused on the edge of the sidewalk. He felt like he was held together by the flimsiest of threads, his insides chaotic and fighting against them. How could he be normal around the woman he loved when he felt nothing like himself? When last night, instead of joining her at Dora's party... Last night he'd been tested by Bellatrix and Alecto - on whose orders, it was still unclear, but he felt that it was all of their own volition - and he'd failed. It was only a matter of time before they realized his lies, wasn't it? Even if Bella had seemed to take him at his word? (Which left its own pocket of guilt to pick through.) And what if the muggle women told the wizards what he'd done? If they were indeed with the Order, they could know Sirius, and then what? Would his brother redouble his efforts to get him out of his commitments, when they all knew he'd signed his life away? When he'd been so slow on the uptake on what that really meant, only just realizing what he'd set in motion when asking Bella for the favor of an introduction last winter?

He hadn't been able to make heads or tails of his situation since being dropped back off at Grimmauld Place in the dead of night. After side-stepping Kreacher while giving an order for him to not be disturbed, and nabbing a vial of Sleeping Draught from his mother's stores, he'd spent most of the day in blissful unconsciousness. But he could only avoid his life for so long - and this commitment to Wyn was one he meant to keep, along with the rest he'd made to her. His fiancée was perhaps the only person Regulus could come clean to about the ordeal, the only one who he could trust with his fear and his doubts. That was what they'd promised each other, wasn't it? And even though he hadn't come to her with something of this magnitude... You need help. You can't go to Mother or Father. Bella or Cissa. Sirius...

Wyn would provide him with good counsel, he knew she would. She had a love and understanding for him, as he did for her, that he could trust in. They were in this together, and while again he felt slow to really realize what that meant on a deeper level, this was it. The decisions made by one impacted both of their now-intertwined lives, so they were decisions to make together. Regulus knew he couldn't leave his station, but surely she could help him find a way towards something he could stomach... And if not, he'd have someone who understood. You must have felt this way too. Right?

With a breath of renewed vigor, Reg shook himself from his reverie and, after adjusting his hair in the dark window of the closest storefront, continued on. The smell of dinner cooking drew him through her building, and he knocked at her door before using his key to enter, flowers in hand to add to her new space. "Wyn?" He followed his nose to the kitchen, smiling despite everything else in his life as he saw the beauty. Did he really need this last term at Hogwarts? Couldn't he just stay here? He set the flowers down, took the glass from her hand and a drink from it, set it down with a grin and lifted her in a spinning hug. Not having had time alone with her this break, he was extra glad for this evening, especially as they had family and Ministry events coming up. He let her down only after a close-call with a floating vine of tomatoes, pointing to her glass. "That was for starting without me. Catch me up, love, would you? I'll explain about last night, but I'll need a full glass," he continued with a forced smile, throat suddenly dry as a bone. "I'm sorry I couldn't be there. Believe me, I would've much rather been with you."

[Bronwyn Nott]

This would be a good night, that much Bronwyn was determined to have. She had expected her life after school to be stressful, but not to this extent. Was this what being an adult was like just one stressful thing to deal with after the next? It seemed like every time she adjusted to some new part of her life, it was changing again. Moving out on her own had been the easy first step, and then September had rolled around and her new normal wasn’t her normal anymore. She’d spent so much of her free time with Regulus and his family, from accompanying them on their summer trip to France to evenings after work spent laughing up a storm at her flat. And then she’d been alone, and that had been awful. She’d never truly been alone before, not like this. The loneliness had been what had drawn her to accept that first invitation from Alecto Carrow, and she wanted to say that was what had kept her going back. But a simple dinner drink had turned into significantly more than that, and she still hadn’t come clean to Regulus about it. The training was good, it was preparing her for tasks ahead. But sometimes she felt like Alecto was flirting, even if she had no basis for that assumption. 

Every time she thought about telling him that her friendship with Alecto had become so strong, and how much it scared her, there was always a reason not to. Tonight wouldn’t be the night, not with the stress of the holidays coming up. Taking another sip from her glass, she was delighted to hear the sound of a knock followed by a key in the door and grinned as she heard Regulus come inside, dodging a pot of water as she waited for her best friend. She had to smile when she saw the flowers he had brought her, but she didn’t get a chance to examine them as he came to her and took her glass. She had to laugh as he lifted her in the air, glad for this moment they didn’t have to put on a show. There would be a lot of that over the next few days, but these were the times she cherished with him the most.

“I’m already one glass down, so if you are playing catch up you might as well finish that one,” she laughed, moving around him to get another glass and the bottle of wine, “Work was unbearable today, which isn’t surprising.” She handed him the new glass, taking a second to hop up to sit on the counter. “Ran into Wilkes today, he’s just as boring as ever. Barely even stopped to say hello, but he’s been an odd one ever since he took his Mark.” She didn’t know much about Joseph, but he’d seemed on edge ever since things had ended up with him and his long-time girlfriend when they had still been in school. “The Ministry is boring, that about sums it up. Please tell me you have a good reason for missing last night. The party was fun, although Evan was there and you know how he can be." 

[Regulus Black]

He took the glass from Wyn, drinking with haste as she vented, and watched with a slight smile as she perched onto the counter. If only things could be this way all the time now. Griping about work and racing each other to the bottom of a bottle. Complaining about their families and chasing the cat, laughing all the while. Maybe a simpler life could be theirs in the future, it was what Regulus hoped for anyway, but for now everything was layered. Was Wilkes being a pill to Wyn because of something to do with the Dark Lord, or was he just being himself? Was he preoccupied with the family he never spoke about, or was the Mark taking its toll? And was Wyn already one glass in because of how bored she was at work, or was something deeper troubling her? He had to pull a face as she mentioned Rosier, though, certain he would be less bothered by his own absence last night if the two had never dated. "I do know how he can be. Did he leave you alone?"

She asked about his excuse, and Reg wanted to lay everything out. How confused he was about the night before, how he didn't want to be in that situation again. How worried he was about anyone else finding out about anything about it. He turned up his glass in response to her question, coughing into his elbow as the wine went down too quickly, and pushed himself up onto the counter beside her, hand finding hers. If there's anyone you can talk to, it's her. You've got to trust her with everything, that's the only way this will work.

"I do have an exciting story," he began hesitantly, talking more to his knees than to the woman next to him, "but it's not one I can be proud of, I don't think. I don't know, it's all..." It's all wrong. "Bella and Alecto came to the house last night, and - and they took me hunting. I'm not completely oblivious, I know that there's dirty work to be done for the Lord," Regulus went on quickly. "But I...I guess I just thought I was..." Special. Going to be given preferential treatment. He swallowed, shaking his hair from his face as he turned his anxious gray eyes to her. "I didn't think Bella would ask that of me. I couldn't do it, Wyn. I had the opportunity and I just - I made it look like I tried, and I think they believed me, but what happens if they didn't?"

[Bronwyn Nott]

Her once upon a time boyfriend, and once upon a time casual sex friend, was sort of a thorn in things. Not that they fought over Evan, Regulus knew that she loved him and had no feelings for Evan. But Evan was...well he was Evan. Mostly obsessed with James Potter and anything wearing a skirt that moved. Her days of finding herself in Evan's bed were long behind her, but that didn't mean Rosier was respectful. If anything, she tolerated him to the same amount she tolerated Charlie - which was only for Lydia's sake. And it made sense, Charlie and Evan were close friends. Two pig-headed men meant for each other. "He was mostly distracted by Dora, I think. She was wearing next to nothing."

Beauregarde jumped up onto the counter with them, walking across their laps rudely to sit down on the other side of Regulus, as he mentioned he did have an exciting story. She was glad she didn’t have a drink, because she would have choked on it at Regulus’ words. Bellatrix and Alecto had shown up? And taken Regulus hunting? She knew exactly what that was, and she hated everything about it. First, because she was jealous. Not of the fact they’d taken Regulus instead of her, but in the fact that it was Bellatrix and Alecto. Together. And she hated that it bothered her, because she shouldn’t have these feelings of jealously about Alecto and Bella's friendship. Secondly, and the one that was more important, was that they never should have asked Regulus to go. She knew, just like he did, that there was dirty work to be done, but surely the Dark Lord had chosen Regulus for something more important than killing people for sport. “She shouldn’t have asked you,” she said quietly, squeezing his hand. “And I’m sure Bellatrix believes you, you’re family. Alecto…” she trailed off, sighing. “Alecto trusts Bellatrix, and so I’m sure you are fine.”

She wanted to believe her words, but she hadn’t been able to fake her way out of her mission. She’d had to go through with it, and she still had dreams about it. That wasn’t something she wanted anyone else to experience, especially not Regulus. “How’s your occlumency? I’ve been practicing mine, ever since October.” Rumors had swirled about Bellatrix’s skill in legilimency, and she could only hope neither of them found themselves in her sights. “And if they don’t believe you, you don’t have to worry because I’ll have your back.” Bronwyn gave his hand a squeeze, before letting go to slide off the counter. They needed to talk about his night in more detail, and they both needed a drink for that. She shooed the cat off the counter, filled up both glasses, and handed one to Regulus.

“Okay, so walk me through this,” she said as she went to check the pasta, needing to pace to think. “They just showed up and whisked you away to go hunting with them, what exactly did they ask you to do? Where did you go?” She felt the more she knew, the more they could prepare for any questions that might be directed at either of them about it. Her worry especially was with what she would have to say to Alecto if she was asked, “Tell me all of it.”

[Regulus Black]

"Sounds about right," Reg said with a scoffing laugh, relieved despite himself at the news. Not that he thought Wyn would do anything, they'd been committed to each other for quite some time now, but that she hadn't had to deal with her ex too much. With the diverse company Dora kept, he figured her new flat had been full - hopefully there had been enough friends around for Wyn to enjoy herself, even with his absence.

Beautiful as he was entitled, Beauregarde stepped over their legs as if they weren't there, settling next to him with a quiet but pointed look. You can't fool me, I know she's fed you. Regardless, Regulus stuck his hand out and was met with the cat's nose, nuzzling into him for affection. He gave it, petting the silly spoiled thing that gave them such joy as he tried and failed to read Wyn's face at his news. He knew that it was a rather large piece of information to simply drop on someone unexpectedly, but there was no way around it for him. It had been a physical weight on him, something he couldn't ignore. If someone on the street had asked him, he wouldn't have been able to keep it in. So the young man tried for patience, for distraction, as Wyn thought. The feel of the now-purring cat under his hand, the perfect robin's egg blue of his love's pondering eyes, the lingering aftertaste of the sharp wine...

He took hold of her hand at her extension, eyes holding hers as she spoke. And with her words, Regulus felt himself breathe a little easier. He didn't want to think that, even if Bella knew the truth, his cousin would turn him in to the powers that be. Or take his disciplining into her own hands. But he felt like he hardly knew the lengths that his family went to in service of the Lord. Through his childhood, everything was discussed so vaguely in front of him, as if it was his fault for being born late in the game. He knew that there were those in service who played the political games - he'd seen Lucius and Narcissa at them at Ministry affairs. He knew that there were those in service who had blood on their hands - as he grew up, Bellatrix and Rodolphus started dropping more details into their stories. So if Bella did love him, as he believed she did, and Alecto trusted Bella enough to not question her...An angle you don't have to worry about. Cross that one off. He gave Wyn's hand a squeeze of thanks, nodding as he willed himself into belief of her words.

Reg looked to her in question at her insight, however. "It's sufficient, assuming I've got only a moderately skilled opponent," he assessed. "Bella started teaching me after I expressed interest in joining. I'm no match for her, but I can frustrate Rabastan until he quits." He grinned briefly before turning the question in his mind to her. "You've been practicing, though? How are you learning?" It was a smart move, Reg was sure, for his partner in all things to learn the skill. It would only help to secure their safety, now and later on, especially if they were both proficient in it. He smiled as she slid from the counter with her assurance, taking the offered glass. Lighter in his belly, knowing that her word was perhaps the only one he could take at face value, he watched her think - pacing, she'd always needed movement to focus her thoughts with something big (and cooking? she had learned much in these last elf-less months, and he found himself surprisingly proud of her for it) - until again she spoke.

"I suppose I did promise you an exciting story," he began with the quirk of a smile, "so I shall do my best." With his immediate concerns drifting away from her assurances, he could spin the last evening into an engaging story, he was certain of it. Sure, he had yet to fully admit the far-reaching issues, but they would get there... "I was up in my room, in my head about what to get you for Christmas, actually - you deserve the best, you know - when Bella and Alecto let themselves into the house. Mother was up in arms about it - in her head - but I had to go. I figured we had a mission or something, but when we Apprated to this muggle street downtown, they told me we were to have fun together. When I pressed that, Alecto gave me a speech about being a viper, and we went into this music club, and Bella told me to choose a target." The upbeat nature of his telling stalled at that point as he saw the muggle woman as if she was before them. After effects of the Sleeping Draught, snap out of it, you're never going to see her again. He drank and swung his feet, feeling smaller than his almost eighteen years. "And so, I did. But it turns out that she's married to a wizard, a Bones - do you know a Bones? Bella and Alecto knew him, his partner too, I think they're Aurors or in the Order. Were there with wands out before we could make any sort of moves."

[Bronwyn Nott]

When she had told her father that she was moving out on her own, there had been a big fight. He’d been so angry with her, and he had swore to her that he wouldn’t support her in this endeavor. That she would be on her own if she chose to move out. Yet she had done it anyway, moving all her stuff herself. No elf around to help her, but her mother did occasionally send her sweets and money. And she had adjusted to that, she had managed to find a routine, and everything had been going so smoothly. Which meant that, while this huge incident was going to be a bump in the road yet again, they could get through it. They could be on the same page with this. She’d be able to answer any questions that Alecto asked her. Was her occlumency good enough if Alecto tried to dig around and find out the truth though? That she could only hope. “Ah well,” she said slowly, looking down to her knees, “Alecto has been helping me with it.” It was normal, for friends to help each other with this sort of thing, and Alecto was her friend, wasn’t she? Even if she was a dangerous friend to have?

She was glad she had gotten down from the counter to pace because it helped her focus. She’d much rather be flying around right now, that always calmed her down, but pacing would have to do. She smirked at his words because while she was sure he could spin his night to be exciting, she knew that wasn’t how he felt about it. Bellatrix and Alecto? They were excited by things like hunting, but not Regulus. Still, she sipped her wine and stopped pacing to give him her full attention, rolling her eyes as he mentioned that Bellatrix and Alecto had just come into the house, Bella had the kind of power to do things like that. She wasn’t surprised that Walburga had been upset by it, but Regulus had to go when they came calling, she understood that. She knew what was expected of her within her place working for the Dark Lord, and she’d have gone if they had shown up on her doorstep. She wasn’t surprised they had gone to muggle London, nor was she surprised to hear that Alecto had given a speech about being a viper. Because she had heard it from Alecto before, on their first big mission for the Dark Lord. It was a compelling speech, one with intent to make you feel powerful and not awful about what you were about to do.

She noticed the pause in his story, and she worried about him at that moment. What are you thinking? Being asked to choose who they were going to kill that night, wasn’t fair to him at all. And she knew before he even spoke again that he’d made a choice because that was what was expected of him. What she hadn’t expected was that they’d come into contact with wizards, because she knew of Bones. “Oh Reg, that’s bad,” she said, the words escaping her before she could stop them. Letting a muggle escape was one thing, but the Auror’s or Order being alerted to his activities last night? That wasn’t good. “Edgar Bones, he’s not an Auror. Him and his buddies went through all three years of training and then suddenly quit, that’s all I know about him.” Her father had heard about it at work, back when she was still young. She hadn’t thought much of it then - but she hadn’t been as clued into the world as she was now, she hadn’t known of the Order. “What happened after that?” She knew Bellatrix and Alecto wouldn’t have just walked away, as much as she wished that was how the next part of this story was going to go.

[Regulus Black]

He nodded at her response, wondering what was with the aversion of her eyes at naming Alecto as her tutor. The two had become friendly this fall, and while he had his own reservations about the Death Eater attached to his cousin's hip, Reg could see the appeal of having her in one's corner. Not, perhaps, in the great halls in which their Dark Lord preached - but to rely on in a fight, surely. That sort of loyalty wasn't just given freely among the ranks, though, so surely it was wise of Wyn to gain her favor. Who knew when an alliance would come in handy? As he started his story, knowing his audience was an attentive one, he both wanted answers and to go back to his ignorance. He was no match for an Auror, much less a pair of them, even if they'd left the service officially. His brows rose astronomically as she admitted that it was as bad as he thought, and the pit in his stomach clenched tighter.

"After that," Reg started shakily, clearing his throat before continuing, determined to see this telling through, "after that, Bones and his partner, they tried to leave with the muggles. Bella and Alecto were on them, I sort of - worked from the side without them knowing, slowing them down, confusing them. But when the muggles got out the back door, Bella had me go after them," Reg spoke to the floor beneath his swinging feet. "So I did, but I - I couldn't do anything. The woman I'd marked, she started saying all this stuff about being eighteen and making life altering choices and how I'd been raised to hate them but we were all human. I just - snapped, told them to go, started blasting up the alley to cover up their escape. I can't do that again. They'll know. I have to get over this, can't get out of this, I have to - I have to be great. This was supposed to be how I got there!"

He gulped a breath in the wake of his rapid speech, cursing the damning escape, one he hadn't anticipated in time to filter out, and gripped the glass between his knees until his knuckles sparked white. "Good enough" wasn't good enough, not for him, not for his family. You were extraordinary, or you were forgotten. Taken off of the list, the tree, if you dared fall short, if you dared not reach for that highest branch. So he really was kidding himself, wasn't he? Thinking that he had any influence over his trajectory now that he was Marked? They'd been lucky to fix themselves up with their relationship and to fall for each other as they had, but beyond that? He was responsible for himself, he was responsible for Wyn, with Sirius lost to them he was responsible for his family... "This has to be how I get there."

His eyes burned and he turned to the side to wipe at them bitterly, trying and failing to rid the frog from his throat again, again. Wyn wasn't heartless, not in the slightest, and she was still herself even after these months in service. He didn't want to think ill of his cousin, he knew she cared for who she cared for, and deeply. But somewhere through the years, whatever line there had been was - erased. Was that what they were all supposed to do? "How do you do it? Turn yourself off to do what they say?"

[Bronwyn Nott]

Being close to a Carrow was a dangerous path to tread, and she had known that before her first meeting. If she hadn’t, she’d have been in quite a state when Alecto all but offered to kill Wyn’s father for her. She had wondered back then if she should take the offer and be done with it, move back home and live with her mother and the house-elfs on the estate. But now that she was out on her own, and so entangled with Alecto, there was no going back home. Even if some days she did wish her father an early demise. Right now though, all her wishes were that Bones and his crew didn’t take what had happened to the Ministry. There was more to this story of that night, and she wanted to prepare herself for the story to get worse before it got better.

She had no idea what Regulus had meant by he had tried when he spoke of last night, and it was with wide eyes she listened to him now, taking in his words. It seemed like he had been on the sidelines and not so directly exposed at first, which was what she had been hoping for. The Ministry wouldn’t do much to Bellatrix or Alecto, but Regulus? He was still in school, only the Black family name to protect him. The words spoken to him hit close to her heart because she felt them deeply. She was only eighteen, and Alecto had expected so much of her that she hadn’t thought she would be doing. To take another human’s life without caring about it, it was too much to ask, wasn’t it?

“Whoa hey hey,” she said, moving from her spot in the kitchen to come and stand in front of him. He was great, for so many reasons. He was a great fiancé, he was a great Quidditch player, he was a great best friend. And yet she knew that sometimes, being great at those things didn’t really matter. Not when they wanted you to kill someone to prove your greatness to them. Trusting her with this information was something she didn't take lightly. She set her glass down next to him, taking his hands in hers, “Regulus Black, you are one of the greatest people I have ever known. I want you to remember that.” She was stalling to answer his question because she didn’t know how to. She was haunted at night by dreams of the things she had done.

“Alecto took me hunting, and I...I had to do it,” she spoke quietly, feeling tears burning in her own eyes. She’d read the obituary of the man she had killed, sent flowers to the funeral home. It meant nothing to them, she knew that, because she had taken something that could never be replaced from them. “I just knew that it was me or him. And that there was no scenario in which he would walk away alive anyway. It was a test, and I didn’t know what would happen if I didn’t pass. I wish I’d been given the chance to let him walk away from me.” She cleared her throat, knowing that it was not a helpful answer, but she had a good way to help. “We are going to get very drunk, and play these weird muggle games I found in the trash and brought inside, and forget about last night for a few hours.”

[Regulus Black]

Reg felt himself derailing rapidly as he lost control of his composure, and Bronwyn was there to steer him back on course. He met her eyes as she mercifully took his hands in her own, willing himself to believe in her words. There had been a time not so very long ago that he would be the one proclaiming that yes, of course he was one of the greatest people she'd met, because he was. But that innate confidence had taken its blows since Sirius abandoned him, however much he could hide it in his day-to-day. He had actively chosen this life, and was too far in it to have regrets like this. You have Wyn. You're in this together, you and her. Regulus could see the plain truth in her eyes without resorting to legilimency - she believed what she said. She could still see him through the mess that he'd made of his life, and she wasn't going anywhere.

He pulled her in, wrapping his arms around her middle as he buried his head into the crook of her neck. "I wish I'd been here with you when that happened, Wyn. I couldn't manage this without knowing you're with me," he admitted hoarsely. Taken along with another senior Death Eater, the fear of failing this test - and knowing that her mark was doomed regardless of her actions... Regulus held her close, silently fuming. He didn't have answers, he didn't have a way to take their reality away. But if Wyn felt as he did, that random killing was not the way, then maybe they could retain the important pieces of themselves through this. Keep each other in check until the end, a tethered lifeline to sanity. If the Dark Lord's vision of the future came to pass, they would be safe in the end, and their sacrifices worthwhile. And if he fails? Could they plead for mercy from the righteous? What court would grant them their freedoms? Were they bound to pay for this life, one way or another, however it shook out? Reg's brows quirked up at her abrupt change in tone and he released her, ready to hold on to any distraction.

But as Wyn went on, speaking of her apparent new hobby of rescuing muggle games from eternity in a landfill, he laughed. "I never thought I'd hear about my fiancée," Reg exaggerated in jest, trying to turn the night around with her, "digging in the bin for muggle paraphernalia. What possessed you to save them?" He slipped down from the counter top, hands lingering as they brushed against her waist while he reached around for the bottle. He emptied it into their glasses, keen to forget. "We must make a good game out of this - what prize for the winner, hmm?"

[Bronwyn Nott]

To admit doubts about the cause was to seek death, and they both knew that. But Regulus was the only person Bronwyn felt she could truly trust with her fears and hesitations, because he’d always kept her deepest secrets. He had been the first person she’d told when she had decided that she wanted to pursue Quidditch after school, and one of the first she’d told when her father had shut all of her dreams down in demand that she follow his path with the Dark Lord. Because she was an only child, and being born a girl had already been enough of a disappointment to her father. Regulus should have never had to face this role, except Sirius had chosen his own path in life. And Wyn would be damned if she wasn’t sometimes jealous of the eldest Black, because both her and Regulus didn’t have that choice. At the very least, they had each other.

But Regulus was a good person, and Wyn would always be there to remind him of that. No matter what things they did in service to the Dark Lord, it was only to secure their future. It didn’t make them bad people for doing things that were considered bad, if they were only trying to protect themselves - right? Regulus deserved more than the treatment of Bellatrix and Alecto, and their sadistic desire to kill for fun. What was the point of him having joined the cause so young if it wasn’t for a grand plan that Voldemort had for him? She squeezed his hand at his words, hoping that Regulus knew she felt the same. There was no way she could get through life without her closest ally.

It was hard to admit the things that Alecto had made her do, and she felt ridiculous for even crying about it. But she had nightmares about it, about the look on the man’s face before she’d taken his life. About Alecto’s laugh as the life drained out of the man’s eyes Alecto mentored her, she looked out for Wyn, surely she wouldn’t do that if she wasn't sure that these things needed to be done to further their cause. Either way, they weren’t things Regulus should have had to do, and she was thankful that they did have each other. He may not have been with her then, but they could talk about it with each other now. And that was enough for her, being here in his arms expressing the doubts they shared. They both needed a night to just forget about reality, and what better way than to totally disengage with their world?

She was already doing stuff the muggle way, to blend in with her neighbors, so what harm were a few muggle board games? She laughed with him, picking her wand up from the counter. “You’ll see why, I couldn’t help myself. I thought perhaps my fiancé would find them interesting,” she teased, waving her wand to summon the board games from their spot on the bookshelf. She picked up her glass, taking a second to check on dinner as the board games floated over. She was glad that in her flat, at least, she was able to use magic. “Okay, so we have Which Witch, Séance, or if you’re feeling like a good stretch there is this one called Love. But you are right, we need a good prize.” Placing her wand down, she dragged a barstool over to the cabinet to pull down the liquor from its place, glad that her father was ignorant enough to not notice she’d been sneaking the good whiskey while she was there. “Swolt Malt whiskey, courtesy of my very sneaky abilities. Could you grab some glasses?” She climbed off the stool, setting the bottle down on the counter as she pondered a good prize. A smirk crossed her face, and she took the cups from him before she spoke, “Loser has to figure out how to tell our parents not to expect an heir anytime soon.”

[Regulus Black]

There was no way their lives could come untangled from the web they'd trapped themselves in - at least, not tonight. Getting out of this would take far more effort and finesse than getting in had taken. They had been gifted with the Mark, trading any sense of honor they possessed for the silver-tongued promises of a better world, of learning at the feet of someone great. But Reg knew that he could scrub the skin of his arm raw, and the Mark would remain as bold as it was the moment he received it. And if he tried using magic to rid himself of the brand? Surely their leader would feel it, and come for him without mercy.

Because no one walked away from the Dark Lord. No one could disappear from him. And if Reg was not so well versed in his family history, he could easily lose count as to how many witches and wizards in the circle were his family, by blood or by marriage or both. To leave Lord Voldemort meant leaving his family, after choosing them time and time again. Trying to find a way out without severing ties from all that he knew, it was making his head spin more than the wine was. So knowing that Wyn wanted out as badly as he did, knowing that he could trust her with his doubts, knowing that his partner still believed in him and his potential for good - this would have to suffice for now. Regulus gave his damp eyes a determined swipe, willing himself into a shift of focus, which became simpler when Bronwyn lost no time in teasing him back.

"You're lucky that your fiancé finds so much of what you do interesting," he chuckled, watching with amusement as she summoned a variety of boxes over to them. Reg drained his glass and took up the boxes as they arrived, and looking them over strengthened his laughter, much to Beauregarde's consternation. He scratched the mewing cat's neck, in disbelief at the collection. Had a short-on-funds wizard created Séance and smuggled it over to the other world? The game spoke while you played - surely that had to contain some magic, however the muggles tried to explain it. He entertained himself with reading the descriptions of each experience, so unlike the few games he had had access to in his youth, and looked up with a start at Wyn's ask. "Color me impressed," he assented, leaving the games to take up new glasses in hand. The woman's thinking face was on, and when the glint in her eye shifted, a proper prize striking her, he laughed.

"It's a deal. Start practicing your speech, Nott," Reg declared. While making such a statement to their families wasn't something that either would shoulder alone - they had agreed to be partners in all things, after all - to not bear the brunt of it was highly appealing. A child would be a true gift to them, but he hoped their families would agree that allowing them time together as a married couple, and time to grow up, and time for the war to end, and time to find their footing in the new world that was left, would be the best course of action. Then they could focus on their little one, once the world would be at its feet. "Best save it until we've married, wouldn't want them pulling out of the deal. I'm fairly certain my mother has already named my children, if only by keeping track of which stars are still available." He took the glass of Swolt Malt from her with a clink and a drink, pushing Love towards her. "None more fitting than this for you and me. Let's see what a year away from your broom's done to your balance."

[Bronwyn Nott]

There were times she wondered if she had too hastily taken her mark. It hadn’t been expected of her to join the ranks, seeing as she’d been born a girl. Her father would have probably forbidden it if he could, but he wasn’t one to defy the will of the Dark Lord. But could she have even refused, after the invitation had been extended to her? Bronwyn doubted it. This was supposed to mean something greater, it was supposed to be the right path to a better world. That’s what they had been promised. But things weren’t how they’d been a few months ago when she had so eagerly joined. She had been living around muggles for a few months now, and it was hard to look at them as the enemy. They were resourceful in how they did things, they were fun to sit and watch. They were human just like she was. And now that she was seeing them as human, it was hard to think of doing the vile things to them that she was expected to do.

She kept these thoughts to herself though, there would be time to discuss this with her partner in life. But a distraction was needed, to get them both out of their heads for a while. The next few days they would be on display, being shown off to the extended family. And they would put on a great show, they’d planned this part out well. She loved Regulus, more than she had loved anyone else, and they knew how to play off each other to make their parents pleased and think that the whole situation was their doing. Life may not have gone her way, but she did get the guy she wanted. She was lucky to have such a good friend as a partner in life. Especially one that teased her back, making her laugh as the summoned games floated over. “How could you not find what I do interesting? I’m a fascinating person,” she jested.

Beauregarde was annoyed with them as usual, and Bronwyn made a note to give him some treats later for putting up with their shenanigans tonight. She was glad that Regulus seemed as amused by the games as she was. Muggles had quite an active imagination, and she wondered how the creators of these games would react to real magic and ghosts. Thankfully, the prize was quickly agreed upon and Bronwyn rolled her eyes, “Right back at you Black, I’m not planning on losing.” Telling their parents not to expect an heir soon would be a big task, and they’d have to come up with a good reason why. It wasn't as if she didn't want children, she did, especially with Regulus. A little boy so much like his father, that was in her hopes and dreams for the future. But in the midst of a war, with marks they couldn't escape, that was no place to bring a child into. Pouring them both a glass of whiskey, she sat the bottle aside and took up her glass, laughing at his next. “Good thinking. Although admittedly I am not a fan of this whole constellation thing you all have going on,” she said with a laugh, clinking her glass to his. He pushed a game towards her, and she gave another laugh at his words. “I could still take you in the sky, don’t doubt me for a second.”

Picking up her wand, she cast the spells to keep dinner cooking before she picked up her drink and the game, headed to the area a dining table would have been if she had enough money to afford one. “Alright, this one looks easy enough,” she said as she opened the box, tossing the instructions to the side to spread out the mat. She picked up the spinner, tossing it over to Regulus with a grin. “Alright, spin it and tell me where I’m going.”

[Regulus Black]

His partner began to laugh, and it wasn't long until Regulus joined in. It was a continuation of the slightly desperate laugh that had sprung from him in these last minutes, admittedly, but laughter nonetheless on an evening when he'd felt so far from it. Not meaning to disparage Bronwyn - she was a fascinating individual, he held no arguments against it - but clinging to the moment of levity, he continued in kind. "Yes, nothing says fascinating like the impulse to salvage what muggles throw away. I can honestly say I've never heard the like before." A pureblood witch in service to the Dark Lord taking home trophies from muggles wasn't unheard of, granted, but those trophies tended towards being far more...unsavory than the benign games he held. But Regulus understood, or at least, he thought he could. Change upon change had painted his love's life since leaving Hogwarts, was picking up an eccentric hobby troubling? And as long as she doesn't show anyone else, what's the harm?

He scoffed, jesting. "And I am?" While it was a conversation they would have with their families as a pair, and certainly something that they would have to come to some sort of agreement on when it came to the why - it was a grand prize. "But who are we without tradition?" he teased back at the clink of their glasses, his words an echo of one too many dinners centered around family history. Those were preferable to the mocking - or endearments, depending - of "little king" by elder cousins, but it was laughable in a way, really, this family obsession. Whatever the original intention had been so many years ago, to name offspring after the stars - it had long been lost, each branch of their sprawling tree taking on its own interpretation. Were they aiming to be as well known as the stars in the sky? As permanent? As full of myth? Whatever the case, they must have been running short by the time he came along. "No, no, I take it back," Reg snorted. "Scrap all traditions if it means Cantankerous Junior would otherwise be in the running."

The whiskey left a trail of heat down his throat and an increase of the buzz in his veins, Wyn was more than up for his challenge, and he leisurely followed her, sipping as he did. "Fine then - a part two to settle this, in the air." Perhaps games of balance were not the wisest choices for their present selves, but there was no backing down now. He set his glass on the sill and caught the spinner, making a show of stretching before indulging her. "Steady, Nott, and no cheating. Left foot O." Grinning, he passed the spinner to her and took in the mat as quickly as he could. Was there any strategy here? Or was it as simple as it seemed, a game purely of balance?

[Bronwyn Nott]

Bronwyn knew that what she was doing was strange. Digging things out of the trash was not a very civilized thing to do, she knew that. She also knew that the fact she was digging things that belonged to muggles out of the trash was even more cause for concern. Anyone else wouldn’t be laughing with her about it, they’d be dragging her in front of everyone. Taking things from muggles - trophies, of sorts - was something she had learned about when Alecto had taken her hunting. She’d discarded the shiny wedding ring of the muggle she’d had to kill as soon as she’d gotten home, not wanting it lingering around to make her feel worse than she already did. But these weren’t trophies, they were muggle entertainment, and maybe she was losing her mind. Really, for the first time, Wyn had started to question everything she knew. She was living around muggles, listening to their footsteps in the flat above her and the music from across the hall. The next door neighbor was an elderly woman who had brought her cookies when she had moved in. The girl down the hall wanted Bronwyn to come to the next girls night she was having. Muggles were kind. Kinder to her than she had ever been to someone who wasn’t pureblood. Regulus was the only person who she felt understood her these days, but even still she didn’t feel comfortable expressing the seed of doubt that had started to form in the back of her mind.

“Well at least you can tell all your friends that your fiancé is unique,” she said with a smirk, before giving Regulus a roll of her eyes. Later, she’d toss the games in the trash. But one night of muggle board games and making fun of them couldn’t do them any harm, and they clearly both needed to think about something else than the war they were involved in. Dinner would finish itself, and they could eat after. There was a bet on the line, and she was determined not to lose, grinning at Regulus before she shot back the whiskey. Tradition was such a big part of their world, and Wyn had always hated it. It was tradition that the first male heir got to take over the family business. It was tradition that marriages were arranged - although she’d managed to play her cards right there - and it was tradition to make an Unbreakable Vow on your wedding day. That would be fine, she knew, they’d come up with the proper words to make sure they didn't agree to anything too insane their parents might want. And maybe they could move to France, live near her Aunt Ophelia. If they survived this war, that is. She almost choked on her next shot of whiskey that she poured and shot back, snorting as she laughed. “I can promise you that I would never name a child Cantankerous, can you even imagine how they’d be teased? Thankfully if we did have an heir - they’d be a Black and not a Nott, so that at least gets that terrible name out of the running. Although, I do feel like all the good constellations have already been taken. Cassiopeia does have a nice ring to it, I suppose.”

They’d have a grand time flying, and Bronwyn was looking forward to it. It had been far too long since she had been on a broom, and she missed it immensely. A game of Quidditch with Regulus would be good for clearing her head, where tonight was about blissfully not thinking about anything serious. Taking the mat out of the board game, she spread it across the floor with a flourish, taking a moment to tie her hair up as she rolled her eyes at the exaggerated stretching her partner was doing. Regulus may have been nimble, but she was strong enough to push him over if it came to it to win. Like he had been reading her mind he called her out to not cheat, and she laughed as placed her left foot down on an L in the corner of the mat. She caught the spinner, giving it a twirl, “Alright Black, right hand V.” She tossed the spinner to the ground near them both, wondering how they were intended to spin once they were supposed to keep both hands on the mat. A silly thought, she remembered, when there was magic. “Think we can charm it to spin on its own?”