— chapter thirteen —
AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR

—

CHRISTMAS. THE DREADED time had come and Remelda couldn't pretend it wasn't happening anymore. She had tried to push it out of her mind, much like other topics, thinking of schoolwork or busying herself with Demetri (which she hated) and reading. She did everything she could to keep her mind off of the topic, knowing it would only bring her sadness and create tears that would stream down her face. Now it was Christmas, they were already at their house (not home, definitely not home) and they were having dinner.

And all of her thoughts were on Regulus. He looked so perfectly normal, almost happy, as he ate the meal the house elves cooked for them, placing down his fork now and again to take his drink and sip at it. He listened to their parents speak, nodding his head and humming, and sometimes speaking as well. Every time he spoke something with the mindset of their parents, he would glance at Remelda as if to say an apology, something he had done since they were young. Remelda would always blink, give a slight nod of the head that only he would notice, before returning to eating and keeping silent.

That was something Walburga Black taught her; keep silent until spoken to. Orion, her father, started the conversation and would allow his wife to speak and sometimes turn to his son but almost never batted an eyelash at Remelda. The only thing he cared about her input was about Demetri.

"Six deaths this month," Orion commented, "A new record – a good one at that. And the Ministry hasn't even batted an eyelash! Ha! What fools!"

Remelda resisted the urge to speak back. Once she had done that as a child, and for the first time she had been threatened with a beating. It would have been acted upon if Sirius hadn't stepped in the way and taken the punishment for himself, but Remelda was forced to stay and watch – something that had never happened before. Always she and Regulus had been told to go upstairs and to their rooms and never to leave them until the next morning. And after seeing such a sight, her brother taking her punishment, she vowed never to speak back again in fear they would hurt him again.

Of course, that hadn't stopped her parents from hurting her brother. They continued on for different reasons, but never again had he been hit because she hadn't stayed quiet like she was taught. And even now, though she knew she would bare the punishment, she never said a word. Her mind always flooded back to that time.

"Hm," Walburga agreed with her husband, "They've always been quite slow, haven't they? Not like they want to believe in him anyways, though I don't see why. Those filthy mudbloods stealing the magic meant only for the pure."

She almost winced at the sneer her mother had at the thought of those who were born from muggles but gifted with magic. Those with their mindset believed they stole the magic meant for those with a parent (preferably two) with magic – taken a wand from a witch and pretended to be one of them.

"It doesn't matter now. Even when the Ministry sees everything, it will all be too late," Orion waved the matter off, knowing that it wasn't preferable to become angry at dinner. Such a time so close to sleep.

There was a moment of silence before Walburga turned her attention to her silent daughter, who was sipping at the drink the house elves had given her. "Remelda, darling, I haven't heard much about Demetri," she purred, "Have you been doing as told?"

"Yes, mother," Remelda politely answered, "This month we have shared a conversation on most days."

"Good, good," Walburga nodded, "It is good to become close to the one you will be marrying when the time comes."

Remelda looked at her mother, knowing that something bad could happen if she didn't show respect by meeting her eyes, "I know, mother, and I am truly trying."

A smirk appeared on the woman's face as she turned the conversation again. Remelda looked back to see Regulus' worried look, which caused her to nod. A silent I'm fine to him. But she wasn't. She honestly wasn't.

―

It happened during night. The only time the two could escape from the house without their parent's knowledge and wrath. A story had already been woven by the two siblings; Regulus had run away without telling anyone. Remelda would pretend to find a note in his room and there would be no other questions. Hopefully. Maybe.

And since Remelda had recently turned seventeen, her birthday being just on the seventeenth of the month, there was no problem with arriving at the location. She hated her birthday, hated the fake gifts people had given her because of the name she held. She hated how they were afraid of the outcome if they didn't. And she especially hated how it was her fucking birthday and she was growing, hated that this would be last one she would spend with her younger brother before he sacrificed himself for the better of the world. But Regulus had told her about it, giving insightful details to make up for lack of a picture – a visual representation of the place she was supposed to Apparate the both of them to.

When her parents were in a peaceful sleep, Regulus had knocked on her door and entered. It was time. He had taken her hand, she had silently said the spell and then there was a whirlwind in her stomach as she traveled from 12 Grimmauld Place to the rocky location in the middle of the ocean. The sound of waves crashing filled her ears as she looked around, wasting no time in following Regulus inside where she was greeted with more rocks.

"There needs to be an offering before we can enter," Regulus announced, reaching inside his pocket to retrieve the blade he had brought with him. "Blood from one of the people entering as a way to weaken them."

As he was about to cut his hand, Remelda stopped him, "No, let me."

"You can't," Regulus shook his head, "I'm already going to die today, so losing a little blood won't make any difference. You'll need your strength to Apparate back."

"Regulus, surely there has to be another challenge waiting inside," Remelda told him, "And you can take that challenge – just let me take this."

He knew there was no reason to argue with her as he sighed, handing over the blade as Remelda took it and without any warning or preparation, brought the sharp object to her palm and sliced it. Then, without wincing from pain, smeared the blood on the rock in front of her when she felt a rumbling; they could pass through.

"Here," Regulus' soft voice rang, holding out a strip of cloth, "For your hand."

She nodded as he wrapped it around the wound, hissing slightly at the contact as she saw the white cloth turn red from her own blood. It didn't faze her, the sight of it, but she still wasn't numb to seeing it. The sight still hurt.

They passed beside the stone, seeing a lake and a circle of land in the middle of it. Without pausing, he had taken her hand again as she Apparated to the middle of the lake and onto the land. "What's next?" she asked him once he had let go.

Regulus didn't answer as he went up to the fountain, seeing the 'water' in the dish before seeing the locket under it. He tried to place his hand down, trying to reach for it, but it could never be that easy. He wasn't fazed, having thought that before, and turned back to his sister. Rumaging through his pocket again and taking out an apple he had stolen from their kitchen and handing it to his sister.

"Here. Look in the fountain," he pointed to it as she went over there to see inside, "See the locket? If you would, transfigure the apple into the locket."

"It's a horcruxe, isn't it?" Remelda asked, he nodded, "And you're going to replace it with a fake?" he nodded again, "I never knew you were so smart, Regulus. Planned everything out, did you?"

"You can never be too careful, Remelda," he cracked a smile. She giggled, transfiguring the apple into the horcrux she had just seen before looking at him, "Now you just have to feed me the water."

"That simple?"

"That simple. Though, I guess it will probably be harder than what meets the eye," Regulus said.

She nodded, "I guessed that much."

Without another word, she had taken the flask-like object beside the fountain, dipped it in there as the water filled it up and taken it back to her brother. He gulped it down without a word, ignoring how it burned his throat and made him ache for fresh water.

After he finished the first amount, Remelda went back to the fountain and gotten another flask full. He had downed it again without a complaint, though now his mind was going a little fuzzy and he definitely did not want another of that. And when she had brought another flask to him, he had tried to swat it away, complaining and begging for water.

"I can't," Remelda cried, thinking this would be what would kill her brother, "You know that. I'm sorry."

"Please," he whimpered as she forced him to drink the water from the fountain. As she had gone back, she had seen the difference of water. Before, the fountain had been full, and now it was nearly empty. Only a glass or two more.

Without another word from her behalf, she had taken his face and pulled it upwards before pouring the liquid into his mouth and closing it before he could spit it out. And as she had taken the last flask-full, his mind was too hazy and he didn't realize what was happening.

In the water, there were figures lurking, ready to pounce as soon as the liquid from the fountain was gone. But Remelda had been too busy with the task given to her by her brother to notice them or the water as it began to glow the tiniest bit brighter.

Then she had forced the last bit down his throat as she sighed in relief but also in dread. She had laid him down as he slurred something to her before going back to the fountain and taking the horcruxe from there and replacing it with the replica she had created, not even reading the note Regulus had placed with it.

She looked back to see Regulus inching towards the lake, making it to the edge as he cupped his hands and brought the water from it to his mouth – and that's when everything happened. She had let out a scream as the figures from the murky water sprouted out, letting out terrible, moaning sounds as they reached at Regulus.

"No!" she yelled, running towards him screaming out a spell to stun the closest creature. The rude awakening seemed to break Regulus' trance slightly.

"Go," he whispered to her as she shot another spell at the creature, smiling slightly at her.

"No," she shook her head, "I can't leave you here! You won't die here if I can help it!"

"I feel like I'm already dying. I'm fine, Remelda. Save yourself at least, for me," Regulus added the last part to shove her over the edge. Remelda looked at him with a heartbroken expression. This was how it ended.

She brought him into a hug for one last time, holding his close and forgetting for a moment about the creatures. "I love you," she uttered, hearing him whisper it back.

And then she stood, shooting another spell before Apparating away from her brother just as he wished. She was back at 12 Grimmauld Place as she choked out a sob, holding her gut as her wretched cries let out, the ugly sounds a contrast from the record playing.

We wish you a Merry Christmas, and a happy new year!