Eleanor had come to stay at Grimmauld Place upon Walburga's insistence, soon after their graduation from Hogwarts. Ever since the woman had met her son's girlfriend, she had taken an instant liking to her and had even placed forward her wish of making Eleanor her daughter in law.

Henry and Diana Troy had had no objections to that alliance and in the Christmas Break of their seventh year, they had held a small gathering in which Regulus had been engaged to Eleanor. And after that when they returned to King's Cross Station after graduation as their last year had finally ended, Walburga had insisted to take her daughter in law to be to her place in order to familiarize her with everything in the Black household.

Regulus was surprised at how well both Walburga and Eleanor got along with each other. His mother treated her exactly like she would have treated her own daughter and it was a slight relief for him to know that he wouldn't have to worry about his mother not liking Elle.

That night, he was sitting at his desk, a parchment and quill in front of him as he thought whether or not to write to Sirius and tell him of his engagement. It had been long since the brothers had talked to one another, even at school they avoided each other.

Reg had a clear idea that Sirius suspected he had joined the Death Eaters and that was why he was avoiding him. Whereas Regulus was reluctant to mend their breach because he feared what would happen if Sirius confronted him and he would have to tell him the truth.

The knock on the door shook him from his troublesome thoughts so he stood up and went to answer it.

Opening the door a fraction, he was surprised to see Eleanor standing there, a beautiful smile playing upon her lips.

"Elle, everything okay?"

"Yeah, I couldn't sleep," she mumbled, stepping inside and the white shawl she had draped over her shoulders slid off her skin the instant Regulus shut the door behind her, "so I thought I might check up on you. And aren't you quite a night owl, awake even though it's so late?"

The nightdress she wore hugged her frame perfectly, white lace stretching over the light skin accentuating her perfectly toned limbs. Paired with her cherry red lips turned up into a smile and wide green eyes twinkling in amusement, it made her appear twice more irresistible.

Regulus tore his eyes away from her, folding back the parchment because he knew he could not bring himself to write anything.

"What are you doing?" She tried to take a look at the parchment.

"It's blank, I thought of writing but decided against it."

"Looks like you need a distraction," she had twirled slightly, her hands resting on his shoulders as she leaned closer, "stop being so stressed for once, Reg. Please?"

"What are you doing?" He watched as her hands fumbled with the buttons on his shirt.

"Taking your mind off whatever has been troubling you."

His cheeks shaded as he realized what she meant, "Elle, if Mother finds out..."

Her eyes danced in amusement, "who's going to tell her? I won't, that's for sure and neither would you. Who else is here to tell her anything?"

"But Elle..."

"Come on, Regulus... We can think of it as a harmless slumber party," she coaxed discarding her own white shawl as well, watching his eyes trail down to her lips, "why would we get in trouble for that?"

She closed the gap between them and connected their lips together, sending a jolt coursing through his veins.

Her kisses seemed to hold him in an unbreakable grip and very soon Regulus found herself melting under her touch, his body surrendering as she deepened the kiss, fingers trailing down his ribs.

It was certainly not their first kiss but each kiss with Eleanor made him feel so weak such that he felt as if he could do nothing.

Nothing but surrender under the heat of those kisses tainting his mouth and then his neck, trailing down to his collarbone and the curve of his shoulder.

"Are you sure?" He breathed when she pulled apart, eyes piercing down in her marble green irises as she held him against the wall, hands entwined through hers.

"Perfectly sure," she replied, a dazzling smile playing upon her lips, his shirt lying on the floor as she had tugged it off him "you're the only one I have ever wanted, Reg."

***

Her eyes fell over the Dark Mark on his lower arm and she straightened, features knitting in confusion. "You didn't tell me you had a tattoo?"

But he pulled his arm away from her, not wanting to let her see the sign of his loyalty to Lord Voldemort.

"Regulus, what happened?" She asked, brow furrowing skeptically.

He stuttered, "nothing... It's nothing."

"Show me."

"No," he held his arm back, lifting himself off her despite her hands reaching out to pull him back.

"Where are you going?" She sat up, green eyes flickering in alarm.

"I'm sorry, Eleanor," he quickly wore his shirt, concealing the Dark Mark and stood up, fastening all the buttons hurriedly.

She was not expecting things to take such a drastic turn, "Regulus, stop!"

"I'm sorry," he repeated, pulling away from her even though it hurt him to do that.

The alarmed look on her face morphed into a stiff expression, "what are you sorry about? Are you sorry about dating me or about letting me come too close to you?"

"It's not like that. I..."

"Then what is it really like?" Her hands closed on to the collars of his shirt tightly, "I won't let you leave until you tell me the truth."

He kept painstakingly silent, refusing to look into her furious green eyes.

"Tell me the truth, Reg, or I swear I will do something we'll both regret later," she threatened as she held him against the wall, her marble green eyes piercing through him, "tell me truthfully what's going on..."

He let out a weary sigh, head resting back as he closed his eyes, "Elle, please... I love you..."

"Then stop fucking lying to me!"

He did not know how she would react if she saw the Dark Mark but he knew that if he lied again, she would hate him.

Having Eleanor hate him was the worst and he could not let it happen.

So he retrieved his arm from his back and held it in front of her, pushing up the sleeve that hid the Dark Mark.

Her eyes widened in alarm to see the tattoo of the skull and serpent engraved on his skin. The mark showed clearly where his loyalty lay and it was a proof that he was indeed a Death Eater.

Supporter of the Dark Wizard Lord Voldemort.

Supporter of the cause due to which the whole wizarding world was at war.

"Reg, you... You are one of them?"

"I'm sorry," he breathed, his blue eyes flickering in sadness, "I wanted to tell you but I was scared you would hate me if I did."

She seemed to be in a state of shock but her grip on his collar loosened and she didn't pull apart when his arms tentatively wrapped around her waist. "Since how long...?"

"Start of sixth year."

She had closed her eyes, her features paling, "so that's why you were always so stressed... So detached... I should have known..."

It hurt him to see her like this and he cupped her cheek gently, "Elle, I had to. My parents wanted me to join the Dark Lord and... I just... I couldn't say no to them."

She kept silent, letting him resume though she had leaned forward and rested her head on his chest, letting him hold her close. Eleanor knew that the side he had chosen put him in constant danger.

"After Sirius, they have associated all their wishes from me," he mumbled, his head nestling in her neck as he told her, "and Siri's decision of leaving hurt them so much... I don't want to cause them any pain or sorrow."

"But Reg... Aren't you going to be in danger?"

Her question silenced him because he did not know what to say to her.

"Regulus..."

"I don't know," he sighed, "we are all in danger, Elle, there's a war going on."

He felt her hands tighten their grip on him as if she was scared to let him go, "I can't bear to lose you. Please... Please don't do anything that would put you in danger."

He nodded but deep down he knew that was something he could not promise her. Being the Dark Lord's servant was a task with danger at every step.

But he couldn't bear to see her get so anxious as well so he tilted her head towards him and kissed her as sweetly as possible.

"I will try my best, Elle, I promise."

***