CONTEXT: Juliet and Regulus are at The Final Task when Lord Voldemort returns. Part 1/2.

      The second Regulus' left arm burned in the stands of the Triwizard Tournament, he knew that the comfortable life he had built for himself was about to go up in flames. He glanced at Juliet, whose red hair was whipping wildly in the wind as she cheered in anticipation for the reappearance of either Harry or Cedric. For a moment, he debated slipping away without a word. It was rare to see her happy these days, but he knew she needed to be warned. Perhaps the only person Lord Voldemort cared to see dead more than Dumbledore was the bratty witch that had thrice defied him.

     "He's back, Juliet." Regulus turned away from Juliet as soon as he said it, afraid that she would notice his water-rimmed eyes otherwise. "The Dark Lord is back and he's calling for me, for all of his old followers."

     Although her heart stuttered at the news, she promptly schooled her features into a perfected mask of neutrality as she searched the crowd for a familiar head of bleach blonde. Her blue eyes soon found themselves locked on the empty seat beside Narcissa Malfoy before flickering towards a vacant spot on the pitch, knowing the winner should have reappeared with the Cup already. It was then Juliet knew — unquestionably — that nothing good could ever last. Not in her lifetime.

     "Well, I never have been one to keep the supposed Dark Lord waiting," she drawled, a steely resilience and hidden darkness beneath her words. "I hope you still have your old mask."

    He found no humour in the situation. "Tell me you aren't really suggesting that I let you waltz towards your death. Again!"

     "Actually, I'm suggesting that you waltz me towards my death this time," she replied with there being more strength to her voice than she felt. "Do you remember our wedding? Because I think it's time for Act Two . . ."

✧࿐ ཾ✧

     From afar, Regulus and Juliet watched as a cluster of Death Eaters formed a tight circle around an unkept grave. Cedric was nowhere to be seen, but Harry was partially in view, straining against the ropes that magically bound him. Wormtail whimpered next to him, a snake slithering by as Lord Voldemort spoke in a high and cold voice to his Death Eaters. Even though she still shivered like she was seventeen again at the sight of his blood red eyes, the rage of a scorned witch was more powerful than any monster who once but a painfully mediocre man.

     Hesitating, Regulus' fingers brushed the cool material of his mask. "Are you sure you want to do this? Once we go down there —"

    "I know. No matter what happens though, I need you to promise that you'll stick to the plan," she insisted, sensing his reluctance. "I know — I know things haven't been the same with us lately and after all of this, I want to make it right. But until then, I need you to know that you're my best friend. You deserve to find love and happiness and all of those things I already experienced at seventeen whilst you were bending over backwards to help me survive when I was tempting fate for the hell of it." With a sigh, she tugged down his mask and handed him her wand. It sparked in his hands. "Until death do us part, Reg. But please make it so neither of us die today."

    Three words rested unsaid on the tip of his tongue and he tried not to choke on them as he pushed Juliet onto her knees and dragged her towards someone he once worshiped with the shameless naivety of a power-hungry second born son.

Yet to register their arrival, Voldemort boomed, "And here we have six missing Death Eaters, three dead in my service. One, too cowardly to return —"

"Forgive my tardiness, Master," Regulus called out, keeping his wand pressed against Juliet's temple. "I have returned to serve you and thought you would appreciate a peace offering, for I know I have disappointed you by not seeking you out prior to this evening."

"Regulus, I did not think you would be brave enough to show your face here." Voldemort disguised his surprise with a breezy nonchalance. "After all, it was not too long ago that Wormtail informed me of your decision to renounce your old ways in favour of actively supporting a muggle —" he spat the word like it was basilisk venom in the cracks of his lips — "cause in order to play house with a girl who already decided that she would rather die a blood traitor than be married to you for even one measly second. How pathetic. To kill you would almost seem generous."

Beneath his mask, Regulus tried his best to dodge the blow of the man's cruel words — but the extent of Lord Voldemort's spite had never been limited to spells. "Wormtail only knows one true thing and that is how to be a snivelling nuisance," the man rebutted, yanking his friend to her feet with enough force that she grunted. "I knew you would one day return and I knew I would be of no use to you in Azkaban. Instead, I opted to gather intel for you. I have spent more than decade earning this blood traitor's trust, pretending I believed in mudblood rights and halfbreed equality. You know . . . she even came willingly. I told her of your return and she practically begged to come here with me, foolish and faithful as ever. She —"

"She trusted you!" Harry screamed through hot tears. "She defended you, time and time again to me! But I told her and you — you betrayed her like he did." His green eyes darted to Peter then to Regulus. "Just like t—that coward!"

"Silence," Lord Voldemort hissed, strangely crouching down to Juliet's height. "Is it true? Did you fall for a man's deceptions and falsehoods once more?"

Biting the inside of her cheek, Juliet looked up though her lashes but didn't give him the satisfaction of an answer. "Is is true?" she echoed. "Did you get defeated by the one thing you can never feel?"

"I should cut out your tongue. Perhaps I'll send it in a box with that pretty little bracelet of yours to —" Voldemort paused, then cackled, "oh never mind, I forgot that you have nobody left. Everyone you have loved has left you. Meanwhile, I stand here, stronger than ever. Love has never defeated me, Juliet, but it most certainly has defeated you."

"Then kill me," she dared, jutting out her chin. "Finish what you failed to fourteen years ago — oh never mind, I forgot that you can't."

Regulus bristled — surely she wasn't stupid enough to provoke him when she wasn't the immortal one of the pair. It seemed to him like she was once again tempting fate, but he remembered what she had said and used the distraction she was creating to wandlessly levitate the Triwizard Cup, which doubled as a portkey to safety, closer to Harry.

"Just because I no longer intend to kill you, it does not mean that you are untouchable," claimed Voldemort, his sharp nails digging into her skin as the scar on her wrist burned. "Regulus!"

The Cup thudded against the grass as his concentration broke at the shout of his name. "Yes, Master?"

Harry finally noticed the portkey was in reach, but he couldn't find it in himself to leave Juliet. Not after what Lord Voldemort had said to her and not after she risked everything to rescue him without a second thought. If he could be half as brave as she seemed to think his father was, everything would be fine.

"It is time for you to prove yourself once more if you want to be welcome back into my ranks," the Dark Lord began, "crucio her."

All of a sudden Regulus was grateful that nobody was able to see the blood draining from his face. Even still, Juliet shot him an almost imperceptible nod before a scream crawled from the back of her throat and splintered through the eeriness of the graveyard.

Voldemort watched and smiled.

✧࿐ ཾ✧

A.N: I'm alive! And there's a part two to this chapter, but it's late and messy so I'm posting what I have so far because I'm doubtful anyone still reads this. But I missed Juliet. And her story was never finished when I know how it ends, so I'm going to try and let you all in on what happens. Anyway! How's everyone been?