Ink in Paper - Regulus Black

TW FOR THE AUTHOR NOTE: S.A.

As many of you may know from other Author Notes in other stories, I was sexually assaulted when I was younger and the justice system in my country failed me time and time again. I never felt very safe, but something amazing happened two days ago, which was confirmed today: the man that made my life hell is dead.

So this chapter is in honour of all women: this allows us to see that our suffering might have become different, but it isn't all that smaller than it was before, but we can make it better if we help each other.

LEAVE YOUR COMMENTS.

Luna hated how Regulus had been asked to dance with several other girls in the party, not because of the jealousy that she pretended not to feel, but because she was stuck being dragged around by Walburga Black (of all people!). She had been introduced to so many people in such a small amount of time and now names were starting to blur, faces were becoming too alike, and they all were either Healers, Potioneer or Alchemists.

It was only after one of the Alchemists decided to change subjects and move away from the women that Luna was able to turn to Walburga.

"Lady Black, I'm sorry if I'm being impolite in asking this, but what is happening? Why are you showing me to people?" she asked in a low voice.

Walburga gave a scalding look, measuring her attentively. Her eyes softening very little once she saw curiosity and confusion in Luna's eyes, but no fear and no anger for being paraded around like an amusing pet. She was taking all the aggravating questions rather well, smiling through it all, without any emotion slipping through.

"I'm presenting you to the right people, this way your future can be obvious in your mind, if not... corrected from bad decisions," she said, carefully. She looked away. "And you're doing well."

"Oh."

Surprised by the compliment, Luna looked at Walburga with some hesitance and forced a toothless smile, trying to ignore the way her eyes widened. Walburga didn't give a smile back, but she took a deep breath before looking away, as if spending time with Luna was a cumbersome task.

"I expected less," Walburga admitted.

"I have been learning a lot about your culture. I didn't want to embarrass your son, Lady Black," Luna said.

The idea of doing all of what she was doing alone was certainly terrifying, so Luna was aware how lucky she was that she had befriended Pandora Rosier, who was kind enough to teach Luna what to do in specific details, and Luna was smart enough to follow every single inch of description of the manner to do something when Pandora said so (she had learned it in their first class of Divination, when Pandora had taught her to read the leaves of her tea before the professor could have the time to).

"Regulus is confident that you can get through social interactions without embarrassing the Potters or us, but I'm not, do not attempt of slipping away from your chaperone or I during the duration of this wedding like you did during the New Year," Walburga said, coldly.

Luna felt her stomach drop, but tried her best to pretend that her whole body had not gone cold in fear before the burning hot shame made her cheeks colour again. She nodded, taking Walburga's coldness for anger rather than the embarrassment that it was.

"Nothing happened in the –"

"Believe me when I say that I do not want to know, Miss Lupin," Walburga said, cutting her off and raising her skirts just slightly to turn on the heels of her boots to face Luna straight. "This type of conversation will not happen between my son and I, and I don't want them to happen. He's fifteen; that's grown enough to know the consequences of being left unchaperoned with a young lady, and if he wishes to dare to impose such consequences upon you, then he does not care for you as much as he vows to." Taking in Luna's silence and the music happening around them, Walburga raised her chin, watching her son talking to a potential ally to Orion's political plan. "I'm a woman, Miss Lupin, and I understand that the world might seem unfair and needlessly cruel to us, but it is how the world works, and we cannot change it, but we can work around it. If Alchemy is what you want, then Alchemy you shall have – but might come a time when Alchemy is all you have. If, or when, such time comes, remember you had an option, and you chose work."