THE END IS NEAR - ?egulus ?lack

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𝓣he days were slipping by faster than Regulus cared to admit. As the spring flew past and the summer drew nearer, so did the ceremony that had haunted his every thought for months-the Death Mark ceremony. The whispers of its arrival grew louder in the halls, and the weight of his family's expectations pressed heavier on him with each passing day. Regulus knew that by the time he stepped out of Hogwarts, he would be bound to a fate that no amount of inner conflict could alter.

The end of the school year was fast approaching, and with it, the knowledge that the Marauders-his distant, unbothered peers-were about to leave. Their carefree days of mischief and rebellion would be behind them, and Regulus couldn't help but feel a mixture of resentment and envy. They would walk out of Hogwarts with the future in their hands, their lives still untouched by the brutal choices looming ahead.

Regulus often found himself in his dormitory late at night, staring at the ceiling, his thoughts tangled between duty, family, and the growing pull of his own desires. The image of Angelina-the way she had kissed him in the library, the way she had looked at him with such vulnerability-was a constant in his mind, distracting him from the life he had to lead. But no matter how much he tried to push it away, the thought of her lingered.

Meanwhile, Angelina was struggling with her own demons. The realization that her brother was going to be inducted into the Dark Lord's ranks had hit her like a punch to the gut. The idea of her own family being torn apart by the impending war was becoming all too real, and the closer it got to summer, the heavier the reality weighed on her heart. She hated that Regulus was part of it-despised that he had been born into that world. Yet there was no denying the pull she felt toward him, despite everything.

Her thoughts were full of the argument with Dorcas, the betrayal she felt, and the gnawing suspicion that everything was about to change in ways she couldn't control. As much as she hated to admit it, there was something inside her that felt as though she were standing on the edge of a precipice, about to dive into a future she couldn't escape.

One evening, after an intense conversation with her brother, in which she demanded answers about his involvement with the Dark Lord, Angelina found herself in the common room with Regulus. The Marauders had already left for their final night out before they graduated, and the room was quiet except for the crackling of the fire.

Regulus was sitting in the armchair by the fireplace, flipping through a book but not really reading it. His thoughts were elsewhere-on the impending ceremony, on the mark that would soon stain his arm, and on the pressure that was building around him like a vise.

Angelina entered the room, her steps slow but purposeful. She had that look about her, the one that spoke of a conversation that was long overdue. She stopped in front of him, her gaze unwavering.

"You're leaving soon, aren't you?" she asked, her voice softer than usual. The question hung in the air between them, but she wasn't just talking about school.

Regulus didn't look up immediately, but he could feel the intensity in her voice. Finally, he closed the book with a soft snap and met her gaze. His face was guarded, but there was something raw in his eyes-something that only she had ever seen.

"I have no choice," he replied, his voice clipped, though it didn't have the usual edge. There was a weariness to it. "The mark is coming. It's what I'm meant to do."

Angelina's throat tightened. She wasn't sure if it was because of the cold finality in his words or the knowledge that it wasn't just about him anymore. "And what if you don't want to do it?" she asked, though she wasn't sure if she was asking him or herself.

Regulus stood, moving closer to her, his posture rigid, as if the conversation was making him uncomfortable. "You don't get it, Angelina. It's not a choice. You think I want to wear that mark? You think I want to follow in my father's footsteps?"

She took a step forward, not backing down. "Then don't."

His laugh was bitter. "It's not that simple."

A heavy silence hung between them as their eyes locked. There was so much unspoken, so much they hadn't said. The weight of everything-the expectations, the guilt, the growing feelings that neither of them knew how to handle-was thick in the room.

Finally, Regulus spoke again, his voice quieter now. "You don't understand what it's like. You don't know what it's like to be trapped in a life that's already been decided for you."

"I do," she said, her voice firm. "I do understand, Regulus. I understand more than you think. I'm stuck in my own trap, too." She swallowed hard, trying to control the emotions welling up inside her. "But I'm not going to let it define me. And you don't have to either."

For a long moment, neither of them spoke. They stood there, both grappling with the weight of their words, their faces inches apart. The tension was almost suffocating, and despite every logical part of Regulus's mind telling him to step back, to distance himself from her, he found himself moving closer.

"Angelina..." His voice was low, as if he were trying to say something he wasn't ready to say.

But before he could finish, she reached up, her fingers brushing against the side of his face, the touch soft and almost hesitant. The moment was fragile, as if something might break, but it was also inevitable. Regulus's breath hitched, and before either of them could stop it, their lips met again.

This kiss was different from the first. It wasn't fueled by anger or desperation. It was full of something quieter, something more profound. It was a kiss of understanding-of two people who were caught between what they wanted and what they could have.

When they pulled apart, both were breathless, staring at each other, as if trying to piece together the fragments of everything they hadn't said.

"What are we doing?" Angelina whispered, her voice shaking slightly.

"I don't know," Regulus admitted, his thumb brushing across her cheek. "But I can't stop thinking about you."

She closed her eyes for a moment, feeling the weight of everything pressing down on her. "Regulus, I don't want you to become something you hate. I don't want you to lose yourself."

He swallowed hard, the look in his eyes softening. "I don't know how to do this, Angelina. I don't know how to change."

"Then don't," she said quietly. "Just don't."

Regulus's hand trembled slightly as it rested on her shoulder, his gaze never leaving hers. They didn't have answers. They didn't know what came next. But in that moment, there was something that felt more real than anything else.

But as the days sped toward the end of term, neither of them could ignore the impending reality-the ceremony, the mark, the inevitable separation. The future they were both facing wasn't one they could escape.

And as much as they wanted to hold onto whatever they had, they both knew that the coming summer would change everything.

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