(A/N: I make NO promises to update or finish this story. It was started back in 2008 and is not copy and past from a site I used to be on.)
Dearest Julia,
If you are reading this letter then you need to know that the worst has happened, and these are my last words to you. I regret that you have to learn this via a note from me but it is the only way you may know the truth though I fear my letter will not be much more satisfying than what others know. But know this my Julia, I love you with all my heart and if there were any other way about this I would have sought it out.
I cannot give you details of my death save for the fact that I was doing what was right, attempting to stop a terrible evil that I fear will triumph despite my best efforts. But if there is anything I have learned the things worth fighting for are worth dieing for despite how grim the circumstances.
That is all I feel free to tell you about my death anything more and I fear I would put you in danger. Even this letter is a risk but I had to confide in someone and I could not leave you in the dark seeing as none in my family would think to tell you what has happened. You are the only person in the world that I trust Julia that is why I have included my journal with this letter. There are recollections from my childhood things that I never shared with you and even my thought on moments that we shared so sweetly. I just regret that we cannot share any more of those moments together again. If only I could be there to comfort you wipe that tear from your face as it rolls down your cheek, but alas I am not there.
Julia, I do not wish for you to place a hold on your life in my death. I want you free to love again. I want you to find someone to love and care for you in my place someone who will treat you as the lady you are and hold you dear to him as I hold you dear in my heart.
There is so much more I wish to convey to you and share with you but this letter will never suffice to even contain a fraction of my love for you and what all I wish to share with you. Nor do I have the time for it does run short for me I fear.
So again I say to you Julia, I love you. I love you more than it is possible for a man to love you and I wish I could have had more to time to begin to show you how great and deep that love is. But I now must close out this letter and meet my fate.
With all my love,
Regulus
Upon the completion of the letter Julia Bingley let out a choking sob that shook her whole body hand clasping around the letter written in Regulus' elegant scrip the this black leather bound book labeled as "PROPERTY OF R. A. BLACK" sat in her lap. There was none to comfort her as she let the sobs overcome her save for the faint memory of Regulus Black who from before the grave wished to have wiped away her tears and wrapped her in his arms.
It was a good two hours before Julia could find herself able to control her tears, at least see through them. They still silently slipped from the corners of her eyes but that was a vast improvement considering the state she had been in. Julia did not understand what Regulus meant by his death but she had faith that he did what was right as his letter said and she forgave him for leaving her. There was no way that she couldn't do such, she loved him.
Still fighting the tears that continued to flow Julia opened the journal and began to read, the reflections of the man she loved.
One of my earliest memories was that of when I was a child near the age of four. It was during that time that I was my brother's shadow never leaving his side. He got annoyed at times with how close I would follow him but knowing him he secretly enjoyed the attention.
We were out in the garden that day I was walking around the fountain and Sirius was splayed out on a bench. We both had run out of things to do and Sirius of all people was struggling with the concept of being bored.
"Let's jump the fence!" he suddenly said sitting bolt upright his gray eyes shimmering with excitement. I stopped in my tracks and stared at him.
"Jump the fence?" I asked doubtful that was a good idea.
"Sure why not?" he answered standing up and walking over to the stonewall that was out fence. Neither of us could see over it and it was fairly tall. "I mean aren't you curious to know what's on the other side?"
Admittedly I was curious but I was also a bit scared. I knew the wall was there for a reason and I didn't think our mum and dad would approve of such an action. "Yes…but.." I started to say before Sirius interrupted me.
"But what?" he demanded Sirius looking back at me from studying the wall. He walked quickly over to where there were vines growing on the wall, I of course followed. He yanked ant them causing them to fall and him to frown. "I'm going to go over you can stay if you like. If you're too scared." His last sentence was a taunt.
"I'm not scared!" I protested sounding as brave as I could.
Sirius laughed as he walked over to a tree myself keeping right instep behind him. We stopped at a tree that grew above and over the wall. Sirius stood studying it for a minute as I looked at it too. Then Sirius began to climb up it.
"What are you doing?" I asked looking up at him.
"I'm going over like I said!" he hissed back, "Now keep it down!"
I knew Sirius meant it that he was going to go over and I was not about to be left behind in going over the fence and risk being called a coward. I hated when Sirius teased me like that. So I began to climb right behind him. Sirius looked down and smiled as he continued up ahead of me. It took a bit more effort on my part to go up seeing as I was shorter than he was but we made it up and could see over the wall.
"Wow," I remarked as we both looked outside of our garden for the first time. "It looks a like our garden."
"Only cleaner," grumbled Sirus looking out with me. He was right, the gardens on the other side were more clean cut while we had vines growing in our garden and a few gnomes running around.
"Let's go," instructed Sirius moving out toward the edge of the branch to make it down to the other side. I looked around and didn't see how we were to get down on the other side.
"Sirius," I asked not moving forward just yet. "How are we supposed to get down there?"
"We're going to jump of course!" he answered with a brilliant smile inching more and more forward causing the branch we were on to bend and move.
"JUMP!?" I squeaked with a bit of fear I wasn't a fan of falling.
"How else? You aren't scared are you?" he demanded asking the one question that always got me to do things I never really wanted to do.
"No," I lied as I inched forward carefully watching Sirius' moves and how the branch bend closer to the ground, but not enough so that we would not have to jump.
After a few minutes time when the branch started to creak from us sitting so close to the edge Sirius said, "This is as far as it goes we have to jump."
"Now?" I demanded looking at the ground which still seemed very far away.
"You don't have to," answered Sirius in his taunting tone, "You can stay if you like but I'm jumping."
"I am too," I answered stoutly allowing myself to slide off the branch before Sirius could mention anything about me being scared. I hit the ground with a jar but came out of the landing with nothing more than a bruise, and having discovered that maybe I did like falling just a little.
Sirius soon landed after me saying, "You little twat! What were you thinking jumping first?"
I smiled in response knowing that Sirius was mainly miffed that he couldn't lord not wanting to jump over me. After a moment Sirius sighed and said, "Come on." He led the way out of the garden we had just landed in and found ourselves out on a street. It was a lot like a few pictures we had seen in books though there really weren't people around like in books.
"Where is everybody?" I whispered partly because of fear of not having people around and partly in fear of waking something that was better left asleep.
"Inside or something," answered Sirius confidently, "Come on."
We walked for about a block before we came to a house with a big black dog that jumped at the fence and started jumping and barking at us trying to get at us. It made me jump and I admit I tried to hide behind Sirius.
"It's just a dog you idiot," answered Sirius with a roll of his eyes.
"I don't like it," I answered keeping near Sirius until we passed and the dog was a bit in the distance still barking.
"Get off me will you?" demanded Sirius pushing me away from himself a bit. I stepped back behind Sirius and followed along. It was a position I was very accustomed to. Always just behind Sirius seen but unnoticed it's how we were presented at parties, Sirius as the shining example and focus of the night and myself as a bit of an after thought.
We walked for a while longer until we could hear yells and shouts in the distance.
"Wonder what that could be?" spoke Sirius breaking the silence that was between us. He picked up the pace and I followed suit until we came to an open field where there were other kids.
"Hey Regs check it out," instructed Sirius with wonder as he watched the kids, there were about five of them kicking this ball around with each other.
"What are they doing?" I asked as I watched I'd never hear of such a thing. I knew a bit about Quidditch but that wasn't how you played. It seemed all they were doing was just kicking a ball.
"I'm going to join them," announced Sirius after a few minutes of watching.
"What!?" I squeaked I really didn't think it was a good idea to interact with those kids what if they were muggles?
"Fine you stay," ordered Sirius as he ran to join the kids who were kicking the ball they weren't wearing robes like Sirius or I. Sirius made it all the way to the midst of them and kicked the ball once before, they all stopped the game they were playing. They shouted at Sirius and asked him what the big idea was. I was scared they were going to do more than yell at him until he stated that he wanted to join them. The agreed saying they needed a sixth. I stood by and watched too scared to do much more, and I didn't care if I was called a coward afterwards.
Before long there was a woman calling for one of the boy who said he had to go and needed to take the ball with him then everyone broke off and Sirius came running back to me with dirt all over his nice new robes. His hands were a little bloodies from a fall he took earlier and he was sweating.
"Regs you should have tried it, it was bloody brilliant!" exclaimed Sirius wiping his brow with his sleeve.
"Can we go home now?" I asked pleadingly not wanting to stay longer.
"Fine we'll go back," sighed Sirius as we started for home.
We walked for a bit before I asked, "What are you going to say when mum asks about your robes and hands."
Sirius gave a one-shouldered shrug, "I'll tell her I was digging or chasing a gnome."
"She won't believe it," I whispered.
"Want to bet?" asked Sirius with a cocky attitude as we approached the dog once more who was just as nasty as before. I kept near Sirius for that part of the trip and backed off quickly so as not to bother him or to get my robes dirty.
When we made it back to the wall we discovered our one main problem. We didn't know how to get back in our garden.
"What do we do now?" I whined, I was getting hot and I was tired by now and more than enough adventure for one day.
"Shut up, let me think," ordered Sirius as he looked around it was a few moments before Sirius said, "Here help me with this!"
He was gesturing to a birdbath that was cracked and looked very unused. We pushed and pulled it with all of our might over to near the wall. When we got it close to the wall Sirius said, "Easy!" he hoisted himself atop the birdbath and up and over the wall, I was quick to follow not liking to be on the wrong side of the garden.
When I was over too, Sirius clapped me on the back, "Now it will be easier to get back over next time." He then turned to the house leaving me to contemplate the fact that there was going to be a next time.