Hello friends.

This is the sequel to my story On The Fence, so if you haven't read that, then you can go over to my profile and check that out or otherwise this story won't make much sense.
To those who have read the prequel: Welcome back. I know the wait's been quite long, 9 months or so, but I'm back!

I apologize for any linguistic mistakes, since I am not a native English speaker, so please bear with me.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters, locations, plotlines or whatever else you might recognize.


It was a good thing, I thought, that it was already so late at night, or else the staircase leading to the owlery would have been much too frequented for us to sit on. Now, though, we were already sitting for a long while with no one disturbing us.

I thought it to be rather curious that we were sitting here like this. I would have bet anything that Regulus did not want to speak to me again, after everything that had gone down.

In the past two years, things between us had become very complicated. We had first been together and then broken up because he and his friends had started threatening my friends in Gryffindor. Of course, my brother, Evan, had been the one to actually make that plan, but I had still – rightfully – blamed part of it on Reg. Then, though, he had offered to save Lily Evans if only I married him. It was an offer I could not very well refuse. And we would probably be still engaged if not for Sirius.
Sirius, Reg's brother. Sirius, whom I loved and who loved me. The situation was really messed up.

"I can't believe you're coming to me for help," I said softly, trying to keep the accusation out of my voice. "I thought you hated me."

"I don't," he said without missing a beat as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I'm sad and angry and disappointed-"

"I got it," I said. "I'm a horrible person."

"But I don't hate you," he finished.

Again, we sat in silence, unsure of how to proceed. Reg had told me he needed help, but he had not yet told me with what exactly. At this point, I just wanted him to spit it out. I had enough of the secrets.
The Black brothers were masters at keeping secrets – admittedly, Sirius even more than his brother, seen as it took me months to discover that one of Sirius' best friends, Remus Lupin, was in fact a werewolf and that all of them turned into animals to keep him company. And that they owned an Invisibility Cloak and an enchanted map to ensure that they were not discovered. But I had eventually found out and decided that I did not like secrets being kept from me at all.

"I... I've done something stupid," Reg said quietly. "Something very stupid."

I looked over to him and sighed. "Just tell me, please."

Instead of answering, he rolled up his sleeve. I stared, eyes growing wide at what he was showing me. On his arm, the Dark Mark stood in stark contrast to his pale skin. It looked so alive somehow, as if it would break free and ascend into the sky any second.

I took in a sharp breath. "You're right," I said. "That was stupid."

"I know," he said. "But-"

"I really don't want to hear any justification," I told him. "I didn't think you'd take it that far."

"You don't say no to the Dark Lord," he muttered. He did not look at me anymore, instead his gaze was suddenly fixed on the stair beneath him.

"No," I relented. "People like us don't."

"What d'you mean?"

"Slytherins. Cowards," I said bitterly. "Your brother would have said no."

"Could you please keep my brother out of this?"

I gave a dry laugh. "How do you expect I do that? How do you expect me not to tell your brother, whom I live with, that you're a Death Eater?"

"Just don't tell him," he said loudly.

Behind us, some of the owls hooted disapprovingly at the sudden disturbance.

"Sorry," Reg said. "But I don't want him to know."

"Why do you want me to know, then?" I asked. "How am I supposed to help?"

"I just... just needed someone to tell. No one else would get it... Crabbe, Macnair, they would just congratulate me. And I don't really-"

"You'd rather pity yourself, I get it," I said.

He huffed, clearly frustrated. "There's really no need to be so hostile."

He got up and walked down the stairs. I rolled my eyes but got up and followed him downstairs.

"I get it, you know," I told him when I caught up to him at the bottom of the staircase. "You need a friend. But, I – we are so complicated, Reg. I don't know if I can be there for you."

"I'm not asking anything of you," he said. "But to lend me an ear. Selene, please."

I sighed heavily. "How can I say no?"

"Thank you," he said. "It means a lot that-"

"Don't," I said. "Please, just don't."

He nodded stiffly and then added, somewhat awkwardly, "I still have to do the rounds."

"I guess I'll just hurry back to the common room, then."

"Yeah," he said. "If one of them catches you, tell them that I-"

"If someone catches me, it's my own fault and I'll have to stand for it," I said.

I did not want anyone knowing that we had been out here together in the middle of the night. It would lead to curious questions and the rumours would spread like a wildfire.

Reg rolled his eyes and without further ado, set off in the opposite direction.

"You only have two possibilities to get out of this, you know?" I called after him.

"Is that so?" He had stopped dead in his tracks but did not turn around to look at me.

"Yeah," I said. "Either you die... or he dies. There's no other way."

I hardly slept that night for reality sank slowly in. Reg had become a Death Eater. Just like Evan. Evan, my brother, who had turned into a monster when he had joined that crowd.

Luckily for me, the term had started just before the weekend, so I had two days to collect myself before classes started. When they did, though, the stress hit full force. We were writing our NEWTs this year and none of the teachers failed to remind us.

Professor Flitwick bestowed a ridiculous amount of homework upon us; a pile that would surely be taller than the man himself. Professor Slughorn announced the brewing of a particularly complicated potion that would have very nasty side-effects if it were done wrong. Professor Sprout, in turn, let us know that she intended to take us to Greenhouse Three – which, as rumour had it, actually continued deadly plants.

It was madness.

I spent Monday evening in the library, simply because I did not want to study with the Slytherins. Reg had hardly looked at me during classes and to be honest, I liked it better that way. If we started being friendly again, people would just get suspicious.
I had secretly hoped Maia would be a little nicer, though. It had seemed like she was getting braver last year; brave enough to talk to me openly on the grounds. But since we returned, she had not said a single word to me. It bugged me a lot, now, that my friends were gone. Last year, I still had had the chance to go to the Gryffindors, but now, everyone was gone.

I reached the Common Room just before curfew and instantly walked towards the staircase to the dorms. I had to sidestep a few younger students, since the room was always crowded at that hour.

"Hey!"

I stopped dead in my tracks and slowly turned around. "Callie," I said.

Callie and I had been friends for the longest while. But then, she had been the one to find out about me and Sirius by seeking through my things. I had not forgiven her for siding with Reg and she thought me a blood traitor ever since. And so, we had not spoken much at all.

"I'm surprised you're back," she said.

"Why? There's only one of us who's already getting married. D'you think you still need a job? Do you think he'll let you get one?"

Had I married Reg, I sure would not have been allowed to work. Not that Reg himself would have forbidden it - at least I thought he would not – but his parents surely would not have approved. After all, which proper pureblood lady did such ordinary things as working?

Callie sneered at the mention of her upcoming wedding. "What? Black doesn't want to marry you? Even with the child and all?"

"What are you even talking about?" I asked.

A crowd had gathered around us, looking on curiously as Callie stepped closer with an amused smirk. "The child. We all know you moved in with Black, we all know you're expecting-"

"Hold up," I said. "I don't know who started this rumour, but I'll have you know – I'll have all of you know – that I'm not getting a child."

"So, you didn't move in with Black?" Callie challenged gleefully.

"Yes, I did," I bit back. "Because I love him. Not because I had anything to cover up."

"Wouldn't be the first time you're hiding skeletons in the closet, would it?" she said. "Isn't that right, Reg?"

She took a slight step to the right so I could see Reg sitting in an armchair behind her.

There was an outburst of whispered 'ooohs' and 'aaahs' and the older students hurriedly explained to the first-years what Callie was referencing.

I allowed myself a small smile. "Oh, Callie. You really are pathetic. Is your relationship really so boring that you have to sabotage all the others?"

"This has nothing do with me," she snapped.

I scoffed. "Right... I really do pity Basil. With a wife like that, who needs enemies?"

That caused her to snap. She whipped out her wand and directed it at me. "One more word," she warned.

"And then what?" I taunted. "You gonna jinx me? I'm not even armed, I wonder what the teachers will say to that."

"You dirty blood-traitor-"

"You're causing a scene." Basil had stepped up to his fiancée and pulled her back into him. He effortlessly took the wand from her hands before he turned to

the crowd around us. "What are you gawking at?" he snapped. "Run along."

The crowd dishevelled, but I still stood frozen, glaring at Callie, who had grabbed Basil's arm so hard that her knuckles turned white.

"I wish you the best of luck," I said lowly. "Merlin knows you'll need it."

Then I spun on my heel and hurried upstairs. I hauled my bag at the wall right beside my bag and its contents scattered all over the floor. I glared at the ink spilling out of its bottle.

I looked around and found Azalee Bulstrode sitting on her bed and watching me with wide eyes.

"What?" I snapped furiously.

She did not answer me and instead shrugged and turned her attention back to the mirror in her hand. I refrained from telling her that no amount of time spent in front of that thing would save anything and instead started collecting my things from the floor.
After I had cleaned the mess, I quickly got into bed and pulled the curtains closed around me. The Silencing Charm I cast around it allowed me the peace to cry myself to sleep.


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