Hey everybody! So, here's the next chapter; I know you guys hate cliffhangers because they're so cliffhanger-ish, but I needed to keep you in a bit of suspense for a little while, keep you wanting to know what happens. Anyway, so this is gonna be the last update on this story until late December/early January unfortunately, for reasons that I find too long and tedious to go into detail about here, so I'll just go ahead and say that I shall not be on this website at all after Saturday until the previously stated time frame. So, here's the next chapter, I hope you all like it.


I stared at Regulus for a few moments, finding myself at a complete loss for words, which is a rare thing for me. The only coherent thought that was going through my head was 'holy crap' as several emotions swirled through my head: shock at what was on his arm, anger that he could have been so stupid as to make a mistake like this, frustration that he hadn't told me what was going on from the beginning, and hurt that he hadn't trusted me enough to tell me sooner. Regulus took a step forward as he pulled his sleeve back down to cover the mark, but I backed away, unsure of what his intentions. He stopped, and said sadly, "Shelby, I am so so so sorry. I'm not just sorry that I became one of them; I'm sorry that I didn't tell you sooner. I thought that if I told you then you would hate me, and it would just give you a reason to go running back to Sirius or some other Gryffindor. I honestly did not mean to hurt you, Shelby. I love you, and I would do anything for you; you've got to believe that."

For a minute I just stood there, torn between the man I loved and the horrid thing he had become that I hated. Finally I found my voice and whispered, barely loud enough to be heard, "Regulus, I love you, but I can't love what you are. I'm sorry, but I can't accept it. I love you. I really do; I just...we're on opposite sides of this war, Regulus. I'm sorry, but I can't do this."

I turned away from him and opened the door to the castle. He put a hand on my shoulder to stop me and said, "Shelby-"

I looked at him over my shoulder and said, "Don't bother, Regulus. Good night." With that, I went inside and went straight up to the Heads' common room, where I promptly collapsed on the couch in front of the fireplace. Having a best friend who's Head Girl has it's advantages at times, I thought. A couple hours later Elena came into the room with her date, who happened to be the Head Boy, a Ravenclaw named Richard Bowman. She motioned for him to leave the room, and after he had, she sat down on the couch next to me and put a hand on my shoulder. I sighed as I sat staring at the fire before I said, "He's one of them, Lane. I mean, I don't know if he's a Death Eater or not, but he's on the other side. But it doesn't matter; he didn't really like me anyway. The bastard was just trying to get laid. It was never even real." Fake tears streamed down my cheeks even as I said this, and Elena pulled me into a hug.


Two days later, the school was buzzing with rumors about Regulus's failed attempt to use me to get laid, and after hearing this he had been readily accepted back into his group of Slytherins, even if he was a little confused as to what was going on. Back in Gryffindor tower I had been playing the part of a broken-hearted girl excellently, which hadn't been a problem since I was actually upset with Regulus, but not for the reasons I claimed. Fortunately, there hadn't been any classes the next day because it was Saturday, but that Sunday there was a quidditch match. Elena and Eyrinn had offered to walk to the pitch with me, but I turned them down, telling them to go on without me. I was on the second floor when a hand clamped over my mouth and an arm wrapped around my waist from behind me and pulled me backwards into an empty classroom. I began screaming as my captor shut the door, my wand on the floor outside where it had been dropped. Whoever it was had my arms pinned to my body, so I couldn't fight against him very well if at all. Suddenly I heard a male voice whisper in my ear, "Bloody hell, Shelby, if you don't shut up we might get caught."

I immediately stopped screaming, recognizing the voice, and I turned around flung my arms around the neck of Regulus Black. Smacking his chest playfully, I said, "Damn it, Regulus, why'd you have to go and scare me to bloody death! You could have just asked me to meet you somewhere!"

He hugged me tightly, pulling me as close to him as he could. "It's good to see you too, love, but may I ask why the hell the entire school thinks that our date was an attempt to get laid?"

I laughed. "Oh, that! No wonder you scared me like that. It's because that's what I told Elena when I talked to her that night a couple hours after I left you outside. If you're a Death Eater and being with me is going to be a major risk to us both, then I thought that I could protect us both by starting that rumor. I'm sorry I didn't tell you first, but it just wouldn't have worked as well if you had known. I had to leave you there like that, or I wouldn't have been able to have cried like that when I told Elena, and then no one would have believed it. I'm sorry if I hurt you."

Regulus smiled down at me sweetly before capturing my lips with his in a passionate kiss. When we broke apart for air, he let his chin rest on top of my head and said, "I'll admit you did hurt me a little, but I was mostly scared. I didn't think you would tell anyone that I was a Death Eater, but I was a little worried about it. After the way you reacted, I didn't know what to expect. I'm just glad you still love me."

I buried my face in his chest, content to stand there forever and let him hold me. "I could never stop loving you, Regulus. No matter what, I'm always going to love you. I've just got one question, and it has no impact on my love, but do you believe the same way the other Death Eaters do, or did you just do it because it's what's expected of you by your friends and family?"

He sighed. "Honestly, I don't know anymore. For a while, yeah, I believed it. It's what I was raised to believe. But when I met you, my belief in it slowly started to fade away. I'm not sure what to believe anymore; you've been clouding up my mind too much for me to come up with an answer."

I smiled and said happily, "You know what; you don't have to. Just believe that I love you, and everything else will just fall into place. But for now, I do believe that I have a snitch to catch before you."

He laughed. "Oh yeah right! Like you could even beat me to the snitch in your dreams!"

I got a mischievous grin on my face before I said, "Tell you what: meet me on the seventh floor by the painting of the trolls doing ballet tonight at eight, and then whoever loses will give the other a kiss."

He shook his head but didn't stop smiling. "Well then be ready to give me a kiss tonight, Miss Potter, because I am going to win."

I giggled. "We'll see about that, Mr. Black."


That night at eight I sat on the couch with Regulus in the Room of Requirement, which I had opened after we had met at the painting, engaged in a passionate snog. Breaking apart, I said sweetly, "Thank you for that, Mr. Black."

Regulus chuckled. "Yeah, yeah, you're welcome. You certainly worked hard for it, Miss Potter, but I would have given you one even if you hadn't beaten me to the snitch."


Well, I thought that made for a nice ending to this chapter. There is a small chance that I may update again tomorrow, but again, that's a very small chance so I wouldn't count on it. If I update any it will be Naturally that I update tomorrow most likely, so I'll see you all in December! Don't forget to review or I'll send Voldemort and his Death Eaters after you! But not Regulus, he's too cool for that. :) REVIEW!