Sometimes she wondered if there was reasoning behind Regulus's sudden mood swings. One day he would be happy, laughing, joking even. The next he was sullen, withdrawn.

"I suppose it must have something to do with the war…" she thought. It made sense. He was always sullen the day the Daily Prophet would announce another battle, fight, or scrimmage between the Deatheaters and the Ministry had taken place. She glanced at him and saw he was just staring out into the river.

"Regulus, how are you?"

"My well-being is fine. Don't worry." He said. It didn't help and her frown deepened.

"Well-being aside…how are you? Really." She said. He was silent before letting out a low breath and roughly wiping his face with the palm of his hand.

"I don't know."

"Do you wish to talk about it?"

"No." he said. "I don't want to drag you into this." He said after a pause. "My demons are dark enough." There was no way, no way he would involve someone so pure, so…innocent with something as disgusting as what he did and was doing at night. While she slept, dreaming whatever she dreamed, he was out there killing, maiming, murdering innocent people. There was more blood on his hands than hers could ever dream, and more than he wished she would never have. If she had to murder he would never-

His thoughts were interrupted as he was suddenly hit with a wave of water. Sputtering he returned to his senses to see Cordelia ankle deep in the river, a coy smile on her face.

"What was that for?"

"Well for one it's to snap you out of your stupor of self-pity." She chastised with a grin. "And two it's supposed to lighten the burden that you've placed on your shoulders." She said. He looked at her an amused look.

"Why's that?"

"Did you know that water is supposed to be purifying for the body and the soul?" she asked. "At least that's what muggles believe. It's silly really to believe that something as simple as water can be so godly, but it is also so…lovely." She said. He smirked as he kicked off his own shoes and socks, rolling up his pants. She looked at him momentarily confused.

"What are you-"

She didn't have time to finish as he scooped up some water and tossed it at her. She squealed loudly and then laughed before scooping up some more water and splashing it at him. The continued that for an hour or so, just being the children that they were…not the adults they had been shaped to be.


"If I die…I hope I can die in the water."

Cordelia looked at him lazily as they lay on the bank of the river, drying out in the rare sun's rays.

"What?"

"I said if I die…I want to die in the water." He said.

"That's a rather morbid thought." She commented sitting up and staring at him as though to analyze him. He smirked gently as he sat up as well.

"Well if what muggles said is true…I'll be purified—which now that I think about it, is an odd choice of words—of all my sins." He said and then sighed bitterly. "But that's a lot of sin to wash away."

"I don't see you as sinful." She said after a moment. He chuckled.

"That's because I don't tell anyone what I do. It's safer that way."

"And yet you carry these burdens by yourself?" she asked. He was silent for a few minutes.

"I have to." He said softly. She frowned staring at him. "But no matter what my burdens are…my regrets…there is one thing I don't regret or feel is a burden."

"And what's that?"

"You." He said simply. He watched as she blushed brightly, her face turning a brilliant sheen of red and her eyes were wide in shock.

"Reg…" She said softly, fiddling with a strand of wet hair. Gently he pushed the strand behind her ear, before claiming her mouth with his. She relaxed and returned the kiss, curling up to him as he pulled her to him by her waist. She ran her fingers through his hair and heard a low, almost animalistic growl. For a split second she thought that some animal had come across them.

It took her a few more seconds to realize that that growl had come from Regulus. She let out a low gasp as he trailed down her neck, but made no attempt to stop it.

Then the sounds of children laughing entered the silence and began getting closer. As the children turned around the corner they found the couple separated a few feet, looking in the opposite direction. The children looked at each other in confusion and then shrugged before rushing to the river. Cordelia's face was a bright red and she was fiddling with her hair. Regulus was looking at the trees, trying to calm his racing heart as well as relax the…other part…of his body.

"Stupid. Stupid. STUPID." His mind was screaming at him. He was so stupid. It took him nearly ten minutes to even scrape up the courage to glance back at Cordelia. He felt his cheeks burning as their eyes connected and she offered a soft smile, though her cheeks were flushed deeply.

And he once again had to working on relaxing the other part of his body.


"Thank you for walking me home…" she said as they stood at her grandmother's door. He offered a tight smile, before kissing her forehead gently. She smiled softly, nuzzling him taking in his scent. This would be the last time he would visit before they would be going back to school…for their last year in Hogwarts.

"Before I forget…" he suddenly said, moving away. She looked at him in confusion as he pulled out a small box from his jacket pocket, handing it to her. She looked at him before opening the box. Her heart jumped a bit as she stared at the necklace in the box. The color scheme was green and silver…of Slytherin. It was beaded and the middle the necklace was a brooch, connecting the necklace together. Etched in the middle of the brooch was a snitch, and on the bottom of the brooch was a few more beads, the largest being a green stone.

"R…Regulus…" she whispered out, trying to get her voice to work. "I love it…Thank you." She said softly, clasping the box tightly with her hands. He smiled gently and lifted her chin to where she was staring at him. She blinked before he drew her into a kiss. When he moved away, he kept himself close, his breath heating up her face.

"Ego semper diligam te, Cordelia." He said. She blinked in confusion.

"Reg…" she said but he just waved before walking away with a smile and with that she watched as he disparated away.


Later that night she lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. 'Ego semper, diligamte,Cordelia.'…what did that mean? Getting up she went to her grandmother's library and after searching a bit found a book about the Latin language. Sounding out the words that Regulus had said to her she finally managed to translate it. Her face grew red and her eyes widened before a bright smile broke on her face and she let out a soft laugh.

'I will always love you, Cordelia.'

She felt her heart beating rapidly and she felt like she had run a mile, but still had energy to go. He loved her...he loved her.