Chapter 8

There comes a time in every wizard's life when he must make a difficult decision. In Regulus's life that time came today.

It was December 1976; winter break has just begun and Regulus was sitting in the big armchair in the one of the drawing rooms of the Greenfell Mansion. Hermione's whole family was preparing for the Winter Solstice as per druidic traditions.

The Winter Solstice was one of the most important days in the year for druids. It is an occasion for them to give back to the nature, a time of rebirth and sacrifice.

Because the days are the shortest as the sun is at its southernmost point, it also meant the veil between the mortal world and the one beyond is at its thinnest. Druids in the olden days carried out various rituals to pass though the veil and celebrate with the spirits.

Regulus has observed that there was not a single room in the entire house without at least a dozen of candles.

Claudius told him that their family cared the most about the candles as they were a sign of the light that can always be found even in the darkest of times.

Regulus was always fascinated with the druids and their traditions, and ever since his mother revealed the Blacks had druidic blood in them, he could not help but deepen his interest, hence seeing all those things he read about in book, being practiced before his eyes, was all very mesmerising to him.

He was delighted when Claudius asked him to come and collect the Yule log from the Greenfell's own land with him. The Yule log that has been burning slowly in the fireplace for a few days now. It is meant to pass the light from one year to another, before it is extinguished after 12 days. The ashes can then be used for further winter ceremonies and rituals before they can be distributed over the fields.

Regulus couldn't wait for the rituals, yet Hermione's focus seemed to be elsewhere. She was picking out muggle clothes for him to wear because she was delusional enough to think he would agree to accompany her to muggle London for Merlin knows what business.

"Put them on please!" She begged making hurt puppy eyes at him. Regulus rolled his eyes. Muggle clothing was out of question.

"I shall not! Why do you insist on making me look ridiculous?" He crossed his arms in an effort to resist her.

"Please! For me?"

"No!"

"Why not!"

"Because I'm not a muggle and I refuse to look like one"

"It's just for one night!

"No! Never in a million years!"

Regulus sighted.

He was weak… Weaker than he thought.

He just couldn't work it out. How did a Gryffindor managed to outsmart him?

He was standing on some muggle street in muggle London, in front of some muggle bakery, in muggle clothes that were forced upon him.

Hermione that wench had the audacity to demand he stopped looking grumpy but he would not give in. He was going to look grumpy and she could not stop him!

Mainly because she wasn't there.

She went into the bakery to buy something she wanted him to try really bad, and Regulus was now waiting for her outside because he refused to go in.

When she came back, after what felt like an eternity, she force-fed him some funny looking cakes that tasted quite tolerable. Despite his suffering Hermione subjected him to he didn't want to upset her so he ate all of it.

Regulus would never admit it but he began to enjoy their trips to muggle London. It became a problem because Regulus was starting to think muggles were not so bad after all. Their food and drink was tolerable, their clothes were not as uncomfortable as he previously assumed, and they were more friendly than they seemed.

The Winter Solstice celebrations went well. Regulus learned a lot about Druids and their traditions. Grandfather Claudius became an authority figure for him. Especially after that one conversation they had.

Regulus always believed that Druids were purists. It only made sense after Hermione told him about the list, but apparently according to Claudius, that was not the case.

"If we should fault all muggles for persecution of magic, then we should equally blame wizards for its decline because they are ignorant enough to believe some of them are better than the others depending on their blood Fools! They are all weak and it has nothing to do with blood and everything with the magic they practice. We are a proof of that! Tom Riddle is a proof of that!

Do you think he's so powerful because he's Slytherin's descendant? If so, then why none of his ancestors were notably powerful? Because they never went in as deep as he did. He sought out some pretty powerful magic, and that's still basic for us because we know real magic that comes from nature, none of this soft trickery you're taught at Hogwarts."

"Druids don't believe in magic being divided into the light and the dark, it's just something the wizards have created. There is no good or bad magic, that belief alone led to Camelot's downfall, to our family's downfall and the decline of magic." He said drinking his brandy.

"Magic is a power, sourced from nature. These days' wizards rely on whatever they can channel through their wands from their magical core, they use it as a source to conjure up a few party tricks. We're different. We use the core to channel the magic from nature, because we're connected to it."

Regulus would never forget the day Claudius heard him argue with Hermione about the blood purity. Ever since Regulus met him, Lord Greenfell was always vague with his advices and never made much effort to influence his views or Hermione's. But that one time he explained where Druids stood on the entire spectrum, it made so much sense and made the entire conflict between wizards seem petty and farfetched. Claudius changed the way Regulus thought about the blood purity, and he hated it.

It was much easier to stay loyal to his family's beliefs before meeting the Greenfells, but Regulus could not deny he was glad he met Hermione. She made his days feel a little warmer.

After the winter break, they returned to Hogwarts and carried on as normal.

Before they knew the months went by and it was the end of the 4th year at Hogwarts.

Sadly, due to constant death eater activity Hermione's parent's wedding had been postponed until May.

Afterwards, the summer had gone past just as quick. They spent it just like they spent the previous summer; together and having fun.

They played with little Niklaus. Regulus thought the kid was exceptionally odd. He talked in his baby language to the empty spaces, which seemed to make Hermione sad. He recalled her telling him about her older cousin who saw ghosts and wasn't exactly sane when he got older.

Despite the more frequent death eater attacks, the summer ended with only three of their classmates dying.

The start of the 5th year wasn't much different to the previous years for Regulus. He was still making first years run from him in fear.

The rumours of his colourful activities during the summer were as creative as can be, and earned him some glares and fearful looks from the student body. Again, he suspected his friendship with Hermione was the only thing that kept some stupid reckless Gryffindors from ganging up on him.

He was thankful for that, as he wished to graduate instead of being kicked out from Hogwarts for killing a few dim-witted imbeciles who had too much self-confidence and not nearly enough sensibility.

Time flew by, and between everything that went on Regulus and Hermione had less time for their research. Over a year has passed and they still made no progress since discovering Regulus' little lake project could have something to do with her getting here.

A week before they left for winter break, Dumbledore called them to his office and passed them a new time tuner he managed to get a hold of by pure luck. So now it was up to them to work out how to send Hermione to her own time.

Hermione and Regulus walked around the central London and Regulus had to admit that the lights made an improvement on the overall look of the city that looked barely mediocre during the day.

He had no idea what curse she placed him under but he found himself following her inside a pub. A filthy, sticky, muggle pub. The torment he had to endure for that beautiful, amazing witch… He had to send her home back to her time, and he had to do it fast.

Hermione ordered drinks for both of them and they went to sit in their booth. Soon enough the order was brought to them and they began to drink.

"Be careful, this stuff is a bit stronger than what you're used to" She warned him but he didn't listen. He drank it all to make her happy. Not because there was something he's been keeping from her for months and he had to gather all his courage and finally tell her before it was too late. That was not the reason at all.

He didn't notice when she took his hand and led him outside. They were walking down the street again, towards the Trafalgar Square. Hermione held his hand in hers, to keep him walking where she wanted. They went up to the fountain and stopping they looked around taking in their surroundings. It was a nice sight, nice view. The fresh air made Regulus sober up.

"Thank you" He said to the brunette who looked at him surprised.

"Whatever for?"

"For being the best friend I could ever have. For always being there for me. I know I don't say it often but I am grateful" There was many times that Regulus thought he was on the edge of slipping more into the darkness, and if it wasn't for Hermione he would definitely be an entirely different person right now. Consumed by hatred and resentment towards the world. In his loneliness, Hermione was the only light that kept him in check.

"I am just as thankful to have you Regulus. If it wasn't for you… I would feel lonely. If it wasn't for you I still would have no idea how I got here." She said softly.

"If it wasn't for me you wouldn't have come here" He whispered.

"And I would have missed the chance of meeting you. And seeing my parents again."

Regulus turned to look at her. The girl who had shaken his life over the past year and a half. She made him feel less lonely in this cruel world. She wasn't going to be happy when he tells her what he had done. He should have just told her when it happened.

It shouldn't be this difficult. He never had any trouble telling her of his beliefs and his views on blood supremacy. He even called her a mud-blood a few times to her face and later continued to use that word around her frequently.

He was always very honest about his feelings towards muggles and muggleborn so why was telling her so difficult? Was he worried she would finally leave? But so what if she did? She was going to leave soon anyway.

The thought came with an uncomfortable feeling in his chest. He knew he didn't want her to leave, but it would make things a bit easier for him later on.

She was too good for him, she was making him weak. He needed to be strong to survive what was to come. She looked back at him. Her eyes twinkled reflecting the lights around them. Her smile was captivating. She looked beautiful.

Keeping his other, shameful feeling for her at bay was difficult ever since he came to terms with them few months back, but it was really exhausting in that moment. His self-restrain was melting away under the influence of alcohol and he was a fool to give in because what he did next was an act of his own rebellion against himself that would destroy everything for him.

Oh no…

Regulus felt panic as their lips parted and the sanity returned. He suddenly realised what he had done.

He kissed her.

He couldn't have been any more foolish.

How cruel it was of him to play with her heart like that when he knew what he had done. They could never be together.

Not after what was to become of him.

But she didn't know and he was shameless for not telling her and now kissing her like everything was fine with the world. Like he wasn't the villain.

He never felt this immoral and dishonourable in his life.

"Hermione there is something I need to tell you" He said praying she didn't hate him too much.

He didn't mean to tell her then and there but it slipped and he was suddenly grateful it did, because otherwise he would end up never telling her.

Her beautiful eyes filled with worry. He put her hand on his arm and led her onto the stairs of the National Gallery where they sat down.

"First of all, I am so sorry I didn't tell you before I, I should have told you when it happened but I kept putting it off and then there was never a right time." He sighted.

"Calm down, don't worry just… tell me what happened?" Hermione never saw him like this. Show this much emotion all at once.

"In the summer, on one of the evenings I returned home from your house, we had a visitor." He began in a shaky voice.

"It was Voldemort." Hermione gasped.

"But he didn't come for me as I was quite disappointed to find out, he was there to recruit Sirius. He didn't know Sirius ran away and in effect was disowned by my parents over a year earlier, but after my parents told him he did not get discouraged at all, instead he turned to my father.

My father, was a big fan of the dark arts, few years before you got here he came across a nasty curse when trying to unlock some very old dark artefacts. A curse that has slowly been killing him ever since. He wouldn't have survived getting the dark mark and on top of that if he were to die during the initiation Voldemort wouldn't understand, he would declare the House of Black as weak. We would have been ruined

So, in an effort to save my father's life and my family's reputation, I made a rushed decision to offer myself in my father's place. He was quite reluctant due to my young age but I managed to convince him of my worth and my devotion to his cause and he left.

After that I went up to my room and I got so angry. I had finally succeeded at convincing him to have me join his ranks but it felt like I did it to save my brother and father instead of doing it for myself. I spent my entire childhood idolising him, dreaming of joining him. But when it finally happened and I met him, I was too busy worrying over my family to appreciate that I was actually seeing him in flesh, in my drawing room. Few weeks later, just before we returned to Hogwarts for out 5th year he came again and announced that I will receive my mark during the Easter holidays."

He finally looked at her face. He didn't dare to do so before. But she looked like she was still taking it all in. Hermione closed her eyes and sighted.

"I had a feeling it was going to happen but I didn't expect it to be so soon" She said in a small voice that broke something in him because he felt disappointment, in himself and his actions. He wished she just got angry at him instead.

"Do you really wish to become one of them? They are murderers Regulus, I know you want to serve him but are you really okay with killing people? Death eaters are not above torturing and killing women and children, can you really be a part of that?" Could he? Before he had no doubts, but now he realised it could be harder than he originally assumed.

"Your concern for me is really flattering but you overestimate the goodness in me" He told her, ignoring whatever conflicting battle he had going on in the back of his head right now, dismissing it as an effect of the alcohol. He would never drink the damned fluid ever again. It was making him face some uncomfortable, unnecessary feelings on matters that were already decided.

"I want to tell you that it's not too late to turn back and that you don't have to take the dark mark. In fact, I wish you didn't. I couldn't be more against it. But I have no right to tell you what to do.

I know you are a good person and I hope that one day you will realise that Voldemort isn't who you think he is. He is not some glorious hero that will save the wizarding world from muggles, and if we are to learn anything from history, both Salazar Slytherin and Gallert Grindelwald failed, and Voldemort will too. And I hope you are still alive when he's defeated, so that you can see he was wrong.

I won't lie to you and say it doesn't upset me that you kept this from me for months, but I understand why you did. Let's go home" Hermione took his hand and they walked in silence.

Hermione called Kiwi who apparated them back to the Greenfell Mansion. Regulus had to change back into his own robes before flooing home.

Merlin save his soul if his parents saw him dressed in muggle clothes.

Hermione didn't treat him any differently and he was unsure if he liked it or not. A part of him wished she would never speak to him again but the rest of him was utterly grateful. He hated how attached he had become.

Before he left Hermione instructed him to go back to that muggle bakery the next day and buy her some cakes for breakfast. Ridiculous request but he wasn't brave enough to say no, despite the dread of having to go inside the filthy place and interact with muggles, he would accept it as his punishment.

Hermione lied down on her bed and sighted staring at her ceiling. She felt like crying. It was so easy to imagine him as one of his people. As a death eater. She smirked in her misery at the irony of it.

Everyone at school always thought he would join Voldemort one day. Regulus has always made it look like he would be the best candidate for it, and even Hermione despite her personal feelings about the boy who she had grown so attached to over the past year and a half, even she knew it was imminent.

She assumed it would happen sometime after graduation, when she was long gone. She hoped that by showing him muggle London, he would change his opinion on muggles and their culture, in effect she would slowly discourage him from fulfilling his childhood desire, but it was too late for that now. This unexpected turn of events left her feeling powerless.

But, not all might be lost just yet…

She couldn't stop him from getting the dark mark, it was now more than just his wish, he was doing it so that his brother and father didn't have to. There was a moment Hermione wanted to stop him and say that he could just not take it, but she knew it would mean certain death. But she could still change his mind about muggles and muggleborns.

Then, she suddenly remembered… The kiss.

To say she was surprised at his earlier actions was an understatement.

In truth, she did feel an attraction towards him since the beginning of their friendship but her feelings grew stronger over the time. But, knowing her impending trip back home could become possible at any moment, and not wanting to ruin the alliance they had formed, she never allowed herself to dwell on those uncertain feelings.

It always seemed impossible that Regulus would ever return them, he certainly didn't show them before.

Until tonight.

Hermione reached for a pillow, covered her face with it and screamed. He kissed her so suddenly and her heart stopped, her body and mind froze. She couldn't even describe what she felt in that moment. The kiss was so gentle and so pure; it was probably why she had a hard time focusing on his story when she couldn't shake herself off from the kiss.

It was her first kiss.

Her roommates often talked about boys and what it would be like to kiss some of them, they once talked about Regulus and how rough and exciting it would be to kiss him, but their assumptions were based purely off his dark image.

Hermione, found they would have been surprised to learn he was soft and delicate under the surface. Hermione found herself falling for him harder than before. He was too handsome, too intelligent and too kind.

If only Harry and Ron could see her right now... She sighted.

She missed her friends. She even missed Draco. She could bicker with Regulus but it was not the same. Her attraction to Regulus in spite of his decision to stay loyal to his family, and follow the path that was laid out for Sirius, made her relationship with him much more intricate.

Regulus was very mature for his age. Next to Harry and Ron, Regulus felt like an old man. Maybe it was because he never wasted time on games. He never hanged around with other boys. All he ever saw was the library, his family and his duty.

She really hoped she could find a way to make him slow down. She wished there was a way to save him from himself. She fell asleep wishing she could take him with her to her time.