I am so, so sorry for the late update!
Here is Chapter Four, enjoy!
In the abyss, it was warm.
Not blistering hot, like the wound she had escaped just moments prior, nor was it frosty.
In the cloud, it was as though she had stepped into a warm bath.
Charlotte opened her eyes to blackness.
"Regulus?"
The name left her lips impulsively, and she reached for hands that grasped her own. Fingers intertwined with hers, palms kissed.
And suddenly the blackness was gone, and all she could see was him.
He looked as though time had untouched him, with his same pale glittering silver-gray eyes and strong cheekbones. His heavy brow and regal nose, his proud lips all remained unchanged.
She released his hands to plummet them onto his chest and grab hold of the same shirt he had worn leaving the house that day, warm ivory with a suit vest, and stared at him with eyes that burned.
"Reg."
He smiled at her and reached his broad hands to tangle themselves in her loosened hair and bring her face forward to rest at his chest.
"Charlie-bell," he murmured into her waves and tears spilled from Charlotte's eyes.
"I've missed you," she sobbed.
"I know, little viper, I know."
"You left me."
"I won't leave you again."
And she knew it to be true there in the darkness, with her first husband's arms wrapped tightly around her, his lips pressed to her hair.
"I'm tired, Reg," she whispered.
Regulus smoothed her hair from her face and brought her away from his warmth, to look down into her eyes. He pressed a kiss tenderly between her brows.
"Then sleep, Charlie-bell," he replied with a smirk.
Oh, how Charlotte had loved that twist of his lips.
"But I don't want to leave you," and there was an edge to her voice that had not been there before, "If I go to sleep, I'll leave you."
A frown took away her favorite expression, and Regulus's brows knit together in a scowl.
"Why would you think that, my love?"
Charlotte swallowed and looked around at the blackness. It was beginning to feel very cold.
"Regulus, I'm cold."
He touched her cheek, and his fingers felt like fire.
"Go to sleep, and it will be over."
She shook her head.
"Go to sleep, Charlie."
"I'm scared, Reg," she suddenly sobbed.
Charlotte wondered if she had ever felt so cold. She could see her breath lingering in the shadows, frosting the air with specks of pewter and silver.
"Go to sleep, I'll be right here."
His voice made her ears burn, and as her eyes lifted up from her own clenched fists, tears streamed from her stinging eyes.
Gone was the creamy skin of her Regulus, replaced with a paper-white specter with hollowed cheeks and black pits of eyes.
"Come to sleep with me, Charlie."
"Regulus, no," she sobbed as she watched his skin stretch across his bones, his hair began to drip with water, the sockets of his eyes filled with algae, "Please, Reg, no."
"It will all be over soon, my love."
"REGULUS!"
Her scream echoed in the blackness, and the bloated, watery corpse of Regulus Black was gone, and she was alone in the shadow.
"Come back," she whispered, grasping herself as her skin prickled and goose flesh spread across her bare arms, traveling up her shoulders, "I need you to come back."
She stood alone in the dark.
"Charlie?"
Dread filled Charlotte's stomach.
"Charlie, is that you there, in the dark?"
She covered her mouth, tears spilling unhindered now from her eyes.
"Silly girl, we're going to be late for Potions."
"Willie, go away," Charlotte sobbed, "Please go away."
"But Charlie, if we're late Slughorn will make us polish cauldrons."
Charlotte covered her ears.
"Charlie, didn't you miss me?"
Wilhemina Wilkes stood in front of her, with her long corn silk hair and eyes like the ocean.
"I missed you," Wilhemina pouted, her mouth still painted pink, "I've missed you every day."
"Go away, Willie," Charlotte cried, "You died!"
"Don't be absurd, Charlie," Willie laughed, her voice like birdsong.
Charlotte was shaking her head, palms pressed to her ears, eyes streaming.
"I didn't die, Charlie," Willie giggled, "I was murdered. Because you told him, Charlie."
Willie seized her wrists, dragging down her arms until their chests were pressed together, heaving.
"You told him where I was, Charlie," Willie snarled, her pretty pink mouth twisted in rage.
"I tried to tell you, Willie, I tried with the-!"
"The floo, you stupid girl? I married a muggle. You knew I didn't have the fucking floo in my house!"
Charlotte sobbed as Willie's ocean blue eyes began to bulge, and the girl released her arms.
Willie clawed at her neck, choking for air, her face began to turn purple.
Charlotte ran to her, fingers prying apart invisible hands. She wept as Willie fell to the dark floor and began to convulse, her legs kicking and stretching.
"I'm sorry, Willie, I'm so sorry," she whimpered.
Ocean blue eyes, bulging, stared back at her.
"I WANT TO GO HOME!"
Her scream echoed in the abyss.
Charlotte covered her eyes and began to rock on her heels, weeping.
"Severus, please, come get me," she sobbed softly, "Please bring me home."
She felt exceptionally tired as she laid on the frigid ground alongside the corpse of her school friend, staring at the long strands of corn silk hair.
In fact, she was exhausted. The very breaths she took consumed an insurmountable amount of energy, the sobs that wracked her shoulders made her muscles ache, her back feel brittle.
Perhaps it was a good idea to go to sleep, she thought as she felt her breaths begin to slow.
Perhaps it wouldn't be so very bad to sleep.
Maybe she would dream of a different life. One with a happier ending.
Perchance Sirius would be there, too.
"Charlotte, it's time to come back now."
She shook her head.
"Charlotte, come back."
Desperately, she squeezed her eyes.
"Go away, Dumbledore."
Her eyes sprung open.
"Professor Dumbledore?"
"It will be alright, my dear. Come back."
Tears still streamed from her eyes unhindered, "You can't promise that."
"No, I cannot. But there are people here who care for you still. Severus, for one."
"Severus doesn't care about me, Professor," she laughed, smearing tears from her eyes.
"I think you will be most surprised, Charlotte. Now come back."
"I don't know how," She whimpered.
"Just remember where you were, Charlotte."
She pictured the wooden floorboards of her father's apothecary, and how they had felt hot in the summer heat, how the dust had hovered in the air. She could recall the way a brass register had fallen with broken keys spilled across the floor.
"There we go, my dear."
Charlotte could smell the dust and old parchment, could feel the summer heat beneath her body. She could hear the sounds of popping embers, shifting timbers, and crunching glass.
"Open your eyes, Charlotte."
Her eyes opened and she looked at the blackened floor beneath her sooty fingers, before she lifted her eyes up at the night sky.
Alarm shifted her and she looked around wildly, sitting up and feeling ash and dust gather in her hands as she stared at a charred shell of her father's apothecary.
The walls were torched, still glowing with dying embers that floated to the night sky like fire bugs. The brass register she had pictured so perfectly in her mind had exploded; keys still embedded in what remained of the shop's walls.
"What have I done?" she whispered in horror.
"Move out of my way, Fletcher," snarled a familiar voice, "Or I will curse you."
Charlotte felt a warm hand seize her elbow and drag her to her feet. She was immediately crushed into a hot, firm torso and arms squeezed her own.
"Charlie," Remus Lupin whispered fiercely, "Are you alright?"
"What did I do?"
He pulled her away from him to stare at her face, "Charlotte, why didn't you tell me?"
"What have I done?" she repeated.
"Nearly three years ago, Charlotte, I warned that repressing your magic would have consequences."
She saw Albus stepping over a singed beam of what had once been part of the ceiling.
"I'm afraid, my dear, that they have been quite catastrophic."
Albus smiled at her, and Charlotte looked around to see other figures approaching out of the night.
"Severus," Albus called, "Please escort Mr. Lupin and your wife to The Burrow, please."
"I would like to take Charlotte to my home, headmaster," Severus was now standing beside Albus.
Severus was staring at her, and she watched his glance shift to the hands gripping her elbows like vices.
Charlotte doubted she could have stood without them. Her ears were ringing, and Remus, Albus, and Severus shifted in and out of focus as though bobbing in a camera lens.
"Molly is expecting you, Severus."
"Headmaster, I must insist-!" Severus's voice began to turn heated.
"And I am afraid that Spinner's End, surrounded by muggles, is not what is best for Mrs. Snape now, Severus. Please escort her and Mr. Lupin to the Burrow."
Severus's nostrils flared, but he stepped forward.
Charlotte's husband seemed almost hesitant to touch her, but he smacked aside Remus's hand and gripped her elbow with a firm, but tender hold. He glanced up at Remus and raised a single brow.
"Do you intend to also use me for my apparition abilities, werewolf, or are you still capable?"
Lupin scowled and stepped away, but he looked to Charlotte quickly.
"I'll see you there, Charlie."
Severus turned her to face him.
"Severus, I'm confused."
"Silence."
Charlotte's mouth snapped shut as she felt a familiar tug and pull at her belly button.
When she opened her eyes, the air was cooler.
The sound of crickets chirping filled the marshy ground around them and Charlotte felt the water begin to slowly seep into her shoes.
"Where are we?"
Severus was still gripping her elbow as he began to walk.
"Severus, please," she breathed, feeling herself teeter on her feet.
He stopped abruptly and turned to her, his nostrils flaring.
Charlotte hated when he did that.
"At no point in time did you determine that it would be minutely important to discuss this with me?"
She blinked.
"At no point did it cross your mind that you might divulge this to me?"
She opened her mouth and he quickly rose a hand to stop her.
"I agreed, Charlotte, to be your husband at Albus's behest. I agreed to be your husband through health and sickness. But you are more of an expert on marriage than me, seeing as this is your second go-around. So please, wife, explain to me why you suddenly trust me so little that you would not discuss with me that you are a fucking obscurial."
"Severus."
His chest heaved and his eyes narrowed, "I saved your fucking life, Fraser. Do you think it is remotely appropriate for you to throw away what little mercy I am capable of?"
Another pair of feet were sloshing through the marsh, from a house in the distance.
It looked crooked, she noted, trying to see through the tall grass, and ignore the heavy, infuriated breathing of her husband.
"I think that's enough for now, Severus."
Severus turned to look as Remus Lupin pushed his way through the weeds.
"Apparated awfully far from the house, didn't you, Severus?"
"I need a moment with my wife."
"I think it's best for you to wait until Dumbledore arrives."
Severus sneered, "I'm not concerned with what you think is best, Lupin."
"Your wife is about to fall over on her feet. She was not ten minutes ago destroying half of Knockturn Alley in an obscurus form. I suggest that you wait until Dumbledore arrives so that she does not drown in this marsh, Severus, and she has a cup of tea."
"I did what?"
Charlotte's voice left her in a breath, her eyes widening. She had begun to sway more on her feet, her knees knocking together in the chilled summer air.
"You weren't yourself. Charlie, come on, let's get you a cup of tea. Molly has the kettle on."
Remus held a hand out, and Snape seemed to stare at her, daring her to take it.
Too much seemed to have stuffed itself in her head.
"I don't feel so good," She whispered.
Severus caught her by the wrist as she tipped forward, yanking her back into his chest.
A toned arm caught her behind the knees and lifted her up as her eyes began to flutter.
"I've got her," Severus snarled to Remus who had reached out a hand, "Move aside, wolf."
Remus sighed.
Severus's feet squished in the watery mud of the marsh as he began walking to the house. Charlotte bumped his chest with every step, her eyelids began to droop.
"Severus, I'm tired."
"Then go to sleep," he retorted hotly, "I'll wake you when Albus arrives."
"I'm scared," she whispered.
Severus seemed to slow his steps, "Why are you scared?"
"What if they come back?"
He stopped, "Who comes back?"
Charlotte felt very heavy in his arms; her eyelids felt like lead. Even her voice sounded as though it were treading through the same mud they were.
"Regulus," she slurred, "And Willie."
"Regulus and Willie are gone, Charlotte," Severus whispered softy, "They're dead."
Charlotte was very tired, and very warm tucked against his chest.
"They were there, in the dark."
She felt his arms tighten around her as he began walking again, and the slow swaying against his chest resumed.
"Not anymore."
Chapter Four is DONE. I was in the midst of finals for my classes and this took quite some time to put together. I was always curious about what happened when an obscurial took on their obscurus form, and I think this was the best version of what I pictured. Obscurials are tortured by repressing their magic, so I thought a little peak into why Charlotte has been repressing her magic would be the most likely scenario. Please let me know what you thought in the comments and I PROMISE to have another chapter uploaded this week! Reviews, as always, make me do cartwheels.