Written For:

Hogwarts: The Insane Prompt Challenge
Emotion: Regret

Hogwarts: Matchmaking Club
Pairing: Severus/Regulus
Prompt: (object) chessboard

Hogwarts: 365 Prompts
Prompt - ache

Ache

Pairing: Severus/Regulus

Severus stared at the lone chessboard, regret overcoming him. He remembered spending countless nights in front of the fireplace, the chessboard between them as he did his best to outwit a younger man who was one of the best chess players he ever met.

Regulus always made Severus work for a win, and it made him a better strategist and player.

He felt an ache in his heart at the thin layer of dust that laid on top of the chessboard, not kept clean due to it being ignored. Severus had no one to play with any longer.

He averted his eyes.

Regulus had been acting cagey, as if he had a secret. Normally, they told each other everything, but this time, Regulus kept quiet.

Severus waited, sure Regulus would confess what the secret was about. Regulus never said anything, though.

Then one night, when Regulus and he made love, there was almost a desperate quality to it. Regulus had been so urgent, touching every spot on Severus that he could, bringing Severus to ecstasy over and over again. And when Regulus fell over the cliff in pleasure, there were tears in his own eyes. And they kissed long and hard before exhaustion overtook both of them.

Regulus was gone the next morning before Severus woke up, and he never came home that night.

At first, Severus feared Regulus had left him, but he wasn't at the Death Eater meetings either. The Dark Lord never said anything about a raid or a mission, so Severus didn't think he was doing something for their Lord. That left only one or two options. Either Regulus ran away or he betrayed the Dark Lord. No matter which one it was, that meant Regulus was dead. Voldemort wouldn't have let either action go unpunished.

Severus stared at his long, potion-stained fingers. He wished Regulus had told him what was going on. Whatever Regulus had planned, Severus would have helped. Maybe he would have ended up dead as well, but at least he would have been with Regulus.

He sighed. Now he had no one. And he no longer wanted to serve the man who killed the love of his life. Maybe if Severus offered information, Dumbledore would offer him asylum. He could only hope.

(word count: 380)