Severus found it hard to determine if his meeting with Regulus had gone well or not. As expected, the younger boy had refrained from telling him anything of importance on his own opinions. He had hinted more than once that he would sooner or later be expected to take the Dark Mark, which wasn't surprising in itself. The Black family, was an old pureblood family and they were known to be supportive of the Dark Lord's views. The only new information was that according to what Severus had gathered, Regulus wouldn't go against his parents.
Severus had reasons to believe that Regulus' willingness to become a Death Eater wasn't a matter of faith in the Dark Lord's ideals. Though he hadn't said anything on the subject, the pointed silence on the matter led Severus to think that the younger Slytherin wasn't altogether supportive. But he wasn't against them either. The only thing Regulus had been willing to say upfront was that there was nothing to gain from going against his parent's will.
But Severus' main concern and one he couldn't begin to guess, was why Regulus had chosen to confide in him. Not that he had told him much, but the fact remained that he had asked to have that conversation with Severus for no reason he could figure out. He supposed it could have been a way to know where Severus stood, but in fact, very little had been said about Severus' possible involvement in Death Eater matters. Not to say that Regulus hadn't shown an interest, simply he hadn't pressed and hadn't seemed to think it was of great importance.
All in all, Severus had no idea what he was supposed to make of it. Petunia had been no help when they discussed it. Both of them were at a loss as to what they should think.
After discussing it, they had concluded the best course of action was simply to wait and see what Regulus' next step would be, but there was no further sign of the boy that summer.
On the day before Severus' departure, they said their goodbyes and unlike previous years, there was a tension in their embrace, a flash of worry in Petunia's eyes. They were both conscious that things were moving independently of their own will. Somewhere outside, a Dark Lord and his followers were threatening the peace of their home. They were all too aware that anything could happen. It could be the last time and they both fervently prayed it wouldn't be.
At last, it was time to part and as she turned to leave, Petunia felt a ball of anxiety settle in her throat.
For a while, it seemed their worries were unfounded. In his letters Severus told her that if Regulus had approached him, it was seemingly with only camaraderie in mind. No further mention of the Dark Lord had been made. Other students also showed no particular concern as to what they all knew was happening outside. It was relatively quiet.
When Severus came back for Christmas, it almost seemed like they could let their worries fade. The danger seemed far away. The winter festivities passed too quickly for their liking and after a last kiss they parted once more.
It was in the second half of that year that things started moving. Severus reported that the Daily Prophet, the wizarding newspaper, was publishing articles about murders of Muggles committed by Voldermort and his Death Eaters. Students at Hogwarts were also starting to be affected by it all. Slytherins were starting to be more open about their affiliations, at least in the privacy of their common room.
For now, Severus had managed to evade questions about his own beliefs. It was known he was halfblood and most of the pureblood extremists contended themselves with sneering at him and treating him as a lesser being. Regulus maintained their friendship but Severus mentioned the boy seemed to grow uneasy.
Petunia herself, though far away from the increasingly tense atmosphere of the wizarding world, grew worried and restless. Some nights she would wake up in a panic, breathing harshly and heart pounding wildly as she chased away the remnants of a nightmare.
Incidentally, rather than frightening her away from her relationship with Severus, the growing danger only made her more certain. She loved Severus. She would do anything it took to preserve their relationship. And if a time came where that became impossible, she would at least do anything in her power so that both of them would survive. After all, there would always be hope while they lived on. Even if they had to sacrifice their relationship for a time, as long as they lived they could be reunited.
When summer came along once again, with its warming days, her will had never been as strong. And so was her desire to see Severus. She tried to ignore that little of fear that it might be their last summer together. She tried to ignore the trembling of her hands as her gaze travelled over the boy's pale figure, half-expecting to see injuries on him. She tried to ignore all of it, telling herself that everything would be fine. But somehow, she couldn't quite believe it.