Chapter 5
The air was tense around the manor, and everyone was starting to feel it.
It is the 1st of September and both Marvolo and Regulus were in a terrible mood. Everyone knew to avoid the two like the plague if you didn’t want to suffer the burnt of their bad mood. The few who were brave enough to approach them regretted it soon after. Bellatrx tried it once, she hasn't approached them since.
The reason for their mood is that it’s the day Regulus has to return to Hogwarts. Neither of them wanted to be separated but they also knew it is the best course of action right now. People would get suspicious of heir Black just vanished, not to mention Sirius who would instantly notice that he was missing despite the fact that they didn’t talk anymore. To compensate for being separated for so long, they decided to spend as long as possible together before Regulus’ departure. It got bad enough that they had taken to cuddling in the privacy of Tom’s room whenever they had free time.
What worried them the most about their impending separation is their soulbond. Wizards need time with their soulmates after meeting each other to settle their soulmate bond to avoid accidents. That’s also why at the beginning the bond creates a pull between a soulmate pair that pulls them to each other. Separating a soulmate pair before their bond has settled can cause them a lot of mood swings, to be more volatile and their magic to be unsettled and prone to magical accidents.
All in all, both of them are dreading the coming year. Since Regulus has to leave in a few hours they are in Regulus’ room to pack his things. Currently they are overseeing Darcy packing his trunk and reading (read snuggling) on the couch in front of the fireplace. Soon Darcy was done with the packing and they had to get up if they wanted to make it to the train station in time.
Grudgingly standing up, Marvolo pulled Regules up and back to himself, wrapping his arms around him. “I’m going to miss you, Stella mea” He murmured into Regulus’ hair. “I’m going to miss you too, mon Amour” he whispered back.
After glancing at a clock Marvolo sighed in disappointment and let go of the other. Shrinking Regulus’ things, they started moving towards the floo room. Tom was going with Regulus to the station to send him away.
They wouldn’t have risked it otherwise but they were sure no one was going to recognise him there without his Lord Voldemort glamour.
On platform 9¾, it was packed with families and screaming children as everyone was trying to board the train on time. They looked around a bit and chatted with a few people they knew, trying to delay Regulus’ departure as much as possible but as they heard the train's last warning signal they started moving towards the train.
They looked each other in the eyes, both wanting to hug the other and go back home. But they know that they can’t do that in public as it would raise too many questions with wrong people. So Marvolo settles for putting one of his hands on Regulus’ shoulders and squeezing his shoulder affectionately. Then he says “You know how to contact me if anything happens, anything at all, I want you to write to me…I love you” The last part being in parseltongue to make sure no one knows.
Nodding Regulus responds “I will, I promise. See you during the holidays.” He had wanted to ask what the other had said in parseltongue and say more but he had to move quickly if he didn’t want to miss the train. So he settled for quickly taking Marvolo’s hand, squeezing it and running to meet up with Barty and Evan.
Looking out he could see his soulmate had vanished just like they planned. Sighing and smiling softly he began talking with others and reading for the rest of the journey, trying to distract himself.
Meanwhile Tom had reached his office and sat down on the armchair that Regulus had claimed to be his. The only thing going through his head was ‘This year better go quickly’.