Pandora took a deep breathe, closing her eyes and opening them again before reading the name off the slip of paper open in her fingers,
“Regulus-”
“I volunteer” Despite all her nerves of the night before, Bellatrix’s voice didn’t falter once. She did what seemed most wise to her at that point, and kept on staring ahead of her as everyone swivelled their heads to look at her.
She wasn’t going to let Regulus go in there again, not when the arena’s already majorly ruined his life once, not when he’s still weak from the aftermath of his games, not in a million lifetimes.
The only hard thing in this was convincing Regulus before it was too late, but come to think of it, why was she even bothering? It’s not as if he would ever forgive her again. 5 years ago was the last time he ever did, and that was her last chance.
She knew that, but that didn’t make the pain hurt less. It didn’t help her swallow the lump in her throat. It didn’t help her breathe. It didn’t help her brain to vanish the last time Regulus ever looked at her with any amount of love and care for her off its surface. It didn’t help her dread the time he would come to talk to her.
Oh, because he would. Some selfish part of her hoped it was because he wanted to look at her for the last time. Some stupid part of her hoped that maybe, some miracle would take place and he wouldn’t be so calmly outrageous. Some delusional part of her hoped it was because he needed to tell her that he understood her, and forgave her.
She shook her head, waving the fantasies taking root in her brain away. Right now was not the time.
That was what she was thinking as she stepped ahead onto the platform where her and the other tribute were to wait.
Time didn’t fly for her when it came to the things she dreaded, so what felt like years were probably just a few minutes before the door opened and he stepped inside.
“If you’re here expecting any apologies, or for me to say that I’m guilty, then I’m telling you already, you’re not going to get them.” she muttered, staring straight ahead at him as he leaned on the doorframe with an expression that could suggest that the events of the past 15 minutes didn’t even happen.
“Mm, that’s what you said last time too, isn’t it?” he replied, his voice dripping with ice as he started to walk towards her, never once looking away.
“I mean it.” she said, defiantly looking up at him, refusing to be mistaken for the opposite, although the odds of him mistaking her were probably less than zero.
He cupped her jaw in his hand, leaning closer. The touch would’ve been intimate had it not been for the look in his eyes. Bella had learned by then to not trust anything except Regulus’ eyes. “You never learn, do you?”
“No, I don’t,” Her voice came out confident despite the chill that was running down her spine, Bella was realising that was becoming a theme with her.
“Do you know what you just did, Bellatrix?” he asked, tracing her jawline with a finger, never breaking her gaze.
“I volunteered for you.”
“Partially. You helped me too, you know?”
“Helped?”
“Yep.”
“How?”
“You helped me kill yourself, by volunteering.” Regulus’ hand on her went stiff, turning Bella’s blood cold. That wasn’t supposed to happen. No, he was only supposed to be angry and a bit hurt. He wasn’t supposed to kill her. No. No, please no. Not this. No. Nononono-
“I don’t care if you make it out or not love, you’re dead to me. You can’t kill the dead twice, can you?”
He turned on his heel and left without a second glance, and that was the last time Bella ever saw the person she loved.