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Written for;

The Occasion-A-Day Competition - Day 10 - Idea Swap. The credit for the idea of this goes to LoveNeverDies78.

Danie's Characters of the Month Challenge - RegulusLily, Prompt - Dainty

Right All Along

Regulus walked with his head down, trying to make himself invisible as he passed by the laughing group of sixth year Gryffindors. It was ironic really, that after so many years trying to get his brother's attention, he now wanted to avoid it at all costs. There was only so many times he could ignore the harsh words and the jeering taunts before they started to penetrate the thick skin he'd grown.

"Oi! Reg!"

Ignore them, ignore them, ignore them.

"Regulus! Off to a junior Death Eater Meeting? Going to torture first years for fun?"

"Leave him alone!"

Regulus allowed his head to lift when he heard an angry feminine voice come to his defence. The red head Gryffindor that Potter was always mooning after stood in front of them with her hands on her hips. He couldn't see her face, she had her back to him, but Regulus was grateful none the less. He continued walking, a small smile on his face when he heard her telling them off.

Before he turned around the corridor, he glanced back, happy to see the cowed looks on his bullies faces. Taking a moment to wonder why she would defend him, he continued on to his class, putting the incident to the back of his mind, the way he always did with his run-ins with his brother and his friends.

As a sixth year prefect, Regulus didn't have to worry so much about being caught out after curfew. He could always pretend to be doing rounds, and he knew the Professors tended to leave the prefects alone anyway. He sat atop the astronomy tower, his eyes resting on the constellations he could spot. He'd had another run in with his brother today, and just like she had for the last year, Lily Evans had come to his rescue.

He still didn't understand what she gained from standing up for him, except perhaps, a reason to have a go at James Potter. Now that she was dating him, god knows Regulus heard Severus complain about it enough, he really didn't understand why she defended him so much.

When he thought about what would be happening in just a few short weeks, when the summer arrived, he felt sorrow that he would be proving his brother correct in his assumptions, and proving to Lily Evans that he was everything she defended him against. He'd never really felt bad about his destiny until she defended him and as much as he appreciated it, he was angry at her for making him doubt his path forward.

Of course, the doubts didn't matter. It was expected of him, so he would do as he was bid, because that was who he was.

"What are you doing up here?"

Regulus spun so fast, he felt his neck stiffen up and raised a hand to it. "Evans," he muttered, turning away from her as he rubbed at the crick.

He heard her move towards him, and when she stopped beside him, he could feel the warmth emanating from her.

"Why do you keep defending me?"

The words were out of his mouth before he could halt them, and he bit his lip. Closing his eyes, he shook his head. "Don't answer that."

"I defend you because I know you can be more than your brother makes you," she murmured quietly. "You don't have to follow whatever path your family is pushing you to, the same way he didn't. He should be more supportive of you."

"He's right about me."

"He's not."

He felt her dainty hand take his, and she squeezed gently. He took comfort from it for a second before he pulled away.

"He is right about me, Evans. A few weeks, it's all I have left. I'm not as strong as he is, never have been."

She sighed, and he watched from the corner of his eye as a tear fell to her cheeks.

"You're just a kid. We all are. And yet, we're getting ready to fight in a war that we're not part of. It's not fair."

"Life isn't fair."

"I know that. Still, I can't help but wish things could be different."

"I... You need to stop defending me, Evans. Be happy with Potter."

"You might feel like you're a lost cause, Regulus, but you're not. You'll do the right thing in the end. I know you will."

Regulus left her standing on the Astronomy Tower alone, shaking his head. If only he believed in himself as much as she did.

As the cold hands pulled him into the water, Regulus wondered if Lily Potter would ever know she'd been right about him all along.