He should've found somewhere more quiet. Every noise makes him jump, a hand reaching toward his wand pocket, before he realizes that he's in America, in the middle of nowhere, in a small dingy diner in the midst of a desert. No one who knew him would ever look here, even if they could narrow down his whereabouts. Regulus himself was disgusted, but hiding out was better than death.
People bustle past the window carrying umbrellas, half-dragged across his frame of view by the wind and the rain. First rainstorm they've had around here in a year, he heard someone say. At least someone was getting what they wanted.
Regulus had what he wanted, he supposed. He put a hand to the locket that rested underneath his shirt. He could swear he felt a heartbeat from it, but that was ridiculous. Regulus would be hard-pressed to believe that even the Dark Lord himself had a heartbeat anymore, had a heart.
He shook his head, turning back to the plate of biscuits and gravy on his table. He'd been picking at it with his fork. Regulus hadn't had a clue what he was ordering, and upon the dish's arrival, he still wasn't sure. The bite he'd taken had only confused him further, but he wasn't here for food. He was here for a respite, a return to some realm of normalcy. He hated this, being thrust out of his own society, spending every day running from his former master, his heart racing at every footstep or sound of the door opening.
But there was also a newspaper on his table. Regulus doubted any news that was important to him would be written in it, but he'd looked nonetheless. And on one of the last pages, he saw it. A photograph of his brother. He was on the run, too. Sirius had apparently been responsible for the murders of two of his closest friends, and while the Aurors knew who they were looking for, they'd been unable to find him.
Looking at it again, Regulus felt a jolt in his chest. A deeply suppressed part of his mind had been wanting to reunite with Sirius. Now was his chance. It was right there, written in black and white, and while the Aurors hadn't been able to find him, Regulus knew his brother. He knew the sorts of places he'd be hiding. And he knew that Sirius was the last person on earth who still had any sympathy for Regulus. It was the best chance he had.
.
A/N: Written for Advent Calendar Day 15: (quote) "Courage is found in unlikely places" - J. R. R. Tolkien;
Writing Club – Character Appreciation 10: (object) Umbrella; Disney Challenge S4: Write about someone who wants more from life; Cookie's Cooking Corner 6: Include biscuits in your fic; Showtime 7: (emotion) Desperation; Count Your Buttons C2: Regulus Black;
Writing Month and Dragons: wc 424