Written for the QLFC S4 R1
Team: Kenmare Kestrals
Position: Beater 1
Prompt: Write about your chosen Death Eater going on a holiday. (I chose Regulus Black)
Optional prompts:
6. inappropriate
9. anger
10. meadow
Glaring Marks
Regulus stared at the book in his hands. Soul Marks and How to Spot One the title read. He had an interest in them since soul marks were spoken words between a pair of soulmates during their first meeting, and Regulus, for all that he had a soul mark, couldn't speak. How would his soulmaterecognize him if he couldn't respond? Would his soulmate think he was lying since he, or she, wouldn't bear his words on their skin? Would they allow him the chance to show his own mark as proof of their status as his soulmate?
A raucous sound of laughter flayed over to Regulus where he sat. His eyes flashed up to where the noise came from and he blinked slowly. Regulus glared at his brother as he flirted shamelessly with a group of women ten feet away down the beach. It was bad enough that he was forced to go on this vacation with his parents and their volatile moods, but to be subjected to Sirius' various conquests for the duration of their stay? Sirius had already met his soulmate, so to see him acting in such a way... it was downright inappropriate. 'Maybe I should send an owl to his soulmate to let her know just what he gets up to when she's not around,' Regulus thought to himself. 'I could even pull a few memories for her to use in her father's Pensieve so she knows it's not just me being jealous.'
Regulus slammed his book closed and stood abruptly, showering his things in white sand. He quickly packed away his book and towel.
"Regulus," his father, Orion, intoned, "What are you doing?"
Regulus glanced at Orion with a grimace. "I just can't study in the sun, Father. I'm going back to the house to cool off and work on my summer essays."
Walburga, his mother, flapped a hand disinterestedly. "Just let him go, Orion. He's blocking my sun."
Regulus' eyes narrowed in anger before he could school his features back into nonchalance. He bowed shortly and turned on his heel to hurry back to the Black Summer Home.
Sirius watched his brother leave with dark eyes, but turned and smiled brightly at the girl as she tugged on his hand.
Regulus made it inside and hissed in annoyance as he tried to undo the spell that gave him his voice. "Minzy," he called quietly for his personal elf.
Minzy popped in front of him with a bow. "Yes, Master Regulus? What can Minzy be doing for you?"
Regulus tapped his throat. "Release the spell, please. I'll signal you for you to replace it later."
Minzy wrung her hands, "Release the spell, Master? You is being in danger last time Minzy be taking spell away!"
Regulus sighed and knelt down in front of his elf. "I'll only be in the meadow out back. You can keep watch over me if it'll make you feel better; I don't plan to leave the manor wards." He gently patted his elf on the head, giving her a small, pleading smile. "Please, Minzy? The spell hurts after a while..."
Minzy pulled on her ears in indecisiveness and finally nodded. She touched Regulus throat and released the spell. "I be keeping eye on Master Regulus until spell goes back on," she stated firmly.
Regulus smiled and nodded, signing to her, *I expected nothing less of my favorite elf.* He patted Minzy on her head once again and went into his room to change. He changed into a comfortable pair of trousers and a loose fitted shirt with his wand in a disillusioned holster on his forearm. He glowered at the words marring the skin on his wrist. Regulus cast a wordless disillusionment spell to hide his soul mark. He then grabbed his book and headed outside.
Regulus settled beneath his favorite tree in the meadow behind his house, smiling when Minzy used house-elf magic to put a blanket down right as he sat. He kicked off his shoes and curled up, leaning against the tree to read his book in the shade. Before he could open his book, however, a strange tingling feeling overtook his glamoured soul mark. He frowned and set his book aside. Regulus snapped his wand out and tapped his glamour three times in quick succession, dissipating the spell. He gazed at the words of his soulmate, shook his head and quickly tapped the spot again, re-initiating the spell.
"My, my. I never expected to see you sitting all alone... and so unprotected too!" a deep baritone voice whispered seductively from across the meadow. Regulus started bookbinding when he realized the owner of the voice was inside the wafts on the property.
Regulus stiffened. He quickly climbed to his feet, even as his wrist flashed with a light pain and he felt the shift in his soul mark to signify the meeting of his soulmate and having his soul words spoken. Regulus's eyes were wide as he looked around to ascertain whether the person had brought others to try to take him out. 'Of course, the words would mean an ambush,' Regulus thought in anger. 'I hate my words!'
Regulus kept his wand trained on the emerging shadow from across the meadow as he inched back towards the house.
"Oh, come now," the man taunted as he stepped into the light. "I don't... bite..."
Regulus swallowed harshly as he stumbled back a few steps. He grunted when his feet tangled in the blanket Minzy left him and he lost his balance. He hit the ground and scrambled backwards in a crab walk. 'No no no no no...' Regulus shook his head fervently as he watched the man come closer still. 'My non-verbal spells still aren't very strong. He's going to ki-'
Regulus screwed his eyes closed as the man stepped up right in front of him and crouched down in front of his face.
Regulus jolted back, flinching slightly when he felt fingers graze his cheek. "Come now, my little snake. Won't you speak to me?" Warm breath brushed his neck.
Regulus cautiously opened his right eye to peer at the man squatted down in front of him. He brought his hands in front of him. *Severus?* he signed in confusion, mouthing the words as he tried to communicate. *I don't understand. Why are you here? How are you here?*
Severus stood abruptly and turned around, all traces of the fearless man that once stood before him gone. "Why are you... you're mute. How did I not know you were mute? How does no one know that?" Severus turned on his heel with a wild look in his eye and crouched before the downed Black again. "Your soul mark... can I-" Severus trailed off, hands fluttering uselessly at his sides, unsure of his reception.
Regulus sighed before motioning to his right wrist. *Glamoured,* he signed quickly.
Severus removed his wand and tapped on the spot and his eyes took in the words greedily. My, my. I never expected to see you sitting all alone... and so unprotected too!
"My words," Severus breathed out quietly, his ebony eyes blinking. "You wear my words... and I wear none because... your words were never your own to begin with. You had spoken to me in passing but always left before I could respond. I thought you were afraid of me, so I wanted to taunt you when I saw you sitting here alone. I'm sorry if I caused you distress."
Regulus shrugged before pulling Severus to the side quickly with his eyes wide. A blinding white spell shot past where Severus had been as a distraught Minzy stood there. "Master Regulus, sir! Is you being alright? Is he being a bad wizard?" Minzy's eyes honed in on the soul mark on Regulus' wrist. "You mark! Is black now! Is he being you soulmate?" Minzy tugged her ears in frantic worry as she watched the two wizards untangle themselves.
Finally, Regulus was straightened up enough to sign back to his house elf. *Minzy, this is Severus. He's a year ahead of me in school. Yes, he is my soulmate. Can you replace the spell for me? I need to speak with him; his signing is rudimentary at best.*
Minzy nodded vigorously and bounded forward to touch Regulus's neck, expelling the magic required to reinstate the spell.
"Thank you, Minzy," Regulus said softly, patting his elf on the head. "Don't punish yourself for the spell, alright? You thought I was in danger and were merely acting in my best interest."
Minzy blinked her watery eyes and nodded again before popping away.
"So." Regulus turned to his upperclassman and ran a hand through his hair uncertainly. 'I'm so ready for this vacation to be over.' Regulus looked up into Severus's eyes, pushing back his nervousness. "We need to talk."
-End?-