Hey everyone. This was written for both Potions: Veritaserum Task #3, and Summer Seasonal Challenges Thread's Elemental: Fire Element. For Potions: Veritaserum Task #3 the task was to write about someone trying to gain information by giving someone Veritaserum. For Elemental: Fire Element I wrote for Sagittarius the task being to incorporate the pairing of Barty/Regulus in the story. I hope you all enjoy What a Good Soldier Does.

"Here have a drink," I suggest to Regulus as he walked into the house. "You look like you could use one." Walking over to where I had place the cup with the Veritaserum in I pretended to fill it with some of his favorite drink.

Accepting the cup from Regulus down the drink in one go motioning for another. Sighing he sat down in the chair across from mine. His face was telling more of story then any words ever could.

"Barty," he sighed again as though under the weight of a heavy burden, "I know something very dangerous. Something I don't think I can stand behind. I don't know what to do."

"What are you talking about?" I asked as though I hadn't just slipped him truth serum. "What's wrong, dear Regulus? You can tell me anything."

I could see the strength my kind manipulative words were having on the younger man. I put on a smile to add strength to power of both the serum and my own personal charms.

"I found something out about the Dark Lord, Barty," he whispered so that I had to move closer. "Something that changes everything he has ever made us believe."

"Regulus," he put his hand on the boy's shoulder putting an extra burst of charisma into his voice, "what change the way we think of our Dark Lord? What could he have possibly done that could change anything?"

I went over to fix him another drink adding a few more hits of Veritaserum to this drink. I walked back over and handed it to him. Going to make myself a drink also.

"You have to promise you won't tell anyone about this, Barty," Regulus told me. I could tell by this point that the boy was actually afraid. He was shaking so hard now. "You have to promise me, Barty. Please. I don't know what he'd do if he found out that someone knows about this."

I put on a convincing sympathetic smile on face. "I promise," I told him crossing my fingers behind my back. "I won't tell a soul anything you say here tonight. You have my word, sweet Regulus."

He looked around as though expecting someone to burst into the room at any moment. "I think he created some kind of Dark Magic that's keeping him alive," he said watching my face for a reaction. "I mean look at all the evidence, Barty."

"What evidence do you have?"

"The fact that he should have died after that last fight with the Order of the Phoenix..."

"That doesn't prove anything in my book. It was a lucky escape. Don't you agree, sweet dear Regulus?"

I watched him to see how he would answer. He was sure taking his time about it. I got up and made him another drink after he held out his cup to me for the third time during our conversation. I deftly slipped the rest of the truth potion into his cup. He'd have to show me his proof now. The potion would compel him to show me.

"You do have proof of your accusations against our Dark Lord? Don't you, Reggy, dear?"

He looked around before pulling out a locket from his pocket. "My house elf Kreacher was used to put a locket that looks just like this one on an island, or something like that, by the Dark Lord himself," Regulus told me. "No one can know that Kreacher told me this."

I pulled him against my chest as though to comfort him. I may have cared for this boy at one point in our time together but now I would willingly lead him to his death if it meant I could serve Lord Voldemort.

"What do you plan on doing about this information?" I asked as though interested in his plans. "You must have some plan in mind. Or you wouldn't be so insistent about me not telling anyone."

He nodded firmly. "I'm going to try to get the locket and destroy it," Regulus told me in a strong confident voice. "I'm going to destroy it before he can use it for his own evil purposes. I have to, Barty." He looked up at me with pleading eyes. "You'll stand with me. Won't you?"

I nodded. "Of course," I told him as I wiped his now tear-stained face. "Don't cry now. Why don't you go upstairs and have a rest before you do anything? You want to go into this with a clear head. Don't you?"

He nodded taking my hand pulling me upstairs. I would play the part of the dutiful boyfriend for right now but once he was well asleep I would play the part of Voldemort's faithful servant. Pulling Regulus into a lust filled kiss we fell into bed together.

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I made sure that Regulus was well asleep before I rolled out from between his arms. I heard him murmur something before rolling over and continuing to sleep. Somewhere deep down I felt a surge of sorrow for what I was about to do but that was the part of me that still loved Regulus. The part of me that considered the boy in the bed a traitor was calling me to justice. Taking one last look at Regulus' sweet sleeping form I apparated out of the house we shared into the place I would find Lord Voldemort.

"I have something important to tell, our Dark Lord," I told Theodore Nott as he stepped in front of me. "Something he needs to hear right now."

Nott disappeared for a few minutes before he came back into the hall and motioned for me to follow him. He lead me into a nicely furnished room that was clad in the Green and Silver of Slytherin.

"Nott tells me you have something important to tell me," came the voice from the high backed chair in front of us.

"I do, my Lord," I said reverently as I began to tell him everything that Regulus had just told me. If he survived whatever the Dark Lord had in store for a punishment I would make it up to Regulus in whatever way he wanted. But for now I felt the accomplishment of being a good soldier.

I hope you all enjoyed What a Good Soldier Does.