As he moved down the hall, a soft snuffling began to surface, growing louder the closer the elf moved to the door at the end of the hall. The elf approached it, laying a whithered hand on the doorknob and gently easing it open.
As gasp sounded, and then a small voice. "Kreacher?"
The elf smiled a bit, though it looked more like a grimace on his wrinkled old face, and sidled into the room. Closing the door behind him, he whispered, "here you be, little master. I gots your dragon for you, see."
A little boy with tear streaks on his face reached out from behind the door and clasped the stuffed animal to his chest. "Thank you, Kreacher!" He barreled into the elf, pushing him backwards with his momentum, and clutched at the elf as well.
"Master Regulus," the elf protested, "you can't be doing this, now. Master Black – your father won't be liking it none."
Regulus tilted his face up and looked at Kreacher pleadingly, with wide, wet eyes, tears streaming once again down his face. "But… but…"
Kreacher sighed. "You'll need to stay quiet then," he acquiesced. "Kreacher isn't wanting to get you in more trouble. Now look here so Kreacher can patch you up, little master."
Regulus sniffled again but nodded quietly, staring at his feet. The house elf began casting healing spells at the boy's back, slowly healing each welt and cut, one by one. Neither being loosened their grip on the other's hand. When he was finally done, Kreacher crouched down, which put his tired face below that of Regulus. "Master Regulus," he said softly. "Be there any… other… wounds?"
Regulus's eyes widened, he glanced down, and shuffled his feet, shaking his head quickly. "Nuh uh – I mean no!"
But his little hand detached itself from his dragon's ear and darted down to grip the waistband of his trousers tightly. Kreacher's shoulders drooped.
"Master Regulus," he said sternly, his voice reproachful. The boy looked down at his feet.
"Father said I wasn't to tell no one."
"Any one," Kreacher corrected gently. "And I don't count, you know that."
Regulus bit his lip, but nodded hesitantly. "He did it, again." His face flushed with shame. Kreacher's eye's narrowed but his hands and magic were gentle as he let his magic veer lower on the little boy's body.
"Hush, now." Kreacher gently lowered him until they say on the floor of their closet refuge before pulling his charge onto his lap. Rocking him gently and humming a quiet tune, the two sat in the dark room for a long time, long past the point when Regulus's tears dried and long past the point when his hiccoughs quieted. They were still there when the sun came up, though its rays were unable to vanquish the dark walls and find its way to them. They were there until Kreacher heard his mistress's call and was unable to resist it, popping out of the room after tucking a conjured blanket around his young master.
Regulus was still trembling.