AN: Second one-shot of the whole. The character is Regulus Black and the prompt is "Living a Lie". The title is from the Tom Petty song of the same name. Disclaimer: I do not own the world or characters from Harry Potter; that's Jo's pleasure.
One-shot #2- You Don't Know How It Feels
"Regulus, we're having a- a um- meeting today," Snape told him as they passed each other in the corridor.
"I'm well aware Severus," he told the older boy with a glare added for effect.
With that the younger Black walked away leaving his brother's arch-nemesis staring at his departing shadow. Regulus cursed himself again and again, as he always did after these types of conversations, for getting himself into this situation.
"Black!" someone called from behind him. "Black, we need to discuss your homework."
"Professor McGonagall, I promise you'll have my essay by tomorrow. I'm not sure if my brother told you but there are some family issues going on," he turned around and told the professor; making sure to stress the hate on the word Brother.
"No, Sirius hasn't told me anything. Care to elaborate Mr. Black?" McGonagall said, obviously trying to catch Regulus in his lie.
Regulus was fully aware of what McGonagall was trying to do and he was determined to not let her do it. He was used to lying and he wasn't going to screw up now.
"Yes, ma'am. You see, my father is extremely ill at the moment. We're not entirely sure how much time he has left; I figured that my brother told you nothing of our father's illness. He left the house last year and hasn't been back since, though I know that mother informed him of the disease. I haven't been extremely focused on school lately; I'm just really worried for my father. I'm sorry and I promise to get the assignment in by tomorrow," he lied as he placed a sad expression on his face.
"I'm sorry about your father." McGonagall told Regulus, her face still showing her mistrust of Regulus and his stories but accepting it.
"Thank you, ma'am; I'm afraid I must be going now though." Regulus said holding back the grin that threatened to come through because of his successful lie.
Regulus walked back down to the Slytherin common and sat in a chair working on his Transfiguration essay. Eventually the rest of the Death Eaters came around and the meeting began, Snape and Avery taking the lead. Regulus didn't feel nearly as excited about the meeting as he was with the last few. He just had a feeling that something wasn't quite right. The meeting concluded and the elder boys were invited to attend a real meeting, with the Dark Lord, over Christmas break. Regulus declined the offer, again using the excuse that his father was fatally ill; which was not a complete lie though Regulus didn't really care too much about his father anymore.
Months past and Regulus became more and more disinterested in the Death Eaters, only attending the meetings to assure the protection of his life. In June his brother ended his last year at Hogwarts and, attempting to part on better terms, Regulus approached him on the train.
"Sirius!" Regulus called to his brother, only a mere meter in front of him.
Sirius stopped and looked back, surveyed his brother's full height with his eyes and turned away.
"Sirius, please," Regulus begged.
Sirius turned around, sighed, and walked towards Regulus. He stared at his brother's face with a stone cold frown.
"What. Do. You. Want.?" he asked his brother.
"Sirius, I'm really…. I'm really…. I'm sorry." Regulus said searching for the right words.
"Why?" Sirius asked. "You're not the traitor, that's me. Little Reggie has nothing to be sorry for, that's all Sirius' job because everything is Sirius' fault!"
"I'm sorry that I didn't listen to you," Regulus told him "I sincerely regret that the most now."
"Lies! You're nothing but a liar, Regulus. I know the way you work; don't try to fool me."
On that Sirius turned and left his brother standing in his wake, jaw opened wide and eyes huge. Regulus couldn't believe that when he tried to tell the truth everyone accused him of lying but when he lies they accepted it without a second thought. Regulus no longer cared about what happened to him, he had decided to be brave and a rebel like Sirius had always told him to be; though he would be doing it all secretly. He already had better luck with lies than he had with the truth, so he figured why not jump into a life without truth.
"Yes, my Lord, I'm sure that Kreacher would not only be more than willing but also the perfect elf for the job. Let me just go home and fetch him."
Regulus, now a month out of school, left the clearing where the Dark Lord was having his current meeting. He didn't really want to sacrifice his house elf; Kreacher was the only one who knew the truth about everything that Regulus did, and was. Unfortunately, Regulus was still set on proving to Sirius that he wasn't a coward and he knew the only way to do so was by defeating the Dark Lord; if he lost Kreacher in the process he would have to deal with it.
"Kreacher!" Regulus called as he entered the house, trying to find the elf.
"What would Master Regulus like today?" an ugly creature asked as he popped in front of Regulus.
"You need to come with me, Kreacher. The Dark Lord requested your service and…"
Before he could finish his mother lumbered down the stairs and shouted his name.
"Yes, mother?" Regulus answered, disappointed that his mother was holding him up at such a vital time but keeping cool, as usual.
"Why don't you come and visit more? I've been very lonely since your father passed, you know."
"I'm sorry mother," he lied "I've been quite busy with the Dark Lord. I'm also afraid I must take Kreacher for a while now, he was specially requested by the Dark Lord."
"I'm so proud of you and I'm sure that your father would've been as well," his mother beamed.
"Thank you, mother, but I'm afraid I must be going now though; I've already been held up enough."
Regulus grabbed the house elf and disappearated before his mother could say any more, he was tired of her. He brought Kreacher to the Dark Lord; who grabbed Kreacher and left. Regulus had no idea where they had gone but he was disappointed that he wasn't included; he was originally sure that he would've been allowed to come too. With nothing better to do Regulus left and went back to his flat to wait for further instructions.
Days went by and still Regulus heard nothing from the Dark Lord or Kreacher until, out of the blue, the house elf landed in his bedroom.
"Master Regulus, it was horrible" the elf stuttered.
"What happened?" Regulus asked, his voice ridden with fear, guilt, and confusion.
"He took Kreacher to a cave and, Master Regulus, Kreacher was so scared. He made Kreacher drink something and it made Kreacher feel so bad. He refilled the basin that he had made Kreacher drink but he put something in the bottom before putting the potion back in. He then left Kreacher to die there." Kreacher said, shaking as he spoke.
"How did you get back then, Kreacher?" Regulus asked, scared of what had happened but happy that his family house elf made it back.
"House elf magic, Master Regulus."
"Can you take me there, Kreacher? I think I know what's in that basin." Regulus asked gulping as he spoke, afraid that he was right.
"Kreacher will do anything that Master Regulus tells him to do."
"Right, of course" Regulus sighed.
The plan was laid out in four days. Regulus and Kreacher were to enter the cave together; Kreacher would guide Regulus into the interior cave. Once they reached the basin Regulus would drink the potion and Kreacher would make sure to get out with the object that was being kept there. They would place a decoy in the basin and Regulus would refill the potion. If Regulus didn't make it, Kreacher was to destroy the object in any way possible.
The day came that the plan was to be put in action, and it went as it was supposed to; until Regulus reached into the water to try to quench the thirst brought about by the potion. A hand reached up and grabbed his wrist; he yelled to Kreacher to go home with the locket and destroy it. He told him to tell his mother that he was gone. As soon as he heard the house elf's crack he let himself be pulled down into the waters. The last thing that Regulus Arcturus Black thought about was life; specifically that his life was only a life of lies and, had he been able to relive, he would've listened to Sirius. Had he been able to relive life than it would've been a life of truth, he would have never been living a lie, not like now.
