Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J. K. Rowling, I'm just borrowing.
**BLACK**
CHAPTER THREE
"Intruders"
July, 1997
12 Grimmauld Place
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Regulus was in his usual position, watching the street, when he felt someone break through the wards. They had apparated onto his doorstep, it seemed.
There had been a few other disturbances during the time after the other residents had left. He had ignored all but the thief, to whose thieving he was alerted to by Kreacher's screams. But this one was different…this one almost felt familiar.
He slowly creaked out of his chair, feeling more like an old man than any nineteen-year-old should.
Was he only nineteen? Regulus contemplated that question as he moved to stand outside his door, holding his wand in a hand. Yes, he had been eighteen at the time of his death, yes he had come back to life a little over a year ago, but what about the years in between?
Don't worry, Reg. We're safe here.
He flinched away from the soft, feminine voice, and turned his attention back to the task at hand.
It was a few minutes before anything happened. Then, he heard the creak of the old stairs as someone walked up at a quick pace. As they neared his door, they slowed down.
Regulus took a deep breath. It was now or never, he supposed. He whipped his door open, and pointed his wand at the stranger.
"Levicorpus!" It was the first spell that came to mind when he saw the shocked face of the man who had broken into his house. He regretted his spell choice the moment he verified who it was.
"Severus?" he whispered, moving out of his room.
The man's black eyes were wide, staring as if they couldn't believe what was before them.
"Reg – Regulus?" the man stuttered. "What…how? How?"
"Liberacorpus," Regulus muttered, releasing his friend. "Don't ask, Sev. I assume it was blood magic…and when you're dealing with my mother, sometimes ignorance is best."
Severus gaped at the dark haired boy.
Regulus rolled his eyes. "I know I'm incredibly handsome, Snape, but could you possibly save your gawking for another time?"
Severus shook his head. "You were dead," he said. "You were dead, and Sirius is dead, and there are no more Blacks, except for your cousins, but I'm not certain they should count, they all married into…"
Regulus winced. "Severus," he said.
"What?" Severus asked, his face twisting. "You knew your brother was dead, didn't you?"
Regulus tensed at the not so subtle reference to Severus' hatred for everything related to James Potter or Sirius Black. He smoothed his face, closing himself off. "What are you here for, Severus?"
Severus shook his head, still staring. "Came to look through Sirius' things. Came to see if…" he broke off, turning away. "To see if he had anything…from…her…"
Regulus sighed, remembering the older boy's time-enduring crush on the red-haired Gryffindor.
"Look then, and leave," he said gruffly. "Don't tell anyone you saw me."
Severus nodded, then moved to continue down the hall.
"Wait," Regulus said. "Answer one question for me." He needed to verify this. He needed to make sure where the world stood, because as soon as he saw Severus' face, Regulus knew he had to begin making plans.
As much as he might want it to, Grimmauld Place couldn't hide him forever.
Severus made eye contact with Regulus. "Yes," he said, in answer to the unspoken question. "He's alive. He's here. We still have hope, but…" Severus took a deep breath. "The Dark Lord's alive, Reg."
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Now, with him and Kreacher alone in the house, and his worst suspicion confirmed, Regulus took to dressing in the morning, and taking his morning tea downstairs in the parlor, where he would spend hours tracing the dates and names on the family tapestry with his eyes.
Mornings were for grief. Afternoons were for research. He gave himself a purpose, working his way through the library, searching for some reference to the spell his mother had cast that he hadn't found during his previous search, many years before. Regulus knew that only one person had the answers he was looking for, and there was one way to contact the one person. But he still hadn't been able to find the courage that had allowed him to defy a Dark Lord, and use it to open the curtains and speak to his mother's portrait. Regulus didn't know whether it would hurt more for her to be displeased to see him, or for her to fawn over him and insult his late brother in the same breath.
He began requesting a Daily Prophet. Kreacher went out in the mornings, and stole one from who knows where. Regulus cared less about how he was getting it, and more about whether or not he got it.
He learned that it was 1997, July 1997, to be exact. He saw that Voldemort was still alive and kicking, and causing general panic and despair. By sending Kreacher to the archives, he learned even more about what had happened while he was gone. He learned that Voldemort had been defeated the first time around by a small boy.
He marked that one for further research.
He marked a lot of articles for further research.
Regulus went on like this for about a month, relying on the Daily Prophets for the date.
One day, he had gone up to his room after lunch to grab a book that he wanted to cross reference with an article he had found in the library.
On his way back to the library, he froze, halfway down the stairs. He felt the same disturbance in the wards he had felt when Severus had visited. Someone was here, someone who had known the location beforehand. Regulus stood, motionless, as those someones began to speak in hushed tones.
"I think somebody's been in here…"
"That could've happened as the Order left."
"So where are these jinxes they put up against Snape?"
"Maybe they're only activated if he shows up?"
There was a pause, long enough for Regulus to evaluate the conversation he had just heard. He cocked his head to the side, watching the shadows in the entryway, who, as of yet, hadn't noticed him.
"Well, we can't stay here forever," one of the male voices said, and a shadowy figure took a step.
"Severus Snape?" The voice of the peg-leg Auror interrupted the three.
"We're not Snape!" the bravest one said, in a voice that was barely there. Regulus smirked, and sat back, relaxing, although his wand never left its ready position. He half-listened as they saw the dust corpse that Severus had told him about, then cringed as the curtains opened and Walburga began shrieking.
"Mudbloods, filth, stains of dishonour, taint of shame on the house of my fathers – "
"SHUT UP!" the brave one shouted, closing the curtains.
"Before we go any further, I think we'd better check," the girl whispered. "Homenum revelio."
Regulus felt the magic whisper over his skin and stiffened, knowing that with her use of that charm, he wouldn't be able to hide out in his room like he had done the last time people were here.
"Well, you've just had a big shock," the tallest one said in a deprecating tone. "What was that supposed to do?"
Regulus almost snorted at the ignorance of the man.
"It did what I meant it to do, Ron! Someone's here!" the girl said, horrified, but still speaking quietly. The three held out their wands, finally scouring their surroundings thoroughly enough to see Regulus, standing on the stairs.
"Nicely done, that," he said as he began walking down the stairs, casting a quick protego.
The brave one backed up as his expelliarmus backfired. Regulus flicked his wand at the lights, turning them on.
"Sirius?" The one in the front, the brave one, stepped forward, green eyes wide behind circular glasses. Regulus examined the boy, who was probably about the same age as Regulus' body was. Eighteen, or somewhere thereabouts, Regulus was guessing.
The girl and a redhead who bore some resemblance to the man who had helped to set up the jinxes lingered behind, their wands still out.
"Wrong brother," Regulus said, his face emotionless, suppressing the emotions swirling behind the façade. Coming to the bottom of the stairs, he gave the trio a sweeping bow.
"Regulus Arcturus Black, at your service."
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
a/n: Review:) they motivate me
As I'm sure many of you have noticed, some of the dialogue and actions I have borrowed directly from the Deathly Hallows. That of course is the intellectual property of J. K. Rowling. I'm trying to stick as close as possible to the timeline and events of the Deathly Hallows, although so far there are multiple deviations in future chapters.
This chapter is a shorter one - I didn't want to go any longer because I felt the story naturally broke in this portion. Sorry :/ The next chapter will be longer.
In other news: Black is drafted about 8 chapters into the future, with editing needed on Chapters 5 and onward. I am also considering doing a Christmas Advent story this year - pairings Harry/Hermione and Draco/Ginny so far.
Happy Thursday :)