Marauding Ever After

by MariKenobi

Chapter 21: Regulus is awesome

A/N - 99 percent is not mine.. Enjoy everything!

Regulus had been dead for a long time now, almost 20 years. He had gotten used to not doing plenty of earthly things, but nothing would ever substitute the wonder that was taking a shower. It gave him time to just think about what had been going on around him. He had really adjusted to death. In fact he could even say his death was better than his life.

Looking back on everything he'd done since dying (or slightly before dying) he'd led an amazing and wonderful time. This idea that Colin and Remus brought to him was excellent. He knew that he and Dobby would have the greatest time. Plus there was Remus other idea, which was wonderful. He believed it was just what they needed.

Only two things weighed on him, his brother and Severus. He knew things were better with Sirius, but he wished for more. As for Severus, he hoped James could make a breakthrough. He really didn't want to have to go through the Dumbledore situation again. It was difficult enough the first time around.

And because things worked that way, as soon as he got out of the shower he saw James waiting for him.

"Whatever happened to privacy?"

"You saddled me with Severus. You don't get to have privacy until I am free of him."

Regulus groaned. "Can I at least get dressed or should I remain naked?"

"I'll wait outside."

"How did you die?" Lily asked gently. Dora and Lily had sent the Prewetts away. They were trying to get the full story and their anger wasn't helping.

"After Sirius was sent to Azkaban I couldn't believe it. I was distraught. Crouch offered me a desk job but I couldn't take it. He had sent Sirius away without even a trial! It was wrong." Tears had started to come out. "Plus he wanted me to make up some stories about suspected Death Eaters. Clearly he could have made up the stuff about Sirius too." She looked at both women and continued. "I still had my job at the Leaky Cauldron, but everyone knew I had been an informant during the war. One night walking home from work a man stopped me. Not even, a desperate child more like it must have still been at Hogwarts… He started yelling about how it was my entire fault. Next thing I knew I was here being welcomed by Reg."

Both Lily and Dora remained quiet, not really knowing what to say to her.

"I know what you are thinking, Karma got me."

"Did you have anything to do with that kid?"

"Indirectly. Some of the information I passed to the Ministry ended in the wrong hands an there were casualties. They were among them. I never knew until I came here. Regulus showed me."

Lily suddenly had a terrifying thought. "You and Regulus?"

"Oh no. Never! There was never any interest like that and he has very strict rules about the people he counsels in the redemption program."

Dora gazed at her questioningly, "Why didn't you seek out Sirius after he died?"

"I felt embarrassed. Ashamed over what I'd done. I still am. I can't face him."

"Dora, I'm home!" Remus walked in and stopped in his tracks, "Rory? What are you doing here?"

The Happening Hippogriff was, for lack of a better word, happening. It was college night and Fred was enjoying a few drinks with Cedric.

"He's driving me crazy. He's been dead 2 years longer than I have and he still has this huge downer over him." Fred took a big gulp of his Margarita (He was all for trying new things.) "He needs to move on, accept that he can't do anything about the living."

Cedric snorted, "Well said, Mr. I'm going to haunt my brother as soon as I figure out how to."

"It's not the same thing!"

"Listen Fred, Sirius is having it rough because everyone dead around him is either coupled off or happy enjoying after life. He's lonely."

"Wasn't Tonks trying to get him a girl? Maybe we should help her."

Cedric shook his head. "How about we let Sirius alone and we concentrate on getting some girls of our own."

"I kind of like that idea." Fred took in the room. "Which one's your pleasure?"

"All of them!" Cedric grinned. "We have all eternity."

Sirius on the other hand was close to getting himself banned for death from The Dancing Ghoul. He had already insulted Dobby and his elf friends, made Isadora cry, and gotten on Carter's wrong side. He was still there because Ted interceded for him.

"Sirius what's the matter with you? Andy would kill you if she saw you like this."

"Good thing I'm already dead."

Ted stopped Sirius from downing another drink. "Enough. Please tell me what's wrong. As far as I knew you were doing pretty well. Did Fred do something?"

"It has nothing to do with Fred. The boy is doing excellently. He's going to be king of the Ever After soon enough."

"Then what in tarnation is wrong with you?"

"Fabian & Gideon were here earlier."

Ted shifted his head. "While they can be extremely annoying, I don't see how they could drive you to this state."

"Turns out Dora and Lily got their help to find me a girl – how pathetic am I? They were tracking down the one that got away. Rory."

"Ahhh, that cute barmaid you liked years ago. She died? Pity."

"Don't pity her! The twins told me she had been an informant for the Ministry and told them she thought Remus was a spy!"

"So? What's the big deal? So did you."

"Well… "Sirius looked at him. "That's not the point. I didn't tell anyone."

"Not true. You told the Potters, me, and Andy, Dora probably even overheard." Ted put his hand on Sirius' shoulder. "We all made mistakes. Isn't it time you forgave and forgot? Starting with your brother? Maybe Death is trying to tell you something."

"It was a dark and stormy night."

"Shut up Snape."

"They approached what seemed to be a terrifying cave of terrors."

"Shut up Severus." He had been annoying James with comments like that all throughout their journey. Clearly he had decided to be difficult. "I am just following the instructions Regulus gave."

"He's a Black. They are not a trustworthy lot by nature."

"If that's so, then I'll leave, I have better things to do with my time than being with you. And I'm sure James feels the same way."

Snape didn't say anything, which for James & Regulus was a sign of compliance. "You have been requesting Albus since you arrived. You can't talk to him now. And you are going to listen to Regulus before you say anything else."

"From what I understand you knew Dumbledore very well, so you know that while being a brilliant man, he made quite a lot of errors in judgment. You yourself kept pointing them out to him. Some have said that you were one, Severus. Above everything else, he was consumed with guilt."

"Foolish old man."

"A little respect, Severus." James threatened.

"He felt guilty over practically sacrificing Harry for the greater good - ."

"Ends justify the means. He got rid of Voldemort, didn't he?"

"Severus!" James shoved him. "Lily hit Dumbledore when he first came over, I'm sure she would treat you even worse for that."

Regulus rolled his eyes. "He chided himself for never being able to get the darkness out from you. He felt all the loses the order ever had. His heart hurt over his old lover who he had to defeat (and gained fame for it), his briefly flirting with too much power, and completely overwrought by the death of his sister. He never got over that and it kept eating at him. For some reason, the situation with Harry managed to bring everything to the forefront for him."

"Very sad. None of this is new. How does this stop me from seeing Albus?"

"When Albus died –"

"You know after you murdered him."

"He asked me to. He was dying."

"Both of you stop." Regulus warned. "Yes, Albus asked you to kill him, but in the process he caused you to do the most awful thing to a person. Killing, even as a favor destroys a part of you. Your soul for my cousin Malfoy's… It hardly seems fair."

"Tell me about it. That bloody coward didn't do anything for either side."

"Something we can agree on!" James exclaimed, but quickly settled down given the way Regulus looked at him.

"Death, regardless of how much you plan it, always causes for plenty of unfinished business. In this case it was Harry. He never had the chance to tell him the last piece of the puzzle. He suspected – rightly so – that you would never share it with Harry –"

"But I did. I gave him the memories."

"Yeah because luckily Harry was there to see you die. Had he gotten there a few minutes later… whole different story. Also, thanks for sharing such a slighted version of the truth with my son."

"Not my fault that no one ever thought to share with him about you."

"Gentlemen stop." Regulus was very serious. "In spite of what memories you chose to share, Albus felt he needed to talk to Harry one more time. That's where I come in."