After giving Rachel and the other Order members enough time to round the corner, Evan stepped out of the doorframe he had been partially hidden in. Looking up at the sky, he didn't see the dark mark anywhere in sight. Whether that actually meant anything or not, he didn't know. While it would have been rather foolish for anyone to conjure the dark mark so near where an Order meeting was taking place, the mentality of some of his fellow death eaters was not lost on him either.

"The other death eaters have probably already left by now," Rookwood remarked a few moments later. Evan was too busy straining his ears to answer. It sounded as if more footsteps were coming.

"Do you have patrols tonight?" Rookwood asked.

"Stupefy," came a shout from around the corner. Evan ducked in just enough time to avoid being hit by the red beam of light. It was fortunate their attacker, who turned out to be Dedalus Diggle, hadn't thought to cast something non-verbally.

"Crucio," Rookwood answered with flourish as Diggle dropped into a heap on the concrete.

So much for Rookwood being 'less cruel,' Evan thought wryly as Diggle continued to scream and his fellow death eater showed no signs of lifting the spell anytime soon.

"Are you about done?" he asked after nearly a minute as his ears were practically splitting from the sounds of Diggle's anguished screeches.

Rookwood lowered his wand grudgingly, "The little bugger thought he could sneak up on us. He deserves to be taught a lesson for that."

"Yes, but would it not be better to get information from him? He's not just an Order member. He's also close with Dumbledore," Evan answered indifferently.

"Yeah, I'll bet you and Dumbledore are close," Rookwood sneered. Evan interrupted, having no doubt the other death eater was about to ask something entirely useless.

"What is tonight's Order meeting about?" he demanded, as was the first question that came to mind.

"I… don't… I-" Diggle attempted, breathless still from the cruciatus.

"Speak up!" Rookwood taunted, "We can't hear you," he paused for mere seconds before casting again, Crucio!"

As minutes ticked by this time and Rookwood showed no signs of letting up, Evan looked away and fought the urge to cover his ears too. Diggle's pitiful screams echoing loudly through the alley they stood in left him surprised that no one had come to investigate.

As the screams finally seemed to lessen slightly, Evan looked back at Diggle. He thought perhaps the spell had weakened, causing Diggle's lessened response. One look between him and Rookwood told him differently.

Rookwood looked ecstatic, completely exhilarated to inflict such suffering on someone else. Diggle was wet with sweat and drool from screaming and a questionable mixture of other bodily fluids.

"Avada Kedavra," Evan cast with little hesitation. He felt he was putting himself and Diggle both out of their misery. Once the yelling had stopped he succumbed at last to the impulse to rub his ears. It seemed unlikely they would stop ringing anytime soon.

At Rookwood's questioning look for why he had intervened, Evan remarked indifferently, "If you'd taken any longer I wouldn't have had time to eat anything before patrols." IT was a lie, of course. He was in far more in need of a drink than anything, as the idea of food didn't appeal to him in the slightest after witnessing that. "You can take care of the corpse, I presume?" he asked, disapparating before Rookwood had time to respond.


Regulus left the Apothecary after having spent a small fortune on some potion ingredients that were more difficult to acquire in Britain. As expected, darkness seemingly held less significance here than in Diagon Alley, as the streets of Avirodh were still relatively full of people.

As this was Sirius and his last intended night in India, Regulus had ventured out to do a few last minute errands before attempting one last discussion with his mother.

On their first night in Avirodh, Sirius had found a bar in a more questionable area of the village, and had elected to spend most of his evenings there. Regulus hadn't returned to the bar with him since they discovered it in favor of spending his time acclimating their mother to the wizarding community.

As Regulus made his way down the steps of the apothecary, a voice called from behind him,

"Find what you were looking for in there?"

Regulus stopped and turned back to find Amala, their waitress from the restaurant they had eaten at their first night, walking towards him. Judging by her wary expression, she remembered his asking about poisons last time they had spoken,

"Amala," he greeted as he adapted his pace to walk alongside her. "Yes… I needed some things that are more difficult to find back home. We are leaving tomorrow."

"Glad to hear you are taking what you bought with you then," she answered amusedly.

"So, where are you going?" Regulus asked both to change the subject and because he was genuinely curious. She looked quite stunning, dressed in turquoise and with her hair pulled into something entirely too elegant for a simple stroll through the village. He found it a bit odd to see her dressed as she was though. He had yet to see any place in Avirodh where such extravagance would have been expected.

"Home now. And you've volunteered yourself to walk with me it seems," she answered with a trace of a smile.

Ignoring that he wouldn't have seen her if she hadn't drawn attention to herself, he smiled charmingly,

"It would be a shame not to when you look as lovely as you do."

She looked away from him without comment.

"So where were you, anyway?" he asked after a moment, hoping to ease any awkwardness by changing the subject from her appearance.

"Oh, you really don't want to know," she answered, looking even more flustered than she had before to his amusement.

"I do actually," he smirked. "I've not had enough time here to see everything. There must be countless things in Avirodh I have missed."

Amala took a somewhat labored sounding breath, "You're from somewhere in Britain, right? I would guess England." He looked at her in mild surprise. "Your accent gives you away," she answered his unspoken question. "You're like a refugee from their war. You've likely been through… some things. I worry telling you where I was wouldn't help you feel welcomed here in Avirodh when you actually are welcomed, so long as you are peaceful."

They walked along in silence for a moment. As they walked, Regulus glanced at her from the corner of his eye. Now that he was paying attention to her properly, there was something familiar in the graceful yet almost imperceptible cautiousness in the manner she carried herself. Despite looking innocently unconcerned with her surroundings, he knew she was acutely aware both of how she was portraying herself as well as everything else around her.

Deciding things couldn't be much more awkward and that it scarcely mattered as this was his last night in a foreign country, he remarked,

"You were at some sort of elitist pureblood function then?" At her look of horror, he smirked, "just a guess."

"It wasn't like that- I mean only purebloods are invited, yes. But we gather more for the preservation of tradition rather than because anyone believes themselves better than anyone else."

"Of course," Regulus answered wryly.

"Don't think badly of me. I can't help that I'm pureblood any more than someone else can help being a muggle."

Regulus looked away from her guiltily without comment. Rachel had said something similar to him in one of their first real conversations. Thinking about Rachel somehow made him equally glad to be returning to Britain as he was apprehensive about it. As much as the uncertainty of how she felt about him gnawed at him, it was nothing to what finding out she truly hated him would be.

Lost in his thoughts, Regulus continued towards the residential area of the village with Amala in silence for a few moments. Eventually she remarked,

"You know… if you hadn't come from Britain I might have guessed you to be a pureblood yourself. As it is only those said to have 'lesser' blood status who are forced to flee the country, that must include you, right?" When Regulus didn't answer immediately she added, "That's how little difference blood status makes then, isn't it? I mean it's not like you can tell by looking at someone."

"You're probably right," Regulus answered vaguely. While he didn't entirely agree, he didn't see any harm in Amala believing as she did. Especially when comparing the peace of Avirodh with the lack of it back home. Deciding it best to change the subject, he remarked,

"Thanks again for your book recommendations on Ayurvedic medicine, by the way. The book I bought is quite interesting."

"I didn't know if you would actually buy any of the books when you asked to be honest. What did you find most interesting?"

"Ah, hard to say..."

"So, you haven't read any of them?"

"No, I did. But as you've mentioned, there is a war going on. As such, I can't imagine my… energies? Being balanced anytime soon."

"I'd imagine it's quite stressful where your from right now."

"Yes," Regulus agreed, "and of course conflict only adds strain to everyone's relationships," he added. Realizing she was expectantly waiting for him to elaborate, he added offhandedly, "It also rains a lot in Britain."

Amala's eyebrows scrunched slightly, "I can't tell if you are being serious or not," she remarked quizzically.

"I am being serious, but it's complicated, isn't it? It's like everything contributes to how healthy someone is or isn't- it just seems like an awful lot of maintenance."

"I believe the muggles find chronic illness to be fairly high maintenance as well," she countered.

"Fair enough," Regulus conceded, "but I think it must be easier to maintain balance from the beginning rather than try to correct it later on."

By then they were approaching the residential portion of the village. Amala revealed her family lived in one of the stone houses, much to his secret amusement.

"So… my mother intends to remain in Avirodh, after I leave," Regulus felt the need to confide just before they separated.

"Won't she miss you?"

"Any mother would miss her child I should think," he answered evasively rather than lying. Aside from not knowing anyone else, he wasn't sure how much his mother would actually miss him. "She hasn't gotten out much since we've been here. I'm worried she is destined to become a hermit."

Amala nodded vaguely, "I'd imagine it's tough to move to a new place. Perhaps I could introduce her to my mother?" she asked before seemingly regretting it and backtracking. "I mean… if you think it would help… I can try to."

Regulus smiled, "I think that'd be great, only I should warn you that my mother can be a bit… opinionated."

"I'm sure it's nothing she can't handle." Amala shrugged, "I can't see what it could hurt."

Regulus shook his head. Surely his mother would at least be kind to those who were nice to her in a foreign land. He could hope at least.


"You know James used their two-way mirrors to contact Sirius. I think he plans to be at today's meeting," Lily said from her perch near the window of her and James' cottage. James had left a half hour ago to run an errand for Dumbledore. Lily had scarcely left the window since.

Rachel gave a noncommittal, "Mm," in response.

"I assume that means Regulus will be coming back as well. Are you excited to see him?" she asked, looking away from the window to better see her reaction.

"Excited probably isn't the word," Rachel replied, ignoring the slight leap she felt in her stomach at his mention.

Lily glanced once more at the window before walking across the room and taking a seat at the kitchen table across from her. Green eyes met green with a look of determination in Lily's.

"What word would you use?" She asked curiously, yet in a tone that Rachel knew she wouldn't be able to evade answering. Apart from admitting she and Regulus dated while at school, Rachel had given Lily very few details, much to the redhead's irritation.

"I… don't know," she answered lamely. At Lily's look, she added hastily, "Honestly, I mean, I nearly convinced myself that I was over him, or at least that I was better off without him, and then he showed up in the infirmary half-dead with Sirius."

"What? When was that?" Lily asked confusedly though Rachel ignored her question.

"I knew his being with Sirius must have meant something had changed in his status with the death eaters, but when I tried talking to him, he gave me some cryptic line about still being a part of them. He then left in the middle of the night without telling anyone. The next thing I heard about him was that he had been killed... and then he came back as 'Marcus' - but then surprise, it was him all along.

She closed her eyes and rested her elbows on the table in ill-manners as she rubbed her temples.

"So how do you feel about him now?" Lily prodded with a trace of a smile at the mild outburst.

"I've told you, I don't know." she answered in mild exasperation. "He isn't how people perceive him. I know that he wouldn't do anything to intentionally hurt me, but it's like every time I allow myself to… There's always another shoe to drop with him. Look at what happened to Remus."

"Regulus didn't cast the spell. You've said he is probably the only reason you are alive."

"He's certainly the only reason I healed as quickly as I did," she agreed.

"It sounds to me as though you still have feelings for him." Seeing her expression, Lily added, "Reluctant feelings… not unlike how I used to feel about James."

Rachel scoffed, "At least with James there was never any question if he knew the difference between right and wrong. You knew he had good morals."

"You must not have seen some of those pranks he got up to at school," Lily countered.

"Still… those were pranks. He was never a death eater."

"No, but he didn't grow up in the house of Black either. As much as I love Sirius, he didn't leave that house unscathed either."

Rachel didn't answer. It was hard for her to imagine how growing up must have been for Regulus when he so rarely talked about it. He seldom mentioned anything about his family to her, likely because it usually led to her saying something about them that angered him - because she just didn't understand what it was like - so she heard.

"I think its good you ended things with Remus when you did - before anything really got started, I mean. It would have been unfair to him if you haven't yet worked out your feelings for Regulus."

"In that case it could be years before I am dateable again," she answered sardonically. "Figuring out anything to do with Regulus is no small task."

"That sounds high maintenance…" Lily remarked, "Maybe you should just shag him." Rachel stared at the redhead in surprise. "What? I can't imagine he would object."

"You at least realize that's horrible advice, don't you?"

"Yeah… maybe. I've spent too much time with the marauders over the years I think, sorry," she answered completely unapologetically. "It got your attention though, didn't it? Just imagine how much more so it would for Regulus."

"Yeah… throwing myself at him would get his attention alright," she had to agree as Lily jumped up from her seat. Turning around Rachel saw that James had returned, signaling it was time for them to leave for the Order meeting.


"Mother, is there anything else you need before we leave?" Regulus asked hesitantly.

She refused to look at him, instead pretending to read the book she held before her. She had taken to ignoring him as much as possible in the couple of days since they'd arrived in Avirodh. When he had returned to their apartment the previous night she had already been in bed.

After an impregnated pause, Sirius chimed in from the doorway, "Just leave it, Reg. We need to get back."

Regulus glanced at him before turning his attention back to their mother. From the corner of his eye he saw Sirius roll his eyes before stepping out into the hallway.

Regulus knelt in front of the chair his mother was occupying and pulled the book away from her. She stared stubbornly at her lap rather than protest, which only further proved his theory that she hadn't been reading to begin with.

He remained there, watching her expectantly until she looked at him. When she finally did he remarked,

"I'm sorry that you don't want to be here."

"Then why do you insist that I remain here- alone?"

"You know why. You know it is unsafe for you in Britain."

"It is no safer for you-"

"No, but I signed up to partake in the war. You didn't. And you don't have to be a recluse. Amala said she would be happy to introduce you to her mother. She is a pureblood-"

"Her blood is nowhere near as old as mine!"

"Maybe, but she is pure, and there is nothing to be gained by you purposely offending her. Amala thinks her mother might be able to help you adjust here. She invited you to have tea with them this afternoon."

"Should you not stay to ensure I do not inadvertently offend-?"

"I must be done with this, mother. I've done all I can do to get you away safely from Britain, but I cannot stay away indefinitely. The Dark Lord has likely only gotten stronger while we've been away."

Regulus stood to leave. He vaguely thought he should kiss her cheek or hug her goodbye or do something to show affection towards his mother, but didn't. That had never been their relationship. She had rarely physically touched him as a child, and he had learned well over a decade ago not to attempt to elicit any affection from her.

He used to think some sort of affection from his parents would have been nice- something to show they genuinely cared whether he lived or died. Instead, they preferred to look at him from a distance.

Unless they wanted him to do something. In his mother's case, she often became a bit more affectionate then. Never anything extravagant, of course, a brief holding of his hand or pat on his head. Likely due to the deprivation of human contact he had been accustomed to, he had welcomed it- craved it even.

Likely due to his detached upbringing, there were few people Regulus could touch even now without it feeling unnatural. If he were honest, his mother wasn't one of them. He cared for her, and even valued her opinion to some degree. He would certainly protect her as best he could, but he knew she tried to manipulate him at every opportunity, and that was unlikely to change anytime soon. Not the heartless sense of manipulation that Sirius or maybe even Rachel would accuse, but there was no doubt she was deviant towards him and everyone else.

"Goodbye, mother. Please do be sensible while you are here."


Sirius waited just outside the door of their mother's apartment. He didn't bother with saying goodbye to her as he had nothing to say. Their interactions had ranged from hostile to ignoring each other entirely on this trip. Sirius would have preferred to argue rather than ignore but as it had been made clear that their quarrelling was grating on Regulus' nerves, Sirius had resolved to remain quiet for more of their trip than he would have liked- at least while in their mother's presence.

As soon as Regulus cleared the threshold, Sirius grabbed his arm and began pulling him away towards the stairs. He wasn't taking any chances of Regulus being drawn back into staying with their mother, though surprisingly, it seemed she had put up less of a fight to keep him there than she had in recent days.

"I think you can let go now," Regulus said irritably as they made their way up their stairs towards the ground level.

"Not yet," Sirius answered with a smirk, "I'm not taking any chances."

Regulus rolled his eyes before forcefully pulling his arm out of Sirius' clutches and bolting up the stairs two at a time. Sirius took off after him and made it outside just moments after Regulus.

"That was mature," he said breathlessly.

"You act as if I don't want to go home myself."

"You don't, do you?" Sirius asked skeptically.

"It would be more reasonable to stay away, but as I am obligated to go back, there is no sense in prolonging the inevitable."

"You'll have to forgive me for doubting your desire to return," Sirius answered dryly. "I don't know how I could have when you sound so eager about it."

"How could anyone find returning to a warzone enjoyable?"

"Well, I miss my friends. So… there's that. I don't suppose you have anyone you miss… unless you count Evan who should kill you on sight by your affiliations and Rachel who…well she might want to kill you as well considering what happened to her because of you."

"Thanks for the reminder," Regulus answered sardonically.

"No problem! Though I suppose with Valentine's Day coming up," Sirius began before seeing Regulus' expression and changing subjects, "Where are you planning to live now anyway?" he asked in a would-be casual tone.

Regulus gave him an exasperated look before asking resignedly, "Why shouldn't I return to Uncle Alphard's?"

"Well… as it was our fault that mine and Remus' house was burned-"

"It was you and Lupin's fault because you should have known better than to continue living there."

"And because it was our fault that Remus ate Mulciber…. I might have offered Uncle Alphard's house to Remus to make up for…. you know. Setting him up to eat someone as disgusting as Mulci-"

"You did what?" Regulus demanded. "You gave him a house? My house?"

"Actually it was my house," Sirius corrected him.

"Why can't he find his own damn place to live like anyone else?"

"Why can't you?" Sirius countered.

"I had a place. You gave it away."

"It was my house! And I didn't say you couldn't live there… just that… well, I should probably clear it with Remus first."

"Clear it with Lupin… you are such a hypocrite! All I've heard for weeks is how I shouldn't care what mother thinks. You are continuously unable to do anything without the approval of your friends- especially when it's at my expense, I might add."

"You have more money than Remus does. His family isn't as well off as ours and you've harbored the money from your trust… which if you think about it, that money is only yours by my grace," at Regulus' look of contempt he added, "I am the head of the family."

Regulus scoffed, "Glad to see you're finally taking ownership of the title," he answered dryly. "I'll be sure to repay you. I'd hate for you to go without anything," Regulus answered before disapparating without another word.

Sirius rubbed his hands over his eyes. He wished he had a time turner to take him back to the start of that horrendous conversation. He didn't care anything about the money from Regulus' trust. It had been allotted to him by their father and technically was his. Sirius' point had been that both he and Regulus had plenty of money- and Remus didn't. It would be easier for Regulus to come up with another place to live rather than Remus. Why had that been taken so negatively?

Realizing the time, he began a succession of disapparition, making his ways towards Hogsmeade for the Order meeting.