Chapter 74 - By Your Words You Will Be Condemned

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"You'll have to try and get him away from Mother," Black muttered into Severus's ear as they parted ways at the open doorway. "Say you need a word with him, or something, get him out into the foyer and I'll be there waiting for you both... the wards will still be open, if we can get him out into the grounds out at the front of the Hall, we can Apparate with him back to Hogsmede... do you think that would work?"

"Not really," Severus whispered. "I think you're probably going to get us both killed."

Black shrugged unrepentantly. "Probably." He frowned. "He might put up a bit of a fight if he's been Confunded, can you Side-Along someone if they're unconscious?"

"Yes," Severus said, peering carefully through the crowds, trying not to lose sight of Regulus. He was standing aimlessly between his mother and his intended, a rather gormless expression on his face. "Less likely to Splinch them, as long as you hold on tightly."

Black narrowed his eyes. "What's the matter?"

"Do you think we should be trying to help her, too?"

"Who? Mother?"

"The girl. Mina."

Black frowned.

"She's one of them, isn't she? We're here to save Reggie, we can't let ourselves get caught because you have a thing for one of your..."

"I d... it isn't just that," Severus hissed. "What if... what if she isn't one of them, not really? You thought Regulus was, didn't you, and..."

"What?"

"What if she's changed her mind," Severus said, hating the pathetic sound of his words even as he uttered them. "What if she's like me? What if she's like Regulus?"

Black pressed his lips together tightly and breathed out deeply through his nose.

"She'll have to be back at school, tonight, won't she?" he said, carefully. "Perhaps then you... or Granger - Granger could have a word with her and make sure she's alright, keep her at Hogwarts, away from her family. It's... she might not be, though, Snape. She's a Rosier, after all, her brother..."

"And you're a Black," Severus said, stiffly. "So is Regulus, and everyone trusts you, don't they? Even... even here, we're assuming Reg is here against his will, what if she is, too?"

"Alright," Black hissed. "Alright. Merlin, Snape. We need to get Reggie out of here first, though that's what we came here for. Then - then we'll see what we can do about your little girlfriend, okay? Now, then, while Mother's distracted by Auntie Druella," he finished, giving Severus a shove. "Get him out to the foyer, I'll be there waiting for you. Go!"

Severus began to pick his way through the crowd, discreetly wiping his sweaty palms on his borrowed robes. Regulus was glancing around blankly, left alone, for a brief moment, as Severus skirted Mulciber and his wife and managed to get his hand on his sleeve, giving it a brief tug to get the younger man's attention.

"Hullo, Sev," Regulus said, slowly, blinking a little in confusion. He wrinkled his nose. "Why do you smell like sour milk?"

"My scarf," he said, without thinking. "It's the baby's cloth, for when she gets sick."

Regulus peered at him curiously. "I didn't know you had a baby," he said, mildly. "Did I?"

"What are you doing here, Reg?" Severus hissed.

"I'm getting married," Regulus said, proudly. "To, erm...?"

"Mina," Severus supplied, curtly. "She's still at school, you know?"

"Is she really?" Regulus asked. "Blimey."

"Yes," Severus said, "She's in my seventh-year Potions class."

"Are you a teacher, now? A teacher and a baby," he asked, admiringly. "Where's your wife, then, is she here?"

"Yes, I'm a teacher, although I don't think I'm a very good one, and it isn't my baby. Come on, it sounds like we have a lot to catch up on, why don't we go somewhere a bit quieter for a chat?"

Regulus frowned. "I don't think I can," he muttered, dark brows slanted in confusion. "I think I'm supposed to stay here, with Mother."

Severus thought desperately for a moment, trying to concoct a convincing story to get Regulus on his own, but the words kept sticking in his throat.

"There's someone who wants to speak with you," he said, slowly and carefully, "they're waiting outside."

He glanced up to see Walburga Black's dark eyes fix upon him, narrowing in suspicion. Hit by a sudden wave of inspiration, he gave Walburga a discreet nod, and repeated himself, a little louder.

"There's someone outside who would like to speak with you," he said, tapping meaningfully against his left arm, where his Dark Mark stained his skin. Mrs Black's mouth twitched, and she gave her wand a tiny jerk in Regulus' direction.

Regulus's brow cleared. "Of course," he said, helpfully. "I'm delighted to have the opportunity to meet with our Lord and seek forgiveness for my foolishness. Did you hear, Sev? I was attacked and assaulted by a Mudblood, Obliviated with my own wand and left to wander the streets. I almost died." His face turned a little cloudy. "Apparently."

"No, I didn't." Severus said, curtly, placing his hand against Regulus's shoulder and giving him a little push. "Come on, then, Reg. You can tell me all about it afterwards."

Regulus allowed himself to be propelled through the crowds, stopping every few steps to nod and chat, politely but aimlessly, to his guests, until Severus repeated his trick of pressing his hand against his forearm with a meaningful glance and shoving Regulus on towards the exit, trying his best to ignore the prickling sense of being watched. Guiding Regulus through a heavily curtained doorway and taking a deep, relieved breath as he glimpsed Black's horrible purple suit, Severus was almost knocked off his feet as a solid body slammed into him with a muffled curse.

"What the devil are you doing, Snape?" Malfoy hissed, bracing himself against the wall.

The words spilled out of Severus's mouth without any warning.

"We're rescuing Regulus."

Black dropped his cup with a clang and Malfoy squeezed his eyes shut, a pained expression crossing his unusually flushed face.

"I presume this is some kind of a prank?" he muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"No, I..."

Snape swallowed, and swallowed again, glancing up to see Black's wand pointing directly at him. Malfoy twisted without warning, narrowing his eyes at Black.

"I thought you were a Squib?"

Black rolled Marius's eyes.

"Come on," he said, sharply, striding forwards to take Regulus's arm. "We don't have time for this. Malfoy, you'll need to cover for us, alright?"

"What the bloody fuck is..."

The three men froze at the distant sound of heels clicking on the tiled floor. Malfoy reacted first, shoving Severus and Regulus through a doorway and gesturing for Black to follow, closing the door behind them with a soft snick and sealing it with a spell.

He listened carefully for a moment before hissing viciously at them.

"Would someone please tell me what is going on here in no more than one sentence?"

"We came to find out what was wrong with Regulus," Black said, sharply. "He's clearly been Confunded, or something, look at the state of him. We're getting him out of here before he gets himself killed."

Severus glared at him in horror. What the fuck was Black doing telling Lucius? Was he - surely Lucius couldn't be assisting - why couldn't he open his mouth?

"How did he end up here in the first place?" Malfoy asked, stepping closer to Regulus and peering into his grey eyes. "It's not just a Confundus, he's under the Imperius curse, I suspect."

Black's eyes widened in horror. "She's imperioed her own son?"

Malfoy shrugged. "Well, you can't deny it's been rather effective. Severus? What's -"

Severus gripped his arm at the sudden searing pain from his Mark, the agonising burn followed by throbbing, pulsing heat. Lucius understood immediately, even as Severus fumbled with the unfamiliar cufflinks and pushed back his sleeve to show the tightened, reddened skin pulse angrily around his Mark.

He's calling you?"

Severus frowned, thankful he seemed to have regained the use of his mouth. "Yes," he muttered through clenched teeth. "Didn't your Mark...?"

"I think I used to have one of those, you know?" Regulus interrupted, peering at Severus's Mark with interest.

"Fuck!" Black said, fumbling with his silver flask as he took a swig of the Polyjuice. "We don't have time for this, if he's calling you we have to get out of here, Snape, you'll just have to cover for us, Malfoy."

The three men turned in sudden horror as the doorknob began to emit a scraping, grating noise.

Severus barely had time to react as Malfoy yanked the scarf from around his neck, hastily wrapping something into the fabric before shoving the bundle into the pocket of Severus's robes just as the door swung open.

"Would anybody care to tell me what is going on, here?"

The words were forced from Severus's throat with a groan as Black lurched towards him.

"We're rescuing Regulus."

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