The Houses Competition - Round 9 Drabble

Slytherin, Charms

Prompt: [object] Slytherin's Locket

Word Count: 875 (according to MS Word)

Betas: VanillaAshes, CupCakeyyy, Butterflies765, Fires of Eden Red Rose Aurora, Aya Diefair

A/N: A 'what if' story. What if Kreacher saved Regulus...

Kreacher Loved His Master

Kreacher would not obey his master. Not this time. He loved his master too much to follow his request through.

"Do not drink the water, Master Regulus!" Kreacher begged, moving quickly to switch the lockets.

He stumbled down the steps, grabbing Regulus' wrist when his master's fingertips were a hair away from touching the water.

With a loud, echoing crack they were gone.

XXXXXX

Consciousness hit Regulus like a thump from a Whomping Willow branch before he was ready to open his eyes. Every inch of him throbbed, including his brain, and his throat protested when he groaned.

"Master Regulus."

He flinched at Kreacher's loud voice. Liquid dripped onto Regulus' lips and he licked at it – water – eagerly, feeling a cup now being held against them. A small hand held the back of his head as the cold water soothed the rawness of his throat.

The more he drank, the more his memories started to come back. The cave, the potion… the locket.

Regulus sat up quickly, his eyes shooting open. The room was dark, and yet he could still feel it spinning, a headache throbbed angrily at the front of his head. "The locket, Kreacher," he croaked, using a hand to keep himself up. He was on the floor of his bedroom, that much he could work out from the shapes of the furniture. "Where is it?"

The elf put it in the free hand resting on his lap. "It is wrong magic, Master Regulus," Kreacher said in a whisper, the fear clear in his low voice. "Dangerous," he added, his breath hot on Regulus' neck as he stood close to him.

"We need to go, Kreacher. We're not safe here." Regulus shoved the locket into his trouser pocket and tried to stand up. His foot gave way the moment he tried to put some weight on it; energy was non-existent in his body.

"Master is not ready. Master must rest," Kreacher insisted.

Regulus shook his head, a movement he regretted immediately. "Sirius." Kreacher started to curse Sirius' name. "No, Kreacher. Take me to Sirius. He'll help."

He grabbed onto Kreacher's arm desperately. He needed this. "It's an order. We have to go to Sirius." He lost his voice at the end, talking made it hurt more and more, but Kreacher did as instructed.

They left one dark bedroom for another. Regulus collapsed onto his back, breathing heavily at the transition of places, like he had run there instead. A familiar voice called out in the dark before light flooded the room, sending stabbing pains into Regulus' eyes, even through his eyelids.

"Regulus?" Sirius' voice was filled with confusion and sleep.

He felt the footsteps of his brother vibrate through the floor into his back. That small innocuous feeling put Regulus' skin on edge. Hands started pulling him up as loud questions flew at Kreacher.

"I got the locket, Sirius," Regulus gasped out, struggling to find his voice.

"Locket?" Sirius hauled him up with a grunt, pulling him to the bed. Regulus' feet stumbled and he landed heavily. "What is going on? Where have you been?"

Regulus felt Kreacher on the bed with him, little hands but strong arms pulling him to the pillows. Nausea started to roll over him with the rough movements, his body feeling on edge with the aches and pains that wouldn't ease up. He pushed their hands away, ignoring Sirius' demanding questions, reaching into his trouser pocket. It took more effort than it should have to take it out, the metal warm in his palm as he pulled the locket out. Kreacher let out a low grumble at the sight of it.

"It's… it's Slytherin's locket… it—" Regulus tried to sit up. A firm hand pushed him back down.

"Kreacher, what does he need?" Sirius demanded of the house-elf.

"Dumbledore," Regulus said heavily. A crack reverberated around the room before he'd even finished saying the name.

Regulus relaxed into the pillows, smelling his brother's aftershave in the material and a calm settled on him. "I missed you so much, Sirius," he cried, a dry sob escaping him.

He watched Sirius stare at the locket still in his hand, the serpentine S of the gems were rough on his fingertips. Sirius gently took it from him, trying to open it. Regulus shook his head. "Don't. It needs destroying."

"Whose is it?"

Regulus stared at him until Sirius met his eyes, watching as realisation appeared on his face.

"I told you you were going down the wrong path. I told you," Sirius snapped, dropping the locket onto Regulus' stomach.

Regulus grabbed at Sirius as his brother took a step away, managing to get a tight enough hold onto his hand. Sirius caught him as he started to fall off the bed.

"I know." He grabbed at the t-shirt Sirius was wearing. "Help me. Please. I made a mistake."

Sirius sighed at the same time as Kreacher appeared with Dumbledore. A silence lingered in the room. Regulus and Sirius stared at each other, an internal argument happening, and Dumbledore watched them. Then a subtle nod came from Sirius.

Turning his gaze to Dumbledore, the usual amusement in his eyes not there, Regulus held up the locket to him.

"It's a Horcrux."