Written for:
Quidditch League - Round 3 - Wigtown Wanderers - CAPTAIN: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley: Write about an action or event that has major consequences.
Hogwarts: Assignment 6 - Healer Studies - Task 6 - Maledictus: Write about a fast-approaching deadline.
A/N: Not canon compliant
Thanks to Angela and Ari for betaing, and to them and the other Wanderers for brainstorming with me :)
So you could sit there in this hurt
Kreacher appears in Grimmauld Place with barely a sound, his eyes wide in shock at the grey bodies starting to emerge from the water in the seconds before the order was thrown at him to leave. To take the locket and destroy it. To leave Master Regulus there. He's still in shock at the grey beings with eyes fixed only on his master who is weakened from the potion.
He's in his bedroom, in the cupboard. It's warm in this enclosed space, cosy even. He doesn't need a lot of space (and wouldn't dare ask for anything bigger). But the most important thing is that it's close to Master Regulus' room. He knows some house-elves have smaller spaces, so he's always been grateful for what he's been given. It's dark, which he has always been content with, but it just reminds him of the dark shadows of the Inferi that started to rise from the water.
Sharing a wall with Master Regulus has been the highlight of his life at Grimmauld Place. Ever since he was little, Master Regulus would sometimes knock on the wall and Kreacher would daringly tap his own fingers on the wall in return. He'd have to punish himself the next day because he's sure there's a rule. Disturbing Master Regulus from his sleep, perhaps.
When his master went to Hogwarts, there was no tapping in the night, just silence. He'd still find himself tapping against the wall. But those grey-skinned monsters have probably gotten out of the water by now, and Kreacher knows they'll harm his master. There won't be anyone to ever tap on the wall again. Master Regulus will be gone.
He'll still have Master Orion and Mistress Walburga, and he loves those he works for, but Master Regulus has always had a special place in his heart.
His body is shaking at the idea of harm coming to Master Regulus. Just watching him drink the potion was hard enough, but Kreacher being alive when Master Regulus may face death is the worst future Kreacher can imagine. All for a locket. He drops the cursed thing onto the flattened old cushion that serves as his bed. The retrieval of this item is the reason Master Regulus could die. Kreacher would have willingly drunk the potion to protect his Master. He'd have gladly handed himself over to the monsters rising from the water, just to give Master Regulus time to escape. He could have gotten them both out of there, but orders are orders.
But Master Regulus insisted on drinking the potion himself. Kreacher has tasted that potion before - when they went to put the locket there. The potion felt like death itself was flowing down his throat, which made him feel like death was preferable. He'd go through that all over again.
He's aware that his master had a choice. Master Regulus could have ordered him to drink the potion, and Kreacher would have had no choice. Had it been his mistress, Kreacher is almost sure she'd have made that request. Or Master Orion. He doesn't question whether Master Sirius would ask that of him because he's certain that the disgraced master would have done that without a second thought. He's never had the same bond with the disgraced master and had silently feared the day when he would become heir. Instead, he silently celebrated when Mistress Walburga scorched his face from the family tree, meaning Master Regulus would be next to take charge.
But Master Regulus wanted to protect him from the potion. There has never been a single soul that'd be willing to do something like that for him, and he knows that there never will be. But now he's safe in his cupboard and his little master could be fighting for his life against those undead beings.
There's nothing he can do. He's been given an order, and his magic is bound to the blood of this family. Breaking a rule… it's painful. Agony. It'll be so much that he'd be unable to even get to Master Regulus' side, not whilst he's still recovering from when he drank the potion. Had he been in full health, he'd be able to do something. But he's still unwell, and useless.
It should be Kreacher there, fighting off those monsters whilst Master Regulus runs away. Master Regulus' life is more important - he's a Black, and Mistress Walburga always talks about what family means.
Master Regulus has always treated Kreacher like he's family, and that's why Kreacher needs to go back. He needs to find a way.
But the thought of family gives him pause, and his eyes widen once more as a plan forms. Kreacher prefers to have time to think about things, and whilst it's only been seconds since his return, he knows time matters. He doesn't have a lot of it, because Master Regulus doesn't have much himself.
So for the first time in as long as he can remember, Kreacher does something reckless. Because reckless is what he needs. He needs someone to order him to return to Master Regulus. Someone with the right blood, so he's not fighting against an order. Someone who will act first and think later.
With that thought, he reaches for the locket once more, feeling the darkness from it. He wastes no more time, and he snaps his fingers and disappears. His blood-link to the family allows him to find the place he needs to be. He reappears in the new place instantly and hears a surprised shout, and then a familiar, angry voice.
"What the utter fuck is that thing doing here?!"
Kreacher holds back a comment on his former Master's language. He bows slightly, showing respect that he knows the disgraced former master doesn't deserve. His eyes fall on the marigold coloured rug on which he's standing, which is a vast contrast to the deep purples that Master Orion loves, the blood-reds that Mistress Walburga adores, and the greens that his little master has taken a liking to.
"Get out before I—"
"Master Regulus is in trouble," Kreacher states loudly, feeling daring at the idea of talking over someone in their noble house. Sirius stops short at this, lowering his wand slightly, and Kreacher watches carefully. "Master Regulus may die. Master ordered Kreacher to leave, and Kreacher is bound by the family to follow orders. Kreacher can't break orders, unless…" he looks at Sirius desperately as he straightens from the bow, and notices for the first time that they aren't alone in the room.
Sirius is pale at this information. Kreacher watches as Sirius' head turns wildly, meeting the gaze of the half-breed and blood-traitor, before turning back to Kreacher with a determination that Mistress Walburga has always hated, and therefore Kreacher has loathed. But that's changed at this moment because it's suddenly a determination that Kreacher has a new-found love for. "Kreacher can be ordered to go back," he adds. This is taking too long. Those creatures would have gotten to his little master now, which means he could already be dying on that cold cave floor, or being dragged into that murky water.
Everything is happening so very quickly, but Kreacher needs things to go even faster. Why are they risking Master Regulus' life with this silence?
"Kreacher, I order you to bring the three of us to Regulus' last location, and to disregard his last order," Sirius says, in a tone that is similar to the way Master Orion has always addressed him. Kreacher feels the pulse of magic, the blood bond between himself and this family still in play.
But still, Kreacher grits his teeth in anger. If the disgraced one had only started by telling him to ignore Master Regulus' order, that would have been enough. He could have left before listening to the rest of the order, but he suspects that Master Sirius knows this and chose the words to prevent Kreacher from leaving without him. Now he has to take the other three with him. The little master will be sad if Master Sirius is hurt, which means Kreacher has more people to have to protect. But he can't disobey an order. And he understands Sirius' concern. Kreacher wouldn't want to be left behind either.
"Wands ready, could be a trap," the blood-traitor says, watching Kreacher carefully. When Kreacher looks over, the man's wand is still raised, pointing at him, though Kreacher is sure he's not going to shoot off a spell unless given a reason.
"Lower your wand, it's not," Sirius tells them, his eyes on Kreacher. His gaze moves to the locket in Kreacher's hand. "Now." There's that tone again.
Kreacher clicks his fingers, and they're gone from the warm apartment with the colourful cushions and throws and rugs that Kreacher hates, and back in the cold, drafty cave just in time to see Master Regulus' head go under the water. His eyes flutter closed, and Kreacher feels hopeful. Master Regulus is still alive, so they can still save him.
They all start forward, and suddenly Kreacher is glad that Master Sirius is there. He can see the same fire in Master Sirius' eyes that he's seen in Master Orion's eyes, and in Mistress Bellatrix's eyes. He looks wild, mighty, like he's ready to walk into that water himself and get his brother.
He's a Black and they're powerful and to be feared and awed, even the disgraced ones. Kreacher knows this, just like his ancestors did. They are the most powerful family, and if anyone can save Master Regulus, it's this wizard. If anyone can destroy this locket… well, Kreacher is certain only someone from this noble family will be strong enough, and the disgraced master is a better option, because Kreacher doesn't want Master Regulus near something like this ever again.
Master Regulus is going to be so happy when he's healed because he's gotten to see Master Sirius again. Kreacher knows he's been missing his brother. Kreacher also knows Master Regulus will forgive the disgraced master because Regulus is the kindest person that Kreacher has ever had the honour of serving.
And what makes Master Regulus happy, makes Kreacher happy.
1700 words
Also for:
Seasonal:
Days of the Year - April 5th - Go For Broke Day - Write about someone taking a risk.
Aquarium Month - 7. Thermometer - wRite about someone that is sick/unwell
Crayon Day - 44. Shadow
Children's Book Day - 10. Fixing Something
World Autism Day - 2. Talking over someone else
Zoo Lovers - 2. Giraffe - Write about someone sticking their neck out for someone
Spring Colours - 13. Marigold
Hufflepuff House Challenge - 4. Ridin' the Storm Out - R.E.O. Speedwagon - Write about waiting for something bad to happen
Dragon Breeding
Writing Club
Record Collection - 1. Sexual Healing - Write about needing something
Written in the Stars - 4. Reckless
Showtime - 9. Somewhere (word) forgive
Lizzy's Loft - 16. (word) Trouble
Elizabeth's Empire - 1. Ashes (emotion) determination
Liza's Loves - 17. (word) sacrifice
Sophie's Serial Killer - 10. (emotion) hopefully
Scamander's Case - 4. Protecting someone
Lyric Alley - 17. Pain!
TV Spree - 14. Trait: Determined
The Forecast Says - 1st - hurt
EnTitled - 21. Protect
Funfair
Urban Safari - 16. (word) Mighty
Paint a Rainbow - Green: 4. Lower
Tree Planting - Yew - (emotion) fear
Spring Petting Zoo - Ponies - (word) Short
Fortnightly - Hogwarts Library - Lord of the Flies - Only male characters