Enter for the International Wizarding School Competition – Summer Camp - Week 1 - Gryffindor
Task: Write about avoidance
Word count: 1,255
Warnings: AU Canon Divergence
Devil's playground
Regulus Black never thought that he was a good actor, but after everything that had happened at the last Death Eaters meeting, he was convinced that he was a good enough one. He needed to report to his grandfather soon, but to do this, he needed to avoid the wrath of the Dark Lord in the meantime.
Regulus almost couldn't stop the smile that crept in his face when he saw the way that Lucius was practically draping himself over the Dark Lord. The man was a pathetic excuse of a wizard, if you ask him, but Regulus wasn't going to say anything to anyone—unless they were the right people, of course.
"Cousin, do you mind if we walk together?" Bellatrix asked, but didn't wait for Regulus' reply, she just grabbed his arm and started to walk with him to the apparition point. "What did you think about the meeting tonight?"
"It was very interesting," Regulus replied indifferently. He knew that the walls had ears, and he knew how to play the game. "Are you going to your house?"
Regulus knew that Bellatrix was a smart witch, and the smile that she gave him was predatory, but he wasn't afraid: he knew that she caught the double meaning of his sentence.
"Yes, I'm going to my house," Bellatrix answered with a glint in her eyes, making Regulus smile without even trying. "Don't keep the others waiting, be smart, Reggie."
Bellatrix let go of his arm when they arrived at the apparition point, and with another glance at him, she popped and disapparated. Regulus knew what he needed to do before he could go back to Grimmauld Place, but that didn't mean that he was going to like it. Sighing and resigning himself to his destiny, he turned back to the room where the meeting was, and waited for a moment to talk with the Dark Lord.
Regulus was aware that he and his family were playing a dangerous game here, but no one could say that the Blacks were fools. No, they knew exactly what they wanted and they were going to get it, no matter who they would have to crush on their way to the top. He was glad that his grandfather had insisted his grandkids learn Occlumency, because otherwise, he didn't think that he was going to survive much longer.
No one ever thought about avoiding the Dark Lord's presence in their minds, most assuming that it was foolish to try it. But no one else had Arcturus Black III as their Head of House, and that's why Regulus knew that he had everything in him to succeed.
"Have you seen my wife, Black?" Rodolphus asked Regulus when he came back. "I can't find her anywhere."
Regulus didn't know what Bellatrix had had in mind when she decided to marry the Lestrange guy, but he knew that he was going to be important to their plans in the future. That didn't mean that he was going to stay around and play nice; he intended to avoid Rodolphus in any way that he could.
"Does it look like I know where my cousin is? She is your wife, so I think you should keep better tabs on her." Regulus didn't wait for him to answer, he turned and stalked to the throne room where the Dark Lord was finishing his business with Lucius.
"Go, Lucius, and do what I have told you. Don't bother to come back if you fail me," Voldemort's voice was low and cold, and Regulus took great pleasure in seeing the way Lucius was trembling. He was never going to survive in the Black family.
"Yes, my Lord, thank you, my Lord." Lucius was kissing Voldemort's hand and making a fast retreat, making Regulus roll his eyes at how pathetic he looked when he acted like that.
"Regulus, I see that you came back." Voldemort made it seem like he knew everything that happened with his Death Eaters, but he didn't know everything; Regulus made sure that the Dark Lord never knew what he was planning. "Something to report to me?"
"Nothing that you don't already know, my Lord." Regulus bowed to him, but he would never lower himself to Lucius' level and kiss Voldemort's robes. He had more dignity than that. "I was wondering if you needed me for any reason, or if I'm discharged for the night."
Voldemort smiled, something that made Regulus think about a snake ready to eat their prey, but he wasn't going to let himself be vulnerable near him.
"I like the way that you think., You will make a great soldier, I just know it." Voldemort's smile widened, and Regulus had to fight to not smile back.
'Oh yes, I am a great soldier, but not for you. My only allegiance is to the House of Black,' Regulus thought, but since his mental shields were in place, he knew that Voldemort wouldn't even know what's going on.
"Thank you, my Lord, it's an honour," Regulus replied, bowing his head to hide his smile. "If this is all, I'll be leaving now."
"Go, I won't be holding you back." Voldemort dismissed him and Regulus didn't waste any time in leaving.
He knows that in no time at all, he would need to start avoiding these meetings if he wants to survive this, but Regulus didn't know yet how he was going to achieve his goals. He needed to talk to his grandfather and the others to know how he could avoid all the backlash that was coming.
Turned out that avoiding the Dark Lord wasn't as difficult as he thought it was going to be. Regulus just needed to have one conversation with his family, and they came up with a plan that helped him avoid the fury of Tom Riddle.
"I don't understand how he came up with such a lame name," Sirius said, sitting at a couch on his grandfather's study, looking at his baby brother. "Even I would come up with something more interesting than that, and I don't intend to become a Dark Lord anytime soon."
"I'm so glad to hear that you aren't planning to make a fool of yourself in the near future," Arcturus deadpanned, making Regulus and Sirius laugh. "If we're finished talking about the name that man chose, can we go back to the topic?"
"Sorry, grandfather," both brothers replied, trying to hide their smiles.
"We need to plan the fight that you two are going to have and make sure that everyone believes that Regulus has died, and that no one knows what we're planning," Arcturus said with a pointed glare, and Regulus knew that this meant that they need to stop wasting time and come up with a plan. "That Order you joined, still think that you two are estranged?"
"Yes, Dumbledore doesn't have a clue about what we are planning," Sirius said with a feral smile. Regulus couldn't wait to see the old bastard lose. "Everything is going according to plan."
"Excellent, let's focus on how we are going to do this," Arcturus said with a glint in his eye that Regulus recognised as 'war mode'. "We have a war to finish and we need to avoid any casualties for the House of the Black."
Regulus couldn't stop the smile that appeared in his face. The Wizarding World wouldn't know what is coming their way, and he can't wait to see them all crumbling at the feet of the House of Black.