Hi there! Glad you could make it.

As usual, your reviews are awesome and amazing. Truly the lifeblood that keeps these creative juices flowing.

Well, it's about time we get back to some plot, eh?

If Someone Cared Enough

Chapter 112: The Cave

A terrible storm rolled in across the Tetbury countryside around late July, dousing the affluent residents of the town in several days of heavy rainfall. The downpour had swollen the river, causing flooding in the roads, making treks on foot cumbersome if not nigh impossible. Trees struck by lightning took out the power lines and plunged muggle residences into darkness.

While magical homes cared not for electricity, the weather still left many worried as the winds threatened to take roofs clear off buildings and flood even the most magically fortified basements and cellars.

Prince Manor was no exception. Charmed and well warded against attack and trespassers, the age old, simple nature resistance spells didn't hold up to the more powerful forces of nature and this storm was proving to be a doozy of a blowout.

Ponderosa likened it to the famed gail of '34, which was said to have collapsed the roof of the Noble Selwyn home, taking with it the patriarch of the family, whom refused to evacuate and insisted his weather proofing charms could withhold against even a cyclone.

Shutters rattled on their hinges at the manor, the glass shaking in the window panes as torn up shingles on older segments of the home led to leaky roofing that needed mopping. The cellar was under at least a three inches of water, the weather charms being massively outdated and weak. Fruit preserves and vegetable tins floated past the house elves' ankles whenever they went to get supplies to cook with.

To add to problems, the third day in a sizeable limb of a tree managed to smash through the side of the stables out back, spooking the Prince's collection of Aethonan horses. The ensuing effort to calm them led to many of the Prince's current occupants picking feathers and hay from their hair for hours.

Lily hummed to herself as she read, Severus's head on her lap, the lad dozing softly. Her fingers carded through his hair and stroked the back of his neck. Using her free hand to turn pages, the redhead sat against the headboard in shorts and a sleeping tank, bare feet bunched up in the blankets pooling around her legs.

With her folks out to get groceries, the afternoon had been hers and Severus's. After spending some amorous time between the sheets, Severus had dozed off while Lily thought to catch up on some light reading with a charm book from the Prince's library.

Severus snuffled nuzzling against Lily's thigh with a mumble, quieting as Lily gently shushed him, her fingers lightly running across his scalp until he settled. Rarely did Severus nap; the stress of the storm and restlessness of being cooped up finally waring him to exhaustion.

Lily threaded her fingers through Severus's hair, snickering as she managed to find a feather he'd missed from the flying horses' stable fiasco. She was sorely tempted to tickle Sev's nose with it, but she hated to wake him when he needed the rest. Settling for using it to bug him another time, she placed the feather on the nightstand, marveling at the angelic white hue of it.

A thunderous clamor made her jump with a startled yelp, jarring Severus from his slumber.

"Wha's that?" he asked groggily, shaking himself awake.

"Don't know," Lily answered, closing her book and sliding off the bed. She tugged on a long sleeved, oversized shirt on as Severus pulled on his pants, "It sounds like knocking."

Severus frowned, grabbing his wand, "So at the front door then. Don't suppose your parent's just locked themselves out, do you?"

Lily shook her head, "Augusta is with them, she's keyed in to the wards."

"And Franks and Alice are gone for the weekend," Severus noted, heading out into the hall.

Whoever was knocking was making quite the racket, the frantic pounding echoing through the house and up the stairs. The knocker had to be magical; only an amplifying spell could have carried the sound over the thunder.

"What on earth is going on?" Petunia groused meeting Severus and Lily at the foot of the stairs, "Who would visit in such awful weather."

"I don't quite think this is a simple visit, Petunia," Severus remarked, wand at the ready.

Petunia's eyebrows shot up, worrying working its way onto her face, "You think it's an attacker."

"If they are, I doubt they'd be so kind as to use the front door," Lily mused, also drawing her wand, "But they sound urgent."

"Severus?" Eileen stood in the doorway of the sitting room, nervously clutching at her robe. In her hands was a crooked wand; a hand-me-down from the Prince family heirlooms to protect her until she could acquire a new one.

"What's happening?" she asked worriedly.

Severus waved the others away from the door, "Stay back, just in case. We don't know what we're dealing with."

"Sev, if it is a stranger, how could they get passed the wards," Lily asked in a whisper, "No one can enter by force; Dumbledore made sure of that."

"Then the wards let them through," Severus said back, "It's possible the wards picked up that they bore no ill intent."

Lily stared warily at the door as the pounding continued rapidly, "So a friend?"

"Or at the very least, not a foe," Severus answered.

Pointing his wand at the door, he called out with more confidence than he felt, "Identify yourself."

"It's Reg," came the panicked voice from outside, "It's Regulus. Pleas Snape, let me in."

"Regulus Black?" Lily questioned, shooting Severus a confused glance, "What's he doing here?"

"Beats me," Severus muttered before turning back to the door, "How can I be sure that it's you?"

"During the school year, you showed me a room that only appeared to those who wished for it," answered the voice, "In there you told me about the horcruxes."

Severus lowered his wand, "It's him."

He unlocked the door and opened it cautiously, peering outside suspiciously. What he saw made him curse.

"Shit," he pulled open the door fully, revealing a soaking wet, puffy eyed Regulus clutching the limp form of a very aged, battered house elf.

"Help him," Regulus begged, voice shaking, "Please…"

{page break}

The wind howled like a feral beast high upon the jagged, rocky peak. The ledge gave off to the sheer drop off of rolling, churning ocean currents and murky depths unfathomable. Salty spray splattered the rocky embankment, dotting the blackened surface with white dusting, quickly washed away by the rain and replaced by more with every wave that bashed against the rocks.

Severus pulled his cloak tighter around him, rain pelting his face and soddening his clothes.

"Is this the spot?" Severus asked his companion.

Regulus nodded, his wet, inky black hair clinging to his face in a wraith-like appearance, "This is what I saw in his mind."

"You should have let me take a look as well," Severus commented. He shook out his leg with distaste; the bottoms of his pants were soaking in water like a sponge, "It would be nice to know exactly where I'm going."

Regulus shook his head, "Kreacher never would have agreed to that; I'm the only one he's ever trusted in his head."

"Besides," Reg added, "I'm not about to force him to let you in; not after what he just went through."

There was a whiny behind them; the Thestrals were getting impatient. They were the only creature aside from dragons capable of getting through such a terrible storm.

"Something tells me this place would be rotten to visit even when there isn't bad weather in this region," Severus remarked.

Regulus was inclined to agree, "I think he has a permanent storm enchantment around here; make it too dangerous for most to venture to."

"Still surprised you can see these things," Severus noted, pointing at the Thestrals.

Regulus huffed, "Not as surprised as I was to see your family had a stable of them. I saw the passing of my great aunt Aries. What about you?"

"No one," Severus responded, "I can't see them."

"Then how were you able to ride one so well?" Regulus questioned.

"I knew it was Thestrals pulling the carriages at school since second year. Potter pushed me towards a mud puddle and I smacked into an invisible horse by mistake. I've fed them from time to time while gathering potion ingredients at the edge of the Forbidden Forest. They let you sit on their backs once they get used to you."

Regulus managed a grim grin, "One misunderstood creature bonding with another, eh?"

Severus nodded, "You could say that."

"You say this is where You-Know-Who brought him?" Severus asked, thankful he'd managed to convince Lily to stay home and care for a delirious Kreacher, "How do we know he isn't still here?"

The look Regulus gave him was dark, but full of fear, "We don't."

"Oh come on" came a sharp voice of exasperation behind them.

Severus whirled around, wand out in front of him. Besides him, Regulus drew his own.

Simone looked none too impressed to be staring down the end of either wand.

"Put those away," she snapped in annoyance, "If I was an enemy, I would have taken you both down already instead of announcing myself."

"Not if you wanted the satisfaction of us looking our killer in the eye," Severus pointed out, wand still raised, "Prove it's you."

Simone looked away, unable to meet his eyes.

"Last year I struck you in a moment of anger during an argument over Thea's arranged marriage," she said shamefully, "Hurting someone who trusted me is one of the most regrettable things I've done."

Severus lowered his wand, signaling Regulus to do the same, "Nice of you to join us, Simone. How was the honeymoon?"

Simone blushed scarlet.

"Never mind that," she snapped. She strode forward and jabbed a finger into Severus's chest, "What I want to know is what you two are doing here? Thea and I spent weeks rifling through the memories of a bloody drunkard just to even catch even a glimpse of the location and you guys figure it out in a day! How the bloody hell did you manage that?"

"Kreacher was brought here by the Dark Lord," Regulus said, his voice shaking at the thought of the convulsing house elf they'd left at Prince Manor, "He barely made it back alive."

The heat fled Simone's face in an instant, concern pushing to the surface, "Is he alright?"

"He'll live," Severus answered for Regulus, "But from what we've gathered, You-Know-Who used him to test out his security on this place."

He leveled Simone with a meaningful look, "He hid something inside."

Simone nodded, face grave, "So a horcrux is here; my hunch was right."

"Is this your first time here?" Severus questioned.

Simone huffed, folding her arms over her chest, "Hardly. Thea and I finally got the coordinates ages ago, but a fat lot of good it did us. We have no idea how to get inside. Whatever entrance used to be here from Dennis's memory was sealed up or hidden years ago."

"Dennis?" Regulus asked curiously.

Simone dismissively waved a hand, "He grew up in the same orphanage as Tom. Riddle brought him and some other kid here when they all were children. Messed them up real bad…even if my legilimancy was better I doubt we'd have gotten all the details. Dennis shoved them so far down he doesn't remembers what happened."

"And the other victim?" Severus inquired, already knowing he'd not like the answer.

"Dead," came Simone's stiff reply, "Deliberately stepped in front of a train couple of years back. Couldn't live with the trauma anymore."

She turned to the two boys, "My contact told me the incident had been quite infamous in the orphanage for quite some time. Given the amount of pain he left in those two; I figured the cave must hold some…" she grimaced, "Fond memories for Tom. It's why I thought a horcrux would be here."

"Shall I assume that contact is a bearded wizard with a crooked nose and horribly clashing fashion sense?" Severus asked.

Simone scowled, "Well of course you'd know who it is. Can't I feel like James Bond for even a little?"

"Enough," Regulus interrupted, "We can't waste time. Whatever is in there we have to get."

"So how do you intend to get in there?" Simone asked, genuinely curious, "I've yet to find a way in."

"Kreacher," Regulus answered darkly, "The Dark Lord dragged him through all the defenses."

"Which is why you had me bring this," Severus surmised, pulling a vial from his robes. A thick crimson liquid sloshed around inside, "Kreacher told you to take his blood. Why?"

Regulus took the proffered vial, "It's the first safeguard.

Pouring the blood onto his hand, Regulus slapped it against the cave wall with a wet smack.

"Kreacher said the Dark Lord cut him to use his blood on the cave," Regulus explained as the cave slid open to reveal an entrance, "He made sure it hurt. There's all sorts of spells that can draw blood painlessly and he chose painful for Kreacher. Makes me think the offerer of blood must suffer for it to be viable."

"And Kreacher was still in agony when he told you to take his," Severus surmised, "Clever."

Simone sneered, "Can't say I'm surprised that the rotter would pick such cruel methods."

She gestured towards the entrance, "Shall we?"

"Yes," came a different, albeit familiar voice, "We shall."

Severus whipped around, sputtering, "Lily? What are you doing here?"

"Helping," was Lily's simple reply.

"B-but we agreed you'd stay home," Severus insisted, utterly flummoxed.

"No," Lily said pointedly, jabbing Severus in the chest, "You said I should stay home; I never agreed to it. Then while I was getting the healing salves you slipped out with Regulus."

"But how are you even here?" Severus questioned.

Lily jerked a thumb at Simone, "Who do you think told her you guys were here? Petunia called for her and she brought me to help you two."

Simone shrugged when Severus turned accusing eyes to her, "So I brought along a stowaway, consider it payback for solving this before me and usurping all my hard work."

"This is dangerous," Severus seethed through gritted teeth, "and you're risking her life on some petty one-upmanship—"

"We need all the help we can get," Simone interrupted and if it's escaped your notice, Evans is one of the best charm students Hogwarts has had in ages. There's bound to be other enchantments and curses in place inside and we need someone who can sniff them out. Someone who might know what to look for."

Severus glared at Simone, "She's an ace at charms in class; that doesn't make her an expert. I didn't want her mixed up in all this."

"And I don't want to be talked about like I'm not even here," Lily interjected smoothly, sauntering past her boyfriend, "Another complaint from you and you'll be going through quite the dry spell until we return to school."

Severus wanted to argue, wanted to protest that her safety was worth celibacy for the next thousands years, but the challenging warning in Lily's eyes cowed him.

'Don't even try it,' her eyes seemed to say.

Lily strode after Regulus into the cave, both their wands lit for light.

"So," Simone said, striding up to Severus, "Finally became a man, have you?"

Severus huffed, "oh come off it!" He stormed into the cave, a smirking Simone at his heels.

"You know how I feel about her endangering herself," Severus muttered to Simone as they walked through the darkness, "I can't believe you brought her here."

"She wanted to come," Simone answered nonchalantly, "Who am I to tell her no?"

"Someone with a brain, I would assume," Severus snapped, "You know, you of all people I expected to understand my worries. I mean, you didn't bring Thea because it's dangerous, right?"

"Thea stayed behind of her own volition," Simone replied sternly, "She's been around enough dark magic growing up in that home of hers; she hardly wanted to see what horrors You-Know-Who could cook up."

Regulus stopped suddenly, causing the others to bump into him like a row of falling dominos.

"This is the spot," Regulus announced, "This is where he brought Kreacher."

They stood inside a large drafty opening, an inner sanctum of the cave. Washed in a sickly greenish yellow glow, the wall flickered with shadows and the reflection of rippling water, cast by the murky, little lake filling the center of the room.

Out in the center of the lake stood one lone island of rock, a single white pedestal on it. The glow that covered the room emanated from it.

"He took Kreacher out to the center," Regulus explained, pointing to the island, "That's where we need to be."

Severus looked around them, "Any thoughts on how to get across."

Regulus shrugged, "We can't swim it; Kreacher said something lurks beneath the water. It's what nearly killed him. When he touched the water, whatever is down there came after him."

Simone tsked, "Let's see here…Expecto Patronum!"

A light burst from the end of her wand, a large furry creature careening into the air in a glow of translucent blue. It scurried and charged through the air in fast yet heavy steps, not a creature of grace.

"A Honey Badger," Severus noted, quirking a brow as he turned to Simone, "a killer of snakes…and Hufflepuff's crest…"

Simone shrugged, "Thea's is an African Bush Viper."

The badger lumbered around the cave, lighting up every crevice and cranny with it's ethereal, enchanting light. It floated over the water cautiously, darting this way and that inches above the surface.

"Kreacher's right," Lily said, a tinge of fear entering her voice, "There's something below the water."

She pointed to the swirling, twisting shapes just a foot beneath the chilly depths.

"What do you suppose it is?" Simone asked.

"Not a clue," Severus answered, "But I'd rather not find out."

Regulus looked around them, "Kreacher said they took a boat out to the island, but…I don't see anything."

"What the devil are you doing, now?" Simone groused suddenly.

All eyes turned to her as she stormed across the shore towards her lingering Patronus.

"Stop flipping around like an idiot," Simone ordered, "Bloody stubborn creature, no clue why you're what my magic chose."

"Stubborn and vicious," Severus remarked, "Seems like the perfect representation of you."

Simone glared at Severus before redirecting her attention to her patronus.

"Seriously, enough of the bouncing," she said in exasperation, "You're job is done, so away you go."

"Wait," Lily called out just as Simone was about to vanish it, "The light…look at the shadow its casting."

Against the cave wall, just mere feet from them, a very odd shadow was being cast by the patronus' light. It was long and thin, swaying slightly.

"It looks like…" Severus squinted, "A chain?"

Curious, Severus reached his hands out, blindly feeling for something not there to the naked eye.

He was more than a little surprised when his hands met a cold, wet chain.

It's an anchor!" Severus cried out, "The bloody thing's invisible."

Tugging with all his might, Severus was pleased to see a boat emerge from the water.

"Looks pretty rickety," Simone noted, vanishing her patronus, "That can't possible hold any of us."

"It's magic, Simone," Severus said dryly, "I think looks can be deceiving."

Lily waved her wand over the boat, "There's some sort of enchantment on it. A weight charm?...no, that's not it…a limiting charm?"

"Kreacher said he thinks the boat is only capable of holding one person," Regulus said.

"And yet, Kreacher rode it with You-Know-Who," Severus pointed out.

Simone frowned, "So…only one wizard?"

"What if…" Severus tapped his chin, "Only one adult wizard?"

Lily and Simone exchanged a glance, "What makes you say that?"

"Mostly guess work," Severus replied, "But it's no surprise that a house elf could enter the boat without trouble; Tom underestimates creatures he feels inferior."

"I bet you this cave was designed to keep out or kill formidable foes," Severus went on, "Like Dumbledore, those he already fears or expects to pursue him. Adults, fully empowered and gifted wizards."

He looked back at the others, "I don't think he expected us."

"But we're legally adults now, Sev," Lily pointed out.

"Yes, but Reg is not," Severus stated, gesturing to Regulus.

He held his hand out to Regulus.

"One adult wizard," he said, "And an underaged exception. You up for this?"

Regulus stared at Severus hand long and hard before grasping it in a firm shake, "I'm in."

"So….what?" Simone piped up, "Me and Lily are just going to…make sand castles while you two try and kill yourselves over a horcrux?"

"I have a better resistance to the horcrux influence than you," Severus informed her, "Not sure why, but it affects me less. And Regulus is the only one who know what to do thanks to Kreacher's memory."

"That's even if your boat theory pans out," Lily cut in worriedly, "And we have no clue if it will."

"Only one way to find out," Severus said. Not wasting any time, Severus took a deep breath and climbed into the boat.

Everyone held their collective breaths, waiting for something to happen.

The boat remained floating to everyone's great relief.

Severus held out his hand, "Reg?"

Steeling himself, Regulus grabbed Severus's hand and hopped quickly into the boat.

Simone sucked in a breath, while Lily covered her eyes.

Still the boat stayed afloat.

"Right," Severus said, shakily, trying to ease his nerves, "Let's get to it then."

Almost immediately after he said this, the boat started moving on it's own.

"Be careful, Sev," Lily called out with concern.

"Yeah, Snape," Simone cajoled, "If you two die, I bloody kill you both!"

"Going to bring us back from the dead, Serapeum?" Severus taunted.

Regulus lightly touched Severus arm.

"Severus," he said softly, "There's something you should know…"

Severus turned to Regulus, question in his eyes.

Regulus fiddled with his cloak, "Kreacher…he said the Dark L—You-Know-Who…made him drink something from the pedestal."

"It hurt him," Regulus went on in unease, "A lot. He said it felt like his stomach was boiling. He said he saw…things, Severus. Terrible things. He wouldn't describe it to me."

Regulus looked meaningfully at Severus, "Kreacher said drinking the stuff is the only way to reach the bottom; to get to the horcrux…the locket."

Severus inhaled sharply, "Slytherin's locket," he breathed.

Regulus nodded gravely, "Yes…that's why you must make me drink it all."

"Make you?" Severus balked, "Reg, you don't have to do this—"

"Kreacher suffered because I entrusted him to that bastard," Regulus bit out, "He trusts me above all else and I gave him to someone who hurt him worse than he's ever experienced."

Tears burned Regulus's eyes, he stubbornly wiped them away, "I owe him to get this locket and make You-Know-Who pay for hurting him. That's why you're going to make me finish that potion. And then…you're going to replace the locket with this."

Regulus held up a golden object on a chain.

"A copy?" Severus inquired, taking the locket.

"A damn good one," Regulus said with a nod, "Its old magic…blood magic. Even if I die…it will not revert to its originally form."

Severus pocketed the fake, "No one is dying today."

"I'd feel a lot more confident if Dumbledore was here," Regulus said. He chuckled, "Never thought I'd say that."

"When did you even have time to make the copy?" Severus asked.

"Before I came to you," Regulus replied. My parent's are away for the week, so it was just me when Kreacher came back, clinging to life. I spent days getting the tale out of him, forging a copy."

He raked a hand through his hair, "I intended to have Kreacher bring me back here when he was healed; have him feed me the potion, but he wasn't getting better. I had no one I could go to; all the others would have told me I should be honored to let my house elf die from serving our Lord; Bellatrix would have killed him without hesitation and said she'd done me a favor."

"So you came to us," Severus intoned, "Because we wouldn't turn you or him away."

"I know you already faced down one horcrux," Regulus said with regret, "And the last thing you need is to fight another one so soon. I know I should have waited…built a better plan. But I need to do this, Severus. It's the only way I can make right all I have done…all I've let be done in that bastard's name."

Severus took Regulus by the shoulders, "You aren't the only one trying to clean the red off their ledger, Reg."

Regulus smiled in relief, all worries forgotten as they sailed towards their ominous destination, writhing figures swimming in the wet darkness beneath them.

We all know where this is going, I don't know why I even bother being mysterious with what's in the water, XD

Anyone miss old Reggie? He was bound to come back some time.

If anyone one is wondering why Voldemort moved to hiding the locket so soon in this story when in canon Regulus is brought there by Kreacher sometime after having left school, having already lost the diary (and the diadem, but I can't remember if I decided that he knows of that yet), he's moving up his protection plans for his horcruxes.

Review please :)