Chapter 34: A Unified Force For Good
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{"You call to me, and I fall at your feet...How could anyone ask for more?...And our time apart, like knives in my heart...How could anyone ask for more?...But if there's a pill to help me forget,...God knows I haven't found it yet...But I'm dying to, God I'm trying to...'Cause trying not to love you, only goes so far...Trying not to need you, is tearing me apart...Can't see the silver lining, from down here on the floor...And I just keep on trying, but I don't know what for...'Cause trying not to love you...Only makes me love you more...Only makes me love you more..."}Trying Not To Love You, Nickleback
Open Field,The Burrows, Wizarding World...
The loud crash landing had gotten plenty of attention in the open field of The Burrows. Regulus scrambled to his feet and found himself accompanied by The Potters, Harry and Ginny with their wands drawn, and The Granger-Weasley's Ron and Hermione also with their wands drawn.
Ron looked over the injured wizard with a bit of annoyance.
"You're that yank bloke from the alley." he said as if it were the first thing that came to mind.
Hermione rolled her eyes and lowered her wand.
"Regulus." she said pleased to see that he had made it out of Hogwarts tunnels as well.
Harry and Ginny simultaneously lowered their wands and attempted to help the limping wizard.
Regulus waved them off as he turned his attention to Hermione.
"G-Good to see you in one piece gorgeous." he said in his usual banter. "Unfortunately, I had a bad run in with those robed weirdos that had been stalking you all, the leader I think was a very moody kind of guy, I guess he didn't take too kindly to my sense of humor...dude totally kicked my ass and dumped me off in hooker alley or whatever."
Ron seemed to take note of how Regulus was looking at his wife and stepped in front of her.
"I'll have you know she's a married woman." he said not at all hiding his jealousy in terms of his wife's apparent attraction to this strange wizard.
"So the ring says, Freckles." replied Regulus turning his attention to Ron Weasley. "But we both know that's never stopped you...so why should she be any different."
Ron had been positively fuming.
"Listen...you." he began only to be interrupted by Hermione.
"Shut it Ron." she said harshly. "Everyone knows you can't keep out of the brothels married or not."
"Well what about him, I heard he spends more time there than I do?" shouted Ron not at all helping his own case.
Ginny narrowed her eyes at her older brother.
"Honestly Ron, you are a toerag." she said. "How could you cheat on Hermione?"
Ron's face and body turned red and in an instant he drew his wand aiming it at Regulus.
"I don't care if I do frequent a brothel, no Yank Snape look alike his going to steal my wife." he declared.
Harry sighed.
Everyone had been privy to Ron's less than savory antics and few said little citing it as not being their place.
"What are you going to do poke me in the eye freckles?" taunted Regulus. "I didn't come here to whisk your woman way if that's what you're so hard up about...I just wanted her and Geek boy to know that I've decided to join in their little war against the S.B.D."
Harry's emerald eyes widened.
"Y-You mean..." he began only to be cut off by Regulus.
"This does not in anyway make us friends Geek boy, I just want a little pay back on the bathrobe crew for jumping me in the tunnel." he said in clear warning. "As far as me and gorgeous are concerned Freckles, she's made it clear that she wishes to honor her marriage vows even if you won't and has graciously accepted my friendship despite what you may want to believe, and given that we are "friends", I thought it a good idea to give her a heads up about our mutual Halloween enthusiast having plans to harm her."
Ron folded his arms across his chest and narrowed his blue eyes at the son of his former Potions Professor.
"As far as I am concerned you are as greasy a git as your father." he said bitterly.
"Whatever you say freckles." replied Regulus turning back to the field.
"Wait." said Hermione noting his injured frame. "You shouldn't be flying in your condition, you've already crashed once."
"Twice if you count back at Malfoy Manor." admitted the raven haired wizard with a smile. "Don't worry about me beautiful, I can take care of myself."
Ginny had been in agreement with Hermione. From what Harry described Snape had to endure during his time as spy for the Order Of Phoenix. She could only imagine what Regulus had to endure at the hands of The S.B.D.
"Maybe you should stay for a bit and heal up." she chimed in much to her brother's annoyance. "I mean you did come all this way to warn us, the least we could do is put you up for the night."
"No Thanks." replied Regulus with his obsidian eyes flickering in Harry Potter's direction. "I just came to give you the update...but the offer was...appreciated."
Taking one last look at Hermione, The raven haired son of Severus Snape took off in a clap of thunder. Ron glared at his wife annoyed by her apparent attachment to this American wizard. It had not been enough for him to out do him in the ally but to have his wife's undivided attention with little to no effort made the red head quite envious.
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Snape's Bedroom, Malfoy Manor, Wizarding World...
Regulus returned to Malfoy Manor to find his meal on stasis as if they knew he'd return. He went through the window in a bid not to disturb them and immediately sat down to his meal. The flight and subsequent fight in the tunnel had made him famished. He was pleased that the fever had broken due to his late night swim prior to his arrival at the Manor and all he needed was a good deal of rest.
After finishing off his sandwich, the exhausted wizard passed out in the center of his father's former bed.