Under the Full Moony

Scroll 17: Regretful Runaway

"Joined the what?" Sirius frowned and sat up, running a hand through his hair.

"The Order of the Phoenix. It's an organization led by Dumbledore to fight against the Dark Arts," explained Lily patiently.

"And, what, Dumbledore wants us in too? Sweet! I'm in!" said Sirius.

Remus frowned, "I really should I suppose."

"Good then, it's settled, Dumbledore really wants to talk to us, so we decided to meet him at our place," James stood up and stretched.

Sirius and Remus stood up as well, "Let's go."

When they arrived and Lily and James' house, they found Dumbledore was already there, calmly sitting on a squashy purple chair in front of the fireplace.

"Good evening, all."

"Good evenin' Proff." said Sirius grinning as he sat down in the recliner opposite of Dumbledore.

"Evening," mumbled Remus and he made as if to sit on the sofa with James and Lily, but Sirius pulled Remus onto his lap.

And to further embarrass him, Sirius put his arms around his waist, and spoke to Dumbledore as if it were the most normal thing in the world, " Prongs said you wanted to see us about some Phoenix thing?"

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled, "First, good evening to all. I am most pleased to see you are still bonded in friendship ... and ... well-"

Dumbledore's eyes strayed over to Remus and Sirius, then Lily and James. He frowned, but continued, "Yes, in fact. I trust you have agreed to join the Order of the Phoenix?"

Sirius and Remus nodded in unison.

"Good. But, first I must address Lily. I want you to keep tabs on who goes into the Misuse of Magic sector and why. We have had reports of Death Eaters infiltrating the Ministry this way. Obviously, it's the perfect opportunity to perform the Imperious Curse, or such."

Lily nodded. Dumbledore continued, "I trust James will help you. Now then."

Dumbledore's sky-blue eyes turned back to Sirius and Remus, "As for you two ... Remus, I want you to go to this address."

He flicked his wand and a small piece of parchment appeared in front of Remus. Remus took it and frowned, "I ... fear I don't understand."

"You will. And you must act quickly, he is in danger."

"He?" Remus frowned even more.

"Yes, he. And if we do not manage to keep him away from the Death Eaters, I think both you and your family are in danger."

Remus' eyes widened, "W-what!"

"I suggest you go with him, Sirius. You may give him the message from me. And now, to my deepest remorse, I must take my leave. I do hope that next time Mr. Pettigrew will be here as well. Good-bye, and good-bye."

There was a 'pop' and Dumbledore was gone, leaving Remus and Sirius looking at each other dumbfounded.

"It's Snivelly, isn't it!" said Sirius, putting an arm around Remus protectively as they walked down the dingy street.

"No, I don't think so. He doesn't live around here," Remus studied the scrap of parchment intently.

"Oh, so you know where he lives! How did THAT one happen!" said Sirius angrily, tightening his grip on Remus' waist.

"Obviously he told me, Sirius." Remus looked up at a black stone building, "This is it."

Sirius still pressed on as they walked through the front gate and up the stairs., "And does Snivellus know where YOU live!"

"No, I don't think so." Remus looked down at the scrap of parchment, "Flat number 636. I think we're on the ... second floor." Remus looked up, "Long way to go."

Sirius growled behind him, "Well, WHY do you know where he lives! Were you planning to VISIT him!"

Remus sighed, "Even if I wanted to, I couldn't."

"Darn right you can't! I wouldn't LET you!"

"He's gone."

Sirius stopped, "What?"

Remus turned to him, "I sent him an owl and it returned without a response. He's gone."

"Gone ... where!" Sirius narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"I think I know but ... I'm still hoping it's not true."

"He's a Death Eater, isn't he?" Sirius grabbed Remus' arm, "You knew didn't you!"

Remus pulled away, "One more floor."

"Can you ANSWER me! What else happened between you two! You talked to him about becoming a Death Eater! Does Dumbledore KNOW! That was dangerous, why didn't you ever tell me! Remus, at least LOOK at me!"

Remus turned around, annoyed, "Yes, I knew! Yes he talked to me about things he wouldn't even tell Regulus! Dumbledore knows and he has asked me to not tell anyone else! He has his reasons and I doubt you'd want to question them."

Remus turned around and kept walking up the stairs quickly. Sirius followed at his heels, fuming.

"We're here," Remus announced a few moments later. He knocked quickly and waited.

It was a full ten seconds before Remus knocked again.

No reply.

Sirius growled and grabbed the doorknob, turning it hard. To his surprise, the door opened.

Remus exchanged a quick glance with Sirius before walking in.

It was the darkest, dustiest, dirtiest place Remus had ever set foot in. He looked around and raised his wand, "Lumos."

Behind him, Sirius did the same and walked past him, floorboards creaking. Sirius' wand light revealed a few dead animals tacked onto the walls.

"There's nobody here ..." he whispered.

Remus tensed suddenly, "There is ... look."

He raised his wand higher, so the light was cast all the way to a lonely corner at the far side of the room. A man crouched there, blood-shot blue eyes glittering madly.

"Who goes there!" he asked in a raspy voice.

Remus frowned and took a step forward, "Pardon us for intruding, but we have a message to you from Dumbledore ..."

The man looked up suddenly, and stood up just as quickly, "What's HE want! What's HE know ...!"

Sirius put a hand on Remus' shoulder and whispered, "If he tries anything, I'll kick his arse."

Remus ignored that, "You're in danger. He knows that much. And, please, if you've had any contact with any Death Eaters-"

"Death Eaters! Wizards!" the man growled viciously. "No ... pathetic wizards who prize themselves above us! A whole Department just for us; they think they're so clever!"

The man slumped back down and felt on the floor, as if looking for something. His long matted brown hair hung over his face.

"But," Remus began, and the man looked up again, eyes widening dangerously. "- Dumbledore said you have. Please, you don't understand ... people are in danger."

"People! Always in danger ... always ... Muggles are just stupid prey ... and wizards ... well, the hunt is always more vicious that way!" the man said with a cruel laugh.

Remus looked over at Sirius, frowning, "I don't understand ..."

But Sirius was looking at the floor. There was an old, yellow newspaper, the pages crinkled and damp, and the picture was scratched out, but the headline was still as black as coal.

'Fenrir Greyback still at large after slaughtering well-known Head of the Department of Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures: Nathaniel Crawfort and his family.'

Remus' mouth dropped open, he fell to his knees, and he snatched the newspaper from the floor, "So ... it was true ..."

The man had found what he was looking for. He pointed the wand at them, "Leave! Get out of here!"

He saw the newspaper in Remus' hand, "GIVE ME THAT!"

He lunged at Remus and there was a bang as Sirius sprung up in front and slammed the man against the wall.

"Don't touch MY-!"

Remus had stood up and walked up to the man, now pinned against the wall, "Nathan ... "

The man stopped struggling, "What!"

"Nathan ... it's you isn't it?"

Sirius frowned, "Nathan ... I've heard his name before ... that other boy who was supposed to be in our dormitory but left ... Theodore? He said something about Nathan being killed ..."

"HE KILLED THEM! HE KILLED MY PARENTS! He killed my MUM ... and he LAUGHED! LAUGHED IN MY FACE! AND ... it's all YOUR fault Remus! YOUR fault! You did this ..."

Remus took a step towards him, but Sirius pulled him back, "He's gone mad ..."

"Sirius, he's a werewolf! And it IS my fault ... Nathan, please, be reasonable!"

But Nathan had finally managed to throw the curse off. He lunged at them, teeth bared ... like an animal.

Sirius threw him back again, "Remus, run!"

"Sirius, we must help-"

"Run! We'll alert your parents! Don't worry, run!"
687
Sirius threw Remus down as a hex flew their way and used Levicorpus on Nathan, but that didn't seem to do any good.

How they made it down the stairs and out of the building, Sirius did not recall. All he remembered once outside was the frantic rush they'd been in as Nathan had chased them down six flights of stairs, Sirius ducking hexes, sending jinxes this way and that, and shielding and pushing Remus along.

They ran even after getting out of the building. They ran and ran and finally fell down, onto the pavement of some dark street, panting.

Remus looked up at Sirius, "You're MAD! Why didn't you let me handle it!"

"Did you want to get ripped apart! I saved your bloody neck!"

Remus looked annoyed and put his face in his hands, "Fenrir will get him ... I just know he'll come for Nathan ... "

Sirius sat next to him and wrapped his arms around Remus, "Hey ... it's okay ...it's alright ... we tried. It couldn't be helped ... let's go home ..."

Remus nodded and stood up. Sirius began taking his coat to give to Remus (seeing as how Moony's was tattered and torn in various places) but Remus just huddled in with Sirius. It was late and it was cold, and when they got home, they didn't talk or stay up at all. They just fell into bed, clothes and all, and huddled together for warmth ...

Remus Lupin received the first major shock in his life the next day, when he neared his parent's small house and found the Dark Mark hovering over it.

It was a greater shock to find his parent's bodies as a bloody mass in the kitchen. Nathan's body too, lied near them.

Remus understood. It was Fenrir ...

John and Gwendolyn Lupin were buried that day, in a cemetery nearby. James and Lily, Peter, Sirius and Remus, all stood in front of the graves long after everyone else had gone ... wondering how everything could have changed so drastically from one day to the next.

Sirius stayed up all night, comforting Remus and wiping his tears away. He silently comforted Remus, because just as words cannot describe how it feels to lose a family member, words cannot provide comfort. Part of him felt hopelessly guilty, part of him felt an inexplicable dread.

"This is your first assignment, Regulus. Make us proud," hissed Bellatrix from under her mask and hood.

Regulus nodded slowly and walked up to the door. He started to knock, when either Bellatrix or Severus, blasted the door open.

Regulus turned to look at them both. Severus just nodded; Bellatrix looked particularly excited, as if the prospect of killing an innocent girl was thrilling.

Regulus walked in, wand alight and raised above his head, "I-I know you're in here! D-Donna Smith! I know who you are! All I ask, is that you do everything I say ... a-and I won't hurt you!"

Bellatrix laughed shrilly, "Get out of there silly girl, and your death will be less painful."

She waved her wand and a girl about Snape's age came hurtling out from inside a wardrobe, "Please ... stop!"

"I want you to tell me everything you know about the Potters and their dear little friend Sirius Black. Where are they now? Tell me! What's been going on in their little world of fancies and happy endings?" Bellatrix asked impatiently.

Donna looked up at them fearfully, "I don't know, I swear, I swear I don't know!"

Bellatrix growled, "TELL ME!"

A shrill shriek came from the bedroom, the unmistakable cry of an infant. Bellatrix smiled cruelly, as Regulus had never seen her smile before and nodded at Severus, who walked to the bedroom and came back with the small baby.

Donna gasped, "No, please no! DON'T! DON'T HURT HER! PLEASE!"

Bellatrix laughed again, "Then, you will tell me all I want to know! Tell me! Or else!"

Tears welled up in Donna's eyes, "Please ... the last I saw them ... it was Lupin's parents' funeral! We didn't talk much, please! Please ... don't hurt her!"

Regulus looked at Severus, willing him to catch his eye. The cries of the baby grew louder, Bellatrix laughed harder, Donna's pleads ...

"Incendio!" cried Bellatrix.

Regulus turned in time to see the baby on the ground, on fire, screaming louder and louder. Donna flung herself to her burning baby.

"Do it, Regulus! Just do it!"

Regulus was in shock. He couldn't even raise his wand let alone perform and Unforgivable Curse.

There were flames everywhere, consuming the small house, smoke rising up into the sky. He heard Snape cry, "Avada Kedavra!"

Regulus was being carried away, away from the cries of the baby, away from the flames consuming the house ... he'd failed.

"We didn't find out much, my Lord ... only that Greyback did his part."

Voldemort laughed coldly, "And ... Regulus?"

Bellatrix said grimly, "He failed us ... at the last minute he ... "

Severus interjected her, "He will not fail again, I will see to it ..."

Voldemort turned his eyes on Snape, who lowered his, "I see ... Regulus ... I am a very merciful person ... but should you fail again ... "

Regulus bowed low, "Yes your Lordship."

The three bowed out of the room. Regulus followed Snape to his room and closed the door.

"You never told me he was after my brother!"

Snape threw his cloak and mask off, "You never told me you'd care! And when have you thought of him as your brother!"

Regulus gasped, "What are you talking about! He's my brother and he'll always be!"

Snape looked at him as if he'd never seen Regulus before, "You've gone soft is all!"

"I didn't sign up for this, Severus! And I know you didn't either ... please ... let's leave this hell-hole! We're not meant for this kind of life!"

"What are you talking about?" snarled Snape.

"Run away with me."

Snape stared at Regulus for a long time before looking away and whispering, "No ..."

"What! Why not! Please, Severus ..."

Snape shook his head and looked at Regulus in the eye, "No."

Regulus looked at the floor, "Why not!"

"He'll find us ... he- the Dark Lord always knows ... "

Regulus swallowed hard, "Don't you love me?"

Snape looked away, "I love you enough that I won't tell anyone what you've done. Go ... go now ... "

Regulus stared at him, "What!"

"GO!"

Regulus turned from him and ran from the room, ran from Voldemort, and ran from what was the biggest mistake in his life ... he ran not knowing that in doing so, he was running towards his death.

A/N: What a short chapter ... wow ... well ... anyway ... Regulus ROX!

Ahem ...

Review please!