Chapter 83: The Best People In Life Are Free
Dora was still starry eyed when they returned home to 12 Grimmauld over an hour later. "That bank was utterly magical," she exclaimed as Regulus unlocked the hex-locks on the front door. He relished the simple act because it was entirely and legally his front door again.
"Gringotts should be magical, as it is a bank for magical folk," Kreacher stated reasonably, but as he spoke, he gave Dora an amused grin. With Dora being an ancient vampire, it still came as somewhat of a surprise to both Kreacher and Regulus how little she knew of magic. The wizarding world really did a good job of hiding it. "It's wonderful to know that at my age I still haven't seen it all. Once again life is invigorating," Dora said as they entered the front hall.
"So does that mean you'll stay around a bit longer," Regulus asked, trying not to appear as clingy and hopeful as he was feeling on the matter.
"Oh alright, if you are both sure I won't be a third wheel."
"Of course Miss Dora would never be in the way," Kreacher assured warmly. The look he gave her as he spoke was open and sincere, which was a relief to Regulus. He was touched by Kreacher's initial reaction to Dora when they'd first met, and he would've hated to see the elf's feelings change over unfounded jealousy. Dora had saved his life, and she whole-heartedly supported his and Kreacher's relationship. Kreacher could be vicious when he took issue with someone and Dora deserved better.
Dora smiled. "Very well then. And when I do eventually grow restless and need to change the scenery, if the two of you would like to come along with me, you're more than welcome."
Kreacher's eyes brightened with interest. "Where shall Miss Dora go, Kreacher wonders."
Dora shrugged slender shoulders. "Who knows? Perhaps to one of my houses, or perhaps just randomly traveling. It depends on my mood and what happens to be inspiring me at the time."
Kreacher nodded, and led the way into the library. "Kreacher and Master Regulus once planned to travel before Voldemort showed his true hand," he told Dora. "We should still do that, Kreacher thinks."
Regulus smiled, feeling a burst of eager excitement at the thought. He and Kreacher had had such grand plans of traveling the world together, simply exploring any places that interested them. "Yes," he said. "We have time now, and we should not allow HIM to rob us of the plans we had before he ruined everything."
"Good," Kreacher said, giving Regulus a pleased smile. "Now Kreacher shall make himself some food and return to join Dora and Master Regulus," he said. "Kreacher shall enjoy his dinner among the books."
Regulus grinned. "The way we used to sneak snack time in here when the parents weren't home," he remembered fondly.
Kreacher smiled. "Exactly." Now that the place was completely theirs, they could do what they liked wherever they liked, and if that meant Kreacher eating in the library, that was grand with Regulus. It wasn't as if the elf would make a mess, and if something happened and he did, he could easily clean anything in a blink. The library was now half Kreacher's and he had the right to treat it as such. The realization of that gave Regulus a thrill. Nearly as if they were doing something naughty, only they weren't, so that made it even better. "Thank you for remembering to eat for me," he said, bending to kiss Kreacher before taking a seat on the sofa so the elf could join him with his food when he returned. Kreacher nodded, and left with a sweet smile on his lips that had Regulus grinning like a fool after him. Dora chuckled and Regulus looked over at her, smile widening. "I'm so happy that you are happy now," she said. Her lips twitched. "If for no other reason, so that I don't have to feel your waves of depression. My own, when they come are quite enough." Regulus felt the smile leaving his face as the conversation with Kreacher concerning his bouts of lingering depression returned to his mind. "What," Dora asked, giving him a look of concern. "I'm not depressed now. Now things are great. Almost never better. I mean becoming a vampire back in Rome was pretty amazing, but after that, this wins. Goblins, magical banks, a spooky magical house, adorable magical creature..."
Regulus smiled. "I know. It isn't that." He sighed, then shared the conclusions he and Kreacher had reached concerning the black lake and or green potion and Regulus's persistent bouts of extreme misery. "From what you said, I didn't see how either could be harming me now. You said vampirism heals all physical ailments, after all."
Dora nodded. "Yes, but you aren't physically ailing. You aren't suffering pain from the green potion anymore are you?" Regulus shook his head and she nodded. "I have no idea what magical liquid would do to a vampire, though. I couldn't, having no experience with such things myself." "But if it was just the black lake, you would be suffering as well," Regulus realized suddenly. "Because due to my grievous error in judgment you also had to go into that dreadful water to rescue me."
"Yes," Dora said dryly. She made a face. "As it happens, I remember. The water was disgusting and abhorrent in a way that words just can't cover, but those...Inferi were worse! So strong not to have wills of their own." She shuddered.
Kreacher reentered the library then with a silver tea tray in his hands. It sported a cup of tea and an open sandwich similar to what he'd eaten yesterday. "We really need to go food shopping first thing tomorrow evening," Regulus said. "You need more variety."
Kreacher shrugged, unconcerned as he took his place on the sofa beside Regulus. As he began to eat, Regulus quickly caught him up on the current conversation. "So then it is the green potion that is still making Master Regulus miserable," Kreacher said, nodding. "In truth, he suspected as much, because the feelings that he, himself experienced after drinking the foul mixture seem very much like what Master Regulus experiences when he begins to doubt too much and hate himself."
Regulus nodded. "And you were depressive at times yourself before going into the lake to retrieve me, were you not, Dora," Regulus asked. As he spoke, he realized that if she said her depression only began after the lake, he'd have yet another reason to hate himself, because he'd have hurt yet another person he cared for. To his immense relief she nodded.
"I've been that way for a very long time. It began before I even became a vampire, though the reasons for the depression changed after." Kreacher gave her a questioning look as he polished off his sandwich and she shrugged. "Before vampirism, I was depressed because I knew I was missing something, i.e the vampirism. After I at last convinced Marius to turn me, it was wonderful for a time, then he lost interest and I was depressed over that. Our relationship ebbs and flows as does the depression."
Kreacher frowned. "But Miss Dora is not with this Marius now and she is not depressed."
She smiled and nodded. "At times I am happy when away from him because it is nice to simply be with me. To be free to seek out other company and hope that I can eventually get over him. That rarely lasts too terribly long for one reason or other, but meeting Regulus gave me far more things to think about which has helped a great deal. And now that I know you, it's even better," she told Kreacher with a pleased smile that the elf returned.
"Kreacher is glad. Miss Dora deserves to be only happy."
"As does Regulus," Dora said and Kreacher nodded in glad agreement. "So if the problem is the green potion how do we fix it," she asked. "Could it still somehow be in his stomach? The blood we drink is processed, used up by the body, serving as fuel as it were. If that potion has interacted in a unique and special way, what if it is just sitting in his stomach continuing to radiate its misery? From the way the both of you have described it, it sounds horrid enough not to be digestible, even for vampires."
Regulus nodded. "That is entirely likely, I suppose."
"So should Master Regulus throw it up," Kreacher asked.
"That would be good if it is possible," Dora agreed, nodding thoughtfully.
"Ur...How does a vampire go about throwing up," Regulus asked. "I've never exactly felt nauseated since becoming one so..." He felt rather silly for not knowing such a basic thing about his body, but it had never come up...as it were. Ah well, it seemed it was time to learn something new. He was, after all a scholar at heart. He only hoped the effects of the repugnant potion would not be as hellish coming up as going down.