The Search Is Over,
Chapter 128, Cold Iron
After playing the Durmstrang dance for Halloween, Regulus had taken the next few months to consider how he wished to go about making music a more constant part of his life. The Bardic gift could be used for many things other than just live performances, and he wished to explore as many of those uses as he could.
Performing live was the place to start, though, for it allowed him to train himself while studying the reactions of others to his powers. He wasn't ready to just begin playing venues, though. He needed to build up his confidence first. While he admittedly felt rather confident already, he was well aware that one bad performance could potentially crush that, so best to strengthen his foundations first.
He took to jamming with Mag once a week in order to hone his craft. At his suggestion, they challenged one another with various styles, learning what they could pull off and what just didn't have the magic. Sometimes the lyrics mattered, because it helped to really feel them in some form or other else they couldn't make others feel them. Sometimes the style of music mattered, as it had to flow properly with the sound and range of their voices.
Kreacher attended every practice session with Regulus, and Mag and Severus were always friendly and easy going. They didn't behave any differently than before they'd learned that Kreacher and Regulus were a couple. Regulus hadn't truly expected otherwise, but their initial reaction had bordered on offensive.
He didn't use his vampiric ability to delve into their minds on the matter, because he didn't want to know if they were still disgusted. Hopefully they were just surprised to discover that two people they knew well were gay and they'd somehow had no idea.
He understood the fact that he and Kreacher being intimate was something people may have to get used to as many humans didn't consider elves to be attractive and likely vice versa as the two races looked so different.
Though he certainly didn't find elves to be ugly, Regulus most definitely did not find any of them attractive in the way he did Kreacher. Kreacher's personality showed in every line of his face. He did have a more grim and formidable appearance than other elves, which was admittedly appealing. Still Regulus seriously doubted he would've considered even Kreacher's looks to be what one would call sexual if there wasn't such amazing chemistry between them.
Where other elves were nearly cute, Kreacher looked dangerous. Perhaps due to their extreme chemistry, Regulus did find the danger and power in which Kreacher had always seemed cloaked to be attractive. That wasn't likely a thing to which most humans or elves would relate, and as Regulus saw it it didn't matter.
It was his and Kreacher's business at the end of the day, and no one else's. Their relationship had always been unique, and the fact it had become more, because they meant so much to one another, was natural to them. They were the only ones who mattered, and at last they were at a point in their lives that society could accept it or not and it wouldn't have to make much of a difference. At least it showed them who their real friends and family were, and that was alright.
When Regulus wasn't working on music and Kreacher wasn't working on creating artifacts in Enchanted Odds with Blaise and Gellert, the two continued their mostly fruitless search for connections between fae folk and elves. When Regulus ran across a reference to cold iron harming or weakening fairies for the third time, something occurred to him. As a result, he decided to invite the Lestranges to dinner.
"Which means Kreacher has to cook more," the elf grumbled.
Vampirism made him less confident in his cooking because he could no longer taste it, but anyone who ate anything he prepared always sang his praises just as strongly, so Regulus didn't understand the elf's concerns. Even if he couldn't taste his own cooking anymore, his skills were so honed, his instincts about food so sharp, that it no longer mattered.
"The Lestranges always love your cooking," he coaxed, bending to brush his lips across Kreacher's own.
"And I think you may find the topic I plan to bring up of some interest."
"Kreacher always finds anything Master Regulus brings up very interesting as he knows," he replied after thoroughly returning the kiss.
Regulus wrote the Lestranges directly, inviting them to dinner the very next day. Rodolphus wrote back at once, accepting the invitation. The three of them arrived around half past seven, not long before Kreacher and Regulus had returned from their own hunt. Regulus nearly burst out with the question he had for Bellatrix directly, but as whatever answer she gave would lead to a more prolonged discussion, he restrained himself.
Conversations were best had over dinner rather than being interrupted by it if such could be helped. Kreacher had prepared the meal before going out to hunt with Regulus, and it was already on the table with a warming charm in place to keep it fresh and perfect. Kereston and Reynaldo joined them for dinner as well. The spider was now big enough to sit in a chair and hold a spoon, the tip of one of his front legs wrapped around the handle. The meal consisted of baked chicken, potatoes stuffed with cheese and chives, salad and a thick blue berry pie for dessert.
"This is even better than cereal," Reynaldo proclaimed happily around a mouthful of chicken leg.
He crunched the bone and meat in one bite, and swallowed.
Kreacher smiled, pleased by the compliment. The spider really loved his cereal, after all.
"So is something going on or did you just miss us even though it's only been less than a week," Bellatrix asked Regulus.
"It's always nice to see the three of you, but I did stumble across something during my research that tickled my brain and got me to thinking," Regulus said.
Everyone leaned forward in interest, and he continued.
"It's about cold iron," he began.
"It's supposed to block or at least weaken magic, depending on what source one is reading. It was kept on hand by Muggles for centuries to protect against anything from us to the fairies. It's supposed to weaken fairy magic, and according to some sources, to even kill them. Perhaps that only goes for the weaker fae, I don't know. Either way it had me wondering about how you killed Dobby, Bella."
Bellatrix smirked, nodding at him.
"Very good, Regi. That dagger has a blade made of silver with a streak of iron down the center. This means it can take care of werewolves or anything that cold iron kills or weakens."
She chuckled.
"Sometimes magic is in the tools one utilizes as much as the spells we cast."
Regulus nodded.
"So does this mean you don't believe that the killing curse works on elves?"
"My grand father said it doesn't."
It was Rodolphus who answered.
"When Rab and I were kids he told us a story of his own childhood in which his house elf got into a fight with a burglar. The burglar threw a killing curse and the elf was hardly hurt. The elf threw one in return, you know to be fair and all, and of course the burglar died."
Rodolphus concluded the story with a satisfied chuckle.
Kreacher and Regulus had both listened in rapt attention.
"Were you aware of this, Kreacher? You never mentioned it," Regulus said.
Kreacher shook his head.
"No, Kreacher never heard that before, but he must admit, it is very nice to know."
"Don't forget, this doesn't mean that nothing can kill you, you little shit," Bellatrix warned and Kreacher grinned at her.
"Kreacher knows. He will stay away from cold iron unless he needs to use it to kill another elf."
Bellatrix laughed.
"Want me to get you something made?"
Kreacher's grin faded as he considered.
"Kreacher...thinks that could be useful...just in case," he said.
"Shall Bella have Kreacher's dagger crafted like her own with silver as well?"
Bella nodded.
"Most definitely! You're far more likely to need to kill a werewolf in a pinch, after all."
"In conclusion," Regulus said.
"It appears my mother was correct concerning her speculation of elves being linked to the fae. Our children will have very powerful blood indeed."
"If you're even able to have them," Rabastan said.
"Don't get your hopes up too high until it actually happens. I'd hate to see you two disappointed if it doesn't work out."
Regulus smiled, because Rabastan actually seemed to mean it and he was touched.
"I hear you, and we'll try, but the idea is very exciting," he said honestly.
"It's not only magically ground breaking, but our children would have amazing abilities. Who knows where that could lead?"
"To a lot of shit kicking, for one," Rabastan warned.
"Those kids will get shit kicked all over them when they try to go to school or interact in society. I get what Walburga is saying about the pure blood squared thing. I actually do. But no one really respects the power elves have. At least not in the way you want them to. Probably because many elves behave like silly pets as Dobby did, but still. Just be aware that your kids are going to have a unique road to travel at best and they may not always thank you for that."
"Speaking of elves," Bellatrix said.
"I finally managed to track down six for you to pick from. Four of them are from France and all are very young. I had to comb through relatives far and wide for any who had extra elves to spare and some of the blood connections are rather thin, but it's finally done. We decided to just bring them all at once and get it over with, so next week we're making a trip to France, then to the south of England for the rest."
"Thank you, Bella," Regulus said, giving her a grateful smile.
"It's the least we could do for you getting us out of Azkaban," she assured, lifting a hand to casually wave away his gratitude.
At that Regulus felt like complete and utter rubbish, because he was the reason she'd ended up in Azkaban in the first place. Had Voldemort not twisted their minds, they would not have frantically searched for him. They had reason to know he wasn't dead, after all, even if they couldn't remember it.
They'd watched as he was unable to be killed, Orion dying instead and Regulus would never be able to feel that this wasn't his fault no matter what anyone said. As he could not risk explaining that to them for fear of doing more damage, he remained silent.