Chapter Two

Draco Malfoy was having a piss poor day.

Pippy had burned his toast, his father's trial had been pushed back, and now there was a strange figure in the corner of his bedroom.

Regulus' day was even worse.

He had heard Bellatrix scream the curse. He had felt it engulf him. He should have been dead. And yet, he wasn't. Instead, he was standing in the corner of a bedroom.

Perhaps he had accidently Apparated?

Did that mean that he wasn't dead?

Regulus did a quick assessment.

No, he was definitely dead.

At least, he thought that he was dead.

He supposed that he would have time to figure it out later. Right now, his attention was drawn to the gaping teenager that was sitting at the mahogany desk.

"Who're you?" Draco demanded, "What're you doing here?"

"Who are you?" Regulus retorted, "And where is here?"

He continued to look around, taking in the finer details. He now saw the green and silver banner that was hanging above the boy's bed. Ah, so the boy was a Slytherin. Regulus also spotted the trunk in the corner of the bedroom. A stack of dusty textbooks was still sitting in it.

"I'm Draco Malfoy," Draco snapped, "And I demand that you get out of here at once!"

He rose from his seat and took out his wand.

Regulus wasn't too fazed. He reckoned that nothing else could hurt him at this point. He focused on moving. After several seconds of fierce concentration, he managed to float forward.

Draco's eyes widened.

"Are…are you a ghost?" Draco whispered.

"I'm not really sure," Regulus admitted.

"Are you dead?" Draco snapped.

"Yeah."

"So," Draco coolly said, "You're a ghost."

"I could be an Inferius," Regulus pointed out.

"You don't look like an Inferius," Draco remarked, "You look like a ghost."

"Fine," Regulus exasperatedly said, "I'm a ghost! Did you say that your last name was Malfoy?"

Draco stared at him for a moment, evidently startled by this apparition that had suddenly appeared in his bedroom and was now casually talking to him.

"Yes," Draco finally said.

"Any relation to Narcissa?" Regulus curiously asked.

"What's it to you?"

"She's my cousin," Regulus explained.

He hesitated and admitted, "Well…she was. Or rather, I was her cousin."

Regulus frowned.

He was still trying to get used to the fact that he was dead.

He was dead, wasn't he?

He didn't feel alive. He couldn't feel his heartbeat and his chest wasn't rising or falling.

Yet, he wasn't sure if he felt dead either. He didn't know what death felt like. Then again, he supposed that, if this was it, it wasn't too bad. For the first time in quite a long time, he didn't feel any pain. And he was hovering off of the ground. That was a sure sign that he was a ghost. And yet, he hadn't chosen to become a ghost. So, why was he here?

"She's my mother."

Regulus was startled from his thoughts.

Draco was continuing to glare at him. The sixteen-year-old didn't know what was going on. He was quite sick of surprises. And now, a bloody ghost was floating around in his room, looking just as confused as he felt. He had never known the Malfoy Manor to be haunted. His father would have never allowed a ghoul or poltergeist. Yet this particular thing—Regulus—didn't appear to be haunting him. If he was, he was doing a piss poor job at it.

"Your mother?" Regulus repeated, "So, that would make us…blimey, I was never good at this…first cousins…once removed."

"I suppose it does," Draco shortly said.

Regulus nearly sighed.

Draco certainly had the Black family attitude.

"She didn't have a teenager when I was around, though," Regulus said, "What year is it?"

"1996," Draco replied, "When did you die?"

Regulus flinched at the blunt question and stammered, "Well…I mean…technically…I suppose that…I died in 1978…but…honestly…it was just a few minutes ago."

"You've only been dead for a few minutes?"

"Yeah."

Draco was quiet for a moment before muttering, "Well, you're taking it rather well."

Regulus chuckled.

"If you died back in 1978," Draco continued, "What the hell are you doing in my bedroom in 1996?"

"No idea," Regulus admitted, "I'm new at this, remember?"

"How old are you?" Draco demanded.

His eyes were shining with curiosity, though he continued to sneer.

"Eighteen," Regulus retorted, "'Least, I was. It was my birthday."

Draco blinked and said, "You died on your birthday?"

"Yeah," Regulus muttered, "My family never was good at giving presents."

He frowned and added, "How old are you?"

"Sixteen."

"Draco!?"

Both boys jumped as the door opened. Regulus gave a start as he stared at Bellatrix. She hadn't aged well. Her black hair, once slick and stylish, was now a frizzy, tangled, mess. Her cheeks were sunken. Her eyes were blazing with a crazed, fiery, passion.

Regulus suddenly realized that it was a good thing that he no longer had any blood. If he had, it would have been boiling. He clenched his fists as he glared daggers at his cousin.

"'Lo, Auntie Bella," Draco mumbled.

"Auntie Bella?" Regulus snickered.

"Who were you talking to?" Bellatrix demanded.

Regulus' eyes widened as realized that she was staring right through him. He waved a hand in front of her eyes but she didn't so much as flinch.

"She can't see me," Regulus whispered, "I don't even think that she can hear me."

"Well!?" Bellatrix exclaimed, "Who were you talking to?"

Draco hesitated before saying, "No-one. I was just talking to myself."

She gave him a piercing look before saying, "Dinner's at six o'clock."

"Yes, Auntie Bella."

She continued to gaze at him for several seconds before walking away.

Draco closed the door and muttered, "She couldn't see you."

"I noticed," Regulus shortly said.

"Why couldn't she see you?" Draco demanded.

"I have no idea!" Regulus retorted, "I told you…I'm new at this!"

Draco's eyebrows shot towards his hairline.

He stepped forward and asked, "What's wrong with you?"

Regulus realized that he was shaking with anger.

He took a few deep breaths and tried to compose himself.

The two were now standing/floating face-to-face. They stared at one another, as though in a trance. They both realized that they had similar features than they had originally thought.

They both had the same jawline and the same noses.

They also had the same silver eyes.

Regulus slowly held up his hand.

Draco did the same.

In the years to come, neither would know exactly what had compelled them to bring their hands together. And yet, they had. And that made all the difference in the universe.

They brought their hands together.

And in that moment, the world exploded.