Chapter Four
"You're a Death Eater!"
Draco's cheeks reddened.
He managed to wrench his arm away.
"Well," Regulus demanded, "Are you a Death Eater?"
"Yeah," Draco defensively said, "I joined a few days ago."
"Are you mental?" Regulus shrieked.
Draco scowled and snapped, "I suppose that you were an Auror when you were alive?"
"I…"
Regulus flushed and mumbled, "Well…actually…"
He lifted his sleeve to reveal his own tattoo.
"Ah," Draco cried, "So, you were a hypocrite?"
Regulus laughed in spite of himself.
"I was a Death Eater," Regulus admitted, "Believe me, it was the worst mistake that I've ever made. That's why I'm here. At least, that's why I'm dead. I have no idea why I'm here."
"Didn't you hear the disembodied voice?" Draco sarcastically said, "We have to prevent history from bloody repeating itself."
He rolled his eyes at the nonsensical gibberish. It would be nice if the disembodied voice could be a bit clearer. It would also be nice if there hadn't been a disembodied voice at all.
Draco realized that Regulus looked both thoughtful and scared.
"What?" Draco slowly asked, "What is it?"
"We need to prevent history from repeating itself," Regulus whispered.
"That's what I just said."
"I joined the Death Eaters when I was sixteen," Regulus explained, "I died when I was eighteen."
Regulus realized that he had technically only died a few hours ago. He quickly swallowed the thought.
"Yeah," Draco muttered, "That's too bad."
It was obvious that he could care less.
"What I'm saying is that we already have several things in common," Regulus pressed, "I was also in Slytherin and came from a noble, pureblood, family."
"What's your point?" Draco snapped, "Are you saying that I'm just like you?"
"I'm saying that you might become me."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Don't you get it?" Regulus impatiently said, "I was a Slytherin. You're a Slytherin. I was from a noble pureblood family. You're from a noble, pureblood, family. My family was devoted to the Death Eaters. Your family is devoted to the Death Eaters. I suppose that that can be attributed to the fact that we have the same family. But I digress…I joined the Death Eaters when I was sixteen. You just joined the Death Eaters and you're sixteen. I died when I was eighteen…"
He broke off.
Draco's eyes widened and he whispered, "Are you saying that I'm going to die?"
"We have to prevent history from repeating itself," Regulus pointed out.
He had finally gotten Draco's attention. The blonde teenager looked genuinely scared.
"DRACO!"
Draco and Regulus awkwardly spun around as the door to his room crashed open.
"It's 6:03," Bellatrix snapped, "You're late for dinner! Just because your father isn't here, that does not mean that you will skimp out on the proper traditions of our noble family."
"Yes, Auntie Bella."
Draco solemnly followed his aunt, dragging Regulus alongside him.
Regulus took the opportunity to take in his surroundings.
The Malfoy Manor was thrice the size of 12 Grimmauld Place. Draco had an entire floor to himself, complete with a bedroom, a bathroom, and a study. As they descended the stairs, Regulus caught a glimpse of a library and a trophy room on the second floor. Two double doors on the first floor must have led to the master bedroom. The corridors were wide and eloquently decorated. Regulus wasn't surprised. Narcissa had always had exquisite taste.
They entered the large dining room.
Narcissa was sitting at one end of the claw-foot table. Regulus noted that she had dyed her hair blonde. She was wearing an emerald-green dress that fanned out at the bottom.
Draco sat down and Regulus awkwardly floated next to him.
A house-elf raced into the room and snapped her fingers.
The table was immediately filled with food.
"That will be all, Pippy," Narcissa quietly said.
Bellatrix aimed a kick at the house-elf as she scampered past.
Regulus glared at her.
But of course, it did no good.
She couldn't see him.
Neither could Narcissa.
Draco could. The blonde teenager went to grab his fork and subsequently ended up jerking Regulus through the table. Draco wasn't sure whether he wanted to laugh or apologize.
Not that he could do anything with witnesses around.
Draco uneasily poked at his steak.
"Take a bite," Regulus advised, "Or they'll know that something's wrong."
Regulus quickly glared at him.
"Also," Regulus added, "Don't glare at random parts of the room. That's another sign that something may be wrong with you."
Draco sighed and took a bite.
"Draco," Bellatrix declared, "The Dark Lord will be holding a meeting this weekend. I will assist you in Apparating to the spot. You will dress in your best robes."
"Yes, Auntie Bella."
Draco was trying to hide the fear that was sweeping through his body.
Bellatrix intently stared at him.
Regulus tilted his head before suddenly realizing what she was trying to do.
"Dismiss yourself!" Regulus exclaimed, "Now!"
Draco resisted giving a start at the urgency in Regulus' voice.
"I'm not hungry," Draco spoke up, "I'm going to take a walk."
Narcissa hesitated before mumbling, "Very well."
"Wait," Bellatrix chastised, "You must excuse yourself."
"I am excusing myself," Draco shortly said.
He leapt up and stomped away. Regulus floated after him. Draco crossed the parlor and burst through the main doors. Regulus appreciatively glanced around. The Malfoy Manor sat in the middle of an exquisite garden. Draco ducked behind a hedge so that his mother and aunt couldn't see him from the windows.
He then turned to the ghost and demanded to know why he had to leave.
"She was about to read your mind," Regulus explained, "It's called Legilimency. I had a friend who could do it well. I can teach you how to put up mental shields. With everything that's going on, you want your thoughts to be your own."
Draco uncertainly nodded.
"You can trust me," Regulus added.
"Of course," Draco sardonically said, "Why wouldn't I trust a dead eighteen-year-old who randomly showed up in my room and is now chained to my wrist?"
Regulus played along and cried, "You'd be a fool not to!"
Draco snorted before his face hardened.
"Hey," Regulus gently said, "Don't shut me out, mate."
Draco glanced up and snapped, "Don't talk to me as if we're friends. We're not."
Regulus rolled his eyes before nodding.
The two sat in silence until the sun dipped beneath the horizon. Regulus glanced up and watched as the stars emerged one-by-one. He immediately thought about his brother. Sirius loved the stars! Regulus had lost count of the number of times that Sirius had snuck out onto the grounds at Hogwarts just to stare up at the night sky. Regulus realized that Sirius would have loved the strange universal void that he and Draco had been in.
Regulus briefly wondered where his brother was. Regulus was eighteen years into the future. Sirius would have been thirty-five. Regulus wondered if he had a family? Was Regulus an uncle? Was Sirius still friends with James, Remus, and Peter? Regulus felt the familiar sense of jealousy that emerged whenever he thought about his brother's brothers. He still wondered where they all were. He wondered what they were all doing. Had James proposed to Evans? Had she accepted? Did they have any children?
Regulus wondered if Draco knew the answers.
He turned and saw that Draco was preoccupied with his own thoughts. The blonde teenager had drawn his knees to his chest. His silver eyes were shining with fear.
"Am I really going to die?" Draco finally whispered.
Regulus hesitated before admittedly saying, "I dunno."
Draco sighed.
He realized that Regulus was staring at him and his features quickly hardened. This was not unnoticed by Regulus.
"Draco," Regulus continued, "I promise that I am going to do everything within my power to make sure that that doesn't happen."
Draco remained stone-faced.
Regulus internally shrugged. It was worth a shot.
"You should get some rest," Regulus quietly said, "We have a long road ahead of us."
"I'm not tired," Draco retorted.
"You really ought to—"
"Look," Draco shortly said, "I don't have to listen to you. As far as I'm concerned, I don't even have to acknowledge your existence."
"I don't like this either," Regulus admitted, "But acting like a stubborn child isn't the way to go about things. We need to work together in order to make things right."
"Make what right?" Draco hissed, "I don't even know what we're supposed to be doing!"
"Neither do I," Regulus admitted, "But that's why we need to work together."
Draco merely scowled.
"And you need to get some rest," Regulus added.
"Shut up," Draco snapped, "I'll rest when I want to rest."
Regulus sighed.
This was going to be even harder than he thought.
Author's Note: Man, I've written a lot of sad things in my life. But writing that moment when Regulus is just thoughtfully wondering what had happened to everyone was hard. He has to do some catching up and it's not going to be fun.