Good morning! Hope everyone is having a lovely day.
As always; huge, ginormous thank yous to anyone who Followed or Favorite-ed this past week. I still cannot believe that the story has reached over 300 followers. Thank you all SO much. And to my loyal, wonderful Reviewers; Azkaheliah, Jily1102, Dramione Is Magic, SereniteRose, Noxy the Proxy, Guest, Raven that flies at night, xXMizz Alec VolturiXx, Jeb59, StormWitch19851, Narnia Addict, Calimocho and Fool. Thank You and keep them coming please!
Narnia: thank you for the catch, I tried to fix that as quickly as possible. Really appreciate the help!
Everyone worried about Reg: Sorry, can't tell or won't tell. We'll just have to see...
The small piece of parchment felt like a heavy rock in his hand.
Regulus hadn't even unrolled the letter, but he knew what it was most likely in regards to.
The younger Black brother was not regretting his decision to follow Sirius's footsteps and try to become a better man, but the gravity of his choice did cause Regulus's bravery to falter occasionally. He wasn't a Gryffindor, so blind bravery still felt like a foreign concept to him.
This little roll of parchment meant that Regulus had been playing his role to perfection though. He had shown a very miniscule amount of interest in the pure blood movement before, but over the last two weeks he had become gradually more boisterous about the issue. This apparently had drawn the desired attention to himself from Lord Voldemort's dark followers. Regulus had returned to his dorm after dinner that night, to find the neat little roll of parchment awaiting him on his pillow.
The idea of Death Eaters having contacts, or even marked followers, within the halls of Hogwarts made Regulus's hand tremble a bit. He hoped that his outward mask of prejudice pure blood beliefs would be enough to carry him through this new challenge he had bestowed upon himself.
Regulus carefully broke the ugly black wax snake that sealed the parchment and unrolled the paper.
'8:30pm, End of the Covered Bridge.'
Regulus released a slow breathe; he had been invited into the fold.
But he was no fool; Regulus knew that this was only an invitation of introduction. This was most likely a way for the Dark Lord to evaluate if you were worthy of the title of Death Eater.
His chest clenched painfully. There was no way of speaking to Sirius or his witch before Regulus had to leave. But as he thought on it, that was probably for the best; Sirius would simply begin ranting again about how the younger Black was too young to take on this kind of responsibility and danger. And with the blonde witch trying desperately to keep the peace while defending Regulus's choices; an evident friction had formed between the two, and Regulus had felt a strange sort of guilt over his contribution to that.
Regulus had observed Sirius and his girlfriend with great interest over the last few months. He had noticed their easy interaction and marveled at the love and respect they exuded for each other. Even while they had been butting heads over Regulus's decision to become a spy and help the Order, Sirius and the blonde had displayed mostly mature reactions while secretly discussing the issue. And the most amazing of all, in Regulus's opinion, was the fact that after a particularly heated argument they had simply taken a few deep breathes to calm down and had embraced each other without hesitation.
Regulus had never witnessed such a relationship before, and he wondered if he would ever have a chance at such happiness when he only expected to be alive for another year.
He hoped that maybe he could be granted such a wish… even with the horrible decisions that he was sure awaited him over the next twelve months.
Regulus quickly collected himself, allowed his disdainful mask fall into place and made his way down to the common room to study until his scheduled departure time.
Hermione's brain was pure mush; it didn't feel like she was absorbing information anymore. So when Sirius made the suggestion to escape the tower for an hour or two, Hermione eagerly jumped at the idea.
Peter and Remus had already taken a break earlier and were currently trying to finish a game of wizard chess. James and Lily were already suspiciously missing from the common room, though they had claimed they were needed for Head Boy and Head Girl duties… but that had been a few hours ago.
But with N.E.W.T.s commencing in only three days' time, the stress levels for the seventh years were reaching extreme levels.
Sirius decided that they needed to get some fresh air, so he led Hermione down the moving staircases and out the enormous front doors. The rush of cool air filled his lungs, making every muscle in Sirius's body contract and then suddenly relax.
He hadn't gone out with Remus on his last turn; with the calming effects of the Wolfsbane potion and the fact that Sirius hadn't finished a terribly long essay for McGonagall, Remus had insisted that his friend remain behind. And now Sirius was regretting the decision of not allowing his inner canine run free that night.
Hermione smirked and shook her head. She didn't have to read minds to know what Sirius was thinking about. She pulled on his arm and took the lead for their little adventure.
They both laughed as they used the shadows to conceal themselves while they ran toward the edge of the forbidden forest.
After they were a few feet into the dark tree line, Hermione playfully pushed Sirius deeper into the woods, "Go on. Enjoy a quick run; I know you've been dying to get out of the castle all week."
A wide toothy grin spread across Sirius's lips, "You're sure? I don't want to leave you all alone in the deep dark forest." He snaked his arms around Hermione's waist and pulled her close to his chest.
"Oh please; you forget how well I can take care of myself, Black," Hermione attempted to look cross, but Sirius's smile was too infectious and she soon found herself mirroring his expression.
Sirius shook his head, "Of course I know you can fend for yourself; it's one of the many reasons why I love you." He waggle his eyebrows suggestively.
The blonde witch couldn't keep the warmth from flooding her cheeks. They had said the words to each other several times before, but it still felt like some incredible dream at times. Hermione was a bit bashful to admit that her heart still fluttered whenever Sirius said those three words to her; and she absolutely adored the feeling.
Sirius leaned his forehead against Hermione and smirked a little at her suddenly rosy cheeks. "I wanted to ask you something… while I have you away from the others and all your books." He gulped slightly as he rounded up all the courage he needed to continue.
"And what's that Sirius?" Hermione chuckled lightly as she observed the slight hesitation in the Marauder's voice.
"Well, I was thinking of cleaning out my Uncle Alphard's house this summer; possibly make it into a safe house for Regulus to use if he needs to hide away or escape from this ridiculous mission that he's set up for himself… I was hoping you would help me with the wards. I'm sure you know some protection spells that I've never even heard of, and you could make the house safe beyond anything I could manage myself," Sirius shifted a bit, pulling the blonde witch closer to himself; as if he was afraid Hermione would withdraw at any second.
"Of course I'll help. Despite your jeer at Regulus's expense, it sounds like a wonderful idea." Hermione shook her head slightly, "Why do you look so worried? Did you really think I would refuse to help?"
"No… no, I knew that you'd be open to that idea. You're brilliant and helpful; there was no way you would leave me to my own devices. Especially with the soft spot you've developed for my brother." Sirius now refused to meet his witch's gaze.
Hermione cocked her head to the side in confusion, but before she could ask anything Sirius continued with his rambling.
"I just was wondering… Well my Uncle Alphard left the house to me, so it's actually my house now not his. He always said I was his favorite nephew, but I never quite believed that he would leave everything to me. I just… it's a bit surprising… his entire fortune; everything he owned… Uncle Alphard probably got himself blasted off the tapestry…" Hermione tried not to laugh at the distressed look on Sirius's face. He appeared so worried and confused about something, but she really had no idea what could be plaguing him so much.
"And I know that you'll most likely want to live at the castle since you'll be working here with McGonagall and the other teachers… but I was hoping… maybe just during the summer… or just part of the holidays…"
Hermione gently placed her hands on either side of Sirius's face, "I'm usually quite in tune with what you're trying to say, Sirius… but I am utterly confused right now." She smiled as Sirius finally met her eyes again, "Please tell me what you're thinking?"
A shy smile crossed Sirius's handsome features, "Would you come stay with me? …I mean, when you're not needed at the castle." He looked down at her with questioning yet hopeful eyes.
"Sirius Black… are you asking me to live with you?" Hermione felt the gentle warmth of that future 'happily ever after' begin to fill her stomach again.
"Only if you say 'yes.' Otherwise, I might try to drown myself in the Black Lake and hope this conversation never actually took place," the forced chuckle from Sirius's throat was very uncharacteristic and his ears became a little red as the Marauder waited for the witch's response.
Hermione hopped slightly as she wrapped her arms around Sirius's neck and captured the wizard's lips with her own. Thankfully, Sirius caught his witch and easily held her off the ground as she answered his question with kisses. He felt the uncomfortable weight in his stomach disappear as he felt Hermione's smiling lips against his own. He silently cursed himself for doubting her feelings for him.
Sirius had worked himself into a frenzy about asking Hermione about living with him, even though he knew it was the next logical step. He knew that she was a little terrified of the idea of engagement though, so he had worried that she would hesitate; and maybe Hermione should have, but this idea felt right to both of them equally.
"Go on then," Hermione giggled as she shoved her boyfriend toward the woods again, "Go have a good run before we have to drag ourselves back to the tower."
The dark haired wizard caught her in a long searing kiss before he finally took a step away from her, "Maybe we could work on your animagus this summer so you can come running with me?"
Hermione raised her eyebrows in surprise; she had never considered becoming an animagus, "I'm not sure about that idea; but we can always discuss it later."
"It's well worth the effort, I promise," Sirius winked at his blonde witch before disappearing behind a tree and reemerging on the other side as Padfoot.
He trotted over to Hermione and nuzzled his nose into her hand. She squatted down and awkwardly pet Padfoot's neck, "Go for your run Snuffles; before I'm forced to chase you away."
Padfoot growled playfully and bounced around in front of Hermione as she giggled at the dog.
"Alright then… you asked for it. Expecto Patronum!" Hermione marveled at how easy it was now to recall a happy memory powerful enough to produce a patronus. But when her corporeal patronus took full shape and dashed after Padfoot, Hermione had to quickly cover her mouth to muffle her gasp.
Her patronus was no longer a lively little otter.
Hermione gazed in disbelief as she watched Sirius bounce through the trees perused by a silvery opaque dog. The dog mirrored Sirius's animagus form in every way except that it was slightly smaller than the giant Padfoot and appeared to be female.
A small smile replaced her surprised expression. Hermione had a theory about why her patronus had changed; she had heard Harry discussed his parents' complimenting patronus's before, but she never believed that she would experience such a thing.
The warmth in Hermione's body spread rapidly and a surreal content feeling fell over her. For the first time since she arrived in this time, Hermione had no doubt that she belonged here.
It was fifteen minutes to curfew when Hermione was finally able to convince Sirius that they needed to return to the common room. He chuckled loudly and caught her around the waist as they rushed toward the castle's front doors. They stumbled through the enormous doorway and began sprinting up the stairs as Filtch called after them in a loud irritated voice. He cursed at their retreating backs about undignified behavior and the lack of real punishments for students who didn't follow the rules.
Their light and happy air continued as they ran up the seven flights of stairs, and flew down the hallways until they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady.
The meeting had gone relatively well; Regulus had met up with a few other students who had received and accepted the vague invitation. He was absolutely stunned to find that there were a few members of the other Hogwarts houses represented in the small group. Regulus was also a bit surprised to find that he was the only sixth year to have been invited to this gathering; all the other students were seventh years and would be finished with schooling in a meager few days.
The students had only waited a few brief minutes past the designated eight-thirty time; when a tall figure, completely concealed in black robes and an elaborate silver mask, apperated in front of them with a deafening crack.
The figure asked them each to hold up their invitation, making sure that there were no unexpected visitors. He then held out a small snake sculpture and instructed everyone to place a hand on it and prepare for the portkey to be activated.
"This is that last moment where you may rethink your involvement and remove yourself from our movement. We will not fault you in any way; but from this point on, we will require the upmost respect and loyalty to our secret if you accept this invitation and take this portkey."
No one in the little group of seven spoke up.
"Alright then, let it be noted that the offer was extended and no one wavered," the deep voice behind the silver mask sounded pleased, even excited.
The familiar pull from Regulus's navel let him know that the portkey had been activated and they were now being transported to an unknown location. He carefully stretched out his legs and prepared himself for an eloquent landing; Regulus refused to make a fool of himself in front of these people.
When everyone had landed back on the ground, Regulus turned and observed his surroundings with a careful eye. He looked for any telling landmarks, but found none. He could not even see or hear any other people or animals.
All Regulus could find were tall dark trees, encircling the small clearing that they now stood in. There was a tiny fire already burning in a stone hearth with several stone markers surrounding the flames in a perfect circle. The masked Death Eater motioned for them to find a marker and take a place around the clearing.
The meeting had been somewhat informational. The Death Eater did not remove his mask or introduce himself, but he did refer to himself as a 'loyal subject' and 'high ranking member.' The descriptions that he used were broad and he was unspecific when questions were asked about future plans or events. He was very persuasive though and sounded very convincing when spilling out a careful constructed speech about the importance of continuing our great magical heritage and ensuring that magic remain pure and powerful.
Regulus was surprised that there was little mentioned about muggles or muggle-borns; but the meeting had had more of a focus on power and preservation.
I guess that's now they attempt to hook you…
The meeting had been cut short by the Death Eater being called away to his master. That had been a gut wrenching sight.
The Death eater had drawn up his sleeve and shown off his Dark Mark with pride as it pulsed and the snake slithered up and down his arm as if it was actually alive. Regulus inwardly cringed as he imagined himself with such a mark… but he pushed the nauseated feeling aside and looked on the magical tattoo as if board.
He asked in an even voice how the group would be returning to the castle.
When the pulling at his stomach stilled and Hogwarts came back into focus; Regulus released a small sigh of relief. He slowly and silently walked back to the castle, avoiding any contact with his fellow travelers. They all disappeared as they entered through the front doors of the castle.
Regulus watched them all filter into their designated directions toward their common rooms. He stood close to the entrance and became lost in thought as he replayed the meeting over again in his head, looking for clues or any kind of tells that would relieve where he had gone or who had been the Death Eater. But his thoughts were interrupted by heavy running footsteps and labored laughter.
The younger Black brother carefully melted into the shadows as Sirius and Hermione came jogging past him through the front door. The noise they created had, of course, called the attention of Filtch; who yelled and cursed at them as they turned and quickly sprinted up the staircase.
He had originally wanted to find a way to call Sirius and Hermione out of Gryffindor tower and tell them about his brief meeting with one of Dark Lord's best Death Eater; but Regulus didn't have the heart to bring their carefree spirits to a halt just yet.
Regulus smiled to himself; he was pleased that his brother had found such happiness. But it brought back his doubtful hope that he could find such a feeling of content before this horrible year was finished.
Sooooo, what did you all think? I wanted more Regulus, hope you all are ok with that. But of course we needed some fluff, some story development and didn't want to harp too much about N.E.W.T.s.
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Always,
Misha
Ps. Check out the other stories by me: 'Begin Again,' 'Life as Demigods' and 'Penelope Jackson: The Lightning Thief.'