Regulus sat on the couch he had woken upon, he had a more heated argument after he had told Sirius he would wait to say anything until Dumbledore was there. His brother wasn't seeing reason at all, and he didn't know how to get it into his thick skull that if he knew the information he did the target on his head would grow even larger. Sirius had vacated to the kitchen, unable to stand his brother's presence. He wouldn't dare ask for a cup of water or try and get up for one. Regulus had forced himself to lay back down, no matter how much it stung to move his muscles. He figured that he would be safe enough to lay down, he trusted Sirius enough not to outright murder him.
He curled himself into a ball and had nodded off without meaning to, still wrapped in both blankets.
The nightmares had been the usual ones he experienced, at least in the beginning. He had gone through the shouting match of his parents without Sirius there, sitting there as a small and scared ten-year-old. This nightmare never changed. When his mind didn't get the reaction it wanted from him, he soon found himself in front of the Dark Lord on his knees. He waited with tears running down his cheek for the torture that was sure to ensue, but the Dark Lord slowly pulled someone out from behind him. Sirius was beaten and swollen with bruises. He stumbled forward and Regulus gasped.
"My, my lord?" he stumbled out in confusion.
Suddenly Nagini slithered forward and up the Dark Lord, she settled on his shoulder with something in her jaw. It dangled and Regulus realised what it was immediately. Voldemort stared at him as he ran his fingers lightly up her head then grasped the locket in his hand.
He turned his red eyes upon Sirius.
"Reg," Sirius pleaded, his eyes filling with tears, "Reg, please help me. Please don't be mad at me."
"My lord!" he begged, fear bubbling up his throat, "please, he doesn't know! Please!"
"Reg! Please! Don't abandon me, promise me you'll stay!"
Regulus began to cry having no clue what Sirius was meaning. He gave up trying to beg the Dark Lord for Sirius' freedom and began to look around for something that could help him get Sirius out of the situation. "I'll get you out!" he promised, going to get up when something grabbed his legs.
He screamed and realised that Inferi were starting to drag him to the shore of water he hadn't realised was there.
Voldemort just slowly lowered the locket around Sirius' neck and stepped away. He turned to look at Regulus, a smile on his face. Both brothers' fates in his hands.
The locket chain began to tighten around his brother's neck before he could reply, his airway being cut off. He gasped and began to try and tear it off but it continued to tighten and it started to break his skin.
"Sirius!"
He woke up with a gasping breath, trying to get rid of the lingering image of his brother suffocating. He twitched as he ignored the urge to jump up and go and find Sirius to make sure nothing had happened.
It was just a dream. Only a dream, Regulus, get a hold of yourself.
He jumped when he realised that Kreacher was staring down at him. He guessed that the elf had returned after pleasing his mother.
He let out a soft breath, closing his eyes. He might as well sleep the day away if last night is going to be repeated. He wouldn't doubt that Sirius would badger him for the information again.
"Master Regulus!" Kreacher cried and seemed to check over every part of his body. Regulus hadn't been able to protest knowing to let the elf get it over with to ease his worries. Even if he was disrupting his attempt at falling asleep.
It was after the check over Regulus found a glass of water being shoved into his face. He made a face, wishing he could just go back to sleep.
"Kreacher," he replied softly only to feel how dry his throat was, though not as bad as it had been, and he forced himself out of the curled up position he had fallen asleep in. He gasped as his muscles contorted and tightened in pain.
"Master Regulus be having pain!" The house-elf cried nearly dropping the water as he began to panic.
"Kreacher, it's alright," he said in a reassuring tone, shakily taking the cup so he didn't spill anything. He took a few sips from it to help ease the worry and fear the elf was experiencing. The liquid was cool on his throat and it eased the discomfort. Though an ache was still there.
"You is be needing potion!" Kreacher argued, but Regulus shook his head.
"I'm just sore, Kreacher, it is the least of what I deserve."
Kreacher looked faint at the sentence and he immediately regretted saying it.
"Hey," he assured, "I'm okay, okay? You should sit down, I don't want you fainting."
"Kreacher hid it," the elf said, trying to please Regulus in some way, sitting down on the floor.
Regulus stiffened at the sentence when he realised that it wasn't just them in the room. He had been too asleep to realise it before but the reality of the situation smacked him in the face. He gave a relieved smile to the elf, saying, "thank you."
He opened his mouth to speak, knowing he had a debt he owed to Kreacher, even if he had wanted him to let him die. He couldn't go back now, and all he could do was give him thanks until something arose that he could help the house-elf with.
Kreacher suddenly stood up. "Mistress is calling," he said in explanation before he disappeared in a loud crack.
Regulus sighed softly, taking another sip of water. He would have to express gratitude later. He hoped Kreacher would be able to fend off his mother's questions about his whereabouts.
He hesitantly looked away from the spot Kreacher had just been to see Lily and Remus sitting on the other couch, politely staying quiet and not interrupting the conversation. He recognised Lily almost immediately because she had been Severus' friend in school. She had always been so kind to him. It took him a few moments to recognise Remus as one of Sirius' best mates.
Lily smiled at him, a gleam in her eye, though he wasn't sure why. It wasn't like he deserved the time of the day. Remus was smiling as well, trying to hide it behind his cup of tea. They'd both always been kind to him even if Sirius wasn't, but now that they were in the war, on the opposite sides mind you, he wasn't sure what warranted the smiles. Though he wasn't on the opposite side now, was he?
This frustrated Regulus greatly, weren't they order members? Why would they smile at a defected Death Eater?
He was technically still one.
"Uh," he started awkwardly, wondering if they were going to pull out their wands on him. Where was his wand? Probably took it off him which was understandable. He would have done the same, but it meant he was at their mercy.
"I see you woke up earlier," Lily said, gesturing to Sirius' blanket still wrapped around him.
"Oh, erm," Regulus flushed a little, "yeah, I don't know how I got here...I didn't ask Sirius.."
"He's quite upset," Remus mused lightly, "I heard the argument, though I didn't intrude."
Regulus flushed again, he hadn't realised anyone else was in the home. He should have when Sirius threatened Dumbledore, but he had safely assumed that Kreacher had apparated him to his brother's home.
"You're in my home," Lily explained, changing the topic, "you took a big crash and broke the coffee table."
"Oh...I'm sorry, I didn't mean to," Regulus cleared his throat, uncomfortable.
"It's alright," she said with a small sip to her tea, "would you like a cuppa?"
"If that is alright with you," he replied, setting the cup of water down on what he assumed was a new coffee table, one he had not broken. He was sure since it had a few leaves sticking out of it. He guessed none of them was the greatest at the art of transfiguration, or whoever transfigured it wasn't.
Lily summoned a kettle and cup. Pouring a cup she softly set it in front of him before summoning a small pot of sugar.
"Thank you," he said, putting a spoonful of sugar in it. Leaving the spoon in it, a habit he had grown after spending an ample amount of time with Severus over the Christmas holiday during his last few years of Christmas. He didn't want to go home to a home void of Sirius. There was not much of the love he wanted there, it wasn't unconditional. He took a sip, the spoon hitting against his cheek.
He didn't have much time to appreciate the way the tea soothed his throat when he noticed a small look cross over Lily's face as if she was sucked into a memory. He cringed when he realised she was most likely thinking of Severus by the action. He opened his mouth to apologise when a booming voice cut in.
"Drink your tea properly, Reg!"
It was Sirius.
Regulus glared in his direction, "aren't you supposed to be mad at me?"
Sirius glared right back, "I can be mad at you and tell you off for bad manners."
"Have mum's words resonated with you?" he asked sarcastically before realising he had said the wrong words.
Sirius fumed and looked ready to strangle him. Regulus cringed back at the sight, afraid that he would.
"Padfoot," James cut in as he came around the corner, "I thought we talked enough to calm down."
"Apparently not," he deadpanned, giving Regulus a dirty look.
"Why am I here still? I'm sure Azkaban would treat me better than y-"
Remus cleared his throat, cutting him off, "why don't we discuss the matters at hand?"
"Good idea," James said, patting Sirius' on the shoulder with more force than necessary.
"Why isn't he here already?"
"Sirius, I barely sent a Patronus twenty minutes ago," Remus explained calmly, "you don't want Regulus here that much?"
"He poses danger to us!"
"We cannot just throw him to the wolves," James said in a slightly joking manner, his expression darkening, "he won't be here much longer, and he is at the mercy of four trained wizards."
"I bet he's taken down five."
"Are you trying to flatter me, Siri?" Regulus asked, mildly amused.
Sirius grimaced, "no, I just want you gone."
"I'm not going to let either of you throw him out," Lily shot back, "we are not heartless! I already discussed this with James! I don't care if you think he is dangerous. If the Headmaster thinks he needs to stay here for his safety we are doing it. He has defied You-Know-Who just like us."
"He's also a Death Eater!" James argued.
"He is also human!"
Regulus took another sip of his tea as he listened to them deciding his fate. He knew he should have been scared but he couldn't bring himself to be. He was only hoping that Dumbledore would give him a chance to bargain his safety with his information, and if he couldn't have that then have Kreacher sneak in some kind of poison to him. He would rather not go to Azkaban if he could help it. He was sure that the Dark Lord could easily penetrate the prison as it was not heavily guarded with Aurors.
"Absolutely not!"
"Why? He's just bad as the rest-"
A Patronus soared in through the wall, the shape of a phoenix. It glittered as it flew around the room in a concentrated circle. It caused the conversation to die off before it became more heated.
They all watched the glowing bird settle down upon the poorly transfigured coffee table. It stared directly at Remus as it relayed its message in Albus Dumbledore's voice.
"Remus, I will send order members to collect him tonight to escort him somewhere safer. I am unable to come there myself and hope to have him still intact when I finish my duties. I am still Headmaster of Hogwarts, there tends to be much to do. Wouldn't you agree?"
With that, the Patronus dematerialized into thin air.
"What?" Sirius demanded, "I am not just letting my brother get taken! I am going with him!"
Regulus raised his eyebrow as Remus began to try and soothe his brother's outburst of emotion. Lily tried to add comforting words, saying it was for the best.
Sirius went from hating him one minute to protecting him the other.
He just wished he would make up his mind whether he hated him or not.
Regulus endured several hours of tense and welcoming presences. He had tuned out most of Sirius' demands of coming with him when the people came. There was no convincing Sirius otherwise. That was his flaw, his stubbornness. It always has been
James, who he recognised as Hogwarts most popular Gryffindor. Who also bullied quite a few people, he remembered that clearly, but it seemed the man had matured a great deal. Though he was biased against Slytherins just as much as Sirius was. He wasn't sure about Remus, but he didn't seem to hold any sort of biases against anyone. He was unsure of Lily as well, though she had been best friends with a Slytherin for most of Hogwarts, he could never be sure. She treated him like a human and was kind, which was more than he deserved.
How he had so willingly followed that man was maddening. He was just a fool who would do anything to achieve immortality, willingly making a Horcrux. That was a whole new level of low.
He had finally been able to thank Kreacher when he had popped in, but that was where things began to get more complicated. He kept popping in and out at the most random times. He knew that the elf had the locket hidden, but when the time came how many people were going to be there to hear what he knew? How many more people were going to be hunted because of what he knew? It was only a matter of time before the Dark Lord found out
He didn't think that Albus Dumbledore would spike him with Veritaserum, at least not at first. He hoped he wouldn't do it to him. He was most likely disgusted by Death Eaters. He was disgusted with Death Eaters, he had been since he joined but he never let it show. He thought he had been fighting for the chance to not be a hidden community anymore, but after the first mission, he hadn't been so sure. He couldn't leave and abandon them, he had already pledged himself to Voldemort's cause.
He wasn't even allowed to cry tears for the muggles and wizards tortured and killed in front of him. He would just earn himself the Cruciatus curse for daring to spill tears for the unworthy. He had experienced it several times, and afterwards, his mother had locked him in his room to deal with the aftermath of the pain because in her eyes he deserved it.
Regulus shuddered a little, leaning back into the couch. He had been stuck there for the majority of the day as they didn't trust him. Which is what he had expected, but he found himself annoyed when Sirius practically followed him into the bathroom or anywhere they let him go. He couldn't complain because at least it was not James.
Now he was sitting on the couch, in the same spot he had been the whole day. He was frustrated that the Headmaster could not talk to him earlier. He was a sitting target and all he could do was wait. When he was retrieved and moved somewhere he was going to be sitting just as he was here. It was all he could do. If anyone had a better idea on how to destroy a Horcrux it would be Albus Dumbledore.
If the Headmaster turned him away he was as good as dead.
He was shaken out of his stupor when Lily nudged his shoulder slightly. He looked at her and then realised that she was holding a plate of food. His stomach rumbled at the sight of food and he realised they hadn't given him anything to eat until now. He nodded and took the plate. It wasn't anything fancy, just a sandwich and a few crisps.
"It's not much," she says, surprising him when she sat down next to him.
"It's more than I expected, thank you," he says softly, taking a bite and savouring it. It slid down his throat, which was feeling rather raw, but it soothed his stomach.
Lily sat quietly next to him as he ate, which seemed off to him. She looked to be debating internally to herself as if she wanted to ask something but was afraid to. He noticed it almost immediately but decided she could at least wait until he had finished his sandwich.
He sat his plate down on the coffee table and looked over at her, waiting expectantly to see what she wanted to know. If he had to go through the same argument he had with Sirius he was going to blow.
"Is, you know," she starts only to continue when he raises his eyebrows at her words, "is he?"
Regulus blanches not knowing who she was referring to, but he didn't have time to question it when the fireplace roared to life, though it crackled as someone needed to permit whoever was coming through. Lily jumped up and after speaking to whoever was there quietly she let it open.
A tall red-headed man stepped out first, dusting himself off. Then an identical man appeared right after him, coughing a bit.
Fabian and Gideon Prewett.
if you follow me from my other fanfic know I will update soon, I have to drive across the country (: like and review and critique kindly