Regulus was scared.

Honestly, him being scared seemed to become a second nature by now, and it was pushed more to the back of his mind. He wasn't scared in the trembling and crying way he had been on those first two days, he was able to hold it in and keep up appearance for most of the day but the burning fear remained, nestled deep in his stomach, keeping him feeling dreadfully exhausted. What made it worse was that he was all alone—Bellatrix had left that same day they arrived at Uncle Alphard's, as she was busy working for the Dark Lord and doing her own thing, and Kreacher had gone back to 12 Grimmauld Place to keep an eye out, leaving him with his parents and uncle, the three adults who absolutely refused to talk to him about anything that had happened over the last few months. He was kept in the dark and he couldn't stand it—he was just as much a part of these events as the adults, and him being ten shouldn't make a difference. His entire world was flipped upside down and Evan Rosier had told him more about this than anyone in the family! It was outrageous, but a child could hardly change the minds of three adults, especially when those adults included your parents.

Regulus would gladly have contacted Evan if he could, to ask him about what was going on for he was completely isolated and had no access to any kind of news, but he wasn't allowed to contact anyone, not even Sirius. Kreacher had also been forbidden to bring him news or otherwise talk to him about everything going on with the world, although Regulus had certainly tried to work around that. There was simply nothing to be done.

He couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy as he realised his brother was learning so much at Hogwarts—and not just in class or from teachers. He had Evan and others to talk to, who could help him figure out what was going on. Oh, the stories Sirius would have for him when he came back for Christmas... if he even came over. It was already Hallowe'en and they were still avoiding home, they were still avoiding any contact with the outside world. Regulus couldn't help but fear that this year, there would be no Christmas, or at the very least, there wouldn't be Christmas at home. But he doubted if Sirius would be allowed to come to Uncle Alphard's if it wasn't safe for them to go home.

He had hated the few weeks before his brother left for Hogwarts because they had been spent at home, with no birthday party for him, no fun visits or nothing—but this stay had been a million times worse. He missed his brother terribly, couldn't sleep because every time he closed his eyes he kept seeing those flashes of green, he kept hearing the screams and his cousin's laughter, he kept being overwhelmed by fear as if he was ducking away from those jets of red light all over again. It was horrible and the lack of sleep made every night worse. He couldn't talk to the adults about it because they avoided him, they ignored him, they were busy with themselves. He was all alone with his thoughts, and his thoughts were dangerous sometimes.

A knock on the door pulled him out of his mind as he looked up, seeing none other than Bellatrix at the door, a big grin on her face as always. He jumped up from the bed he had been lying on and ran right into her outstretched arms. "Bella, I've missed you so!"

"I'm happy to see you, too."

He pulled away from the embrace. "Why are you here?"

"I've got good news for all of you. Come on, let's get your parents and Uncle Alphard, okay?"

Regulus nodded and together they made their way to the sitting room. He couldn't really believe what was happening—good news? His mind was racing with the possibilities but the only thing that kept coming back to him was that they'd get to go home, that Christmas wasn't cancelled, that he'd get to see Sirius!

He sat down in between his parents on the sofa. Bellatrix cleared her throat dramatically. "Good evening, everyone. I've got some good news—the Ministry is changing tactics-"

"Changing what tactics?" Asked Mother, not letting Bellatrix finish her sentence.

"Well, Auntie Walburga, perhaps if you were to listen to-"

"Bellatrix!" Father interjected, "just get on with it."

"Fine. You're no longer targeted. Nobody is—word got out that the 'suspects' they've been chasing have done nothing suspicious and don't warrant Aurors chasing them ten-to-one just because of their blood status. Abraxas might have had something to do with 'persuading' some people who work at the Ministry to tell the truth... and there's been uproar."

"So now what happens?"

"Hit Wizards will pick up this case and they'll go looking for the culprits, but they might be looking for the wrong people..."

"Might?" Uncle Alphard asked. "Bellatrix, what did you do?"

"Me? I did nothing at all," she grinned. "Or did I?"

"Thank you," Mother said.

"It's a relief, for sure," Father agreed. "But we have to stay cautious. All of us—including you."

"Me?" Bellatrix scoffed, "seriously, Uncle? You dare accuse me of not being cautious, of not being careful, after everything I've done for you the past month?!"

"You're reckless-"

"I am no such thing. You know what, forget it," she turned on her heel, rushing off.

"Bella!" Regulus yelled after her, getting up from the sofa but his father held him down. "Let me go—I've got to—Bella!"

Bellatrix turned around at the door. "I'm sorry, Reg. But my efforts are clearly not appreciated."

"I do! I appreciate it. You saved me-"

"She killed them, Regulus," Father said coldly. "There was no need for murder, and look where her actions got us."

-

"Bella?"

Regulus sat in front of the fireplace in his uncle's sitting room, his head stuck through the green flames. On the other side, he could see the drawing room of Uncle Cygnus and Aunt Druella—empty except for his cousin, who was sat on the sofa, facing the door with her back turned to the fireplace as she silently read a book.

"Bellatrix!"

He called out a little louder, and his cousin turned around, facing Regulus. "She's out," was all she said.

"Out? Out where?"

Andromeda closed the book and put it on the sofa, taking a deep breath. "Probably running about with her Death Eater buddies."

Regulus scratched his head in confusion. Death Eater buddies, what were those? What was a Death Eater buddy? "Do they eat dead things?"

Andromeda burst out laughing, which only confused Regulus more. "No, no, nevermind," she finally said, still laughing.

"Now I wanna know!"

"Ask her next time you see her. I'm not about to explain all that."

Regulus looked behind him into Uncle Alphard's deserted sitting room, then back to Andromeda in front of him, in her own house. "Are you still mad at me?"

"Regulus... why would I be mad at you?"

"Because..." he sighed, and dropped his voice to a whisper, "because I overheard you saying you're in love that time..."

"You think I'm mad at you for that?"

"Well... you never talk to me!"

"We're very different people, Regulus. And, I hate to say it, but I'm seven years older than you—"

"That isn't fair, you talk to Sirius all the time!" He interrupted her, knowing she was just making excuses now. He wanted an honest answer, not whatever this was.

"Sirius is different," she replied coldly.

That reply told him everything he needed to know. His cousin just didn't like him. He wasn't good enough for her. And yet, he still asked her: "Why?"

"You wouldn't understand."

"Try me," he bit back defiantly. He was tired of people telling him he wouldn't understand time and time again, and this seemed like an especially easy thing to understand. She did not like him, or maybe she was mad at him and wouldn't say it. Either way, it wasn't something he wouldn't understand.

But she just repeated herself. "You would not understand."

He opened his mouth to say something, to tell her she was being ridiculous and that he would understand—he wasn't a baby anymore, he knew how the world worked—but he was interrupted. The door to the drawing room swung open and Bellatrix herself came into the room, immediately rushing towards the fireplace as if she had known beforehand that he was here.

"Regulus!" She greeted him, ignoring her sister. "What a lovely surprise, but you're right on time. I have something to show you."

"Now?" He asked, looking over his shoulder once more. The drawing room was still deserted, but he knew Uncle Alphard, or his parents, they could come back any moment. He knew they'd be angry to see him using the fireplace, but they would most likely be furious if they found out that he had actually left the house.

"Yes, now. Come on!" Bellatrix pressed. Andromeda had picked up her book again, skimming through the pages, seemingly not caring about this exchange.

"What if my parents-"

"Don't be such a baby, Regulus, they won't find out."

With one final glance into the drawing room, he decided that yes, Bellatrix was likely right. Besides, he wasn't going anywhere unsafe, was he? So he got up and stepped through the flames, emerging from the fire on the other end.

"Andy, can you give us some privacy?"

Andromeda looked at them over the top of her book. "You do realise I was here first, right?"

"You do realise I truly do not care, right?" Came Bellatrix's reply.

To Regulus' surprise, Andromeda actually got to her feet. "Fine. I'll go," she snapped, storming out of the room, muttering something he couldn't make out. He followed her with his eyes until she disappeared behind the door she slammed shut.

Bellatrix grabbed his hand and pulled him with her to the sofa, sitting him down

"What are you-"

"Look," she said, silencing him as she sat down next to him. She pulled up the sleeve of her robes, showing him her tattoo once more. It hadn't changed, exactly, but the colours were different. Instead of being black, the tattoo seemed nothing more than a fresh wound in the shape of a snake coming out of a skull. The lines of the tattoo were a fiery red, and it was mesmerising to look at.

"This is what we do it for, dear cousin. Your parents—they don't understand. They'll never understand. But I know you have what it takes, you are strong, you believe, don't you?"

He frowned. "Believe what?"

She let the robes fall back, the tattoo covered once more. "Regulus... after this morning, I figured you'd come over. You must have so many questions."

"I do..."

"Ask. You deserve to know. I'll be honest."

Regulus hesitated. He had been struggling with this subject for over a month, and it had been a very personal struggle, but perhaps his cousin could help. After all, she was there. She cast those curses.

"What happened with those Aurors?" He asked eventually, avoiding her gaze as he played with his hands.

"I killed them," Bellatrix replied matter-of-factly.

"But... how? I mean, where are they now? What happened?"

"The Killing Curse is a very powerful curse," she explained. "It causes instant death. It's final, they're gone, there's no coming back from death."

He looked up at her, desperately trying to understand what she meant. "So... if they're gone, where did they go?"

"Nobody knows for sure. It's a mystery. All we know is that when you die, you stop living, and there's no true way to come back."

Regulus let out a quiet "Oh" and let his gaze wander until he was staring at the flickering flames of the fireplace.

"What was it like..." he began hesitantly, not knowing how to finish the question that was burning inside of him.

"To take their lives?"

Regulus nodded, turning slowly to meet her eyes again.

"It depends. Some people find it an unbearable burden, they're consumed by remorse, regret. They try to do everything in their power to undo what they did—which is, of course, impossible."

Bellatrix fell silent, but Regulus wasn't satisfied with her answer. His heart raced within his chest as he pressed further. "And you?" He asked, his voice a little unsteady, afraid of the answer. "What is it like for you?"

"What makes you think I'm different?"

He opened his mouth, only to close it again, for he didn't have a real answer to that. He felt himself panic slightly, and it wasn't until Bellatrix put an arm around his shoulder that he started to calm down.

"Don't worry. You're right. I'm not one of those people."

Regulus let out a sigh of relief before the realisation hit him. Bellatrix didn't mind killing? She didn't feel guilty about it? At all? He stared at her, eyes wide, as these questions raced through his mind. Bellatrix seemed to know exactly what was going on inside his head.

"I don't mind taking lives when those people deserve it. Those Aurors, they chose death the moment they targeted our family, but especially when they went after you. I could have done much worse, oh, how I wish I had done much worse. Nobody gets to hurt you. You're safe with me."

"But... what does it feel like, really? And... and isn't it—killing, isn't killing wrong?" He chose his words carefully, hoping not to say something that she would disapprove of, while at the same time needing his questions answered.

"Wrong? What do you truly know of right and wrong, my dear cousin? You are young, naive... Right and wrong are simple constructs of society. We are Blacks. We are above such things. Remember that."

He nodded. He could live with that answer, even though he didn't fully understand. She leaned in closer to him and dropped her voice to a whisper that sent chills down Regulus' spine. "And to take a life, to see the light fade from their eyes... it's unlike any other feeling, the rush is beyond comparison. In that moment, you're in total control. Your targets are at your mercy, and you get to decide what happens next—all with the flick of a wand. Ha! It's incredible."

He flinched away from her almost instinctively, but Bellatrix pulled him back, once again revealing her tattoo to him. "Look at it, Regulus. Look at the beauty!"

"I'm looking!" He protested, his cousin's hand holding him tightly. "And you're hurting me—ow!" She had given him an extra squeeze before releasing him, only to cradle her own arm—the one with the tattoo. Bellatrix had transformed into someone he barely recognised when he saw her acting like this, and it terrified him.

"You don't get it, do you? We do it for this," she exclaimed, holding up her left arm. "We do it for the Dark Lord—tell me, Regulus, what do you know about him?"

"I‐ Evan, he- I don't-" he struggled to find the right words as he tried to back away from his cousin unseen, but she seemed to know every single time, holding him back without much effort.

"The Dark Lord is Lord Voldemort, and Lord Voldemort is our master, and our master will purge the world, he will cut out the bad parts and do away with them."

"What bad parts?" He asked, forgetting his fear as curiosity took over.

"Muggles, mudbloods, half breeds, blood traitors... all that scum," she said, waving her hand as if it didn't matter. "The Dark Lord will make sure we get our world back, Regulus. And that's worth everything."

She grabbed both his shoulders, turning him to face her, staring at him with such intensity he felt like he would throw up if it lasted any longer. "He is worth everything," she concluded, drawing out every word.

Regulus could only nod in agreement.