Just talk to her.
Regulus took his time walking across the garden, taking mental notes on all the families attending the wedding while he did so. He tried to match faces with names, recalling things such as who's related to whom, who's allied with whom, who despised whom. The three main ingredients in the recipe for a pureblood society.
His mind needed the exercise, you see. He barely managed to arrange a coherent sentence the entire day since Crouch arrived. She's just so pretty, almost shining under the sunlight. In his mind there was a spotlight on her that made it easier for him to find her among the crowd, and everytime she smiled he felt his own lips pulled up. Her golden hair for once was not tamed in an elaborate braid, but was instead let loose, free to frame her lovely face. Her skin also looked so soft. Everything looked so soft. A few weeks of summer and she already had boobs? She dressed so prettily. It was a mercy that the ceremony ended at the time it did, he didn't think his occlumency could hold up against the beating of his own heart.
How do you even decelerate a heart?
"Reg!"
He smiled at the call, approaching the Crouches' table quicker. Barty Senior wasn't there, which was good. Very good. The universe had basically given him a blessing.
He attempted to keep his eyes away from Madeline Crouch to avoid distractions that could lead to a humiliating tripping.
Suffice to say, his attempt failed.
Regulus's lips again were unconsciously pulled up in response to Madeline Crouch's smile at his direction. And Salazar - she looked even more beautiful up close. How was that even possible? Her dress suited her well - he liked that the sleeves were seemingly falling off her shoulders, and it was the second time Regulus saw her arms uncovered, after that morning in first year - third if he count the time when she appeared older. So much skin, smooth, milky skin... would it be warm to touch? Her cheeks were still the softest looking part though, all rosy and full. And then there were her eyes, her lips, her hair - he couldn't pick a favorite part.
He didn't exaggerate when he once asked whether she was an angel. Ever since he had known the concept of heavens and angels, the picture of Madeline Crouch was his imagery for it.
Barty Crouch Junior grinned at her side, looking neat with his hair slicked back and a formal green robe, "Great. Now that you're here, tell my sister that the peacocks are all charmed to be white."
Regulus paused in his steps. "Peacocks?"
Madeline Crouch prettily sighed, facing her brother tiredly. "It's called the loss of pigments, Barty. They called it Leucism. I told you this already, the peacocks are genetically white. How many times do I have to tell you this?"
"You made that up," Barty scoffed. "I've read many books on animals and no such thing is ever mentioned."
"Ninety percent of those books revolved around dragons, Barty."
"Which still doesn't contradict me."
"Yes it does! You don't know much about birds, admit it."
Regulus awkwardly smiled as he watched the siblings' banter grew heated, over peacocks of all things.. Was that why Barty called him there? To settle their disagreement over birds? Regulus was totally clueless on how to proceed. Should he intervene? He didn't know much about the peacocks, but he at least knew it was definitely not a color changing charm that made them white. Sirius tried that theory already.
But he didn't come here to talk about those bloody peacocks!
"They've been on this matter for half an hour," Lady Crouch addressed him from her seat, looking both apologetic and fondly exasperated. He immediately recalled his manner, facing the lady squarely.
"Lady Crouch," he bowed his head, "It is my pleasure to finally meet you."
The lady beamed, a decidedly charming sight. "Oh, the pleasure is all mine, dear! I've heard so much about you already. You are Madeline's potion studymate, yes? And the seeker for the Slytherin quidditch team too! Your parents must be proud of you."
Regulus couldn't stop the blush on his cheeks. It was like being complimented by an older Crouch, though Crouch's visage was a bit more sharp. Lady Crouch looked a bit wispy... and kind. Definiely kind. Like she wouldn't and couldn't hurt a single garden gnome. She would be too soft for that. A hufflepuff.
Ah, yes. Now Crouch's kindness made sense. "Yes ma'am. I have the pleasure of being your daughter's studymate. She is the most brilliant person I have ever met."
The siblings stopped with their bickering, the older one looking embarrassed by his compliment while Barty was transparently proud.
"You flatter me, Black," Madeline Crouch said demurely. "But brilliance like mine, with books and cleverness - they'll only get me so far."
Her rosy cheeks were almost too distracting for Regulus. He managed to catch on her words, though. Two seconds were all he needed to find her answer completely preposterous. "Yes, but you're already more than those things, are you not?"
With his eyes, he dared her to deny his claim, while her clear blue eyes were searching for something in his. His heart again picked up its rate. He wondered if others could hear it.
Lady Crouch coughed.
"Oh dear, I think I saw Augusta over there." He broke the gaze to see Lady Crouch hurriedly dabbed a napkin on her lips and rose from her seat. "I'll just head over there. Have fun, children!"
He blinked at how quickly the lady was gone from their midst. Slowly, he turned to stare at the siblings with a questioning look.
Barty looked unimpressed.
"How is your summer, Black?" Madeline Crouch started, changing the subject. Her cheeks are still in a pretty pink hue. "And please take a seat."
"My summer has been going well," he carefully replied, taking a seat in Lady Crouch's previous chair. "It is more enjoyable than last year, that's for sure."
"Did you meet Rab and Evan?" Barty asked eagerly. "Where are they anyway?"
He shook his head. "I haven't met them until today. And they are currently busy." He might have been cashing in a favor from them to distract Bellatrix while Regulus talked to the Crouches. But the siblings didn't need to know that. "How is your holiday?"
Barty's expression soured. "Boring. Madeline has another project and she refused to let me in on it! Shocking, I know."
"Another project?" He perked up at Crouch, who looked too impassive to not be affected by Barty's words. The smile she gave him was stiff.
"It's a secret project. I deemed it to be a bit too dangerous for him."
"Can i help?"
She looked to be considering for a moment, before facing him squarely. "Maybe. What do you know of ritual magic?"
"Ritual magic?" Barty parroted in befuddlement. Regulus too was surprised - Ritual magic was an advanced, and obscured branch of magic that was rarely practiced nowadays. But then again, it was Madeline Crouch - he did not let the surprise show.
"Enough. The books in Grimmauld are informative."
Crouch hummed, giving him a calculating look. "I bet. Are you proficient in the balancing theories required for ritual magic?"
Regulus gave her an amused smile. "Is the sky blue?"
Crouch's eyebrows shot up. "Really?" There was no mistaking the impressed look on Crouch's expression. Regulus puffed his chest and sat straighter.
"It's the basic introduction for the dark arts."
"Oh. You've already studied it?"
He arched an eyebrow at her question.
She smirked teasingly in return.
"Ah, of course. My apologies for doubting you, Mister Black."
And now she made him feel weak.
"I'm going to find Evan," Barty scowled. The younger boy threw away a napkin at the table as he rose from his seat, startling him.
Regulus glanced at the direction where Bellatrix was seated, and even though he failed to catch her in sight, it still didn't ease his nerves, "Uh, that might not be a good idea."
"Sitting here is not a good idea," Barty retorted. "You both are ignoring me."
The protests sat at the tip of his tongue, but Barty was already gone from their sight in a blink, hidden by the crowd of hundreds of invitees before he could deliver it. He paled. It didn't escape Crouch's notice.
"Why is it not a good idea for Barty to meet Evan?" Crouch demanded.
Regulus winced as he looked away. Her sharp gaze was too much for him sometimes. "Evan may or may not be preoccupied with my cousin right now."
Crouch's eyes narrowed. "Which cousin, may I ask?"
"You now know her as Bellatrix Lestrange..."
Her sudden stillness was expected. Regulus knew that Crouch did not like Bellatrix, no matter how hard she tried to hide it. He still couldn't fathom the reason - Bellatrix had a bad reputation, yes, but not that bad. It shouldn't have affected Crouch so much. But perhaps, the reason was not important.
"Why do you not want Barty to meet your cousin?" Questioned Crouch suddenly, a look of impassivity returned to her face. She was searching for something again, her eyes gauging and calculating.
Now what to say?
"She can be difficult," Regulus divulged carefully. "And she's a bit of a sadist, as it turned out. I don't want any of you to meet her."
A memory of his cousin resurfaced in his mind. A false memory, to be precise. Planted in the midst of grueling hours of excruciating occlumency training. Bellatrix was there at the center stage of the memory, and so was Crouch. Regulus felt like he was trapped inside his body. He could not speak, he could not move. And Bellatrix was showing Crouch how to skin a rabbit with her favorite dagger - a fine dagger. A cursed dagger, bringing its victims the utmost pain since the sixteenth century. Crouch obeyed. Then Sirius came. Bellatrix showed Crouch how to skin Sirius. Crouch disobeyed.
Then blood. Flesh. Blond hair matted in red. Two bodies.
"Let's retrieve my brother, then," Crouch said, pulling him out of his mind. She was putting down her napkin, mere seconds away from leaving the table. Leaving the table and meeting Bellatrix. His throat felt dry.
"No," he shook his head, his voice holding a note of finality. "She can't see you."
Crouch huffed. "Why not?"
"Trust me."
Their eyes locked. He swore Crouch could penetrate his skin with her sharp gaze. Blue eyes so clear, it felt clean and clinical. With the depth of the ocean and the lightness of a sunny sky. It drowned him.
"Did I wrong her, in some way?" She inquired eventually, and Regulus shook his head with much vigor.
"No, of course not."
Crouch again met his eyes with suspicion, as if deciphering the answer from his eyes alone. But she wouldn't find it. She was no Bellatrix, she couldn't enter his mind and steal from his memories. She was Madeline Crouch.
But it would be a wrong assumption if one thought she couldn't be as scary as Bellatrix sometimes.
"Regulus Black," she glared at him with piercing eyes, and Regulus swore the temperature dropped by at least a couple degrees, "I swear, if you don't explain it to me right now - "
"It's me," he blurted out. "It's because of me that she's interested in you."
The freezing cold slowly went away and Crouch frowned. "I still don't follow. She is interested in me, because of you? How come she's interested in me because of you?"
Regulus shook his head. "It's.. hard to explain." To explain it would involve a confession about his interest in her and Regulus wasn't anywhere near ready for that. "Just - trust me. You do not want to meet Bellatrix."
It was a weak plea and he knew it. He hated how it sounded. This was not his plan when came here. He wanted to greet her. He wanted to compliment her. He wanted to tell her how lovely she was in the dress she wore. How her hair looked like the sun gave it a drop of golden light. He wasn't supposed to say anything pathetic.
"Okay," Crouch said suddenly. A if sensing his inner turmoil, she gave him a reassuring smile, "I trust you."
Regulus's mind of storm came to a halt.
"But how about Barty?" Crouch asked again, her priority clear.
Somehow the fog in his mind dissipated. He felt the corner of his lips pulled up at the familiarity of her concern for her brother. "Evan will do his best to drag him away from Bellatrix, I'm sure."
Unfortunately, his words failed to reassure her. That was evident enough from her frown. She looked like she was about to argue her point - she did start her argument. She managed to let out a brief "I -" but that was all she could say before an invisible force suddenly appeared to suffocate her. Her hands gripped the table so hard it crinkled the tablecloth. He stood in alarm.
"Crouch?"
He knelt beside her, taking one of her hands and let it crush his. Her face crumpled in pain, and she still was not breathing properly.
She was not. Breathing. Properly!
He put his other hand at the back of her neck, soothing it while also getting her eyes to look at him. Her pupils were dilated. Too wide for a sunny day. This was either caused by a potion - or a reaction to magic at its rawest form.
Magic, at its rawest form, could mess up your senses. He's seen it. He's seen Bellatrix with eyes like this after a meeting with the dark lord. Letting out magic with his meager wandless control, Regulus let it fight off whatever magic in the air around Crouch that was suffocating her. "Crouch. Stay with me. Breathe, okay? Breathe, in and out. That's it."
Regulus thanked the stars when Crouch slowly started to breathe properly again. It was draining to let out magic like that - he could have killed himself if he hadn't practiced with wandless magic before. Crouch, brilliant that she was, copied him and started to let out a raw form of magic as well to protect herself, allowing him to stop with his magic.
He waited as her pale complexion started to regain its color, mind wandering. Regulus had never seen a reaction to magic as bad as this. To suffocate with just sensing magic - magic that others did not sense? Indeed, as he looked around, he did not find anyone suffocating like Crouch was. From what he knew, raw magic like that could not be targeted just to one person in a room. Others should have felt it. It truly boggles the mind.
He shifted his hand that was still holding hers, pulling her from her distracted state. He caught her alarmed eyes with his own. "What happened?"
Crouch shook her head weakly. "Did you not feel it?"
"Feel what?"
Her face folded in distaste. "It's foul, heavy. And it felt like my very own being was -"
Crouch paused, seemingly frozen in realization. She closed her eyes for a brief moment, and Regulus almost demanded her to continue her answer - until he felt her magic stretching, searching. And suddenly she snapped her attention at the center of the garden. Narcissa and her groom were talking to someone - That someone would have been hidden from sight by the amount of crowd surrounding him if it wasn't for his height. But while his height was intimidating, his face was nothing remarkable. Easily forgotten and so plain Regulus didn't bother to try to identify him. There was no suspicious magic around him as well. He looked clean enough, no magic oozing from him that could be felt from afar. An average person. He was easily looked over, that man. But somehow he garnered the attention of many elites of the pureblood society.
Crouch looked sick at the sight of the man.
"Crouch?" He tugged the hand that connected them again.
"I think I would like to go," the girl said shakily, eyes still locked on the man. "As soon as possible, please."
He didn't hesitate. "Kreacher!"
Just as they disappeared from the garden, the man looked over his shoulder and found nothing at the direction that was pulling him.
.
"Thank you," Crouch said to Kreacher as she took the chamomile tea he offered. It was the first word she uttered after he brought her to Grimmauld Place five minutes ago. He understood. She looked positively shaken, and whatever realization she had about the cause of the incident, it had left her disturbed. She looked so small, sitting on his family couch. Her coloring was a contrast to the black velvet surface.
The tea seemed to calm her, at least.
"Barty!" Crouch abruptly shot up from her seat. "I left Barty there! I left Barty there, Godric!"
He called Kreacher before her panic spiraled, ordering his house elf to check on the younger Crouch. Kreacher popped out of Grimmauld immediately to carry on his order but it failed to soothe Crouch. She was pacing and fidgeting, even almost biting her nail before she caught herself. She looked even more tense when Kreacher appeared again.
"The young master Crouch is well," Kreacher reported with his grave voice. "He is playing with the young Rosier and two other children. They is trying to steal one of the peacock's feathers."
It was as if someone popped a balloon with how drastic she deflated. Regulus watched silently as she took a deep breath, smiling a little when she muttered a quick "again with the peacocks, Barty?" Another heartfelt thanks for Kreacher was spoken before Kreacher left them alone.
Crouch finally returned to her seat then, seemingly lighter in her steps. "Thank you for this, Black. I didn't know what came over me."
He returned her genuine grateful smile with a murmured "you're welcome," just before taking a sip from his own cup. Believing her sentiment was easy, but her words? Not so much. Crouch knew exactly what came over her. That man had an effect on her and only her, despite the man's effort to hide his magic - for reasons yet unknown. But how? Did they have a bond? Were they magically tied?
But if that was the case, then why was it a new revelation for her?
"Your brother once told us you have sensitivity towards magic, yes?" He asked, putting down his cup. His elbow rested on his knees and his hands gripped each other. "Could it be that you sense someone unpleasant by their magic?"
If she were honest and open to share, she would deny that it was her sensitivity to magic that caused that reaction.
"Unpleasant," she instead repeated with a ghost of a smile, sensing humor in the word that Regulus did not catch. "You are a sharp boy, Regulus Black."
So she wanted to hide the real reason, then.
They both sat in silence, preoccupied by their own thoughts. Regulus could understand the need to hide a magical bond. It could be exploited, after all, and Slytherins guarded their secret with jealousy, especially if it concerns their weakness. But the circumstances made him worry for her.
He took another look at Crouch. She still looked distraught, hands rubbing her arms as if comforting herself. The gesture brought his attention to her dress. He flushed suddenly. She still looked pretty even when distraught, her pale, smooth collar bones flushed as if matching her cheeks.
Focus, you creep.
Shaking his head, he rose from his seat in a sweep motion. "I'll be right back," he assured Crouch when she gave him a questioning look.
When he returned, Crouch was standing by the piano, her hand resting on its body. He offered the slytherin green sweater he brought there for her, who blinked in confusion.
"Oh, i'm not cold."
"It's for comfort," he explained himself, feeling suddenly embarrassed. "It's soft, and it covers the skin..."
His explanation was met by silence. Crouch stared at him with her big blue eyes, then blinked at the sweater, then him again. Regulus blushed - Salazar, he must sound like an idiot. A sweater for comfort, really? He could feel his face heating. "You know what? Never mind." He pulled back the sweater and hid it behind him when Crouch suddenly shouted.
"No!" She made a quick move at him, and Regulus was startled enough he took a few steps backwards to escape her. He didn't escape her. She grabbed the sweater he hid behind him - and by doing that, she was standing so close he could smell her shampoo - and she hugged his sweater while turning to the side, as if it was her turn to hide the sweater from him.
They stared at each other in a pause.
"I very much would like the sweaters, please," Crouch explained awkwardly, breaking the silence.
She was still hugging the sweater.
His lips quirked up. That was adorable. "Then I insist that you take it."
That earned him a sweet laugh, an attempt from Crouch to mask her own embarrassment. "Thanks," she said softly. "You're good, Regulus - May I call you Regulus? It's just, you've been such a great friend - "
Regulus swore his heart threw a riot right then and there. Hearing Madeline Crouch calling his name in her velvety voice was definitely a pleasure. And she called him a great friend! That's good, right? His mind drew blank as Crouch looked warmly at him with her big, blue eyes, framed with lashes so long-
Reply to her, you idiot!
He let out what was hopefully a charming smile, "Only if you'll allow me to call you Madeline."
She gave him a dazzling bright smile.
(His heart threw a follow up riot).
.
In Regulus's defense for the self made struggle he would soon experience, the idea came one morning inspired by some thoughtless words that came out of the mouth of someone so stupid, Regulus wouldn't have listened to it if he was in his right mind.
The event that triggered all his misery in his third year occured on a wednesday morning, three days after Cissa's wedding and the momentous change in his and Crouch's relationship. It started when he was brushing up his knowledge on the introduction to dark arts. Crouch had spoken to him about her intention to design a specific ritual revolving around protective magic and Regulus would be damned if he couldn't answer her questions regarding balancing theories when he already said in confidence that he had mastered it. He sat for hours in the drawing room with Delving Into The Dark Arts by Oberon Perenele, and not even Sirius' sudden presence could disturb him in his focused state.
At least not until Sirius opened his damn mouth.
"You're so transparent," he snorted in between his snickering, "I can't believe it."
Regulus lifted his gaze from the book and looked to the side, straight to the figure of his brother that was leaning by the doorframe. He was half determined to just ignore him, just like what he had been doing for the first fifteen minutes ever since he sensed Sirius there. But unfortunately, his good mood urged him to entertain his brother, believing that nothing could ruin the day for him. "And how am I transparent, exactly?"
Sirius wiggled his eyebrows as he leaned forward from where he stood, as if speaking conspiratorially, "You're making progress with that Crouch girl, aren't you?"
Regulus blushed at the mention of Crouch. Has Sirius realized that Regulus's favorite sweater was missing? But surely Sirius couldn't know that he had lent it to Crouch - Narrowing his eyes, Regulus put up his coldest look. "It's none of your business, Sirius."
"It's everyone's business with the way you flaunt it."
He scoffed. "I don't flaunt anything."
Sirius looked at him as if he was exasperated. "You could barely read without glancing at the couch and the piano a couple times in a minute. You even stared at a couch for two minutes at some point. With a goofy face."
Nope. Regulus refused to believe that. "I don't have a goofy face."
"And i thought those occlumency training have ruined you," Sirius said, snickering. "Clearly a chick is what it takes to cancel all that - with a side effect of a goofy face twenty times a day, but who's counting, right?"
Regulus turned red, feeling embarrassed at his apparent transparency. Was he that easy to read? If even Sirius could see everytime Madeline Crouch occupied his mind - which, nowadays, happened so often at the most incoveniencing times - then he didn't stand a chance to hide it at Hogwarts, surrounded by his slytherin housemates. And he thought he was making progress with his occlumency lesson. He had been doing so well in organizing his mind before the wedding, but one sight of Crouch completely brought it to naught.
It was precisely at this moment that an idea, a wonderful -yet asinine in hindsight- idea, sneaked upon his mind.
Occlumency.
He accidently murmured it out loud, making Sirius snap his attention at him again. As if sensing something terrible, Sirius's eyes narrowed in suspicion.
But it was too late.
Regulus thought it was a brilliant idea. If he was having difficulties in organizing his mind, then he only needed to use occlumency optimally, right? He grinned at Sirius, "Brother, sometimes I could almost believe that you have a brain."
"Hey," Sirius frowned, offended. But Regulus was listening no more. He packed his books and headed straight to the door, eager to go to his room to meditate.
"Wait, you're not trying to use occlumency daily to hide your obvious crush, are you?" Sirius shouted at Regulus's leaving figure. He was ignored. "Reg!"
Left alone in the drawing room, Sirius blinked in confusion at the door, having failed to process what had happened so quickly. He came to tease his brother and now what?
Regulus couldn't be that dumb, could he?
Sirius paused, and finally shrugged. There was no way Regulus was that dumb. Besides. He doubted Regulus could use high-skilled techniques in occlumency. At best he could use the art of organizing his mind and putting up basic walls against legilimency attacks. The art of isolating his emotions, manipulating specific memories to be inaccessible, or putting a distance or a wall between his mental executive functioning and a specific stimuli would be too advanced for him. So what was the harm, really?
Sirius' eyes caught the sight of packs of Chocolate frogs at the table that was previously occupied by Regulus and he blinked. The thought of his brother was forgotten as he took one of them. Quickly opening the wrap - Dumbledore again, really? - he grabbed the frog before it could jump.
He ate the right leg first - Sirius didn't care if James called him a sadist for it.
.
"Holy fucking mackerel!"
The yelp escaped Sirius as he read the article for the second time. In his hands was the Prophet's edition for today - his brother's Prophet that he nicked from Nyx when the bird made a stop at his room to deliver James's letter. He wouldn't do this normally, but the headline -
"Sirius!" Mother shouted, probably from her room by the volume of her voice, "Mind your tongue or I'll cut it and feed it to your grandfather's grims!"
He would feed those grims anything if they showed themselves to those maniac's followers. Soon, preferably, especially after the accommodating law set by the ministry. Speaking of the ministry,
"Holy shit," Sirius whispered in awe. His eyes quickly scanned the paper again, this time pausing at the center picture. A particular man with his hat and mustache appeared to sit in the judge chair among the council of Magical Law hearing, a hammer in his hand.
He must share this good news with his brother.
Racing to the door across his room, Sirius knocked on it quicky and repeatedly, with the vigor of an Erumpent in the face of a potential mate. "Reg! Your future father in law is insane!"
His knocking didn't stop for nothing. Not even after a raspy sleepy voice grumbled from inside the room, "Sirius it's too early for this."
He was determined to stop only after the door wasn't there to knock on.
"Wait, my what in law?" Again came Regulus's voice, this time a little higher in tone as if squeaking, and Sirius almost couldn't hear it between his vigorous knocking. Almost.
He'd tease him for that later.
When the door finally opened, revealing a bird nest pretending to be a mop of curly hair and a glaring boy of thirteen of age that was almost as handsome as him, Sirius immediately shoved the Prophet at his face.
Regulus rubbed his eyes as he read the front page. His eyes squinted - he must be suspecting that Sirius was making this up with how good of a news this was.
- Or he could be just waking up and had itchy eyes, who knows.
Sirius vibrated in anticipation, lips barely holding back a smile, waiting for -
"This is outrageous!" Regulus scowled, glaring at him with all the rage of someone who was forcefully woken up and more. "The ministry can't be allowed to do this!"
-definitely not this.
Sirius blinked as he stared at both his brother and the paper back and forth. They were reading the same article right? "Just to confirm, did you read the headline and the main article?
Regulus sneered, "Yes, I bloody read the headline, Sirius. What else am I supposed to read when you shove that page to my face?"
He frowned. He thought his brother would be happy - the ministry was finally taking a decisive step to stop those maniacs whose horrifying work was plastered on his brother's room. Watching his fuming brother - who once again read the article as if it was offending him - he realized that was definitely not the case. Sirius tried to tread this carefully, "Technically, the ministry is allowed to do anything. They make the law."
The paper made that crackling sound when his brother removed it from his line of sight too quickly, meeting his eyes with an earnest look, "But to murder the esteemed members of society?"
Sirius blinked.
He may not understand the law, but criminals like them did not deserve to be called 'esteemed members of society' any longer when they have abandoned all civility and moral codes.
Maybe his sleepy state was affecting his mind.
He dropped a hand on Regulus's shoulder to shake him, wanting him to fully wake up. "Reg, murder is literally the dark lord's MO."
Regulus looked away uncomfortably, "But - those murders are within reasons. There are patterns. This - this is mindless killing!"
"How in morgana's ass is this a mindless killing?" Sirius snapped. "The ministry has a reason too. They want to stop the dark lord."
And they had to stop the dark lord. Sirius had never been a follower of any ideology, he preferred to live as he liked. He didn't care for their purist view, though he also didn't care for the muggles either.
But it was different now. He'd seen how terrible the dark lord was, thanks to Regulus' murder board. Listening to Regulus's screams as Bella tortured him only solidified his thought about how rotten the dark side was. And Sirius knew some muggleborns - hell, his best mate was in love with a muggleborn. He couldn't let them die.
Sirius looked at the paper in Regulus's hands again, a thought passing in his mind. "Huh. Perhaps I'll join the ministry someday. Be an auror and all that rot," he mused out loud, much to Regulus's horror. As usual, he didn't let Regulus' feelings on the matter stop him. Instead, he added with glee, "Mother will be so pissed. And maybe I'll get to kill Bella without being sent to Azkaban."
Regulus scoffed at his apparent amusement. "Sirius. This is not a laughing matter."
Sirius chuckled lightly. It was cute that Regulus thought him to be joking. Did his brother forget? He was always Sirius. "Anyways, why are you so grumpy? It's your future father in law that proposed and allowed this to happen."
Regulus fidgeted unsurely at that, hands scrunching up the edges of the paper as he again left the front page displayed between them. "I always knew that the Crouches are neutral. But this.. this is taking a side." Regulus again paused as he nervously wetted his lips, staring at the picture of Barty Crouch Senior in the front page. "It won't be easy for Madeline and Barty next term, with their father on the front line of this... feud."
Sirius snorted. "Might as well call it a war. Murdering is now a casual course of action, apparently. And it won't be easy for everyone, not just for your Madeline - wait a minute!" Sirius' eyes widened as realization came upon him. Regulus, realizing that he had slipped a particular detail about his current relationship with his beau, made a strategic retreat as he slowly walked back into his room, preparing to close his door in front of Sirius's face.
As if Sirius would let that.
"So it's just Madeline now, Reggie?" He goaded with a devilish grin, one of his feet stepping into Regulus's room to prevent the door from closing. "Does she call you Reg? Regulus? Reggie? Reggie-boo?"
His brother flushed. "That's none of your business."
Sirius grinned so wide his cheek actually began to hurt. "Aw, look at you, growing up and making progress with your sweetheart! Say, do you need pointers in the art of snogging?"
The door was shut so harshly it bounced off his foot. Ouch.
"You never even kiss anyone!" Regulus called him out, growing irritated as he couldn't escape Sirius so easily.
Sirius gasped at the insulting (but sadly true) accusation. "Blasphemy! I had a lot of practice! Hufflepuffs are a willing bunch and Ravenclaws encouraged all kinds of learning," he lied through his teeth, adding a wink for good measure. "In case you need practice, I can direct you to- OUCH."
The brat stepped on his feet and when he moved it to soothe the pain, the door was already snapped shut. Rude.
Despite the pain, Sirius again grinned at the door. "Do you need an explanation about lady parts?"
"You're disgusting!" - came the muffled answer.
"You're at that age, Reg," Sirius drawled. "No one could blame you if you're curious, especially now that you and her are getting close - closer, if she would let you - "
The door opened again, and Sirius smiled innocently - And was barely dodging a quaffle thrown at his head. The ball bounced off the hall's wall with a loud bang and Sirius let out a whistle.
That was a mean throw.
Returning his focus to the door, he realized that Regulus's door was again locked shut. He pouted.
Both of them did not bring up the day's paper again.
.
In the days following, Sirius felt a storm coming in.
Not a literal storm, of course. The figurative one, the one that cast shadows in daily lives and would destroy the lives of everyone in its path by just existing. It was calm now in his house but he felt the tide already settling in its course. He felt the whispers howling, spreading out venom and hatred. He felt expressions and interactions getting colder and tenser - he quickly realized, after that particular morning, that Regulus leaned to the other side, along with everyone in his house.
He had hoped, of course, that his brother was collecting the news to see how horrible the dark lord's side was. Even hoping that his brother wanted to join the effort to fight them.
Oh, he couldn't be more wrong.
It was a slap and half for him when Regulus explained the so called 'pattern' in the dark lord's attacks, trying to convince Sirius that the dark lord was fighting for their cause, for their family. For the brighter future of magical britain.
They had a fight after Sirius told him their family all the inbred purebloods could rot in hell for all he cared.
After that, Regulus threw glares at him over the dining table rather than attempting to chat with him. Of course with her favorite son returned to her side, Mother finally felt it was okay to cast a stinging curse at him over meals everytime Sirius opened his mouth at the table. Perhaps goading them by asking who among their bigoted friends were offed by the ministry that day everyday did not help his case, but Sirius already jumped the cliff, what more could he do to make it worse?
He was already drowning just by breathing in this house.
All the previously built warmth was gone. Regulus was quiet and brooding, locking him self in his room, studying Merlin knows what. Mother's hand grew lighter with her wand. Father suddenly didn't tolerate his babbling.
He didn't understand how it all could change overnight - at first.
He understood now.
You see, Sirius wasn't one to sneak around his own house - Sirius Black walked with the pride of a lion anywhere he went, with the exception of mischievous occasions, of course. But one occasion of sneaking around had enlightened him of something. His house had been visited by a venomous pest. A pest that was slowly corrupting his family, speaking to them of promised glory and righteous, noble fight in the name of their ancestors and the future generations. That was why he was walking quietly down the stairs, fully intending to sneak around the drawing room.
He didn't enter the drawing room, of course. Instead, he entered the dining room beside it, heading straight to the wall that connected the room with the drawing room. There he used a modified sound amplifying charm, before sticking his ears to the wall.
"Aw, itty bitty Regulus, are you worried for this old cousin of yours?"
Sirius almost gagged hearing that sickening saccharine voice.
"Why would they decide such a thing?" Asked his brother so quietly, Sirius almost didn't hear it. He scowled. Why must his brother be so soft spoken? It was a real inconvenience at a time like this!
"Can you not guess?" Bellatrix cooed. "Try using that big brain of yours, little cousin."
Were they talking about the new legislation? They must be. Why else would Regulus be 'worried' for Bellatrix?
There was a pause before his brother answered Bellatrix's challenge.
"It is probably a show of strength by the ministry. To show the public that the threat is serious but they are also handling it seriously. But it must be more than that... Is it a fear tactic? They're trying to discourage people from joining the dark lord - by declaring that the dark lord's side is the public's enemy and the ministry isn't afraid to strike anyone who joins them down. And... and also to discourage the dark lord from continuing his effort."
A high, piercing cackle split the air, madness seeping in between every breath. Goosebumpes crawled on every inch of his skin and Sirius shivered. How Bella wasn't classified as a banshee was still a mystery to him.
"It is a fear tactic! You see now how hilarious this is? Oh, they're practically clowns! To use a fear tactic against the Dark Lord!"
Sirius awkwardly waited for another burst of cackling to stop. Godric, did the woman could laugh. She's got a nice pair of lungs, that's for sure. In the meantime, he considered their words and thought that the ministry was using the right kind of tactic. Most of those who were interested in the dark lord's side were slytherin, and everyone knew that Slytherins had the bravery of a chicken. They're all about self preservation, after all. They would definitely think twice before joining the dark lord.
"They'll still be aiming to kill..." Regulus said with uncertainty, and Sirius heard the answering scoff.
"And the dark lord welcomes their little threat with an open, blackened, heart," said Bella in her fake sweet voice, before it grew considerably darker, "Do not underestimate us, Regulus. We are trained in the dark arts by the Dark Lord himself. Your concern is adorable, but anymore than that then i'll show you personally how it was unnecessary, not to mention insulting." The threat was clear in her voice and Sirius cursed. Now he'd have to come out of his hiding if Bellatrix started to throw curse. "Besides, if they want to offer us death, then we will simply become death eaters, the ones who conquer death."
Sirius blinked. Death eaters? Was it what they were calling themselves now? He almost scoffed. The name was a bit too on the mark, innit? Was that the best they could come up with?
"Death eaters?" Asked Regulus again, his doubt on the name mirroring Sirius's own and this time, it was met by a dark chuckle.
"You heard it first from me, little cuz. I suggest you buy more pins for that board of yours."
Sirius gulped, eyes widening in realization. He quickly made a retreat to his room, fully intending to write everything he heard to the other lads. They definitely wanted to hear this. Sirius and James might not be too affected by this Dark Lord, but Remus's mother was a muggle, and Peter's older sister married a muggle. And now they had a name to call the Dark Lord's side - Death Eaters.
Those Death Eaters.. They're not going to stop, aren't they?
AURORS TO USE THE UNFORGIVABLES
In the light of recent events arround the attacks that has terrorize the wizarding Britain, the Ministry, under the authorization of the Head of DMLE and High Judge of the Council of Magical Law, Bartemious Crouch, has passed on a legislation that allows aurors to use the unforgivables in this desparate times. "According to the reports of our aurors, these vile, cowardice men throw around unforgivables as if it is the tickling charm, hiding behind their mask to avoid the consequences of their actions," said Barty Crouch. "It is time that we treat them as the threat they they present, time to fight back when our citizen is harmed and terrorized!"
The minister, Eugenia Jenkins, has been silent on this matter when asked about the new legislation. One could even say that the minister has been silent in most of her time as our minister. This momentous legislation is the first firm action that our ministry takes, after years of..