RAB

Alecto was feeling drained. Once the excitement of it all had faded, she was left with a niggling sensation in her stomach and a headache which wouldn’t quit. Did she feel guilty? Of some sort yes, but she also knew what had happened needed to. None the less, Alecto had taken advantage of the empty dorm and managed to grab a couple of decent hours sleep. That was until the knock, instantly waking her and making her sit upright, heart pounding. She reached for her gown, before walking over and opening the door. A look of surprise graced her face, before settling into realisation. She knew why he was here. “Hey, Reggie.” she said, tone in it’s rare softness. 

Regulus wasn’t doing well with the entire Deatheater thing, and he knew it would be obvious to her the moment he joined. Their families have know one another far too long. He was staring down at the floor as the door opened, and he looked at her through his dark curls. His hair had grown out quite a bit over the last few months. “Can I come in?” He asked, hands digging deeper in his pockets.

Wendy leaned into him, staring at where their hands were twined together. “I can stay safe for you,” she said, resting her head on his shoulder. “I can stay out of this whole thing for you.” It probably made her a coward, to not choose a side, but she wasn’t a Gryffindor. She didn’t need to be brave. 

“I’ll steer clear of Bella and…” She sighed. “I don’t know who else. Alecto? Stefan?” She pressed a kiss to her shoulder. “But if you think I’m leaving you just because of one silly little Dark Lord, you’re absolutely wrong.” She squeezed his hand. “We will make it through this and come out on the other side and live happily ever after, okay? And don’t you dare think otherwise.” She pulled back to look him in the eyes. “I love you. The choices you’ve had to make don’t change that. You’re not a bad person, and I know that. You saved someone today when it was easier not to. You are not a bad person and you won’t ever hurt me.”

Regulus nodded his head with a soft sigh. He was fine with being punished, he was used to it. He could handle the pain himself, but he wouldn’t be able to see the people he loved go through it. “Okay... please stay as far away as you can.” He mumbled, watching the window.

“Anyone you suspect.” He had to keep it vague because it was safer for everyone. The moment the words left her lips, he stiffened and leaned closer before pressing his cool hands to her cheeks so she would look at him. “Listen... he isn’t one silly little dark lord. He’s powerful and dangerous. If he found out... if he found out you knew anything, he will kill you and your family. Do you understand?” His tone was soft but stern. “I love you too, Wen.” As much as he wanted to push her away so she wasn’t anywhere near this, he knew he needed her. It was selfish, but she kept him sane.

Wendy raised her eyebrows at his tone, but she knew why he was being so harsh. He didn’t need her getting hurt, and honestly, she didn’t want to get hurt either. It was better this way. When he mentioned his brother, her expression softened. But then he mentioned Bella and her eyes went hard.

“What did she do to you?” She asked, before shaking her head. “Nevermind. If she hurt you, I won’t be held accountable for what I’d do to her.” She slid closer to him, reaching to rub his shoulder. “What do you need from me?” She asked, voice soft. “I’m right here, Reg.”

“I shouldn’t have questioned her. I shouldn’t have tried to stop her.” Regulus mumbled, rubbing his cheek slightly. He could still feel the ghost of the sting. He was the soft one of his family, he never wanted to make any of them upset. It’s why he followed everything his parents said, and if he didn’t and they punished him, he’d know it was his fault for going against them.

Wendy’s breath caught. “Oh, Reg…” She sighed, reaching for his hands. They were trembling in hers. Of course it had come to this. What better way to prove the loyalty of your child army than by making them poison their classmates? She ran her thumbs over his knuckles. 

“How did you mess up?” She asked finally, swallowing around the dread that had settled in the back of her throat. “What does Bella have to do with anything?” Then it clicked and she felt her stomach constrict. “How many other people are working for Him at the school?” 

Regulus watched her hands slip over his and some of the tension in his body faded slightly. Physical touch was so rare for him unless it was to cause him pain, so he needed this. He thrived when he had her gentleness in his life.

But he knew he messed up again... not for his safe, but for Wendy’s. “I can’t tell you.” His tone was harder than necessary, but he needed to remind himself. “I won’t incriminate you anymore than you already are. You’re in enough danger as it is.” Reg explained in a softer tone before looking down at his feet. “I stopped Bella from poisoning Sirius... I couldn’t stand to see him get hurt, but now Bellatrix... I love her, even after what she did to me-” But he stopped himself from continuing because he didn’t think Wendy knew what Bellatrix did to him after he tried to stop her in the first place. “If she gets hurt because of me... I’ll never forgive myself.” Regulus Black was too soft for this world. He was too soft for what he was born into.

Wendy’s phone had finally finally dinged with an incoming text and she thought she could scream with relief. As it was, though, she Disillusioned herself and crept from the tower that housed her dormitory to the dungeons, her soft footfalls the only noise in the now-deserted corridors. She murmured the password to the Slytherin Common Room and slipped into Reg’s dorm when the door slammed open at her knock. 

She waved her wand over herself to remove the Disillusionment charm and stood, lips pursed, for a moment. Then she sighed and sat next to him on the wide sill, pulling her knees up to her chin. “What happened?” She asked, finally, her voice raspy in the quiet. “I lost you.”

Regulus couldn’t even look at his Girlfriend when she walked into his room. He couldn’t look at her when she sat beside him and her warmth instantly surrounded him. It was really fucking hard not to lean towards her, but he didn’t know what she would think when she found out what he had to do. 

“I’m sorry...” He always apologized instantly, and he felt like he apologized way too much. “He made me do it, Wen. I had no choice.” His hands were shaking as he held them in his lap. “He’d kill me... he’d kill me if I didn’t do it.” There was fear in his voice as he spoke. “But-but I messed up. If anyone finds out, I’m done for. They’ll do worse than kill me. Bella and the Dark Lord, they can never find out. Nobody can ever find out.”

“Meet me. My room.”

That was all he could say as he perched on the window sill, watching the darkness surround them as if it were a cage. He felt completely trapped, and the only way out was death... death that would no doubt come to him if anyone figured out what he did. But he needed to tell Wendy. He needed to tell her everyone that happened because he couldn’t keep it in.

There was a soft tap on the door, and he flicked his wand without looking and the door swung open a bit too hard and crashed into the wall to the right, but he didn’t flinch. She was going to hate him for what he did. @wendysliinkhard

Before the party, Regulus overheard something Bellatrix was saying. He knew who her target was going to be, and even if it killed him in the end, he needed to do something about it.

It was easy to guess who she was going after, and in his heart, he knew he would never forgive himself if he didn’t do something about it. There was no way he could switch the vile while at the party because it would no doubt stay secured to her, so right before, he made his way to her room.

When he got there, he knew he needed to have a good reason so he spoke to her about what he was going to do. How he was going to go through with the plan because he always looked up to her, and always came to her for advice.

It didn’t take long for her to leave the main room and he took that time to quickly make the switch of her vile. Instead of the poison they were given, it was something harmless. When Sirius drinks it, no harm will come to him and that was all Regulus wanted.

Even when she failed, he knew that the Dark Lord couldn’t possibly know it was her, right? They were given the choice of person, and maybe she wouldn’t be punished. Even though he did love his brother, he loves Bella as well and wouldn’t be able to handle seeing her hurt...

After switching the poison out, he said his goodbyes before she caught onto it. He was a good liar, but he couldn’t possibly get close to giving it away...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Regulus could see the panic in his eyes as he leaned over the sink, droplets of water dripping down his cheeks as his reflection stared right back at him. His breath came out in short pants, but he had to calm down. He had to do this because if he didn’t...

If he didn’t do what the Dark Lord asked of him, he was dead. So, with the vile of poison in his pocket, he ran his fingers through his hair, turned his expression blank, and walked out of the bathroom.

He didn’t have someone in mind yet, and would choose based on who seemed most easiest in the moment. Of course he stuck to the corner, but that wasn’t rare for people to see so they thought nothing of it as he observed everyone.

His hand lay in his pocket, fingers running along the smooth glass object, almost feeling a stab in his arm right above the mark when he thought against it.

“No.” He whispered to himself, reminding himself that if he didn’t do this, if he didn’t succeed, he was dead. His brother would have to mourn him. His cousins would have to mourn him. Wendy would have to mourn him... he wouldn’t do that to them. Not now.

So he let out a slow breath and forced himself to focus once again. His eyes travelled around, looking for drinks untouched or alone. He wondered who could handle the poison. Who was most likely to come out of this alive.

There was a quick flash of blonde and it was decided. Marlene McKinnon. She was strong, fiery, and the Dark Lord would no doubt agree with his decision.

A few minutes passed by as he waited for the perfect opportunity. It came when Marlene got out of her seat and left her drink unattended. Walking by with slow movements, he quickly took out the vile and tipped it over the cup before retreating his hand back to his pocket and walking away.

His heart was racing and he could feel the panic rising, but he did it. He didn’t fail like everyone no doubt thought he would. Regulus was soft. Far more soft than Bellatrix or any of the other Death Eaters. He knew they looked at him like a child, like someone they could so easily control.

He knew that he couldn’t stand to be in this room anymore, so he walked as quickly as he could. Regulus couldn’t breath as he felt the cold air hit his face, and he gasped when his knees hit the stone walkway. 

“I know, Reg.” Andromeda offered a genuine but comforting smile. She teased Regulus often, but it was all in good fun. In truth, though she had never felt quite as comfortable with him as she did Sirius (she would never admit that to any of them, yet) he was still one of her most favorite people. Still young and unhardened by the Black family ideals– Andy could still see shades of vulnerability in him when they spoke. Andromeda threw her hands around him and pulled him in to a hug, though at this angle it was more like an awkward pile of smooshed people-pancakes. “Don’t ever change, okay, Reg? Promise?”

The sudden movement of her arms flying around him made him freeze just slightly, but he relaxed quickly and placed his arms around her as well. It wasn’t a secret that he didn’t get much physical affected growing up, so it still took him a bit to get used to it. Especially when it came to strangers, just the thought of them touching him made him cringe. His brother and cousins though, he will gladly accept their touch...

He dropped his forehead to her shoulder and let out a shaky sigh. “I’m trying, Andy.” He really was trying. With his dark mark, with the pressure from his parents to be the very best, it was difficult not to let all of the shit take him over.

Still, the airy sounds of Andromeda’s light laughter filled the air, and even though Regulus had finished the splits, her amusement was far from gone. Instinctively, Andy started to pat her fingers through his hair, a comforting notion that she had appreciated in her younger years. “Reg-” She started, finally able to get a hold of her laughter, “You forget I’ve been watching you prance around since you were in diapers!” She squinted, ruffling his hair briefly, “Okay.. Since we were in diapers.”

Reg pouted up at his cousin when her laughter surrounded them, but it was quick to turn back into his goofy grin.Ever since he was a little kid, physical touch like this was rare but it was relaxing and comforting. “Hey! I’m not that much younger than all of you.” He was always treated like the baby, but it didn’t bother him as much anymore.

Regulus knew he could be pretty aloof at times, even when he was put into a group with someone during class. He was definitely spacing out while Marlene talked to him and he didn’t hear a thing she said… It was only when he looked up that he noticed her glaring hard at him. He raised an eyebrow and leaned back in his chair. “What?” He asked slowly. She was kind of scary.

Regulus always slept in bed with Sirius when he was younger. He was far too afraid of sleeping on his own, but when his parents caught them yesterday morning they definitely got punished for it. Purebloods aren’t weak. They don’t need someone to hold them at night… but 7 year old did… When he woke up in his own bed with a gasp and realized his big brother wasn’t there, he jumped out of bed and carefully made his way out of his room and through the cold hallways of the Black Manor. He was careful to be quite as he slipped into the room. “Siri?” He asked softly, running the rest of the way to the others bed before jumping up and slipping under the covers. He curled up against Sirius’ side and sniffled. “I had another nightmare.” The younger boy pouted. He had nightmares nearly every night, and it wasn’t going to change as he got older. They would only grow worse with time, but there would no longer be anyone to run to when he got scared…

~~~Present day~~~

A lot of the time now, he usually slept in bed with Wendy but he didn’t want to bother her tonight. Instead, when he woke up he slipped out of bed and made his way through the halls and out onto the bridge so he could get some fresh air. His nightmares these day felt far too real, and he knew they could easily become reality but maybe it was something he had to get over. Being a Deatheater only meant one way for him to end, right? With a sigh, he leaned his forearms over the bridge so he could watch the view but he was still aware of everything happening around him. It was easy to hear the light footsteps to his right because now he needed to stay alert. There was too much danger surrounding him. 

The moment he turned to look, a sigh of relief left his lips when he saw his brother but he had to remember where they stood… still, it was hard not to feel comfortable around him. Especially after so many years of searching for him after a nightmare. “What are you doing up so late?” He asked curiously, rest his chin on the palm of his hand.

Regulus could feel the panic rising in his chest as he thought about what he would have to do in the near future. He had to… he had to because there was no defying the Dark Lord and he was terrified. Reg thought he could handle all of this, he thought he could be the son his parents wanted but why was this so damn hard?? 

He found a secluded area outside near the lake so he could be alone because he didn’t want anyone to see him like this… He had to be brave and do whatever he was told to do. Probably about 10 minutes into his panic and shaking state, he heard footsteps and tried to make himself seem okay. But that shattered the moment he saw his cousin. His cousin that practically was his sister. 

“I-I’m fine.” He mumbled, dropping his face into his hands as he curled his legs up to his chest, trying to take deep breaths but they only turned into small shallow breaths. @theonewholied