deceit - sirius black

eight

"How long will you be gone?" Natalia queried, placing a folded t-shirt into her friend's bag. Mere hours after her time with Sirius, Sabrina was in her dormitory packing a small bag, with the help of her two roommates.

"Only overnight," Sabrina sighed, glancing at the setting sun in the reflection of the Black Lake's water, on the other sides of the glass panes preventing the dormitory becoming a park of the lake, "I should be back this time tomorrow at the latest."

"And what do you want us to tell Sirius? Who will, by the way, definitely be looking for you," Natalia challenged, "He's so into you."

"Good." Sabrina replied, smugly and pointedly, "That's the point of all of this. And you can just tell him I've caught Ads's cough."

Adeline coughed, as if on cue, as she pulled the zip up on the bag. "And when you show up on Monday right as rain? How will you explain that?"

"Maybe I'll use it as an excuse to take the week off." Sabrina shrugged, taking the bag off her bed, and saying a brief goodbye before leaving Hogwarts for the night.

Professor Dumbledore watched calmly as the sixteen-year-old walked through the grounds and out of the walls marking them, allowing her to perform unlicensed apparation. He sighed deeply, before turning around and returning to his desk.

***

It was pitch black by the time Sabrina reached Malfoy Manor, however, she was right on time. Samuel was waiting outside for her, so that they could enter together. They exchanged a nod in greeting, and walked proudly to their seats at the long table, in the midst of other respected Death Eaters.

"Sabrina." The Dark Lord hissed, from where he sat at the head of the table.

"My Lord," she said, failing to notice that he had opened his mouth with the intention of speaking again, "I have made some progress with the-"

"I was going to inform you," He interrupted, "That we are not gathered to hear about your task tonight."

Waiting a moment to make sure that he had finished this time, Sabrina spoke, "My apologies, My Lord." she glanced to her left, noticing the embarrassed face of her elder brother.

"We are gathered, my loyal disciples, to welcome another to our ranks," as the footsteps of the one he spoke of approached, the Death Eaters kept their attention on the Dark Lord, as they were expected to when he was clearly still speaking, "I have great respect for those who decide to join us at such young ages. Clearly, these kind strive for excellence, and have made a mature decision, and life choice. What a perfect way to celebrate your adolescence than to surround yourself with experienced, respected elders?"

Voldemort turned his attention towards the opposite head of the table, using his hands to tell the Death Eaters that they were permitted to do the same. Standing tall but timid, in a black suit and tie, with his hair done much neater than usual and his hands together behind his back, was Regulus Black.

"Regulus.." The Dark Lord's mouth lifted at one corner, in some form of a malicious smile, as he stood to stand at the left of his chair, "Stand with me."

Regulus looked nervously at his parents, despite not expecting any help, and quickly moved to stand at the right of the Dark Lord's chair, opposite him. He took Regulus' shoulders in his hand, looking down at him in an unwelcoming way, his face blank but leaving the one looking into it with many assumptions of what he may was thinking.

The Dark Lord moved both of his hands down to Regulus' left arm, pulling up his sleeve and squeezing his arm as if it were a prized possession. He took his wand from where it lay on the table, still holding the young boy's arm in his free hand, and slowly pressed its tip to Regulus' forearm.

Using the silent charm he had been performing for as long as he could remember, Voldemort closed his eyes, pressing his wand harder and harder as the Dark Mark began to appear on Regulus' arm, leaving him wincing at the pain that came with it. Within around ten seconds, it was done, and the Dark Lord nodded for Regulus to sit at the table, in the chair left for him in between his parents.

"I am sure Sabrina would be delighted to teach you how to maintain your concealment charm for when you are surrounded by your peers at Hogwarts." the Dark Lord instructed, retaking his seat. Sabrina nodded, processing what she had witnessed. She, had been a similar age when receiving her own Dark Mark, but Regulus had always seemed so innocent.

Considering his background, however, it made more sense the more Sabrina thought about it.

***

"Have you spoken to Seth recently?" Samuel asked out of nowhere, while unlocking the front door of his house, where Sabrina was to stay that night.

"No. Why?"

"Well, the two of you are in school together, aren't you?" He said, walking through the door and waiting for Sabrina to finish wiping her feet on the mat before closing it behind them, and relocking it.

"Yes, but you know how things are. Differing opinions, and such. What about you and Sadie?"

"We cross paths at the Ministry. But we're more like distant colleagues than anything else." he set down his briefcase, having gone straight from work to the meeting, "It's a shame she's not on our side of the war, from what I've seen and heard, she's a brilliant Auror."

Sabrina took her shoes off, placing them on the rack under the stairs before walking to the sofa and getting herself comfy, opposite Samuel, who was already in his armchair with his feet on a footstool.

"What would you do if you had to fight her one day?"

"Sadie? I would treat her like any other opponent. And I quite hope she'd do the same. I think we've made it quite clear to each other that we are no longer considered family."

"So, you'd kill her if you had to?" Sabrina almost struggled to get the words out.

Samuel shifted a little, but retained his composure, "If it came down to it. If it were what the Dark Lord wanted. Then, I suppose I would, yes."

As if neither could quite believe what he had admitted to, they stayed in silence for a few moments, the only sound their breathing, and the worsening winds outside. Samuel sighed, and stood up, walking to the front window and drawing the curtains.

He turned to his sister, "It's late. I'm going to go to bed, and I suggest you do the same."