The Untold Story of RAB

Unlocked Classroom

Sitting at the Gryffindor table Diana couldn't help but sneak glances at Regulus sitting at the other end of the hall. He was reading a book and hadn't looked up at all.

"Di," Margeret said, "you look distracted. Everything ok?"

"Oh, yeah," Diana responded, trying to look engaged when all she could think about was her meeting with Regulus that evening. "Just tired, quidditch practice was insane this morning. James is prepping us so that we can demolish Slytherin on Saturday."

With a mouth full of food Saoirse said, "you better. Will serve them right." Suddenly she got quite pink and swallowed her food quickly. Diana felt someone sit down next to her.

"Hi Pandora," Saoirse said with a big smile.

"Hi," she said in her breathy tone. Diana always thought Pandora looked a bit like a fairy. Her hair was so blonde, almost white, fell in waves all the way down her back, she had pale blue eyes and even paler skin. She always had a look about her like she was never fully present, even then she was smart as a whip and top of their classes. Pandora was similar to Sirius in that her family quite publically disowned her when she was sorted into Ravenclaw and not Slytherin like the rest of the Malfoys. Her brother, Lucius, had graduated a few years ago, and what Diana could remember of him wasn't good. He was now married to Sirius' cousin, Narcissa.

"Saoirse told me you guys were doing a study group for OWLS, I'd love to join," Pandora said softly.

Saoirse's blush intensified as Margeret said, "we hadn't really planned it yet but sure, currently we're doing most of our studying with Remus and his group, you can join us there."

Pandora nodded, "I'll look forward to that." With that, she waltzed away.

Both Diana and Margeret turned to Saoirse.

"You totally like her," Diana whispered trying to conceal her smile.

"Shut up," Saoirse said her blush growing deeper, a grin creeping onto her face.

Margeret gasped and punched Saoirse playfully in the arm, "you totally do!"

Saoirse smiled a bit but then her face fell and she said solemnly, "and you guys are ok that I do?"

Both Diana and Margret nodded. Margret, who was sitting beside Saoirse, grabbed her hand and held it firm as she said "we love you for all of who you are Saoirse Carrow."

Diana seconded that.

As they returned to their dinner and Saoirse returned to wistfully staring a the Ravenclaw table, Diana couldn't help but notice Margeret's crestfallen face she was trying to hide in her soup.

Diana had to find a way to sneak away to the dungeons to meet Regulus. Sadly her best option was to lie.

She scarfed down her dinner before her friends so they wouldn't catch up to her.

"I'm going to go back to the dorm, I have to finish some work," Diana lied.

Margeret stood up, "buddy system, I'll come too."

"Don't bother," Diana said quickly, "I just saw Remus leave, I'll walk with him." Another lie.

Margeret nodded slowly, "ok, we'll see you later."

Diana said a quick goodbye and practically ran out of the hall. She glanced behind her, back at the Slytherin table. She saw Regulus staring at her as she ran out. He rose from the table and walked slowly after her.

Instead of turning left at the top of the stairs, she went right to take the spiral staircase at the end of the first floor corridor down to the dungeons. Every once and a while she glanced back but couldn't see Regulus, or anyone else for that matter, following her.

She came around the corner to Slughorn's hallway, noticing no one around, she slipped into the unlocked classroom across. It just stored extra textbooks and potion equipment. The room was rather dark as the sun had set outside so it was twilight shining in from the small windows near the ceiling. The room was rather dusty and Diana had to clear her throat a bit.

She watched the door carefully until she heard footsteps approached, she held her breath praying it was Regulus.

The door opened and Regulus stuck his head inside, spotting Diana, he relaxed and came inside.

He paused at the door, looking a little scared. "You're in?"

Diana nodded. "Things... things changed after Mary's attack. You're right, the war is on my doorstep. I'll be a part of your crazy plan. But rule number one, we tell Dumbledore. We get his help."

Regulus nodded, "ok, fair. But what if he says no?"

Diana smiled coyly, "I never said when we'd tell him. He can find out after we've made the bridge. Then he'll have no choice but to let us help. I know before I said I didn't want to, but I've reevaluated and I want that son of a bitch gone and everyone who follows him."

A smile spread on Regulus' face, "then let's get to work."

Creating the mind bridge was more difficult than either of them had imagined. They spent the next hour sitting cross-legged from each other, gripping each other's wrists, Diana's arms on top. They sat there repeating again and again the words to the spell, ex nexu et unum ad unum uno eodemque anumo lineam unam augentur spiralibus et cogitatio habeamus pontem usque crucis.

After an hour of this, they had barely breached each other's minds. Regulus pointed out that according to the book this was actually a very good start but still it felt like nothing. Diana was confronted with how vulnerable this would be, for both of them. She was able to see glints of Regulus' mind, flashes of his family, his breakfast. She tried not to see anything too personal. Diana could feel what he'd seen, bits and pieces of her day, waking up in the dorm, joking with Ginerva, her face turning hot as she walked with Remus. She hoped he hadn't paid attention to that part.

The two of them decided to give up at this point, not wanting to draw to much attention since there would be people missing them.

They left the classroom separately and went back to their common room. Diana was working to form an excuse in her head of why she wasn't in the dorm. She landed on that she went to the library to do some homework and that she'd walked with a seventh-year Hufflepuff and conveniently couldn't remember their name.

When she entered the dorm Saoirse, Margeret, and Ginerva were waiting for her.

"Where've you been?" Margaret asked sharply.