drowning; REGULUS BLACK

keep him safe (part II)

'I will keep him safe', Sirius told himself.

They were plunged into silence once again. A silence that was neither, comfortable or uncomfortable. It was just pitched silence. No one was speaking. Dumbledore stood where he was. Sirius sat where he was. Remus, James and Lily also sat on the grey coloured sofa, unspeaking. 

Regulus, too, sat there, hands uselessly resting in his lap. He was looking. Staring, actually. Well, staring nowhere in particular. He was just... well, everything seemed to have changed in such a small span of a few hours.

One moment he was being drowned in the dark, gloomy waters of a cave by those god-awful Inferi. Drowning in his misery. Drowning in the regret. Drowning in the sea of wrong decisions he had made. Drowning because of the wrong decisions he had made. But also drowning because he had finally chosen to do what was right.  And then in the other, he was alive. He was alive and he was safe. He was safe and with his brother. The Brother that he thought he had lost long ago. He, Regulus, was alive even after he had betrayed one of the most powerful dark wizards ever to exist. 

Maybe things would get better eventually. That's what he tried to tell himself. He tried to convince himself that that was the reality. That's what he tried to believe. But that wasn't true. It just wasn't true. Because he knew what Voldemort was capable of. He knew that he would find him and finish him off. 

Regulus was trying so hard to just shut his mind of those thoughts.

He looked at Sirius who seemed to be thinking. Yeah, he had his thinking look on his face. Regulus thought whatever it was, it definitely was something to do with him. 

''Sirius,'' The older Black looked at the younger with a raised eyebrow. ''don't think,'' Regulus said just a little awkwardly. 

Sirius smiled a little but it faded as soon as it had come as he saw his brother cry out in pain, clutching his left wrist so hard at the skin around it was blood-red with the blockage of blood the force on his wrist was causing.

Regulus cried out again, the mark was burning. The skin there seemed to be melting and reforming and melting again. It was like the Cruciatus, but worse. Regulus clenched his jaw as another wave of searing pain washed over the dark tattoo that was etched within the stark skin of his wrist. His jaw was trembling as the hot tears of agony escaped his eyes and made tear trails down his cheek. His left hand shook uncontrollably. Regulus felt someone hold onto him trying to ask what was wrong and whispering comforting words in his ear but he couldn't hear a single thing the person was saying over the thunderous echoes in his head.

Then the pain receded. His wrist was shaking and his jaw was trembling. The mark was burning and stinging slightly, threatening to excruciate the pain again.

''Reg, Reg, you have to tell me what happened, ok?'' Sirius continued to repeat the same question. Remus had hurried to Sirius' side and was looking at Regulus with worry clear on his scarred face.

Regulus lifted his chin to look at his brother. His eyes were droopy, heavy and bloodshot.'' He's calling them.'' He said.

Sirius looked confused at first, ''Calling...,'' But it didn't take long for him to understand what Regulus had meant and frowned.'' Oh.''

''I... I think it's a meeting.. or.. maybe an attack'' Regulus swallowed. ''The mark, it only burns like this when he wants all his deatheaters with him...'' He said quietly.

Dumbledore was there, calmly looking at the scene before him.





A rather pale, but handsome (his features looked distorted and waxy but he was handsome nonetheless) man, in a black cloak with a vicious looking snake curled around his neck, was pacing the room looking at the occupants with those horrid red slits for eyes that he had. He stroked the snake lazily as it hissed at the people that filled the room. People. There were people in the long hall-like, dark room. They all were wearing long black robes and silver masks with weird patterns and holes for mouth, nose and eyes. Honest, they all looked utterly terrifying. Some were cowering under the pale man's gaze. Some had their head held down in something like a small bow. Some had their chins raised proudly. 

The pale man halted in front of a blonde-haired man, who bowed his head low. '' My Lord,'' He said with a bow.

''Lucius,'' The paler man's voice was raspy and so cold.'' Do you notice anyone who is not present here?''

Lucius cocked his head and skimmed the group of people with his grey eyes, but couldn't tell if anyone was absent for the meeting.'' I'm sorry, m- my lord, I can't t -tell.'' He stuttered.

''I see, I see,'' He said in a cool tone. '' Hm, lets' see... Wormtail!''

''Y- yes, my lord?'' The man who was, apparently, named wormtail, also bowed shakily. '' Can you, Wormtail, apprise us who isn't here now?'' 

After a few moments of silence, Wormtail said, ''I... R- regulus Black, m- my lord.'' 

There was a noise of.. very, very faint shuffling (?) coming from the long table everyone was seated at. Barty Crouch Jr shifted uncomfortably tightening the grip on his wand. Why is Regulus not here? he thought. Barty didn't have a good feeling about this. Regulus never skips a meeting. Ever. Maybe he was out for a mission, or, perhaps he just simply decided not to come. Barty tried not to think of the worst. But... something just didn't sit right.

''Ah, Regulus isn't here, is he?'' Voldemort chuckled. As the occupant of the room looked around, hums of agreement could be heard in the huge room.

''My lord,'' A feminine voice spoke. ''Yes, Bella?'' Voldemort spoke in his cold, raspy voice.

Bellatrix, who sat right beside the head seat, where Voldemort sat, took her mask off and pushing her dark, curly locks out of her face, said,'' My lord, I can go find him and bring him here, he is my baby cousin, after all,'' 

''No, no. Bella, I am sure it must be something important that he is doing, which could be why he did not come.'' Voldemort stated. Bellatrix slumped back in her chair but her posture remained stiff and straight.

Voldemort trusted Regulus. He was one of his upper ranked death eaters, like Bellatrix and Lucius. He assumed that it might be something Regulus was doing for their good. Though, he did want him there for the meeting. Regulus was second in command, he needed to be there whenever Voldemort called him. He let it transpire this time and chose to question him when the boy returned. He turned to speak again.

''You, Bella, will accompany Lucius and Avery with the task. Kill them right when you get the chance,'' He said looking at them,'' you'll be punished if you fail to succeed.'' He added simply. 






Regulus was gritting his teeth and rubbing at that horrible dark mark which was red around the corner and the serpent etched upon it, breathing and slithering like it was actually alive. 

Regulus looked towards Sirius. ''He can find me with this,'' He said in a low voice and moved his gaze to the mark.'' What-?'' Sirius questioned.'' The mark. He can trace me back here with it.'' 
''As long as it is on my wrist, he can find me.'' Regulus exhaled sharply.

''But how?''

''You don't know what this mark can do, Sirius. He gave it to me so he can trace it back to me.''

''Did he ever do it..?''

''I've never seen him do it... or heard about him ever doing it,'' Regulus said hesitantly.

''Then how can you be sure that he can do it?'' 

Regulus pondered for a moment. Can he really do it though? Regulus had never, ever seen him do. And well he didn't even know if Voldemort had done it. So, how can he be sure? But surely, the mark can do that, right? That thing is so powerful! How can such a powerful thing not be able to be traced back to where it is? If a deatheater can call Voldemort with the mark then why can't Voldemort find his deatheaters with the mark? If he was being honest, Regulus had completely assumed that. He never actually witnessed it. The answer was that he didn't know if the stupid mark can do that. '' I don't know.''