Black Rose [Regulus Black]

05 - family ties & elf heads

"Kreacher!" Regulus called out, darting forward and grabbing his mother's wrist to check for a pulse. The house-elf appeared with a 'pop', making Alessandra let out a shriek of surprise.

"Master?" The elf exclaimed incredulously, unable to believe that Regulus was actually alive.

"Master?" Alessandra muttered, confused. Was this what all pureblood dinners were like? Was fainting some strange form of greeting done by party hosts to greet their guests?

Was she supposed to faint as well to show her appreciation?

God, this is too confusing. Why can't there just be a book on how to be a witch?

The elf then disappeared and Regulus slowly stood up with a perplexed expression on his face.

"Well?" she questioned, slightly nervous. "Is she..."

"No," he reassured her. "Just unconscious."

Kreacher re-appeared with a basket full of tiny vials filled with clear liquids, and Regulus began administering them to his mother.

"Do you need any help?" she offered, noticing his hands shaking.

He shook his head, so she waited until the elf disappeared with the mother. "Regulus, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, just startled." He ran his hands through his hair, distressed. Fidgeting was looked down on in pureblood society, but he couldn't help himself.

"Why'd she faint?" She asked, curious yet not wanting to pressure him.

He closed his eyes and made his way to a room down the hall, gesturing for her to follow him. Swinging open the door to what she presumed was a kitchen, he made a beeline for a cupboard right above the sink, bringing out a bottle of whiskey.

"Would you like some?" He brought out two glasses without even waiting for the answer.

She'd never actually consumed alcohol before, but had heard wonderful things about it so she obliged.

He slid the glass over to her, and she tentatively took a sip, goosebumps rising on her skin as warmth began to pleasantly engulf her, making her feel lighter.

"It's happened quite a few times before," he said, after downing the entire glass and pouring himself some more. "It usually happens when she gets extremely shocked. There are instances when she gets extremely sick for a long period of time and has headaches. It's a normal occurrence at this point."

She didn't know what to say. She'd never had parents, and never had the need for parents, so she couldn't relate. But clearly, it had affected him a lot, so she reached out and gently patted his arm, causing him to jump a little because of the shock. "Have you taken her to a hospital?"

"We did, a few years ago. They just ran a few scans and gave us a few potions. It's been a few years, and I'm starting to think that the potions don't hold off her...episodes, but instead just heal her whenever she has them."

She wanted to ask him what he meant by episodes, but he clearly had a lot on his mind and she didn't want to make it worse than it already was.

"Don't think too much of it, I'm sure you've tried your hardest." She usually wasn't the 'encouraging' type, but the words just spilled out of her mouth without her control.

Don't think too much of it? His mother fucking fainted and you told him not to think about it?!

"Well, at least one good thing came out of it. We now know she knows who you are."

She raised an eyebrow. "What makes you think that? She didn't even say anything."

"But she fainted at the sight of you, which means she clearly knew who you were."