The Truth Behind the Veil ✔️

Helping Regulus Stay On Track

   Regulus stood on the platform wishing desperately that he didn't have to board alone. Being brave was easy with his brother and Gryffindor friends but now, by himself, as Slytherin Head Boy, the courage was fading.
Alone with Death-Eaters or at least, future ones, with no one to confide in without sending a letter.

   He wasn't going to be able to do this. Regulus Black was a coward. One good persuasion and everything he'd worked so hard to change would be forgotten with the promise of safety in a war he never asked to be a part of.

   The Hogwarts Express mocked him with its shiny red exterior. Red. How Regulus wished he was red. Who knew a person could be jealous of a color...

   The whistle shook him from the thoughts that would do no good. Yet, he did not step forward. Maybe if the train left without him he could return home to Sirius and Remus' flat and relax with a cup of hot chocolate and a good laugh.

   Regulus cringed as he looked down at his chipped nails. Fawn had seen him chewing them and gave him a manicure a few days ago. The polish was supposed to taste gross to keep from chewing them but apparently the taste did nothing to deter the nervous wreck of a boy. It was probably for the best. His fellow Slytherins would never let him live it down that he did something 'girly.'

   Steam was bellowing around him now, the train would leave at any moment, Regulus still stayed rooted. They could get a new Head-Boy.

   "Oh thank God the train hasn't left yet!" a familiar voice shouted. Dorcas Meadowes was running, her hair flying wildly, bags and trunks banging against her arms and legs so much that she'd be covered in bruises later.

   "Regulus!" her voice snapped, "What are you doing just standing there? We have to go!"

   Well there went his plan to ditch... He shrugged in defeat following the girl on the train.

   "Want to sit with me?"

   "I can't," he pointed to his badge, "Head-Boy duties. Thank you for asking, Dorcas."

  She flashed him a wide smile. "Congratulations Regulus, that's amazing! Come meet us when you're done. Fourth carriage on the left."

   Regulus was unsure who the 'us' was but was grateful to have a friend. Truthfully, he had forgotten that Dorcas was in his year; she acted older. But then again, he did too.

   "Nice of you to show up," sneered Alecto Carrow as the prefect carriage door slid open. Alecto was only a prefect, the Head-Girl was Emmeline Vance; Peter's Ravenclaw girlfriend.

   "Sorry. I was running late."

   "Pay her no mind," said Emmeline, "Take a seat and we'll get started."

   The meeting was long and dreadfully boring. The Head-Girl did most of the talking to Regulus' delight. He could not be bothered to pretend to care about this 'great, once-in-a-lifetime responsibility.'

   Finally though, it was over. Regulus strolled lazily down the aisle, peering into a carriage here and there to see if Dorcas or really anyone worth-while was there. There was a group of Hufflepuffs about half-way to the front. One he recognized as Dirk Cresswell, who had also been a prefect, in Slug Club, and had been his partner in Herbology in fifth year. Dirk was a nice kid, a Muggleborn so he got picked on a lot but didn't let it affect him too much—at least externally.

   Deciding not to dwell too much more on what his housemates made of Muggleborns, Regulus continued.

   "Regulus, over here!" Dorcas had poked her head out of her carriage and was waving her hand wildly. He couldn't help the small grin that plastered itself to his face and he joined her. Her positivity was infectious.

    There were four other occupants. Dorcas introduced them as; Davey Gudgeon, Vanessa Parkinson—who he was well familiar with, but similarly to Sirius, had long ago been deemed a blood-traitor for being sorted into Gryffindor and being friends with Muggleborns—, Jasper Patil and Emmeline Vance—who were both Ravenclaw. All of them were very friendly, enveloping the Slytherin into their group instantly as if Regulus had been there all along. Perhaps the year would not be completely awful...

*****

   "Sitting with Mudbloods?" asked Amycus Carrow, "What's with that Regulus?"

   Or maybe not.

   Regulus shrugged, taking a bite of a buttered roll. "I don't see why it matters. I'm definitely disowned from my family at this point."

   Barty Crouch snorted. "Yeah right. They haven't given up on you yet."

   Regulus hated the sliver of hope that worked its way into his heart. The sliver of hope that deep down his parents did love and care about him, that he wasn't just the next image for their family name.

   "Really?"

  "Really," confirmed Barty, "You could still go back, join the Dark Lord like the rest of us." He tapped his sleeve-covered left arm.

   Why did the promise of safety sound so good? Life wasn't split into black and white but why was the grey inside of him getting darker with temptation?

   "I'll think about it."

   It was the easiest response to get them off his back. There was no commitment and yet he hadn't flat out rejected the offer. Those four words provided a safe-haven in the war-ridden world filled with the sacred-twenty-eight and others seeking to rid the world of impurity.

   Those four words made Regulus Black a coward.

*****

   "Do you think Reg will be okay?"

    Another Order meeting had ended and the group had at last made time for a dinner together. Sirius had been particularly quiet that night, only the sound of his fork hitting the plate sounding through the dining room.

   Fawn had been wondering the same thing all summer. Regulus was never any good on his own. He got in his mind too much, destroyed himself with anxiety. Yes, he'd left Grimmauld Place, but that didn't mean he was out for good. Regulus was the prince of the Black family; the last remaining heir. Walburga and Orion wouldn't give up on him so easily as they had for Sirius.

   "We just need to keep constant contact with him. He's not as strong as the rest of us and is surrounded by Voldemort's followers. I think reminding him that we're all here for him will do good. Unfortunately, I think he's easily swayed."

   The group nodded. "Yeah, we'll write to him," said James, "We can take turns to make sure he gets an encouraging letter each day."

   Lily clapped her hands together excitedly, "Yes! Let's call it the Helping Regulus Stay on Track Committee." She paused, frowning in concentration, "It's a working title."

   The group laughed but quickly had planned out a schedule. Regulus, despite being at Hogwarts on his own, was not, and never would be again, alone.