Black Rose [Regulus Black]

16 - enraged elves & marvelous balls

Two pairs of grey eyes locked with each other and narrowed, while Alessandra tapped her foot to the beat of the music on the radio as she smacked her lips, trying to get her lip gloss to settle evenly. Her table was strewn with an assortment of cosmetic products, and beside her on opposite sides of the table, two dark-haired boys were in a silent stare-off with each other.

Yes. An array of make-up items was all that was standing between two wound-up brothers, both of whom looked ready to demolish the other. Neither of them looked like they were ready to break off the unofficial competition, and they both wanted the other to interrupt the silence, probably because it was some sort of dumb show of dominance.

Men.

She began curling her hair as she discreetly glanced at the boys, who were still adamant about maintaining quietude.

"You said you have a way to defeat him." Sirius had finally broken the silence.

"Yes," Reg said stiffly, and she almost felt sad because it felt more like a business transaction than an interaction between two brothers. She'd grown up believing that she had no family, and would've given up anything to have one. She remembered seeing all these families come by the orphanage and feeling hope that they would pick her, but to no avail. It was sad that they were family but couldn't care less about each other, but perhaps that was how it functioned in the Wizarding World.

"Well? Are you going to show me proof, or are you just all talk? You're wasting all of my time."

"You have nothing important in your schedule, your entire life consists of free time. You're probably just barking like a bleeding bitch in your fucking free time," the younger brother snapped back.

"Regulus," Sandra warned. "Let's just get it over with, I don't want robbers in my home longer than necessary."

"Kreacher!" Reg called, and the loyal house-elf appeared with a pop.

"Master," Kreacher bowed, and then turned to face Sandra and gave her a small bow too. He then promptly faced Sirius, and his face contorted into an expression of deep hatred. It was mutual, however, because Sirius' face was also twisted into an ugly grimace.

"Bring me the locket."

Ten seconds later, the elf popped back, the same locket in hand. She hadn't noticed it before, but the locket possessed a dark aura of its own, and the mood in her house had considerably dimmed. She could feel invisible tendrils swirling off of it and latching onto her, and shuddered. Reg seemed unaffected, probably because he'd gotten used to it, but she could tell Sirius had also felt the same gloom she had.

Of course, he was a prat about it and played it off. "So this is what you have for me... a pretty little golden necklace."

"It's a locket," she ground out at him, wanting to just shove her curling iron right where the Sun didn't shine.

"This is one of the many things he has been using to keep himself alive. You can either believe it, and we can come to an agreement to defeat him... or you can get the fuck out and keep letting thousands die in this war," Reg snarled, anger threatening to consume him.

"Master Regulus mustn't let himself be upset by the blood-traitor brat," Kreacher squeaked, and Sandra laughed slightly at the way the elf and the wizard were glowering at each other.

Sirius shut his eyes, taking deep breaths as he considered it. The war was clearly showing no signs of stopping, and he just wanted it to end so that everyone could go back to their lives. Anyone with two eyes could tell the locket was laced with dark magic, which meant Regulus was telling the truth (though he didn't want to admit it). "I can set up a meeting with Dumbledore, if that's what you're going for."