Black Rose [Regulus Black]

25 - terrifying interrogations & sighing headmasters

"What?"

By then, Potter had come to see what the deal was, and he too wore the same bewildered expression that Evans had. He didn't voice his surprise, however, he just stared at Regulus with furrowed eyebrows and slightly parted lips.

Of course, where Potter went, so did Sirius, and soon enough, Sirius came waddling through the entrance with a smile on his face which was soon replaced by a shocked gape. "Reggie?"

Regulus shrank back, feeling intimidated because of the way they were all gawking at him. Glaring at them from far was easy because they weren't aware of his existence, but being around them while he was alone terrified him a little.

Thankfully, Lily answered for him. She whirled around to face them, her green eyes wide with fear. "He said that Marlene's family is attacked."

If it was possible, their jaws dropped even more, and Regulus began to feel annoyance seeping into him. Were they all just going to stand there and shamelessly goggle at him, or were they actually going to do something about it? He'd quite literally put his life at stake — he'd discreetly gotten away from the army of Death Eaters to let someone from the Order know — and now they were wasting his time.

"Are you going to do something about it?" he snapped. "The whole point of telling you this is so that you act on it and save someone, not so you can stare at me like idiots."

At that, they all shut their mouths, looking extremely guilty.

"Right," James cleared his throat. "Lilyflower, you send a patronus to the others. In the meantime, Moony, Padfoot and I will go to the house."

Potter ran back into the house, probably to tell Lupin, while Evans went back into the house to get her wand. Regulus almost scoffed at that: who would open a door in the middle of the night without taking their wand during these times, especially a Muggleborn? There was a reason why Gryffindors weren't exactly known for their intelligence.

Sirius extended his hands, probably to place them on Reg's shoulders as he once used to when they were much younger. Regulus caught on and slapped them away. "Don't touch me."

His brother retracted his hands, and Reg felt a slight twinge of guilt upon the brief look of hurt that had covered Sirius' features. "You should probably get back to the house, or go to Rosier's."

Regulus was momentarily taken aback, to say the least. How had Sirius found out about Alessandra's last name?

"What?"

"If anyone does decide to question your absence, you can say that you were at Rosier's house. I'm sure they'll cover for you."

Oh. Evan, not Alessandra.

Since when did Sirius care if he was safe? He'd never cared. He'd left his own brother for his friends; he'd left his own brother to get beaten up and berated more often than not. He probably only cared that Regulus could be useful now to end the war, so that he could frolic in the fields with Potter and Co.

Reg curtly nodded, not wanting to interact with his brother more than necessary. He didn't want to go to Number 12 Grimmauld Place or Lestrange Manor (where the Death Eaters had congregated) or even his best friend's house. He wanted to go to Alessandra's house and have some of that strange Muggle concoction (she called it coffee) and then take a long nap, or just do anything to avoid seeing another person associated with Death Eaters.

Unfortunately, as much as he hated to admit it, Sirius did have a point.

It didn't stop his wishful thinking as he apparated away to Evan's house.