INFERI (REGULUS BLACK)

53

An ebony haired witch had entered the hall, just as Aoife hastily covered her neck with her long hair.

Sirius immediately recognised her. "You're the witch we met with Orion!" he exclaimed. A look of understanding washed over Regulus's features, while Aoife surveyed the aforementioned witch inquisitively. She looked quite familiar, but she couldn't place a finger on who she was.

"Hello," Aoife smiled warmly. "I don't think we've met, but I'm Aoife."

The woman looked at her impassively, only nodding in reply. Belladonna entered quickly, maneuvering around the 'witch', as they'd called her, to stand beside Sirius.

"I'll talk to you in the library, later," she says to the witch, who nods curtly and moves up the stairs. "I hope you know your way around?" At this she stops, turns around to face Belladonna, and offers another nod. Her face remains a cool mask, betraying no sign of recognition whatsoever. Regulus quickly concludes that she's Occluding, but why?

"Now Black," Regulus starts, turning to Belladonna, "not you Regulus, your brother," at this Sirius turns to face her quickly, while Regulus just observes them. Aoife looked quite frightened. "You sounded quite distressed and angry. Why, did something happen?"

"Something surely did Belladonna," Sirius said, deftly positioning himself behind Aoife. The girl in question was staring at Belladonna with an indecipherable look on her face. He quickly lifted Aoife's hair, causing her to jump frightfully while her hands tugged his away. Belladonna saw the scorch mark branding her skin, and her eyebrows seemed to jump off her face. Regulus was quite discomfited at the sight of it. It looked unpleasant - like something sinful to look at. He quickly drew his eyes away.

Aoife was nearing tears. "It's not my fault, it just happens!" she cried. "It's - it's horrible. I do - don't even know why!" A tear really does escape her eye this time. Sirius looks quite ashamed for making his new friend cry, but he just wanted to make sure she was alright. Bellatrix was not a pleasant person to be with, especially if she has a wand pointed at your throat.

Regulus was watching this stoically, noting down a few things he needed to get cleared. Weeping philosopher, that's what his cousin - Krass, of course - called him whenever he got into one of these moods. He was one of those who like to watch the drama without being involved in any way. Really gives you a perspective, as he likes to say.

Aoife here looked like she might break down then and there, while Belladonna looks at the scorch mark like she's broken down the most difficult puzzle on earth, and the answer's right in front of her. Sirius opens and closes his mouth like a fish out of water, because really, he was out of his element. He surely wanted to comfort her, but didn't know how.

Regulus sighed and inwardly rolled his eyes. Did they really do not know how to comfort a person? He didn't know too, but he wasn't about to admit that. (Lesson number 4 of the Black household - never, never admit your weaknesses - no matter how trivial. If you do, you're worse than your opponent). Impulsively, he grabs Aoife's hand, who gives a shudder - out of fear or surprise, he didn't know - and pulled her up the stairs and into an empty study. Sirius kept gaping at them while Belladonna collapsed on an armchair, looking triumphant and deep in thought. Sirius felt quite out of place, and flung himself on the maroon sofa present in the drawing room. Pulling out the Two-Way Mirror, Sirius emptied his gut to James, the only person who'd listen.

"Hey Aoife, are you alright?" Regulus asked softly. They'd shut themselves up in his uncle Ignatius's study by the looks of it, and the small handwritten sign on top of the ink pot and quills which read:

Lucretia dearest,
Please stop stealing my ink and quills. I can hardly find them anymore.
I've kept a small sack of quills under your bed. Don't steal mine, or else some old ministry sod might murder me (ahem, Crouch).
Ignatius

"No," she answered bluntly, tears streaming from her eyes. She was tugging her hair harshly, as if to ground herself. Suddenly, she started to sob, slowly sinking to the floor as she clutched a chair's leg for support.

"I don't know why ..." she whimpered.

Regulus sat down in front of her. Whispering softly, he said: "you want to talk about it?"

For a moment it felt like she hadn't heard, but suddenly she wiped her tears, and faced Regulus, seating herself comfortably. He now truly felt out of his element. (Oh, how his mother would've had his head if she'd heard this).

Aoife looked miserable. He eyes were puffy and red, her hair had come out of its quite cute ponytail to become a monstrous mess. Her face was miserable, as if she was suffering for unknown reasons.

"5 years ago," she began, "I was fifteen when this unnatural business started. I was just walking to the loch near the village when it began," she shuddered convulsively, as if reliving something horrible. "I was just walking, and suddenly I feel all tingly and cold. I thought it was because of the approaching evening and disregarded it. When I came home," her face darkened. "Donaldson was there," Regulus felt immense hatred for this Donaldson, "he saw this," she roughly pointed to the scorch mark, her voice thickening. Regulus could see tears fill in her eyes. He quickly gave her an awkward side hug. "He yelled at me a bit and then-," she pauses here, taking a deep breath, willing for the tears to not come. "And then he throws me out of the house, telling me I'm a disgusting witch and should be burned. He said my mother ... my mother was the same. Hatred had clouded his features. He made it clear that I was nothing but a stain on society. That's why my mother left me. He looked quite spooked by that mark, as if it was ..." she waved her arm around, gesticulating. He head was on Regulus's shoulder now and got tears burned his skin, even through his clothes. "It was winter. I would've frozen to death if McGonagall hadn't been passing by. I looked fit to faint. He took me to his house, warmed me up and was quite understanding about the mark. He asked me once if someone had attacked me, but I denied and he dropped to topic. He's the only parent I have, in a way.

"This happened a few times again over the years, and Donaldson did the same thing. McGonagall did the same thing. But my uncle got worse over the years," she hiccuped, her voice wavering. "Leaving me out in the cold wasn't enough for him, 'cause then he started to," at this she just ripped off the denim jacket she was wearing. On her left arm, there was a long, deep scar. Regulus felt anger boil inside him. Aoife just collapsed on his shoulder, sobbing again.

Now he knew why she'd reacted that way. Belladonna looked quite spooked by the mark, probably triggering those memories. He felt something warm erupt inside of him, an unknown feeling, when he looked down at Aoife.

"If it makes you feel any better," he said in a low voice, "me and my brother also had to face ... abuse when we were young." Aoife had tilted her face to look at his, her green eyes wide. She looked like a child, with her glorious red hair and freckles. "Magical abuse. I had a cousin, Adelaide, who acted like my McGonagall," she gave a watery smile, looking into those dark, turbulent grey eyes. "Family can be shit, but there's always someone who makes life worth living."

Aoife said nothing, just stared at his for a moment. Regulus felt as if he'd said something wrong, and opened his mouth just as Aoife flung herself on him. She embraced him tightly.

Regulus let out a small "oof" at the impact, but responded in the same manner. After a few seconds the hastily broke apart. Aoife jumped on her feet, murmuring "thank you" in a bashful way before leaving.

It took Regulus 15 minutes to exit the library.