Not Our World II: Hushed Ripples (Harry Potter Fanfic)

Threads of Emotion

A beautiful silver cat hurried off to fetch Dumbledore, leaving Regulus to slide down in her office's overly large stuffed chair. At the same time, McGonagall raised an eyebrow as she sat behind her desk before holding out a box. "Cookie?"

Regulus startled, glancing up at her, then at the cookie.

"Don't think I didn't notice you were not eating yet again last night, but goodness knows, having a cookie won't ruin your appetite," she said.

He stared, unsure what to do, when Dumbledore entered with his usual flourish. "Good afternoon. Minerva sent for me because there was an incident?"

"I know I messed up."

"But do you?" she said.

"Come now, Minerva. This is Regulus we're talking to."

"I know it is Regulus, Albus," Minerva said. "And you know," and then the words stopped her lips pushing together. "Take a cookie, Regulus. I didn't feel right not bringing the headmaster in on this."

"Well, I understand why," Regulus said. "I'm not that naive, contrary to what people think."

"Take a cookie."

He sighed, finally taking a cookie, and Albus followed suit. "So. What happened?"

"I can explain," Regulus said, thinking he should bring up the truth about him and Hermione. However, there was another thread of panic about revealing he'd broken the statute of secrecy with Hermione's mother all those years ago and how they would react to that on top of having overstepped.

"There's no need," Professor McGonagall said. "But to fill you in, Dumbledore, there was an incident where Regulus stepped in because members of his house were bullying a member of my house, so he stepped in. The question is, did you handle the situation appropriately?"

"Well, no," Regulus said, not wanting to eat his cookie, wishing she hadn't offered it, making him feel like he was a small child again even though the times he'd been in her office as a student never had to do with being in trouble like Sirius.

"Oh?" Dumbledore said. "So what was inappropriate?"

"I entered the girls' bathroom."

"That's where the bullying took place?" Dumbledore asked.

"Well, yes, sir," Regulus said.

"So you entered the bathroom to intervene?"

"Actually, I intervened outside the bathroom with the girls from my house and checked in to check on the other student," Regulus said.

"Well, I'm not sure what you did wrong," Dumbledore said. "We're dealing with young wizards and witches, so bullying sometimes escalates to spells being thrown."

Regulus frowned, knowing those girls bullying his daughter factored in, but there was a more critical issue. "The girls were in their first year. I'm unsure what damage they could do on their first day."

"Oh?" Dumbledore said. His mouth twisted into a smile, and his eyes twinkled. "And what could you do on your first day at Hogwarts, Regulus Black? If you were, theoretically speaking, inclined to bully others?"

Regulus closed his eyes, his fingers tightening around his cookie. "I'm a Black. But I see your point." He let out a sigh. "And now I'm even more confused."

"What if one of the students walked in, particularly with Malfoy, your relative, standing outside the door?" Minerva said.

"I think what Minerva is worried about, Regulus, is how this is perceived."