INFERI (REGULUS BLACK)

77

"Will you start speaking already?" Regulus was pacing furiously, while Sirius stared at him impatiently. "It's been hours."

He stopped. "Oh, shut up. It's only been a few minutes. Just give me some time to think."

"Fine," Sirius huffed. A few moments later he clicked his tongue. "Well? Spill."

"What do you want to know?" Regulus groaned, sitting down next to his brother.

"I want to know what's wrong between you and the Shafiq bloke. You said you were friends, but punching each other in the face and secretly spying doesn't seem friend ish," Sirius threw his feet onto the table, crossing them nonchalantly, oblivious to his brother's pointed glare at them.

"Alot of things are wrong. Mainly, I don't trust him. He's lying about why he's here, I'm sure of it." Sirius looked at him incredulously.

"What?"

"There are things called reasons, Reggie dearest. Maybe he's with Bella in something."

"Than it proves that he's up to no good. Why would anyone want to do anything with Bella? How do you even know he's with her?" Regulus said triumphantly.

"I'm not sure we're talking about the same Bella, Reg. Belladonna. She brought him here in the first place. You do trust her, right?"

"Well, a bit," he said grudgingly. "In 5th year, he was lurking around section 50 of the Restricted Section. Seem fishy enough for you?"

Sirius gaped at him. "That secret Death Eater hideout place? How d'you know about it?"

"I was going to be one of them, Sirius," he answered darkly. "Of course I'd know their secret hideouts. How do you know?"

"Me and James were snooping around a bit. We told 'ol Minnie about it, but it seemed like even the teachers were afraid to go there," Sirius just shrugged nonchalantly.

Regulus stared at him with apparent curiosity. "You were in that section?"

" 'course we were," Sirius grinned. "Can't be Marauders if we didn't explore it, can we? Moons warned us not to go -- not that we listen much to him, poor bloke."

"What was there?"

"Books on Dark, Dark Magic, Reg," Sirius said gravely. "Prongs wanted to open one, but the book almost ate his arm. The aura there ... it was just like our old dungeon's, just a hundred times worse. Took a week to get some good night's sleep after that."

"That proves one thing," Regulus was pacing again. "That something was up during my 5th year."

"Something other than the sky, little brother?" Sirius asked, returning Regulus's glare with an innocent look.

"Yes. Something was up with Shafiq. Either he was in some kind of trouble, or he wanted to join them. Maybe it was something to do with his inventions ..." Regulus trailed off. "But that doesn't explain why he was getting closer to Mulciber and Avery. Disgusting Death Eaters," he made a face.

"Now that is something to think about," Sirius said, nodding. "Okay then," he added abruptly.

"Okay what?"

"I'm going to help you. 'cause if he is a Death Eater, then we all are in trouble."

Suddenly, Aoife entered the parlour, scaring them out of their wits.

"What's going on here?" she asked curiously. "Nevermind. Dinner's ready, you eating or going to sleep?"

Sirius pranced out of the room, exclaiming he wasn't hungry. Regulus followed her, his stomach growling.