Let the Light In

Chapter 4

Regulus sighed heavily as he stood outside the unassuming pub adjoining Camden Lock. The dark wooden door was ramshackle and worn, the old-fashioned 'Bull and Crown' sign hung limply off the side of the decrepit building. He had spent over an hour picking his outfit only to resort back to his tried-and-true black jeans and shirt. His perfectly styled hair was lying limp on his head after the constant running through of his hands in anticipation.

"Are we going in or not?" came Evan's impatient voice beside him. He and Barty had joined him for the trip, Pandora kissing Regulus apologetically on the cheek as she rushed off to meet Xenophilius. Regulus knew that his friends were also feeling slightly nervous to be spending the evening with a bunch of Gryffindors, ex-order members no less, but their loyalty to Regulus saw them standing next to him on the dark cobbled street. Regulus was overwhelmed with a wash of gratefulness for his friends standing sentry on either side of him. He took a deep breath and knocked three times on the pub door. A hatch in the door opened and a wizened face appeared in the opening.

"Wands?" the gruff voice asked them from beyond the door. Regulus, Barty and Evan each pulled out their wands and presented them to the face in the hatch, proof that they belonged there. Regulus couldn't help but feel a slight twang of resentment at the hypocrisy of his brother still mainly frequenting wizarding pubs. Regulus corrected himself, it was hardly the same, and he reprimanded himself for the unkind thought.

"Very well." The voice grumbled and the door swung open. As the three men stepped through the dilapidated doorway, a surge of noise, lights and colour enveloped them. The inside of the pub was full to the brim with raucous laughter and groups of merry patrons. A crowd of wobbly tables squashed close together surrounded a large circular central bar. As Regulus looked up, he could see the central atrium of the pub was overlooked by two floors of precarious looking balconies, floating candles flickering lengthy orange shadows up the walls. The pub was packed with wizards, elves, and a fair few goblins. A fireplace towards the back of bar blazed in quick succession as revellers arrived and departed through the floo. A group of shifty looking wizards, hoods pulled around their faces, passed the trio. They exited through a backdoor behind the bar, through which Regulus could see a glimpse of the infamous magical flea market and its many informal stalls.

Regulus suddenly felt extremely out of place, and very unwell. This was a terrible idea. He hadn't even thought about the fact that he would be surrounded by more wizard folk than he had been since the war. It wasn't exactly Diagon Alley, but it was the most magical place he had stepped foot in for years. Many of the people around him probably fought, probably only knew him as the Black heir, loyal to the Dark Lord. "This was a bad idea" he mumbled.

"Probably." Barty muttered next to him, clearly on the same wavelength. "But it's a bit late now, your brother just spotted us."

Regulus darted his eyes around to see his brother bounding towards him, pink in the face and as excitable as ever. Clearly, he had started early. "Reggie! You came!" He yelled before engulfing Regulus in a deep hug. "And Reggie's fine friends!" He continued with a grin, patting Evan and Barty on the shoulder.

"Yup" Regulus muttered, scanning over Sirius' shoulder, trying to spot where he had come from, searching the tables for a very specific head of tufty hair and round glasses.

"We're over here, c'mon I already got drinks". Sirius said guiding Regulus around the small round tables and towards a table in the back of the pub, his friends following dutifully behind. As they reached the corner, he breathed a small sigh of relief that James did not appear to be there yet. He spotted Peter and a blonde girl he recognised from Hogwarts- Marlene he thought her name was.

"Hey" he said quietly with a shy wave.

"Hi Regulus, good to see you" Marlene said with a brilliant smile.