What You Can't See (Harry Potter Fanfic)

Best Laid Plans

"Is Master Regulus sure he wants to follow through with his plan?"

Regulus sighed, adjusting the front of his clothing to remain prim and proper. "I tried forgetting him as maman suggested, but it didn't work, Kreacher. Nor do I like this weird feeling I kept getting that I had over last summer after Sirius ran away and at Christmas when he didn't come home at all."

"And what if mistress finds out?" Kreacher asked, fingers reaching out to tug on Regulus' sleeve, making him look down and rub the top of the House Elf's head gently, moving from the top of the bald head to the relatively large ears Kreacher's type was known for.

"Kreacher won't tell her, though, will he?" Regulus asked. "Or anybody else in the family?"

The House Elf's long fingers gently wrapped around Regulus' wrist, squeezing gently. "Kreacher won't tell. He won't ever tattle on his precious master, unlike a certain filthy runaway."

"Kreacher," Regulus said.

"Kreacher knows. Master Regulus doesn't like me speaking ill of Master Sirius. Kreacher only speaks the truth, though."

"I know. I know," Regulus sighed. "And I know I shouldn't be doing this, seeing Sirius, but after discovering where he purchased a flat and discovering when the Muggle buses will be least crowded to see him, my mind can't pass up a challenge, Kreacher. I want to know if this will work."

"Kreacher understands but urges the young master to be careful."

"I'll be utilizing a combination of the Invisibility Spell and Disillusionment Charm," Regulus said. "That way, I'll remain undetected by Muggles and wizarding kind alike, which in turn means nobody will ask me what I'm doing, where I'm going, and tattle to maman. And maman will not bother checking to see if I'm actually in my room studying, but if I miss dinner, she always assumes I'm just lost track of time studying and has food brought up to me, right?"

"Correct. And Kreacher is not to give away Master Regulus' secrets, so Kreacher will be careful what Kreacher says and how Kreacher answers questions."

Regulus smiled, turning to the House Elf with its bat-like ears and huge eyes. "You've always been a good friend to me, Kreacher."

He reached out, rubbing the top of Kreacher's head, before taking a deep breath. His fingers gripped his wand tightly before casting the spells. He headed down the stairs, making as little noise as possible; neither of his parents noticed him leaving. The bus driver didn't notice either, meaning he didn't have to pay the fee, yet on his way off the bus to head towards his older brother's flat, he dropped a Muggle coin in, remembering what his grandfather, Arcturus said when he gave the money to him.

"If you ever find yourself stuck among Muggles and in need of it, you've now got Muggle money on hand to use."

He found the apartment and headed up to the flat, knocking on the door only for nobody to answer. He sat down, reading a book until he needed to get on the bus to head home, having picked the time when the least number of Muggles would be on the bus, thanks to a bit of help from Kreacher.

Regulus returned a few days later and found Sirius not there and then tried a third.

He waited for fifteen minutes the third time when Sirius arrived, unlocking the door to his apartment. Regulus stood up, dusted himself off, and followed Sirius in, not saying a word to his older brother and instead going to sit on the couch while Sirius headed into the kitchen. Regulus sat on the couch, making himself at home reading his book, not noticing when Sirius was planning on sitting on the couch, not until his older brother sat on him.

Regulus let out a startled yelp while Sirius jolted straight up, spilling the food he had prepared for himself, turning to look at the person intruding upon his flat. "What the bloody," and then Sirius was on top of him, pinning him to the couch as Regulus' book dropped to the floor. "What the bloody hell are you doing here, Regulus?"

"I came to visit!" Regulus said, eyes wide as he looked at his brother, remembering at that moment Sirius had a temper like their mother's.

"Why?" Sirius snapped, gripping the front of Regulus' clothing, which disarranged them slightly.

"Because I miss you."

"What?" Sirius's voice softened slightly.

"Am I not allowed to miss you?"

Sirius sighed, letting go and getting off his younger brother. "And what would she say if she heard you?"

"She lays into me and tells me just to forget you," Regulus said. "The latter she has already said, but I tried, and it didn't work."

"Okay. What's going on? I mean, really going on?" Sirius asked.

Regulus frowned, reaching down for his book. "What's going on? I believe you just sat on me. Even the Muggles didn't sit on me."

"Wait. What Muggles?"

"The ones on the bus," Regulus said.

"Wait. What?" Sirius's voice started to crack. "What bus?"

"You know. The Muggle bus, not the Night bus. How I got here."

"Regulus, if she finds out," Sirius said, sucking in his breath before he started pacing, running his hands through his curly black hair.

"Don't worry. I cast a combination of Invisibility Spell and Disillusionment Charm," Regulus said, opening his book so he could start reading again.

"You bloody did underage magic?" Sirius's voice cracked again, his pacing increasing.

"First off, you, of all people, shouldn't be lecturing me about breaking the rules," Regulus said.

"Not the rules! The law, Regulus!"

"And second, I wasn't using underage magic," Regulus said.

"What do you mean you weren't using underage magic? Of course, you were, just as you're right now, breaking and entering!" Sirius said, looking at his younger brother, flabbergasted at what he was hearing.

Regulus let his mouth twist in amusement as he continued reading his book. "What do you mean I'm breaking and entering? How so?"

"Because I most certainly didn't invite you in here," Sirius said.

"Says the person who barged into my room without asking every single time, even when the door was locked," Regulus said. "And that was even after I put up a sign expressly saying not to enter without my express permission, am I not correct."

"That's different!"

"How?"

"That was your bedroom. This is my flat."

"I don't see any difference as this is the place you live and reside, and my bedroom is where I live and reside," Regulus said.

"Seriously, Regulus?"

"Really, Sirius?" he said back.

"If you're going to be so annoying, just leave."

"I'll leave when it's time to take the bus back. And I'll be casting the spells again," Regulus said.

"Fine. You're the one who is going to get in trouble with the ministry," Sirius fumed. "And when you leave, don't come back."

Yet come back, even after receiving the mark as a sixteenth birthday present from Bella, he did, neither he nor Sirius talking much after that, the second longest conversation being when Sirius handed over a key to the flat so Regulus could come freely when he wanted. Regulus looked at it. "What's this?"

"A key to my flat."

"Why?"

"Because I don't want you are using magic to break into my place," Sirius said.

Not that Regulus was using magic to do so, and so he continued with nothing happening until—

Regulus stared at the Muggle girl wide-eyed and repeated what he'd already said to her. "I said you shouldn't be able to see me."