Portrait Between the Pages (Harry Potter fanfic)

Word of a Portrait

"Don't tell him that, Harry," Ron said. "He's a Death Eater, remember?"

"Which is something he regrets, remember, Ginny said firmly, glaring at her older brother as Hermione watched Regulus start to fidget uncomfortably, his mouth twisting into a frown, but something told her the person painted in the portrait was about to cry.

"And you!" Ron said. "I don't understand how you can be fine with this after what happened to you, Ginny, during your first year!"

Ginny glared back at him, folding her arms to indicate she wasn't backing down. Harry, on the other hand, frowned, a hand reaching out to pull the diary a little closer while Hermione held onto the other end.

"We should get rid of it before what happened before happens again. This time...."

"We might learn something from him, Harry," Hermione said quickly, interrupting Ron knowing her other best friend was going to suggest the same thing that happened to Ginny might happen to her, even though Ginny said it was different.

"This is different," Ginny snapped.

"How would you know?" Ron said."

"How would I know?"

"Hey!" Harry said, shaking his head and looking up at them before turning to Regulus, who still seemed agitated at hearing that Harry's parents were dead, but the arguing seemed to fluster him as well, making him rock back and forth. "Is Hermione right? Would you give us information?"

"Why would you," Regulus frowned, letting out a sniffle and wiping his nose unceremoniously on his sleeve, and then he said, "It depends."

"It depends."

"I will not, Mr. Potter, give you any information that I feel would put you, their son, in danger. Or that idiot brother of mine who always thinks before he acts, either."

Ginny let an eyebrow go up. "Well, he's quite honest, isn't he."

"He's a Death Eater," Ron muttered, going to lean against a wall. "A bloody Death Eater. Slytherin, I suspect as well."

"Really, Ron?" Hermione shook her head.

And then there was silence with Regulus fidgeting in his portrait, finally speaking up. "Well, are you going to ask me something?"

"Tuni? Who's Tuni?"

"Petunia Evans," Regulus said. "Lily's older sister who hated her for being able to do magic when she couldn't."

"My aunt Petunia?" Harry shook his head. "We must be talking about someone else because she hates magic. Anything out of the norm, actually."

"See. Can't," Ron started, only for his sister to walk over briskly and elbow him in the rib. "Ow!"

Regulus started making faces, opening his mouth as if he wanted to say something, only to snap it shut, shaking his head. A few times, he reached up and tugged at his ears, almost as if something were making him anxious. He finally sighed. "I don't know. I only know what Lily told me." He shook his head, closing his eyes. "No. I only know what he imparted to me."

"He?"

"The real Regulus Black, the one who painted me. I can't think of where the error in logic is."

"Bloody," Ron said, his eyes widening, the irritation leaving his face. "He is bloody like you. Bloody logic."

"I noticed you call my mom by her first name and my dad by his last," Harry said. "Why?"

"Oh. Because Sirius would be pissed if I called Potter by his first name, I don't like making Sirius mad."

"I won't tell him."