Black Rose [Regulus Black]

39 - safe houses & breaking points

The day started out normally for Alessandra Rosier.

She got up, frowned at her rumpled jeans and shirt - and then assumed shat she'd just fallen asleep in them because she was that tired.

Her morning routine was the same: getting ready for work, listening to the radio for a while, sorting out her finances. An hour before she was supposed to go for work, she started to make breakfast for herself (warm porridge).

She sat down at the dining table, flipping through a comic Chelsea had bought for her, the sugar on her porridge still melting, when she heard footsteps outside her apartment. She didn't think much of it.

Not until the door swung open with no warning.

⚜

It had been a day.

Precisely, 29 hours and 16 minutes since Regulus Black realised Alessandra Rosier was missing.

And she'd never come back.

In those 29 hours and 16 minutes, he'd eaten only two meals, drank about three glasses of water, slept for exactly two minutes, and hadn't moved an inch.

"Regulus," Lily said slowly, snapping her fingers in front of his face. "I really think you should eat." The Marauders had taken it upon themselves to act like babysitters, each taking a shift to watch Regulus sit in Sirius and Remus' apartment, unmoving.

"I'm not hungry," he said dully, his answer the same as before.

"At least have some biscuits?"

The biscuits. Her tins of biscuits on the table in her living room.

Was this how it was going to be? Just every small thing reminding him of her.

"I don't want any." They tasted like dust, just like everything else did.

"Some water then?"

"I don't want anything."

He was vaguely aware of Lily making a face and retreating into the kitchen.

He could not bring himself to care.

He blinked in surprise when she came back with a plate of food.

He could not bring himself to thank her.

A few moments of awkward silence passed and Lily opened her mouth to say something. Regulus eyed her warily as she opened and shut her mouth as if contemplating how to phrase it.

Thankfully, they were both saved by a silvery creature floating in through the window, which made them both flinch. The creature (upon further inspection, he noticed it was a dog) floated around them for a while, padding around as though trying to catch an imaginary ball or something, and Regulus reached for his wand.

They both flinched yet again when Sirius spoke in a booming voice, his words emanating straight from the mouth of the creature, which Regulus was now understanding was a Patronus. "Someone went into Alessandra's house just now. The three of us are now on our way there."

The Patronus dissipated, leaving dead silence in the room.

Then, for the first time in days, Regulus felt something within him burst to life. It wasn't joy, it was a sense of anger, a sense of grim satisfaction, that he was going to get his hands on the person who did this. He sprang to his feet, causing Lily to squeak in surprise.

"Wait, I'm coming with you."

"You shouldn't. You're pregnant and I don't want to risk Apparition. Don't worry, we'll keep you updated. Stay here only, don't go out, it's risky."