Watching Over Our Nation

Chapter 8: The funeral

Regulus' POV:

I am going to kill McKinnon.

I don't care how much Dorcas loves this girl, I will actually kill her. If she would have just gone to the order and told them about Pettig- rew, then my friends would all be saved.

James would be saved. Sirius would be saved.

"Do you have any idea what you've done?!" I can literally feel the anger boil inside of me. It's pretty scary. Is this why my parents are the way they are? Am I like them?

I push that thought away and focus again on McKinnon. "You just doomed them all. You could have stopped this all!"

"Regulus, calm down." Benjy tries to calm me by putting his hand on my shoulder, but I quickly shrug it off. "It was a hard choice for her. I get that."

"It's really not," I disagree and it comes out more hateful than I intended. "On which side are you? And your friends are in dan- ger! I thought you Gryffindors were supposed to be brave!"

"Regulus," Mrs. Potter warns me, yet she still manages to sound calm. "You need to calm down, sweetheart. This is not Marlene's fault. She just got killed by her best friend."

I mean, she's not wrong, that's pretty bad already.

"I-I didn't think he'd make this decision so quick," McKinnon eventually stammers. She looks distraught, broken. "I didn't think he'd throw away our friendship that easily. I-I thought I had time!"

It's as if she only now realizes what this will mean for her friends. She starts sobbing and quite literally breaks down. "They're all gonna die now, aren't they?"

I turn away, trying to flee the scene. I am not good with feelings, never have been and never will be. I can't help McKinnon and therefore, I better stay out of their way. I also don't necessarily like crying people.

"Regulus, wait!" Surprisingly, it's McKinnon herself.

Reluctantly, I go back to the group. The Pot- ters look at me with pity again, so I ignore them. "Yes?"

"Please stay here," McKinnon says, almost as if she's begging me. "I'm sorry I messed up, truly. What happened to you anyways?"

"Drowned." McKinnon gasps at my response and I am again reminded why I don't like most people. They always pry.

"Sirius was so upset when he heard the news," she whispers. "Dorcas too of course. And James, you should've seen him. He broke."

I roll me eyes and wonder what she's play- ing at. Everyone knows Sirius hates me by assosciation to the Black family name he left behind. He left me. He wouldn't break down over me. And James has Lily now. Clearly, he has long gotten over me.

"You can watch them y'know." Marlene and her family are finally distracted by God's instructions on how to watch your loved ones.

"We can all watch together," Benjy suggests, a huge, inviting smile on his face as he looks around the group. "We've all been watching you togwther."

"Regulus, can I talk to you first?"

I don't respond at all, I just try to ignore her question. No, we can't. When she repeats herself I heave an irritated sigh. "Fine."

We walk away from the rest, so we're alone. The nerves become more evident in my stomach with each step. "Regulus."

"Yes?"

"...what really happened? Did Voldemort kill you? Or a Death Eater? And why?"

"It's none of your business."