Motion Sickness

What happened

Five hours! That's how long it took to find the diadem. By the time Regulus was done he had already missed dinner and it was close to curfew, so he snuck down to the kitchen to grab something, leaving the Diadem where only he could find it, in a vacant wardrobe. He was starving, all that looking takes a lot of energy, something he had not expected. The elves all loved him. He's been a regular down there since his second year when he accidentally stumbled onto the portrait. "You weren't at dinner." Regulus nearly jumped out of his own skin at the sudden voice behind him.

"I had something to take care of." He said shoving food into his mouth. He couldn't talk if he was eating.

"You've had something this entire week, and the days leading up to it. Potter is starting to drive me insane." Evan groaned sitting at the table, "And Bartemius." Regulus sniggered at the mention of Barty's full name, Evan only used it when he was either really mad at him or well there wasn't actually an or.

"Bartemius huh?" Regulus said, Evan waved him off.

"Don't change the subject, we're on James." He said, Regulus lowered his head, "When's the last time you spoke to him?" Evan asked.

"Christmas, when he summoned us. I left a note saying I had to take care of something at home." He told him, Evan sighed, "What?"

"You were with him, do you know how dangerous it would've been if he wasn't asleep?" Evan looked around to make sure the house elves weren't listening. "If he had seen that you'd be dead." Regulus lowered his head again, he wasn't ready to tell Evan that James knew.

"Yeah I know, I was being careful don't worry." The two fell into an uncomfortable silence, they haven't been alone in a room together since they got their marks and it was obvious.

"I'll see you in the dorm." Evan got up.

"Rosier!" Regulus called out. "Don't tell Barty about this." Evan nodded as he left through the portrait. Regulus finished his food before sneaking up to the library. That's where he found his next clue, in the restricted section in a book about Horcruxes there was a cave illustration in the corner of a page. Somehow he knew exactly where the cave was. And he knew what he'd find there but before he could do that he had to find the location of the others. He feared the cave would be his death.

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The end of the school year was approaching fast, James was graduating, Regulus would likely never see Sirius again and the wizarding war was starting to escalate, all fun things. He had this summer to figure out his final plan, he'd enlisted the help of his house elf Kreacher who had assisted Voldemort on a mission not long ago. The elf had revealed that there was indeed a part of Voldemort's soul hidden in a cave but it was heavily protected by spells and what Kreacher described as 'dead corpses who weren't dead.' whatever that meant. Regulus knew that without a plan he wouldn't stand a chance, but it was really difficult not to get distracted by the booming relationship between James and Lily, he knew he couldn't blame James for moving on he was just trying to figure out why it was with Lily Evans, he knew she was no longer with Pandora but he had half expected her to end up with Mary MacDonald, and well James was never actually interested in dating Lily, he said so himself. He couldn't blame them however, in this day in age it's easier to marry someone you feel nothing for than admitting you're inlove with someone who happens to be the same gender as you. Even in the wizarding it was frowned uppon, not illegal but advised against.

"You alright there Black?" Barty kicked him in the shin, he was prepared to hex him but had to keep himself composed, they were in a room filled with witnesses. The end of year feast was by far the most pretentious event of the year, Regulus couldn't remember the last time that Slytherin won, Dumbledore had a clear preference for every house that wasn't Slytherin, and people still wonder why it is that Slytherin's ended up rebelling.

"Yeah." He said averting his gaze from the Gryffindor table, "I was just thinking." He said.

"Well do that another time, this is our last meal with Rosier and it would be appreciated if you would tune in." Regulus felt guilty sitting there with Barty and Evan after what took place in the kitchens not that long ago, something Regulus vowed to never bring up again. Evan didn't leave that night like Regulus had tricked himself into believing.

*Flashback to kitchen/what actually happened*

"You weren't at dinner, I thought I'd find you here." Regulus didn't even need to look up to see who it was, Evan has found him here before. "And before you give me that speech about how you had stuff to do let me talk." Evan looked at Regulus who just nodded. "I know you're hunting for horcruxes and I want in." Regulus hadn't expected that, Evan had been committed to the cause since day one, what suddenly changed.

"You what?" Regulus asked, Evan sat down next to him.

"We'll work together, by the end of next year we'll have defeated him and this bloody war will be over." Evan leaned in closer to Regulus, "What do you say Black?" He was so close Regulus could feel his breath. He took in a deep breath of his own and as if there was an invisible force drawing them together their lips met. It wasn't at all how Regulus had imagined kissing Evan would feel, really he's never imagined it, Evan has been off limits since the start of first year, Barty had all but 'claimed' him.

"Ev-" He breathed.

"Reg." Evan smiled, a smile only he could have.

"We can't." Regulus pulled away, "I can't." He specified, Evan could do whatever he bloody pleased.

"When are you going to see that James isn't the only guy madly inlove with you." Regulus shook his head.

"What about Barty?"

"What Barty doesn't know won't kill him." Evan leaned in again, then something registered, they had learned about love spells this week, Regulus muttered the counterspell to one of the most popular love spells and as sure as daylight Evan's mood drastically changed. "Alright there Black, you look like you've just snogged a troll."

"I'm alright, are you?" Regulus questioned.

"Never better, where have you been these last weeks, we had some important things to discuss."

"I had something to take care of." Regulus said shoving food into his mouth. He couldn't talk if he was eating and quite frankly anything was better than talking.

"You've had something this entire week, and the days leading up to it. Potter is starting to drive me insane." Evan groaned moving to sit opposite Regulus, their last interaction as if it never happened, "And Bartemius." Regulus sniggered at the mention of Barty's full name, Evan only used it when he was either really mad at him or well there wasn't actually an or.

"Bartemius huh?" Regulus said, Evan waved him off.

"Don't change the subject, we're on James." He said, Regulus lowered his head, "When's the last time you spoke to him?" Evan asked.

"Christmas, when he summoned us. I left a note saying I had to take care of something at home." He told him, Evan sighed, "What?"

"You were with him, do you know how dangerous it would've been if he wasn't asleep?" Evan looked around to make sure the house elves weren't listening. "If he had seen that you'd be dead." Regulus lowered his head, he wasn't ready to tell Evan that James knew.

"Yeah I know, I was being careful don't worry." The two fell into an uncomfortable silence, they haven't been alone in a room together since they got their marks and it was obvious.

"I'll see you in the dorm." Evan got up.

"Rosier!" Regulus called out. "Don't tell Barty about this." Evan nodded as he left through the portrait. Regulus finished his food before sneaking up to the library. That's where he found his next clue, in the restricted section in a book about Horcruxes there was a cave illustration in the corner of a page. Somehow he knew exactly where the cave was. And he knew what he'd find there but before he could do that he had to find the location of the others. He feared the cave would be his death.

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