Only the Brave

Chapter 32: Happy Valentine's Day

"Well, you can see what it looks like in the Ravenclaw common room," Myrtle is explaining, hovering near Regulus. "There's a statue of Rowena Ravenclaw there."

"I've seen it," Regulus recalls. He's been in there with Pandora once or twice, on the odd occasion. "And I know what a diadem looks like, Myrtle. I just need to know where it is. What happened to it."

"You've been to the Ravenclaw Tower?"

"I'm friends with one of them. Pandora," Regulus says, shrugging. "She doesn't know anything about it other than what's in the history books. Which isn't much at all."

"I'm going to have to ask Helena," Myrtle says mournfully. "It's the only way."

"Why do you sound so upset about it?"

The floor of the bathroom is freezing, and Regulus' butt is a little numb. He's been here all afternoon with Myrtle, discussing their options for finding the lost diadem of Rowena Ravenclaw. Regulus has learnt that her daughter, Helena, is the ghost of Ravenclaw tower. This, he thinks, makes things a lot easier.

Myrtle disagrees, clearly.

"She's so strange and guarded," Myrtle complains. "I daresay she's harder to talk to than the Baron."

Regulus shrugs, shoots Myrtle a very calculated look. "I can go talk to her, then."

"No!" Myrtle blurts out, a bit too quickly.

Holding back the triumphant grin, Regulus nods. "Thank you. It means a lot to me."

With a contented sigh, Myrtle floats closer to him and sits on the floor at his side. "I heard from Peeves they're releasing the Slytherins today. They finally found the cure to that thing on their skin."

Regulus groans, lets his head fall against the wall. "Don't remind me."

Myrtle giggles. "You're so smart, Regulus. I don't think anyone's managed to quarantine an entire house before."

Regulus will have to go talk to Barty and Evan sooner rather than later. They don't know it was him, but he'll come clean, he thinks. They deserve it. They're still his friends, and he doesn't want to antagonise them unnecessarily. Understandably, Regulus expects that they'll be pissed, but he had no choice. He couldn't exactly spare the only three people he likes and himself. That would have been a dead giveaway. He risked enough making sure Dorcas was out.

"Let's see if I'm smart enough to figure out the diadem mystery," he mutters.

It's nice, he thinks, to have someone who's willing to help and can't be hurt by it. Myrtle is already dead, so getting her involved—even tangentially, because she has no idea about the Horcruxes—is safe. A ghost can't suffer. She can't die again.

Giggling, Myrtle dares to put a hand on his shoulder. It feels cold, and a bit strange. Definitely not human, which is the only reason Regulus can stand it. "You'll find it. I won't stop until Helena tells me. I promise."

"What would I do without you, Myrtle?" Regulus says, only because he knows the effect it'll have on her.

As intended, Myrtle dissolves into even more giggles, batting her eyelashes at him. And... yes, there it is. The twinge of guilt. Regulus wishes he didn't feel it. He's not supposed to feel it. But Myrtle is so... lonely. She lives in her sad little toilet stall, alone all day, crying because that's what she was doing when she died. It's a pretty shitty existence.

Regulus gets up and waits the customary second for Myrtle to dart forward and kiss his cheek. "See you tomorrow?"

"Probably not," Regulus says. "Wednesday."