Only the Brave

Chapter 51: Broken bodies, broken hearts

The smoke fills his lungs and makes them ache, and Regulus wonders not for the first time, if he should perhaps stop smoking. Except he's a bit on edge, and it helps. So, he ignores the raspy cough in his throat and takes another inhale.

Across from him is Remus, also smoking and looking like he's going to be sick any second. He's in a pair of jeans and a sweater, which is apparently his uniform. He's a man of simple tastes. Cigarettes. Whiskey. Muggle music. And sweaters.

Regulus absently thinks they look good on him.

They're waiting to be called to the meeting to review the attack. It was successful in that they managed to sneak Severus and a few of the potioners inside, and they let loose the poison so the editor-in-chief of the Daily Prophet is dead along with quite a lot of other people unlucky enough to have attended the event.

But they also took some heavy loses. Riddle isn't too bothered by this—for him, the only life that matters is his own—but the other Death Eaters are rattled. The Order in full force was more of a challenge than anyone was prepared to deal with.

"You're certain Sirius is alive," Remus asks him not for the first time. "And James."

"Yes, Remus," Regulus replies, rolling his eyes. "They are fine. They didn't make it inside the Ministry."

It had been tricky to plan that part with Dorcas. They needed to make it real enough that she wouldn't be suspected, but also, they had to act fast enough that no one they cared about would be tempted to go inside to help the victims.

Fucking heroes.

It's part of the reason he decided to forego a mask. He had to make sure he was seen and found by those who matter. That they would fight him at the edge of the line and not close to the Ministry so they didn't have time to be the first ones inside.

The other reason was that Bellatrix never wears a mask and Regulus will be damned if she thinks that gives her some sort of status. It's not like people don't know Lord Black is aligned with Voldemort anyway.

That whole battle was some of the most stressful work he's done. Fighting while giving Dorcas instructions for what to do and how much of it through their ring connection was tough. Not to mention it pissed him off that Marlene landed a hit on him. Not a big deal, he's already healed all his wounds, but still. If he hadn't been stretched so thin and so distracted, she wouldn't have hit him.

Doesn't matter. Marlene is Dorcas' and he won't touch her. He owes Dorcas that little bit of decency, at least. When he last spoke to her through the ring, she confirmed they were at the hospital because James was being treated for his leg, and Dorcas for her knocked out teeth and some internal bleeding. Sirius had to be checked out, too, because he had that nasty burn on his arm and also internal bleeding, but they were well on their way to being okay.

"You should have let me come with you," Remus says with badly contained anger. He's been fuming since Regulus got back with a limp arm dripping blood on the hardwood floors. "I could have helped."

"You would have distracted the people we're trying to keep alive," Regulus retorts. "And I need you focused on the wolves. This was not one for you. We've talked about this."

"I can't fucking believe you duelled Sirius," Remus says, groaning.

"Better me than Riddle," Regulus says, raising an eyebrow. "I only hurt him a little."

The look Remus shoots him is dark. "You didn't touch James, though. Hypocrite."

"James was already hurt," Regulus replies, holding his gaze. "Bellatrix took a chunk off his thigh."