Once upon a Midnight Dreary - Regulus Black

Chapter 3

"𝔜ou called?" I stood in the doorway, looking in.

My brother was sitting behind his mahogany desk, writing something in his notebook when I appeared. He raised his head, his glance passing over me several times before he beckoned me inside.

"Come, have a seat," he said in his distant voice as he closed his journal and put down his quill, "and close the door."

It took me the briefest hesitation before I walked in, letting the double doors close shut behind me.

It was unlike Theodore to ask me to visit him in his study, yet today he had sent our house-elf, Cobmy for me. Even though we lived in the same house, we barely ever communicated with each other face-to-face. The only occasion we spent time together as a family was when Theodore, Father and I attended pure-blood parties.

"Well." Theo put the tips of his fingers together and regarded me searchingly. I looked straight back at him, at his dull rounded features and receding hairline. He was the most nondescript-looking man I had ever seen, and yet he had such overbearing charisma that any room would go silent when he showed up. "I believe it's time for us to discuss your future."

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, a horse-hair chair that kept sliding from under me. The rest of the heavy dark furniture and the old wallpaper allowed no natural lumination to filter into the room, creating a smothering atmosphere. Theo's gloomy presence only added to my discomfort as he continued to glower at me.

"You must remember our Occlumency lessons from last year," he spoke again, his pronunciation and intonation perfect as Father wished it would be, nothing like my way of speaking.

"Vaguely. You weren't a very interesting teacher."

"Be that as it may," he pressed on with a frown creasing his broad forehead, "preparing you for this path you're now about to take has always been necessary. Frankly, I wouldn't have expected you to keep practicing all year even without me."

I shrugged. "I'm full of surprises."

"The hour is upon us. Tomorrow, I will be taking you to the Dark Lord," Theodore announced, and my stomach sank, a pitch-black terror spiraling through me. "He is the most skilled Legilimens of all times. You cannot lie to him, nor can you try to defy him. He can delve into the very depths of your mind and unravel all your secrets."

"Well, that certainly sounds encouraging..."

"However," he laid an emphasis on the word, annoyed at being interrupted. His lips pulled tight and turned pale, almost snarling at me. "What you can do, on the other hand, is keeping your thoughts to yourself. If you manage to earn the Dark Lord's trust and evade suspicion, he won't bother racking your memory looking for lies and half-truths."

It was much easier to toy with the idea of being a Death Eater than actually become one. I would only consider this as another grim milestone in my life, one that would temporarily strip me of my liberty. For once, I had refused to listen to Regulus' pleas, and only focused on following through with my plan so he wouldn't have to be alone. And now when the time has come to join him to take this journey together, I stupidly wanted to back out.

"You must focus on staying calm and predictable," Theo pressed on. "The Dark Lord only needs to see what he wishes to see. No more, no less. If you manage to accomplish that, you'll save us both. If not, it'll cost our lives and possibly Father's, Louisa's and my unborn child's as well."

My hesitation lasted for mere minutes, but during those few short minutes, I thought about packing my things and fleeing under the blanket of the night.