Once upon a Midnight Dreary - Regulus Black

Chapter 21

𝔗he house was empty when I finally managed to wake up. I felt like I had been beaten with a stick, my pulse heavily pounding in my head. I looked about in my bedroom, squinting; I needed a couple of minutes to remember yesterday's events. As soon as I recalled my conversation with James, the Death Eater meeting, Fawley, Kreacher's tale and finally, Regulus' plan, my vigor came back and I was able to get to my feet.

I wouldn't have expected to sleep through half the day after what went down yesterday. Yet, the moment I had returned home at almost three in the morning, I couldn't help but fall onto my pillows and cave in to the heavy waves of dreamless sleep. I had been too exhausted by then, too burdened by feelings of guilt, trepidation and anxiety. My frenzy had taken the strength out of me and I had quickly dozed off in spite of myself.

And now I was getting frenetic again, hastily throwing on my clothes and rushing to go to 12 Grimmauld Place before Walburga and Orion came back from their short holiday. They had spent two days at Cygnus and Druella's country home in North Lincolnshire and were expected to arrive around lunchtime.

I figured Regulus must have already interrogated Kreacher a couple more times after my departure. All there was left to do was find a secure and isolated place where no one would bother us, so we could come up with a sure-shot plan. My mother's summer residence seemed like a solid hideout; I had not been there in almost a year now and was longing to return to the beach where Regulus and I had spent the previous summer.

I walked down the empty corridors, my swift steps echoing off the walls. As always, Father was surely at the Malfoy Manor, brown nosing Abraxas Malfoy. Louisa must have taken Theodora out for their usual walks because the nursery and her shared bedroom with Theodore were empty. Theodore himself wasn't anywhere to be found; I reckoned that he was running some errands, either at the Ministry or for the Dark Lord himself, but I didn't want to think about the latter. I tried forcing the images of Fawley out of my brain, with little luck. I also tried not to dwell on the sinful misdeeds Theodore had committed as a Death Eater, again, with little luck.

I made sure no Muggles noticed me and strode towards the Black family home. My coiled innards were jittery as I thought about the cave for the umpteenth time and my eager courage turned to water, about to evaporate.

I rang the bell a few times, but nobody answered the door. Kreacher was usually quick to welcome any visitors, yet now I waited for him to appear in vain. I tried the door handle just in case, expecting to find it locked, but it wasn't and I stepped inside. Except for the short snap of the entrance door and low intermittent sobs, the house was still and silent.

Following the whining sounds, I marched towards the kitchen in the grips of the strangest presentiments. My breath came hard as I entered the room and found Kreacher cleaning the floor, crying. He sobbed and sputtered and gasped for breath, his face holes leaking quite disgustingly. I lingered on the threshold, about to turn around and go to Regulus' room instead.

"Kreacher?" I called to him hesitatingly, shivering inside with apprehension. I watched him with increasing concern as he sniffed and rubbed his eyes, turning his reddened gaze upon me.

"Mr. Felix!" he croaked, throat dry. He reached into the pocket of his dirty grey rags and pulled out a sheaf of parchment. "Kreacher was told by Master Regulus to deliver his letter when Mr. Felix came here looking for him."

He shoved the rolls of parchment into my suddenly numb hands. My stomach knotted at the dread I could not manage, and I felt a great sense of foreboding as I unfolded the paper and read,

Felix,

I'm sorry for not being able to say these words to you in person. Writing this letter is difficult enough as it is.