The Secret Life of Regulus Black

19

After the conversation in the hospital wing, Harry and Ron kept their mouths shut and ignored the missing cat case.

I stuck around for a while to ease their suspicions but both me and Sirius stayed in the seeking shack at night. Occasionally Remus was over but he didn't like me much.

"So, what are your plans next?" Sirius and I sat across from each other, tea in hand and him with a firewhiskey.

"Well, I think I'll stick around as Hermione's cat for now. You guys will probably need help in the order and I can guarantee a few of his next moves. He's not the type to go into battle unprepared and the first war he had everything planned down to the second. Most of those will still work now and he won't change them as to his knowledge none of his death eaters are a spy." I sipped my tea and continued. "Unfortunately I am one of his death eaters, whether I like it or not." he nodded in understanding and I scratched the dark mark on my arm.

"Yah, Snape is still working as a spy for Dumbledore so he can help, if it weren't for that then I would probably have his throat."

"I don't blame you." I sighed. "God, things are just going to get darker from here on."

Sirius nodded. We sat in silence for a while as he drank. "Hey, what happened to that girl you hung around with while we were at hogwarts?" he asked suddenly.

"Oh, uh. I fucking up, per usual."

He frowned, "what?"

"I got the mark and to keep her safe started distancing myself and she, she wasn't happy to say the least and forced me to explain. The minute she saw the mark she left."

"Shit." was all he said.

Then. "Have you tried to find her?"

"No."

He looked up at me, perplexed. "What? Why not?"

I let out a cold laugh. "She hates my guts. And if i weren't dead to the world she'd be wishing me dead. Deatheaters killed her whole family. That's not something that can be forgiven."

"Reg, the world isn't split into good people and death eaters. We all have both light and dark inside us, what matters is the part we choose to act on. And from what I've seen you've done a pretty good job of sticking to the light."

"Whatever, she's safer this way anyways. That's all that matters." Sirius looked at me for a moment before grinning. "What?"

"You're still smitten with her!" he laughed and took a gulp of firewhiskey.

"What? What are you on about?"

"Merlin, I knew he liked her in Hogwarts but I didn't expect you to still be pining for her."

"Oh salazar," I rolled my eyes, knowing he was 100% correct. "Shut up." He threw his head back and laughed. "Oh stop acting like that's not you with lupin."

He pointed his finger at me, "hey! At least Remus is actually good looking. Fedelia was... like a 4." his words began slurring together as he drank.

I scoffed, "shut up, you don't find any women attractive."

"Ok, what would you rate her? 8?"

"She doesn't like to be rated like that."

He rolled his eyes, "so gentlemanly. Come on! It's not like she's even here."

"Sirius, no." I said, not laughing.

"Oh come on reg, it's harmless. Such a kill-joy. Just rate her."

"Sirius, stop. now."