high adventure! → regulus black ✓

[17] after the storm / epilogue

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REGULUS KNEW IT WOULDN'T BE that easy; he knew that, no matter how well the Order did, someone would get past their defenses and Regulus would have no choice but to fight. What he didn't expect was for a kid that couldn't be any older than he was to be the one to step inside with his wand at the ready. The couple stood and Regulus kept his feet planted firmly in front of Stella, but he didn't cast anything just yet. His wand was at the ready, but something told him this boy didn't want to fight. For one, he looked terrified.

"Drop the wand," Regulus said calmly, speaking slowly and deliberately. "You don't want to do anything you'll regret."

"Why would I regret this?" he asked, his eyes narrowing, but his voice shook even as he tried to look menacing. "You're a blood traitor, and she's a muggle." He didn't say the words with the malice Regulus expected to hear them in. He changed tactics.

"I see your mark's new," he said, gesturing slightly with his wand. The boy adjusted his aim, but still had yet to try and cast anything, which surprised him less and less as the interaction went on. "Are your parents with the cause? I'm sure the pressure for you to join was immense." The boy's eyes widened slightly, and his aim faltered ever so slightly.

"What's your name?" Stella asked softly, and as Regulus chanced a glance at her he could see a glimpse of the young woman he first saw on the train back when this all started, the young woman who wanted to make her own way in the world with a heart full of courage and hope. He had to force himself to look back at the Death Eater in the doorway. He expected the boy to look scandalized (after all, that's how he had looked back in the day when one of his muggle victims talked to him), but instead he just looked taken by surprise by her kindness, as so many often were.

"Joseph," he said quietly. "And yes, it was. B-But it's what I wanted." Regulus knew it wasn't his job to talk this kid out of the worst decision of his life, but he also found that he couldn't do anything else. It was like he was staring at himself just a few months ago; this, he could feel, was the ultimate test of his redemption. The poor kid deserved a chance, just like Regulus had.

"Are you certain?" he asked, following Stella's example and speaking quietly. "Because to me, it seems like you're terrified. I was once in your shoes, though I suspect you have a better heart than I had at the time. When I was younger, being a Death Eater was all I wanted, and when I joined the ranks I found joy and purpose in making others suffer." He shuddered at the thought. "But the moment I realized just how little the Dark Lord really cares about the lives of anyone, even those he deems worthy of power, I knew I couldn't fight anymore. Now I happened to need the firm words of a muggle to steer me in a path much more noble than just running, but I see the good in you here and now, Joseph. You don't have to be your parents." As he neared the end of his speech, his voice shook with emotion, and Stella took hold of his free hand, giving it a gentle squeeze that he appreciated more than words could describe.

Outside the tent, the fighting was dying down, and Regulus had the feeling that the Order of the Phoenix would be the victors of this particular skirmish. He wondered how many had been arrested, how many had been killed, and how many had gotten away, but most of all he wondered which category Bellatrix fell under. That was a thought for another time, though. Joseph was shaking, his eyes were wide, and it was becoming increasingly clear that he didn't want to be there. Regulus took a hesitant step forward, and then another once no reaction was given. He stopped, only a few feet away from the boy. He extended his free hand, his wand now completely down by his side (but ready to raise swiftly if need be).