The Marauders: Year Four

Understandings

Understandings

Regulus fell to the wood floor of his bedroom as he and Walburga apparated just two floors above where they'd been moments before. He could still hear the reactions of the Order and the Resistance echoing their way up the stairs, still hear the cracks and pops as Death Eaters fled the scene. Walburga Black grabbed his elbow, jerking him up from the floor and pulling him away from the door, kneeling before him. "Listen to me," she hissed, staring into his eyes, "This is extremely important. You cannot let the Dark Lord see you react to this."

"What?" Regulus blinked in surprise, still getting his bearings for he hadn't expected to be disapparated away - his stomach had turned horribly from the unexpected motion, and he was dizzy, trying to focus on the room, and now here was his mother, saying things that made no sense. "But --"

"You can't let him know how this - or any of the deaths you see - affects you." She looked at him imploringly. "Regulus, we're in very, very grave danger. Do you understand?"

"I -- wait, Mother, what're you --"

"Regulus. I know you've been questioning the ways of the Dark Lord for some time now. And so have I. While his intentions are pure, his methods are dark."

He looked alarmed. He wasn't sure about the intentions, either, but he instinctively knew that telling Walburga he wasn't sure how he felt about blood purity would result in the sort of trouble that he'd expected after all. It would result in him being in the same position as Sirius - but without friends he could trust as Sirius Black had.

Sirius is lucky, thought Regulus, and his heart suddenly ached quite fiercely. He would never have friends like Sirius had.

"But -- and this is very, very important -- nobody can know it, Regulus. He cannot know."

Regulus nodded numbly, trying to comprehend what was being told to him in rushed, hushed tones. "I'm - I'm learning occlumency..."

"Very good. From whom?"

"Severus Snape."

She looked uneasy. "Don't trust Severus Snape," she said, her voice hard.

Regulus said, "But Severus is my friend."

"Severus is on the path to becoming a Death Eater. He may be your friend now, but he will not stay as such. And there is animosity between our families. His grudges are his mother's grudges." She scowled, "And the filthy half-blood he is... no, you cannot trust Severus Snape."

Then, she spoke lowly, "Is there a member of the staff, someone who might be able to help you? Someone who understands the need to keep a secret? To hide from the Dark Lord at all costs?"

"I - I don't know, I don't know any of the staff members very well," Regulus said, stammering, thinking, letting their faces flash before his mind's eye, "Most of them are in the Resistance --"

"What about Horace Slughorn?"

Regulus blinked in surprise, "Yeah, I suppose there's Slughorn, but I don't know him very --"

There was a creak on the stairs and Walburga looked up, interrupting her son with her palm covering his mouth suddenly, her face concerned. "We have to go. No more talk of this. You and I must act as though nothing has changed. Your father is dead because of small mistakes. You understand the danger we are in?"

"Yes, but --"

"Quiet. Come." She grabbed onto his shoulder and they disapparated away.

Gideon Prewett shoved the door opened only seconds after they were gone - shining his illuminated wand about the room, looking, searching... He shook his head and backed up, looking down the stairs at Alastor Moody. "There ain't anybody in here, old man, your magic's eye's cracked up."