Veiled Emotions {Marauders Era}

CONFLICT

“Why are you here?”

“Is my presence that disturbing?”

“Well, forgive me for not dancing with joy at the mere sight of the Black’s greatest Death Eater.” said Andromeda Tonks, glaring at her once beloved cousin.

It was 1979; the year when everything in Andromeda’s life started escaping its normalcy. The war was becoming more and more intense by then, and fear became a natural trait for every non-Voldemortic that Andromeda and probably everyone else feared their entire life would remain like that.

Waiting for her husband to return from his work in one piece one night, which was the normal prayer of hers these days, Andromeda suddenly  found someone knocking on her front door in a rhythm she knew by heart.

But when she opened the door, a dull hollow feeling replaced her worry.

“I came for peace, not war.” her unwanted visitor said.

“The war between us began ever since you chose that road, Regulus.” she said despondently, staring at his frame after a prolonged duration of not seeing him.

Long matted hair and dullness occupied his once lively eyes. It shocked her to the core, for no matter how angry she was at him, she couldn’t help but soften towards him– but she subtly concealed it.

“And I came to end it.” Regulus Black replied calmly.

“Unlikely.”

“Listen, Andromeda,” Regulus then said firmly, in an imploring way more of an unpleasant one. “I will tell you what I came here to tell you and you will hear me out whether you like it or not. So please, let us just overstep this juvenile bickering and return to our damned situation.”

“What do you want, Regulus?” she asked after a few moments of hesitation.

“Information.”

“About what?”

“About the known ancient artefacts. Do you know anything about the most famous ones and their whereabouts?” he inquired.

“Why should I tell you?” Andromeda asked him sceptically. “You might just be luring me into helping your Death Eater businesses.”

Regulus then sighed and beseechingly said, “For the sake of our friendship and childhood, Andromeda, I am asking you to help me and just accept that I cannot answer any questions.”

Andromeda then gave him another hesitant look, and all he could do was honestly and agonisingly say, “I’m losing time, Andy, and you’re the only one who could help me right now.”

“Why not Sirius? I happen to know that he told you to come to him if you needed anything.” she asked quizzically, even though she’d already decided to help him.

“I will endanger his life even more if I seek his help right now. You, on the other hand, are not in that damned Order, thus impervious to greater harm.”

“Fine,” Andromeda said at last. “I know that every Hogwarts Founder had a special artefact. Rowena Ravenclaw had a diadem for example, which swells the wisdom of whoever wears it. But it is said that it has been lost long ago though.”

“What did Slytherin own?” Regulus asked curiously.

“A locket.”

“Do you know who last had it?”

“A descendant from the family. Most probably a Gaunt.” she shrugged.

“The Dark Lord’s mother was a Gaunt, right?” he asked, with a dangerous glint in his eyes that sparkled for a moment before disappearing, which Andromeda had nearly forgotten.