The Marauders: Year Six Part 2 #Wattys2017

One Hour

One Hour

Regulus dipped his wand into the steel blue water again and they sailed slowly over the now still surface toward the cliffs that made up the base of the castle. Durmstrang Institute was as dark in colouration as the magic it was known for teaching, black stones stacked one upon the other with red roof tiles and a somber, serious look to it that made it seem quite menacing. Sirius shifted on the bench seat of the boat rather uneasily, staring up at the jagged silhouette of the school, looming ever nearer as the boat cut through the waters, silent as a whisper...

Regulus steered them along the edge of the stones, so close that any one of them could have reached out and touched the cliff face, run their hands along the rugged edge as the boat carried them along. They rounded an outcropping of stone that cut into the water and found themselves approaching an underground cavern, not entirely unlike the one beneath Hogwarts - though this was much larger a cavern - the mouth looming nearly as high as the castle itself. Sirius's head hung back as they went under the mouth of the cave, staring up as the enchanted sky disappeared from view.

They were all very quiet. Nervous energy moved between them. None of them knew what to say to one another.

The closer they got, the more and more Lily thought that her heart might beat it's way clean out of her chest. It was silly - they would think her crazy if she said anything of it outloud but.... But she could feel James was there somewhere and her muscles were tight, ready to spring up from the stupid little boat to race and rescue him. She ran her palms over her knees, staring about with wide, anticipation-filled eyes.

Last time she had seen him, she had been about to tell him she loved him.

She forced herself to remember the look on his face... dawning realization of what she'd been saying, his eyes wide, nose flared with emotion... He'd stared at her, breathlessly. "Do you care for me? Even a smidge?"

A good deal more than a smidge, James Potter, she thought. A very good deal more than a smidge.

She would tell him, she promised herself, the moment she found him - wherever he was in this gods-forsaken hell hole of a castle - she would tell him.

And suddenly, there was a CRACK and the ship rocked as Sirius jumped in surprise and let out a curse that echoed about the cavern.

"FUCK!"

Maryrose and Lily had both jumped in surprise, too, and Regulus and Remus had drawn their wands and aimed at the source of the sound, which gave out a loud squeal and fell to the bottom of the boat at Regulus's feet in the space between the bench Lily and Maryrose sat upon and the one Regulus now stood before. He stared down at the lumpy grey body of the house elf, a hex only just caught in his throat. "Wait! Wait - it's just Kreacher, my elf!" he said quickly, waving for Remus to lower his wand.

Sirius clutched his heart, "Ferfucksakes Kreacher! What the bloody hell are you doing, you idiotic --"

"Don't call him idiotic! It isn't his fault, he didn't mean to scare you, you bloody baby!" Regulus snapped hotly, and he turned to the elf, whose ears trembled as he lay, hands splayed over his head, hiding from the hexes that he was clearly thinking he was about to receive. "Kreacher, it's alright, get up," Regulus said, touching the elf's back gently.

Kreacher shivered as he grovelled at Regulus's feet. "Master, Master Regulus must come to the Dark Lord or the Dark Lord will repay Master Regulus with death!" Kreacher looked watery-eyed up at his beloved Master. "Please Master Regulus, the Dark Lord grows tired of waiting and the Dark Lord has told Kreacher that Master Regulus's loved ones will be dead if Master does not go to him. The Dark Lord threatens to kill Kreacher's Mistress!"