Rebirth {Marauders Era}

CHAPTER 14: REGULUS: VOICES IN THE DARK

Regulus ran away from his brother, his heart in his throat as his thoughts spun out of control.

"Calm down." He whispered to himself, and to no avail. He got down to the dungeons, took one look at the door, and went into a total panic attack. Wheezing, he collapsed against the wall.

Seeing the look on Sirius's face had made him realize his biggest fear. He was sure if a boggart showed up right there and then, it would show him an Inferius, reaching at him with a pale, cold, dead hand, and its mouth making inhuman noises.

Or his brother, running to the Order, and him in the pool, pushed in by the Dark Lord. He just wasn't sure it could show that much or if it would just cut to the end.

He dragged himself up, leaning against the wall as he struggled to breathe. His life seemed locked in a state of tandem, with the only way out being death.

Oh, my little star...

He jerked and looked around, searching for the faint voice he'd heard echo through the corridor.

Oh Regulus, oh little king, come to me...

It was soft, gentle, maybe even motherly, something he had never really experienced with Walburga. He listened as a sigh echoed again through the wind.

I can help you...

Did he dare trust it? Did he even have a choice in the matter? It seemed to draw him.

My sweet, my Regulus, I'm here, I can save you...

He followed the voice weakly, grabbing onto the wall as his chest was still gripped in panic. Eventually he was led to the doors of the castle. He knew he was missing Defense, one of his favorite classes, but he kept his eyes fixed on the Forbidden Forest, as if by a force beyond his control.

"Regulus?" A voice snapped him out of the trance. He jerked his head around to see his brother and his friend James looking at him strangely.

"H-hey," He tried to focus. "W-what a surprise, seeing you again." He wheezed, then felt the voice call him again. He ran to it, hearing his brother's shocked cries echoing across the plain, like the voice, but so much more grounded in reality than Regulus felt in the moment.

I'm here Reggie, I'm here...

It sounded like Kreacher, like his mother when he had nightmares as a child, of Sirius even, which would have surprised him if he wasn't just focused on the forest. Almost there, almost there, he thought.

Then thick ropes tripped him, and he saw Sirius running at him.

"Reg, what the hell?!" He helped his brother to his feet. "What was that?"

"I don't know." He couldn't answer much further than that. "Something was calling me."

"What?" Sirius's face hardened. "This is stressing you out too much Regulus! You need to go into hiding, anything to stop Voldemort from doing this to you."

"No! No, you can't! Sirius!" He howled. "I'll go with you, to Pomfrey, just don't tell, don't tell! Please!"

Sirius's eyes softened at the sight of his brother pleading, begging almost. He really needed to do this. "Ok, little brother. Whatever you want, just let me take you to Poppy." He said gruffly.

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Rumors flew around the school like owls, bringing news, whether it was true or not.

"Regulus Black's in the Hospital Wing."

"I heard he was attacked."

"Really? I heard he broke down. Poor fella's been looking terrible for weeks."

"Well I bet it's just that he's a Death Eater, he is a Black, you know..."

All this, and Regulus didn't care. He'd had enough of rumors, true or no. His life was at stake here. He was very selfish, but he also knew that he was an inside eye. He knew so much, he couldn't be allowed to die! And Mother, he shuddered at the thought of her finding out her golden son was dead. Father would be fine, he was sure of this, but his mother had always had a soft spot for him. He guessed it was because she was thankful at least one of her son's turned out alright.

Although to any who weren't prejudiced, it wasn't Regulus who did.

He still heard the voice, dreamed of it even. And he had no idea why. At first he allowed himself to think the stress was causing him to crack. But then he saw her, one night, laying awake in his bed in the hospital room, where Madam Pomfrey was keeping him for another night, he'd complained of a headache and she didn't feel he was ready yet to return to his classes.

"Hello, Regulus."

He saw a shape appear in the corner of the room and practically shrieked. "Pomfrey!" She came running, not seeing what he was looking at.

"Mr Black, Mr Black, whatever is the matter?"

"I-uh, I had a bad dream, that's all. I'm sorry for waking you Poppy." She snorted in slight disapproval, not that she could really disapprove of her patient having a bad dream. As soon as she was gone, he cast a spell.

"Muffliato." He remembered to thank Severus later. "Who are you? What do you want with me?"

"With you?" A ghostly laugh echoed through the room, and he caught a glimpse of golden hair, a flash from green eyes that held wisdom beyond anything he had ever seen. "Oh, I don't want to do anything with you, Regulus. I don't have anything to do with you now do I?" It sounded like a female, especially when it laughed again, making Regulus shiver.

"I-I don't understand! Why call me now?"

"Because you needed me. And I have a greater agenda in mind. I can't have you ruining that."

Regulus kept his eyes fixed on the wisp, warily tracking it's movements. When she said this, he glared at her.

"Why help me for your own gain? What do you get out of it? Who are you?!"

"I can answer both of those questions, Regulus of the Most Noble House of Black. I have a quarrel with a king, he stole my sister. I have done something that will get me punished if it does not succeed. Your brother was part of that. As for my name,..." Suddenly she appeared in full, beautiful and terrible, taller than almost any personhe'd ever seen, her golden hair almost too bright, her green eyes as sharp as a knife, slicing through him with gentle precision. "You can call me Clotho."