RISE OF THE FALL | R.B.

XII.

Disclaimer: The Harry Potter World belongs to J.K. Rowling.

*

CHAPTER XII.

She admired her work.

Her bedroom had been redecorated—she had redecorated it.

Her bedroom walls were covered in magical moving photographs of her friends, and her bookshelf was decorated with silver and green streamers.

With a satisfied sigh, she let herself collapse onto her bed.

But as her thoughts began to wander, she found herself thinking about the Death Eaters from earlier, and Remus' involvement in the war.

Regulus.

Why had he become a Death Eater?

The memory flashed in her mind. It felt like so long ago. Suddenly, all thoughts of her newly decorated bedroom left her mind as her entire attention turned to thinking about that question.

Had...had he been pressured into it?

Or...

No, she shook off the thought, Regulus would never willingly become a Death Eater.

What about Josie? And Narcissa, and Lucius?

The thought of them becoming Death Eaters...

Despite her love for all of her friends, she couldn't help but feel a stab of betrayal at the thought. She clenched her fists, exhaling deeply to calm herself.

She didn't want to feel angry about it.

She glanced towards the photo that she'd put up right beside her bed—her favourite one of all of the ones Fagan Nott had taken of her and her friends.

They were fourteen at the time of the photograph, dressed in their school uniform, at the Halloween Feast.

Narcissa waved at the camera, and Reia found herself waving back, even though she knew that her friend wasn't there. Not really.

Lucius was sitting beside Regulus, and the two of them were grinning at each other. Reia was sitting beside Regulus, and Josie was beside Lucius.

Guilt bubbled inside of her at the thought of her cheerful friend.

Josie Nott had been Reia's friend for so many years...and Reia hadn't—

Quickly she shook these thoughts away.

Even though she hadn't accepted Josie's apology and they hadn't parted at the end of the year on a good note, she'd still be Josie's friend.

The moment they saw each other again, Reia would apologise to her.

She promised it to herself.

"Reia."

Instantly, she was on her feet, whipping her wand out from her pocket as she got into a defensive stance and pointed it at the intruder.

It was Remus.

"Yes?" Reia said, lowering her wand.

"I...I wanted to see how you were," Remus asked with a little stutter as he took in Reia's bedroom.

"I'm fine—,"

"What have you done with your room?" Remus said, something like awe in his voice.

Reia couldn't help but smirk despite herself as she responded, "I'm a Slytherin, my dear brother. I thought it was time that my room looked like it too."

"It's amazing," Remus murmured, "But our parents won't be happy with it."

Reia shrugged and rolled her eyes, "Silver and green are two colours that I like. They just also happen to represent Slytherin. Just like how you like scarlet and gold, and they represent Gryffindor."

"Erm—,"

"What are you here for?" Reia cut her brother off, her smirk fading as her tone turned serious again, "I know that you probably couldn't tell me about that...business you had with Dumbledore."

Remus exhaled deeply, "Rei, I'm sorry—I...I begged him to allow me to tell you about it—I really did. But I couldn't get him to change his mind and I'm so sorry." He inhaled deeply afterwards, catching his breath.

"I know you did," Reia said with a small smile, "I'm sorry I was cold to you before. I was so...so lonely. I felt so sad and hurt and I just—I wasn't thinking right. It's okay."

"I'm your brother," Remus said, "And I let you down." He lowered his eyes to stare at his feet as he added, "I disappointed you. I kept information from you."

"Remus," Reia put a hand on her brother's shoulder, "Look, we all have our secrets. It...I was shocked—very shocked. But I don't expect you to tell me all of your secrets, and you shouldn't expect me to tell you all of mine."

"You have secrets?" Remus asked, wide-eyed.

Reia gave him a playful wink, "That's a secret."

Remus shook his head, "Okay. I'm sorry. Okay, I understand."

Reia pulled her brother into a hug as she said, "Don't worry about it."

***

The Daily Prophet the next morning delivered more bad news.

The news was even worse to hear when Reia had discovered that Regulus had become a Death Eater—and that it was possible that all of her other Slytherin friends had also become Death Eaters.

But she had no evidence. And she would not hold it against them until she'd gotten the truth to decide what to feel about it.

She resisted the strong desire to rip up the Daily Prophet and burn it.

DAILY PROPHET

DEATH EATER ATTACK: WIZARDING FAMILY ATTACKED

During a recent Death Eater attack on a wizarding family in a muggle neighbourhood, four of the five family members were lost. However, the remaining family member, the youngest child of the family, was relocated to the home of a family member...

She stopped reading.

Had her friends been involved in this attack?

Would they be willing to attack an innocent family just to serve and please the Dark Lord?

She imagined cheerful Josie dressed in a Death Eater's mask and robes—casting Unforgivable Curses—

And then she saw Regulus—beside Josie, his face masked, his wand prepared to attack—a green light sparking at the tip—

She knew what Unforgivable Curse that was—and she didn't want to think about it.

Regulus wouldn't do such a thing. Josie wouldn't do such a thing.

She swallowed the thoughts down and cleared her mind, sipping her fruit smoothie in an attempt to calm herself.

"You okay?" Remus asked from where he sat opposite her at the table.

Reia gulped and nodded. "I'm fine. I will be fine."

Author's Note:

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