Rebirth {Marauders Era}

CHAPTER 24: REGULUS/PETER: HOPE FADES

Regulus lay on the floor, pain running through him. Maybe not much physical pain, but mental pain. Hearing them talk about killing him was terrifying. He felt the lump in his throat as his breathing increased in rate.

Then, quite suddenly, Regulus heard his father's shout of pain. His cheek smarted from where he had been hit, his father's angry eyes stuck forever in his mind. Bellatrix turned her empty eyes out the window and cursed.

"Orion's useless, he's been incarcerated by a dog." She sounded strangely lucid, but somehow it frightened him more.

"Please cuz," he plead for his life. "Please." It was really more of a whine now.

"Look at him, a whining cur. Stay down." She kicked him in the gut, hard. He bit his tongue and spat out blood. Then suddenly the cruciatus was placed upon him, his screams echoing up and down the corridors. The pain was nothing like he had ever experienced, and he writhed and pain like a thousand snakes burrowing into his skin tore it's way through his body. Howls escaped from Walburga, trying to stop Bellatrix.

"Stop it, you're hurting him, stop!"

"Little blood traitor deserves it. Orion's taking too long, I'm getting boored." Her crazed tone was returning. Regulus was released, and gasping he lay on the floor, faintly hearing Lucius poke his head in.

"We have a...situation." He whispered, not quietly, though.

"What is it, Malfoy? I'm plaaying!" Bella sounded heartbroken.

"The special lady, the one the Dark Lord wanted...well...she escaped."

"WHAT!" Both Walburga and Bellatrix combined their screams, and it was enough to jerk Regulus out of his stupor. He realized that he needed to escape, and now. But where?

Then he knew, it had to be done. They were going to kill him anyways, might as well take part of the Dark Lord with him. The pool, that's where he'd go. To the inferius. And if it was the last thing he ever saw, so be it.

"Kreacher." He murmured gravelly. The elf appeared with a crack that barely registered over the screeches as his mother and cousin debated in their loudest voices.

"Oh, what has Bella Lestrange done to master?! Master Regulus, what is you needing from Kreacher?" The look of horror on Kreacher's face was clear, but he knew that it was going to disappear the second his mother looked, so he needed to act fast.

"Get me to the cave, now Kreacher. Get me there or we'll both die!" Keeacher nodded, taking his master's hand, and with a crack they were gone.

Regulus threw up when they landed, the torture taking a toll on him. They were outside the cave. "This is it." He murmured, looking at it forlornly.

&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&

Peter felt squashed. Why were they being dragged through something so small? He was still a rat, inside Remus's cloak. He tried to squeak and get his attention, but he couldn't draw a breath. He scrabbled at the fabric, panicking as he was crushed. He had heard the conversation earlier, he wondered what the hell Remus was doing now. It felt like he was being pulled through the window they came in.

Faintly a voice made it to him. "Remus, let the poor boy out, you're suffocating him."

Suddenly cool air met Peter's nose and he sucked it in, giving angry little squeaks.

"Sorry Pete." He heard Remus sigh. Looking up, the Order was standing behind them, holding their wands out at the chest of the woman who spoke. Her eyes swept them all.

"Hope you grabbed them, Rem, or else we're all doomed, and this was all for nothing." He held out the golden scissors, then bent down and let Peter go to the ground. He transformed and glared at Remus.

"Hey, what was that?" Remus jumped and turned around to look at him.

"Peter! McGonagall doesn't know you're an animagus!"

"They're too bloody preoccupied with Morta, that much I'd have gathered, Moony." Peter crossed his chest with a scowl upon his face, still upset that he had been forgotten. "I almost died in there Moony, bloody stifling your pocket is, mate."

"Like I said, I'm sorry!" Remus scoffed, his eyes burning. "We have more dire problems at hand! Sirius is missing, and I think he has been captured!"

"Captured, oh, no, he hasn't been. They wouldn't torture him, not anymore." Morta smiled darkly, her slightly maddened eyes meeting his, giving him chills. "They were set on killing him, I knew, I heard them talking bout it."

All three of their faces paled considerably. "Was that supposed to make us feel better?" James demanded hotly. Peter started, forgetting that James had come with them. After McGonagall had chewed him out, he had waited while Remus and Peter had appeared. "Cause it sure didn't! He could be dead right now!"

Peter felt himself beginning to cry. He tried his hardest not to, he was seventeen for heavens sake! But relentless sobs racked his body. He saw Sirius' body laying dead on the floor of that horrible Manor, forever trapped in the place.

"Who are you?!" McGonagall cried.

"Death, the end, Morta. Nice to meet you, shall we go out for drinks?" She sighed. "I shan't explain meself to you, Minerva. I never liked the original Minerva anyways, and you're literally a carbon copy of her. I have a sister who needs me. And a stupid boy to save. What an idiot my sister has become."

"Can we come with you? To make sure he's alright?" James asked shakily.

"Quid stultus." She muttered, turning away. Then, to the Order's horror, she disappeared. It was as if the shadows consumed her.

"Where'd she go?" Frank Longbottom asked, fear written on his face. Alice was next to him, holding hands.

"I don't know!" Minnie sighed, shocked and frightened at how much the woman seemed to know. "But we should probably get out of here before we're found and killed."

"But what about Sirius? We can't just leave him here!" Peter squeaked, tears still running silently down his face.

She turned on him, her eyes burning

"Sirius has been a fool, an insolent fool! However much I care for him as a student, it would be suicide to try and enter. You-Know-Who himself may be in there! I have to look out for the interests of the group, no matter how much it hurts me, hurts all of us. Look at us, we're the last defense once he attacks. We cannot risk this! If Morta wants to save him, she can risk her life. We have too much at stake." The fire faded, and sadness filled her eyes. "I'm sorry this happened to you, boys."

The only sound that could be heard after that was Peter sniffling, and the sense that nothing would ever be ok, ever again.