Daggers | r.a.b

despair

[daggers - part two]
[3rd]

    "Peter!" Lily exclaimed as said boy walked into the Order meeting room. Beside Lily, she sighed in relief as he appeared to look unscathed. She gave the boy a reserved smile, welcoming him back.

    Earlier, a Patronus so similar to her own appeared in Regulus' room while she and Sirius were talking there, scaring the life out of her. The dainty dolphin she had always adored had spoken in his voice, alerting both Sirius and her about Peter's whereabouts. Sirius had immediately gone to his friend's rescue, yanking her along under a disillusion charm.

    Words could not explain how distraught Sirius was upon not finding one of his best friends everywhere. They had searched all the 'rooms that were suitable for meetings *ahem* torture sessions *ahem*', Sirius leading the way as he had been there several times before, yet they still could not find Peter.

     It was until they reached the guest wing, did she get an idea: since Regulus sent them the Patronus, Peter might be with him. Unfortunately, that did not take long at all.

     The guest room belonging to Regulus was heavily locked with exquisite charmwork, but as the former best in her year, she knew exactly how to disarm all the charms used. She caused a commotion with a few charms in the lower floor, alerting all the death eaters in the house, before Sirius turned into his aminagus form and scratched against the door, asking for permission to go in.

    If Sirius was distraught when they couldn't find Peter, then she was a mess when she saw Regulus. When he opened the door, her eyes just welled up with tears, the sight of him only reminded her of their broken relationship and wounds don't just close like that. And this just reopened the wound.

    She didn't think he noticed she was there. But she stood inside the room the whole time, left the slip of paper, watched him break down, and her heart shattered into a million pieces, yet could do nothing but silently fill the teacup nearby with her healing chamomile tea, hoping he would notice, and she wanted to hug him and reassure him so badly, but resisted. She couldn't do this- it would only break both of their hearts further.

    And that didn't mean she didn't suffer from what she saw. She had shut herself in his room for all afternoon, crying, having panic attacks, but she was fueled by the despair that she could never, ever be by his side again, because nothing hurt more than watching your own love suffer. He had once promised, they would always support each other.

    Now even that was gone.

    It wasn't until Lily came in and consoled her, did she calm down. The Order wasn't surprised, as she had rather frequent panic attacks. None of them, except James, Lily and Sirius, even suspected there was something wrong. There were only sympathetic glances and looks, and even those made it so much worse.

    She jolted back to the present, where people were welcoming Peter back, inquiring after his injuries, which he replied with "I'm fine, no injuries, just a few scratches. Nothing I couldn't handle!" And she felt suspicion rise in her throat.

    But that couldn't be right. This was Voldemort we were talking about... he would have tortured Peter badly. Why did he look entirely healthy only three hours after his rescue?

    Her question was answered almost instantly as Peter sat down next to her in one of the only two seats available. The scent of calming chamomile flooded her senses, and she recognized it as the scent of one of her personal healing tea recipes she herself used after torture sessions and panic attacks.

    But how could he have come across that recipe? She never, ever gave it out, only made it for others. It was a strong concoction, so powerful, people could have taken advantage of it, and therefore she had never shared it out.

    But then she had once. She had told Regulus once, in hope he would know how to help himself when she couldn't... her thoughts landed on the teacup she had refilled. He must've given some to Peter.

    "Now we're just waiting for the Mckinnons and we're all set," James announced loudly, once again jolting her from her thoughts. She took this chance to hiss at Peter, "Peter!"

    He frowned. "Yes?"

    "The chamomile tea. Did Regulus give it to you?"

    She had evidently caught him off guard. "Uhh..." he stuttered, not answering.

    She sighed. "I made that recipe, you idiot. I know how it smells. He helped you then?"

     Before Peter could answer, a frantic Frank Longbottom rushed in. "Marlene- she just sent a Patronus to tell us to get to her house as fast as possible," he choked out, his face red from running. Her eyes widened as she immediately apparated outside the Mckinnons.

    Her heart sank as she saw the Dark Mark hanging in the sky, dread filling her, weighing her down like lead. Around her, other Order members appeared. With shaking hands, she approached and opened the door.

    What she saw was so bloody and gruesome, no words could ever explain the scene. She recoiled almost immediately, covering her mouth, eyes widened in shock and horror. She could feel herself backing into Lily, and hear the little cry of horror escape her best friend's lips.

    Two bodies, bloodied and battered, lay on the ground of the once glamorous and exquisite, now broken and bloody entrance hall. But what was horrific was how the blood splashed across the room, the limbs and organs were plucked out, scattered all across the hall, heads rolling on the floor, disfigured beyond repair. She uttered a tiny scream of disbelief and utter horror as she collapsed onto her doorstep, Lily next to her; the image would definitely be one to haunt her all night.

    James and Sirius rushed past them, heading up the stairs in worry. The shouts and sobs that came from upstairs moments later were enough proof that the whole family had been murdered in cold blood.