When Regulus Black had walked into the cave with the intention of destroying Salazar Slytherin's's locket, he had known that he was going to die. In fact, he had been prepared to do so. Which was why he had been surprised when he was pulled out of t...
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-------------------> REGULUS AND ARA IMMEDIATELY WENT TO GRIMMAULD PLACE and straight up to Regulus' room. Luckily, they had bumped into neither Orion nor Walburga on the way up.
Regulus' left arm was now almost completely blackened, as if decaying, making Ara more worried. Not to mention, every few minutes, a burst of pain would course through Regulus' body that he had described as to being held under the crucatious curse. Ara wasn't sure how many such bursts he would be able to handle before it began permanently messing up his nervous system and frankly, she hoped and prayed that they wouldn't have to find out.
And as Regulus clutched his almost limp arm and bit the insides of his mouth loudly so a shout won't escape him, Ara was busy packing a few of his things into her never-ending sling bag. Basic things, like his toothbrush, a few sets of underpants and robes, hairbrush; along with some of the more secretive things that they couldn't allow anybody to accidentally find like the two-way mirror and a journal in which Regulus had used to make some notes and reminders.
Another reason why they came to Grimmauld Place was that the Black's tended to have many illegal, international port key's to spare.
Portkey's were wonderful things as one could make a bunch of them in one go and keep them ready for use and when they wanted to use it, all you had to do was say a particular spell and speak a location, and that portkey would then be permanently tuned to it.
They had used a portkey to get to France the first time and Regulus used another portkey to return to Britain every time he had travelled to France to pay Ara and Mr and Mrs Flamel a visit.
She took a diamond necklace (because Merlin-forbid the Black's touch anything that wasn't super expensive), said the incantation of the spell and the location that they were to go to Haryana, India.
According to her father's intelligence network, there was an abundance of parselmouth's in that region and many old temples and ashrams that may be able to solve their problem.
Walking back to Regulus' closet, Ara also grabbed the first full-sleeved cloth that she could see, which happened to be his Slytherin Quidditch jersey- and helped him wear it.
"I know it hurts to wear it," Ara said, "But we can't afford to let anybody see your arm right now. They'll have questions, and we sure as hell won't be able to give them the answers."
Regulus nodded with tightly shut eyes.
The pain decreased a few seconds later. It was going to come back in a couple of minutes, he knew.
He opened his eyes just in time to see Ara take out a pair of dragon-hide duelling gloves from that sling bag of hers.
He raised an eyebrow.
She noticed his expression and shook her head. "Don't ask."
"Wasn't planning to." He replied, and he honestly wasn't. He had just gotten used to the fact that Ara was a bundle of surprises filled with things that he would have never guessed even in his wildest dreams.
She slipped it on his hands before helping him stand up.
Regulus had his right arm thrown around her shoulders for support as he leaned against her slightly. His left arm was as dark as his family name but covered undertake sleeves of his jersey.
He felt completely useless and realised that he probably should have listened to Ara the first time she told him to remove the mark.
"Let's go." She said, prompting Regulus to nod.
And so they walked down the hall and stairs together.
Unfortunately, they weren't so lucky after all, considering that when they reached the bottom of the stairs, they could see Walburga in the parlour that they had to cross through to get to the front door.
The mother of Sirius and Regulus was delicately sipping her tea when she noticed them.
Ara was sure they made quite the sight with Regulus' arm still swung over her shoulders and leaning against her, while the state of her hair had been put into a frenzy due to her stress levels and her running around trying to find everything while her lips were stolen due to her habit of constantly biting them whenever she was nervous, worried or anxious. The fact that they were seen coming out of Regulus' bedroom and hadn't been seen going in was just the cherry on the top.
She was sure that there were many suggestive implications that one would be able to form from her above statements and was also confident in the fact that their real and completely innocent explanation would be believed by no one.
Ara and Regulus both threw her a smile before continuing in the direction of the front door when Walburga spoke, making them pause in their steps.
The matriarch of the household narrowed her eyes, looking between them with thinly veiled suspicion. "Where are you both going? At such an early time that too."
"Out," Ara replied shortly.
"Where," Walburga demanded.
"Asia." Regulus managed to wheeze out.
The pain had chosen to grace Regulus Black once more with its presence.
How lovely.
Walburga pursed her lips. "Why?" She asked.
To see if we can get the Dark Mark removed from your extremely handsome son's arm, Ara thought in the safety of her mind.
Her mind whirled with possible answers that she could give that wouldn't attract much suspicion, but she could see Regulus' face grow paler and his legs start to shake from the corner of her eyes, so in that moment of distraction, all her mouth could say was, "We heard it was a wonderful place to elope."
Walburga's eyes widened like saucers at her words as she spluttered. Ara thanked the stars that she was named after that Regulus was too weak and on the verge of fainting to react to her statement.
She flashed Walburga a blinding smile. "Good day." She said, speed walking with Regulus out the door before using the international port-key and disappearing with Regulus by her side.
The last thing she could hear was Walburga Black screaming, "ORION!!!!" loudly enough that she was sure they would still be able to hear it when they arrived in India.
