StarChaser// Jegulus||✔️

Regulus

TW: depictions of abuse from an ex partner, mentions of blood

I'm on my way to Dumbledore's office for my last occlumency lesson before I go back to Grimmuald Place for Easter.
I knock at the door and wait patiently for a few moments until Dumbledore opens the door.
"Ah, Regulus, come in" Dumbledore says, moving to one side to allow me to step in, which I do.
"Now, before we begin I feel obliged to ask if you are alright? And whether you want to talk about the attack on Hogsmeade, as I understand it, you were there" Dumbledore states, seemingly strained
I freeze and stiffen slightly, clenching and unclenching my jaw before finally replying
"Obliged, Sir?" I query
"Mr Potter came to visit me earlier and simply asked if I'd checked in on you is all" Dumbledore replies.
Lie.
That did not happen, I'm definitely sure James did not pop by to the headmasters office to "ask" him anything.
I make a mental note to ask James about it later.
"Yes, fine, Sir, thank you for asking" I reply almost robotically
"Excellent. Well, in this session I've brought someone else to try and invade your mind, you're used to me and my methods now, I wish to see how you manage with someone else" Dumbledore explains.
I quirk an eyebrow but say nothing, deciding instead to be patient and see who it is. "Okay, we're ready for you" Dumbledore calls up the stairs of his office when I don't question him.
I watch the stairs and immediately feel sick when I see Arlo walking down the stairs, staring at me with a smug smile.
"I trust you know Arlo Reins?" Asks Dumbledore
He knows I do, I know he does.
"I do, yes" I reply
"He will be the one using legillimency against you this session" Dumbledore continues, confirming the thing I feared he was insinuating with Arlo's presence
"Absolutely not" I reply defiantly
"Unfortunately for you, Regulus" Dumbledore begins, not sounding much apologetic "When you find yourself in a situation where you are being interrogated, I am inclined to believe that they will not stop to ask you your preference of legillimens" Dumbledore continues, a small smile forming on his face that, right now, looks quite punchable.
For some reason, I can't help but wonder if this has anything to do with James' visit about me earlier, either way I'm definitely going to have to see him after this session and try and explain to him without sharing too much just so that I can make sense of this all.
"I suppose not" I reply shortly "alright then, Arlo, have your fun" I continue, turning my full attention to Arlo.
He grins at me which signals he is about to invade my mind, so I close it off. I clear my mind.
His smug smile falters and he looks over at Dumbledore "Professor, he seems to have...blocked his mind" Arlo states incredulously
"Are you sure?" Asks Dumbledore, this signals to me that he is now going to test Arlo's accusation, so I let him in, only slightly though.
Dumbledore quickly sifts through my memories before turning back to Arlo seconds later
"I see nothing wrong, try again" Dumbledore states flatly.
This time I allow for Arlo to enter my mind, but I make it difficult for him to get any of my memories.
He tries to pull at one of me and him, but I replace it with one of James and I, simply to annoy him:

"You know, I think you're the only one that calms my mind" James says to me and I smile at him
"What makes you say that?" I ask
"My head, it's always so...busy, but when I'm with you, it's silent, so quiet, so serene, it's like walking into a cold room on a hot day, it's relief, it is wonderful, wonderful like you" James replies
I blush and turn away from him, he grabs my chin and turns my face so that I'm looking at him once more
"You're too pretty to miss" James says

Arlo pulls out of that memory relatively quickly and does not seem all that happy that he had to witness that. He sifts through my mind again and settles on a memory I try desperately to pull away from him, but he has a firm grip on it, and I'm being forced to relive it:

"Hey, Dora, you sitting with me today for lunch?" I ask
"I'm sorry, Reggie, I would love to, Xeno heard about your Mark, I tried to tell him that you would never really be a part of them, but he's worried for my safety even being affiliated with you" Pandora replies
"You're not going to just stop seeing me are you?" I ask bewilderedly
"No! No I would never let that happen, ever, I just think Xeno wants me to spend less time at the Slytherin table and more time with the Ravenclaws, I'll make sure to still see you as much as I can though, I promise" Pandora replies sadly
"Okay, I suppose that's reasonable" I say, trying hard to sound supportive but failing oh so miserably
"I love you, Reggie, okay?" Asks Pandora
"I love you too, Dora" I reply with a sad smile before I watch her walk away