All in the Family

Chapter 148: The Unbreakable Vow

The ceiling and walls had been draped with emerald, crimson, and gold hangings, so that it looked as though they were all inside a vast tent. The room was stuffy but breathable to just the eight of them, bathed in the red light cast by an ornate golden lamp dangling from the center of the ceiling in which real fairies were fluttering, each a brilliant speck of light. Loud singing accompanied by what sounded like mandolins issued from a distant corner, James crashing right into the instrument and cutting off the noise. A haze of pipe smoke hung over Remus's head and he coughed deeply as he got to his feet.

Several silver platters of food crashed to the floor around all of them and Sirius swooped in for the hors d'oeuvres, grabbing the majority of them and jogging over to Moony and offering him a selection before running around to the others, stuffing himself silly along the way.

Peter and Regulus were each given little cucumber sandwiches and a passive smile as he skipped off. They couldn't help laughing at him same as the others, but Regulus' eyes caught on Slughorn's bag and he went over to it curiously, beginning to dig through the contents like he'd wanted to do countless times instead of mingling with his boring guests.

His wand was in here, along with a pile of coins and a few vials of things he hadn't a hope to recognize but was sure they were of some value, probably to be traded to or from some important person here.

He picked one up and tipped it in the light, but Peter frowned in concern and cautioned, "let's not open those please? I wouldn't put it past Slughorn to be carrying around something nasty to show off."

"Fair enough," Regulus agreed, putting it gently back. His mind flickered back to their teacher being on the run and clearly still weary of something being done to him, and his stomach swirled unpleasantly for that possibly being his future. He still wondered very often how he'd died, his practical magic not being up to snuff against Death Eater's and their spells, and he wouldn't have a clue how to counter act anything else of danger like a poison, he only knew a bezoar to fix that. He watched Peter for a few moments listening to the book and thought about him and his brother for several moments before asking, "would you teach me how to be an animagus?"

Peter watched him for a long time with an unfamiliar look on his face, and Regulus hastily explained, "I remember you can't pick the animal and it's really difficult, but I'll try really hard at it, I promise! It couldn't hurt right? Sounds really clever and useful, I know it's come in handy with you lot during this, like back in the shop." Peter had whispered the explanation of how he'd gotten out of his problem after the fact, and the idea had been hovering ever since. There was also Lupin, which still fascinated him on multiple levels, he'd only ever read studies mum and dad had given on how to kill, not help.

"Nobody's ever asked me to teach them something before," Peter finally answered in a shy sort of voice. "James and Sirius helped me out a lot, and there's all kinds of steps involved you can't even get a hold of until we get out of this..." Regulus just kept watching him hopefully, he wasn't even biting his cheek. He wasn't thinking about this, he really wanted it. "It's also illegal," he firmly reminded, "we'd get into all sorts of trouble if anyone found out. You don't want to wait until you're of age?"

"No. I know the consequences," Regulus promised. He still held his breath until Peter finally smiled and said yes. He couldn't help but bounce on the spot in delight, finally something good to look forward to when they got out of this! He thanked him so profusely Peter when the brightest red in surprise, and he wondered for a moment if anyone had shown him such gratitude before either.

"Since when is Sirius Black in a good mood to be at one of Slughorn's parties?" Alice asked no one in particular as she savored a stuffed mushroom. Her and Frank had seen him at exactly two, and both had been memorable disasters for the chaotic Marauders.