If Only I Were A Marauder

Part 31

We were freezing and soaked by the time Regulus stopped me.

"This is where we'll need the-" I knew what we'd discussed but I had slashed my palm before he could finish. I smacked my hand against the wall, while holding his gaze. He gulped. We left Kreacher on the outside of the cave. Both of us cast Lumos.

Just as we'd been told, a lake, a small island, green mist. We walked slowly. Suddenly, he stopped and he grabbed something in the air.

"You found it," I said admiringly, he was very good at magic. As he summoned the boat, I got out my never ending bag. I pulled out my broom, the new one he'd gifted me for Christmas.

"Let's try this," he said, and hopped in the boat. I mounted my broom. I went along at the same speed as he did. I smirked. Riddle thought he was so above everyone he'd probably never assumed someone young enough to carry a broom around would ever attempt this. Or maybe he thought Quidditch players so thick headed that they wouldn't be able to accomplish this.

"One nil Black," I grinned.

"I never said it one hundred percent wouldn't work," he retorted. I made the mistake of looking down. Pale, lifeless bodies floating in the water. What a horrible end. No final resting place, thrown into a River to waste away and protect part of a dark wizard's soul. I shivered at the thought of Regulus and I becoming one of them, and spending eternity in a lake of the dead.

"Disgusting," I murmured. We finally reached the small island and I was determined to at least try to get the locket without forcing Regulus to drink anything. I tried to shove my hand in.

"What are you doing?" Regulus asked in alarm.

"I wanted to see if it was just a cruel prank on a house elf, but there's some sort of barrier. I can't penetrate," I sighed. Regulus pulled out a goblet and handed it to me resolutely.

Suddenly, I got a flash of an image. A different time, Kreacher force feeding his master this potion. In my vision, Regulus looked much thinner and paler than my boy did. His hair was greasier and he was more bedraggled. Perhaps in one timeline, he'd been meant to die here, but not with me, I wouldn't allow it.

"Let's start," I said, roughly pushing him to sit and filling the goblet. He drank easily. He shut his eyes and shuddered.

"Reg?"

"More," he rasped, so I filled the goblet again. I only stopped when the whimpers started.

"Don't want it....no.... Alone," he said, breaking off every thought and launching into another one.

"Regulus, you need to drink," I said sternly, shoving the cup against his lips. As if my voice had brought him back to reality, he accepted.

"Y/n... my fault all my fault," he cried and tears ran down his face. I quieted him with the drink but he was shaking his head. I was worried he'd spit it out, so I pressed a hand to his lips.

"It's okay Regulus," I soothed, I wished I could've held him as I comforted him.

"No, not okay... don't want it. SIRIUS. Alone, all alone," he wept.

"Just drink and everything will be okay," I promised. "Everything will. I'm here."

"I want to die," he whispered. The next time I turned away, I lost my grip on him. He was crawling toward the water.

"Regulus!" I shouted, abandoning the potion for a moment. Regulus was reaching for the pallid hand like an old friend. I shot sparks at the hand and it retreated, but they were circling I could see they'd realized we weren't the Dark Lord. I dragged Regulus back.