"Oh, sure," Aoife said, smiling unsurely. Both of them stood there for a few awkward seconds before Aletheia entered the room.
"Belladonna, I believe you are needed - hey Aoife," she smiled a little.
Aoife smiled back. "What is it now?" Belladonna asked wearily.
"He wants to meet you first," Aletheia answered, staring pointedly at Aoife. She sheepishly exited.
"Let's go then. What're you waiting for?" Aoife heard Belladonna say.
A small pop! told her that they left.
Quickly sneaking into the library, she grabbed the leather bound book and ran out. Atleast she got what she'd come for.
*****
"You say you love me
And I hardly know your name
And if I say I love you in the candlelight
There's no-one but myself to blame
But there's something inside that's turning my mind away," Aoife hugged her aunt's diary close, whispering the lyrics, accompanied by her voice on the solidary journey to the kitchen for a cup of tea. "Oh, how I could love you
If I could let you stay
It's late
When I'm bleeding deep inside
It's late
Ooh, is it just my sickly pride?
Too late
Even now the feeling seems to steal away
So late
Though I'm crying, I can't help but hear you say
It's late, it's late, it's late, but not too late," she paused there, right in front of the kitchen.
"Of course it's too bloody late," she muttered forcefully, wiping away the tears she didn't even know she'd shed. All she needed was a pick-me-up, and she'll be okay.
Entering the kitchen, she slammed the diary onto the wooden table, and with a groan, shuffled to find tea leaves. Just some time ago, she'd loved her life's madness, but right now, she really wanted everything to go back to normal.
Rummaging through a couple of drawers and shelf, she let out a frustrated sigh. "Where are the damn tea leaves?"
Throwing herself onto an unoccupied chair, she blew some hair out of her eyes. Her life had been settled, almost. She'd gotten excepted in Uni, and was going to crash at one of her friend's place in London, find a job and get of of that village. She was out, but had landed herself in the middle of a shit show. Even Belladonna seemed to agree on that.
Another groan. Why couldn't life be more simple? She was ready to trade this 'adventure' and just live with her uncle forever - she shuddered. If there was one thing she didn't miss, it was the altercations they used to have frequently. That one on the hill was ... epic, to say the least. It kept the grapevine hectic.
"Stop disappearing in your head, you idiot," she muttered. "Get some tea and go outside."
It took her a few minutes to get up; grumbling and complaining, she cursed her conscience. It always made her do what she didn't want to do, like getting up from the chair.
"Guess I'll have to use teabags instead. Again."
*****
"The tea leaves is finish, sirs," Tootsie informed them, before leaving with a pop!
"Well, I hope you're okay with teabags, Regulus," Shafiq smiled over his cup of tea. "I haven't seen you in years, and the last time we met, you didn't even stay for lunch."
"Oh, I've been good. Great, actually. Pretty amazing time I had, pretending to idolise the one person I hate. Brilliant experience," Regulus sipped his tea. "Back to the topic: why do you care?"
"As I said," he replied evenly, though the slight tightening of his fingers was not unnoticed by Regulus, "they have something of mine, and I'm not leaving without it. That's sort of the only reason I'm helping you lot."
"And what exactly do you think you can accomplish?" Another sip. "You're mediocre at best in Defence."
"Much more than you can dream of," Shafiq's sombre tone threw him off. In their 4 years of friendship, he'd never seen him look so defeated and morose.
"Why did Belladonna call you?" His gaze was locked on Shafiq's face, while his was travelling over the antique figurines decorating the room.
"I have ... something, which can help us trap them."
Regulus's frustration peaked. "This is the problem - you're too vague. Just like that day -"
"Really, Regulus?" Shafiq cut him off. "Why do you make so many assumptions? That's the problem: not my vagueness, your assumptions. Why are you always jumping to that day?" Shafiq put the teacup down, his hand clenched into fists.
Regulus stood up. "I was your friend, apparently, and I feel that I have a right to know what my friend was up to, reading up Dark Magic in the Restricted Section!"
"It was not my business to tell," Shafiq gritted through his teeth, his fist becoming tighter by the minute.
"Then who's? Fucking Voldemort's? Were you so keen to prove yourself to your father, ready to sell your soul to that monster?"
"Watch your damn mouth, Regulus Black." It was taking all his self-control to not punch him in the face.
"Do you really love him that much, Shafiq? Why don't you join Bella?" Regulus sneered. He knew it was a bit cruel, but honestly, he couldn't bring himself to care.
"Watch your mouth."
"Or maybe you were going to kill all the mudbloods and half-breeds, weren't you? Just to prove yourself? Who else but a Death Eater visit the Restricted Section at night?"
That was the last straw. Regulus didn't know what happened, just felt that excruciating pain. The next second he tasted blood, and saw a quite triumphant Shafiq standing in front of him.
"I wanted to do that since 5th year," he muttered. "Don't kid around with such accusations, Regulus. Not everyone can take 'em well. Maybe I'll tell you all about it later. Sorry about your lip, though. You might want some ice. I'll call Tootsie if I were you."
With that, Shafiq exited, leaving a stunned and bleeding Regulus alone.
"Hey, Sirius," he heard Shafiq greet. "How're you doing?"
"Great," Sirius grinned. "A few laps 'round the house can get anyone pumped. Reg's in there?"
"Yeah, see you around."
Sirius entered, still grinning. The grin turned into an expression of mortification when he saw his little brother.
"What the fuck?"
"What the fuck indeed."
YOU ARE READING
INFERI (REGULUS BLACK)
Fanfiction"If you ever need me, I'll be at the Potter's." These were the words that kept on rolling around Regulus' head. His brother's last words before he left the house, bloodied and bruised. He didn't blame him of course. It must've been hell living as th...
