The Marauders: Year Six #Wattys2017

Keep My Secret

Regulus's fingers meanwhile wrapped tight about the edge of the desk...

By the end of the class, they had been taught several advanced hexes, jinxes, and curses, each with a bit of malicious intent to them, sneaky little things that jet quickly and could be sent forward with generic little jab of the wand - "It's harder to block if your curse cannot be told by its wand motion!" Gaunt advised - and they were gathering up their books and shoving them into their bags and Gaunt walked down the aisle and grabbed onto Regulus's shoulder again.

Regulus managed to only cringe instead of crying out this time, though it took every muscle in his body to restrain himself as he tightened his grip on the book he held and grit his teeth. When he looked up, Gaunt was smirking in amusement. "Yes Professor?" Regulus asked lowly.

"You'll stay behind, Mr. Black, so that I can speak with you, please."

"Yes, sir."

Barty looked up hopefully.

"Run along, Mr. Crouch," Gaunt said, and Barty's face fell as he finished packing his books up quickly and he left without another word as Regulus sat back down in his seat and waited, afraid of what he was wanted for...

When he room had cleared out, Gaunt flicked his wand to lock the door and he set himself leaning against the desk before Regulus's. "Look at me," he commanded, and there was something different in his voice, something more like how he usually spoke, a bit higher register, more drawn out, as though everything he said bore an intensely weighted purpose, and Regulus looked up slowly, his heart in his throat.

He had thought that Hogwarts was the one place he was safe.

"There are plans taking place this fall," Walburga had said, "That will encourage some rather major staff changes." The words echoed in Regulus's head.

Regulus stared up at the calm face of Pleiades Gaunt... "How have you changed yourself?" he asked, "How have you gotten in... my lord?"

Gaunt smiled. "It was not easy, Mr. Black."

"I wouldn't dare to think so," Regulus said, and he drew a deep breath and straightened his back and remembered himself, remembered how to hold himself before the Dark Lord, how his mother had taught him... "But you, my Lord, are so great and powerful, I am certain that any plan you have put into motion in your presence here is far, far greater than any I might conceive of."

He worried that it would be too much, that it might come across as sarcasm...

But Gaunt's grin only widened and he nodded, "Yes, far more great and powerful than you might dream up, my boy."

"Of course, my Lord, of course it is!" Regulus found himself saying this in a tone that brought to mind the simpering girly curtsies and grovelling of Bellatrix Lestrange and he felt his mouth go dry at the realization. "My Lord... how have you done it? Please... please tell me of your greatness! Tell me so that I may be in awe of your beautiful mind, my Lord! And so that I might help your scheme go more smoothly as it deserves to do!"

Or tell Albus Dumbledore. Give them all warning before it's too late.

Pleiades Gaunt smiled. "Oh Regulus... Regulus, you stupid boy. I will not tell you. Suffice it to know that I have a plan and that everything is going exactly as I have willed it to be. But I have seen today that I cannot trust you." He shook his head, "I cannot put my confidence in you my boy."

Regulus's hand gripped his wrist beneath the table in his lap. "My Lord... whatever has made you question my loyalty...? I have never wavered from your path, my Lord. I follow you with all of my heart, my Lord."