Casting Moonshadows

79. Operation Recreate Goblin Battles

"I'll protect you."

"Cheers for the offer, Lupin, but you can't. While I'm at school, trapped in the dungeons wearing green and silver, there is nothing you can do. Besides," Regulus laughed hysterically, "it's too late. It's too late."

"What do you mean?"

Regulus just shook his head.

"I can't force you to accept my help," Remus said, when the silence got too much. "But you have it. Any time. Now, or after school, or in ten years' time. If you want to get away, find me and I'll help you."

"Forget it, Lupin. In ten years' time I'll not even be worthy of your help. Not with the things he'll have me doing. You just focus on protecting the good Black. You keep my brother safe."

"Regulus..."

"Bugger off, now, Lupin."

Remus hesitated, but Regulus's face was waxen-hard with resolve. He sighed and turned towards the door.

"Oi!"

He glanced back over his shoulder.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Regulus gestured to the potions cupboard and smirked, his face a younger, more haggard version of Sirius at his most wicked. Remus thought his heart might break. He smirked back, because it was all he could do.

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The worst thing was that Sirius was not surprised. When Remus related the conversation at break time the next day, Sirius leaned back against the beech tree they were seated under and stared out over the lake, mouth tight, but his expression composed.

"Well?" said Remus. "What do we do?"

"Nothing," Sirius said shortly.

"But we –"

"I said 'nothing', Remus."

Remus ducked his head at the tone, fingers digging into the grass and crushing the fragile stems.

"Moony." Sirius touched the back of his hand.

"Don't, Sirius," Remus snapped, yanking his hand away.

"You don't understand."

"You're right – I don't! I don't understand why you're willing to just sit by while your brother goes out and sells his soul to Voldemort."

"Because there's nothing we can do!" Sirius was breathing rapidly through his nose, visibly straining to keep his temper. "Listen – we're just teenagers - only just adults in the Wizarding world. You're naïve if you think Dumbledore doesn't know that Voldemort's recruiting at Hogwarts. Everyone knows - everyone - and there is nothing we can do about it. If the families of the students support him, that's all there is to it. To be honest, I'm surprised Reg hasn't been marked already."

Remus felt helpless frustration rise in him and curled his hands further into fists. "But they're children!"

"And this is war, Moony. No one is spared from that."

Out on the lake, a large black tentacle emerged lazily to wave in the air, before it slipped wetly back beneath the surface again. Remus watched the ripples spread out in rings, jarring the still surface.

"I told him I would help him anytime he wanted to back out," he said eventually.

Sirius sighed. "It's a nice thought, Moony, but I'm not sure there'll be much left to save."

His words were so close to Regulus's that Remus felt a tremor of unease run down his spine.

"He's your brother!"