The Marauders: Year Seven Part Two

How We Proceed

Regulus smiled shyly, looking down at his feet.

Sirius's head was bouncing from one to the other as they spoke, as though watching a sporting match. "Am I going to get more details or are you lot just going to go on talking in code?"

Remus elbowed Sirius, "Hush."

James laughed, "Forget who you're talking to, did you Moony? I'm surprised he's been hushed as long as he has already."

Remus shrugged, "I've clearly misplaced myself."

Lily reached over and patted Sirius's arm, "It's alright. You're just a curious good boy, aren't you?"

Sirius eyed her.

Remus smirked.

James looked about, "C'mon, we'll go back to the Shack. I didn't expect you lot to bring Regulus out or I would've said we ought to meet there to begin with. The woods aren't safe, we know that already..." he said darkly, thinking of Severus Snape and Fenrir Greyback meeting in the forest back in the autumn.

They all trekked their way back to the Shrieking Shack as the moon, bright though it was waning, lit the world in it's pale blue ethereal light. James held Lily's hand, keeping her from tripping on stones and rough ground. They arrived in the Shack and James waved his wand to lock the door behind them. Sirius plowed his way up the stairs to the boys' clubhouse, and the others followed, Regulus stepping gingery over the rickety stairs.

The Marauders had set a disillusionment charm over the room they'd fixed up so that when Regulus turned the corner and looked about he found a quite dismal scene rather than the comfortable beds and decorations that they'd redone the room with. Instead, Regulus watched as Sirius flopped himself into a broken bed with shredded, dirty drapes hanging from a busted canopy. He raised his eyebrow. "This is where you lot hang about?" he sounded doubtful.

James looked over at him, then around the room, "What's the matter with it?" he asked.

Remus said, "He can't see it." And with a quick rap of his wand on Regulus's scalp, the room revealed itself to him and his eyes widened as everything magically became so much nicer and more like he might have expected from the Marauders.

"Whoa," he murmured, looking about the room. "Cool!"

Remus smiled, "Good to know our charm worked." Sirius was laying across the bed he was in, stretched out and feet up on the headboard, his hair hanging over the foot as he stared up at the others. "Shove over," Remus demanded, sitting next to him.

James waved Regulus to a seat as he and Lily sat on the edge of the second bed side-by-side, and Regulus sat on the big plush chair opposite the beds. He tried not to look at Sirius and Remus, still a little uncomfortable with their relationship. He didn't care that they were gay, it wasn't that, he just wasn't sure how to act about them just yet, even though he knew it had been years that they'd been together. He didn't get much exposure to homosexuals, and it was still awkward for him. Add on that the more he thought about it, the more he worried that they thought he was judging them, even though he wasn't... and he cast his eyes away, since it was just easier.

James cleared his throat and Regulus looked up, meeting his gaze. "I wanted to thank you, Reg," James said sincerely. "If it wasn't for you..." he nervously clutched Lily's hand. "Well, I reckon that whole situation would have gone a great deal differently."

Regulus nodded, "I reckon..."

"And thank you for taking care of the locket," James added. He looked to Sirius and Remus, "As soon as Regulus knew what was going on, he sent the locket to me via his elf and kept it safe from getting into Voldemort's hands." He looked meaningfully at Sirius, who had rolled over and was sitting up now that the more serious talk had begun. He looked at Regulus as James spoke, describing how Regulus had gotten the locket and the message of Lily's predicament to James via Kreacher, and all about the duel and Regulus's bravery and deception in the presence of the Dark Lord. "Ruddy brilliant, and very convincing," James concluded.

Sirius looked down at his boots, studying them rather hard.

"Anyway, I plan to call an Order meeting once holidays are over and everyone's settled back at the castle, but I reckon this whole thing pertains more to you, Reg, and you, Lily, than it does anyone else at the mo', and I think that you lot need to be the ones to decide how we proceed with the locket."

"Proceed with it?" Regulus asked, confused.

"Well yes," James said, "I mean, I've got it -not on me but I know where it's at, of course - but I'm not sure that's the best solution."

Lily spoke up, "Your mother said she knew how to destroy it."

Regulus and Sirius glanced at one another, Sirius's eyebrow raised. Regulus said, "Well... I mean, she might. I don't know for certain. She says that's why she's hunting for it - because she needs to destroy it, but I don't know that she knows how to." Regulus paused, then offered, "I mean, Sirius's reducto spells were really good, and they didn't even leave a mark on it..." He looked to Sirius again, hoping the compliment would make Sirius happier and more accepting, but Sirius seemed to be busy studying his fingernails and didn't even look up.

"Well, what are you suggesting, Lily? That we give the locket to Mrs. Black?" Remus questioned, confused.

"Not give," Lily said, shrugging, "But maybe... destroy it with her help, sort of."

Sirius snorted, "Help from mother? Good fucking luck."

Regulus started to react but James cleared his throat, cutting them off, "I actually... I might have an idea. And, well, it's sort of why I wanted to meet with you lot, I wanted to... see what you thought of it, and - and I have a question for Remus that needs answering to see if it'll work at all."

They were all looking at him expectantly.

James launched into the description of his plan, and the others listened with rapt attention, their eyes wide at the daring it involved. Peter squeaked and rubbed his wrist, afraid of what it would take, and Lily shivered and argued a bit with parts of James's idea, and Sirius said bold things about killing Voldemort and ending the war... Remus alone listened in utter silence until the very end of the plan. James looked directly into Remus's eyes as the final words fell from his mouth. James asked, "What do you think, Moony? Is there a way for it to work, given the contract, without anyone getting hurt? And if there is, do you reckon the curse you've set falls on the right person?"

Remus drew a deep breath, "I think you're an absolute nutter."

"We established that a long time ago, Moonpie," Sirius said, smirking.

Remus shook his head, "Bloody insane..."

"But do you reckon it'll work?" James pressed.

Lily looked tearful and afraid, glancing between James and Remus, and Peter had his eyes closed, his hands clasping one another... Regulus pale and avoiding Sirius's gaze, which had fallen on him as Remus considered.

"Yeah," Remus said finally, "I reckon it just might."