"Didn't you learn anything from the myth of Persephone?" he said, looking back at you. "Don't eat anything unless you plan to stay."
As soon as the words left his mouth you stumbled back, tripping on the chair you had been sitting as you jumped to your feet. Your face became a mix of confusion and hurt, your head spinning as his words replayed inside of your head, echoing in your ears as you shakily looked everywhere around you. "Regulus." you called sternly, lifting your hand in front of you as he too got up from his seat "What is this? What did you do?"
He swallowed hard, taking slow steps towards you each time you backed away "Everything will be alright." he said in a calm voice, reaching his hands in your direction as you shook your head, trying as hard as you could to put distance in between the two of you. "But I need you to be calm and listen to me."
"Right." you scoffed, glancing down at the plate to you right. With one look back at Regulus, you grabbed the plate and threw it in his direction, the sound of ceramic breaking marking your cue to start moving. You didn't wait to see if you had hit your target, running past the chairs around the table you pushed to the floor to prevent him from following you. Regulus called for you once, just as you turned in the door to the long hallway that directed to the door and outside the house. You ran in that direction, not once breaking your gaze from the door as you heard rushed steps following you behind you. You didn't stop to look back, never slowed down to think about what you were doing, the only thought in your mind being that you had to get out of that house. Now.
Just as you reached the door, the cold feeling of the knob on your hand, a relieved smile was drawn on your face as you opened the door, making the mistake of taking one single glance back. Regulus was standing in the middle of the hallway with his eyes locked on your frame. He wasn't even moving.
Your stomach shrinks inside you, a void filling your entire body as your grasp in the doorknob was snatched harshly. An invisible force taking your only way out from you. You rushed to the door once more, fighting with the door to get it to open once more. You pushed and pulled with no luck, the sweat in your palms making your grasp loose and more desperate.
"Leaving so soon?"
Your hands turned to stone on the knob at the icy voice, swallowing the lump in your throat you turned sharply, pushing your body to the corner of the room as you looked to the source of the voice. You didn't need introductions to know who stood above you.
Her hand had a graceful grip on the railing of the stairs, her other hand holding her wand in front of her stomach. She stood like she was being painted, black dress pressed perfectly and fitting her body like she had been the mold for it to be created, back straight and chin up, face completely free for the world to see as her hair was all gathered behind her head in a perfect mix of braids and curls, not one hair out of place. Not one emotion on display. "You haven't greeted your host, Miss." she said, taking one step down, her heels clicking against the wood floors like a clock counting down the seconds. "It's rude to leave in such a hurry." she said standing in front of you, her hands holding both ends of her wand as she twirls it in her grasp.
You felt your entire body tense as her eyes romead over your body, expectant. You wanted to say something, to move, yell and fight your way out, yet your body felt like it would break at the slightest of movements. Your jaw was trapped, hands balled in fists and feet glued to the ground.
"Quiet." she noticed, a soft grin appearing on her face as she pointed her wand and eyes to Regulus "She might not be so bad after all." She cocked her head in your direction, "Take her wand. She won't be needing it here."
Regulus took one glance at his mother before he began to move, walking to your side as he waited two seconds for you to move.
His proximity woke you up from your initial shock, glaring up at him when he reached for your right arm, pulling your sleeve up to reveal your wand stocked in there. With one soft movement he took it out, handing it to the awaiting open palm of his mother.
She gave one firm nod to Regulus, "Take her upstairs." she ordered.
Regulus grabbed you from your bicep, dragging you with him as you started to fight him. You took his hand trying to loosen his fingers from around your arm as you used your weight to your advantage, making yourself heavier and refusing to walk as he dragged you to the first steps of the stairs. When his grasp on you didn't budge, you began to hit his chest. His eyes hardened, the face that had remained void until now turning with exasperation at you. "Stop it." he hissed, his hold tightening as he drew you closer to him. "You'll only make it worse."
The side of your mouth twitched, your eyes mirroring his as you gave one strong pull of your arm, finally getting free of his hold.
"Walburga Black!" you yelled, not getting far when you tried to run in her direction when Regulus held you back from both your arms. You trashed and pulled on his grasp, fighting him as his arms snuck around your waist, caging your arms with his hold as you tried to kick in the air "I know who you are, alright. Heard enough about you. You think people won't notice I'm gone? They'll start looking for me and they will end up at your door!"
She had turned her head to you at the call of her name, the daring tilt of her head did nothing more than fuel the rage inside of you. Now, the amused smile as she completely turned to face you made your body go limp on Regulus' hold, stopping all fight you had been putting up.
"Oh dear." she said, making you double in Regulus arms as your eyes went wide at her words "I'm counting on it." Her eyes moved to look at his son again "Take her away."
"No." you whispered, moving out of your own will up the stairs "What did you do? What did you do!?" you screamed, fighting to stay for answers as you were forced up the stairs.
You didn't have a chance without your wand. Regulus had always been physically stronger, trying to fight his hold being useless and a waste of energy. After he pulled you up the stairs, he grabbed you by your bicep again and you followed reluctantly. You walked past several dark wooden doors closed, others open to give a glimpse of bookshelves bending under the weight of books and desks full of parchment, unoccupied rooms that had but a fine layer of dust in them and others that you couldn't make sense of.
At last, at the end of the hall he directed you inside a room, messy and that had a lingering familiar smell and feeling. You didn't stop to analyze the room as you forced your arm out of his grasp once again. You stormed at the opposite side of the room, putting enough distance between the two so you could move in case he wanted to get anywhere near you.
"Would you stop that?" he snapped, slamming the door closed.
"You're a liar." you spat through gritted teeth in his direction, crossing your arms over your chest.
He lingered by the door, like a guard as he leaned back on the wall.
You scoffed, turning away from him "Oh, so you're out of words now?" you asked tiredly, blinking a couple of times as his form started to become blurry. His head turned up to you as your words became blurred "Stay... away." you mumbled, throwing you hand at him as it landed with a thud on his shoulder "Reg-"
You didn't get to finish your sentence when the weight of your mind landed on your back, making you trip into Regulus as he barely caught your unconscious body, your cheek flushed against his chest.
You groaned your way out of sleep. Faint sounds started to make their way to your ears, confusing you even more when you couldn't point the source in your head. You fought the heaviness of your eyelids, pressing your eyes shut before you slowly started to blink. Once you were comfortable with keeping your eyes open you frowned at the unknown ceiling, the unfamiliar surrounding. You had fallen asleep in the backyard of the Potters, watching the star with- "Sirius!" you gasped, jumping into a sitting position as you shakily turned in every possible direction. Memories and voices made it back to the surface of your mind, the past couple of hours returning to you with the force of a bludger.
You moved the covers from your legs, getting out of the bed you woke up in with wobbly legs. Your first instinct was to reach the door, struggling with the knob for a couple of seconds before you let out a sigh, resting your forehead on the dark wood. Breathing in deeply, you turned back to the room. It wasn't the same Regulus had taken you in the first place.
The room was dark, no window to let in the natural light or fresh air. Still, it held something you found familiar. For starters it was a mess, clothes were scattered all around the floor and when you picked one the dust that came from one single shake made you drop it instantly in a fit of coughs; the walls were destroyed, the wallpaper turned to shreds on some spots while in other parts lingered the smell of smoke with burnt markings. You ran your fingers all along the walls, reaching the side of a small wardrobe, on its side hanging the remnants of a poster. Smoothing the torn part of it with the palm of your hand, the visible shred connected with the part still standing of the wardrobe, forming the symbol and colors of Gryffindor. You held your hand on it, staring at the image as you rounded the room with your gaze, the details being more noticeable now. On the top of the nightstand was an empty firewhiskey glass bottle, a pair of boots stashed underneath the bed. You let go of the poster, opening the wardrobe. The shredded pieces of t-shirts from muggle bands you recognized were still there, multiple pairs of dark jeans and a few jumpers you recognized the style from certain tall light haired Gryffindor. You move to the side, immediately looking down as the floor beneath your foot changes, you move it to the side to discover black leather. With a smile, you kneel to reach for whatever is hiding under the wardrobe and once you pull it there is doubt. A black leather jacket that you hesitantly take to your nose, breathing in deeply as it stills smells like him.
"Sirius." you murmured.
"I thought you'd be more comfortable here."
You immediately stood at the sound of the voice, cursing inside your head at how distracted you were, not even hearing the door open. Regulus stands there, his hands behind his back as he watches you. Your features hardened again, clutching tightly on the jacket in your hand.
"How thoughtful." you grumbled "Do you treat all your guests like this or is this best friend special treatment?" you asked bitterly.
He sighs, walking completely inside the room as he closes the door behind him. "Stop that." he said, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "You're not helping at all."
"I'm not trying to help, in any case I'm trying to do the opposite of helping." you huff, going to sit at the edge of the bed.
"I know," he growls, his jaw clenched as his eyes find you "You can be angry but start thinking, we need to get you out of here."
You muttered incomprehensible words, stuttering as your frown deepens "What is wrong with you?" you asked.
Regulus moves to you, kneeling in front of your form sitting at the edge of the bed "Everything I said is true." he whispered desperately, taking a hold of your hands you fought with little strength "I'm trying to fix things but I don't know how. I don't know what I'm doing and I'm running out of time." he rushed to say.
You took your hands away from him, standing from the bed as you pushed past him "It's too late." you said "Too late to fix things. I asked you to leave me out of whatever it is that you're doing, now I'm here and you're making no sense. I don't believe you anymore."
He got up from his kneeling position, keeping his distance as he turned in your direction "I didn't intend for all of this to happen."
"Really?" you asked, looking at him with disappointment "And what was your aim in all your actions, huh?"
His eyes were lowered, arms crossed over his chest as he pressed his lips in a line "You were supposed to be safe, never involved in any of this." he said without raising his eyes, his voice low.
You scoffed loudly, raising your arms in the air "You are the one who keeps bringing me back into all of this!"
He snapped his gaze up, his hardened void features coming back as he let his arms fall to his side "I did everything I could to protect you." he rubbed in your face, pointing a finger in your direction "I kept my distance, left you alone like you asked, I did my best so you would never have to see me again and therefore keep you hidden but of course you had to go find solace with Sirius."
"Leave him out of this." you warned dryly.
"He is part of this." he said, turning away from you at the look on your face. He closed his eyes, holding his forehead with one hand as he faced the wall with deep breaths. "Whatever you do now won't matter to change that, Sirius is a part of this. Why do you think my mother has such a keen interest in you?"
"I don't know," you murmured with disinterest, looking up at him "I fail at making evil plans, you forgot to teach me that trick."
Regulus groaned, throwing his head back desperately "Would you leave the sarcasm for a minute. This is serious."
You chuckled under your breath, letting yourself fall on the floor to sit. When you looked up, Regulus stared at you in disbelief, sighing heavily as he muttered under his breath. "This is your fault." you established with a dizzy head "You drugged me."
He brought his hands together in front of his mouth, moving them forward to point at you "We need to get you out of here."
"Open the door for me and I'll run like a dragon is after me." you said, looking up from the floor at him.
"Is not that simple." he said "She won't let you go that easily."
You stood from the floor, moving slowly towards him until you stood face to face. You knew he wouldn't budge, looking down into your eyes "It is that simple, but you won't do it." you whispered, your eyes scanning his entire face "You're a coward."
A sly smile appeared on Regulus' lips. In that moment he didn't see his best friend, the image of his brother shown inside your eyes as his voice came out of your mouth. You had spent too much time with Sirius.
"Call me what you want." he whispered back, the small grin fading "This is bigger than me, than all of us, but I will always give my everything to make sure you're safe."
You wanted to fight any reaction surging in your face, feeling as the muscles in your face twitched for you to laugh and smile at his words. In the end, the tears pooling in your eyes won as your eyes shone with them. "There was a time where I would have believed every word you just spoke." you said, one tear rolling down your cheek "Just leave, I can take care of myself. I'll find my own way out."
The edge of his mouth perked up for a brief second, making him turn to the nightstand and pick up a pile of clothes he handed to you "She sent this for you to wear at dinner."
You looked with disgust down at the clothes in your arms "I'm not having dinner with her." you said, throwing the clothes on the bed.
"She won't take no for an answer." he said walking to the door. He stopped with his hand on the knob, turning to you once more "I know you don't trust me but trust me when I tell you, you can't take whatever she is preparing. You need a plan before the worst happens."
"The worst has already happened to me." you said, holding his gaze "You should know, you were there."
He smiled, his own pain hidden behind it "I know I hurt you." he admitted, "It will feel like nothing if you don't escape. Soon."
"Is that a threat?" you laughed, surprised at the nerve with which he carried himself.
"A warning." he clarified, opening the door for him to walk out.
You moved without thinking, reaching with a swift move to the empty glass bottle on the nightstand and throwing it in the direction of the door. The glass shattered into a million pieces, all of them jumping in the air.
"Take that as a fucking warning!" you screamed, but the door was already closed, the shattered pieces only reaching you as you cleaned what you thought was a tear from your cheek, the pads of your finger coming back a bright red. "Hypocrite." you mumbled, cleaning your hand on the side of your jeans.
You had no way of telling the time. It had been past noon when Regulus took you to his house from the park but had no way of knowing how long you had been out. It could have been hours or just a couple of minutes. You had to be ready once they came back.
The clothes on top of the bed caught your eye once more, going closer so you could look at them. It was a simple white blouse with enough fabric going from the neck and down to the chest to make you look like a pigeon, beside that a wine coloured dress, similar to the one Walburga herself. You doubted these were her clothes but nonetheless refused to wear them. Instead you turned to Sirius' wardrobe, you could make something out of it.
An hour had easily flown by when you were confident with your choices of clothing. Of course the entirety of his clothes were in some form big on you but you managed. Rolling a pair of jeans so you wouldn't drag it through the floor, tying one of his shirts around your waist as a belt and the signature piece you couldn't miss, the leather jacket that covered half of your hands with its sleeves. You kept your own shirt and shoes on, close enough to his style to make it look like it had come from him.
There was no way of telling how long you had been sitting on the bed, fumbling with your hands and the sleeves of the shirt tied to your waist, singing in your head as a way to pass time and try to measure it. You were certain you sang at least 13 songs when the door opened again.
"What are you wearing?" Regulus asked from his stance on the door, looking at you as you jumped to your feet. His eyes followed the funny texture underneath his feet, his eyes jumping from you to the floor "What did you do?"
You shrugged your shoulders "You're lucky you're fast." you said, pointing at the shreds of glass. "That was aimed at your head."
He bit the inside of his cheek, turning his gaze to the side for one breath. "You're only making this worse." he said "You have to help me here, Y/N. I'm trying to keep you safe."
"You brought me here with lies." you said with a glare in his direction "Using our code, telling me what I wanted to hear."
He pushed you inside the room, pushing the door closed "I had no choice." he hissed, lowering his voice "She forced me to write the letter, use me to get to you."
"You have a choice now." you snapped back, mirroring the tone of his voice as you balled your fists "Let's get out of here, forget this ever happened. It'll be our secret, I promise."
Regulus backed away slightly, his face showing his confusion at your reaction. He couldn't show how surprised he was at your willingness to let everything go, how his hand tingled to reach for that opportunity, to force his hand back as it moved forward to take yours.
"I can't." he answered, knowing he had broken your heart yet again.
The disappointment was clear on your face, the way you felt your face falling as he said those two words. Your eyes lost its hopeful gleam, your mouth faltering from the growing smile.
"Nothing has changed then." you said in a low voice. Good to know, you thought as you walked past him. You wasted no time in waiting for him, following the only way the long hall extended itself until you reached the stairs, walking them down. Regulus was two short steps behind you, following closely. He didn't mutter another word, never attempted to offer his arm like he always did.
You stood in the main hall, turning both directions as the main door practically begged you to run and its direction. It was as if she could read your mind.
"Don't even try it, dear." warned Walburga as she stepped outside the kitchen, looking down at you "It will only make you look rude."
You turned to her as you eyed her carefully, probably too long. "Wouldn't dream of it." you mumbled, glancing at Regulus when he nodded in the kitchen's direction, making you walk inside just behind his mother.
She stood at the head of the table, her hand on the chair as she waited expectantly for Regulus and you. It wasn't until both of you had taken your seats that she moved to take her own.
"Kreacher." she called sharply. Not a second passed when the elf appeared at the sides of the table, snapping his fingers as plates and cutlery appeared in front of each of you. "I see you didn't like the clothes I sent for you." she noted, looking at you with the raise of her eyebrow "Did they not meet your standards?" she asked, picking her cup from the table as she twirled it on her hand.
You turned your head in her direction "Not my style." you answered defensively.
A grin showed on her lips, taking a sip from her cup "So I've noticed." she commented "You are more like Sirius than I could ever imagine, from what I have observed. It is no wonder Regulus is so fond of you, we all miss Sirius dearly since he was taken from us."
You took a hesitant glance in Regulus' direction, he looked bored. Arranging the spoon on the table so it would be straight. You opened your mouth to speak, too confused to form one single phrase that could convey all that was running through your head.
"Taken?" you asked, almost shyly.
Kreacher started to walk around the table again, snapping his finger once more as a steaming pot floated over the table, serving on the plates in front of each of you.
"A tragedy." she said, even if her face showed no emotion "Those blood traitors, Potters, misleading him into their beliefs." she said, spatting the name as she took one bite from her food, giving an approving nod as she settled her spoon down, turning her head to you "Much like you tried to do."
"What?" you asked, your hands intertwined with one another as you didn't know what to do with them, not daring to taste the food or fidget with them openly.
"Regulus has been nothing but cooperative with our cause." she said, almost proudly. "You would be surprised what a person can learn by leaning a little deeper into the other's mind, especially a boy at school."
Another glance at Regulus, one he met briefly once he felt your gaze on him. He had a knowing look on his face, not moving a muscle as he returned his attention to the plate in front of him.
"You looked inside his mind?" you asked, white knuckles hiding underneath the table.
She ignored your question "I wonder what I can find in yours." she said, moving her hand to grasp around your wrist "Tell me, what is so special about a half-blood girl that you managed to capture the attention of both my children?" she asked with a dark smile, clutching your wrist tightly.
Your jaw clenched as you shifted your weight in your seat, trying to muffle the whimpers her strong hold produced on you. At last, she let go of you, running one finger along her chin as she studied you. "We'll see soon enough. Regulus here, he saw potential in you. A bright mind and a kind spirit, someone who understood him but didn't cuddle him like he was royalty. He saw a challenge, a puzzle and above all an equal. He thinks of you like the sister he never had." she spoke while looking at her son the entire time, forcing him to look away from her and hold your gaze as his deepest thoughts about you were spilled freely from her intrusion.
It was comforting to know he didn't feel embarrassed by any of his words, even if they came from his mother's mouth, Regulus held your eyes the entire time with an assuring confidence in them.
"Adorable." she muttered harshly, "We all had our ways of coping with the loss of Sirius. Yet Regulus had to see you, his new found companion, drift away to the same source that made him notice you in the first place. That stirred something inside him."
Regulus shivered, still holding your gaze as he swallowed hard.
"Stop." you snapped in her direction, glancing between her and Regulus. "You have no right."
"Not only was Sirius taken from him, but Sirius himself took you away too. Now, what made Sirius take an interest in you?"
You turned with a glare at her "What do you want?" you asked through gritted teeth.
Her face turned dark, her eyes glinting as she rested her back on the chair "To make things right, as they are meant to be." She must have noticed the confusion in your face, sighing as her pretend charm fell from eyes and voice, her icy tone back once more "The noble house of Black is one of the purest you will find in the sacred 28, we serve the Dark Lord proudly as he will bring the world we all deserve. We all serve him. I will not allow one of the heirs of this house to stain our name, they must continue the work the Dark Lord has given us, to bring more pure blood wizards and witches to this world."
Your eyes widened as you sinked in your seat, retreating from her grasp as she could just grab you and mold you at her will. You could see now, from the short time you had been sitting with her, the kind of life Sirius and Regulus had endured. You couldn't comprehend how Sirius lasted this long in his house, how Regulus still remained there so willingly. Walburga Black's eyes shone with the certainty you could only dream of, as if Voldemort himself had walked inside this house to give her the task to force his sons to produce more heirs.
Then it settled on you, as you looked up again with your hand clutched to your stomach.
She must have noticed your reaction, her dark chuckle nothing but frightening you more "Oh dear, not you, of course." she said, "You are but poison in Sirius and Regulus' minds. He woke up from your lies and failed tries but Sirius is still hanging from your hand, even now." she muttered bitterly. "But you do have a role to play. That's why you're here. Only a matter of time now."
Kreacher walked past everyone in the crushing silence, stopping next to Walburga as she gracefully turned to him. "Master Sirius has arrived."