"We'll meet at the lake after classes are done to sort out how we shall prevent Lily and James dying," Dorcas said as everyone filed out of Divinations class. "Severus, I guess you'll have to bring Regulus...Providing you can make him believe that it isn't some sort of prank."
Severus sneered, arching a brow. "Considering the track record of certain Gryffindors and their friends, I have no idea why Regulus would suspect anything of the sort."
Dorcas sighed. "For one, Marlene nor I have ever pranked you, and for another, neither of us have ever spoken a word to Regulus, so why would we prank him?"
"Because you're friends with them, and they hate him and all he stands for."
"All he stands for? What about you?"
"That's a given, but they aren't trying to save my life," Severus said with a roll of his eyes. He'd nearly slipped up, and that wasn't like him. That was annoying. He took said annoyance out on Dorcas by deepening his scowl.
"Alright well bring him or don't," Dorcas said, tossing her hair in open exasperation as she headed off down the hall.
Severus turned away, his mind already on his next class when a hand grasped his sleeve.
"Snape...Wait!"
He turned his head to see Marlene standing at his shoulder. He sighed. "What? Am I dying too?"
She shook her head. "I want to tell Regulus. I think he'll take it better from me. I want to do it alone."
Severus's brows shot up but he merely shrugged. "So long as you do it today."
Marlene nodded and he swept off down the hall toward Ancient Runes.
"Why do you want to talk to Regulus alone," Dorcas asked and Marlene pressed her lips together.
"Because...He won't believe me if I don't. He has no reason to. I saw something private concerning only him and one other person. If I tell him that, and it's true, I'll know I'm psychic. If he thinks I'm bonkers when I tell him this private fact, I'll know it's all rubbish and that perhaps Professor Trelawney put some sort of mind altering substance on my scrying ball or something." Marlene made a face. She wasn't even sure she wanted to be psychic. So far it was pretty stressful!
Dorcas nodded. "That's really good thinking, actually," she praised her friend.
"Especially considering how worked up you were earlier." She jabbed Marlene in the ribs with an elbow. "It's nice to see your mind working again."
Rather than join the others at lunch, Marlene approached the Slytherin table. Regulus sat with a few other fifth year Slytherins, murmuring conspiratorially. Being a seventh year, Marlene didn't know any of them, but the dark looks they gave her caused her to nearly rethink her good intentions. Then horrifying visions of Jegulus stories rose up in her mind and she was fortified. She cleared her throat.
"Excuse me, Regulus. May I speak with you alone on a private matter of great import?"
Why had she asked? She should've just said she needed to speak to him right now on a matter of life and bloody death! The Slytherins made her nervous and that made her annoyed. Regulus glanced up, blue eyes narrowing in suspicion.
"You are Sirius's friend, are you not?"
She shrugged. "Sort of, I guess. I mean he hasn't done anything to me and says hello when he sees me. Does that make us friends? I don't know." She was bloody babbling because she hated feeling nervous.
"I don't talk to Sirius's friends," he said flatly. Before she could reply, he'd turned pointedly away.
"I smell a Gryffindor," one of the other boys opined, wrinkling his nose and sniffing loudly. "Ew."
The others laughed. Regulus did not laugh, though. Instead he scowled resentfully down at the table in front of him.
"I'm not here because of Sirius, Regulus," Marlene said quietly.
Then she decided what she would do to speed this along. He'd believe her or he wouldn't, and she'd find out now. Bending she whispered into his ear. "How is the elf?"
Regulus started, his head shooting up. Turning, he gave her a furious glare, eyes gone suddenly cold and hard. "And I'm supposed to believe Sirius didn't send you? He hates Kreacher. If he is threatening him in any way, tell him I'll..."
Marlene bent to whisper into his ear again. As she leaned closer, Regulus's eyes widened in surprised shock and he fell silent.
"Does Sirius know how close you are to this Kreacher?"
Regulus choked and Marlene felt her entire body relaxing.
She'd done it. She had her answer, and she believed he'd listen to her...eventually.
Straightening, she smirked. "We need to talk, alone. I have some information you'll want to know." She spoke quietly, hoping to keep her voice from carrying to the other Slytherins who sat with Regulus.
"Ew, Regulus! Now you'll smell like Gryffindor too what with her leaning all over you like that," the boy who'd initially taunted her with his obnoxious sniffing nearly shouted.
At Marlene's words the color had drained from Regulus's face and it still hadn't returned. He shot the other boy a dark glare as he rose stiffly to his feet. "Shall we walk near the lake," he asked Marlene, who nodded.
"Ooh, Regulus has an older woman," another boy shouted. "But a Gryffindor, Black? That the best you can do?""
"Better than your Mum, and I've already done with her," Regulus snapped as he swept out of the great hall without looking back.
Marlene snickered as she rushed to keep up.
Regulus's lips twitched, and he sighed in exasperation. "That was probably the worst come back I could've made...Have you seen his Mum? She's hideous."
Marlene laughed again, thinking that he didn't seem half bad, at least when he was joking. "No I haven't, but I shall take your word for it," she said. "I'm sure she isn't your type, though."
At her last comment, Regulus's lips tightened, any trace of mild amusement leaving his face.
"What do you want," he asked, suddenly abrupt.
Well there went the brief flash of the boy one could at least stand to be around, Marlene thought with a small sigh. "First I want to say that what I am about to tell you is going to sound entirely mad, but please at least hear me out as it is quite literally a matter of life and death and worse!"
Regulus's brows shot up, lips twitching ever-so-slightly. "What ever could be worse than death?"
"Try you and James Potter in some romantic tragic love thing," she said with a shudder.
Regulus stopped in his tracks and turned to give her a cold hostile stair. "This isn't funny. Sirius has truly struck a new juvenile delinquent low."
Marlene was shaking her head as he spoke, holding up a hand to stop his words. "It isn't true, and we know that, of course, but when you and James die, the Muggles are going to somehow believe it's because you loved him. Your death at least."
"My what? If Sirius thinks to frighten me..."
"This isn't about Sirius," Marlene practically shouted. "It's about Jegulus! I keep telling everyone that!"
By this time, they'd exited the castle and were walking on the grounds, so she was free to shout without being heard by anyone else. "Look. I'll prove it. Can you bring the elf here? Kreacher didn't you say?"
Regulus scowled. "Fine. We're getting to the bottom of this and after Sirius's little game is over, he'll pay for it as shall you." He bit out the words, then stopped walking, forcing Marlene to stop as well or leave him behind.
"Kreacher," he called and with a crack an elf appeared in front of him.
Marlene felt her eyes widen. He looked so young. Grief had aged him...no would age him significantly if Regulus were to die. He had more dignity about him somehow than other elves, his face severe with a hooked nose rather than the cute up-turned affair that other elves sported.
Kreacher stared in surprise at Regulus, round blue eyes widening further as he took in Marlene.
"What is this," he asked and Regulus's brows quirked.
"I'm not sure yet. Likely a prank of Sirius's that we shall have to attend to, but she wished your presence."
Marlene drew in a deep breath. This wasn't going to be easy. These two were not going to make it easy. Bloody James and Sirius weren't going to make it easy due to all the rubbish pranks they'd likely pulled on the two and Severus in the past. There was no trust, and to a degree she understood why, so. This. Was. Not. Going. To. Be. Easy! Not even close. But she'd do it...to prevent the atrocity that was Jegulus! James deserved better and so did Regulus...probably.