Everything went back to how they were before when Callie first popped. The Marauders brought her meals and there was no Regulus around.
Ever since that night two days ago, Callie had never seen nor heard from him. She tried to get him off her mind every time his face appeared. Anything that reminded her of Regulus just brought the sadness back all over again.
But how easy was it to stop thinking about him if wherever Callie looked, she could see Regulus? Her bed where he confronted her about her feelings, on the floor before her bed where they used to read together, the piano in the room that he used to play, the books he gave her, even the blouse she was wearing, it was from him.
It would've been easy to take him off her mind. If only she didn't like him! Regulus had been Callie's favourite fictional character for years! Of course, after they depart she'd feel some sort of gloominess.
Callie was so sure her feelings were strictly fictional. That it wasn't romantic. She had liked him from when she just knew Regulus as a fictional being. Therefore, so were her feelings after discovering he was actually breathing.
Though just like what she told Remus, she couldn't expect to befriend everyone in their world. Hence she had to move on. Life had to continue. They still had a Horcrux to destroy. The Horcrux Regulus stole for her.
...
Regulus again?!
"Enough of this Callie!" she hissed to herself. Callie exhaled in frustration.
Right on time, the Marauders came.
After she visited them in the Hospital Wing, Callie told them to rest for a few days, especially Remus. James and Sirius weren't compliant as ever whilst Peter and Remus agreed. With three against two, James and Sirius gave up with an agreement that after two days, they will continue their mission.
They all agreed. The four went back to their common room and she remained in the shack.
They rested per her instructions, attended classes they missed, and ate the food they weren't able to munch. That was when a first time happened.
Almost everyone's eyes were on Regulus. It was because he was standing right behind Sirius, eyeing the back of his brother's head.
For the Hogwarts students, it was a first. No one expected to see the younger Black talk or even approach his brother after years. Though the tension between them still enveloped the Great Hall. The tension only the Black Brothers could pull off.
For an instant, it seemed like Regulus was struggling to open his mouth. He kept pressing his lips together. True to be told, he couldn't find words to call his brother.
His looming presence was soon felt by Remus who was across from Sirius at the Gryffindor table. If Regulus felt his gaze, he ignored it for he did not look elsewhere than at his brother.
Seeming like Regulus didn't have the plan to start a conversation and Sirius was too busy with his food to feel his little brother breathing on his back, Remus chose to advance.
"Sirius," Remus called.
"What?" he asked, mouth half-full.
"You never cease to amaze me and how disgusting you are," Regulus spoke with nausea written all over his face.
Sirius turned around fast to see his brother's scrunched face. "Regulus?"
"That is why Mother would always hit your mouth."
It was Sirius' turn to grimace. He went back to his food. "Did you come here to lecture me?"
"No."
"What then?"
"I need to talk to you."
"Aren't we talking?"
"Privately."
His demand held back the spoon, not only to his but the Marauders' mouth too. That was the first time Regulus asked for a private conversation with his brother so it was a surprise to everyone who heard his request.
Sirius grunted and wiped his mouth clean. He stood up and his younger brother took that as a sign to lead him away from everyone's earshot.
Regulus led him outside. He frequented by the Black Lake. And not everyone appreciated its beauty hence they wouldn't find anyone who could listen to them.
"What's the secret you wanted this much privacy?" Sirius asked when his brother faced him. He tucked his fingers in his pockets but kept his thumb out. He noted how far they are from literally everyone.
The younger Black sighed. "Callie."
Sirius' brows arched up. That shouldn't be a surprise considering he knew their little friendship. But what perked his curiosity was how grim he sounded saying her name. It was as though something happened to that little friendship of theirs.
"What of her?" Sirius asked.
"I... I did something I shouldn't." Regulus looked away when he saw his brother's eyes start to boil with anger.
"What did you do?" That was one of the rare moments Sirius lived to his jokes, he was serious. His firm voice did not shake. The same one he used when he asked Regulus what Orion did to him after being caught eating in the middle of the night.
"I pushed her away."
Sirius' anger turned to confusion.
"I thought it would be for the best for the both of us. But I think I went too far. She already bid me goodbye even though I'm not sure I want to let her go." And that was one of the rare moments where Regulus showed vulnerability.
The last time he did this in front of Sirius was years ago. He could barely remember what he said to his older brother.
"You're an idiot, do you know that?" He badly wanted to hit his brother square in his head. Stupid. And between the two of us Father always praise him for being the smarter child?
"I believe it runs in the blood." Sirius would be offended. But he remembered the "blood" would include his parents and crazy cousins —— except for Andromeda of course. She was perfectly sane and the best cousin.
"So, now? What do you want?"
"I want to apologize. I want to continue helping. I'd be a great asset against the Dark Lord."
"No, Regulus, you're not going to be a bait whatsoever that'll put yourself in danger."
"But I want to help."
"Then you will. But not the way you're proposing. It's too dangerous."
"One way or another, the Dark Lord will soon learn of my betrayal. I'd rather use my remaining time of his lack of knowledge of my actions than not use it at all."
"Merlin, why are you so stubborn?" Sirius asked, irritated.
"You're my brother. I learned from the best."
"I don't know whether to take that as an insult or a compliment."
"Why don't you do both?"
Sirius rolled his eyes. "Fine. But it's not my decision if you'll be back in the group. You'd have to ask Callie."
"When do you reckon I should?"
"We'll meet later to further discuss our steps. You can use that time to prove yourself."
"Where?"
"The same location, the Whomping Willow right after dinner."
"Okay. I'll meet you by the willow by that time."
"Is that all?"
"Yes."
Sirius turned around to walk away. But he hasn't gone far when Regulus called.
"Sirius?"
He turned his head to his side but his eyes reached his brother's.
"Thank you."
Sirius smirked and waved his hand, walking back to the castle.
°°°
"After you," said Sirius, pointing at the entrance to the Shrieking Shack.
Regulus stared at the hole. He did not even blink twice and slipped in. His brother's friends watched.
Unlike the first few times, he landed on his feet like an expert. Peter stood before him, waiting for the others. He went in first.
Sirius slid next, then Remus, and lastly James. They walked inside, seeing Callie practising her wand patterns. She knew she'd at least need to know some defensive and offensive spells. They might have crossed paths with Death Eaters.
"Incarcerous- AH MERLIN!" Callie screamed when not only one rope came out of the tip of her wand but multiple. She was practising everything she found on her phone and one of the spells she thought would be useful was the binding spell or incarcerous. But she must've made a wrong swing of her wand hence multiple ropes flew about rather harshly.
A loud snort from Sirius turned her head to them with a bone-piercing glare. He shouldn't laugh when she almost hit herself with a rope's end!
Her glare softened at the sight of a least-expected person.
"Regulus?" Anyone barely heard her. It was a whisper only a fly beside her mouth could listen to. What was he doing there?
"You all right?" Remus snapped her attention to him.
Her eyelids blinked rapidly and a smile was forced to curve on her lips. "Yeah. Um, yeah. I'm, I'm okay."
"Callie."
Her heart beat faster and harder hearing Regulus call her again. It was Callie, not Caledonia. Her nickname he used when he considered her a friend.
...
Was he... Why did he call her that?
If Callie was confused on her bed, Regulus was panicking by the entrance.
He planned ahead what to say. He kept repeating in his head how would he talk to her and apologise and say that he didn't mean what he did and said that night.
But Merlin! Every word he had in his vocabulary disappeared as if the memory charm was cast upon him. The only word he could muster in his head was her name. And then blank.
Sirius rolled his eyes. "Are we going to sit here and no one will talk or are we going to discuss anything?"
"Oh, right. The diary." Callie stood and took the diary that lay in the corner of the room.
She lifted it with all carefulness and went back to the rest. Her free hand slipped under the bed to get a fang. The basilisk fang that they used to destroy the diadem. And what they would use to destroy the remaining Horcrux.
"Shall we do it in the Forbidden Forest again?" Remus asked.
"The Forbidden Forest?" Regulus repeated in disbelief, staring at Remus with furrowed brows. Had he heard that right? In the Forbidden Forest? He knew they had destroyed the diadem, but he didn't know where.
"No," Callie answered Remus. "The diary isn't as destructive as the diadem when it's destroyed."
She knelt down and placed the leather-bound brown-ish page of the book in front of her. Her hand shook as it held the fang tight. Her eyes examined the thick and smooth cover of it. The name Tom Marvolo Riddle shone.
But Callie never raised her hand. She instead, stood back on her feet. Her arm stretched as she offered the dirty fang to Regulus.
He stared at it for a moment in surprise. Then at Callie.
"It was you who did everything to get this. It's only fitting if you're the one who'll destroy it."
Regulus did not peel his eyes off the fang. His heart beat even faster than before.
Her offer served as an invitation and betrayal. A full-pledged invitation to their mission. One that if he accepted, the exit door would close and never open again. And his loudest statement of betrayal. He did get the diary from the Dark Lord which was an instrument of his demise. Taking that fang would only solidify which side he stood on.
And he stood with her. With Callie. With the Marauders. With Sirius.
That defined his resolve.
The Marauders waited for his next move. They watched him in silence, anticipating if he'd take the fang or turn around and go back.
What Callie asked would settle Regulus on one side. Because if he accepted and stabbed the diary, he would -- in a way -- stab the Dark Lord too. Since the diary had his soul, Regulus would also kill him. He already knew how after she told him what they did to the diadem.
But Regulus chose to advance. He stepped forward and reached for the fang. A move that surprised the Marauders and Callie. Especially Sirius.
The three (James, Peter, and Remus) looked at each other with wide eyes before subtly checking Sirius' surprised yet impressed expression.
Did his brother just take the fang? The fang that'd kill Voldemort. Wasn't his eyes deceiving him?
And Callie, oh Merlin, she thought in realization. Regulus would kill Voldemort. Even the thought of him throwing the fang away didn't cross her mind. Because as she said, she would never think of Regulus as a traitor to them.
"With pleasure." His fingers brushed against her skin.
The electrifying tingles crawled every inch of her at his touch. Callie gasped lightly that no one noticed but Regulus.
He took the fang. And in a swift move, knelt down and stabbed the diary.
Thick, dark liquid oozed out as milk spilt from the cup. Though it resembled blood more. The Marauders stepped back in surprise.
He pulled the fang and stabbed it once more. Twice more. Thrice more until holes appeared all over the old book and the dark liquid almost covered its entirety.
Regulus stood but kept his eyes on the floor where the diary kept (what seemed to be) bleeding. He heaved a heavy breath and then turned to Callie.
"Is that enough?"
She nodded, lips parted slightly. "Yes."
Regulus did it. He killed a part of Voldemort's soul.
He handed the fang to Callie again. As if he hadn't just played a vital role in ending the person he looked up to most all his life.
"That's two Horcruxes. What's next?"
Regulus' seemed to be the only one who wasn't bothered about what he did much.
"Um," Callie struggled to find the right words, "well, we." She cast each and one of them a glance. "We break into Gringgots."