Gone gone gone
Pandora was freaking out. She was pacing up and down the living room, in an attempt to calm her racing heart.
It had been her job to keep everyone calm. No one has left yet. She made the mistake of putting her call with Barty on speaker, and word spread like a wildfire. Everyone was freaking out.
They haven't even so much as had lunch or dinner, and it was just past 10pm. The kids were still awake and everyone is doing their own thing, yet you can clearly see they're all frantic in each of their activities.
It seems funny in the long run, half the people don't even know Regulus. But when he stormed out, they all waited in silence for about 30 minutes. Pandora and Evan then exclaimed they're going looking for him at the same time.
And just like that, everyone trailed out of the house. They originally left the 3 kids with Lily's best friend, a girl named Mary and Xeno. Lily seemed to trust her, and Luna already made friends with her the second she walked into the door. It wouldn't have helped if she went looking for him anyway, she doesn't know the neighborhood, like at all.
Everyone went their separate ways. Dorcas was between crying and punching Regulus' brother, Sirius, in the face. Evan had to hold Barty back from punching him in the face, which did not work. Barty beat the shit out of the guy for about 5 minutes.
Usually Pandora would step in, and calm the situation, but she couldn't care less. It seemed to make everyone know this was serious. Pandora not being the calm, collected, peaceful one? That's enough reason to freak out.
James seemed weird about it. He was freaking out, just like everyone else, but he had an edge to him that gave Pandora the idea that they knew of each other.
Marlene probably took to her girlfriends panic, and spent that half hour finishing a pack of cigarettes.
Sirius had the audacity to tell everyone to calm down, he used to go and hide away as kids, and that this is no big deal.
That's when Pandora yelled at him. Now keep in mind, Pandora has never, ever, yelled at anyone. Ever. And it wasn't just her yelling at him to shut up.
She screamed at him to shut the fuck up. He hasn't seen or been in contact with Regulus in almost 10 years and that he knew as much as a total stranger. He doesn't have a say in anything Regulus does, or on how he is.
This seemed to have hit a nerve. He looked hurt and then found the nerve to tell them he knew him best. Pandora got so angry, she went from yelling to complete and utter peace. It was quiet for a second.
She looked him dead in the eye and asked him a series of questions about regulus. Basic things like his favorite color, to more difficult things like what happened on the 1 year date of him leaving Regulus behind.
The last question, also related to him abandoning Reg, seemed to be the final straw. He looked defeated, and if it had been anyone else, Pandora would've felt bad, or wouldn't have done it in the 1st place. When he was going to argue, but his husband, Remus, told him to stop. And he finally shut that mouth of his.
Everyone else was quiet. All of her friends new what happened, but it seemed like not everyone on Lily's side knew.. Including Lily. Although James seemed to have known about the situation. But not that Reg was his brother.
Luna was also crying. She couldn't understand why her star would just give her back and leave without a word.
But that's how they all ended up going in different directions in an attempt to find Reg.
Barty went in one direction, they sent him alone, knowing he could handle it. Dorcas and Marlene left together, James left alone. Sirius and his boyfriend, Remus left together. A guy named Peter, who had access to the areas street cameras, stayed behind and tracked down his car. It took a while, but that's how Barty found him. Pandora didn't question why the man has access in the first place. Lily went with Evan and Pandora. They were driving and having a look out, often getting out of the car to look around the dark streets. Pandora stayed sat in the car, and started calling hospitals immediately. After hour 3 she started calling morgues. She was crying, having to give his name and description over and over and over again.
After Barty found him, everyone came back to the house. And that was an hour ago and a half ago. Barty still hasn't called back. He hasn't even called Evan. Everyone was sat in silence. Pandora told them Regulus has been found, but he's sloshed. But no one knows where they are and what they're doing.
They wait. Pandora doesn't have the heart to ask them to leave. These strangers helped her find her best friend. She's not asking them to leave under these circumstances. She gets lost in her own brain. What if something happened the them? What if they're hurt?
She looks at the time. It's been over 2 hours since the call from Barty. They're nearing midnight and the kids are still awake.
"You can put him to bed in Luna's room Lil, they probably need to go to bed." Lily nodded, picking up Harry who was far beyond tired. "You too Mary. You can leave her on the couch too though" Mary picked up her daughter, Catherine, just as Pandora picked up Luna. Xeno walked with her to Lunas room, laying Luna down.
"mada?" her little voice came out trembling "yes baby?" "what's up sweetheart?" both she and Xeno replied. Mada was said when she was talking to both of them
"Dada star angry me? He leave me?" her voice cracked, and in that moment, Pandora felt her heart shatter.
"no my love, Dada Star still loves you more than anything, and he didn't leave you. He's just having a bad day. You know like sometimes Auntie Cas has to sit down and be alone? How Uncle Bee needs to go on a walk? How Uncle Evvy and mama talk grown up things? So sometimes people just need a little break. Dada star still loves you, and he's not angry with you" she tried explaining, but she knew Luna probably didn't understand completely.
"Yeah exactly sweetheart, Dada star loves you, and you know how when a friend isn't nice, then you need to go away from them a little bit? That's how Dada Star feels" Xeno chimed in.
Luna suddenly sat upright. Clambered out of bed, and carefully went down the stairs, on her stomach, legs and butt first. Pandora and Xeno followed behind, making sure she doesn't get hurt. Everyone was sat in the living room, silence surrounding them. The tension so thick you could cut it with a knife.
She toddled up to Sirius, and before Pandora could redirect her she started talking. Pandora didn't think she would be able to put it together and figure out Sirius was the one that upset Reg.
"You make my Dada star sad." her tone said that this was a matter of fact. "you're not nice and I don't like you. You make my Dada star not stay with Luna and now Luna is sad too." she poked his thigh. "I hate you."
Everyone looks in surprise. All of them have quickly seem that Luna is a sweet sensitive girl. She can make a friend out of anything, and is kind to everyone, no matter how they treat her. This was far from that.
"Luna we don't hate people. That's not nice" Luna nodded to Xenos words. "but you make luna and mama and Dada and Dada star and everyone sad. You hate Luna, so Luna hate you." she told him before poking him harder, turning on her heel, and walking to Evan. She raised her arms up and Evan didn't hesitate to pick her up. He sat her down on his lap. Everyone looked between Luna and Sirius and Evan looked like he was about to rip Sirius apart again. Sheltering Luna from him, he glared.
"Tea anyone?" Dorcas filled the silence. The room replied with nods.
It was 4am when Pandora got a call from Barty. She sat up right, getting the attention from everyone in the room.
"Bee what happened?"
...
Barty chocked back a sob. He's pretty sure he's dead. He wasn't breathing and the doctors made him leave and they were screaming for doctors and nurses and people were going crazy. He's begging and pleading to any god there may be, that regulus is alive. But the sinking feeling in his stomach says he's not.
"I-" he hiccups "I- he's- I dont know if he's alive" he finally breaks down.
He sits down on the floor in the hallway outside the room Regulus is in. And he sobs. He's hiccuping and tears are streaming down his face.
He hears Pandora suck in a breath and it comes out again, shaky. "He - no he can't be. He's okay Barty. Barty tell me he's okay." her voice sounds just as close as breaking. He can tell he's on speaker.
"I- I don't know Dora, I can't- I don't-" he let's out a sob.
"he wasn't moving or breathing or crying or-" his hands shake and his voice trembles as he talks. "I-i think he's..." he trails off. Leaving Pandora to fill in the blank.
"he can't be. He, no. No he isn't- Barty." Pandora is sobbing on the other side of the phone. "I don't know Dora" he puts his head between his knees. "I- I don't know"
"Where are you." he hears it from Dorcas in the background. She sounds scared, which works Barty up even more.
He sends her his location. "texted you" is all he can muster up.
Half an hour later people there's a group of people walking into the hospital. Evan taking the lead.
He sees him, and then Dorcas and Pandora. Then Lily, and James, and then Peter, and then Mary and the kids.
His eyes fall on Sirius. He's holding Remus' hand and Barty goes from upset, to angry.
"You." is voice is no longer cracking, or shaking. It's firm, and it seems to scare everyone.
Evan says something but Barty doesn't hear him. He's zoned in on Sirius.
"You're the reason he might be dead. You're the reason for all of this. Do you not understand what you did? You are a dick and I hope you die"
Pandora stands in front of him. "Barty we don't know if he knew Reggie was friends with us.. And we don't know if he knew how he would react."
Barty's eyes snap back to Sirius
"Did you?" Sirius stays quiet.
"Did you, or did you not, know he lived here. And did you, or did you not, know how he would react."
"I knew" everyone goes silent.
Even James looked shocked. He didn't know either?
"which. One." Bary needs to know. Everyone is looking at Sirius expectantly and he seems guilty
"B-Both. I knew he lived there, and I knew he would wander off and get himself in some sort of trouble. I-I'm sorry. I didn't know he could- he would-"
"Not good enough" Evan is suddenly not on the no violence side of the situation.
"You knew everything would go to shit, and you still dared to show your face?" Dorcas looks like she could kill him.
"Outside. Now" Barty shoves past the group and walks outside.
He can hear someone following him, multiple someone's.
He's now stood outside, out of view of the hospital, pacing up and down, his hands balled up in fists. He hears the footsteps slow, before coming to a stop and lifts his head.
Dorcas, Evan and Sirius is stood in front of him.
Barty walks up to him, and the look on Sirius' face is something he would always remember as his fist made contact with his jaw.
Barty kicks his foot into his knee, and it gives a satisfying crack. Sirius goes down to the floor.
Dorcas turns around, making sure no one comes near. Evan starts talking. And it's not a friendly talk.
Barty slams his elbow into his abdomen before punching him in the face again.
There's blood streaming out of his nose and yet he tries to fight back.
There's a weak hit to Barty's side, which fuels him even more.
He grabs Sirius' arm and snaps it at the elbow. He pulls out chunks of hair and steps on his ribs.
He pulls Sirius up by his shirt and hits him hard enough that he goes down again.
He punches stop suddenly, and Barty wraps his hands around Sirius' neck. He squeezes.
He squeezes and squeezes until Evan pulls him back.
"You're going to kill him Bee." Evan says, but there's no sympathy or disappointment in his voice.
Barty backs off. As Dorcas pulls Sirius to his feet. He's bringing up blood and his face his bleeding.
Theres a mark on his face, from his eye to below his jaw, where is skin split open. There's at least 2 teeth missing. Blood is gushing out from everywhere and Barty wants to go again. Evan holds him back.
Dorcas leads the group back to the hospital and the lady at reception gasps.
"What happened?!"
"Bar fight gone wrong" Sirius gasps out between sobs. The lady nods and leads him in the direction of a room.
Barty looks down at his knuckles, that are bruised and bloody and so is his clothes.
He walks back to the group confidently with his head held high. Neither Evan or Dorcas look shy or ashamed.
"Might wanna go check on your little friend" Barty sneers and Remus is the first to go running. Peter and James look at him with wide eyes before running too. Marlene gives Dorcas a look, before following with Mary in tow
Lily looks torn between the two groups before Pandora shoos her off and looks at them, not at all upset.
They sit down in the hallway outside Regulus' room and they stay there for what feels like forever.