Acting vs Acting!
Regulus, Barty and Evan were confused and bewildered before Regulus understood what Draco was pointing at. Regulus didn’t look up from his book that he was reading but with a calm and eerie voice said. “Sev, you should not approach that tree if you don’t wish to encounter gryffindors. Instead you might as well read it in a library where there is a teacher, it’s safe there.”
Severus stopped, turned around to look at Regulus who had buried his head into the book he was reading.
“What?” Severus asked, completely baffled, he hadn’t told anyone where he was going, and what did Regulus mean by ambush? Narcissa and Lucius also looked at Regulus, one narrowed eyes while the other frowned. Regulus as if he felt everyone looking at him looked up from his book with blank face, and confusedly asked. “Huh? What is wrong?”
Barty and Evan inwardly snicker at Regulus' acting, they were really impressed at their friend’s acting skill that was so good. But outside they made a face, Barty groaning with helplessness and Evan facepalmed then rubbed between his eyes attracting the older three’s attention.
Their actions made it seem like it happens quite often, Narcissa was in deep thoughts as she watched her cousin Regulus. She observed Regulus like a Basilisk watching its prey in darkness making Regulus nervous, Draco who was quite used to his mothers sharp eyes sympathetically patted on Regulus shoulder.
“Grab Regulus and leave the common room quickly before anyone comes back to their senses.” Barty and Evan stood up, they grabbed Regulus and left for their dorm room leaving behind a word. “Reggie, you did it again!”
“I told you not to speak about that stuff to anyone.” Evan scolded quietly but enough for the other three hearing it. Severus u-turned back to the sofa Regulus was sitting on, he put down the book he was holding on his knees as he sat down near the couple.
“What was that about?” Severus questioned, he was confused at Regulus comment, Lucius looked at Narcissa as if waiting for her to explain it, Narcissa bit her lips with worry, shock and mostly fear. “Cissa? What is wrong? Do you know something?”
“What is Evan talking about, also why Regulus did not know what he just said as if he forgot about it as soon as he said that?” Severus asked, he narrowed his eyes as Narcissa who seemed to know what was going on with Regulus Black. Narcissa shook her head dismissing two curious and bewildered boys.
“I will tell you two once I am sure.” Narcissa slowly said with a trembling voice, her face was blank. She then turned to Severus as she thoughtfully said. “Sev, it’s better if you for now follow what Regulus said for your own good. No, Sev you should at least have someone beside you.”
Severus frowned, not understanding what Narcissa was getting at, but he decided to follow her words as it had never been wrong. Lucius didn’t understand but he gently grabbed Narcissa’s hand in assurance and comfort.
Regulus sighed in relief once he was inside his dorm, he had been very nervous. Draco also sighed not in relief but in worry knowing his mother will definitely test Regulus in various ways and ask him round away. Draco wasn’t going to prepare Regulus for it, after all his mother was more cunning than his father and dark lord. If his cousin were able to answer his mothers questions and not fall for her test then she would be doubtful and not believe in Regulus fully.
So Draco was going to let Regulus fall for his mother’s ploy with eyes closed.
Draco looked at Regulus in pity, making Regulus shiver and frown at Draco. Regulus didn’t know why Draco was looking at him in pity but that wasn’t a good thing.
“What are we going to do now?” Barty asked as he looked towards the door as if Narcissa, Lucius and Severus would walk in without announcing. Evan just concentrated on calming himself down.
“Nothing, we will wait for Narcissa to approach us. Other than that you guys will act normally and finish the task you are assigned.” Draco said, as he motioned the three of them to sit down. Once they sat down, they took out their diary that Draco gave them.
“I will be going to Gaunt’s household to steal the ring.” Barty excitedly said, he likes thrilling and dangerous adventures. Which is why he chose that task seeing that he had to go and steal the ring under the dark lord’s nose. Evan and Regulus casted worried glances at Barty knowing that Barty was a death seeker.
“As for me, I will be gathering information from my father about the young death eaters from Hogwarts.” Evan said as he stared up to the ceiling, he was a little bit reluctant to do that as he had not liked the idea of his father getting the wrong idea but well he has quite a lot of time to prepare before sending a letter to his father.
Regulus let out a sigh as his task was to decide whether his parents will be safe, fall into a coma or just sleep eternally together like how they vowed in their marriage. To get the slytherin locket and the hufflepuff goblet cup.
And he had the entire summer to decide it, and their side task was to get Narcissa on their side then fish Lucius out with Narcissa as the bait. Before letting Lucius control the slytherin while pulling strings in dark until Lucius' gratitude.
Rest of day three of them spent their days like how they usually spend. Barty and Evan stay on Regulus's side, while whispering here and there about Regulus' strange behavior when Draco warns them Lucius or Narcissa is near them. Just when anyone from the Slytherin house is near enough to hear their whispering they would talk about Regulus' new ability.
In his free time and before going to bed Regulus writes to his brother, or just answers his brother.
Then Regulus received a letter that his uncle had opened a gringott account for Sirius in secret and was ready to give it to Sirius. Regulus wrote a letter as soon as he was free, telling his uncle to be careful to not be noticed by his parents lest his mother make a rash decision. Then informed his uncle that Regulus will tell Sirius about their decision.
Then Regulus sent the owl to his uncle’s house, just as he was about to turn around and leave he saw Narcissa standing there with arm crossed. “Regulus could we talk?”
Draco seeing his mother let out a gasp, not expecting her to make a move this soon as it hadn’t even been two days. “Cousin be careful!”
Regulus became nervous, but he didn’t show it on his face, only smiled at her. “Cissa, you scared me! How long have you been standing there?”
“Not long, as i had followed you in here.” Narcissa solemnly said, she quietly and wandlessly casted a silencing charm.
“She had casted silencing charm.” Draco warned Regulus, who didn’t notice it at all. Regulus took a slight step back but not enough for Narcissa to notice it. “What do you want to talk about? If it’s about Sirius then you should have already read it from the daily prophet?”
“Not about that. Regulus you will answer me truthfully right?” Narcissa shook her head, before looking at Regulus with deep eyes. Regulus showed a baffled face and nodded his head, Narcissa sighed she didn’t want to force Regulus but she had to if her thoughts were real.
If so then Narcissa had to make sure and protect Regulus no matter what, she can’t let Regulus’s parents know even more about her family if Regulus really had inherited that ability.
If Regulus was dreamer like great great-grandaunt Violetta then Narcissa had to protect him, because Regulus might not know how Violetta Black had taken her last breath, but Narcissa knows, she had guessed that Regulus was just confused for now considering he didn’t say anything until two days ago, he is just begin to receive the dreams maybe this break and had yet to realize it, just letting out a small prophecy unconsciously before forgetting it.
Narcissa knew the moment her cousin uncontrollably let out a prophecy that was later confirmed by Severus, was in danger the moment it reached his parents' ears. Regulus will be used like a tool to foresee the future, but because dreamers could only see an important event or just a small vision about random people, he will be forced to drink a potion that increases the vision in the dream.
Narcissa didn’t want to lose her favorite cousin because of the potion overdose.
So she had to confirm it as soon as possible, but because of her lover and friends being always together. She couldn’t find a time alone to have a talk with Regulus alone, Narcissa didn’t want Lucius to know about it considering he would immediately inform his father and his father would tell this to the dark lord.
Narcissa wasn’t going to let the dark lord use her cousin for his desire even if she supported it, she didn’t want to have something with the dark lord that is why she had refused the dark mark.
“Regulus, answer me truthfully, did you have any strange dreams that become reality?” Narcissa asked, her voice didn’t show the nervousness, fear and hope that Regulus would deny for having a dream. She saw struggle appear on his cold face, that made her hope destroyed as if a cold iced water was poured on her.
Narcissa felt sad at Regulus inheriting their aunt’s cursed ability, Regulus was just a boy who should be enjoying his youth not burdened with that cursed power. “I don’t know what I should do, Cissa!”
Narcissa saw her cousin's face change to fearful and nervous and his body had tensed up. Just as she was about to comfort him she heard his shaking voice as if he was about to break down. “Cissa, I saw him getting hit by crucio again and again! She was going to kill him if he didn't run away…”
Narcissa slowly walked over to Regulus, she put his hand on his shoulder in comfort because he was shedding tears. “And then I was woken up by Barty. I didn’t understand why I had that dream and not even after one day had passed when I heard Sirius scream! It was the same as my dream!”
Narcissa didn’t know what to do as she wasn’t good at comforting other people. Helplessly she patted on his back as more tears poured down, he was crying. “Shh, it will be okay, Reggie!”
Regulus at her word shook his head, he held Narcissa’s arm tightly. “No it will not! You know it more than me! I saw it! He died in my dream!!! Cissa!!”
Narcissa gasped, she hadn’t thought they would even go far to kill their child.
She just thought Sirius was being difficult again and started to fight. Nothing more than punishing him, aunt Walburga she shouldn’t be that ruthless and uncle Orion shouldn’t have allowed her!
Draco looked at his cousin in astonishment, he didn’t know that his cousin was such an actor! His cousin could win an Oscar award if he was in the muggle world and became an actor.
Even his mother was fooled by acting!!
He didn’t comment anything as he grabbed a snack out of nowhere and watched the drama.
Regulus played as a helpless child who had been cursed to see the bad ending of his beloved peoples. While Narcissa was an older cousin who was distressed at her cousin's suffering and listening while comforting him.
Draco felt something wasn’t right, he narrowed his eyes as he observed the two cousins interacting. Then he finally realized what was wrong, he didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at the same time seeing as his mother was also acting!
Whether his mother acts she had a bad habit of grabbing her clothes.
Watching two of them perform so skillfully, Draco’s face changed from astonishment to impressment. So when Regulus finished his performance and Narcissa still in doubt left, Draco clapped his hand and with an impressed voice said. “Impressive cousin! To be able to get into acting so fast no one is capable of such skill if you aren’t trained for it? So did all children of house of Black learnt acting from they were in their mothers womb?”
Regulus felt proud for a moment before he noticed double meaning in Draco’s words. “Was Cissa acting too?”
Draco nodded his head with a look of you get it faster! Regulus frowned; he didn't know if it was going to be alright. Their plan was to let Narcissa approach them and act out to get her trust but now it seems there will be change in plan.
Just as Regulus was worried about sudden change of plan and possibility of Narcissa not believing him. He heard Draco’s voice and was relieved. “Next we just have to wait for Narcissa to approach you again and we will win the main role! Looks like her acting skill was activated because of her incapable of comforting others and didn’t know how to act or what to say so there is nothing to be worried about.”
Draco smiled at Regulus as if he knew what Regulus was struggling with after all even though Regulus and Narcissa were close doesn’t mean they see each other everyday like Draco who grew up observing his parents.
Otherwise how could he pick up pureblood prejudice when he had a godfather who could have corrected him but hadn’t spent a lot of time with him. And he had heard from his mother that Black were bad at expressing their emotions and comforting as they had not been taught or shown, they were busy with all kinds of lectures and practices.
Regulus didn’t know whether to scold or thank Draco for his explanation, he wanted to scold him for not telling it earlier but he was thankful that they had succeeded half way through. Regulus decided that he will not do either of them, instead choosing to feel sorry for themself.
Their family was really messed up, just like how Regulus couldn’t let his parent’s go even when they hurt his Siri.
Love is a pickled thing that likes to mess up others emotion and rationality. Regulus rationally knew he should just report his parents but because of that dark and messed affection towards his parents he couldn’t bear to do that.