Chapter 11
"All in all, it was pretty straightforward. They told me to look for someone that matched certain characteristics and had certain physical traits. Said it had to be a male. Had to be between 8 and 10. I could kill them however I wanted, as long as I did that...that pattern, or whatever, on the back. Wasn't sure, and still don't know, what it means. If it means anything to you, the kid was already dead by the time I did it. Felt that would be the best. I don't go after kids." The man furrowed his brow downwards. "Anyways, they also told me how they wanted the scene, gave me a few...props if you would, to make sure to include near the body. So I did. Clearly it was to call you out. Then the bastards tried to kill me!" He slammed his fist on the table, jolting Regulus backwards, eyes narrowing at the sight. "I can't believe the motherfuckers dared."
"You are lucky you are alive," Regulus said, his arms crossing over his chest, eyes distant. "They would have killed you immediately if you were meant to be dead." Regulus narrowed his gaze towards them, and Sirius felt a shift in him. Something that left him shuddering as his eyes went dark. "What did you do? To have them want you here, instead of dead?"
"What...They tried to kill me and you are just saying that they wanted me actually alive? You absolute bastard!" The man lunged forwards, and Sirius made to snatch him back, but Regulus flew forwards, a knife glinting, stabbed directly into the steal of the table, sticking in dangerously. The waving steel had the man scrambling backwards, like the coward that he truly was.
"What did you do?" Regulus asked, his lips trembling, eyes wild. Sirius cleared his throat, but it did not seem to have any affect. "What sort of thing did you steal from them? What information did they want you to give. I suggest you give it to me now," Regulus' head tilted, his expression blank, and eyes gone out. "Or I can get someone to make you. Either way, I will know." Regulus snatched the knife from the table, tracing the edge with his fingers, staring directly at the killer. "The question is will I find out the easy way, or after you become a mess of blood and limbs?" The killer seemed to sag downwards.
"They had a mes-message. I...I didn't think it was important."
"Oh?"
"Obviously a message from people ordering you to kill people is a bit important you dolt." Sirius growled.
"Sirius, Calme-toi (calm yourself)." Sirius took a deep, anger filled breath, and reluctantly flounced backwards in the chair again. "And this message?"
"Want you to know they can't believe you went and aligned yourself with traitors, and that when they get you back, they will ensure full punishment for it. They also said...they said..."
"Go on," Regulus was totally unfazed, and Sirius was completely curious as to what the fuck was going on. The cowardly man whispered the next words.
"They said He with emphasis on the he part, is quite eager to see what you can come up with to try and destroy his empire. Also, that it won't work, but you are amusing him." Regulus had a slight smirk of amusement on his face.
"That is not the direct quote, is it. Tell me the direct quote, now." The other man swallowed.
"Fine, don't blame me though." Regulus tilted his head slightly, before gesturing him to continue.
"I can't translate it...and I don't know...I don't know how to speak it, but I have a recording they sent me on my phone."
"Sirius, have Barty grab his phone." Sirius nodded to the glass, and in a few more moments the phone was brought to them, and Regulus slid it over the table. "Pull it up then,"
The phone was placed on the table with slightly trembling hands and the recording was pressed. Regulus knew that the number would already come from a burner, but also knew Barty and likely that James will demand to try and trace the number either way. He would say nothing over it, after all one cannot convince people when they are so determined to try every single possible angle. What they were up against, well he could not exactly blame them.
"'Je suis bien amusé, ma petite chérie, (I am quite amused my little buttercup,)'" Sirius watched as clearly Regulus knew who was on the phone, who the dulcet, almost seductive quality voice belong to, because his entire body jolted to the side, and he fell out of the chair, it clanging as it dropped against the floor, and Regulus scrambled to the corner of the room, eyes wide and wild. His whole body was shivering like a leaf in the fall wind, and his breath was coming out in dangerously fast gasps. "'mais ne crois pas que tu t'en sortiras comme ça. Je te trouverai, et ce que je t'ai déjà fait paraîtra bien simple. Ah, ma chère petite bête, tu deviendras bientôt une experte. Mais pour l'instant, assure-toi de bien jouer le jeu. (but do not think you will get away with this. I will find you, and what I have done to you before will seem like child's play. Ah, my dear little pet, you will come to master soon enough. But for now, make sure you play the game well.)"' Regulus had tears in his eyes, and streaming down his face, his breathing was almost nothing, and Sirius could not help but feel his heart constrict violently. He moved, snatching the flip phone and closing it before gathering Regulus in his arms and escorting him out of the room. The small whimpers of 'Non, s’il vous plaît, désolé, ne le faites pas (no, please, sorry, don't)' coming from under his breath, gasped in almost nothing, left Sirius feeling irrationally angry at whoever was on that damned phone.
In the other room, Barty came forwards, but Sirius' utter glare had him lifting his hands, and Sirius snatched Remus and whispered for him to get some earl gray tea, and gathered Regulus into a different room, after ordering James to hunt down a blanket, and could Peter please grab some sort of bread type snack. Regulus seemed to have lost his english ability, not exactly uncommon when traumatized. Losing your second or third language and reverting into the native one was very common when distressed or upset.
"Ce n’est pas grave, qui que ce soit, ils ne sont pas ici. Ils ne vous trouveront pas, et vous avez moi, James, Remus et Peter qui vous garderont en sécurité jusqu’à la fin de nous. (It is okay, whoever that is, they are not here. They will not find you, and you have me, James, Remus, and Peter who will keep you safe until the ends of us.)" Regulus gasped, but Remus had descended like an angel with the tea. He had no idea if this person liked earl gray, but it was his brother's favorite, especially when upset and distraught. "Tiens, mon cher, bois ça (Here, my dear, drink this)." The drink was pressed against Regulus' lips, and Peter jumped down with bread, James soon following with a blanket. "Remus, please place the blanket around him," Remus did not even hesitate, leaving Sirius thanking his boyfriend even more for how perfect he always was. "Mange, ça te fera du bien (Eat, it will make you feel better)." Sirius pressed the bread against Regulus' lips, and Regulus ate, his eyes slowly gaining some lucidity, but not much. His body was trembling, but not violently shaking as before, and his breathing was slowing down, though still quite fast. Regulus' grey eyes turned to him, and they were obviously still filmed over, and it was clear he was not quite lucid yet. Not fully.
"Sirius," The word was breathy, and Regulus' body jolted forwards, fingers curling against Sirius' shirt, nails slightly cutting the skin under, leaving Sirius to hold back a wince. "Ils arrivent, frère, tu dois partir. Avant qu'ils ne te rattrapent. Tu ne peux pas rester ici. Il te trouvera, tu dois partir. S'il te plaît, frère, pars, ne t'inquiète pas pour moi, je peux m'en occuper, je vais bien, mais toi... maman et papa te tueront parce que tu es parti. Tu dois partir (They are coming, brother, you have to go. Before they catch you. You can't be here. He will find you, you have to leave. Please, brother, go, don't worry about me, I can handle him, I will be okay, but you...mother and father will kill you because you ran away. You have to go!)!'" Sirius felt his breathing catch, his hands going to grab Regulus' own, his eyes positively shaking.
"Reggie? Mon petit frère (my little brother)?" Regulus' eyes were gaining slightly more lucidity in them, but still weren't entirely clear.
"Siri? Tu ne devrais pas être... partie ? Tu es revenue pour moi? (Siri? Shouldn't you be...be...gone? Did you come back for me?)" Regulus sighed, falling into Sirius' chest. Sirius just hesitantly put his arms around him, his fingers shaking as he did so. "Je savais que tu finirais par le faire. Je... Je lui ai dit que oui. Même l’excuse pathétique d’un Seigneur des Ténèbres ne peut pas... Je ne peux pas me cacher de toi pour toujours. (I knew you would eventually. I...I told him you would. Even the pathetic excuse for a Dark Lord can't...can't hide me from you forever.)" Sirius felt himself choke, because Regulus was wrong. He was so, so wrong.
"Ne t’inquiète pas, petit frère, je ne laisserai plus personne s’approcher de toi... Surtout pas nos parents et leur pathétique bande de mécréants (Don't worry, little brother, I won't let anyone come near you again...especially not our parents and their pathetic crew of miscreants.)." Sirius rubbed Regulus' back comfortingly, his mind almost static with the realization. "Remus...remus...get us home...both of us. We have...we haave the killer, and maybe not whoever was behind him, but I need to get my little brother home. Safe." Remus jolted a bit, as did James and Peter, but none of them hesitated, and Sirius thanked himself once more for having the friends he did.
"Of course, my love." Remus whispered softly, and all three of them glanced at each other, before making their arrangements. "And guys...don't...do not let Crouch or Rosier near him. Or me. Please."