The plan
Sirius stared at his brother and youngest cousin for a moment before letting out a bark of laughter. “Good one Reggie!” They were joking right? Of course they were. “Great joke!” His brother however had an extremely serious (haha) expression on his face, he was not joking. “Oh god, they’re not joking.” Sirius looked at Bella and Andy desperately, his voice sounded strangely high pitched and squeaky.
His older cousins were both staring at Cissa and Reggie with twin looks of shock. Then all of a sudden Bella burst into hysterical laughter. “Little star, flower!” She gasped through her cackling putting a hand to her chest in mock horror, “how could precious baby angels like you, come up with something so utterly evil!” She says her tone still full of laughter and false disbelief.
“What are you two thinking?!” Andy seems to have recovered from her shock, she throws up a silencing ward around the room, “are you both completely insane.” She scolds, Andy is clearly not amused by their antics.
Sirius still feels like he’s in shock. He won’t deny that he’s thought about killing his parents before, but actually doing it…?
Cissa and Reggie look a little chastised at Andy’s words, but it doesn’t stop them from continuing to open their mouths, “Meda please hear us out.” Narcissa says, “we won’t do it unless all of you agree.”
Bella is still laughing hysterically, seemingly lost to the world in the face of their plots.
“Sit.” Andy scowls at them, pointing to the floor where she, Bella, and himself are currently sitting.
*~*~*~*
Bellatrix’s Pov:
She knows breaking into hysterical laughter at the news that your fifteen-year-old sister and cousin have been plotting murder together Is probably a marker for insanity, but she doesn’t really care.
Bella thinks that it’s honestly not all that surprising considering flower and star’s history. They have what Andromeda calls ‘youngest child syndrome’ meaning that they are little terrors that everyone believes are sweet and innocent, only the older siblings are privileged enough to see the little criminals that they truly are.
Bella could write a novel at this point on Reg and Cissy, she would call it: Star, flower and all the criminal charges they should have gotten.
If she’s being honest with herself the more creative their crimes the prouder, she becomes. Although murder is new. (to her knowledge)
She manages to stem her laughter, as the little (not so little anymore) ones, come and sit down on the floor at Andy’s orders.
Cissy sits down next to her, Bella pulls her into a side hug, “I support your plan little flower.”
Maybe the thought of killing her parents and aunt and uncle should turn her stomach, or at the very least make her feel something sharp and sickening. But all she can feel is hope, I silent hope, one that she rarely feels, a hope that ends with freedom.
Her parents have caused to many horrors, Bella thinks that it is only justice that they are killed by their children. She hopes whatever Reg and Cissy have come up with, will begin with extensive use of the crutiatus curse on all their parents. She hopes that the adults that have brought them nothing but pain will beg with tears, blood, and snot pouring down their faces, she hopes that she will be the one to deliver the final strike.
“You haven’t heard the plan yet, only the idea.” Cissy whispers into her shoulder.
“Anything you and Star come up with will be brilliant.” She says quietly, just as Reg starts to speak.
*~*~*~*
Andromeda’s Pov:
Andromeda wishes her uncle, aunt and parents dead on a daily basis.
Sometimes the thoughts leak into her dreams, she’ll see herself strangling Orion with cold unforgiving hands. Watch as Mother and aunt Walburga foam at the mouth as they die from poison that Andromeda forced down their throats.
Her most vivid dream, using Crucio on father, holding a wand to his heart and laughing as he screams.
It scares her sometimes, the monster she can be, even if it’s only in her dreams.
But a part of her knows it is justified.
Most of her dreams have happened in real life, the only difference was…the victims.
She’s witnessed Orion strangle Sirius, stone faced, no remorse no mercy. He only stopped when Sirius was passed out with blue lips.
She’s heard fathers' laughter, cold, steady, cruel, as he holds a wand to her heart. She’s heard her own screams as Crucio is cast.
She’s heard Bella’s screams.
Cissa’s screams.
Reg’s screams.
Siri’s screams.
She’s heard them her whole life, all their screams ingrained in her memory. She hears them play on repeat in the dark hours of the night.
She wants them dead.
She doesn’t want her cousins and sisters to be thrown into Azkaban in the process.
She is not mad with Regulus and Narcissa for the crime they want to commit, she is mad with them for the fear of what would happen if they were caught.
*~*~*~*
Narcissa’s Pov:
She leans against Bella, her older sisters' arms wrapped around her tightly, as Reg begins to explain the plan.
“Andy just…listen. We’ve thought this through.” Regulus says, he stares at Meda with a combination of pleading and defiant.
“You can’t speak about stuff like this Regulus, you know what would happen if they found out!” Andy snaps, an angry frown on her face but Narcissa can see the worry in her eyes. “You didn’t even put up a silencing spell.”
“They’re out of the house until tomorrow, there was no need.” Reg replied with a huff.
“Kreacher could tell them.” Andy says.
“He wouldn’t.” Narcissa says firmly. “Kreacher loves me and Reg, he would rather die than betray us.”
Andromeda sighs and rubs her temples with her hands.
“Let us at least tell you the plan Andy.” Narcissa says looking at her sister with pleading eyes.
“We won’t bring it up again, if you just listen to the plan.” Reg adds.
Andy looks at them both in exasperation, and the shakes her head, “fine.”
“I want to know how you plan to kill them without landing us in Azkaban.” Sirius says, he’s been strangely quite the whole time, which is not like Siri at all.
“Let us tell you the whole plan, you can ask questions and pass judgement at the end.” Reg says surveying the room sternly.
Sirius nods in agreement, Andy buries her head in her hands and groans, Bella chuckles and says “sure Reg, you two have the stage.”
Reg looks over at her, she gives him a reassuring smile and he takes a deep breath and starts to speak. “Our plan is complex, and will most definitely be difficult to complete, but Cissa and I are confident that we will succeed. The bones of the plan are…we frame our mothers for the murder of our father’s, we get them imprisoned and then get them to drop dead in the holding cells at the ministry.” He says quickly almost scrambling the words in his haste.
“Oh Merlin.” Siri whispers all the colour drained from his face.
“There are three main stages to this plan.” Narcissa says, “Step one kill Orion and Cygnus, there are plenty of ways we can kill them…”
“Poison. Fire. Or we could just stab them a bit.” Regulus says thoughtfully, she supresses the urge to laugh at his nonchalant tone.
“I like the stabbing option.” Bella says with a slightly terrifying grin.
“The second step, we will have to subdue Walburga and Druella and plant false memories so they believe they were the ones to kill Orion and Cygnus.” She informs them in a voice that is extremely apathetic considering the subject of conversation.
“The memories we plant will be extremely detailed and we will also remove any memories of our involvement in the situation.” Her cousin says smoothly.
“We will frame them as crazy housewives who came up with a sloppy plan to murder their husbands, anyone who evaluates their memories will not find evidence to suggest otherwise.” She smiles. “Reg and I have perfected our use of obliviate.”
“Then we will administer a poison that Cissa and I created, it is extremely slow acting and will not kill them until they are safely in Ministry holding cells and far out of our reach so we cannot be blamed.” It took them months of work and testing to make it, in her opinion it's one of the most brilliant things they’ve ever made.
“Our poison will not show up on scanning spells, it is completely untraceable once it has been consumed.” She says, not bothering to keep the note of pride from her voice.
“It causes different effects depending on the dose- “Reg begins.
“We will give them each different dose; Walburga will get the symptoms of a severe head injury that will sadly make her drop dead and Druella will get the dose that makes her choke…to death.” She informs the room with a look of mock sadness on her face. Sirius is starting to look green; Andromeda has a look on her face that suggests she is trying (and failing) to not appear intrigued. Narcissa looks up at Bella, her older sister looks like she’s about to explode with pride, one arm still wrapped tightly around Narcissa.
“It will look like they have committed suicide, the ministry will think they’ve done it out of guilt or perhaps to avoid Azkaban…either way they will be dead.” Reg tells them smugly.
“After we give them the poison, I will send a distraught message to the aurors saying that we have found our father’s dead and that our mothers are at fault.” She says.
“The aurors will come and see that we are right. Then they will arrest Walburga and Druella, and we will be free of them.” Reg adds.
“Best of all, Bella is of age!” Narcissa says with a laugh.
“Why is that good?” Andy asked in bemusement.
“Because she will become the head of the house of black, our legal guardian and owner of the black fortune.” Reg states as he rolls his eyes dramatically as if Andy is stupid for not guessing it.
“Oh Cissy, Reg! you geniuses!” Bella shouts gleefully.
“Then we go to all the funerals and play the rolls of grieving orphans- “she gets cut off by Reg.
“Plan complete, our parents will be dead, we will be free, and they will be killed by the very things they created.” Reg says.
“We will now be open to questions and opinions.” Narcissa declares.
*~*~*~*
Regulus’s Pov:
No one speaks for a few minutes, they all simply stare at each other, for a while it seems like no one is breathing.
He wonders for a moment if they should have been a little more delicate in the delivery of their plan. He feels doubt gnawing in his chest, maybe he was wrong, maybe they won’t agree-
His spiralling thoughts are stopped when his brother speaks, “I want Walburga. I want to shove the poison down her throat.” He says in hushed voice, some of the colour returning to his face.
“She is yours to kill.” Regulus looks at his brother directly in the eyes, hoping to convey the depth of this particular statement. Mother for as long as he can remember treated Sirius the worst, it has always seemed like she took personal pleasure in watching his older brother break. Sirius does not break easily, he is a brave Gryffindor after all…and yet somehow Walburga manages to shatters him every time, there have been times where Regulus was sure they would not be able to piece him back together. So, it is only right that he should be the one to administer the thing that will be her undoing.
“Thankyou.” His brother moves over to hug him tightly. Usually Regulus does not tolerate hugs, but he lets it go this one time. Once Sirius pulls away, he says to no one in particular, “it’s a good plan, I’m in.”
“I have to say this is brilliant family bonding. Who knew plotting murder could bring us so close together.” Bella muses thoughtfully.
“Is that the only thing you have to say about two fifteen-year-olds creating a full plan for actual murder.” Andy says incredulously.
“Oh yes thanks for reminding me, Andy! Regulus and Narcissa Black, you are the most devious, intelligent, brilliant, teenagers on the planet. I have never been prouder than I am right now.” Bella tells them in a completely sincere tone, Regulus can’t help feeling a little pleased at the praise.
“Oh, for Merlin's sake, Bella. Your supposed to be the oldest.” Andy scoffs.
“Don’t act like you haven’t thought about killing them all the way dead, come on Andy you know they deserve even worse than what these two have planned.” Bella says indignantly. “I am simply supporting the little one's ideas. It's what any good soon-to-be-legal-guardian would do.”
“I am not ‘little’ Bella. Stop calling me that” He huffs in annoyance; he does not understand why Bella insists on referring to them as tiny children.
“Shut up Reg.” Narcissa kicks his shin sharply. “Thank you for your support, Bella, we appreciate it.”
“Shit!” He hisses through his teeth. “Really Cissa!”
“You were being an idiot.” She says with a smirk.
He honestly questions for a moment why he likes his family, maybe he should just run away to live with James or Lily, he’s sure they wouldn’t mind. They’ve both offered their homes as refuge for him quite a few times now, but he never accepted, maybe now is the time to change that.
“Meda are you in?” Cissa asks her frowning older sister.
“I…don’t know.” She sighs. “I need some time to think about it.”
Regulus knew that Andy would be the most difficult to convince, she’s is the one with the most restraint and sense out of all of them, he knows she wants their parents dead as much as they do, but he also knows she will be thinking about the consequences if they are caught.
“That’s fine Andy, but if we are going to do it, we need to take action by the end of the summer holidays. So could you make your decision by the end of the week?” it’s currently a Thursday so she has three days to make the choice. He thinks that is ample time to decide.
“I will have decided by then.” She says. “Now if you don’t mind, I’m going to retire to my room.” She stands up and looks at them sternly, “Do not plot murder in my absence.” And then she sweeps out of the room in a flurry of dark purple robes.
“We’re ignoring that last part, right?” Siri says with a smile.
“Sadly no. We promised not to unless everyone agreed.” Regulus said dejectedly.
“Andy will come around eventually she’s probably just worried about us ending up as prisoners of Azkaban.” Bella tells them with a wave of her hand as if she’s dismissing any other possibility.
“We can answer questions though.” Cissa says.
“Actually, I do have a question.” Sirius ventures, “How did you learn to modify memories.”
A grim smile appears on Regulus’s face that holds not a shred of amusement, he sees a similar expression on Cissa’s face. “Do you remember when Mulciber tried to attack Lily?”
Sirius’s face darkens with anger, “yes I remember.” He says gruffly.
“We decided as his punishment for what he did, he could be our test subject.” Narcissa informs them calmly. “It is easy to learn how to manipulate memories when you have no care for the well-being or sanity of the person you are using.”
“Are you two the reason he was mysteriously carted off to the Janus thicky ward?” his older brother asked with a smile.
“Maybe.” He says noncommittedly.
His brother laughs, “I love you, Reggie. You’re a little bit insane, but I love you.”
Regulus rolls his eyes, “all the best people are crazy.”
“Ha! I couldn’t agree more Reg.” Bella laughs.