Deliberations
The note was found in Sirius' bag this time. As usual, there was no way to identify the writer, but a pattern was beginning to emerge. And yet, Sirius was no closer to figuring out the writer's identity. Furthermore, Snape had become their living shadow. Wherever the Marauders went, Snape did as well. And he would wear a smirk whenever either Sirius or James looked in his direction, though he ignored the other two Marauders. It was almost like he knew something they didn't, and Sirius was itching to know what it was.
So he cornered him one day after class. And yet, despite his predicament, Snape was still smirking, rather widely.
"You know something about those letters, don't you?" Sirius demands, one hand curled into a fist.
"That is true, I do," Snape says, still smirking. "But I will not tell you or your friends. For one thing, it's not my secret to tell. For another, I don't converse with people who bullied me. Now if you would excuse me, I need to go to my next class or I will be late, and I don't want to get in trouble, unlike some people."
With that, he pushed his way past Sirius. He walked down the corridor and out of sight.
Sirius scowls and goes to join the Marauders, as right now, they have a free period. He finds them exactly where he expected to find them.
"Oh, Sirius, there has been a disappearance," James says.
"Who disappeared?"
"Regulus," James answered
And Sirius' whole world tilted sideways.
-x-
Two figures hurried towards the Whomping Willow, and the shorter one froze the tree, allowing them to enter the tunnel. It didn't take them long to reach the Shrieking Shack. Regulus was exactly where they left them, and they regarded him with twin frowns.
"Why have you brought me here?" Regulus demanded.
"To keep you safe," Snape says. "If we killed you, your brother will not stop until he finds out who we are, and we can't have that. Or rather, he can't have that. And since he is helping me do this, I am inclined to honor his wishes."
"You're...Carrow..." Regulus breathes.
"That's right," the other boy answers in a deep voice. "We have another reason we brought you here. We want you to join us and help destroy the Dark Lord's followers, root and stem, leaving him for last. Of course, I am a follower myself, so I too will need to be destroyed before the end. But I've already taken care of that, so don't you worry."
Regulus nods, making a decision.
The two proceed to leave, closing the door behind them, with a promise to come get him the next night.
-x-
The polyjuice finally wore off, and he shifts back to himself. He still had enough left over to pull this off. And it was necessary as well. Regulus couldn't know who he really was, as he could tell Sirius once freed, which was a risk he couldn't afford to take.
They gathered at their usual place, and he watched Sirius intently the whole time. He noticed the worry etched on Sirius' face, and something inside him clenched. Sirius never cared about him to an extent he cared about Regulus, or his other two friends.
He stamped those thoughts down. Such thoughts were dangerous. They destroyed everything once, and he wouldn't let that happen again.
Snape walks up to them once again, and just hovers there, smirking. He shakes his head, telling him to stop provoking Sirius. Snape nods and retreats, but not before smirking at Sirius one more time.