Chapter 8
As his eyes closed, he held his wand to Regulus’s shirt, with a hushed spell he changed his appearance. Blonde hair, brown eyes, no freckles. And as he fell to his knees with his friend in his arms, he could only concentrate on the small scar on his cheek. His eyes closed finally, the voices around muffled as his friend was pulled from him once more.
And he thought, if Sirius was behind this, then he’s going to be more than dead.
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Freezing water was all he felt, he tried to move, get away from the cold that ran down his body, but he couldn’t. He opened his eyes, his vision blurred but for a concentrated moment he could see the chains that circled his wrists. The metal that shined from the light above him that swayed slightly, not making his blurred vision any better.
“Wakey wakey.”
One of the men taunted, Barty could hardly think as his head rolled back hitting the chair. His eyes widened with every blink, “Morning already?” He grumbled, moving his legs around, only his arms were restrained.
“We have a lot of questions.” His neck closed in as he looked forwards, a man who clearly thought he was in charge stood in front of him.
“I’m thrilled- come up with them all on your own, did you?” He questioned, “And just for me?” Even with his restricted movements he managed to move both his hands to point to himself.
“Please,” The man rolled his eyes. “These questions were for someone higher up in the Death Eaters. Just no others turned up to that pathetic ‘funeral’”
“I knew this was going to be a hostile conversation- you did open up with kidnapping so can’t say I didn’t know better.” He shrugged as he shook his head.
“What does he want with old ruins?” His clipped question made Barty giddy, the man was annoyed.
“He?..” He said slowly, looking around as if he was thinking about it really hard.
“Don't be smart with me.” The man held his anger in through a clenched jaw. “Your Dark Lord.” He specified as he leaned on the chair arms.
“I have no idea who you're on about. Maybe if I had a name...?”
“What is he doing collecting the relics of ancient?”
Barty leaned closer, “Who?”
“He who shall not be named.”
“Well if he doesn’t have a name, how would I know who he is?” He leaned back, the man walked forwards again. “Or what he’s doing?”
“Stop!- Tryna be smart.” His hand grabbed onto the chair, leaning over as he invaded Barty’s space. “You are going to tell us his plans.”
He took a deep breath, thinking intensely. “..Whose plan?-”
“You know exactly who I’m talking about!”
“Well apparently he doesn’t have a name- how do you even know it’s a guy?- I mean-”
“Voldemort!” Only the man's ragged breaths could be heard in the room, as he huffed, he realised what he said and moved back slightly.
Barty quickly said, “Well you should have just said that.” As he shrugged his shoulders, keeping the man's attention on him as he stared intensely. “And thank you.” He told him sincerely as he leaned back in his chair.
The man was confused, “Thank you? - for what?”
“Your wand.” Came an answer from the doorway, Barty used the distraction to send the man in front of him flying. Regulus, still stood at the door, used his wand to cut two slices. One into each torso of the men behind him. Barty was just glad his balls had finally dropped, Regulus's old squeaky voice would have doubled his headache.
“I had that- why didn’t they start with you.” He moved the wand to his chains but before he could cast a spell the wand was flying out of his hand as it stung. “What the fuck- “ He sword towards his friend, “What are you doing?”
“I think you mean, thank you.” Regulus walked into the light fully, his hair still blonde but the rest of his features returned to normal.
“Thank you- untie me- what the fuck did you do to get Grimmauld place burnt down- why'd you fake your death- why are auror’s kidnapping us-” That last one may be his fault... “There’s a lot for me to say right now, how about we start with the untying?” He rattled the chains against the chair, but Regulus just stared.
“How do I know you aren’t with them?”
Is he...
“You fucking- with them? with them??” He shouted out, a laugh turned into a shocked gasp. “Let me just- the people that just fucking kidnapped me, those people? You’re asking if I’m working with them?” Regulus should be glad he’s tied up.
“Maybe it was a ploy.”
“A ploy! Maybe- you have fucking trust issues! Work through them, please, quickly.” He pressed forwards, the chains rattling again as he tried to move around.
Regulus stood straight quickly, his head turning to the door. Would he actually leave him there? He’s not that much of an arsehole… is he?!
Then he was gone, through the door and casting spells. Barty couldn’t see what was happening, could barely guess either. What sounds like wood clattered to the ground, followed by a dull thud down the hall way. He guessed that was a body, from the muffled groan he’d argue he was right.
A flashed blinded him from the corridor, then a war cry and Regulus was the one groaning. He pulled on the chains, it didn’t budge but he could still hear the fight outside. A zip sounded through the air and a body slammed into the wall once more, he pulled on the chains but they wouldn’t move.
Looking around, on the dirtied floor he saw the wand he had stolen, as the light above him swayed again a badge on the dead body next to it glistened. He’d know that anywhere. He groaned as he forced his body to the side with enough force to make the chair fall, allowing his hand to grab the wand and with a dirtied hand undid the chains.
He scrambled up from the floor and swung out of the door, “Hey!” He shouted out as he held the chains in his hands like weapons. But the site wasn’t what he expected. One Auror was down at the end of the corridor, the other stood feet from him with a wand to Regulus’s throat who was backed into a wall. Smiling. He was smiling. With a wand to his throat. He’s crazy.. But he’s smiling, not too bad of a compromise.
“Who are you?” They asked, Barty had the same fucking question.
“Regulus. Regulus Black.” He attacked, taking the wand from the man's hands and turning it onto him. He didn’t use a spell, there was no magic, he plunged the wand into the man's throat and he held it there until he was on his knees.
As blood dropped from the end of the wand that stuck out the back of his throat, he doesn’t remember the last time Regulus had spoken his name with conviction, like he wanted it.
He pulled the wand out of the man, the flesh squelched as blood continued to pour out of him. He was insane, definitely. He was also effective and kind of hot.. Then he reached over and tried to give Barty the wand, now he was disgusting. “No.” Adamantly, he shook his head as he walked back into the room to look through the man's pockets.
“Didn’t think you minded a little blood.” Regulus called out from behind him, he rolled his eyes as he grabbed the two wands from the man's belt.
Throwing Regulus his own wand and keeping his own. “I’m not using someone else’s wand.” They stared at each other, bodies surrounded them but it was the questions that lurked. Answers instead of ghosts that haunted. “So, I’m not an auror. You aren’t either, unless this is your way of catching up-“ He waved towards the opened door, the bodies inside. “Consider me caught.”
Regulus just stared, it was more calculated than before.
“Really, I get it- no witnesses right? I mean, this was technically self-defence, they kidnapped us first.” He nodded, Regulus just continued to stare at him. “Was that enough time for you to work through the trust issues or are you gonna try and kill me?”
He rolled is eyes, it’s better then staring, he’ll take it. “If I was going to kill you it’d be so you’d shut up.”
Barty smiled, “Like all these dead auror’s- I feel wounded.” With a hand on his chest he followed Regulus, who was already walking away.
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He debated how trustworthy Barty was, he had joined Voldemort. Had the mark to prove it, he didn’t know how deep that loyalty ran, when his loyalty for Regulus got muddled. He couldn’t shake the anger he felt as he collapsed, it lingered horribly under his skin.
“You gonna tell me what the fuck is happening now?”
‘Impatient,’ Regulus thought. He didn’t want to explain himself, explain what he was doing. Not to anyone, not to Barty. Maybe he did have trust issues, Barty didn’t have to call him out like that. “No, are you going to be quiet?” He looked back to ask, a black wave fell into his vision, thank merlin his hair was back to normal.
“Not even in your dreams.” He rolled his eyes at the response, the only time Barty would show up while he slept would be a nightmare. They walked through abandoned hallways, boxes and crates filled them, dusty and rotten. “Where are we?”
As he asked, a light shined from under a door to their left, quickly Regulus stalked forwards to open it. Just as quickly slamming it shut and turning around. “What?” Barty went to open the door himself.
“Don’t.” He held the door shut, the voices he could hear increasing.
“What- where are we?” He asked, stepping away from the door. The voices were close, too close.
He grabbed Barty by the front of his shirt and pulled him into the closest room, darkness encased them and Regulus shushed him quickly. They moved away from the door, without sight they took wary and small steps away. The muffled voices now came from where they stood before, with a murmur Barty cast a silencing charm. “Where are we?”
Regulus breathed easier, “The ministry.” He answered, the next step he took kicked something soft. Barty must have felt the same thing as the next spell was an illuminating one, they both looked down. “That one wasn’t me.” He defended as they both looked at the dead body they had stumbled upon.
“We’re at the ministry?” Barty clarified, bending down to look at the body. “Wait this- this is.. oh fuck.” He looked up at Regulus, “Do you know who this is?” Barty’s voice raised with the question.
“Why do I care who it is?” He looked around the room instead, shelves of dusty boxes surrounded them.
“This is Alaster Moody. Decorated Auror, powerful enough to go toe to toe with you- Voldemort himself probably.” As Barty spoke he looked between him and the body on the floor.
“Then how’s he dead in the basement of the Ministry?” Barty looked back at the body, he started to turn it and look through the clothes. “What are you doing?”
“Don’t you fucking see?” He turned the body to see the back, looking under the large leather jacket he swore. “Shit. Regulus- fucking think. This building is for the light side, surrounded by Auror’s, Dumbledore’s secret fucking army- how the fuck do you think this happened?”
So much swearing. “Maybe he asked Dumbledore too many logical questions.” Regulus replied, Barty swore again.
“Look at this shot, it’s from the back. Who’d he turn his back on?” Barty gestured with his hands, trying to get Regulus to answer but he only shrugged. “Someone he trusted. Voldemort has to have a traitor on the light side.”
“I didn’t know your 12th O.W.L was ‘Advanced speculation.’” He drawled, “Putting that aside we need to get out of here.”
“What the fuck- I didn’t think it was actually like, like an actual..”
While Barty had his mental break down Regulus moved around the room, away from the decaying body.
“Like this is- is proper war strategy. Like dismantling the government strategy- how many spies does he have? Are they just there to kill people- Regulus, he has to be planning something. You don’t do all of this to- to only hate muggles. He’s going after other wizards. He- he’s going to start a war.”
Wait until he finds out about the immortality and horcruxes. There was no other way out, they were stuck. “Would you join him? If he did.”
He sucked in a breath, a sharp laugh coming out as he stood. “I’m all for violence but I didn’t sign up for a war.”
“What did you sign up for?”
“For you! For Evan! I signed up for you guys!” He pulled a hand down his face as Regulus stared. That was a new level of co-dependency. “You obviously aren’t with Voldemort, you obviously didn’t die in a fire- I am so far in the dark I couldn’t point at my own body. You’re either clueing me in- right now! Or I’m leaving you here.”
“You’re threatening me?” He bit back harshly.
“Yea- I am. So either tell me or I’m aparating out of here and you can try to deal with this alllllll on your own!” He sung, his arms crossed as he stood waiting.
Given that he didn’t have a choice, Regulus will have to tell him, maybe kill him afterwards too.
“Horcruxes. You know them?” He asked, the voices outside the in the hallway returned. The sound of doors opening made them both look but Barty turned back to stare at him. “Barty-“
“Horcruxes, I know them yea.”
He huffed a harsh breath. “Voldemort made them, tortured a friend while he hid one.” Through a clenched jaw he explained, his anger rising and then falling with each door that opened outside.
“So you went after it? Destroyed it?” He questioned.
“Yea, figured out he has more-“ The door next to them opened.
“More? More than one?”
“Yes. Four more.”
“Four?!” The door opposite opened.
“Barty!” Regulus called out and he walked forwards quickly.
He moved a crate to hide the body on the floor before saying, “Hope you worked through your trust issues.” The taunt made him want to strike but he didn’t have time as Barty pulled him in and apparated them out before the door could open fully.
They landed on hard-wood floors, Regulus pushed him away quickly. “I can’t believe you did that. You’re a fucking bitch.”
“A smart bitch.” Barty said back, moving around the room towards the open kitchen.
“Where are we?” Where will you die? He wanted to ask.
“My apartment.” Barty said back, taking a glass and filling it with water before taking big gulps. “Horcruxes? Multiple?-“ Came his breathless questions.
“I did say that, yes.” He couldn’t lift his wand to him. ‘He became a Death Eater for me?’
“Yea but I didn’t have time to process in the moment.”
“That moment just happened.”
“And I’m processing it now!” He shouted, his head falling into his hands afterwards. They stayed like that for a few minutes, Regulus allowing Barty time to go through it all. “So, that’s why you’re ‘dead’?” He asked, “Hiding from Voldemort?”
“He sent people after me, thought it’d be better to get him off my back for a while. So I made them think I died.” He sat down on the sofa, uncomfortable and blue as he tried to get comfy. “What were you on about with a fire?”
Barty popped back into the room, dropping a newspaper onto the small coffee table before plopping next to him on the sofa.
He read through it, “But Orion’s not dead?” He read through it more, “Did you really think I was dead from this?” Incredulously, he asked.
He rolled his eyes, “No- Bellatrix told me. More like questioned.” He mumbled, rubbing his eyes. “Multiple Horcruxes?” He turned to him as he asked.
Regulus huffed, “Process quicker.”
“Like you did with your trust issues?”
“Shut the fuck up.”
They stayed in silence for a while more, Barty thinking and processing. Hopefully. Regulus thought himself, more about where he’s going to go from here.
“So… we’re going after Voldemort?”
So co-dependent.