attack attack
They practically slept at a library one night, sneaking in after hours and going through all the books. Barty found the Marvolo grave, a black and white picture in an obituary described a family man, one of honour and respect.
“He was buried near their land.” Pulling out a small map he pointed east, “Which is now Norwich.”
“That’s not far from here.” Regulus whispered.
“We could have gone there today, you know- if you could aparate.”
“Fuck you-“ His chair scrapped against the floor as Barty continued to lean on the desk.
He didn’t back down, instead his eyes were investigating. “Still have those little freckles.” Regulus’s scowl stayed but as Barty brought up a hand to touch his cheek he moved away.
“I don’t need to fucking aparate everywhere.”
“You gonna walk to Norwich?”
“I’ll get to kill more Death Eater’s that way wont I?”
“I mean it’ll definitely up the probability- yea.” He nodded, “Or you could just learn how to aparate now?”
Books forgotten as they started the impromptu lesson, Barty was surprisingly peaceful. He had expected shouting, fights. Regulus doesn’t know if that’s what he’s used to or if he thought Barty would be like that.
They spend hours in the dimly lit library aparating from one side to the other, Regulus concentrating on his magic and using up his strength to do it. Barty would praise him, not like any normal person though. “It’s annoying how easy you pick things up.” He’d say, but Regulus didn’t have time to waste learning this. “You’re like a horse to an apple.” Whatever that meant.
“When those auror’s took us, they didn’t ask you any questions right?”
He had been sitting on the floor, out of breath when he asked. “No. They asked you.”
He smiled, “Smarty pants.” The library around them was destroyed, books around the floor with pages ripped out and fallen shelves surrounded them. “They asked about ancient ruins.” His eyes look back at the books, “Ancient ruins come with artifacts, magical items- Regulus, he might be more powerful than you think. Putting aside the horcruxes he has.” He didn’t smile, not anymore.
“Then I’ll find that and figure out how to beat him, I can beat him.” He stood from the floor, wiping his trousers with his hand.
“What if you can’t?” Barty questioned, “Why do you have to beat him? Leave him for someone else.”
He recoiled, “Someone else? Someone stronger?” Barty had stood now as they both looked at each other. “Do you think I’m weak?” He harshly whispered the question.
“I don’t think you’re weak.” He argued, “But Voldemort isn’t either. The only person he fears is Dumbledore- would you fight Dumbledore?”
He hadn’t actually thought about that, “If I was forced.” He would definitely fight Dumbledore.
“But you aren’t being forced! Regulus, you can chose to not do this.”
“Exactly! I’m choosing to do this. Me- Barty, I am.”
“You’re not doing this to get on the good side of the ‘good side’.” He quoted and Regulus thought about it, really thought.
“Everyone-“ A laugh bubbles out of him. “Everyone is going to hate what I’m doing. My family- Walburga is going to hate I’m betraying them. Sirius- Dumbledore is going to hate me for the same thing. Every side is going to hate me for what I’m doing, because of who I am and how I’m gonna to do it.” He sees Barty’s own smile start and he can’t help how wide his gets.
“And I fucking love thinking about how angry they’re going to be when I finally kill that bastard.” He might’ve look insane, but he felt great. So who’s to say he’s so wrong for that? “I’m not asking you to help me, follow me down this path-“
“You didn’t fucking have to.” Barty laughed, “You think you’re the only one with boiling anger? I’m pretty sure I came out my mum punching the nurses.” They laughed surrounded by the broken library. “If you want Death Eater’s to kill, you only had to ask.”
Hours later, back at the apartment they washed the smell of blood and burnt flesh from their clothes. Barty was howling, kneeling on the floor when they’d got back. Regulus had left the dark mark in the sky, right above the burning bodies of Death Eater’s. A little warning for Voldemort.
When they had eaten, toast and pasta, they sat on the same couch once more. “I found something else earlier.” He put a crumpled paper in between the bowls, “Marvolo, his last name was Gaunt.”
The house that descended from Salazar himself. “Is that why he chose his grave? To show appreciation for Salazar?”
“No.” Barty leaned forwards to point further down, “Marvolo had two children, son and daughter.” The page was frail, stained but it showed a daughter under him.
Regulus shook his head, “It wasn’t recorded he had a daughter.”
“Because when she was older, she married a muggle.” Of course her existence would be wiped after something like that.
“So he chose Marvolo for praise then?”
“Not quite.”
He rolled his eyes. “If you know just spit it out.”
“They had a son together,” He brough out another paper. “Tom Marvolo Riddle. Last Gaunt and descendant of Salazar.” He watched the unmoving picture of a young boy as Barty began to write; ‘I am Voldemort.’
He turned and blandly told him. “You aren’t Voldemort Barty.”
“What? Are you dumb? Did dying scramble your brain?” He moved the papers around, “Fucking look- you change the name Tom Marvolo Riddle and what do you get?”
‘I am Voldemort.’
He stared at the paper, at the boy who had caused so much chaos.
“I didn’t know how you’d react before, you know-“
“He’s a half-blood.” Regulus interrupted. “Voldemort.. is a half-blood.” Slowly he repeated it.
For a second the tension was sharp, he doesn’t know if he was that tired or that surprised. But he laughed. Barty weakly laughing next to him, “You okay Reg? I didn’t tell you before because you’ve got this whole homicidal- borderline suicidal thing going on-“
“He’s a half-blood!” Regulus continued to laugh, Barty decided to just keep quiet. “He has every pureblood family in his grasp- preaching about blood purity to them, having them bend over backwards to take back the wizarding world- and he’s a half-blood!” Barty clearly didn’t find the irony as funny as Regulus did.
“My mothers going to have the break-down of her life when she hears that.” He stutters through the sentence and as his laughter dies down he really thinks about it. Properly processes it. “He’s a half-blood.”
Barty flicked his wand to make the bowls move to the sink, “I believe you’ve said that already.”
“No. Barty- he’s a half-blood.”
“We did just learn this yes.”
“Fuck off- can’t you.. this- he’s-“
“A half-blood?” Barty blandly finished.
“He’s a fucking half-blood!” Regulus shouted, throwing his hands in the air. “Contradicting little snake bastard- what the actual fuck? Can’t he hate himself like a normal fucking person instead of making it everyone else’s problem?”
“Maybe it’s true that Salazar’s soul is born into each descendent.” He shrugged. Shrugged. As if Voldemort wasn’t a blood purity preaching half-blood.
“That’s a myth.” He scoffed.
“So were horcruxes at one point.”
“He might be a descendent of him but to actually think he’s got a part of Salazar’s soul in him, Barty.” He rolled his eyes, “This doesn’t change anything.”
He stewed in silence, anger which had been quiet was now screaming.
“You thinking how great it’ll be to kill the last living member of the Gaunt family?”
“I don’t care what loose hole his massive head crawled out of.” The little boy in the photo didn’t advert him from wanting Voldemort dead. His dead stare forwards surrounded by smiling parents, maybe he was born wrong. He looked like death personified. It didn’t matter, he’d get what’s coming to him. “He’s dying either way.”
That night, like most others memories swirled in his mind. Of him drowning, held down by cold hands that scratched his skin. Left bruising impressions. A venomous green mist surrounded him as one by one flashes of people electrified him. The angrier he got, the more mist followed. It choked him, like the water. He couldn’t breath- he couldn’t-
A hand grabbed his shoulder, it burned. Uncomfortable, almost physical pain made him scream out. He backed away, off the couch, breathing heavily as he wiped his shoulder again and again. Moving away from everything and anything that touched him. “Reg?”
He doesn’t want to drown. Why is everything touching him? Off. Off.
“Regulus.” Barty stayed by the kitchen, trying to get his attention. “Just calm down alright? Water- do you want-“
His breath stuttered harshly, “No water- no- no, no, no, no-“ He hated water.
“Okay.” He agreed, “Okay.” They simply stayed still, existing as Regulus pulled himself together. “Wanna talk about it?” His side eye from where he was crouched seemed to say enough. “This about your new collection of scars? Got to say not the best decision you’ve made.”
It’s not the worst scar his body has. “Shut up.” He managed to hiss at the attempted joke. Barty wasn’t made to comfort and Regulus wasn’t made to be comforted, they made the perfect pair. “Paper.” A weak hand was held out and Barty moved to get a small notepad into his hand. The witches face was more clear in his dream, with a shaking hand he drew a portrait.
A Diadem sat on her head as she screamed. Her oval face, long nose and cupids bow were sketched easily. Her long blonde hair hard to draw in black and white but the shadows in her haunted beauty were easier.
When he stopped to look back, Barty leaned in to look. “She’s who has a horcrux?”
“That’s it.” He pointed to the tiara on her head, Barty quietly looked at it. “D’you know it?”
He shook his head slightly, “I duno, just think I’ve seen it before.” His sleepy whisper was accompanied by a sigh, “It’s too early for this, can we keep the murder-horcrux talk till after twelve?”
Regulus looked to the side, the small clock that was hung in the corner of the room. “It is twelve.”
“Fucking four then, I don’t know I’m tired.” He flopped onto the couch, “Cuddle?” He pouted with his arms out.
“In my nightmares.” He stood from the floor.
“You dreamt about cuddling me last night?” Barty asked as he made his way to the kitchen. “All you had to do was knock, Reg. There’s a lot I’m down for.” He could hear the grin on his annoying face between the half wall.
“Shut up Barty.”
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Do you think I could get a motorbike?” Marlene wondered, leaning over the kitchen island.
Dorcas sat on a stool across from her, “You don’t know how to drive.” She reminded her girlfriend.
“No- a magic one. Like Sirius has.”
“Because Sirius has one?” She playfully asked.
“Because they’re cool.” She corrected. “I need to redo my nails.” She pouted and held out her hand, the fake red nails only barely starting to grow out. She gasped, “I should make magic ones- isn’t that an amazing idea?”
“Fake nails?” Dorcas asked, sipping her coffee.
“No, magic fake nails. Like ones where they just stick on and you can change the colour whenever you want! Ugh- I need Lily here, she’d help me make them. Make a marketing strat and everything.”
“You should do it.” She watched as Marlene looked at her nails, a smile on her face. “I’m sure Lily wouldn’t mind being an entrepreneur.”
With a cheeky smile she leaned forwards again, “You know I’d need someone to practice on.” Slowly she looked at Dorcas.
“Is this just a trap to do my nails?”
“What?” She asked slowly, looking around the room. “Did you look into Mary?” Looking over her nails she watched Dorcas high-pitched exhale.
“Ahhh.” The mug hit the counter, “I’ve been busy picking up books and I had to go see Alastor-“
“You could have said something to him. Why did you need to visit him anyway?” There wasn’t an answer as she stared. “Well?”
“It’s complicated.”
“I can deal with complicated.” Marlene replied quickly, “Is it Lily?” Dorcas started to shake her head, “I know she’s the one you’ve been talking to. If you know something, tell me. It doesn’t just affect her- it’s James as well- Harry.”
“I know it’s not just her in danger- I’m trying to help as best I can.”
She stands up with a sigh, “I can’t lose them, not like this.” Her voice was determined, she’d probably fight all the Death Eaters alone if it meant they’d all be safe. “I can’t lose you.”
Dorcas stood from the stool and made her way around the island, “I can’t lose you either.” Taking her hand she whispered back.
“Then stop pushing me away,” Marlene took her hand and put it to her chest. “Tell me what’s going on, all those plans you have knocking around in there.” She looked above her eyes.
She couldn’t help the smile, Marlene only followed plans if they were Quidditch ones. “You want to hear my plans? All of them?”
“I’d bloody read them at this point.” They laughed together, “We have to be in this together.”
She nodded, letting her forehead fall against Marlene’s. “You’re right.”
Marlene was about to speak before their door was blown away. Dorcas had her wand in hand as the Death Eaters crawled in, she protected them both as spells were thrown. Marlene moved around the island for more protection before she started to fire back, “What the fuck?” She looked at Dorcas who had moved around the corner to a corridor.
The startled expression mirrored her own, she looked around the island only to immediately get a spell thrown at her. Dorcas retaliated behind her, “Why are they here?” She questioned over the noise, the destruction of their flat.
“If you don’t leave- right fucking now!” Marlene shouted out as the spells stopped. “I’ll castrate you all myself!”
They laughed in their living room, “She is feisty.” Dorcas heard one of them say, with an impossible speed she hurled a spell at one of the Death Eaters that were laughing. They quickly stopped.
“I decorated that fucking living room.” Marlene hissed, sending another spell towards them before flinching away.
“You bought one couch pillow.” Dorcas reminded her, trying to pick off another Death Eater to no avail.
“Same thing.” She huffed, spells constantly flying so she couldn’t peak around the corner anymore. “This is pissing me off!” She shouted again. “I was doing so good at being civil.”
Dorcas tried to assess the situation, at least four more stood in the living room but they were moving now. Trying to get closer. Before she could speak about a plan, Marlene was throwing her shoe into the air, it got vaporised. Then she stood up, quickly firing spells, Dorcas could barely get a shield up fast enough as one came barrelling over to her.
Crouched down again Marlene smiled, “Got one.” But her shoulder started to bleed from a shallow cut.
Dorcas stared, in horror or fascination she didn’t know, she could have just died. “Please at least try to dodge next time.”
She turned to stare at her. “Good thing you said- I was about to just stand up and let them hit me!” As if that wasn’t what she had just done. “I’m going again- protect me.”
Dorcas couldn’t even argue against it before she crouched around the corner, “Marls-“ She managed to deflect one of the spells that were heading straight for her, she was about to scream before Marlene turned back with a smirk.
“Two left.”
Her eye twitched. “Just get the blonde.” Any comments were out as one of the Death Eater’s growled. They were after Marlene, why?
The McKinnon’s were a powerful family, out of all of them who stood strong with the Order. The McKinnon’s, Potter’s, Dearborn’s and Longbottom’s were the most powerful pureblood families on their side. However, that information was not given out lightly. The fact they were here for Marlene proves more now that there’s a traitor in the Order.
And they just betrayed Marlene. The second biggest mistake they’ve made.
“Alright- can we make a plan first? Before you try and kill yourself again?” Dorcas shouted above another barrel of spells.
“Just take them down, why do we need a plan?” Was the terrifying reply. “Oh!- Let’s compromise- I’ll get the right you get the left!”
Life or death situation and Dorcas has to compromise for strategy. “Marl-“ She was already standing up. Grey. She’s turning grey.
Peaking, Dorcas blocked a spell for Marlene and quickly sent the man flying. Looking over at Marlene she wonder’s how many more times she’ll have to save her life? At the satisfied smirk she’s looking at, she thinks too many to guess.
“We need to leave,” Dorcas made her way to their bedroom. “They wont be down long, pack a bag.” In her own she packed a spare outfit, food and filled their water bottles up. While quietly going through the kitchen one of the Death Eaters started to stir from the noise below them. More of them coming probably.
She made her way back to the bedroom, shutting the door. “You ready?” She asked, as Marlene was putting more clothes in her bag.
“All packed,” She sighed as she put the bag over her shoulders. “Can’t we just- you know.” She raked a thumb over her neck.
“We don’t kill Marlene.” She whispered back.
“Who would know?”
“We would. We would know.”
“It’d be self-defence.”
“We can defend ourselves to safety and not murder.” There whispered conversation was interrupted with footsteps and magical bursts in the living room. “We need to go.” Dorcas grabbed Marlene to aparate them out when she shouted out.
“Wait!” She ran across to the closet, to her stupid stupid red leather jacket.
“Really? The jacket?”
“It’s my signature look, I can’t go-“
The wall exploded next to them, the force made Dorcas slam into the opposite bricks. Her breath so forced from her lungs that the shout for Marlene was nothing but an exhale. Dust covered the floor coursing her to cough out. When her eye sight cleared she saw two men, Death Eater’s, standing over Marlene.
She tried to shout but it was only coughs that escaped her, her hand searched for her wand. It was lost, she couldn’t find it. They raised their own, standing over her still- so still- body. A silver mask titled up to look at her; brown, soulless eyes stared through the holes above the skull like grin.
“Don’t kill her yet,” She knew that giddy voice, the hair on her arms raised. “Why don’t we have some fun.” That laugh, nobody would forget that wicked cackle. Bellatrix Black.
When her wand clashed against the tips of her fingers she could almost cry. Despite the pain she threw her arm over and sent a spell so dark, she hoped Bellatrix had flashbacks to childhood. Her next was a fog, she used to it move, ignoring the spells sent as she made her way to a waking Marlene.
As soon as she grabbed her arm she aparated them. Familiar hardwood floors changed to soft grass and clean crisp air filled their lungs. Their first breaths making a mist in the air, they took a moment to breath. She helped Marlene to sit up, her head bleeding still but they weren’t alone standing on the cliffside. The only light from a flickering candle that hung above them, she didn’t know whether to fight or talk. She hesitated to do either.
“Hello again Dorcas.” His smile was wide but all she could focus on was who stood next to him. “Beautiful as always.” The thumbs up felt like a joke.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” Marlene didn’t bother to wait for an answer as she fired, the limp spell blocked with an eyeroll. “You’re dead.” Her confusion was shared, he was supposed to be six feet under not six feet tall.
“That surprised to see us?” He was enjoying it, the surprise. What the fuck is happening?
Marlene turned to her, “Why’d you bring us to a farm?” Dorcas wished she was concussed. “Pig pens over there, losers.” She pointed to a random direction as Pandora did not own pigs.
Dorcas hadn’t looked away from him, from how much he’s changed. She thought they couldn’t change anymore, become someone she didn’t know again but they had. They’d done it again, blindsided her completely. He stared at her, blue eyes instead of brown but they shared a name didn’t they?
There previous friendship meant nothing. She lifted her wand, “I don’t know what you’re doing here,” standing in front of Marlene Barty raised his hands. “But you either leave or I will make you.”
“Dorcas, please. Didn’t you find out I was telling the truth about so and so?” He rolled his fingers around, she didn’t care though. “If we were going to hurt you, surely it’d have been at the welcome home party. I do know where you live- why’d we attack you here?” He shook his head.
“Maybe you were here for Pandora.”
“Wh- Pandora? You think we’d come here to attack her? She’d see us coming weeks away, first of all, second; Pandora? Her house is probably just a massive trap with the amount of object’s she probably has around. I’d get cursed opening the door!” He shouted and pointed at the door.
Regulus hadn’t stopped staring, when she looked at him he didn’t look away. Not like she was expecting him to.
“We came here for her help.” She almost swore out loud with how much his voice changed. Like, what the fuck. Jesus Christ.
“Woah.” She looked back to see Marlene’s head bobbing back and forth. Yea woah.
“Oh yea, listen cass you’ll love this-“ Barty’s giddy demeanour is very out of place. “So Reggie here is on a quest to destroy these items Tommy made, that make him immortal, so he can kill him as a fuck you to everyone around him because he’s a spiteful little shit. Tommy is Voldemort by the way, we discovered some of the horcruxes- the items-“
“Wait. Wait. Wait.” She put her hand up as the information was thrown at her. “You- you’re- what the fuck?”
“I agree,” Regulus turned to him. “I knew all of that and that was a lot.” Barty nodded, taking the information in, like actually listening. What the fuck was happening?
“So, what didn’t you understand?”
“How about fucking all of it?” She shouted back, the noise must have woken them up because the door unlocked next to them.
As it opened Pandora stood there, “What’s with the noise?” Concerned, her soft voice whispered as she looked around. “Watch the door when you come in,” She started to walk into the house. “It does curse.” She turned around the eye Barty.
Dorcas wasted no time helping Marlene stand to get her in the house. “You do anything out of line and I’ll have your hand.” She sneered at the both of them.
“As long as it’s not my wanking hand.” Barty shrugged, following after them.
"Shoud've seen me Panda, was so civil." Marlene started to mumble as Pandora helped put her on the couch, "Made compromises and everything, was so chill." Was she? Dorcas looked over to her friend. "Didn't get jealous once, mhm."
"Very good, Marlene. You did very good." She put a hand on her head and tapped it lightly as Marlene put up an arm and slurred out a, "Woop woop."
Confusion felt like her new home, "What?" She questioned but Pandora was already leaving the room. "What did she mean? Marlene?" Her hand came down to clash against her cheek, poking at her eyebrow and eye, "Pandora? What'd she mean?" She didn't get an answer and her attention was now on the two Death Eater's that stood awkwardly in the living room.
"You don't think the couch would curse me, do you?" Barty's comments were going to drive her insane.
"Just fucking sit down and start talking."