Recruiting for the dark lord
Today the marauders had made it to breakfast on time. The daily mail came and the owls left again. Sirius received a letter...how unusual.
"Oh" Sirius muttered just as Regulus arrived at the Gryffindor table
"You got one as well?" He asked the older boy
"Yap" Sirius admitted
"What's up?" Remus concerned
"Nothing important" Sirius quickly answered
Remus looked worried but also hurt. His hurt must have been visible on his face.
"Remus, I'll tell you later" Sirius assured, "I promise"
"Sirius" Regulus tried to get his brothers attention
"Will we meet with the girls?" Sirius inquired
"Definitely" Regulus agreed
"I'll get Andi" the older brother proclaimed
"I can get Cissy and Bella" Regulus added
"Alright, we'll meet where?" Sirius questioned
"Eat quick, leave lunch early and we'll meet in the library" Regulus suggested
"Fine with me..." Sirius accepted
"Good" Regulus said his goodbyes
Sirius nodded.
Lunch came and Sirius made an effort to eat quickly.
"Sirius" Remus asked
"Hm"
"Sirius you promised you'd tell me" Remus cleared up
"Huh?" Sirius looked confused, face stuffed with food
"What's with the letter, your meeting with your brother and cousins?" Remus was getting impatient
"Ohh yeah" Sirius prepared,
"So...every once in a while my mother sends out letters to all of the young people in the family, me and my cousins. The letter tells us about how great it'd be if we just joined the dark lord." Sirius explained
"Oh" Remus was baffled
"Yeah, Bella- sorry Bellatrix is already kind of interested in joining and Regulus is still somewhat impressionable. So when we get these letters we speak about them, as a family." He continued
"Wow" Remus sighed, "I didn't expect that"
"Yeah I know" Sirius agreed
"Sirius" Remus whispered
"What?" Sirius replied
"I think your brother is getting impatient" Remus proposed
"Oh, shit" Sirius called out, "erm, I'll see you in..."
"Magical History" Remus added
"Yeah exactly"
_______________________________________________
The Blacks occupied a far corner of the library where they most likely wouldn't be disturbed by anyone. Bellatrix was pacing around in the little room that they had.
"I'm saying he should join" Bellatrix stated
"And I'm saying you're delusional, Bella!" Sirius declared
"Regulus won't join! I refuse to accept it" Narcissa interjected
"Why?" Regulus asked, "it's not like I'm a little kid that needs to be told how to do everything anymore."
"Regulus, dear...this isn't up for debate. We discussed that if she did it again we wouldn't even mention it to her or our parents" Andromeda reasoned
"It's not that I want to join. I want my own opinion and not to be told what to do and who to be" Regulus explained calmly
"Alright" Sirius agreed, ignoring Narcissa pleading not to
"Present your opinion Bellatrix Black" Regulus began
"Well I am planning on joining the dark lord in his quest because he supports the superiority of purebloods and he actually cares about his followers" Bella elaborated
"Sirius"
"The first point I do agree with Bella, yet that is the exact reason why I won't join. I know muggle borns and I know halfblooded witches and wizards. They are as smart and have as much a right to be here as we do." Sirius convinced, "as for the last part I disagree. I believe, and pardon me for the language, he doesn't give a single shit about his followers and he'd laugh watching them die."
"Narcissa, please convince me"
"I just think I'd be best for you not to risk your life. I care about you and Sirius and my sisters also. I firmly believe you should stay neutral" Narcissa cut her speech short
Regulus looked at Andromeda, who looked back at him. He knew their family was in the process of disowning her, because she is in love with a muggle born wizard.
She was planning on marrying him. Their family would never approve.
"I ask this for your sake, Siri", he looked at Bellatrix, "how does the "dark lord" think about gay people" Regulus inquired
"Well...I wouldn't say he's a big fan" Bella tried to avoid the question, without success.
"Hm"
Maybe the question wasn't purely for Sirius. His lover was a purebloods but also a man. A polyamorous bisexual man. That his parents wouldn't ever accept, he knew that.
He really didn't want to join Voldemort. Reg was just thinking that maybe he needed to join something else.
"Cissy?" Regulus turned to his cousin
"Yes?" She replied
"You can't stay neutral forever. So what are you going to do then?" He questioned
"What do you mean? I- I'll just stay neutral" Narcissa stuttered
"I've heard the dark lord visits and recruits people. What're you going to do if he visits you" Regulus interrogated
"I don't know yet" Cissy went quiet
"Excuse me" a quiet voice said
The family turned around and saw a tall, scarred and brown haired boy standing near them.
"Remus" Sirius reacted anxiously
"Lupin" Andromeda recognized
"I'm sorry to disturb but we only have 10 minutes of lunch left." Remus explained
"Oh erm" Sirius stammered, " I gotta go, so Reg please think about it ok?"
"I'll talk to you after dinner?" Regulus implied
"Yeah sure" Sirius accepted
"Hey Remus, erm how much of that did you hear?" Sirius inquired
"I didn't really hear anything...just unintelligible speaking" Remus answered
"Oh ok" Sirius laughed, "what class do we have now?"
"Magical History, still" Remus stated
"Right"
_______________________________________________
"Dinner is almost over" James announced
"I know" Sirius acknowledged, getting increasingly more anxious
"Are you alright Pedfoot?" Remus asked
"I'm- fine, I'm fine" Sirius managed to answer
"Do you want me to come with?" Remus suggested
"Yeah I would, but I don't know if Regulus is ok with that" Sirius reasoned
"How about I join your discussion and if Regulus feels uncomfortable, I'll leave." Remus proposed
"Alright"
"I won't be far away, ok?"
"Mhm"
Just then Regulus arrived at the Gryffindor table.
"Siri?" made his presence known
"Reggie" Sirius acknowledged him
"Are you done yet?" The younger boy asked
"No, can you wait a little longer please" Sirius asked of his younger brother
"I'm not walking back to the Slytherin table" Regulus stated
"Alright" he said turning to James, "Hey James can you move a bit so that Reg can sit down"
"No problem" James replied
With that Regulus sat down between James and Sirius. The latter turned back to Remus and continued talking. Therefore Regulus turned to James.
"Potter"
"Regulus", James frowned, "you don't usually call me by my last name"
"We're at your house's table, I did what's most appropriate" Regulus reasoned
"Just call me James" he insisted
"Ok James" Reg agreed
"Thank you"
"You're never going to tell him, are you?" Regulus nudged his head in his brothers direction
"Well..." James hesitated
"Look, Reg...I feel like I'm serious about you. I don't know if you feel the same or if you're even alright with my polyamory." James started
"James..." Regulus' voice was reduced to a whisper, " of course I'm serious about you too. You don't even know how long I've been in live with you"
"And your brother...he'd murder me" James hissed
"I know" Regulus agreed
"Hey Reggie, I'm done comeon" Sirius smiled
Regulus immediately tensed as if he'd been caught doing something illegal.
"I- I'm coming" he reacted, "bye James"
Reg blew James a subtle kiss.
_______________________________________________
The two Black brothers had disappeared into an empty room, Remus staying outside. Just to have some privacy, even though Regulus always said the walls have ears too here.
"So Reg, about the whole death eater thing" Sirius attempted to start
"That's not why I'm here." Reg interrupted
"What? Why else?" The older boy inquired
"I've heard...rumours. Rumours that say Dumbledore is recruiting students for his secret army" Regulus suspected, "and I guessed you'd know about it"
"I- don't know what you're talking about" Sirius lied
"Your tone of voice tells me otherwise" Reg analysed
"You know I don't want to keep these kids of secrets from you" Sirius sighed
"So why'd you join?" The younger boy questioned
"Y'know there's a difference between me and Lily. I'm pure-blooded, she's a muggle-born." He started to explain, "In this war there are the side of Voldemort and the side of people like Lily or Remus. People called bloodtraitors or mudbloods."
Sirius had to take a small pause to breathe and steady his voice.
"I love Remus and I'd do anything for him. I have the option, like Narcissa or you, not to do anything because I'm a pureblood and I have no problem if either side wins." he continued on, " Lily and Remus on the other hand don't have that option as they need one of the sides to win. For her sake James fights and for Remus' sake I fight. I'd never betray him."
"Oh..." Regulus was stunned, he hadn't expected an explanation this long or detailed.
"I know you might not have a partner in this situation but I just want to have you stay on a site that is at least neutral." Sirius pleaded.
"Only if you knew" Regulus mumbled
"What?" Sirius hadn't understood what his brother had said
"Nothing. I'm impressed. I still want in though" Regulus insisted
"You know I don't say this often, so please believe me when I do say it. You're too young. I can't have you get hurt" Sirius tried to convince.
But Regulus still wanted in, he wanted to fight this fight. Not for himself or his parents or Voldemort, but for James and Lily. And for his brother and Remus who had all been so nice to him. They'd never judged him for his last name being Black.
Sirius couldn't stop him forever.