one poisoned, anoter hidden and one not so entirely dead
"Hey?! Hello ? It's somebody home ?" A boy with black curly hair was knocking hysterically on the James Potter's door.
"Regulus?" Fleamont opened the door looking at Regulus Black, who was known to be dead for a week now, standing in front of his house.
"Can I come in ?" Regulus asked with a shaky voice of his and Fleamont opened the door immediately.
"Regulus what - what happened ? You're alive !"
"Yeah I- I don't know I-"
"It's okay -just take a breath and sit down"
Regulus could tell that something was wrong and it wasn't just the fact that he was suddenly alive. The Potter's house was weird, lonely and quite oddly depressing. It was middle of the night and the only light was turned on in the kitchen where they sat but he saw some broken glass on the floor in the next room.
And he begin to be worried, how long was he gone ? Was James alright ? Was James alive ?
"Where's James ? Lily ? What about Sirius ?" Regulus asked as soon as he was able to form a few words together.
"He's - They're fine - well not fine obviously they thought you're dead but they are okay" Why was James's dad talking so sadly ? They were alright weren't they ? Regulus asked himself.
"Where are they ?"
"They are safe in their new provisor house- I can't tell you where it's a safety issue and Sirius is in his and Remus's new flat- can't tell you where though"
"Okay I - Where's Effie ? Is she with them ? Why are you here ?"
Fleamont was quiet for a few seconds. He looked at the ground and then back at Regulus.
"She- she died last week -she was killed ,poisoned actually- that's why we decided to move the kids out of here" He said with a empty looking gaze. There was a big part of him that died.
"Shit- I'm sorry - I -well that is fucked up" Regulus said and tears started to fell down his cheeks. He never saw mother in Effie like Sirius did but he somehow loved her as a women.
She was the purest and nicest person he'd ever met and now she was dead. It's a war. And from a war no one comes back alive. Maybe physically some people survive but they'll be dead inside. You can't watch people around you die and then continue living your life.
"Do you want something to drink - tea? Coffee ?" Fleamont asked and Regulus shook his head. "No thank you" Regulus said sobbing quietly.
"I'll prepare myself one then" He said and started making his tea.
"What was it that happened with you then ?" He asked after few minutes of silence.
"I woke up like three nights ago in a cave - I'm not sure how I got there, I remember arguing with my moth- Walburga and she cursed me with Crucio I believe but that wasn't the cause of my -well death, I think I fell and hit my head because I woke up with a terrible headache and blood around my neck."
"Oh boy- are you okay now ? Is it healed ?" Fleamont asked.
"I think someone must have healed me, maybe the person who got me to the cave but I still feel very horrible pain in the back of my head. I couldn't exactly move for a while after I woke up- I lied there for a few hours and when I could walk I figured the way out of there an now I'm here. I'm sorry for interrupting - I didn't know where else to go and you said that -"
"It's okay - I'm glad you came, we will - I will always welcome you here, we have to figure out this whole situation now- I'll bring you some pain potions for the head "
----
"Am I supposed to hide for the rest of my life ? " Regulus asked finishing his tea which he agreed to drink after Fleamont insisted him to drink something.
"No Regulus- well yes but not entirely no one can know that you survived- I can help you learn how to make yourself animagus "
"Oh like James and Sirius are ?"
"Yes exactly"
"Okay can I - can I see James and Sirius ?" Regulus asked after a while and Fleamont looked at him sadly.
"You can go see them in your animagus form but they can't know you're alive- It's too risky "
--
And just like that Fleamont showed Regulus how to change into animagus, Regulus's animagus was a cat . Small blackl cat with big shiny eyes and the pinkest nose.
Regulus agreed to live with Fleamont for now it was the safest option.