Bad News?
“You WHAT?” James’ voice rang out, everyone in the house hearing it. Which at the moment was just him, Sirius, and Dumbledore. Dumbledore being the one to cause his shout in the first place.
“We need to know what Voldemort is up to, and they can help with that. They volunteered, and I already informed the others. You two were the last on my list.”
“Why’s that? Because we’d try to talk some sense to you? You’re telling me everybody else is just ok with this?” Sirius added his own part to the conversation.
“For the most part, and those who aren’t fully on board still understand the necessity of my decision. And you will have to as well. Now, I will leave you to process. I have things I need to get to.” With that he left the two to process that bombshell on their own.
“I can’t believe he actually let death eaters join the order. I mean, what’s even the point of it anymore.” James huffed out, looking over to Sirius when he didn’t receive a response. He had a strange look on his face.
“Siri? Are you in there?” Waving his hand in front of his face to get his attention, Sirius blinked at him in response.
“Huh? Yeah. I’m- yeah, sorry. It’s just… He said Reggie’s gonna be there and. I haven’t seen or spoken to him in a while is all.”
“I wouldn’t have expected you to, not after he took the mark anyway.” Sirius looked away for a moment before responding.
“Yeah, but this changes things. Doesn’t it? He took the mark but. He’s still on our side. That’s what this means, right?” James didn’t know how to respond, so he stayed silent. Lost in his own thoughts.
Did it change things? And if it did, how was he supposed to even try to talk to Regulus again? Gods, this was going to be so stressful and complicated.
When they arrived at the next meeting, two days after Dumbledore's visit, the others were already there. Except for the ‘new members’ and Dumbledore himself. Who would be getting there soon, according to Lily. So James and Sirius decided to just wait in the kitchen. True to Lily’s word, they arrived only a few minutes later.
They left the kitchen to gather in the main room along with the others. They entered the room at the same time Dumbledore was coming in from the other side. Behind him followed his new ‘recruits’. Directly behind him was Regulus, which distracted both Sirius and James for a moment before they focused, after Regulus was Snape, who neither was excited to see, then Narcissa Malfoy and Evan Rosier. Both Slytherins, and both Death Eaters. Regulus had been a year behind them in school and Malfoy, formerly Black, had been a few years ahead.
They’d all joined the dark lord after they graduated or even during their last years of school, at least three of them had gotten the mark. It didn’t feel right for them to be there, at least not to James. Sirius mostly agreed, but seeing his brother complicated his emotions. Seeing his cousin affecting him less, but still affecting him nonetheless.
The others seemed to agree as the room went uncomfortably silent, everyone just staring at the four who seemed to be ignoring them altogether. That is until Dumbledore's voice got all of their attention.
“Alright, let's get this meeting started. For today it’ll be introductions and mingling. As I can tell you all need to get used to the new presences. But after today meetings will go back to normal and you all will have to accept that.” With that he walked out, toward the kitchen. Leaving us all to ‘mingle’. Most seemed to dislike this idea.
“Well. This is incredibly uncomfortable and awkward.” Marlene broke the silence, because of course she did. When she got no response she rolled her eyes and went over to the four standing separate from the rest. Holding her hand out to Malfoy and introducing herself. To which Malfoy actually seemed to smile, and returned the favor.
This seemed to encourage some of the others enough to join her by the small group, stirring up a conversation that started off kind of tense. But at least it was something. James and Sirius didn’t join the others, instead talking amongst themselves. Remus and Peter, having already joined Marlene, not joining their conversation as they usually would have.
“What’s next? Filling the order with Death Eaters? The whole point of the Order was to be unknown to Him, how’s Dumbledore so sure that they won’t rat?”
“I don’t know. Should I go talk to him? I should, right? I mean, he’s my brother. James, what do I do?” Sirius replied, not seeming to have registered much of what James had said.
“Come on Siri, focus. If you want to talk to him, wait till he’s not surrounded by his little friends.”
“Right. Right, ok. I can do that. Let’s go to the kitchen. I need some water or something.” He seemed overwhelmed, so James nodded and followed without a word.
Dumbledore was still in the kitchen when they entered, talking with Professor McGonagall, who they hadn’t even noticed leaving the room. They looked over when the two entered.
Sirius going straight to the cupboards for a cup, James going over to Dumbledore and McGonagall.
“Hello my boy, how’s the mingling going?”
“I wouldn’t know, I didn’t join in. I wanted to talk to you.”
“What can I do for you?” He seemed like he already knew what it was going to be about, but asked anyway.
“I want to know why you recruited them. Aren't you worried they’ll expose us?”
“As I told you before, they can give us information on Voldemort's movements. Which will be helpful to our cause, and no I do not think they will expose us.”
“How are you so sure they won’t? And couldn’t you just have someone infiltrate him? Why did it have to be them?” As he finished talking he looked directly at the them in question, who he hadn’t noticed enter the kitchen until just then.
“They all have their reasons. They will follow us.”
James rolled his eyes, noticing Sirius come to stand next to him and farther from the four, “What reasons could they possibly have?”
The four tensed up, all getting uncomfortable with the topic of conversation, Though Narcissa was the one to speak.
“We are just as human as you are, you know? The dark lord put our family’s at risk. That alone is reason enough.” With that she made eye contact with the others and led them back out of the kitchen, forgoing whatever they had come for in the first place.
James looked over at Sirius at that response. They made eye contact and Sirius looked away, looking to where his brother had been standing. Dumbledore’s voice interrupting his thoughts.
“Now, if that is all. Why don’t we all join them in the main room, yes?” Without waiting for a response he walked off, McGonagall following. James and Sirius taking a moment more before doing the same. This was going to be a long night.
“Well that was certainly eventful.” The two boys were walking around a park they had found, avoiding the inevitable of having to go home. Narcissa and Evan having already gone to their own homes.
“Come on Reggie, they obviously didn’t want us there. And really, can we be all that surprised? We didn’t really get along with most of them even before the dark mark thing.” Severus himself had been tense the whole night. Being unable to make eye contact with his once best friend and her seemingly in the same boat.
“I know, it’s just… I don’t know. I thought it would be different. I mean, Sirius didn’t even talk to me. It looked like he would once or twice, but no. He just stayed near Ja- Potter the whole night.” He covered his slip up almost perfectly, but not perfectly enough.
Severus sighed at him, stopping them both so they could make eye contact.
“You mean you expected Potter to react differently. You went there expecting your brother to take time warming up to you, so that wouldn’t surprise you. Yet here you are, surprised. Why did you expect Potter to react differently? You two haven’t interacted since graduation, and the only thing he sees anymore when he looks at you is your dark mark.”
Regulus looked away, sighing and starting to walk again. “I know, I just. I had hoped things wouldn’t have to be so different or complicated.” I just can’t forget how things were at Hogwarts, how he smiled at me. Even if it all meant nothing to him it still meant so much to me.
Severus knowing he was leaving something unsaid but not knowing how to help, walked beside him in silence. They both got lost in thought until they finally had no other option than going home.
They said their goodbyes, the night's stress getting to them and making them both exhausted. Agreeing to talk the next day, along with Narcissa and Evan, before they had to have another talk with Dumbledore. Who had told them to come back the next day before the nights mingling had ended.
This was going to be an eventful time for the four of them, they could already tell. But they had asked for it, and they wouldn’t just give up now.