Black Rose [Regulus Black]

"Kreacher," Regulus wheezed, rushing towards the door. His mind was racing with a million things he could do to salvage the situation — send a Patronus to her, send Kreacher to her, set the bloody house on fire — but his movements were too sluggish, too slow, like molasses had replaced the blood in his body. "Kreacher, Kreacher, go to-"

He heard the door open below.

He swore loudly as he collided with the door frame, pain shooting up the center of his face. Behind him, Kreacher squawked. Spots were now starting to dance across his eyes but he ignored it, haphazardly making his way across the hall, hot fluid trickling down his face now but it didn't matter, it didn't matter, as long as his worst nightmare appeared to be taking place.

He swung into the drawing room... to see a gathering around the table.

Bellatrix. Lucius. Rodolphus. Rabastan. All of whom looked like cats that got the cream.

Barty, who looked enraged.

Evan, who looked enraged, but a different kind of mad.

And finally, his mother. His mother, who he'd always held out hope for. There was no hope of pitting her against the Dark Lord, but he'd always hoped she'd always have enough love for him as a son. Maybe it wasn't enough for his needs, but he hoped it was enough for hers. 

It dawned on Regulus that up till then, his mother was the one he'd placed the most faith in. He hadn't realized it till then, but Dumbledore or Sirius or even Alessandra weren't the ones he'd put the most confidence in. It was his mother, and the stupid belief he clung to that her love for him would be unconditional.

Sirius was right all along.

"How could you," he choked out. A hot betrayal, worse than anything he'd felt when Sirius snuck out that summer night and never came back, was invading his senses, overwhelming the bright spots that had taken over his vision.

"It's for the better," Walburga whispered, her voice the softest he'd ever heard it in the 20 years of his miserable existence. What a wonderful birthday gift.

"Better for who?" he demanded. "Certainly not for me or for you - he's going to finish us now."

"He won't," she insisted. "He promised immunity for the truth."

Brainwashed, they all were.

Brainwashed, he was once, but the shroud covering his eyes had been lifted too late.

The others drew their wands as footsteps neared the room, and Regulus' body was filled with even more horror than he'd ever deemed possible. Green eyes met with grey, confusion warring with sheer, paralyzing fear.

Why couldn't he move?

"Reg?" Alessandra demanded, moving towards him. "What's happening?"

"Stand back," Lucius raised his wand. Alessandra stepped back, squaring her shoulders as though preparing for the fight. "This is who you chose to taint your blood with, Regulus? A Muggle girl claiming to have access to a Sacred Twenty Eight Family's wealth?"

"Couldn't you have chosen someone less plain?" Rabastan leered, taking a step forward towards Alessandra. "I can see the appeal, a plain, innocent girl...but couldn't you have risked it all for something a little more...lively?"

"Don't worry, Reggie," Bellatrix cackled, using her wand to curl a strand of Alessandra's hair. Her eyes were so dead yet simultaneously filled with that manic light that never seemed to go out. "The Dark Lord won't kill her just yet, so you can get a few parting moments here and there before she's done."

"He seemed interested in her background," Crouch muttered, eyes narrowed on Al. "Interesting toy you've got there."

Fuck. The Dark Lord knew.

A burn seeped through the rose tattoo concealed by his sleeve, and his eyes met Alessandra's.

He didn't know what plan his crazy woman had but he knew he was going with it.

There was a boom overhead, causing the house to shake a little, and the Dark wizards all raised their wands to the ceiling.

Alessandra nodded.

Now.

She kicked Bellatrix in the shin at the same time that Regulus drew his wand and sent two well-placed Stunners at the rest, sending them scattering. Bellatrix shrieked, but Alessandra seized the moment of shock to grab Bellatrix's wand and snap it in two.

Crazy woman. Crazy, tall woman. How the fuck—?

Regulus didn't have enough time to bask in the pride he felt, for a red spell flew right past him and he jumped behind a couch. Yelling and chaos took over the room, the distinct screeching of his mother dwarfing all the other voices. He could hear her screaming at him to stand down, to let them capture her.

Two crazy women.

He went around the other end of the couch to send a spell flying Crouch's way, the satisfying thud of his friend's "body" as his limbs uncontrollably twisted alerting Regulus that his jinx had met its mark. He didn't have time to celebrate his victory though, as many more curses came raining down on him, one of them knicking his ear. He was unbelievably lucky that they'd all missed him, and he knew there wouldn't be a second chance. He flicked his wand, sending the table hurtling across the room in the direction of Lucius, who swiftly sent it sailing back at him. He flicked his wand again, sending it in Barty's direction. Barty tried some sort of spell to break it, which appeared to succeed, except a table leg still struck him, causing him to slump to the wall, unconscious.

Regulus didn't have time to celebrate, because Rabastan had finally picked himself up after the Stunner, and he looked angry. Rodolphus was there too, ducking and weaving around Bellatrix and Alessandra, who'd gotten into a thing of their own with wandless magic. Reg couldn't see Evan or his mother, which was a momentary relief because he really did not want to explore where their allegiances lay.

Lucius. Where was Lucius?

There was a flash of white-blond hair in his peripheral and Regulus conjured a shield charm just in time, barely preventing the curse from hitting him. They started duelling, Regulus barely holding his own against Lucius, who looked very determined for blood. A lot was riding on this if Lucius had ditched his usual bored face and was actually giving his all to destroy someone nearly a decade younger than him. Regulus' nose was still throbbing with pain, but the adrenaline had taken over. He would not let Lucius win. It was also a matter of pride — if Alessandra could take on his crazy cousin, Regulus could take on his crazy cousin-in-law. He slashed his wand, conjuring up a wave of glass and sending it towards Lucius, who flicked his wand and sent it back. This went on for a few moments, Regulus using the relative calmness of this battle to replenish his energy and lull Lucius into a false sense of momentum, and then making a sudden slashing moment with his wand that caused Lucius to crumple.

"That's your dowry!" Regulus yelled. There was a thud right behind him and Regulus caught Rabastan's eyes rolling back into his skull as he crumpled like the foundations of his in-laws' marriage.

"How's that for plain, you pillock!" Alessandra screamed, and Regulus winced as she spat blood out of her mouth.

Somewhere, Bellatrix wailed like a siren, and a purple ball of fire went flying, setting the curtains on fire. Purple fire.

Three crazy women.

Walburga joined in on the wailing and Alessandra turned on her, waving her hand to send a spell flying at his mother. The purple fire was roaring and crackling, appearing like a regular fire, but Regulus knew that a warm, pleasant fire would definitely not have come out of Bella's wand. There was something to it.

He didn't have time to think about it because a spell hit him and he went flying across the room. He fortunately managed to cushion the fall, but the curse did a number on him, adding to the pain he was already feeling. He groaned and rolled, to see Bellatrix towering over him, hair crazier than usual. "How dare you defy the Dark Lord, after everything he's done for you-"

Regulus flicked his wand, sending the floor of the room and everybody on it crashing down to the ground floor. The house was swaying dangerously now, the purple fire still roaring, and the adrenaline was fading away, reminding him of how vulnerable he was. The pain had spread to his entire body and the spots dancing in front of his eyes were back. He pulled himself to his feet, feeling like one of the Inferi in the cave — dead and controlled by someone who wasn't him. He feebly waved his wand, sending the giant sofa that had somehow survived the fall toppling onto Bellatrix, trapping her.

He staggered to his feet, seeing Alessandra and Rodolphus duel. They were both evidently disoriented, stumbling and swaying as they flung curses at each other, and he once again felt so helpless, just standing there and unable to do anything. He inhaled, raising his wand and summoning the last bits of strength he had, but Rodolphus suddenly seized and locked up, falling to the ground in a rigid block. Judging by the way Alessandra looked surprised, she didn't have much to do with it, and Regulus' eyes darted to where Evan lay, unconscious.

Supposedly. 

"Rodolphus!" Bellatrix screamed. "You had one job!"

"Go, go, go," Regulus wheezed, pushing Alessandra in the direction of the door. He didn't have the time or energy to think, all he knew was that they had to get out that very moment.

"We can't Apparate," Alessandra whispered, moving awkwardly because of her shoulder, which appeared to be dislocated. Regulus felt useless, he didn't feel like a wizard — he felt like an idiot holding a stick.

Was this how Muggles felt?

Regulus stuck up his wand in the air, hoping the myth of the Night Bus was true.

The hunt for Regulus Black and Alessandra Rosier had officially begun.

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