innerslytherin (innerslytherin) wrote in viciousmoon, @ 2006-10-27 02:11:00 |
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Current mood: | sleepy |
Entry tags: | albus dumbledore, regulus black, remus lupin |
Regulus makes his move
Remus had been minding the till during the after-work rush, but when Cleo arrived at five she sent him to the back room to have his tea and then work on unpacking a new shipment of books that had come in earlier. He glanced out the shop window, but it was already dark out, so all he saw was himself reflected back. With a last smile for Cleo, he went through the Biography and Cookery sections to get to the back room and started brewing tea. He unwrapped the cucumber sandwich he'd packed but didn't start eating yet. He liked waiting until his tea was ready.
Regulus finished off his fag in the alley behind the book shop and stamped it out with the toe of his shoe. He fingered his wand in his pocket and pushed away from the brick wall, glancing around surreptitiously though he hadn't seen anyone pass by the alley in a good ten minutes.
He straightened his frock coat (it was as Muggle and incognito as he got) and stepped quietly over to the rear door, unlocking it with a simple charm. The plan was to go in the back way so he could make certain he got the jump on Remus (or at least that no one took him unaware—that'd be bloody perfect), assess the situation, take care of any Muggles in the vicinity, and then...deal with...Remus.
Regulus took a deep breath and opened the rear door to the shop with a trembling hand, trying to remain calm, the way Severus was always snapping at him to do. God, how did Severus manage it? Regulus pushed thoughts of him aside and eased his way in through the door, closing it shut quietly behind him.
The teakettle began to whistle shrilly and Remus lifted it off the burner and poured, humming tunelessly to himself. He enjoyed going through the motions of making tea. It was one of the few things he remembered about his grandmother, who had died when he was young--she had taught him the proper way to make tea. Of course it wasn't possible here at work to really make a proper cup of tea, but he did a fair job of it. He patted his pocket absently to check on the Portkey--a cigarette lighter that would activate as soon as he flicked it open--and then carried the teapot over to the table.
Regulus almost jumped out of his skin at the shrill noise he was met with when slinking into the back room, then took deep breaths as he realized that it was a tea kettle. Someone must be brewing tea in the room beyond. This room was dark, but a line of light from under the door showed where the other room was.
He held his wand up, casting a soft Lumos, and edged soundlessly towards that door. If it were a Muggle, he'd just Stun them and move on. If it were Remus...
Regulus hoped it was a Muggle. He readied himself, extinguishing the charm, then threw the door open and jumped through, hoping to startle whomever was on the other side.
Remus' tea spilled as he shoved violently away from the table in reaction to Regulus' violent arrival. Suddenly his heart was pounding faster than he thought possible. He'd known this was coming, but he'd still not been prepared to actually fight Regulus. "Fuck!" he swore, and ducked under the table, fumbling for his wand.
Fuck, it was Remus! Regulus panicked and threw a curse – but it was not an Unforgivable – as Remus dove under the table. A bolt of red light hit the table's edge and a small fire broke out, but Remus was fine and Regulus couldn't help thinking that he was utter PANTS at this. He swore, trying to calm down and keep his head, though ShitShitShitShitShitShitSHIT was the predominant thought in his mind just then.
Remus was hampered by his desire to keep Cleo from hearing the commotion and keep the building from burning down. He froze the fire, then shot a Petrificus at Regulus. "Are you mad? What're you doing?" he cried, hoping Regulus wouldn't realize Remus had been expecting him.
Regulus blocked the Petrificus with a lucky move, wishing he were as good at Offence as he often was with Defence. His mind whirled as Remus demanded to know what he was doing, and he thought back to what Severus had said, that the Dark Lord would look in his mind to see this later, so he shouldn't do anything he didn't want him seeing. He couldn't explain things to Remus, but he had a feeling that wouldn't be any more appreciated anyway.
"I'm sorry, but I've come to kill you," Regulus said, then fired off a Stunner.
"What?" Remus yelped as he threw up a shielding spell.
"Remus?" Fuck, that was Cleo. He cast an Imperturbable on the door; he was going to have to Obliviate her after this.
"Regulus, you can't kill me! We--we were at school together!" That was a lame excuse, and he knew it, but he just needed time to get closer. He edged sideways, hoping to duck behind the refrigerator. He wondered if he could Apparate right behind Regulus and grab him before Regulus got off a curse.
Regulus let out a frustrated breath and sent another Stunner at Remus, but it was halfhearted and bounced harmlessly off his shields, as Regulus had feared it would. Fuck, he was going to use something nastier.
“It's not me,” he snapped irritably, stepping around to try and get a clearer shot.
"Don't try to make someone else take responsibility for your actions!" Remus retorted sharply. He pulled the lighter out of his pocket and rubbed his thumb over the top. Then he crossed his fingers and Apparated, appearing several feet behind Regulus. He lunged, trying to catch Regulus' sleeve.
“You don't understand anything!” Regulus blinked as Remus disappeared, then whirled around when he felt a tug on his sleeve. “What are you--”
As soon as his fingers closed on cloth, Remus flipped the lighter open. He felt the familiar jerk behind his navel and suddenly the world was whirling around them. When it stopped, he wrapped his other arm around Regulus from behind, pulling him back against his body and trying to hold him immobile until he could point his wand and use a spell to do it. His plan had originally been to Stun Regulus before kidnapping him, but that hadn't quite worked out.
“--Doing...?” Regulus slumped back against Remus, unprepared for the Apparition and staring stupidly at the dingy, much larger room they were suddenly in. Tables, chairs, Wizard pictures on the walls... Where were they?
Then he came back to himself with a start, and lurched forward, hoping to pull free of Remus' arms. “Damn it, Lupin!”
"Immobilus," Remus whispered, then glanced around. "I can't let you kill me, Regulus, but I can't kill you, either." He sighed and walked around to face Regulus, studying him regretfully.
Oh god. Oh shit. The only thing worse than killing Remus would be not killing Remus, and as Regulus stared, he felt the tremors that would be going through him if the spell weren't stopping it. He wished he could manage a haughty expression, but with his thoughts filled with his impending doom for his failure, Regulus failed miserably. “Where are we?” he demanded—or at least, he tried to demand, but his voice had insisted on squeaking embarrassingly instead.
"Somewhere safe," Remus said. "For now, anyway." He frowned. "What the bloody hell were you thinking, Regulus?"
"What do you mean, somewhere safe?" Regulus demanded, and was slightly pleased to note that he didn't sound like a mouse this time. "You don't know everything, Remus, and this cryptic bullshit--" All right, so perhaps it wasn't fair to start in on Remus, whom he was supposed to be trying to kill, but fuck, Regulus was scared. "What's going on?"
"I'm trying to keep us both from being killed," Remus explained, as patiently as he could. "You're trying to kill me because you're a Death Eater, I presume?"
"Yeah, Remus, I joined the Death Eaters and then decided I'd go kill someone I knew from school," Regulus agreed sarcastically, a tremor in his voice.
"Well, I imagine there's more to it than that," Remus said, pleased at how mild his voice sounded, "but the only reason I can think of that someone would want to kill me is that I'm in the Order of the Phoenix." That was a risk, telling Regulus that, if he didn't know, but Remus was fairly certain that he did. Of course, if that someone knows I'm a werewolf, that might provide him with another motive, Remus thought.
"Bravo, you've hit the mark. Now can you let me go, please? I'm on a tight schedule, here." Regulus' words were much bolder than he looked and sounded, and his eyes darted around the room again.
Remus laughed sharply. "Right. I let you go, and you try to kill me again. Or I let you go, you go back to Voldemort, and you tell him you couldn't kill me, and you're--what, tortured? killed? I know he isn't kind to those who fail him."
Regulus winced, thinking of what would happen to him if he went back without killing Remus. "So what, you're going to leave me here?" he demanded incredulously. "What do you want?"
"Oh, don't be so dramatic," Remus said. "I want to talk. Why do you want me dead?"
"I told you, it isn't me! The Dark Lord ordered me to kill you, apparently because you're in the Order." Regulus watched Remus helplessly and wished he could shrug. Or even scratch his nose, which was beginning to itch unpleasantly.
Remus raised his eyebrows. "Have you ever killed anyone before?"
Regulus hesitated, watching Remus with distrust. "Yeah. Of course."
Remus nodded and went over to sit down, Still watching Regulus. "Then you know how difficult it is." He shrugged. "Especially if the person you're trying to kill, like me, is excellent at Defence magic."
"Oh, and you have?" Regulus asked incredulously. "Where is this going?"
"I have, yeah." Remus' eyes darkened. "We're authorised to use Unforgivables when we're up against you lot, now." He studied Regulus, thinking about the way the Death Eater--an older man with long, silver hair--had tumbled to the ground as if he had no bones. He still had nightmares about that fight. He'd been mad to think he could shag Severus without their political affiliations getting in the way. But Severus had saved his life, hadn't he? What if Remus hadn't known about this? He sighed. "Where is this going," he repeated. "Tell me something, Regulus. Do you like being a Death Eater?"
"Do you like being in that stupid Order? You're all going to die, you know," Regulus said boldly, feeling oddly cold inside.
"I don't know if I like it," Remus said honestly, "at least, not always. But I know I wouldn't feel right if I didn't try to keep Voldemort from taking over. And if I die, well, hopefully it won't be a friend who has killed me." He looked directly at Regulus again as he spoke the last sentence. He'd always tried to be friendly to Regulus, even if it hadn't been enough.
Regulus sighed, his head hanging as much as it could manage. "I don't want to kill you, Remus, but I don't have a choice!"
"What if I gave you a choice?" Remus asked, feeling himself tense, though he tried to keep looking relaxed.
Regulus narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "What do you mean?" he asked, assuming it would be something unlikely and impossible, but he couldn't exactly leave.
Remus glanced towards the door and flicked his wand. The door opened, and a moment later, Albus Dumbledore stepped into the room. He took in the scene at once, his blue eyes twinkling. "Good evening, Mr Black," he said pleasantly. "I don't think there's any need for that, do you, Remus?" He waved his hand, letting Remus' spell fall away. "Why don't you sit down with us?" he said, smiling at Regulus.
Regulus' breath left him completely when Dumbledore walked into the room. As soon as he could feel his body relax, no longer under the spell, he did two things: he scratched his nose and tried to Apparate.
The second didn't work. "Bloody fuck!" Regulus swore, then flushed in embarrassment that he'd just swore in front of his former Headmaster. He bit back the ingrained urge to apologize, reminding himself sternly that Dumbledore was his--well, the Dark Lord's--enemy. He stayed standing.
Remus bit back a laugh, though precious little about this situation was funny. He glanced at the Headmaster, who merely smiled. "Would you like something to drink, Mr Black?" he asked. "Remus? I could do with a butterbeer, myself." He waved his hand and three bottles appeared on the table.
"Mr Black, we are in a delicate situation just now. You apparently wish to be elsewhere, and yet Remus' message to me indicated that you sought him out...with the intent to kill him."
"I..." Oh god, he was so dead. Regulus shook slightly, raising his wand and then staring at it. After a tense moment, he lowered it again. "I don't have to tell you anything. Neither of you are Aurors..." Well, he didn't think Dumbledore was, but who bloody knew with that man?
"No, no, you don't have to tell me anything," Dumbledore agreed. "However, it would make it much easier for me to save your life if you would confide in me."
"How are you going to do that?" Regulus demanded, voice going high again, much to his dismay. He swallowed thickly.
Remus smiled and looked at Dumbledore. Dumbledore never looked away from Regulus. "We can protect you, Regulus. You need never go back to the Death Eaters. Come over to our side, and I will keep you safe."
"You can't," Regulus said, shaking his head, though he wanted it to be true. "If I don't go back, the Dark Lord will order my death, too."
Dumbledore's expression never wavered. "I can protect you, Regulus," he said again. "Just as I protect Remus."
Regulus glanced to Remus for a moment, then back to Dumbledore quickly. "Yeah, well, he's lucky. He had a lousy assassin."
Remus grinned briefly and shook his head. Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "Let us say, a half-hearted assassin," he corrected gently.
Taking a deep breath, Regulus braced himself. Could he really leave? ...Did he really want to stay? "How can you...What do I have to do?"
Dumbledore smiled at him. "You must tell me you wish to leave Lord Voldemort's service."
That was it? That was really all? Regulus blinked. "I want to leave...the Dark Lord's service."
Nodding, Dumbledore stood. "Come with me, my boy. If you are willing, of course, I am certain I can glean much from whatever information you choose to share with me. In the meantime, however, I think a hot meal and some rest are in order. And then we'll arrange safe housing for you, where Voldemort cannot touch you." He glanced over. "Remus, you will report back to me in the morning?"
"Of course, sir," Remus said. Bloody hell, he still had to go back and deal with Cleo, didn't he?
Dumbledore nodded again. "Very well."
Nodding numbly, Regulus followed Dumbledore, feeling overwhelmed and still frightened, though a weight had lifted from his shoulders. He was relieved, he realized, though he knew things weren't going to be easy. He thought of Severus, and glanced up at the Headmaster hopefully. Perhaps everything would be all right. Perhaps Dumbledore could even help Severus.