Chapter Text
“Tell me, Regulus,” The Dark Lord's voice echoed in the living room of the Rosier manor “ what are my followers' thoughts about my recent actions?”
Regulus rose to his feet from his kneeling position on the floor, joints aching from a sleepless night and a skirmish near Hogsmeade, that he got involved in thanks to Barty.
“ They aren't pleased, my lord,” he started, keeping his eyes on the fireplace bewind his master, “they don't understand why you would make a deal with the werewolves, most of them think we should just force them to help with our efforts or refuse any contact as we are above them and is a shame to associate with such lowly creatures”
“So much misplaced pride,” The Dark Lord mused, “tell me-" his voice was neither cold nor warm, not where or there, reminded Regulus of those grey autumn days-" do you share the opinions of your compatriots?"
He took a deep breath before answering
"I think that is practical," he started, keeping his gaze on the burning wood," the werewolves are a useful ally…but I don't know if it's worth alienating purebred families because of them."
Nagini slithered through the floor. He liked snakes, they were the symbol of his Hogwarts house after all, he had spent years with a snake on his banner, but after seeing said snake devore a man whole, he couldn't call himself a fan of that particular one.
"You are holding back," that time he could detect some amusement on the Dark Lord's tone," I didn't ask for the logical answer. I asked what you think."
Red eyes stared into his soul with more intensity than the fire that he had been gazing at, and he stared back.
"I don't care," he replied," I don't care who we align with or what we do - as long as we win."
"What if that involved," The Dark Lord tilted his head a bit," allying with mudbloods?"
"I would marry one if that got me where I wanted."
For one second he feared that he had been too straight forward, too rash, but then the Dark Lord smiled. Maybe the smile was a bit condescending but it was still a good sign.
"Good," he stated, taking a sip of his wine and making Regulus' tense muscles relax," anything else that I should be aware of?'
"I spoke to that minister as you asked me to, my lord, he is reticent but agreed to sell information for the right price."
"And what would 'the right price' be?"
The ceiling creaked, Evan needed to have some maintenance done quickly or some day a wooden beam would fall and kill them all.
"Letting him live," Regulus couldn't hold back a small smirk.
That seemed to please his lord, he waved his hand and, after a quick bow, Regulus was dismissed, but before he could reach the door the Dark Lord spoke again.
"You have been serving me well," he started and Regulus felt glad that he was facing the door and the obvious satisfaction on his face was hidden," I have a special surprise for you, in tomorrow's meeting. I'm sure that you won't disappoint."
He walked through the mansion corridors trying to figure out what the surprise might be, so lost in thought that he collided with a stone column, cursing it before starting to walk again.
His fingers ran through his dagger, his pride and joy, a gift from Bellatrix when he joined the cause. He had managed to soak the blade in basilisk's venom - making even one small cut deadly - it had been expensive and hard but worth it.
Maybe the surprise would be a gift for his good work, like his precious dagger was, a new cursed weapon or an enchanted item. Or even…no, that would be dreaming too high…but maybe.
Before he could dream higher he was stumbling onto Lucius and Snape.
"Regulus, what a nice coincidence," Lucius greeted him like he hadn't been waiting in the corner to approach him.
“Indeed,” Regulus lied back, ignoring Snape who just stood behind Lucious like a bat.
He tried to step forwards and keep going but Lucius put his cane in front of him, almost making him fall face first on the black carpet.
“I saw you coming out of the living room,” Lucius stated,” were you in a meeting with our lord?” he asked like he already didn't know the answer.
It was not hard to understand the dangerous gleam in Lucius' eyes - envy - he had been the one that presented Regulus to the Death Eaters, in his eyes that meant that Regulus didn't have permission to ever be more successful than him, even if he was an absolute idiot and not owned anything.
Snape was harder to read. He was just there.
“I was,” Regulus replied briefly before trying to move again, that time the cane wavered closer to his stomach.
“You have been attending a lot of private meetings, haven't you?” Lucious' tone was almost as passive aggressive as Narcissa's, his wife must have been rubbing on him,” I find it weird considering that it has been months since you last went on a raid.”
The windows made the sun shine on Regulus' back and cast a massive shadow over Lucius, then Lucius' own shadow cast over Snape.
"You don't see The Dark Lord or Dumbledore going on raids," maybe he was being too presumptuous but it was deserved with the prospect of his upcoming reward.
Lucius twisted his nose at that and Snape finally decided to speak up instead of standing silently in the back like a ghoul, " are you comparing yourself to our lord?"
"If that's how you choose to see it," he dodged.
Lucius took a deep breath, closing a hand in the head of his cane and leaning against it, he seemed more frustrated than anything.
"I hope you remember that I was the one to introduced you to our lord," he started," my wife and I let you spend your summers at our house, we ar-"
Thankfully, before Lucius could finish the sermon Barty and Evan appeared out of nowhere.
It seemed like he was on his lucky day.
"Sorry to interrupt the chat," Barty started, grabbing his arm without care and starting to drag him away," but the host wants to have a word."
"Gentlemen," Evan nodded his head before also starting to walk away and whispering to Regulus, "you own us one."
After having to fight a bar full of angry customers, at two in the morning last night, because they couldn't hold their fire-whisky, Regulus considered them even.
They went up a flight of stairs to Evan's room, the only room in the house with any privacy after the Dark Lord made the manor his temporary residence.
Not to be cruel but Regulus couldn't see why he wouldn't choose the Rosier manor. In other times it might have been a great house, it was as big as any property of the Black's, but it had fallen to such a state of decay that it looked like an abandoned house more than anything.
Rotted floorboards, limestone on the walls, jammed windows and the damned creaking wooden beams.
"You need to fix the ceiling," Regulus said, after Evan closed the door.
Barty snorted and Evan turned around frowning, " you just came out of a private meeting with The Dark Lord and that's what you want to talk about?" He crossed his arms." What's your obsession with my ceiling?"
"The sound annoys me."
"Then go up there and fix it yourself."
Barty threw himself on Evan's unmade bed and took off his shoes. "Be careful," he waved his finger at Evan," or you will find him at four a.m on your roof with a hammer."
"I'm shaking in my boots."
Regulus rolled his eyes and let himself fall on an upholstered chair. Evan's room didn't have much furniture, unlike Barty's that was full of junk, but it had his way of being comfortable - much more than Regulus' own room.
"So, what was the meeting about?" Barty inquired, going straight to the point," and don't try to say that is 'confidential' or some shit, we just saved you from those creeps."
He probably used the 'confidential' excuse more than he should but, unlike Barty, he didn't enjoy talking about his missions, they were more like necessary evils instead of badges of honour.
It wasn't shame, nor regret, but the thought of talking about his crimes like they were crude jokes made his skin itch.
"Nothing much, just a report on what's going on." A small pause for dramatics and then he added," and also I'm doing such a good job that there will be a surprise for me in tomorrow's meeting."
The sense of immeasurable pride grew as he said the words out loud. He was doing good, no, he was doing great - better than anyone ever expected him to.
Barty moved to take Regulus' hands in his and for a second he was too confused to react to the touch.
" Regulus, be honest with me," he put on a serious expression like if his next words were a matter of life or death," …are you fucking him?"
"No!"
He immediately retreated his hands.
"I wouldn't judge if you were," Barty shrugged like he hadn't just suggested that Regulus might have been sleeping with someone three times older than him, "he is quite handsome."
That was true but besides the point.
Anyone else would have ended up with a wand or knife on the throat, depending on his mood, but Barty always got a free pass.
It was just hard to feel offended by him even when he said the most offensive things.
"Are you…" Evan started, then stopped, then tried again," I heard a commotion in the basement this morning, do you think it might be related?"
A commotion in the basement wasn't what he expected from his reward. What could it mean? The basement was for prisoners, hostages - not gifts.
Maybe they had captured someone important, a minister or general of the order, and would let him take care of it. A public show of power. Maybe he hadn't been dreaming too high before, maybe he would get the recognition that he wanted.
It seemed too good to be true but the hope was still there.
"Who knows..." He said instead.
Evan didn't seem satisfied with the answer, he looked around the room, fixing his gaze on a crack in the wall and making a face that made him look like he was trying to chew his own tongue.
"Are you sure that is a good surprise?" Evan finally asked.
"Why wouldn't it be?" Regulus fired back.
Was it that unbelievable that he was doing well? That he deserved some praise? Bellatrix was gifted things, all kinds of forbidden dark magic and a position as the second in command, it was not like it was unheard for someone to be rewarded for good service to the cause.
He thinks that I don't deserve it.
"What I think Evan is trying to say with his poor social skills," Barty chimed in with his hands in a placating gesture," is that…that…" he frowned and then turned to Evan." Actually, I also don't get it, it sounds like a good thing."
Evan sight in exasperation." It's nothing. Forget it."
That was good enough, he didn't really care to hear Evan's usual protests, Barty's excited banter was much more pleasing.
Evan didn't speak much after that, which was also appreciated.
That evening when he told his mother she smiled - 'I knew that you would make me proud' - he hadn't seen her smile in a long, long time, especially not at him.
Dinner was a little less grimm than usual, he has not scolded even once.
After he left she had become more rigid, to make sure that Regulus wouldn't also shame them, but he didn't and he wouldn't - he was better.
Father nodded and kept eating, he had always been his favourite for some reason that Regulus would never understand but it didn't matter. He was gone.
The burned hole in the tapestry was a warning. At some point in time it had also been a reason for grief but he was over that, he wasn't a teary eyed little boy anymore.
And the next day everybody would see that.