Prompt 15 - Posion
@jegulus-microfic February 15 Word count 991
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“Kreacher!” He called out as he entered Grimmauld Place. The house elf appeared at his side with a crack and bent low in a bow.
“Yes, Master?”
“Where are my parents?” He asked, praying they weren’t in the house.
“They at the country Manor, Master.” The elf answered.
“Good,” Regulus nodded. “Keep them there as long as you can. And if they try to return, tell them I have said I need the house.”
“Yes, Master.” Kreacher bowed again before disapparating.
Regulus stumbled to the kitchen. He needed a drink. The fire had parched him. He summoned a bottle of butterbeer, removed the cork and took a swig. He immediately spat it out, coating the table in sticky spray. It tasted like poison. Gingerly, he sniffed the contents of the bottle. Yep, that wasn’t butterbeer. He poured it down the sink and got water instead.
He wouldn’t have long before he was summoned, so he tried to collect himself. He’d have liked to find Evan and Barty and check on them, but he wouldn’t have time to track them down. He assumed Evan had taken Barty to his house rather than back to Barty Sr.
He dropped his glass when his left forearm suddenly shot through with burning pain. He was being summoned to Malfoy Manor.
He cleared away the mess he’d made and left the house to apparate.
Voldemort was in a rage when he arrived. He was storming around the formal dining room with the ginormous mahogany table.
“We have a spy! Someone has tipped them off about our plan!” He spun when Regulus entered. “Come here, Master Black.” Regulus didn’t hesitate and strode straight to Voldemort’s side. Clawed hands shot up and dug into his face as Voldemort drove into his head for the second time that day.
This time, he pulled Regulus’s mind apart slower, still painful, maybe more painful than before, but he lingered in each memory, looking for any signs that Regulus had told the Order something. Regulus had those memories well hidden, and because of his mother’s relentless drills when he was younger, he was always on guard for legimency attacks.
“My Lord,” Lucius Malfoy spoke, unexpectedly coming to Regulus’s defence. “It is doubtful that he could have told anyone when the attack was happening. We were with him when he found out we were going today, and it was you yourself that put the charms on Grimmauld Place, stopping owls and patronuses from leaving or entering the property.” Voldemort dropped Regulus’s face.
“Yessss, I suppose you do have a point.” He hissed. “I want whoever revealed our plans to the Order found, Lucius.”
“Of course, my Lord.” Lucius bowed deeply, reminding Regulus of Kreacher. Lucius wrapped an arm around Regulus’s shoulder and steered him away towards Narcissa.
Narcissa fussed over him, straightening his robes and smoothing his shirt collar before he batted her away.
“Leave him be, Narcissa.” Lucius hissed through his teeth at his wife. Regulus ignored them, looking around the room as he silently counted how many death eaters returned and which important names were left. A lot were missing.
Bellatrix came smashing through the door, throwing a fit, Rabastan following close behind. Evidently, Rodolphus had been captured.
She stormed towards Voldemort.
“My Lord! They have Rodolphus!” Voldemort stopped any further words from escaping Bella’s mouth by flicking his hand out and wrapping it around her throat.
“I do not care about your husband. I want to know who betrayed me!” Bellatrix clawed at his hand as he squeezed tighter, his face twisting into a sneer. Nobody helped her lest they incur Voldemort’s wrath themselves. When she stopped struggling, he tossed her onto the floor, where she gasped, trying to force air into her bruised throat.
Regulus felt the mirror in his pocket heat as James tried to contact him. He had insisted they add this charm to the mirror rather than have the caller’s voice call out. This would be a dead giveaway if, like now, whoever had the other mirror tried to get in contact. He had to ignore the caller, even though his fingers itched to open the small compact.
When it was clear that no more death eaters would be coming, Voldemort began digging through all their brains, looking for the traitor. He found nothing, which only incensed him more.
“Where are Rosier and Crouch? I don’t recall them being in the later part of the attack.” Regulus stepped forward, putting on his best aristocratic mask.
“Forgive me, my Lord, but Bartemius was injured, and I told Evan to get him away from the battle.”
“And what gives you the authority to give those orders, young master Black?” Voldemort’s red eyes seemed to glow as he questioned Regulus.
“You yourself told us that Bartemius was useful to our cause, and I determined that you would prefer that his father not found out he was there.” Voldemort’s face split into an approximation of a smile.
“And that is why we have missed you greatly since you have been away, dear Regulus.” He turned to the rest of his congregation. “You see, Regulus here sees the bigger picture. We may have lost this battle, but we shall still win this war.” Cheers erupted once Voldemort had finished his speech. “You may leave me. I require time to plan our next move.” The death eaters hurried from the room, whispering amongst themselves, trying to guess who the traitor could be.
Regulus positioned himself amongst the exiting death eaters and left quickly.
As soon as he was locked in his bedroom and had cast silencing charms, he pulled out the small silver mirror and whispered.
“James?” James’s image immediately showed in the mirror, replacing his own.
“Reg! Reg, are you alright? You didn’t answer!” He sounded panicked, his eyes overly bright. Regulus felt a tightening in his chest as the need to be in James’s arms took over.
“Can we meet?”
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Journal des Dames et des Modes, Costume Parisien, 15 février 1819 (1795). Collection of the Rijksmuseum, Netherlands
Standing woman dressed in a crepe dress with a satin bodice, decorated with pleated strips of crepe. Short puff sleeves and a cone-shaped skirt. The updo is decorated with a wreath of flowers. Accessories: earring in the right ear, necklace, flower corsage, long gloves, flat shoes with square toes, straps and bows. One long glove on, the other loose in the hand. Proof of a print from the fashion magazine Journal des Dames et des Modes, published by Pierre de la Mésangère, Paris, 1797-1839.
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