Redemption and Reconciliation

Chapter 1

Sirius was reading the Daily Prophet when he heard a knock. It couldn't have been one of the Marauders, because they would have just come in. Grabbing his wand, he slowly opened the door. He shoved the person against the wall and held his wand to the visitor's throat.

"Regulus. Come to hand me over to your Dark Lord?" he snarled.

"I need your help," Regulus gasped.

"What, can't run back to your Death Eater friends?" Sirius pushed the wand.

"I burnt it off a year ago. I never swore loyalty willingly. And if you think I think I swore it willingly, you're an idiot."

Sirius dragged him inside by the collar of his shirt before pushing him onto the couch.

"I'm calling my friends. Don't move," Sirius threatened.

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Regulus had been prepared for Sirius's reaction, and the arrival of his friends. It hurt, but it was expected.

"So you're not a Death Eater," James Potter remarked. "Forgive us we don't believe you."

"Ah, yes. Your Gryffindor ego" he replied, annoyed.

Sirius came over then. "I have a bottle of veritasium. If we are to trust anything you say, you've got to drink this."

"Fine," he grumbled. He drained the vial and handed it to Lupin, who pointed a wand at him. Brilliant.

"I'll start," Sirius declared. "Why are you here? What do you mean, you aren't a Death Eater anymore? You clearly burnt it off, but it could be ploy to win our trust. When did you burn it off?"

Regulus inhaled," I'm here because there may be a way to defeat Voldemort. I'm not a Death Eater. Mother had me essentially kidnapped from Platform 9 ¾, dragged to Lord Voldemort, and held a friend at knifepoint. I didn't have a choice." He looked down, embarrassed. He hated veritasium so much. " I burnt off the Mark the night before my wedding."

"You're married?" Sirius shouted. "How, when, who?"

"Sirius, love, that's irrelevant," Remus said as Sirius shushed him. Merlin, he hated veritasium so much.

Regulus sighed in defeat. "You lot are wasting my time. I married someone with black hair. When, last year. How? I planned a wedding, obviously." Loopholes of veritasium. One needed to be specific to get out specific information.

"We're all getting off point here. Regulus, you said you had information that could beat Voldemort?" Lupin asked.

"Lupin, you're the only sensible one hear. Thank you for not wasting my time. Voldemort, in the few months I had to spend as his Death Eater, would brag about immortality. Claimed that he did something that no one had ever done before. And according to Kreacher, when Walburga handed him over to the Dark Lord, he was taken to a cave, and hid something of great value. I think it might be a Horcrux." Regulus announced.

"Not calling her mother anymore? Perfect son gone rogue?" Sirius smirked.

"What's a horcrux?" James interrupted.

"It's an object that contains a bit of a person's soul. Very dark, and not something condoned by even the Blacks."

"And Voldemort's made one." Remus concluded.

"Multiple horcruxes."

Sirius's friends huddled together on the other end of the room. Regulus closed his eyes. He was exhausted. Slowly, his head slumped back, and he tuned out everything.

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Sirius watched as his brother fell asleep in the armchair, clearly too exhausted to care where he was. He shook Regulus awake. "Regulus, wake up. Regulus."

"Daph or Rasalas?" Regulus mumbled. Who? Friends of his?

Apparently James had picked up on this little fact too. "Who are you talking about?"

Regulus, remembering what he had said, glanced at the clock, sat up and whispered, "I'm late." He looked up. "No one of your concern. Forget I said anything. I'm leaving. Give me a piece of paper." He looked at Sirius. "Now."

Sirius went to grab it. Handing it to him, he asked "Where are you going?"

"Home," Regulus responded. He wrote something on the paper. "I need to get home. If you decide that you want help, here's my address." He walked out the door.

"That was abrupt," James commented.

"Did anyone understand what happened?" asked Sirius, collapsing on the couch.

https://pin.it/6g8Loht: Sirius

https://images.app.goo.gl/WBinNPThDvLYeWxo8: Remus