Crystal Clear | REGULUS BLACK //

4.11 - Runaway

The crackling of flames.

Muffled screams of horror.

A mess of sounds and colors swirling around her head.

Crystal opened her eyes slowly. The very second she regained consciousness, pain wriggled its way within her body, flooding her senses. She could feel she was leaning against something. Her field of vision was blurry and filled with warm shades. She tried to make sense of what was happening around her, but the more she tried to concentrate, the less she seemed to be able to understand.

Then her vision cleared. She realized she was outside and there was a huge fire nearby, creating an outstanding amount of smoke and noise. But she did not remember being carried away from James' house. She only remembered having lost all her strength after trying to protect Harry, and falling into a deep slumber, one which she hadn't been quite certain she would wake up from.

But she did.

She looked around, starting to panic.

Where was the child?

How was she outside?

She remembered Regulus approaching her as she lost consciousness. Maybe he took them all outside; he was the least affected by Tom's blows, after all.

Crystal stood up and tried to walk around. Her ankle still hurt like hell. She could see some people hastily pacing around nearby. Crystal thought about using healing magic on herself, but thought it dangerous, as she could pass out again, out of exhaustion. Looking hazily at the ground, Crystal took notice of a sharp shard of broken glass, she grabbed it and ripped a piece of her clothing for a temporary makeshift bandage for her ankle. The pressure the bandage applied helped her walk better.

She walked slowly towards the two pacing figures. As she approached them, she let out a sigh of relief. Sirius was pacing around, restless, he had Harry on his arms. Regulus paced around too, but in a more static way. It's like both were waiting for something. Crystal looked around, about the same distance she had been from Sirius and Regulus, Remus was passed out, leaning against some rocks.

"Crystal..." The sound that came out of Regulus was not a good sign, he sounded melancholic.

He sounded like he was sorry.

Crystal looked at Regulus, then at Sirius.

"Where..." She looked around. James and Lily were nowhere to be seen. She looked at Regulus and he looked sorry. She looked at Sirius and he looked enraged and remorseful. His eyes were puffy and red. "Wait... Y-You can't tell m-me that..."

A sound of another explosion echoed a little far from them. They were all startled, including Remus, who seemed to regain some sort of consciousness. Harry, however, was scared by the sound. Sirius gently rocked him back and forth on his arms to try and soothe him.

"What is even going on, I can't understand- Why is there a fire?" Crystal asked, trying to make sense of something at least.

"Peter..." Sirius started, but choked back on his words and his tears. "He betrayed us all, just like you warned us. But when I cornered him, that coward... He cast an explosion and ran away... People died, Crys, people that had nothing to do with it." His voice was full of sorrow and a lingering bitterness.

Crystal stared at her feet for a long while, before excusing herself and jogging sluggishly towards the Potter's late house. She entered the place and examined everything around her. From the living room she retrieved her muggle dagger. She kept walking and trying to gather her thoughts. Then she found it.