The Bug Collector | marauders

Pendulum

tw: heightened emotions, mentions of toxic households

The discarded cigarette smoldered in the grass below as Regulus took Rose's lower lip between his teeth, biting down until a sharp gasp escaped her lips.

She pulled away at the approaching footsteps.

When they stopped a hand with a firm grip held Rose's shoulder, promptly turning her to face it's owner.

"What the fuck, Rose?" Sirius asked, voice raised, eyed aflame.

James followed close behind, Lily hadn't come to the party, but two of her friends, Dorcas and Marlene had, they watched the hostile exchange along with a few other nosey bystanders.

"Pads, let's go." James instructed.

"Absolutely not." Sirius responded stubbornly.

Regulus stepped aside, allowing himself to come into full view, and when James saw the look on Sirius' face grow colder he began shooing away unneeded eyes. Sirius may have refused to leave, but James was going to ensure there was some type of privacy during the ordeal. Moony and Wormtail were still out of sight.

Sirius' attention went back to Rose's face.

"Him, Rose? I mean if you were looking for a Death Eater I'm sure Snape would have no problem pretending you were Lily. It didn't have to be Regulus." Said said sarcastically, though without any humor.

"Pads." James' warned.

"I'm just doing what you do." Rose finally said, stepping into Sirius' personal space.

He ran a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply as dim orange light reflected onto him and the ground below.

"This is not what I do. This one is completely you." He responded resentment flowing through his words, Rose took a step back, bumping into James.

"Do you really believe that, brother?" Regulus asked from his spot next to them. Sirius' eyes met his without missing a beat.

"Don't call me that." He practically hissed.

Regulus took that with a small nod, turning to James and Rose.

"You should go. This isn't really about you, and it's far past time my brother and I talked."

They complied to a certain extent, moving to the side and taking a few steps back.

Regulus twisted a ring around his finger agitatedly as Sirius responded.

"What do we have to talk about, Regulus? I was there for you until I absolutely couldn't be anymore and even then you could have come with me. YOU chose to stay with those pureblood maniacs." Sirius defended, anxiously gripping at a necklace he wore as he spoke.

"No I couldn't have. If we had both left Mum would have come back for ONE of us, and let's be honest, I might have been their spare, but she would have come back for me, and she certainly wouldn't have let you run free without any sort of punishment. There's no way." Regulus argued, rolling up his left sleeve so that his dark mark was present.

Sirius' face paled upon actually seeing it, his voice came out far less confidently.

"You sound just like her." He said uneasily.

"I've also been told I have her eyes." Regulus quipped, and Sirius' own caught fire once again.

"You're such a prick."

"I'm a prick?" Regulus asked, almost laughing.

"You want to say I'm like mum? Fair. But, let's not forget how you're like father. Your hair and and your confidence and drunken smile, that shite is a mask. Dad wears his, loving father, family protector or whatever it is he tries to look like when other people are around. What does all that hide for you two? Because I think it hides me. I think it hides the part of you that's like me that you don't want to look at."

He pointed down to his dark mark.

"The part of you this was meant for."

"They would have had to kill me, Regulus I never would have done that." Sirius argued, unable to take his eyes off the mark on his little brother's arm.

"I know. But I also know that dealing with mine would have been a lot easier if you had stayed, so, forgive me, brother, you have your freedom and I have this—"

He said before reciting an incantation for what Rose recognized as a charm that was meant to implant memories into someone's mind, Sirius visibly cringed at the memories Regulus had implanted, memories of what he'd done alongside the other Death Eaters.

"Why do you always have to do this?" Sirius asked, Regulus shrugged limply.

"I wanted you to know." Was all he said as the mark on his arm glowed and swirled beneath his skin, Sirius opened his mouth to speak but Regulus cut him off.

"I have to go. Per usual." He muttered, before pointing at Rose.

"I want to see you when I get back." He continued, before begrudgingly apparating to the the side of the Dark Lord and his fellow Death Eaters.

Sirius looked directly at James and Rose, pointing angrily as he spoke.

"That is who you chose." He said before leaving them both. Disappearing into what was left of the party.

—

Within early hours of the next morning, Rose sat in the Prefect bath, the water around her had long ago turned cold as ice, but she remained there. Her knees were pulled to her chest and her head sat gently upon them. The only light in the room was from four candles that surrounded the tub, each had burned down to a pile of wax and a weak flame.

She heard the smallest sound and looked to where it came from, there half-shrouded in shadows stood an exhausted Regulus Black, wand still in hand.

"You shouldn't be here." She said, half-heartedly.

"You shouldn't be here either." He responded before taking a seat next to the bath, careful to keep his eyes on the darkness ahead instead of the girl next to him.