The Bug Collector | marauders

Another Fight Over Breakfast

Rose lifted a hand out of the water to loop a finger through the small key sitting next to her on the side of the marble bathtub, bringing the key into Regulus' view.

"I have permission to be here." She said, before placing the key back down, her hand sinking back into the cold bathwater.

The room was both chilly and shadowy, the candles had burned down to almost nothing, dried lavender bundles hung above their heads, and three large windows overlooked the the two of them. The largest of the windows held stained glass windowpanes, and weak light from the early morning seeped through it, sending reflections of green and blue hues across Rose's naked form in the water.

She lifted her head up a bit to peer over at Regulus, he'd seemingly conjured up a book since they'd been there, it sat next to him unopened.

"They seem to need you a lot. The other Death Eaters I mean, they summon you all the time. What exactly do you do?" She asked, sitting her head back down onto her knees.

He starred ahead as he answered her question with one of his own.

"How much do you know about the Wizarding World? About the conflict going on currently?"

In truth she knew very little, her only contact with the Wizarding World was through Hogwarts, and there the talk of war was mere whispers. Especially within her friend group. On the occasion the boys talked of war amongst themselves they would stop as soon as they relaized Rose was listening.

"I don't know much." She replied honestly.

"I'd like to keep it that way. Don't ask about what I do."

She nodded, tightening the grip on her knees, hiding her face with them, wet hair stuck to the back of her neck.

He glanced over at her and his stoney features softened ever so slightly.

"You're going to catch a cold."

"I don't want to get out." She argued.

Regulus responded by standing and grabbing the towel she'd laid out earlier, making his way back to the bath and covering his eyes with it.

"Get up."

"No."

"Rose."

There was sigh, followed by the sounds of sloshing water, and eventually wet footsteps as she grabbed the towel. Their eyes met once it was gone, she wrapped it around herself and spoke.

"How am I suppose to go have breakfast with my mates in a few hours?" She said, troubled by the thought of it.

"Moony and Peter have definitely been updated on the whole situation, I'm sure they both despise me along with Sirius." She continued, the true gravity of the situation she'd created weighing on her all at once.

"Have you slept?" Regulus interjected.

"No, I wandered around for a while, then came here. I'm just gonna stick it out." She answered, before reaching down and taking the book from the floor, looking it over.

"You're going to stick it out in here?" He asked.

"I was planning on it. I like it in here."

"Well get dressed and I'll stay with you. I've got that to keep me company if you fall asleep." He said, nodding towards the book in her hands.

"Alright." She agreed, a small smile finally making it's way back to her rosy features.

She got dressed and cleaned around the bath. Eventually Regulus sat once more and she joined him, leaning on his shoulder gingerly, enjoying a comfortable silence until Regulus spoke up.

"When Sirius and I were children—" He began, she looked up at him, prepared to let each word sink in.

"He use to use quill ink to make little "tattoos" all over himself. Mother hated it, and Father hated whatever Mother hated. He'd come to dinner with his sleeves rolled up showing all the drawings he'd added on himself and Mother would react about the way you might expect with what you know of her. The first time it happen I said nothing, I was sacred. The second time, I spoke up and I was punished with him. I did that a few more times, but then I stopped. I wasn't scared anymore I just didn't care anymore. Sirius refused to learn. He refused to compromise." He said, before tapping the book in her hands.

"The protagonist of this book has a large array of tattoos, I use to read it when he was on my mind. It's a habit I still have." He said, leaning his head back against the wall.

Rose looked ahead, thinking about what all that meant.

—

Breakfast was silent at first, Moons looked as tired as he usually did, Peter kept starring just to turn away quickly when Rose would look at him, and James sent Rose apologetic glances from time to time.

Eventually Sirius cracked, looking over at Rose from his spot next to Remus, speaking with an angry tone.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, Rose looked up from her tea and answered sharply.

"I sit here."

"You think we're just going back the usual? No. You're not sitting here, you're not doing pranks with us—" He was cut off when Rose stood, teacup and pistachio pastry in hand.

"Got it." She said before making her way to the greenhouses were she planned to spend the rest of breakfast, and perhaps the rest of the day.

As she sat at her work table and finished her breakfast she glanced over the flowers growing at the edge of the room. She'd planted some lilies there, and while most were doing well it appeared as if a select few had been cut and taken, and she had no recollection of doing so herself.

She sighed and sat her head on the table next to her teacup, mumbling about someone stealing her flowers as she closed her eyes.