Lacerta Black -- James Potter --

31

Regulus was exhausted, unable to get a proper night's sleep. This would be the last time that the Marauders and his sister would board the Hogwarts Express. He sulked the entire trip to the prefect's compartment while Dorcas laughed at his gloomy expression. Pandora had unfortunately not made prefect, not that she cared, and found a compartment for the group with Gavin.

Aparaently she'd met a boy named Xenophilius during the summer and had the biggest crush on the older boy. He was in the year above and seemed interested in her as well, but he was weird in Regulus's opinion. 

Lacerta and James were already prepared with the latter having notes in his hand. His face was oddly serious, looking more like he had a prank planned than attempting to look mature. His sister waved nervously, and he could immediately tell why. Snape had been chosen as the Slytherin's male prefect and Natalia as the woman. 

He glared at the two as Dorcas led him to a seat near the Hufflepuffs, who were the only House that allowed Slytherins to sit near them. With all the death and war going on, people didn't trust his house anymore. It seemed that the Ravenclaws were sticking mainly to themselves or the Puffs and Gryffindor, minus the Marauders, were arrogantly bullying Slytherins. 

Lacerta hoped that James, one of the most idolized Gryffindors in the school, dating and be kind to the Slytherins would decrease the number of hexes they've already had to reverse. Sirius was a harder case to crack as he was still very prejudiced against the house of the cunning. 

"Goodmorning everyone!" James said cheerily. "For those of you who don't know, I'm James Potter and this is Lacerta P- Black."

Snape rolled his eyes, mumbling about how hard it would be to not know someone with such a big head. Regulus wished he could do nonverbal magic to shave off his greasy hair. 

"To set up patrols, we wanted to continue what the last Heads did. We paired each of you up with someone from a separate House and we will be monitoring the reasons points are taken away," Lacerta said with a smile, looking much more like a Black than the nervous wreck she was before they left. "If we receive any reports of a prefect acting in a prejudiced manner then it will go straight to Dumbledore, and you will be replaced immediately."

"For patrols, make sure everyone is keeping it down, no littering, and no fighting," James read from his notecard. Most of the rules were usually directed towards the Marauders so it made the prefects laugh as he blushed slightly. "Come on up and either me or Liz will give you your partners."

Snape lingered behind, obviously wanting to talk to Lacerta, so Regulus did the same. A Hufflepuff named Grace came up to him while he waited. "I'm your partner for the year," she said timidly. As far as he knew, she was a muggleborn and terrified of him.

"I'll meet you in the hall," he nodded her away. It must've come off ruder than intended as she scurried away. He waited in the back until it was only the four of them left, Snape's partner left without talking to him. 

"Chang is your partner, Snape," James said, not using the nickname they had created for the boy. 

"I wasn't asking you, Potter," he hissed. 

"Why don't I escort you out, Snape," Regulus grabbed the other boy's robes, dragging him out. Once they were alone, he pushed him into the wall. "This is your last warning you slimy worm. Leave my sister alone. She's happy with James and she went through too much shit last year for you to try and ruin what she has now."

"I was going to warn her, Black," he spat the name like it left a sour taste on his tongue. "The Dark Lord isn't happy with the encounter he had with her last year."

The shock must've been evident on his face as it made Snape grin victoriously. "She didn't tell you? The Dark Lord tried to recruit her and Potter last year, since they refused he wants them both dead."

"But. . . they're purebloods," he mumbled weakly. Regulus never felt like he had to worry about his family. They came from the Noble and Ancient House of Black, no one would try to hurt them. Andromeda was special because she got married to a muggleborn, but Lacerta was dating a pureblood. 

"They embarrassed him," Snape snorted. "It doesn't matter what they are, they have a target over their heads. I don't give a fuck about Potter, but Lacerta could get hers removed if she just listened to me."

"Fat chance," he snorted, already roaming through a million different ideas to find a solution. None seemed to work without a consequence. "The only reason she would ever be with you is the day that everyone in the world was dead."

"Just tell her to find me," he rolled his eyes. "She's your sister and if she stays with Potter then she's going to end up dead."

"Better dead then with you," he had replied confidently. 

Snape twirled his robes as he turned away, off to find his patrol partner. Regulus turned to see Grace watching with a pale face and anxiety written all over it. He blushed slightly and motioned for her to follow them as they went to their required area. They were quiet as they interrupted a snogging couple and got a couple of second years to clean up the wrappers covering their floor. 

He was still going over all the scenarios, trying to find the best way to protect his family. They had done so much for him, more Lacerta than anyone. He owed it to her after all. Regulus vaguely wondered if he could trick a Death Eater into giving him information. He and Rosier had been quite close for a while.

One of his worst, or possibly best, ideas came in the form of self sacrifice. The best way to take down the darkest wizard of all time was from within. He could easily fall back into the role of the pureblood heir, tricking everyone into thinking he was cruel and emotionless. He had played that part for nearly sixteen years. 

If he got the Dark Mark, he could fly through the ranks and be the right-hand man of Voldemort. He could learn his darkest secrets and trade them to keep his family and friends alive. No one would have to know. It was the best, most efficient way to take him down. For Lacerta, he would do anything. It would make all of her pain last year totally worthless, but she would be alive, and she would have James. 

It was on that train that Regulus stupidly made up his mind, sealing his fate. There was one person he would trust to keep his secret and it couldn't be his family, they would never let him go through with it. He needed to find Pandora. 

And oh, fuck was this going to hurt like a bitch.