River Dawson felt nothing more than ecstasy as a new adventure awaited for her. With the world in her hands she was itching to discover more of it and that is what she planned to do.
However, along the way a certain red headed man seemed to crop up...
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"Yes, it's driving me crazy And my patience is fading Oh, you'd better watch out"
* * *
Regulus gnawed on a chicken leg like a dog with a bone, similar to Ron when he was first shown KFC by River who thought he would appreciate it after he looked out for her. He was in awe on the mixtures of seasoning and the crisp batter. Regulus, however, seemed hungry and she didn't think it was entirely for food.
It was as if by picking every piece of meat off of the bone was distracting him, stopping his mind from ticking over like a bomb waiting to explode. River played with hers, her appetite had disappeared. Instead, she observed the man, watching time pass by for him to continue his explanation for why she was there.
"Why aren't you eating?" Regulus asked, he took a small breath to toss the bare bone to the side of the plate as he scooped up piles of peas and sweetcorn.
She shrugged, "I just want to leave, I can't lie."
"I know you do. You will eventually, I just need to work out a new plan."
"New plan?"
Regulus dropped his spoon and ran a hand through his hair. He looked tired, drained in fact. He had taken her into a different room, let her shower and clean up, he cleaned her clothes using magic and sent someone to collect the rest of her belongings from Spain.
It was his quarters of wherever they were, his personal space that he had let her into and everyone else was banned. He ordered for their food to be left outside for them (food the men were confused about giving her). For someone who had kidnapped her, Regulus was very hospitable.
"See those papers, over there on the bedside table," he said, pointing. On the bedside table, a hefty stack of papers piled up in a mess, some glasses sat on top of them, a paper weight sat on one corner of a couple of pages and the lamp shone down on them. "They're snatcher sheets. One page for every wizard or witch the Dark Lord wants to recruit."
"The who? Recruit for what?"
"Do you really not know?"
She shook her head.
Regulus watched River with solemn eyes. He wanted to tell her to forget what he had said. That it didn't matter but he couldn't. She had every right to know all. She needed to know in order to stay safe.
"Voldemort, the Dark Lord, he is a dark wizard who has started a second war within the wizarding world. He wants as many purebloods on his side as a way of becoming a completely pure society."
"Why?"
"Because he's not a good person. I'm sure in the muggle world there have been people like him before."
"Aye. So what does this have to do with me? I ain't part of your world no matter what that sodding paper says."
The tired man shook his head, pushing himself away from the table he set up for them to eat from and he pulled two sheets of paper from the top of the pile. A few slipped onto the floor from the disturbance but he dismissed them, returning to River and handing her the sheets.
"Eros and River Dawson. Wanted."
River held them, reading every word printed on them about how they were selected. The reward up for grabs for whoever turns them in. A bonus if they were to agree to work for Voldemort. River's price was much higher than her brothers.
"Please let me go home, I-"
"I'm not here to hand you in, sweetheart. I'm here to make sure you aren't recruited. I've been there, done that and have the t-shirt. It's not worth it. I never wanted to be a part of it, I wanted to escape it like my brother. I faked my own death to escape in the end. Any promises he proposes are fake. He won't keep you safe. He will drain you for what you are worth and then get rid of you. I owe it to your father and all ounce of my morality to keep you from it."
"My da?"
"Yes, your father found my body, he lied to everyone when he found me breathing. I could have been locked up in Azkaban - uh, our prison - if they knew I was alive. He risked his job and life to help me escape. I was dead to everyone and I had to just wait until it was clear before I could go into hiding."
"Why would he do that?"
"I handed him a list of death eaters just mere seconds before other aurors followed him into the cave. I proved to him my alliance."
Once again, River's head was prepared to combust from all of the information that to her, should have been found in a dystopian fantasy book. It was real life. It didn't feel like it though.
River started to eat her food. She wanted time to process everything and Regulus noted it. He saw the worry and confusion written over her face. He took the papers from her and put them on the bed and returned to his own dinner.
"I just don't get how I am part of your world and its dramas when I am not from your world."
"Me neither, but I think we need to take extra caution. I'll get you back to your family tonight. I'll tell the other's I am moving you to the manor. It's high time to get reacquainted with my dearest brother," said Regulus with a sense of wary in his voice, "I won't let anything happen to you, darling."
"I can look after myself."
"In the muggle world, maybe, but in the wizarding world you wouldn't last a day."
