The Search Is Over

Chapter 71

"So you're back at Grimmauld now," Bellatrix asked Regulus and he shook his head.
"No, but I plan to be soon. I promised Dumbledore I would hold off on speaking to Mr. Potter about reclaiming my family home until Voldemort was dead. I shall be speaking to him as soon as possible. Until then we shall continue to stay with Dumbledore's friend who has kindly allowed us the comfort of his home."

"I see," Bellatrix nodded as she accepted her third drink from Rabastan.

"Well let us know when you're settled."

"I shall," Regulus promised.

"Hey, are you allowed to be alive now or what," Rabastan asked, giving Regulus a speculative look over his goblet before taking a swig of fire whisky.

"I should think so. I haven't done anything illegal as far as wizarding society is aware. Of course they wouldn't appreciate the killing of wicked Muggles for my sustenance, and as they are a lot of hypocrites I doubt they'd appreciate the fact I killed those few Death Eaters I was able to track down in the past year, but we shan't be telling them of any of that."

"So that's where they got to," Bellatrix said with an appreciative cackle.

"And here we were believing The Dark Lord did it," Rodolphus added.

"I just can't stop myself thinking of all the disgusting things you have to do as a vampire," Rabastan said, making a face.

"Not at all uncomfortable," Regulus said dryly while Kreacher glared at the younger Lestrange.

"And there's only the one. The drinking of blood and really it isn't bad. A vampire craves it in the way you would meat or cheese or bread. Due to the fact that it becomes a bodily need, it is no longer abhorrent, but believe me I did expect that it would be," he admitted honestly, suppressing a shudder at the memory of his first day or so as a vampire.

"What about the sleeping in a coffin bit," Rabastan asked, oblivious, intentionally or not, to Regulus's discomfort and Kreacher's hostile glare.

"That seems pretty uncomfortable to me."

"Anywhere that is entirely dark serves so a coffin is not a must. It is simply fast and convenient and I think it has honestly become a part of vampire culture," Regulus admitted with a shrug.

"It isn't uncomfortable because the sunrise effectively knocks us out so we feel nothing even if we sleep on hardest stone."

"Master Regulus's coffin is quite comfortable, though," Kreacher inserted.

"It has a soft padded lining."

"That's all very interesting," Bellatrix drawled.

"And I am not going to ask how you know, because I do not feel like intentionally traumatizing myself."

Kreacher smirked.

"If Miss Bella has more questions..."

"We are all questioned out," Bellatrix snapped, glaring warningly at Rabastan.

Regulus gave Kreacher an appreciative smile and the elf practically preened in satisfaction.

Kreacher and Regulus visited with the Lestranges until quite late into the night. It felt amazingly good to reunite with family again. Regulus knew he'd enjoy seeing them, but he'd under estimated just how much.

The Lestranges represented the best of the old days, and like he and Kreacher, they had made it through the fires as it were and come out on the other side. They were all survivors and considering all they'd managed to survive, it felt amazing. When he and Kreacher departed, there were only a few more hours until sunrise. Regulus promised to visit again soon and the Lestranges in turn promised to tell he and Kreacher all about working for Black Ops once they got an assignment.