The Search Is Over

Chapter 72

After Regulus had a Muggle drug dealer for dinner who sold his products to children, he and Kreacher returned to Doge's to write Albus a quick note requesting Mag's current address. Severus was obviously no longer at Hogwarts and what with everything going on, it had slipped Regulus's mind to ask where they were staying now. Mortis kindly took the note to Albus and was back with a reply in five minutes.

"Well," Kreacher asked, craning his neck in an attempt to read over Regulus's shoulder.

"He is doing well and says to tell you hello. Mag is with Severus at her parent's home for a few days before they join Albus in Bulgaria, and he gave me the address.

"Interesting," Kreacher mused.

"We went there for a party a few times during my school days, remember? Looks to be the same manor," Regulus said.

"I suppose Raislen never moved out, though I can't imagine him living with his parents."

Burning the note with a flick of his wand out of habit, he turned for the door.

"Let us go and find out, shall we?"

The elf who opened to Regulus's knock at WestCraven manor was dressed in quite a lot of very bright and colorful scarves. One served as a skirt, one as a top, then there were more layers to each and more tied at her shoulders to fall down her slender arms. The sight nearly hurt his eyes, but then again vampires were sensitive to bright light and those scarves were some kind of bright!

"Kreacher does not know this elf," Kreacher observed.

Though he addressed the statement to Regulus he spoke rather loudly, clearly intending for the elf in question to hear.

"There was a different elf here when we attended those few parties years ago."

"That would be Hobbard. He works for the elder WestCravens," the bright elf said with a smile.

"They all live in Bath now. I am Mira. I came to work for Raislen and Heather when they got married. I was very young at the time."

"Mira speaks strangely," Kreacher complained darkly.

"As if she fancies herself to be a wizard."

He wrinkled his nose in disapproval.

"I was freed as soon as I arrived here, and I never saw other elves, so I suppose I picked up the speech pattern that was used. It's the only one I ever heard."

"That is no excuse," Kreacher told her sternly.

His disapproval wasn't waning in the least, and in fact her explanation seemed to have made it worse if that were possible.

"I wasn't trying to make an excuse," Mira shot back.

"I was answering your question. Who are you here to call upon, and may I have your names? Well I already know one name, Kreacher and..."

She looked inquiringly to Regulus.

"I am Regulus Black. We're here to see Mag if she's in? If not I would still very much like to catch up with Raislen, as it has been years."

"They are both in as it happens," Mira said.

"Just a moment, I will give them your names."

She bowed slightly then vanished back inside the manor in a flutter of silk scarves, gently closing the door behind her.

"Cautious," Regulus noted.

"That's good. Just because he's dead doesn't mean everything is entirely safe."