Silent Riot | Regulus Black

TWENTY ONE

Gemma lay in the hospital wing, hating her life, staring at the ceiling with utter boredom as her healing leg throbbed.

Iz had come to see her, as had Ted and Luke, but Regulus hadn't yet. She wasn't quite sure why, she'd been there for almost two days now. 

Speak of the devil. Regulus made his way to her bed. She was about to joke and ask him why he was so late, but one look at the scowl on his face and the smile stopped dead at her lips. 

He took her hand in his, and inspected it weirdly.

'What happened?' He said coldly, not looking at her. 

'Minor scuffle,' she said, brushing it off.

'Really,' he said. He ran his thumb over the the snake ring on her index finger. 'With Bellatrix Black?' 

She stared at him, and he stared back. 

'What?' She said stupidly. 

'You think my cousin wouldn't tell me when she was attacked?' He snapped. 

'Well no, I wouldn't have thought she had the time, between killing people, eating children, cutting off people's - '

'Would you please stop trying to be funny, and take something seriously for once in your life?'

'I mean I can try but-'

'She said she was attacked by a blonde girl with the ring of a snake on her finger. Sound familiar?' Damn, she thought. How on Earth did Bellatrix have time to inspect her jewellery?

'Um, was that rhetorical or-' But once again, he cut her off.

'You know, I became friends with you because I needed someone who wasn't... wasn't connected with all of this. This messiness. But you are so... so stupid-'

'I don't-'

'Do you think your doing this for me? Do you think somehow you can help me by joining the war? Do you think this makes you a hero or something?' His grip on her hand was tightening, to the point where it was almost painful.

'I- no- I don't- '

'Because I didn't have a choice, Gemma. I don't have a choice. You do. Don't risk your life for this, because it isn't worth it.'

'I'll decide that,' she said slowly. 'I'll decide what to do with my life, Regulus, because like you said, I have a choice.'

'You think you can help? You can't even perform a spell, Gemma. What use would you even be, to anyone?'

That one hurt. 'At least I'm on the right side! The one not killing innocent people! And what the hell, Regulus Black weren't you the one telling me that you aren't a death eater, less than three months ago?'

'And you were stupid enough to believe me,' he snarled. 'Everyone in Slytherin house knows where I stand. Isolde does, Luke does, hell even Ted does. So why are you always the slowest person in the room?' He was crushing her wrist now, but she refused to let him know that it hurt.

'I do know that you don't have the dark mark on your arm!' She yelled. 'I check all the time, just to make sure!'

'Maybe I don't now, but I will-'

'That's is not a good thing!' She shouted. 'Stop acting like it's some achievement you're working towards! '

'To be among those chosen by the Dark Lord would be an honour bestowed upon me and my entire household,' he said quietly. She stared at him.

'You don't mean that.'

'I do.'

'Then apparently I was wrong. I wasn't supposed to be trying to help you, I was supposed to be running away from you, because apparently-'