Diptych

Chapter 43

The futility of his mission was not lost on Regulus. He walked aimlessly for long enough that he lost hope he'd ever be able to find his way back to James. Then, it did mean that others would be equally unlikely to stumble across his body hidden beneath the invisibility cloak. He'd be as safe as he could be where he was, out of the grasp of men and touched only by his natural surroundings. The image of James laying there, chest completely still and no clouds of breath to match Regulus' own was possibly the only thing that kept his feet moving. It was still unbearable to think of however, and Regulus tried to recall instead as he walked the story Edwin had told them; the princess hiding in the cottage, then laid sweetly in a casket of glass until the day that a prince arrived to save her. Regulus wished that James could be saved with something as chaste and simple as a kiss. Still, if the price was to be blood, he would pay that too.

And in terms of things he didn't want to think about, the mermaid's price topped his list. He would do it, if he could. He knew that. He had to. For Sirius, and for James. For himself too, selfishly. Regulus couldn't take back what he had done, but he could attempt to salvage some good in the world.

He was convinced that it should soon surely be dark, and yet the sun had scarcely passed its high point in the sky. He was no more pleased than ever to be proved wrong on this account. Did that mean that he had really not been walking for so long, that the illusion was caused only by his fragility of mind and body? Were his thoughts so scattered and frantic that he had convinced himself by their passing that minutes and hours had gone by too? He wasn't to know when he would happen upon the men he sought, but thinking that he had only just left James' side didn't bolster his morale. At first, he had taken each step with care and wondered what he would do when faced with the moment he dreaded. Every bird call and twig snapped underfoot startled him. But with time, the sense of urgency overcame the dread, and he began calling out to Rodolphus and his companion.

"Are you there?" He shouted.

"I'm on my own now, you can come and get me!"

"The diary is unguarded, it won't be difficult to get it!"

"Will you just..." If they were watching him, Regulus realised that his goading was unlikely to tempt them from their hiding places. It was all too obvious, and there was no time to feel dejected. More cunning would be required to draw them out.

What would Tom do?

It surprised him a little, that it was the question that plagued his mind. Not 'what would Sirius do?' or even, 'what would Mother have me do?'. He thought instead of what Tom would do, how he might manipulate the men to make themselves known. He was sure that Tom would succeed where he had thus far failed. So what would Tom do?

It was a thought that circled Regulus' mind ten times before he settled on an answer, but once he had it, there was no doubt in his mind. He would make himself appear weak, vulnerable. Regulus was sure of it. After all, wasn't that how he had drawn him in in the first place, to claim connection to his struggles and show just enough of his own that Regulus would be desperate to know more about him? To leave enough unspoken that there were questions to be asked, while at the same time stirring something akin to obsession within Regulus' mind? Didn't he speak to his followers of the oppression they faced at the hands of the muggles? Yes, if Voldemort wanted to lure somebody into a trap, he would be far more subtle than to stand there shouting in the open. That was what Regulus would do, too.

Falling to his knees, he let out a pathetic whine. It was one that perfectly summed up the way he'd felt for days, for longer if he was completely honest. He closed his eyes and allowed all of the tension to leave his shoulders, his neck. Amongst the leaves, his fists remained clenched, but they would not see that. They would see only Regulus worn down by his trials, and giving up. They would see, if he was lucky, an opportunity to attack and they would be too hasty to resist.