Bad Romance

Chapter 44

Chapter 44: Reading Rainbow

"We remembered something else," Regulus said, and with those words, he effectively ruined Bellatrix's drunk.

"Oh, shit," she groaned softly. From the pensive looks on their faces, the memory did not promise to be a pleasant one. Of course, that was all they needed, more mind-melting fuckery!

As if reading her thoughts, or at least her mood, Rabastan poured another shot, abandoning the game with the gesture. "And this is why we drink," he said drily, before downing it.

"Hi, Cousin Regulus... Kreacher," Lyra said, and they both gave her a polite nod and forced smile to match.

"You may as well come and sit down," Bellatrix said with a sigh, gesturing to two empty chairs at the table.

Man and elf hesitated. Regulus gave Narcissa and Lucius pointed glances, and Bellatrix shrugged.

"Fuck it. It hardly matters who knows now. All secrets are out anyway after my article to the paper. I had many reasons to put the truth out there, and now that it's done I can't say it isn't a relief."

Regulus nodded, and he and Kreacher seated themselves side by side near Narcissa. "Hello, Cissie... Lucius," he murmured.

"Yes, hello, Miss Cissie," Kreacher said, giving Bella's sister a polite smile. "Lucius." His smile for Malfoy was a little colder. Kreacher was never fond of Dobby, considering him annoying at best, but knowing how Lucius treated elves did not warm him to the man. Bellatrix supposed she understood that. She may have killed Dobby, but she certainly had not kicked him beforehand, and Kreacher seemed to have no problem with the little annoying shit no longer being around.

"I finally got to meet Aunt Cissie today, and we went shopping," Lyra said, giving Regulus and Kreacher a cheerful, if drunken smile. "Uncle Lucius wanted wards put up around Malfoy Manor, and as that won't happen on the weekend, they are staying here."

Bella found herself being proud of her perceptive daughter who obviously noticed Regulus and Kreacher's confusion at a party they seemed to have been left out of. "Yes, this was an unplanned party," Bellatrix added.

Regulus nodded. He rarely saw Narcissa and Lucius, being fully aware that they were uncomfortable with one of their own having become a vampire, even if only to survive Voldemort. In Bellatrix's opinion, Regulus wasn't always comfortable with his own choice, and this allowed him to understand and respect that discomfort in others. Though, there were times when he seemed almost disturbingly comfortable with his vampirism, using it like the weapon it was because he'd literally earned it. She supposed she could understand that too.

"When we had our memories restored, we were told that they may not all return at once, but instead they could filter in over time," Regulus began.

Bellatrix nodded, feeling herself stiffen at the potential prospect of more memories hitting her. Those she'd already regained were quite disturbing enough, and she didn't relish more. Little disturbed her so this was saying something, but Horcruxes, having her uncle murdered, and their minds bent could do it.

"So we remembered that previously we both had a false memory," Regulus said. "Even Severus commented some time ago about it not making sense at one point when he heard the story. Kreacher and I always felt we were missing something, but until recently we had no explanation for it. Until tonight, we both had a memory of how we discovered that the Horcrux was a Horcrux. I believed it was a guess of mine, but that I had to test it out with a spell. I believed Kreacher, my father, and I all returned to the cave once before that final time that Kreacher and I went. We did this to run the Horcrux identifying test on the locket."

"Is there such a test," Lyra asked and Regulus shrugged.

"I don't know, but there certainly should be. I never performed it, though, because I am not aware of how to do so. Why I would believe that Kreacher, my father, and I had done so is beyond me. Kreacher shares the same memory. Tonight, however, I remembered how it truly happened, and Kreacher's memory returned when I recounted it to him."

Even Lucius was leaning forward in interest at this point.

Bellatrix blinked, perplexed. "Wasn't it because of something in one of those books we stole from Durmstrang for the Dark Lord? It was your first assignment as a new Death Eater, and Kreacher helped us get into Durmstrang. It was me, you, Rod, and Rabastan."

Regulus nodded, giving a faint smile. "Yes. I remember that very clearly now, but before our memories were restored, that was completely gone. I am thinking the Dark Lord tampered with that memory the night he bent your wills so that you would obsess over him. The question is why? Kreacher and I are thinking it may have something to do with the books themselves. They could hold information he did not want us to have. Perhaps having it now wouldn't be useful to us anymore, but with Delphini being who she is, one never knows."

"So you think we should find copies of those books and study them," Rodolphus asked, and Regulus nodded. "It certainly can't hurt."

"You both remember our little midnight thieving trip to the Durmstrang library, don't you," Bellatrix asked, casting a glance at Rodolphus then at Rabastan. Both nodded.

"Do you remember the titles of all four books by any chance," Rabastan asked Regulus and Kreacher. "I am a little hazy there."

Bellatrix and Rodolphus nodded to indicate their own haziness on the matter. "I recall one being about unicorns," Bellatrix said with a shrug. "At the time, I thought it was a surprising topic of interest for the Dark Lord."

"The book titles were Necromancy, Advanced Mind Altering Potions, Unicorns, and Soul Transference and Skinwalking," Regulus said. "I made my guess about the Horcrux from clues I picked up in the one about soul transference and skinwalking. I now wonder if the skinwalking was how he managed to possess Quirrell."

"Good thought," Lucius said with a nod. He looked impressed,and Bellatrix felt a sudden stab of pride for Regulus. He was always a smart little shit, at those times involving Horcruxes, but not always for his own good.

"Jot the titles down, and I'll see what I can do to acquire copies," Lucius added. "I have some connections."

Regulus gave a grateful smile. It was obvious that he was not expecting help from the Malfoy corner. "Thank you, Lucius. That shall be a great help. I have someone I can check with, as well. Perhaps with our resources pooled, we will track them down quickly. With them having come from the Durmstrang library, I am guessing they are rare and specialized, but hopefully not one of a kind. One of a kind books aren't usually left to the hands of students, at least not without special permission and a locked vault."

"True," Lucius said as he leaned thoughtfully back in his chair. "And I must say, I am rather curious to see what the Dark Lord was so interested in reading!"

"Perhaps the mind altering potion was how he controlled certain people that required something a bit more special than the Imperius Curse," Regulus mused. "After all, while the Imperius Curse can be detected, a carefully crafted potion could all too easily go unnoticed even if a person was magically examined. If Delphini is using something like that now, it would be quite useful to be aware."

"Master Regulus is brilliant," Kreacher said proudly.

"Perhaps so," Bellatrix admitted thoughtfully. "Perhaps so." Imagining what Delphini could make people do against their will was certainly enough to give her nightmares, Bellatrix thought darkly.