Too Far Gone (Don't Save Me Book 4)

Chapter 19: Regulus Black

 I reached the door to Regulus's room, hearing rustling, and pushed open the door to find Kreacher smacking his head against a wall.

"Kreacher?"

"Mistress Y/l/n?" He stopped smacking his head on the wall for a brief moment before returning to the wall.

"That's enough, Kreacher. Stop harming yourself."

"Master ordered Kreacher to punish himself."

"Which master?"

There was a slight pause before he continued smacking his head. "Mistress's father."

I nodded. "Well, I'm his daughter. I'm the closest thing the Malfoys and Bellatrix Lestrange have to a sister. I have the authority to order you to stop."

He paused once again, his shoulders relaxing, as he turned to face me. "I suppose Mistress does have authority..."

I struggled to keep myself from rolling my eyes, but managed nonetheless.

"Why did he order you to punish yourself, Kreacher?"

"Kreacher failed to stall Master Black long enough... Master didn't get the prophecy."

"That was his failure not yours," I hissed.

Kreacher looked at me curiously. "Mistress is kind to Kreacher." There was a pause before he continued. "Master Regulus thought highly of Miss Y/n. He spoke of you... in his final moments."

My heart skipped a beat as he spoke. "H-He did? Y-you were with him?"

The elf nodded.

"W-what did he say? W-what happened to him? No one's ever... no one's ever spoken about the whole story."

"Would Miss Y/n like to know what happened?"

I nodded and he slowly moved closer, gesturing for me to take a seat on the bed. He lifted his hands to my head and I flinched but he didn't pay attention. He placed his fingers on the side of my temples and I quickly guarded any memories I didn't want him to see. I was suddenly plunged into a dark cave. A memory.

Kreacher stood over a basin, struggling to breath, as he crawled to the edge of the rock surrounded by water. An Inferi's hand shot out of the water and dragged Kreacher beneath the surface. There was a flash of light and Kreacher stood in front of Regulus, soaking wet. The memory changed and Regulus was in the cave with Kreacher.

"Mistress Y/n doesn't know... does she, Master?"

Regulus shook his head. "She can never know... he will only use her."

Kreacher nodded as Regulus "Tell Y/n I'm sorry... for everything... tell her I'm sorry for ever getting involved with the Dark Lord."

Kreacher nodded once again and Regulus began drinking the potion. With each sip he grew more agitated, hunching forward as he groaned in pain.

"I'm sorry, Y/n," he said to no one. There was no one there, only the house elf and the Inferi, who were eager to drag them beneath the surface.

Regulus collapsed to the ground and Kreacher grabbed his hand as Regulus struggled to speak.

"Look out for her, Kreacher... when he comes for her... look out for her."

"Who, Master?"

"Her father... Voldemort," he whispered as he passed something to Kreachur but I couldn't exactly see what it was as there was a cloud of black smoke curling around it, almost as if the memory were being edited.

"Tell no one... no one but her... when the time is right... only when the time is right."

Kreacher nodded and I watched as the basin refilled with the potion, covering a snake-embellished locket as the liquid rose to the top of the basin.

"You must leave, Kreacher... destroy-." There was a muffling sound as once again a cloud of black smoke took over the memory before fading away again. "... Don't tell my mother what occurred here. Y/n will know what to do when the time is right." He said nothing more as the Inferi dragged him below the surface and the memory ended.