The Marauders: Year Three | #Wattys2016

Snape's Charge

Snape's Charge

Regulus sat in his room, staring out the window. "Master Regulus," croaked Kreacher, "Would you like to win at Gobstones?" The house elf hovered eagerly by the table with the game set up on it. Regulus shook his head. The elf looked disappointed. He inched closer to the chair where Regulus sat, peering up at him, his great big ears flat against his head, "Is Master Regulus thirsty? Kreacher can get Master Regulus his tea."

"No thank you Kreacher," mumbled Regulus.

Kreacher came around the front of the chair and rested his chin onto Regulus's knee, staring up at him with his bulbous eyes. "Master Regulus... what can Kreacher do for you? Kreacher can tell Master Regulus is sad."

"I'm not sad, Kreacher," said Regulus.

"Then what is Master?" Kreacher questioned.

Regulus shrugged.

It was only a few days before Christmas and outside it was snowing. Great, fat snowflakes spun through the air over Grimmauld Place, frosting the courtyard and the trees and the windowsill with a thick blanket of white. There was a bite to the air in the drafty, dismal old house, and the darkness that Walburga insisted be kept didn't help. There were only a few fireplaces running in the whole house. Regulus was bundled up with two jumpers and a pair of thick woolen socks.

He'd been told to go upstairs and stay out of the way - the Dark Lord had very important people coming over that day, and Regulus would only be underfoot, so he'd been sent off with Kreacher to his bedroom until the meeting had dispersed. He could hear the door opening and closing downstairs, hear people greeting one another and talking in low voices and the occasional shriek or cackle would rise up from Druella or her daughter, Bellatrix.

There came a knock at Regulus's bedroom door. He looked around the side of the chair with narrowed eyes as Kreacher walked over and opened it up. Severus Snape stood on the other side, a sour expression on his dark face. He had dark shadows under his protruding eyes and his hook nose had a bit of dirt on it.

"What are you doing here?" demanded Regulus, glowering in Severus's direction.

"Mother was summoned to speak with the Dark Lord," Severus replied.

"My mother said you and your mother weren't supposed to come back here ever again," Regulus said, remembering the first time he'd ever laid eyes on the greasy-haired face of Severus Snape all too well, when Walburga had blasted the face of Eileen Prince from the Black Family Tree in her library and Severus had become Snivellus Snape and cried.

That was back when he and Sirius were friends, he thought errantly. It seemed so long ago.

"Looks as though what the Dark Lord wants is more important than what your stupid mother wants, doesn't it?" Severus sneered.

Regulus frowned. "Well what are you doing here, in my bedroom?"

"I was told to come up here with you."

Regulus blinked in surprise, "Whatever for?"

"I haven't any idea," Severus's voice was low and annoyed.

"Well aren't you supposed to be some grand Death Eater?" Regulus asked in a mocking tone, "Working miracles for the Dark Lord?"

"Aren't you supposed to be, also?" Severus drawled.

Regulus sat back and faced the window as he had been, not wanting to answer Severus's question. He heard Severus move into the room, heard Kreacher close the door and a moment later the house elf came back around and crawled up onto Regulus's lap, as though he were a well trained pet.