Afterlife

Rejected Death Eaters

"We need a better name," Regulus stared at the dropping banner that read 'Rejected Death Eaters' that Sirius had thrust upon them delightedly while whisking James away to get up to some unknown shenanigan that frankly, Regulus would rather not get into.

"Yes," Severus was busy stuffing his face with the cake Sirius had also provided. Every so often Severus would wince at the rather obviously over-the-top amount of salt in said cake. "To reflect your inner torment" Sirius had announced, but it was simply a ruse to cover the fact that Sirius couldn't bake a cake to save his life. "After all we don't want Karkaroff traipsing around here claiming he should get to be a part of this."

"Karkaroff is dead?" Regulus frowned. "I thought he was teaching at Durmstrang?"

"Oh well, yes," Severus frowned. "Truthfully I thought Voldemort had had him killed. I guess not."

"No Pettigrew though," Regulus suggested.

Severus chuckled. "Oh we won't have any problem with that."

"What did they do?" Regulus sighed.

"Oh I suggest we just leave it at the simple fact that Pettigrew will never come over here if he wants his genitals to stay attached to him."

"That's a little sensitive, especially for Sirius," Regulus winced, reminding himself not to get on the bad side of his big brother again.

"Oh no, it was Evans." Severus, as a result of his disregard in Harry's upbringing at Hogwarts, had been removed of the privilege of calling Lily Lily and subsequently they'd had to think up what he was allowed to address her as. There had been some debate over Potter but Severus had blatantly shaken his head, saying that had been the name he'd called James for way too long. Doe had been in the mix but James had come up with the nickname he had coined for so many years and decided it was apt time Severus used it. He had a Cheshire grin for the first few weeks it came out of the man's mouth.

Regulus, of course, after so many of these pointless meetings where Severus ate cake, was used to this referral to Lily and was quite accustomed to it.

"Flotsam failures?" Severus suggested weakly.

"We're getting there. It doesn't have to alliterate," Regulus rapidly reminded.

"Bunch of 'bandoned souls."

"I've been wanting to use the word 'ostracised' for a while. Ostracised bunch?" Regulus asked hopefully, blatantly ignoring the cake-high Severus' last suggestion. No way was he going round announcing himself as that.

"That is the worst thing I've ever heard, and I hang out with your brother," Severus looked at him pityingly, "Where did you even hear that word, Sirius?"

"It was Dumbledore, actually," Regulus informed him.

"You're good at Latin, though, right?" Severus pondered.

Regulus smiled as several suggestions suddenly started sweeping through his brain as the mention of the dead language popped up. "Well yes of course, my brother and I know it perfectly after years of conditioned torture from our abusive parents and extremely flawed childhood. It's the reason I speak 6 languages including one Goblin language and bizarrely, Russian. It's the reason Sirius can play 17 instruments decently, as well. He was always the creative one."

"Hearing about your childhood is so sad," Severus drawled. He'd heard the soliloquy from Sirius himself, who was very open about the traumas he had faced throughout his life. Thankfully, he was now receiving therapy, although it was from Tonks and Dumbledore, both of whom he had slight dislike towards.

"Are you suggesting that I name this thing in Latin?" Regulus grinned, "because if so, then I already have it ready."

"Go on then," Severus sounded exactly like a secondary school teacher after the week was done, defeated and lacking any energy at all, but knowing they have marking to do for the next two hours while the students frolick back home.

The cake, of course, had been entirely consumed, much to the amusement of Sirius who was sitting in a bush watching the meeting.

"Relegaberis animarum," Regulus quipped, smile dancing over his face.

"What does that mean?"

"Rejected souls," He lied, hoping Severus would take the bait. Sirius, from the bush, had to stifle a laugh as Severus nodded.

"Agreed," he stood up and frowned. "Meeting adjourned."

His cape floated dramatically as he stalked away.

"What an infelix," Regulus chuckled.

Because of course, Ostracised in Latin was relegaberis