The Marauders: Year Seven Part Two

A Very Optimistic Outlook

Regulus was laying on his back on his bed, staring at the canopy. The notecard from James was in his hand at his side. If he was going to the Order meeting, he'd need to get up and go in the next couple minutes. He'd skipped all his classes so far this week, favoring to sleep instead, and he had only eaten a piece of toast and a couple biscuits from a tin in his bedside drawer. Perhaps Voldemort was right, he thought, perhaps love had been a weakness...

His muscles felt heavy and useless, and though he was willing himself to get up and go to the Order meeting, he couldn't quite get the energy to actually lift his arms and legs up from the mattress. He barely had the energy to blink...

Regulus's hand slid across his chest to the chain that hung, tucked beneath his shirt, and he pulled it out, his fingers following the length of the chain to the end, where the pendant hung. You are Brave, it said. But he didn't feel brave at all.

He felt like a coward. 

By the time he made his way up to the corridor where the Room for Requirement was, he was exhausted and wishing that he hadn't gone after all. He stood outside, staring at the bare space of wall, trying to talk himself into going to the meeting late. If he didn't show up, they'd just assume that he couldn't get away from the other Slytherins - no hard done, nobody offended... He could just turn and walk away, back to his dorm, back to the dark... But if he went inside...

Well, if he went inside they'd ask questions and they'd want to know if he knew what happened to Maryrose, and of course he knew what happened to Maryrose, but even thinking the name made his heart feel raw and awful. He couldn't imagine speaking it, telling them about the way she'd fallen to the floor, how she'd turned pale and her teal hair had faded to mousy brown... Regulus turned to leave, and ran smack into Sirius, running up the corridor.

Sirius fell to his bum from the collision, landing on the carpet. Regulus stared at him, terrified for a long moment, then held out his hand. Sirius took his hand, also looking rather terrified, and let Regulus pull him up to his feet. "Thanks," Sirius said awkwardly. He glanced at the wall. "Come for the, er - the meeting?"

Regulus nodded.

"Brilliant." Sirius hesitated, then, "I saw what you were doing. At Fallengunder. While everyone was fighting."

"I saw you, too," Regulus answered. "What was that song you were singing?"

"Staying Alive," Sirius replied, "By the Beegees."

"Muggle band?"

"Yeah, they're brilliant," Sirius answered. "There are loads of brilliant muggle bands."

Regulus asked, "Yeah?"

"Yeah." Sirius said, "You ought to check out Queen."

"I will."

"Good. You'll like them."

"Thanks for the recommendation."

"Anytime."

"Yeah?" Regulus asked, looking into Sirius's eyes hopefully.

Sirius nodded, "Yeah."

They stood there awkwardly again and finally Sirius said, "Listen, Regulus, I'm... I'm sorry about... being... hard on you." He was shifting uncomfortably. "You... didn't really earn that, and..."

"I did sort of earn it," Regulus admitted. "In the past." He paused, then, "But I've changed."

Sirius replied, "I've changed a lot, too."

"Yeah," Regulus answered.

Sirius rubbed his elbow and let out a long low sigh, "Anyway. I just -- wanted you to know."