Hiraeth | Regulus Black

Chapter One Hundred and Seven

"I can't believe I'm not the one with the plan this time." Esme said under a hushed voice as she looked around Regulus' old bedroom in Grimmauld Place.

Regulus smiled at her, "I feel good about this one; it really is bulletproof."
"Well that's good, given all the guns that are involved." She retorted with a smirk.

He rolled his eyes, "Alright, whatever."
"You're just happy because it's your plan this time." Esme laughed quietly.

"Let's just do this and get out quickly. I'm not completely certain when my parents will get back." Regulus explained as he slowly creaked open the door to the landing.

It had been only a couple of weeks since that fateful Hallowe'en night. They had been hiding out at Aberforth's, but it was growing increasingly dangerous as the Aurors were hunting down Esme and Regulus. Nationwide they'd been accused of the murders of Gideon and Fabian Prewett - most likely something some Death Eaters had said so the actual murderers could escape without a conviction.

So as their safety was growing less and less secure, they had devised a plan to get out for good. Neither of them could see a way of clearing their names, especially given their familial links to the Death Eaters, and that left them with only one option.

Still, there was one thing left they had to see to before they could leave.

"Kreacher!" Regulus hissed as he leant over the bannister with Esme stood beside him.

Esme didn't know what to do, really. Regulus seemed okay. He seemed to be alright. But he would never bring up his family, and completely refused to talk about Sirius. Esme had tried to broach the subject, but Regulus would either avoid the questions, or quite simply make up some excuse to leave the room.
He had used to sometimes talk about his mother - about how she'd been or what she'd done when he was much younger. Even that had stopped now. He didn't utter a word about any of them.

"Kreacher!" Regulus called out again with a louder voice.

The two of them peered down to the ground floor, and there emerged Kreacher. He looked up in slight confusion, and then when he saw Regulus, his expression lit up and there was even a trace of a smile.

"Master Regulus!" Kreacher replied eagerly before apparating up the stairs to them.

"Is the house empty?" He asked, and evidently relaxed when the house-elf confirmed that.

Esme bent down slightly and asked, "Do you still have the locket?"
"Yes," He nodded, "Kreacher kept it safe, just as you asked."
"Can you fetch it, please?" Regulus asked and with a pop, Kreacher had vanished. A couple of seconds later, he appeared before them again with a louder sounding snap and the locket in his hand.

Regulus took the locket in his hand and turned it over several times, looking at the engravings. Then he handed it back to Kreacher and quietly said, "We need you to destroy it."

Over the past couple of weeks, Esme and Regulus were both starting to grow more sceptical of the people around them. Notably, Professor Dumbledore. After what had happened Hallowe'en night, neither of them particularly trusted the wizard.

Esme reached into her bag to pull out Secrets of the Darkest Art - the old leather book they had purchased from Borgin and Burkes a couple of years ago. "I wish we could be of more help, but we don't know how to destroy it. Perhaps this can be of help to you."