#weallaresirius

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There Are Stars In Your Eyes: 2-Regulus

Summary:  Walburga Black hadn’t expected yet another pregnancy so late in life. Sirius and Regulus loved their sister to death anyway.

Rating: T (because I’m a bit paranoid).

You can also find it from the beginnin on AO3 or FF.

And here’s the first chapter.

Here you have the second chapter, in which Voldemort is not aware of the power of Coca-Cola.

Regulus.

Cassia usually was a patient child. Usually.

She wasn't so patient when the people she loved were in danger.

Her mother caught her dozing off against the wall of the stars in the early morning and her screeching woke her up for the rest of the day. Mother sent her to her father on his study and Father gave her some biscuits and a glass of warm milk.

But Cassia refused to talk. And when she felt her father trying to enter her mind like he did during their Occlumany lessons, she tensed up and started thinking of the newest Celestina Warbeck song.

Her father made a face and backed off. He hated Celestina Warbeck’s music with passion. He was curious but couldn’t help but feel very proud at his daughter accomplishment.

“I see you don’t want to talk about this,” he noted.

Cassia happily shook her head.

“Does it have to do with why Kreacher isn’t anywhere to be seen?”

Cassia tensed and shook her head less convincingly. Her father didn’t fall for it.

“Does it have to do with Regulus?” he asked. “He’s missing, too,” he said. “And I usually wouldn’t give it much thought, but with everything that is going on…”

Cassia raised her head and in her eyes Orion could read her worry and anguish. He sighed and rubbed his face.

“If he’s in trouble you have to tell me, Cassiopeia,” he said. “I can help him.”

Cassia just shook her head again. Her lips were pressed together tightly, as if that would help her not to spill the secret. And her father knew she was stubborn enough.

Luckily for them at that same moment Kreacher and Regulus appeared right in the middle of the study. Regulus was deathly pale and shivering, his grey eyes wide with fright.

“Regulus!” Orion jumped on his feet and rushed towards his son.

Cassia wasn’t far behind. “Reg! Reg! Kreek! What happened?”

“Son! Son, are you alright?” their father was frenetic.

“Wa-water,” gasped Regulus. “Water.”

Kreacher, who was as pale as his Master, disappeared with a crack and reappeared seconds later with five big jugs full of fresh water. Regulus threw himself at the nearest jug and started drinking sloppily.

They all waited patiently while Regulus drank four of the jars, getting almost as many water on his robes, and then looked at them breathing heavily.

“What happened?” asked Cassia with a small voice.

Regulus focused his eyes on her, drinking her in. “Kreacher took me to the cave,” he whispered. “And everything was like he said it was… I ordered him to make me drink the potion and it made me see the most terrible things,” he shivered and his eyes filled with tears. “I-I finished it and then Kreacher swapped the lockets. And then I started to feel so thirsty…” his gaze unfocused and it seemed like he was unable to say anything else.

Cassia then turned to the house-elf. “Kreek?”

“Master Regulus started heading into the lake,” he said. “Like Kreacher had done all those days ago. But Kreacher knew that if Master Regulus went into the water then Master Regulus would never come back. And then Kreacher remembered Mistress Cassiopeia’s bag. The water was gone but Mistress Cassiopeia’s strange drink was still there. So Kreacher gave it to Master Regulus. And Master Regulus drank it.”

Regulus finally raised his head. “It helped me think straight,” he said. “And so I told Kreacher to apparate us here.”

Orion, who had been calmly listening to the whole explanation kneeling on the floor, stood up and walked to sit behind his desk once again. “Cassiopeia, go to your room.”

Cassia’s eyes widened. “What? No!” the little girl crossed her arms. “I’m not going anywhere. I want to know what happened to Regulus.”

Her father’s face was stern. “Cassiopeia, you don’t need to hear this. Now go to your room. Mrs. Pyrites is going to be here soon.”

The chandelier clinked and the candles tittered for some seconds. And then Cassia clenched her teeth and stormed off the room.

Orion looked at his youngest son and gestured him to have a seat. “Now tell me,” he said. “What is this locket you’re talking about?”

 Regulus recovered quickly and tried to make it seem like nothing had happened. But Cassia knew better. She knew her father and her brother were trying to hide something from her and even Kreacher refused to talk.

And Cassia could see the fear in Regulus eyes when he thought nobody was watching, and the dark circles under his eyes, the tremor on his hands and how he didn’t seem to eat anymore.

But they still refused to tell her anything.

O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O

“Are you sure she can do this?” Regulus asked his father. “Won’t it be too dangerous?”

Cassia looked away from the library and turned to glare at her brother. “I’m seven years old!” she reminded him proudly. “I can do this!”

“Nobody will think we made her the Secret Keeper,” said Orion. “I doubt they will even believe it possible. And from what you’ve told me of your Dark Lord… he has the habit of underestimating people. This will work. Trust me.”

Regulus didn’t seem all that convinced. “I just don’t want them going after her and…” he shivered at the tortures his mind conjured up.

“Do you think I’ll let them get her?” Orion looked even amused. “And she’s a Black, after all. They won’t hurt her.”

Regulus nodded to himself. “Alright. Let’s do this.”

Both wizards got out their wands and Cassia walked to stand at Regulus side. Orion looked at the determination in both of his children’s faces and he felt a pang of sadness in his heart.

“This spell is really difficult and it’s very important you do everything right,” Orion’s voice was concerned. “Do you remember all the steps?”

Cassia nodded. “Yes. We’ve been practicing for ages.”

Regulus steeled himself. “We’re ready, Father,” he said.

Orion breathed in deeply. “Alright. Let’s cast the Fidelius,” he said. “I will talk you through it.”

 Cassia’s eyelids were dropping by the time the spell was finished, designating her the Secret Keeper of her brother’s new home right by the sea. From her Father’s suddenly confused expression as he looked around, Cassia guessed it had worked.

She whispered him the address and her Father’s eyes cleared. He smiled at Regulus, suddenly visible to him, and tugged his daughter in a hug, feeling immensely proud.

“Alright, now it’s done,” said Orion. “You have to keep it a secret from everyone,” he reminded Cassia.

She looked at him solemnly. “I will, Father.”

And for one second Orion regretted making his daughter grow up so fast just like that. Her grey eyes were old and sad and he wished he hadn’t needed to make them that way.

But then she beamed and the childhood came back rushing to her face. “Can I see the house? Can I paint my room? Can I make it lavender?”

Regulus and Orion shared a look and they let out a small laugh, relieved.

“Of course you can,” Regulus told her. “You can help me paint your room if you want. And buy some things for the kitchen.”

Cassia laughed. “Like you know how to cook.”

O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O

“What’s an Horcrux?”

Regulus concentration faltered and the big pot he was floating in front of him dropped to the floor, spilling most of the stew. “W-where did you hear that?”

Cassia looked at her feet. “I heard you,” she confessed. “When you were talking with Father,” she looked up, curious. “What is it?”

Regulus sighed and with a wave of his wand made the ruined dinner disappear. “That’s not something you should know.”

“Come on!” Cassia huffed. “It’s not like I could tell anybody. Pleaaase? I just want to know,” she narrowed her eyes. “I can always ask Sirius…”

Regulus sat on the chair next to his sister. “Do not tell Sirius anything of what I’m about to tell you, alright?”

“I promise.”

Regulus regarded her for some seconds. “A Horcrux is dark magic, very dark magic. When you kill somebody your soul breaks a little and you can get a part of your soul and put it inside an object,” he explained. “That way even if they kill you, you’ll still be alive –somewhat– and won’t really die.”

Cassia furrowed her brows. “But you have to kill someone?” she asked appalled.

Regulus was strangely relieved to see her so disgusted. “That’s why it’s dark magic,” he wasn’t going to enter in the logistics of the ritual that really made the Horcruxes. “Do you know my friend I told you about some time ago? Well, he is a bad man, a really bad one. And he has killed lots of people.”

Cassia’s eyes widened. “So he has lots of Ho’cruxs?”

“He does. At first I thought it was only one, the one Kreacher and I got from the cove. The locket. But Father believes otherwise.”

She wrinkled her nose. “But you are going to get them all, right?” her eyes were hopeful. “And he will stop killing people.”

Regulus could tell her that it wasn’t that easy, that they didn’t know how many Horcruxes were out there, or even what they were and that it was a really dangerous job with the Dark Lord and its followers lurking. But he didn’t want to see the admiration and hope fade from her eyes.

So he smiled instead. “Of course,” he said.

Cassia nodded and then looked at him thoughtfully. “What’s an orgasm?”

“Merlin’s balls!”  

O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O

Cassia stabbed the notebook Miss Dahlia had bought her with the quill. A couple of the carefully written calculations she had to resolve got stained with ink and she groaned.

“What did that quill ever do to you?” Orion looked up from his own parchments with an amused smile.

They were both on the study, Walburga was out on the Diagon Alley, shopping, and Kreacher was on his weekly cleaning visit to Regulus cottage. And so Orion had told his daughter to do her homework with him and they both worked on silence.

“It’s not that,” Cassia looked at him. “It’s just that… today Mrs. Pyrites was trying to teach me a new dance. She said it was very easy but I… I didn’t get it and she said I was a stupid child.”

Orion’s eyes flashed. “She did?” he put the quill back on the inkwell. “What dance were you learning?”

“The waltz?” Cassia scrunched her nose. “She said it was really easy and I shouldn’t have so many problems.”

“Well, that’s probably because she didn’t know how to lead,” and his eyes were mischievous for a second. “Would you like me to teach you?”

Cassia’s eyes widened and she grinned at him. “If you don’t mind…”

Orion walked to the middle of the room and, with a wave of his wand he made the furniture move to the sides of the room. That left a big space to move around without crashing with something.

“First,” said Orion. “We need some music.”

There was an old gramophone in one of the corners of the room and it started to play a soft melody with violins and pianos and a whole orchestra when Orion pointed at it with his wand. Then he grinned at his daughter and extended his hands.

“You have to put your left hand on my shoulder and grab my left one with your right.”

Cassia obeyed but her left arm was too short. “I can’t reach your shoulder,” she huffed.

Orion looked at the frustrated eyes of his daughter and decided to forego all propriety and just have some fun instead. He remembered a ball years ago, when he saw Mr. Fawley dancing with one of his daughters. It had caused a lot of talks even in the following days, but he remembered the carefree laughs of the little girl.

“Stand on my toes,” he said.

Cassia blinked. “What?”

“Stand on my toes,” he repeated. “I’ll dance and you’ll dance with me.”

Cassia obeyed reluctantly but a small smile curved her lips when he started to move and she had to hold on tight. Her father saw it and then started to glide around the room energetically with the little girl clinging to him.

After a fast twirl Cassia started to laugh, which was what Orion had wanted since the beginning, and his heart soared.

“Mrs. Pyrites didn’t teach you like this, did she?”

Cassia giggled and hid her face on her father’s chest. “No!” her voice, muffled on his coat, shook with laughter.

“Good.”

 “And spin!” Orion grabbed her daughter’s hand high and made her twirl several times.

Cassia’s giggles filled the room as both father and daughter moved gracefully through the room. Orion had started teaching the correct waltz but he couldn’t help but mess around a bit to make her laugh.

His sons, mostly Sirius, had to get their mischief from someone. And it certainly wasn’t Walburga.

Cassia saw her father frown and their dance stopped. “Father, what’s wrong?”

“Someone is here,” he said. “And it’s not your mother.”

Cassia’s face light up. “It’s Regulus?”

He shook his head. “I think it’s one of your cousins, but she doesn’t come alone.”

The little girl made a face. Bellatrix and Narcissa were far to grown up for her and they still treated her like she was four. So Cassia wasn’t very fond of them.

“What is she doing here? Doesn’t she know Mother is out?”

Orion’s face hardened. “I think that’s why she’s here,” he said darkly. “Quick, hide in the window!” he ordered.

Cassia blinked. “What?”

Her father grabbed her shoulder and dragged her to the big bay window looking over the muggle neighbourhood. He patted the window seat where Cassia usually liked to spend her time when she was in the study, and looked at her with urgency.

“Father, I don’t understand,” said Cassia.

“Just get inside,” he begged. “Please.”

Cassia obeyed, still rather loss, and dropped her head against the cool glass. She raised her knees to her chest and hugged them. “Father…”

But Orion had already untied the laces holding back the curtains and was already closing them.

“Father!”

“Cassiopeia,” Orion let go of the curtains and crouched so he was eye to eye with her. “I need you to stay really quiet, alright? And don’t come out, no matter what you might see and no matter what you hear. Can you promise me that?”

Cassia gulped. “Father…”

“Can you promise me that?” he asked once again, more urgently.

She nodded and he went back to closing the drapes, enclosing her inside. “Daddy,” her voice was small. “I’m afraid.”

His heart broke a little. “Everything is going to be alright, I promise,” he said. “They won’t touch you.”

And he tugged one last time, leaving her looking at the flowered shroud instead of him. Cassia hugged her knees closer and tried to listen to whatever that was going on outside. The curtain had left a small gap close to Cassia’s head from where she could peer out without being seen.

She could see her father sitting back on his chair and tidying the papers he had been working on before their impromptu dance session. Cassia could hear the knock on the door over the soft still playing music.

“Come in,” her father said.

It was Bellatrix, proud and tall, with two slender men guarding her back. Bellatrix’s eyes took in the room and a wide smile curved her lips.

“Uncle Orion!” she exclaimed happily. “It’s so good to see you are home.”

Orion’s face remained apathetic. “Bella,” he said. “What brings you, your husband and young Mr. Lestrange to my house?”

Bella waved him off airily. “Oh! We were in the neighbourhood and I thought I could teach Rod here my uncle’s home. Grimmauld Place is quite the magical property, you know? In the middle of a muggle street but with no one to take notice of it.”

“Yes, I know,” he stated dryly amused.

Bella flushed. “Of course you know!” her fluster seemed fake. “Is Reggie here?” she asked. “Rab wanted to talk with him.”

“I’m afraid Regulus is no longer living with us,” he said. “He decided he was too old to keep living with his parents and got his own house. But if Mr. Lestrange tells me what he wants him for I can surely pass along the message.”

Rabastan Lestrange took in stride. “The Falmouth Falcons are playing against the Tornados this week and I have two tickets for the match. Regulus is a big Tornados fan and I wanted to ask him to come with me.”

To Cassia’s surprise, her father’s smile only tightened at the answer. “Oh, I will tell him when I see him. I’m sure he will want to go,” he stood up on this chair. “Now, why don’t you let me walk you to the door? Maybe I can even show you around some parts of the house.”

And then Bella’s façade dropped and she strutted to the big wooden desk, slamming her hands over it. “Let’s go to the point,” she said coolly. “Where’s Regulus? He hasn’t been showing up to our meetings in two months! The Dark Lord doesn’t like to be abandoned. We’ve been searching for him but we can’t locate him and the Dark Lord believes he has cast a Fidelius Charm. And who but you would be the Secret Keeper? So. Where. Is. He?” she punctuated each word with a punch on the wood.

Orion just raised his brow. “And what makes you think I’m going to tell you?”

Bella’s eyes narrowed. “If you don’t tell me then I’m going to have to make you tell me,” she said with her eyes bright.

Cassia would remember the minutes that followed for the rest of her life. The duel was fast-paced and at first it seemed like her father would win with his dark curses, but they were three, younger and quicker than him. So in the end he fell.

His tortured screams rang in Cassia’s ears. She hid her face between her knees and put her arms around her head, covering her ears. She counted to ten and tried all the Occlumancy tricks her father had ever taught her to keep herself calm.

And then, after a long while, there was silence.

Cassia’s heart pounded on her head and she dared to peek again through the gap.

Her father was clutching the edge of his desk to keep standing. Blood trickled from numerous wounds on his face and under his robes but his gaze was still determined.

“I will not tell you where my son is,” Orion said. “And I won’t break. So you better be going.”

Rodolphus Lestrange huffed on the background. “This old man is useless, he won’t say anything,” carelessly he raised his wand. ��Avada Kedavra.”

There was a flash of green light and Cassia watched her father drop to the ground. His head was twisted to the side, looking in her direction, but she could see that his eyes were completely empty. She held back the scream rising in her throat but she couldn’t help the sniffles.

The curtain ripped open and Cassia was left staring at the dark eyes of a surprised Rabastan Lestrange.

“-dare you? He was a Black!” Bellatrix was berating her husband. “We weren’t supposed to kill him!”

“My, my, what do we have here?”

Cassia’s fingers dug into her own legs and silent tears ran down her cheeks. The Lestrange man eyed her somewhat impressed and then turned to call at his companions.

“Cassiopeia!” Bellatrix exclaimed surprised.

Rodolphus face was suspicious. “Do you think she knows anything?”

“She’s just a kid,” scoffed Rabastan.

Bellatrix crouched in front of the window seat. “Hey, Cassie. Do you know where your brother is?”

Cassia shook her head. She wasn’t going to tell those monsters the directions to her brother’s house so they could kill him, too.

“Are you sure?” pressed Rodolphus.

Rabastan snorted. “What? Do you think she’s the Secret Keeper? She’s just a child, that’s not possible. We’re wasting our time here. We don’t really know how this Fidelius thing works, maybe he was the Secret Keeper and the secret died with him,” he said. “We should report back to the Dark Lord.”

Bellatrix sighed. “You’re right,” she patted Cassia’s knees. “What you saw… keep it between us, alright?”

Cassia remained there, staring blankly at the body of her father, long after the visitors had gone. And then she felt a tight knot on her chest and a prickling behind her eyes and she knew she needed someone to hug.

So she ran downstairs and threw herself to the fireplace.

“The Reef!”

Any thoughts?