Chapter 20: Flames
The Burrow, January 3rd 1997
"How's it going?" Ron asks as we pack away some of the Christmas decorations in the attic. "I mean, with Regulus," he continues as he wipes his brow after managing to wrestle the multiple strings of lights – non fairy – into a one small box.
I almost drop the glass ornaments I'm holding as my hands jerk with surprise. What does he mean? Does he know something? I didn't tell him – or anyone, for that matter – about what happened with Regulus at Grimmauld last Friday. I'm still trying to process the whole incident in my head. And it's not actually that easy to think about anything rationally since he's in my head all the time, and all I can think of is how it felt when our lips met, how it felt to be close to him, to touch him. It's making me crazy, making me think all sorts of thoughts, some of which I wouldn't even dare to say aloud.
The fact that we've seen each other afterwards a couple of times, whenever Regulus has joined us for dinner at the Burrow, hasn't helped either, as there hasn't really been a chance to speak with him alone. Nothing more than a few subtle glances or a brush of our knees under the table has happened during those nights, of course, as the Weasley house has been full of people. I'd say both Regulus and I have been perfectly civil and distant towards the other. But now I'm starting to suspect if the others see something more than that.
"W-What do you mean?" I ask as I keep my focus on the task, trying to at least keep my voice steady since I know my face is slowly becoming more coloured than it usually is.
I can see Ron shrugging from the corner of my eye. "Dunno, just thought you guys were in better terms…And aren't you gonna go there again tomorrow?" He mutters and curses when he finds another pile of Christmas lights behind him.
I clear my throat. "Yeah. I am. And yeah, we're okay, I guess." I say quickly, and Ron gives me a quizzical look as he takes in my features.
Shit.
Luckily Ginny saves me from further questioning as she pops by at the attic to announce that lunch is ready. She's waving a handful of letters in her left hand, an amused look in her eyes. "Speaking of being 'okay'," she says, her brow arching towards her brother. "Someone seems to be missing her…" she glances at the letter on top, "…Won-Won," she says, her nose scrunching up with a mild distaste.
I can't stop the quiet snort that escapes from me, causing Ron to send a nasty scowl at my direction.
"Been reading through my mail, huh?" Ron asks from his sister with irritation and stands up to snatch the pile of letters from Ginny's outstretched hand.
Ginny rolls her eyes in exasperation. "Not something I'd do even if I were bored out of my mind," She says dryly as Ron pockets the letters and stalks away from the attic.
"You, know, I think she actually expects you to reply to her owls!" Ginny taunts with a quiet snigger as we follow Ron downstairs.
After lunch Ron, Ginny and I lounge in the sitting room, talking about Quidditch tactics even though all my thoughts are in the next day. Tomorrow, I'm going back to Grimmauld, to talk with Regulus about my godfather's situation, and Merlin knows what else. Everyone else thinks I'll be going through Sirius's stuff with his brother. I know it's bad to lie to everyone, but honestly, I don't even want to think about the conversation that would follow if I'd told them the truth.
I don't think anyone but Hermione would approve whatever it is that is happening between Regulus and me. Maybe they would, over time. But still, I know what everyone would think. He's older than me, and, well, he's a man. And if those are not the details that would come up, then there's him going through a rough patch, his drinking problem, the fact that he's a former Death Eater, and the list goes on…
Nothing in the list bothers me so much as it confuses me, but I still don't think that it's anyone's business. I actually might not care what everyone else would think, because that's something I've learned to ignore over the years – other's opinions about me. Nevertheless…until I know what this is, this…connection between Regulus and me, no one else will know either.
As for the other subject…Sirius…well, despite Hermione supposedly thinking that there isn't anything wrong with my thoughts or feelings regarding Regulus, I still think not even she would believe me about Sirius's situation with the proof that I have. She'd say that Regulus is only dreaming about his brother, that it is his way of coping, and now he's dragging me into believing that my godfather's alive somewhere, making me go through the loss and grief all over again.
At least, I can imagine her words to me would be something of the sort. I remember Regulus mentioning how neither Dumbledore nor Lupin had believed him, and the thought makes my insides prickle with annoyance. Had they even asked Regulus to give them proof, like I did? Or had they merely tossed away the subject, a subject that was obviously eating Regulus alive, without really listening, thinking it wasn't worth investigating?
Our conversation about Quidditch comes to an end when Ron receives another owl from Lavender. Ginny and I exchange an incredulous look while Ron's attention is elsewhere. That woman is seriously hanging onto him like a hungry person. Ron grumbles something under his breath about replying to Lavender and slips quickly into the stairway.
"Merlin…that's not healthy," I mutter as I stare at Ron's empty seat, a deep frown between my brows. "Or…is it…?" I ask hesitantly from Ginny, feeling greatly confused. Is this only about Ron not handling it well since it is his first girlfriend? And what about…well…do blokes expect similar attention?
Why the hell am I even thinking about that?
Ginny lets out a short laughter. "No. Certainly NOT healthy," She says seriously, and then her lips pull into a small smirk. "Didn't think he'd let it go on for this long…" She mutters, the thoughtful look in her eyes trained at the coffee table. Is she talking about Ron and Hermione?
"Erm…What do you mean?" I ask mutedly, wondering if we're thinking about the same thing.
Ginny levels me with a pointed look. "You know very well what I mean. I'm talking about Ron being a bloody idiot and trying to get Hermione's attention by making her jealous, while Hermione does exactly the same," she says dryly. "They're not exactly very subtle," She continues, and then her expression changes into a searching one as she studies my features.
Does she suspect something? Have I been as obvious as Ron and Hermione have? Merlin all this…secrecy is really taking its toll on my nerves.
I cough uncomfortably and stand up. "Yeah, I know what you mean…" I mutter and jerk my head towards the stairway, escaping the situation. "Bathroom," I say and move hastily towards upstairs.
Fortunately, when I come back downstairs, Mr. Weasley, Bill and Fleur are all back from work and Ginny's observant eyes are focused elsewhere for the rest of the night.
Grimmauld Place, January 4th 1997
"Hey," I say as I emerge from the fireplace and find Regulus at the kitchen table, watching me with an expectant look that quickly changes into something unreadable.
"Potter," He says with a polite nod. "Tea?" He asks and gestures at the table. "You've had lunch already?"
I study his features for a bit before taking a couple of steps towards him. "No, thank you. Yes, I've eaten." I say quickly, swallowing the light-headedness I'm suddenly feeling.
Regulus inclines his head and stands up from the table, giving me a long, contemplative look before moving towards the kitchen door, the corners of his mouth curving slightly upwards.
We're both silent as we ascend the stairs and enter the drawing room on the first floor before heading straight to the tapestry to see the missing date of Sirius's death.
"Has it come back at any point after last summer?" I ask absently as I watch closely at the ancient textile and try to see something – anything – that could give us a hint of my godfather's situation.
Regulus clears his throat as he leans against the tapestry next to me. "Every once in a while, but even then, it is always flickering," he says quietly.
I glance at him. "When's, um, the last time you talked with him?" I ask tentatively, and Regulus's brows twitch slightly as he stares at me quietly.
"Two months ago," he says after a short silence, his voice tense, but the look in his eyes detached.
Oh.
I nod slowly, my eyes going back to trace the scorch mark on the tapestry. "I'm…I'm sure you'll see him eventually…" I say weakly, my words not even convincing myself.
I swallow hard and straighten up from my crouched position before fixing him a steady look. "What can I do to help him?" I ask, feeling determined, feeling hopeful.
Regulus eyes me for a moment before he gestures towards the seating area where a handful of books and notes are scattered over the coffee table.
He flicks his wand at the mess, organising everything as we sit down side by side on the couch.
"Remember when we looked at some of the literature I had managed to find about the place between the living and the dead?" He asks, glancing at me before flipping open his notes.
I give him a quick nod. "Yeah. Yeah, sure. Something about a Veil separating the two worlds? And you…you suspected that the literal veil I saw hanging in the Ministry could be a portal, or a manifestation of the Veil?" I ask hesitantly. Regulus gives me a nod before I continue, "But…what I've been wondering is that in your…meetings…with Sirius, you said that there's no veil hanging in the archway? And when I was at the Ministry, there definitely was one," I say and chew the inside of my cheek as I recall how the dark curtain had fluttered silently after Sirius had vanished through the archway.
"I think…I think that there has to be more to it," He says slowly, a thoughtful look in his eyes. "As the Veil is believed to separate the worlds of the living and the dead, and somehow linking the two worlds, I assume the place where I've talked with my brother is somewhere between. Somewhere he's trapped in," he continues steadily.
I give him an absent nod as I recall seeing the archway for the first time. "I heard them. The voices. Before the duelling started, I was there with my friends, and when I stepped closer to inspect the archway, I heard…whispering. Heard them calling me, urging me to follow them," I tell him, and Regulus's eyes widen slightly as he listens to me.
Regulus flicks his wand to add something into his notes. "I think what we need to focus on, is how to tie him back into this world," He says reflectively before looking at me again.
"But how – that is the question, isn't it? I don't suppose there's actually a spell or magic that powerful to make that happen," I mutter, unable to stop a hint of resignation seeping into my voice.
Regulus gives me a wry smile. "You'd be surprised how much my ancestors have achieved. Sadly, I haven't come across of bringing a person back from the dead," He says with a mild frown, and after seeing my sullen expression, he continues, "Still, there are powerful spells and magic only my family seems to have uncovered. Certainly dangerous…definitely comes with a price and consequences one would have to carry the rest of their lives, and even after."
I give him a hard look. "I don't care. As long as we can save him," I say determinedly, to which he rolls his eyes and mutters something about Gryffindor predictability.
"The problem is, that even if we gather a list of spells and find a way to get into the Death Chamber, where I presume the magic has to happen, there's no guarantee that we will succeed, or that we will have another chance at trying – yes, Potter, we, as I'm sure as hell not going to let you do it by yourself – " he finishes with an exasperated tone after seeing my arched brow.
I try to hide the grin that's threatening to spread across my face. I clear my throat and nod at his notes. "What do you have?" I ask, becoming solemn very quickly as Regulus starts to explain different types of blood magic his ancestors have used to bind creatures and slaves, and…women to their masters.
Later that night we have a list of some of the most horrifying sacrificial spells and rituals I hadn't thought even existed. Regulus thinks that this is only a start, that if we only have a one shot in the Ministry – and it's not even necessarily guaranteed that both of us survive this kind of magic without…well, consequences – we need to find out everything there is. So, we agree that Regulus will keep on digging into his ancestral secrets while I on the other hand will go through the Hogwarts library.
"There might not be anything else than this," Regulus says, warning me of the possibility as he glances at his notes. "I'd be surprised if Hogwarts had something we could use, but I suppose it is worth to look," He continues, and then gives me a scrutinising look. "As long as you won't do anything stupid in order to do that," He says with a stern look, and it is clear he's waiting an answer.
I give him a lopsided grin. "Wouldn't dream of it."
Regulus arches a brow but continues on the topic. "Once all the possibilities have been looked at, we will start planning how to actually get into the Ministry without getting caught. With the current situation in the wizarding world – the disappearances, the tightened security – I assume it won't be an easy task, and nothing like last year," he says, eyeing me carefully, hinting at the incident in the Ministry.
The incident where six underage students of Hogwarts had managed to get into the Ministry, and into the Department of Mysteries without anyone noticing.
"As soon as we get an opening, I reckon we should use it," I say matter-of-factly.
Regulus gives me a small shake of his head. "No, I think we should not," he says and I open my mouth to disagree as he continues, "You still have the trace in you. It could be even more dangerous to enter there if you are still underage and can't perform magic without them knowing," he says, a twitch of uneasiness flickering across his brow.
Oh. Didn't really think about that…
Regulus eyes me with a speculative look before he speaks again. "Despite the fact that I am most likely the one to perform this magic, I still might need you to get me out," he says quietly, his voice blank before he puts the parchment filled with spells on a small stack on the table.
I blink at his nonchalance, but decide not to argue as Regulus levels me a look that tells me the conversation is over.
Well, it might be…for now, at least.
I let out a weary sigh and start collecting the books that are now scattered on the floor and on the couch. I glance at the watch on my wrist – it is already nearly eight in the evening, and dinner time. A time when I promised to return to the Burrow.
My eyes meet Regulus's several times during the short moment we gather the items to the coffee table. He feels warm next to me, the look in his eyes curious and…slightly heated, and the way his lips start to twitch upwards after he sees the bashful smile on my face just makes me want to stay for a bit longer. After everything is organised on the table, I realise he could've just waved his wand to do all of that in a blink of an eye. But he hadn't.
I turn to him, and the air seems more tense, heavy with anticipation. Suddenly we are lunging at each other, our lips crashing together, our hands grasping the other in desperation. My hands press against his shoulders as Regulus takes a hold of my waist. As our lips slide eagerly together, melting against each other, tasting, craving the other, I feel the tips of his fingers moving slowly over the fabric of my shirt. His soft touch makes me shiver and let out a stuttering breath before threading my hands through his smooth, long hair. Regulus breathes out heavily and deepens the kiss, pulling me closer, making me mad with expectation. Making me want more.
As if reading my thoughts, his tongue brushes my bottom lip, and a shock of electricity runs up my spine, my stomach clenching pleasantly, and I let out a strangled gasp against his lips. My fingers tangle into his hair and take a firm hold of it, and it is nothing like the last time. The last time we kissed was slow, tentative, exploring, but still reserved. There's nothing gentle and slow now. This kiss is consuming, hungry and hard, filled with urgency.
After only a moment of hesitation, I open my mouth and press my tongue against his, tasting him, earning a muffled groan from his lips while his fingers press against my hips more securely. And Merlin, he feels so good that I'm afraid I'll lose myself into him. My toes are curling inside my trainers, and I'm struggling to keep myself in place, to keep myself from crawling over his lap. Regulus tilts his head and breaks the kiss, his lips moving downwards, across my jaw and my neck with soft kisses, the pace suddenly slower, more intimate. I can only exhale ragged puffs of air as I battle my emotions for control, as I try to wrap my head around this.
His touch makes my skin tingle with need, and when his teeth lightly drag against my throat, I jerk in surprise.
"Bloody hell," I gasp, my fingers tugging his hair hard as a wave of desire washes over me. My head feels dizzy, as if all the blood and all the coherent thoughts in there have left, travelling to other places in my body.
I can feel Regulus's smile against my neck before he dives back to meet my lips, swallowing any further noises erupting from between us. Shit…this is…this is more than I anticipated, more than I dared to dream about, more than I've ever even imagined feeling. My hands pull him closer, my tongue seeking his, drawing a surprised, quiet sound from his throat as our kisses turn more demanding, more desperate.
I'm just about to give in to the need to get even closer to him when there's a loud crash from downstairs, and silent cursing in the hallway as the portrait of Walburga Black starts to scream with a litany of obscenities. Regulus and I jump quickly away from each other. We share a shocked look for a fraction of a second before grabbing our wands and rushing to stand up. A moment later the portrait is silenced and Tonks's voice carries from the stairway.
"Harry? …Regulus?" She calls, a hint of irritation in her voice. "That bloody umbrella stand…" She mutters as she opens the drawing room door.
As Regulus and I stare Tonks in surprise, Tonks blinks a couple of times, clearly trying to read the situation; where both Regulus and I stand in alert in the middle of the room, our wands at the ready, our appearances most likely very dishevelled.
Regulus clears his throat and puts his wand subtly away, drawing my attention to him. "Cousin. To what do we owe the honour of your presence?" He asks, his voice still not as stable and void of feeling as it usually is, even though his face is a perfect mask of indifference. He glances at me, his lips red and swollen and slightly parted, and did I really do that to him? He looks so ruffled, his clean-shaven cheeks tinged with red, and a hint of dazedness pushing through his blank expression as our eyes connect. And I can't do anything but stare at him as I try to suppress a smug grin.
Then I remember Tonks and move my gaze quickly back to her, only to see that her stare has turned from startled to inquisitive and suspicious.
"You missed dinner, Harry. Molly sent me to see if everything's okay." She says slowly, her eyes moving fast between Regulus and me. "You okay, Harry?" She asks after a short silence, studying my features, glancing at Regulus with a small frown between her brows.
"Oh! Yeah, er…lost the track of time, I reckon," I say sheepishly, and definitely aware how my cheeks are heating up.
Tonks's eyes narrow a bit. "Right," she says again with that slow, calculating voice. "You should go though. Before Molly comes here to check herself," she adds, almost absent-mindedly as her focus is fixated on Regulus. Regulus only stares back at her coolly.
"Yeah. Um. Yeah. I should…go," I mumble back, unsuccessfully trying to read the two cousins and their thoughts. "See you later," I mutter to Regulus before I quickly exit the room and run downstairs towards the fireplace.
As my cousin continues to stare at me with a condemning look, I sigh inwardly and move back to the couch. I lift my brows slightly at her to indicate that whatever she's here to say, she ought to say it.
"Care to tell me what's going on with you and Harry?" She asks casually, her eyes never leaving mine.
I arch a brow at her. "What are you implying, dear cousin?" I ask calmly.
Nymphadora walks to me and sits down next to me on the couch before levelling me an exasperated look. "You know very well what I'm implying, cousin. The secretive looks you've been trading at dinners were enough to give me the impression even without this," she says and gestures at me, "happening."
I merely raise my brows in a mute question.
Nymphadora scoffs. "Oh, don't give me that. Don't assume I'm as ignorant as the others might be. I'm a Black, for Circe's sake. And the longing, subtle looks you've been exchanging with Harry – I practically invented them!" She says, her voice filled with frustration and bitterness, and I know exactly to whom she has been casting those kinds of looks.
I suppress a much-needed eye roll and instead give her an indifferent look. "Why do you care?"
Nymphadora seethes. "Of course I care!" She says quickly and then her brows pull down together and her voice becomes gentler. "Just…I…do you think this is…wise? You've both lost someone, and…well…" Her voice trails off as she averts her gaze.
I narrow my eyes at her. "What?" I ask, my voice a bit colder now. "Do tell what your thoughts on this…matter…are," I continue, already guessing what she's on about.
Nymphadora lifts her chin up slightly. "I think that…maybe Harry is attaching himself to you because you remind him of Sirius. That maybe Harry doesn't know what he wants, and maybe he is confused," she says simply, even though there's a hint of doubt in her voice, as if she's questioning her own thoughts still.
A surge of rage travels through me.
How fucking dare she? How dare she assume that…that I'd take an advantage of Potter like that? And he's not attaching himself to me because of my brother. He can't be. This…whatever this is, started long before my brother got trapped in the archway. Long before the events in the Ministry.
I clench my jaw but say nothing to her, since everything I want to say would be too crass for her to hear. She leaves shortly after with a weary sigh, and then I'm alone with my thoughts, doubts seeking their way into my head.
What if…What if this is only happening because of what happened to my brother?
Hogwarts, January 7th 1997
"He also said that Scrimgeour has had him followed, and that the Minister's trying to find out where Dumbledore's been going when he's not at Hogwarts," I say quietly as I finish my recap about the previous night to Ron over the breakfast. "And even though Dumbledore didn't want to tell me, I bet he's been searching clues about Voldemort's past the whole time…" I whisper quickly as glance around us to make sure no one's paying us any attention.
As Ron winces at the name, I chew the inside of my cheek and think about the homework Dumbledore had given me. Homework that seems almost impossible for me to accomplish if Dumbledore himself hasn't had such luck.
"I just don't know how I'm supposed to do what he asks from me..." I say with a weary sigh.
Last night was the third lesson with Dumbledore, where we once again viewed memories of Voldemort, from a time during his last years in Hogwarts. The first memory, Morfin Gaunt's memory, showed us a scene where a sixteen-year-old Voldemort came to see his uncle. Voldemort learned about his parentage, his Muggle father and grandparents, whom he murdered with Morfin's wand before planting a false memory into Morfin's mind, making his uncle believe that he was the one who had killed the Riddles. Apparently, Morfin spent his remaining days in Azkaban, agonizing about losing his father's ring.
The second memory, Professor Slughorn's memory, was a short one, but according to Dumbledore, the most important one he had collected. The memory seemed to be from one of those Slughorn's get togethers, as there had been a handful of boys and girls in their mid-teens, surrounding the younger version of the Potion Master. Voldemort was one of the students, looking handsome and relaxed in the midst of his classmates, his grandfather's ring gleaming in his finger. Something odd had happened in the memory, twice, as the room had been filled with fog for a moment before it had cleared. The memory had ended soon afterwards. Dumbledore explained that the memory had been tampered with, and he assumes that Slughorn had done that himself because he is ashamed of what he remembers.
Before I returned to the Gryffindor Tower, Dumbledore gave me a mission – to secure the true memory from Slughorn. He told me that trying to take the truth from Slughorn by force might do much more harm than good, and for some reason, Dumbledore believes that I would be able to penetrate Slughorn's defences and persuade him to divulge the real memory.
Ron gives me a small shrug. "Dunno, mate…I mean, he loves you," he says after swallowing a mouthful of fried eggs. "Won't refuse you anything, will he? Not his little Potions Prince," He says and smirks as I send him a mild glare.
"Just hang back after class this afternoon and ask him?" Ron continues, seeming to believe that that's all it takes to get the memory from Slughorn.
"I dunno…" I mutter but our conversation comes to an end as Lavender slides to sit down on Ron's other side. I empty my cup of tea and make my excuses, not wanting to hang as their third wheel.
I meet with Hermione in the snowy courtyard after breakfast and before our classes, as Hermione still refuses to remain near Ron's presence, preferring to eat early and then spend the remaining time either in the library or outside.
After explaining everything I saw in the memories and what Dumbledore expects from me, it is obvious that Hermione is not as confident of my success as Ron is.
"Slughorn must be determined to hide what really happened if Dumbledore couldn't get it out of him," she says quietly, looking warily around us, even though we have secured our surroundings with a subtle Muffliato. There's no one in the courtyard, only the two of us, huddled on a stony bench with a couple of Hermione's warming charms making the cold weather feel almost tolerable.
"Horcruxes…Horcruxes…I've never even heard of them…" She mutters and stares into somewhere distant.
I can't stop the disappointment that fills my stomach. "You haven't?" I ask, and rub my temple. What now? If Hermione doesn't know the answer to what Horcruxes are, who then? She's practically swallowed the content of the Hogwarts library by now, so I doubt that the Horcruxes are even mentioned in there.
Hermione sighs. "I know, right…" She says and purses her lips with irritation. "Still, I think we could take a look at the restricted section, but we'd need a permission to do that…" She says and worries he lip in thought.
I nod slowly. "I could ask Dumbledore. It's not like he doesn't want me to prepare myself," I say vaguely, hinting towards the prophecy.
Hermione gives me searching look, knowing the meaning behind my words. "Well, yes, if you can, that would make things a bit easier…" She says absently, my comment regarding the prophecy obviously still bothering her a bit.
Truth to be told, what bothers me more, is the fact that I now have more than one matter to research in the library. But still, I know that in order to find what I need to help Sirius, a permission to go through the books in the restricted section could come in handy. I clear my throat before I speak. "Yeah, okay, I'll ask."
Hermione hums, still seeming slightly absent-minded, although now it seems that her thoughts are back to Horcruxes.
"They must be really advanced Dark magic, why else would Voldemort have wanted to know about them? I think it's going to be difficult to get the information, Harry. You'll have to be very careful about how you approach Slughorn, think out a strategy…" She says and eyes me with a small frown between her brows.
I give her a slight shrug. "Ron reckons I should just hang back after Potions this afternoon…"
Hermione scoffs and the look in her eyes turns dark. "Oh, well, if WonWon thinks that, you'd better do it," she says, not bothering to conceal the bitterness in her voice. "After all, when has WonWon's judgement ever been faulty?" She continues irately, rolling her eyes in exasperation.
I let out a small sigh. "Hermione, can't you —"
"No!" She hisses angrily, standing up and storming away so quickly I haven't got a chance to say anything back.
"Shit…" I mutter and press the heels of my palms against my eyes in frustration. I was really hoping the holidays would've helped with the situation, but it seems that Hermione's still as adamant to stay away from Ron as she had been in December. I wish that Hermione would stop being so stubborn, and that Ron would pull his head out of his arse.
Why does everything have to be so bloody complicated?
I have enough complicated in my life as it is. Trying to learn about Voldemort's past, to learn how to destroy him…Trying to research dark magic to get back my godfather…Trying to find out what Malfoy's up to.
And well, trying to figure out what it is that's happening between Regulus and me. Merlin, has it truly been only three days since I last saw him?
I wonder what happened after Tonks came to Grimmauld last Saturday? She was obviously suspecting something, but what exactly? I assume Regulus wouldn't say anything to her, but if I'm being honest, I don't know if I'd mind if he did.
I only know that I feel…different…around him. Good different. And I don't want to lose that.
…Should I write to him?
And if so, what would I write about? It's not like I'm going to pour my heart out to him in a letter, especially if I can't even voice the feelings inside my own head.
I can't ask him anything about Horcruxes, and I don't really think he'd be interested to offer me help to try to settle the situation with Hermione and Ron.
What I'd like to know, is if he's seen Sirius. Only…the last time I asked that, I had the feeling that I was pressuring him. And if getting pissed is the only way for Regulus to see his brother, I'd rather he didn't.
As the warming charms start to fade, I stand up with a final, strained huff of breath and make my way towards my first period Charms class.