oo3. Voice

[the_noble_black]

I'm not- surprised or anything.

[His voice is soft, yet angry.]

But you Gryffindors have to be the most useless of the lot. Can't even band together when there's an emergency. No, you've got to split up and die separate, like a bloody herd of sheep. 's good that there's one less of you, really.

[A long pause, and he slowly gets over himself.

And because he can't filter messages and generally sucks at everything that doesn't involve spellcraft...]

Vi- I found a better table than the one we're using. A couple candles too, for light. Want to meet me in a bit?

Comments

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[the-noble-black.livejournal.com]

Pretty much.

[Exhaling a plume of smoke.]

Anyway, I was there, but of course, he still hates me. Probably would have been better if he'd just died alone. Maybe then he'd know what it feels like.

[Offline]

[effyourcupcake.livejournal.com]

You really can't tell him about that?

[Offline]

[the-noble-black.livejournal.com]

Nope.

[He sighs.]

If the Dark Lord found out about my death, he'd know that he'd been weakened, and he'd take steps against it. It's imperative that he never finds out. That guy can read minds, it's bad enough that I'm here.

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[effyourcupcake.livejournal.com]

Then don't tell him the details. But how does he think you died?

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[the-noble-black.livejournal.com]

He probably thinks I'm a coward. Nobody will find my body- everyone will just think I disappeared. The Dark Lord is good at making people disappear- everyone will just assume that I panicked and was subsequently 'dealt with', if you catch my drift. But that's fine.

[He shrugs.]

I don't care if I'm branded a coward, just as long as it works.

[Offline]

[effyourcupcake.livejournal.com]

What if I care? Surely you can tell him more than this. That you died for a cause. His cause.

[Offline]

[the-noble-black.livejournal.com]

You think that's going to make anything better? Or that he'll even believe me?

[Sulksulksulk.]

Sirius and I spend the last nine years of our lives at each other's throats. I mean, why do you think I didn't go to him before I died? He'd have laughed at me out of London- but not before he got off a few good hexes.

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[effyourcupcake.livejournal.com]

He's your brother.

[Offline]

[the-noble-black.livejournal.com]

He was disowned.

[So technically, not anymore.]

[Offline]

[effyourcupcake.livejournal.com]

So he probably thinks you hate him, right?

[Offline]

[the-noble-black.livejournal.com]

He wouldn't be wrong.

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[effyourcupcake.livejournal.com]

Why?

[Genuinely curious.]

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[the-noble-black.livejournal.com]

He-

[Regulus is quiet for a moment. He doesn't quite know how to explain just- everything. And then finally, softly-]

-he left.

[Offline]

[effyourcupcake.livejournal.com]

He left you behind?

[Offline]

[the-noble-black.livejournal.com]

Left everything behind.

[Inhaling a deep drag of the cigarette- it's almost spent.]

It's like- he went off to school and met new people and became a different person. It was just his friends this, and his friends that. He was so stupid. After awhile, he couldn't take our family anymore. Packed his trunk and ran away to his friend's house.

[Regulus burns his fingers on the tip of the cigarette and curses, dropping it and stepping on it.]

...he asked me to go with him.

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[effyourcupcake.livejournal.com]

It must have really sucked to lose him.

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[the-noble-black.livejournal.com]

Dunno.

[Sucking on his fingers where he'd burned them.]

None of it matters now.

[Offline]

[effyourcupcake.livejournal.com]

Of course it does! You've been handed a second chance, dumbass.

Listen, I know something about this, okay?

[Offline]

[the-noble-black.livejournal.com]

Yeah?

[He turns to look at her.]

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[effyourcupcake.livejournal.com]

My house is full of ghosts.

[Offline]

[the-noble-black.livejournal.com]

Why?

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[effyourcupcake.livejournal.com]

The place is damaged. Everyone who dies on the property is sucked back in.

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[the-noble-black.livejournal.com]

That's weird.

[Curious.]

That's what you think happened to you?

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[effyourcupcake.livejournal.com]

Yeah.

These people... they live forever, Regulus, but the window where they get to put their regrets to rest is really, really small. If you miss it, you might have an eternity of wishing you hadn't.

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[the-noble-black.livejournal.com]

[He thinks about that for a long moment, and shakes his head.]

I don't know what to do.