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Author: Wings Story: Heart of Gold Rating: Teens Setting: Pre-DH Status: WIP Reviews: 4 Words: 121,987
~~~~~~ The noon hour struck just as Regulus walked into the lobby of the Ministry of Magic. He had told Camden that he would be a bit late for work after he agreed to help Liam with his meeting, but he had not anticipated being so late that half of the day would be wasted. He barely registered any of his surroundings as he took the lift down to the proper level and walked toward his office, only to hear a shrill Scottish voice call out his name. “Mr. Black! So you’ve finally decided to make an appearance this morning. Well, I suppose I should say this afternoon,” called Camden from her office. He sighed and turned around. “Good afternoon, madam. I apologise; when I said that I was going to be arriving late I did not anticipate that I would be this late.” “Yes, I see,” she replied as she adjusted her tiny black glasses. “What kept you?” “My roommate, Liam,” he said quickly. “He, er, has decided to return home, and he needed help getting out the door.” “And this was a matter of urgency? Was he not home over the weekend taking his sister back from St. Mungo’s?” He furrowed his brow and explained, “Well, yes, he was, and while he was there he decided that he wanted to return home permanently.” “So, you’re late because you went to his business meeting with him, which really wouldn’t be of any consequence anyway since he’s decided to return home, and the meeting went long, but because he had decided to return home, you decided it was your duty to escort him out the door,” she finished. “Have I missed anything?” Regulus’ heart sank as he realised how weak his argument sounded. The look she was giving him over the top rim of her glasses made him feel like he was facing the Wizengamot on charges of murder. Why hadn’t he rehearsed a story to give her upon entering the office? Why hadn’t he considered that the truth, even with a few modifications, sounded absurd? He could not very well tell Malinda Camden the whole story, revealing his status as a Death Eater. That was sure to put him before the Wizengamot anyway. He took a deep breath and admitted, “No, you haven’t. I am sorry. I am just unable to reveal the full details of what happened with Liam. It’s somewhat of a sticky situation, and he’d prefer that the real reasons for his departure not be released to the wizarding public at this time.” A wave of relief passed through his body as her voice softened with concern. “Oh, dear me, I didn’t mean to open wounds. I do hope that your mate will be quite all right?” “I’m sure he will be in time,” he said softly. “But because of everything, I was unable to make it to the office at a decent hour. I have already eaten, so I promise that I will not be leaving until the end of the day.” “Very good, then. Off you go, be sure to check in with my assistant.” “Assistant?” “Lily, the one with the red hair. Next desk over outside of my office.” She waved toward the right wall of her office as she turned back to her papers, leaving Regulus to his thoughts. His heart skipped a beat. He knew he had recognized the girl, Lily Evans – no, Lily Potter. She had married that cheeky show-off; Lily, the girl that even the Slytherin boys had to admit was angelic. “Oh, right,” he replied lamely as he realised he was standing awkwardly in her doorway. “Good day, madam.” He left the room and looked to the right to behold Lily studying a piece of parchment and chewing on the end of a quill. He cleared his throat. “Oh! How can I help you, er, Regulus? That’s it, right?” she asked hesitantly. “You’re Sirius’ little brother?” “Er.” Damn. “Yeah, yeah, I’m his brother. Well, I was, at least.” This could be going much better. He laughed shortly. “Sorry, that’s not what I meant. Mrs. Camden told me that I should check in with you, you know, because I arrived tardy to work. I just got here.” She looked concerned. “Were you sick?” He shook his head and thought better about relaying the real purpose of his tardiness a second time. “No, I just got held up at my flat. Life, you know. Things happen. But I am sorry. I didn’t mean to arrive here this late.” “Are you sure you’re not sick?” she asked him again, folding her arms and leaning on the desk. “Because you seem a little distant to me.” “You hardly know me,” he stated. “How would you know if I was being distant?” She raised an eyebrow and explained, “I may not know you, but I do know Sirius. You’re not giving me the real story, and you don’t want to, so you’re coming at it from a far-off angle designed to confuse me and get me off your back.” “We’re not that similar, you know,” he replied defensively. “That doesn’t mean I’m wrong,” she countered, pointing at him for emphasis. “Does this even matter?” She smiled. “Not in the slightest, except that if you were sick this morning this wouldn’t count against you. If you just arrived late, well, I need to record that in your file for Malinda.” Bloody hell.... Why did this all have to be so complicated? Why couldn’t they just let him go sit at his desk and do his job so that he could leave and meet Severus at the pub? “Come on, Lily, don’t you ever have bad mornings?” he pleaded. “There are just some things going on that I can’t discuss. Mrs. Camden said that it was all fine. She told me that if I needed any help I could always ask her. Now, that doesn’t seem like something that would need to be recorded in my file as insubordination.” “Oh, yes, you’re nothing like Sirius at all,” she said sarcastically, finally leaning backwards again. “Fine, then, if she found your excuse suitable then I suppose this doesn’t need to go on your permanent record. Go ahead in.” He nodded his thanks and set off toward his desk. “Regulus?” He turned. “Yeah?” “He’s doing all right, you know. Your brother. He’s not starving or anything.” Conflicted, Regulus bit his lip and responded, “Splendid. Have a good day.” Well, at least it fits the day, he thought to himself as he dropped his bag on the carpet by his chair. A nasty hangover, Liam, an inquiry at work, Sirius, and later a meeting with Severus. It was shaping up to be the best way to end the summer. Luckily, the office seemed to be empty due to the lunch hour. He sat a moment and took several deep breaths in an attempt to calm his nerves. To his surprise, and delight, it worked. He started work again on the filing system that he had been creating since the beginning of July. Regulus’ job was important to him, but he didn’t seem to be getting much farther in learning how spells worked and how they were created. Jacks either hadn’t yet found the time to sit down with him and talk about it, or he hadn’t ever intended to. Regulus was unsure of which it was, and hadn’t had much time to think about it because of his strained relationship with Liam; however, now that Liam was gone, and he had nothing with which to occupy himself as he sifted randomly through the catalogue, the memory of his interview came fresh to his mind. What’s the point in me having this job? I thought I would be benefiting the Dark Lord, but am I really doing anything of value for him? Why stick with the job? If the Dark Lord was all that mattered, would he not be of better use if he could devote all his time to service? Surely there were many other projects that would benefit from his expertise, both in knowledge of the inner workings of the Ministry of Magic and in family connections. His vision of greatness came to him again. Would he not become great in the eyes of all if he were the Dark Lord’s right hand man? Severus had said that if he would only yield himself more, he would be able to achieve the impossible task of getting close to the man who would likely determine the future of the wizarding world. How close was Severus? Though Regulus considered him a friend, they had been competitors in school, and they remained competitors in the service of the Dark Lord. They were never equals. Severus had maintained the upper hand in school, and even now he was the one relaying information to Regulus. The Dark Lord had not called him to his side since the beginning of July – why not? What could Regulus do to make himself more available, more loyal, more of worth? “All right, there, Regulus?” said Alec brightly as he entered the room. Regulus started so much that he shook the chair. “Hi, Alec. Back so soon?” Alec checked his pocket watch. “It’s nearly one o’clock. You didn’t think I’d be tardy in returning from lunch, did you? Malinda would have had my head.” “Yes, she’s in a bit of a mood this afternoon.” “Well, you were late,” Alec said pointedly as he placed his bag on the floor. His desk was strewn with parchment and ink wells that he had neglected to put away before he left to eat. Regulus watched him shift the papers about a little while attempting to think of a good response. “I had a good excuse,” he replied lamely. Alec raised his eyebrows at Regulus as he sat down and said, “Of course you did.” He placed his reading glasses deftly on the bridge of his nose and began to shift the papers again. “How are the files coming?” Alec asked without looking up. “Fine,” Regulus said, turning back to the desk himself. “I’ll be glad when the project is over with. I feel like I’m not doing anything of merit.” Alec laughed and agreed, “Yes, I remember my early days in the department. It was going through personnel files for me, making sure that Malinda had the proper information about every department employee. Then it was banking records and financial statements.” “Does anybody in the department even do anything spell related?” Regulus asked cautiously. “Sure they do,” Alec replied as he grabbed a quill from the desk and dipped it in black ink. “But I haven’t seen most of the experimental projects. All that I really see are the potential patents for spells that have already been proven to work.” That piqued Regulus’ interest. “Really? New spells? Like what?” “Well, this isn’t something you can reveal to a whole lot of people,” Alec stressed as his voice dropped to a low murmur and he glanced up from the desk. “A lot of what comes across my desk is semi-confidential material. I mean, they’re soon-to-be-released reports, but for the most part they aren’t open to the public yet. I’m really probably not supposed to be divulging this to you even.” “Yeah, I understand,” Regulus replied eagerly. “What do you do?” “I mostly just check over the reports for any potential flaws dealing with wizarding law, both British and international,” Alec explained. “The whole mechanics of the spells, well, that’s for the experts to figure out. I’m more of a paperwork bloke.” Regulus grinned and noted, “Well, someone has to do it. At least you get to look over the new material. That has to be fascinating.” “It’s all right, I guess,” Alec said, chewing on the quill for a moment. “I was never very interested in how spells worked, just concerned over the fact that they did work and my wand wasn’t going to blow me to pieces if I botched one up. I’ve always been interested in law. I studied a bit of Muggle law for a while after I left school, but I was never interested in litigation. This is a nice, low-key job and still semi-interesting.” Regulus leaned toward the desk and file cabinets enviously and admitted, “I would kill to read some of those new spells.” “Kill?” Alec questioned hesitantly. Regulus jerked back in the chair, tipping it backwards slightly. “No, no, not literally, of course,” he said hastily, scratching the back of his neck. “But that’s what I applied to do here, you know – to be involved in the experimental process of it all and maybe be able to create something really brilliant.” Nice recovery, he told himself. “You’ll get there,” Alec assured him, voice still tinged with a bit of apprehension. “To alter a Muggle proverb a bit, Hogwarts wasn’t built in a day, and it’s ever-changing. Even when you think you’ve achieved where you want to be, there’s always someplace else that you can go.” “I’d be happy just to do anything of worth.” Alec looked puzzled. “You already are. Do you think that your filing system isn’t going to be of any use to this office? Why, I’ve already heard others comment on how much easier it is to locate obscure spells. The experimental witches and wizards rely on it to make sure their work is not going to be wasted.” Regulus, sifting through the “S” cards on the desk, held up one that read “STUPEFY” at the top in large letters. “Yes, I’m sure my cataloguing this spell is serving the greater wizarding community,” he replied sarcastically, tossing the card lightly back on the desk. “Well, it sure isn’t with that kind of attitude,” Alec said lightly. “Cheer up, you’ll make it. You’ve only been out of school for two months. Do you know how rare it is for most students to even have a job already? You must have had excellent marks in order to have been given this job. Jacks hasn’t hired anyone just out of school in years.” Regulus shrugged and propped a knee up on the side of the desk. “They just needed someone to do paperwork. I doubt that they hired me for any reason other than that.” “You know that’s not true,” Alec stated resolutely. “You know that you’ve already achieved more than most people have, and you know that you’re going to get where you want to be. But today you’re here, and you have to do the work that has been given to you.” “Look, I get it, all right?” Regulus said in an annoyed tone. “I’m special, I have all these talents that can be used for all of these wonderful purposes and someday, someday someone will take notice of me and I’ll finally get where I want to be in life. That’s been dished to me by everyone since I was a kid. But I want more than just to be great in this department. I don’t want my life to be defined by what I do here.” “Then what do you want?” “Recognition. Fame. Glory. To be something.” Regulus looked him straight in the eye. “I don’t want to do this for the rest of my life. I’m not a paperwork bloke.” Alec was silent for a moment, but then replied softly, “I have no doubt that you’ll achieve that, and more, but don’t rush it. You’re very bright, and I want to see you do well, but if you push too hard too fast you might not be able to achieve anything at all.” “I’ll be careful,” Regulus said lightly. “Yeah, I’ll believe it when I see it,” Alec said in a joking tone. “Oh, by the way, my wife Anna wanted me to extend an invitation to you for supper sometime this weekend. Do you think you’d be able to make it?” This weekend? It would be nice to eat a meal cooked by someone other than himself or Liam, neither of whom had mastered cooking skills quite yet. But there was always the chance that the Dark Lord might need him over the weekend. He could not very well make plans and then have to decline them at the last minute because he was needed at his side. “That would be great, Alec, but I’m not sure that I’ll be able to make it,” Regulus lied. “My mother mentioned something about a possible meal at the house. They’ve been more family-oriented with me since disowning my brother.” Not true at all, but there was no way that Alec would know that. He nodded, and his voice was tinged with a hint of disappointment. “I understand. Another time, then. Your roommate would be welcome to come as well. Liam, right?” Regulus felt his face flush with slight embarrassment as he stammered, “Uh, well, Liam has decided to go back to Ireland indefinitely. That would be the good excuse as to why I was late today. I was helping him move out.” “Oh, I see,” Alec replied delicately. “I am very sorry to hear that. Was it because of his sister?” “Yeah, partly. He really missed his family, too,” Regulus explained. “He just needed my approval to move out, you know, since that would mean him not paying to hire the flat anymore and me having to take care of everything all by myself.” I sound pathetic. “I’m very sorry to hear that, Regulus. I know that you both are very close mates,” Alec said. Regulus shrugged. “I’ll see him again at some point, I’m sure. I had better get to work on this system for the day. Taking off work last week really set me back, and so did being late this morning. Thanks again for the invitation. I’ll let you know if I can come.” Alec nodded. “Please do. Let me know if there is anything Anna and I can do for you.” His kind words were numbing to Regulus’ heart. If Alec knew the real reason that Regulus was refusing, what would he do? If he knew that Regulus’ heart was in pushing for the prize, leaning toward the future, rather than working in the present, what would he say? Does it matter? Regulus glanced furtively to the right at the man leaning over the desk, turned slightly away so that he did not appear to see Regulus looking at him. His reading glasses had fallen down the bridge of his nose, and he was tapping the tip of the quill on the desk as he read through one of the patents. He was only a co-worker. Regulus was not required to share any part of his life with him. Besides, he was clearly not a supporter of the Dark Lord and not even driven in life. He was perfectly fine with staying in his current job forever. What good would he be to Regulus in the future? How many people could he possibly have contacts with? Regulus did not need Alec, and he did not need Alec’s wife. All he needed was his cunning wit and absolute devotion to the Dark Lord. He turned back to his desk, determined to get as much work done as possible that afternoon in hopes of receiving a more exciting assignment once it was completed. Alec left with a light “cheers” at half-past five, but Regulus stayed until it was nearly seven o’clock, leaving just in time to cross the grimy threshold at the Knockturn Alley pub. Severus was sitting in the shaded back-right corner of the pub again, sipping at a pint of a greenish liquid. Regulus walked swiftly into the pub this time and marched over to the table, making eye contact with no one and hoping that he appeared to be walking with purpose. Severus did not look up once but watched Regulus with examining eyes as he pulled out the chair on the opposite side of the table and sat down with ease. “So, you’ve come.” He took another sip. “Yes.” “I understand that Merric was seen entering the Muggle airport early this afternoon. He has returned to Ireland?” Severus inquired nonchalantly. Regulus took a deep breath and explained, “Merric and I have several differences of opinion that we have decided are too divisive for us to be able to live together anymore.” “I see.” Another sip. “Differences of opinion. Muffliato.” “A very good choice, Severus. So were you spying on him or someone else?” Regulus asked as he began to run a finger nervously along the rough wood of the underside of the table. Severus smiled. “Spying? That’s such a harsh word. No, we have not been spying on dear Liam. We may have an agent at the airport, though. What changed your mind? You were quite adamant in your sensibilities last week.” Regulus felt a splinter pierce his thumb and winced slightly as he tried to think of a good response. “Yes, so I was,” he agreed. “But things change. Liam, I think, has become too radical in the other direction. He saw the sketches.” “He saw what?!” exclaimed Severus as he raised his eyebrows in surprise. “I know,” Regulus groaned as he tried using his other hand to wiggle the splinter out of his skin. “But I don’t think that he’ll do anything. I believe that he’s given up on anyone here doing anything to stand up to the Dark Lord. I absently left them sitting on my desk over the weekend. Last night, er, I may have had a bit too much to drink and forgot to put them away before he got home.” Finally the splinter came loose, and he brought both hands above the table to use for emphasis. “It doesn’t matter, though, because he wouldn’t listen. He just kept going on and on about how he didn’t feel like he could trust me anymore and how I had been betraying our friendship and...he called me a traitor, Severus! A traitor! When all along I’ve been trying to keep him and Aislinn and the rest of his family safe. I never meant for her to get hurt; she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.” “I know, I know,” Severus murmured gently. “He doesn’t understand what we’re working for. This is about the ineffectiveness of the Ministry and our corrupt leaders, remember? He doesn’t see that. All he sees is the Pureblood argument. He can’t accept that we’re really fighting for the same thing.” Regulus looked down at his hands and said nothing, examining the conflicting thoughts that had been running through his mind all day. He’s your friend, said a little voice in his head. All he wants is your loyalty. The Pureblood argument is one that is against him because he’s Muggleborn. But once the Dark Lord triumphs over the Ministry, that won’t matter anymore, another voice reminded him. Don’t you want to be on top? Don’t you want to be there to keep those you love safe once that happens? There is no way that the Ministry can win this; they can’t even agree enough to pass good policies. How are they going to be able to stand up to an army that works like a machine? He looked up at Severus, who took another sip of his green drink. It was getting toward the bottom of the glass now. “I know that we’re doing the right thing,” he said affirmatively. “I know that the Ministry has to be stopped. They aren’t fit to get anything done, and they are hurting the entire wizarding community in the process. I just wish that we weren’t required to resort to such drastic measures, and I wish that Liam could see that I’m doing this for the good of everyone.” “I’m sure he will in time,” Severus assured him. “But you can’t wait for that time to come before you act. Perhaps he will change his mind once he sees the good that can come from reform. I’m glad that you have decided to stick with us. We really need the use of your talents and your connections.” Regulus perked up and questioned, “My connections?” Severus nodded. “I’ve mentioned before that Dumbledore has created some sort of alliance that is counter to the Dark Lord’s glorious cause. Since the action at Diagon Alley, they have increased their efforts against us. It is largely a secret who is involved in this operation, but we have identified several key suspects. Included among them are your brother....” “Former brother,” Regulus interrupted. “You don’t have to keep interrupting me every time I do that, Regulus. He’s your brother. Get over yourself. The fact that he’s your brother makes you more important. Anyway, Sirius is involved in this organisation, as well as Lily and James Potter,” Severus finished. “The golden couple,” Regulus chuckled. “Why am I not surprised. And Sirius, who always did everything James wanted to do.” Severus finished the drink and agreed, “Exactly. The point is we have a key operation that is due to launch in early November. We’re concerned that the trio is involved in trying to get information about our plans, and we’re hoping that you would be kind enough to attempt some counter-information gathering.” “You mean spying,” Regulus clarified. “In this case, yes,” Severus affirmed. “But it’s necessary. They are key targets. Spying on Liam would not have done us much good because it would have been a waste of man power and we weren’t sure whether or not it was needed. You are in a key position because Lily is the secretary for your boss, and she’s Potter’s wife. You may even be able to get close to Sirius, but I would not try to push it too hard.” “What about Peter? Didn’t you say that he was perfectly positioned for this before?” Regulus inquired. “Pettigrew is perfectly positioned, but we can’t use him for everything,” Severus explained. “He is currently our spy for Dumbledore’s alliance, but we think that all of the plans aren’t being revealed to him because of his inherent qualities that might render him unsuitable for the type of plans being considered.” Regulus questioned him further, “You mean that you think they aren’t telling Peter everything because they might be planning a mission he can’t physically participate in?” Severus nodded. “Yes. We need him to stay close to the Potters. He can’t be put in a position where he might lose their trust. If he were to try to get this information and be caught, well, we would lose our spy, and that is much more important right now. I want you to understand the gravity of your importance in this situation. Without you, our mission cannot succeed.” Regulus nodded and felt an enormous sense of pride sweep over his body. “I’ll do my best. May I ask the date of this operation?” “Oh, if you think hard enough of it, I think you’ll be able to figure it out,” Severus told him with a chuckle. “Early November. Corrupt government. Think about it.” Regulus laughed and shook his head. “How daft could I be? Fifth November, of course. Guy Fawkes could have used a bit of magic that day.” “It’s a good thing that we have plenty of that,” Severus noted. “So what do I need to do?” Regulus asked. “Do you want me to follow her? Just start talking to her more?” “I would stay away from following her because that could get you noticed,” Severus pointed out. “Do start talking to her. Have you done that at all?” Regulus nodded. “She and I talked for a bit this morning. She seems very personable and easy to communicate with, though I may have jeopardised my chances by being short with her. I still think she was a bit taken with me, though.” Severus snorted and reminded him, “She has a husband. She was probably just being nice.” “Likely, but I still think that she could warm up to me,” Regulus insisted. “I’ll work on her.” “Good,” Severus replied. He appeared to be about to end the conversation, but Regulus wanted to question him further. “Severus, what can I do to get into the Dark Lord’s good graces?” he asked, trying to keep his voice steady and conceal his eagerness for a response. “I feel like I’m doing nothing of worth and that I am wasting away in this useless job. You seem to know so much about him and what he wants. What is it that you did to get where you are?” Severus stared at him for a moment, then looked away and sighed. “There is no formula. You just need to be available, loyal, and skilled,” he said bluntly. “I deliver quality results on everything I do. He knows that whatever he asks will be done. I waste little time on the pomp and ceremony of...others.” “You mean grovelling?” Severus nodded. “I give him reverence and honour, but bowing before his feet is useless to him unless you have something to offer. Always remember that you are expendable. Useful, certainly, but expendable.” “I thought you said that I was the only one for this job,” Regulus retorted in protest. “Today, maybe,” Severus replied. “Today you are the best that the Dark Lord has at his disposal. Today you can offer him something that no one else can. But I can’t guarantee you tomorrow. You must always be on your guard.” Regulus’ heart seemed to be sinking. There had to be a way to get closer to the Dark Lord, but Severus was not going to tell him. He would have to figure it out on his own. Severus was trying to hold him back. “I understand completely,” Regulus replied carefully. “I’ll do better than my best for this assignment. He’ll see that he has my complete and utter obedience. When do you need a report?” “Oh, no specific deadline. This is long term. You’ll know when we need to reach you,” Severus promised casually. “Well, I’m off. I have business to attend to.” Regulus nodded and started to get up to leave, but noticed that Severus was still sitting down. He looked back at the older man. Severus examined him again and then said softly, “I’m glad that you’ve chosen to stick with this, Regulus. You’ve made the right decision. I hope you’ll remember that, even when it seems that everything is going wrong.” “Do you think it will come to that?” Regulus asked carefully. Severus shook his head. “Of course not. But just in case, remember. We’re fighting for the right reasons. Change must come, and this is the way that it has to be.” “For a better future,” Regulus offered. “Yes, a better future.” ~~~~~~ Not so far away, yet a world apart, Liam walked through the streets of Doolin, passing by the shop where his mother used to buy fresh fruits and vegetables, past the local chapel where families went to dedicate their babies to the service of the Lord and where many of his friends were planning to celebrate their weddings, past the shops whose owners used his father’s shipping company to cast their wares off to the horizon. The plane ride had not been so eventful, and he had chosen to Apparate once he arrived back in Ireland rather than to catch a car, just so that he would be able to walk along the docks at sunset. The surface of these waters had changed much in his father’s lifetime. Liam remembered hearing stories when he was young about the old ships that used to anchor in the harbour, with their tall, black masts and the new, large steam engines that powered them across the Atlantic. Those ships were no longer assembled near Doolin, but the sea remained an important part of their lives. The wharfs were filled with large wooden boats now, as well as the more modern boats used by his father’s company, and the large cruise boats that ferried travellers to and from the area. Even small speedboats populated the waters, owned by rich foreigners and landowners who had money to spare. This was his home. This was where his family had lived for generations and where he had always hoped to settle down, even after he went off to school in Scotland. This was where he remembered playing on the cliffs with Silas, running along the beaches with his sisters, helping his mother do the shopping, and learning from his father how to tie the knots that were so important to holding the boats close to the docks. This was where he had watched countless sunsets and sunrises and where he had stood in the shallow waters near the rocks with his classmates catching sea creatures and swimming on hot summer days. And this was the one place he felt that it was safe to hide from danger. But could it be the one place where danger would find him anyway? Could his presence in this tiny, seaside town bring disaster upon residents who knew nothing about the world in which he had spent the last seven years of his life? He felt a chill air as the sun crept fully behind the horizon and the world was lit by the reflection of the moon and stars upon the still waters. He took a deep breath and filled his lungs with the familiar, salty air, feeling at peace as he heard the late summer insects begin their familiar evening humming, lulling his fears to sleep. Liam found the familiar street and walked past the houses he could describe by memory – every stone, every brick, every white picket fence was etched into his mind by years of walking to and from the docks, the town, and his grammar school. Finally he saw it, the two-story stone house surrounded by a waist-high wall made of the same steel-grey rocks. His grandfather Callum and a great-uncle had built the house out of the rocks found in a quarry an hour away when they were young men, engaged to their soul mates, ready to start their lives. The house with its carefully tended garden and the soft, glowing light in each window always made him feel stronger and surer of himself. His parents had added another fence dividing the garden into two halves when their children were younger, to keep them confined to a safe playing area. Liam pushed the wooden door of the outer wall open and heard the delighted sounds of a young child playing behind this other fence. He walked over and looked, joy filling his body at the sight of his little niece Clare, absorbed in her play and totally oblivious to everything else around her. His heart ached for the days when he had been just like her, totally focused on the present and whatever fun could be had that day. He thought back just a few months to when he and Regulus had enjoyed being in their last year of school, planning their last adventures on the familiar grounds and half planning for their future, but still only focusing on what was happening right then. How he wished he could rewind and tell his mate not to make the decision he already had. Snap. His foot on a branch broke the sudden stillness of the evening. Clare started and looked in his direction, face etched with concern and unsure of what to do. She did not seem to recognize her young uncle. She started to whimper, and Liam walked forward hesitantly. “Shh, Clare, you’re fine, love,” Liam cooed softly. “It’s just me, Uncle Liam. You remember me, don’t you? I brought your Auntie Aislinn home last week. Where’s your mum, hmm? Where’s Alana?” “Liam?” called a soft voice from the side door. Alana stood there, framed by her dark, wavy hair gathered around her shoulders and backed by the interior light of the house. “Is that you?” He smiled and replied affirmatively, “Hi, Lana. I’m back. Sorry to have scared Clare, but I think she’s all right now.” Clare had walked over to her mother and was now clinging to her skirt, but at least she had stopped whimpering. She looked back at Liam with her bright blue eyes, curious, but still shy of this man that she had only seen a few times within her memory. “What’s wrong?” Alana questioned as she bent down to pick up her tiny daughter. “Why aren’t you in London? Have you told anyone that you’re back?” Liam took a deep breath. “It’s a long story, and one that I think probably should not be told at this moment, with little ones present. Are you staying long?” Alana moved aside to welcome him into the house. “Silas and your father went south to repair one of the smaller boats. Mum thought it might be a good idea for Clare and I to spend the night here since she still sometimes fusses after dark and it’s hard for me to deal with her on my own, especially since she can walk, talk, and get into all kinds of mischief now, can’t you, little one?” She tickled Clare and was rewarded with a little giggle, bringing another foreign smile to Liam’s face. This was a very good idea. “I see,” he replied. “Well, I’ll explain everything when they get back.” He embraced Alana as well as he could without crushing Clare and then nodded down the hallway toward the kitchen. “Shall we? I can smell that pie Mum is making, and I’m starving,” he explained. Alana rolled her eyes and teased, “You boys and your food.” “Boys?!” Liam exclaimed in mock offence. “I’ve left school now. I’m a full-fledged wizard, fit to do all kinds of complicated things you’ve never even dreamed of.” “Yes, well, your appetite will never change. Silas is proof of that,” she countered. “Come on, then. Let’s make your stomach happy. Your mother will be very glad to see you, I know. She’s been worried about you in that city.” He sighed and admitted, “With good reason. All will be revealed in time. Let’s enjoy this time we have tonight, eh?” She nodded, and he let her lead him down the familiar hallways covered with pictures into the kitchen where Kate Merric was just adding the finishing touches to the dinner table, helped by Aislinn, still on the mend from her injury. He enjoyed the peaceful night, joking with his sister and sister-in-law, complimenting his mother at every opportunity, and watching Clare warm up to him once again. He enjoyed each moment, knowing that the peace would be broken upon the return of his father and brother. Oh, Regulus, he thought as he stretched out on his familiar bed that he had not yet found the time to move to London. What pain might this cause? ~~~~~~ Author’s Note: Firstly, a note of thanks to my faithful betas: Cygnus, Felicia, and the ever-wonderful Arnel. Thanks for sticking with me and encouraging me not just in my writing, but also in my studies and life adventures, especially my London excursions. To my readers: thanks for bearing with me and waiting for five months. Some of you have told me verbally about the pain you have suffered. ;) My classes last semester were a bit more than challenging, and this chapter was a bit harder to write than my others because of the transitions that occur. To any residents of London: this chapter is yours, written predominantly in your wonderful, beautiful city. I have loved being here for the past few weeks.
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