Chapter Text
The cold was biting. It had been freezing outside of the cave, with the wind and water, but somehow it was even colder now that they were inside.
Blood still dripped freely down his arm. Regulus hadn’t bothered to seal the cut used to get in yet. The blood felt hot against his skin, and he let out a shaky breath.
“Alright, Kreacher. How do we get across?” he asked softly. The house-elf shuddered, pulling his gaze away from the deep cut that now bisected the mark on the human’s left arm.
“There is a boat,” Kreacher said, his voice trembling and quiet. They approached the edge of the water. Kreacher held out his hand, and a chain came shooting out of the water. They were silent as they boarded the boat, and then Kreacher began to pull them across.
Regulus had never liked water, ever since Bellatrix had pushed him into a lake when he was little and he almost drowned. This water was eerily still, and it made him uneasy. Kreacher had said there was something in the water, but the elf always got too emotional when asked about it so Regulus didn’t press.
“Remember,” Regulus said as the boat drifted across the lake, “you will not tell anyone about this. Not even mother and father.”
“Yes, Master Regulus,” Kreacher promised.
They finally made it to the island in the middle. The basin stood there innocently enough. After a few tests to see if the green potion inside could be vanished or dumped away, Regulus had to admit that the only way to get to the locket was to drink it. He couldn’t even touch the liquid in the basin.
“Kreacher,” Regulus said softly, and he knelt to his house-elf’s level.
“Yes, Master Regulus?” Kreacher asked. He was shaking, his eyes flickering to the potion with fear.
“I will drink the potion,” Regulus said. “I order you to make sure I drink all of it. Even if I beg and plead and order you later to stop, I am ordering you now to ignore all of that and force me to drink it until it is gone.”
“Y-Yes,” Kreacher sobbed. Regulus squeezed the elf’s hand, hating that he had to subject him to this horror all over again, but he was the only one he could trust.
Regulus fished out the goblet he had brought with him and dipped it into the basin. It filled with the potion, and with only slightly trembling hands Regulus brought it to his lips.
The potion burned as it slipped down his throat. His body immediately seized, and pain shot through his limbs. He staggered against the basin, breathing heavily, and filled the goblet again.
His vision swam, and pain erupted behind his eyes. His throat burned and burned and burned and oh Merlin he needed water.
“Here, Master Regulus, this will help,” a distant voice urged, and something was placed against his lips. Regulus gulped it down, but it only parched his throat more.
“Please,” he begged, but small hands were holding him and something was being pressed against his lips again. Why was he hurting? Who was doing this to him?
“Stay away from me.”
Sirius? Regulus thought as he heard the voice.
“You’re not my family anymore. James is my brother.”
“Siri—” Regulus tried to call out, but his voice cracked and more burning liquid was poured into his mouth.
“You were never supposed to be in this situation,” his mother’s voice cooed in his ear. “You were just the spare. This wasn’t supposed to happen to you.” Pain shot through him as she cast Crucio on him again. Regulus screamed.
“Sirius!” he pleaded.
“I’m leaving. Don’t try to stop me.”
“Please don’t go! Siri! Please please please I need y-you! Come back! Come back!”
“Master Regulus, this is the last one. Kreacher promises!” The rim of a goblet was pressed to his lips one last time, and Regulus forced himself to drink. Once the last of the green potion was gulped down, he collapsed. His throat and chest burned, and his limbs wouldn’t stop shaking, but his mind began to clear of the voices. His nerves were on fire, and he distantly thought that this perhaps hurt more than Crucio ever did.
“Master Regulus,” Kreacher was crying, shaking nearly as bad as the human.
“Lo… cket…” Regulus said, his voice cracked and dry. Kreacher dutifully reached into the basin and pulled out the locket. Regulus winced as he felt the magic on it. It felt wrong, like a dark stain or void.
Regulus reached into his pockets, and after several tries was able to force his fingers to grasp the fake locket he had brought. He passed it to Kreacher, who dropped it into the basin. As soon as he did, the green potion began to fill back up.
“Water,” Regulus croaked, and he began to crawl towards the water’s edge.
“Master Regulus no!” Kreached wailed, but it was too late. As Regulus dipped his hand into the water, a pale, decaying hand shot out and grasped his wrist. Regulus screamed, and he tried to jerk back but his body was weak.
Inferi — and by the stars was Voldemort really so dark as to use inferi? — began to rise from the waters. Rotting hands grasped onto him and began to pull. Regulus thrashed, but it was a losing battle and his wand was stashed in his pocket.
“Kreacher!” Regulus gasped through a burning, parched throat. “I order you to get out of here!”
“Master Regulus!” Kreacher was sobbing.
“Leave! Destroy the locket!” Regulus ordered, struggling to resist the inferi. With one last sob, Kreacher disappeared with a loud crack . Regulus sighed, and stopped fighting.
He plunged into icy waters. The cold was instant and all encompassing, and he gasped in shock. Water flooded his lungs, and he began to cough and choke.
The inferi were everywhere. Surrounding him, tearing at him, rotting nails shredding his skin, teeth biting down harder and harder. Regulus screamed, the water in his lungs swallowing the sound. He was trapped, and his heart raced with panic. There were bodies everywhere, pressing into him, and his skin was on fire.
More and more water filled his lungs, and he couldn’t breathe. He desperately tried to draw in anything, but it was just more ice cold water. His chest was heavy, as if a stone were set on it, and he began to sink. His vision darkened, and his body began to go numb.
He closed his eyes, feeling suddenly calm. He thought of Sirius. oh Sirius, please forgive me please please I’m sorry Of all the regrets he had, Sirius was the biggest. He should have left with him all those years ago. He wished he could have told his brother how much he loves him.
Everything went blissfully dark, and Regulus Arcturus Black allowed himself to drift into nothingness.
.
.
.
And then he woke up, and water filled his lungs all over again.