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The Rumorr


James was waiting in the Entrance Hall for Regulus for some time before lunch cut out. He ate the second half of his sandwich and sat on the bottom step of the staircase, magically tying and untying his shoes. “Nodum,” he whispered. “Solvite... Nodum...” He picked carefully through a box of Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans and scowled when he accidentally ate one that tasted of dirty copper - like a knut. He spit it out into his palm and shoved it in his pocket.

James looked up as Alabaster Jackson came from the dining hall with a spooked look on his face. “Hey Al,” he asked, “Are you coming to the meeting?”

“Yes, o’course…” Alabaster paused, looking over his shoulder. When he turned back to James, he wore a nervous expression. “I need to talk to you about something. Can we talk? Before the meeting? Like, now?”

James glanced through the Great Hall’s doors at the Slytherin table - he could see Regulus, he was still sitting, reading, by himself, but not looking like he was ready to move anytime soon. James nodded, “Yeah… c’mon.” He waved for Alabaster to follow him and he waved his wand at the door of the parlor next to the Great Hall, “Alohamora.” The door unlocked and they snuck through into the dark, closing the door behind them.

Lumos.” Alabaster’s wand lit up and he held it between them as James turned to face him. He hesitated, “Alright. Listen, first off, I - I’m not a gossip. I don’t usually repeat things I hear. I know it seems --” he sighed, “I didn’t know it was gossip when I talked to Jasper about you and Lily before. When Snape told me --”

James lit up, “He told you directly? Snape himself?”

Alabaster nodded.

“Bloody cockroach is trying to say he didn’t start that rumor,” James said, “Oi. Al, please - tell Evans he’s the one that’s told you, will you? She doesn’t believe me and Snape’s denied it to her face. Filthy lying bit of pond scum he is… typical bleedin’ Slyther---” James stopped himself his eyes flitting to Alabaster’s green sweater. “Sorry.”

Alabaster shrugged. “Look, I know it’s not me. It’s not Slytherins you hate, it’s the people representing us in your year.” He sighed, “Reckon I don’t much like most of my own house lately.” He paused, then, “Look. Potter. I don’t know how much stock you want to be puttin’ into what I’m about to tell you, and I understand if you put none. Came from Snape, too, this bit of information. Well, round about. I overheard him talkin’ with Avery.”

James’s jaw stiffened, “What’s that mental git saying about me and Evans now?” He pictured Snape coming up with some rubbish about the patroni and he could feel his blood boiling in his veins. Snake, his brain hissed.

Alabaster said, “It’s about Regulus Black, actually.”

A funny look came over James’s face. “What about Regulus Black?”

Alabaster’s voice lowered, “First off, Snape knows about the Order. He knows we’re meeting and he - he seems to think that Regulus Black’s been assigned by the Dark Lord to keep an eye on you and your gang, meaning us.”

James frowned.

“Says he’s a Death Eater… says even though he’s only fourteen, he’s been… been given the Dark Mark.”

James shook his head, “Regulus doesn’t have the Mark. Sirius has checked for it.”

“Dunno.” Alabaster shrugged. “He says Regulus killed Maryrose Jenkins.”

“No.” James’s voice was firm, “Absolutely not. That’s a lie. I know that’s a lie. Maryrose Jenkins was killed by Voldemort.”

Alabaster shivered at the mention of the name.

“I dunno what Snape’s on about, but that’s a load of tosh. Killed Maryrose! C’mon - she was Regulus’s girlfriend. They were close! He’s still mourning her.”

“I’m not saying he did, I’m just saying what Snape told me,” Alabaster said.

James nodded, “Yeah. Well. Your source is daft.”

“I just thought it was something you might want to look into.”

“Thanks,” James said. He paused, then, “Hey -- Al?”

“Yeah?”

James hesitated, “How is Jasper? Is he alright?”

Alabaster flushed, “He hasn’t really spoken to me since that day, but… Harry says he’s been sort of sore over being tossed by Lily Evans. He really liked her.”

“I can’t blame him,” James murmured.

Alabaster chewed his lower lip a moment, “For what it’s worth… I think you and Lily make a good pair.”

James said, “For what it’s worth, I doubt we’ll ever be one.”

“Stranger things have happened,” Alabaster answered with a shrug. “Your patroni sure seemed to like each other. Even Remus and Sirius’s didn’t nuzzle the first time they saw each other.” He raised his eyebrows at James and half-smiled. “Anyway. I’ll see you upstairs at the meeting, Potter.”

“See you.”

Nox,” Alabaster said, and he slipped out the door of the parlor room into the entrance hall.

James stood there in the dark for a couple minutes, considering - thinking - taking a deep breath as he leaned against the door of the parlor. What was Snape doing? Why would he spread such a blatant lie about Regulus Black? What good could that possibly do for Severus Snape? But for the life of him, James just couldn’t wrap his mind around thinking snakelike enough to come up with a purpose for it.




Regulus stood in the Great Hall, waiting for James, hugging his copy of Fantastic Beasts to his chest and watching as people streamed out of the Great Hall - nudging by him on their way to their destinations. He even saw Remus, Sirius, and Lily Evans go by, though they were deep in a conversation of some sort, which had Sirius shouting with a dramatic flair as they went by, his arms waving about as he spoke animatedly, Lily laughing and Remus looking ill as he staggered along beside them, watching the placement of his feet as he walked.

Suddenly a hand wrapped around his arm and turned him violently and he found himself face-to-face with Mulciber and Avery as they dragged him off toward the stairwell to the dungeons. “Stop it, I’m waiting for somebody,” Regulus complained, kicking at Mulciber.

“Well we need ter talk to yeh,” Mulciber hissed, and when he got Regulus to the bottom of the stairs, he shoved him roughly into the stone wall so that Regulus’s back smarted from the impact. Mulciber grabbed hold of his oxford and vest in a tight fist and lifted so that Regulus was barely touching the floor, on his very tip-toes. He leaned closer, breath thick with the smell of all the food he’d just eaten. “Check for it,” he hissed at Avery.

To Regulus’s horror, Avery grabbed Regulus’s left arm and yanked up his sleeve to reveal the branding on his skin. Avery looked up at Mulciber with wide, surprised eyes. Clearly, they hadn’t expected to find it there. Avery let Regulus’s arm dropped, the sweater hung up on the crook of his elbow instead of falling back down as it belonged.

“When’d you get that?” he demanded.

“Earlier this month,” Regulus breathed, scared, as Mulciber drew his wand and aimed it into Regulus’s face. “He - he summoned me. He sent my elf for me. He took me away and… and I don’t remember how it happened. I don’t remember. I just - I woke up and it was there. I think - i think he obliviated me after and - -- no no, please don’t hurt me, please!” Mulciber had brought his wand even closer to Regulus’s face and Regulus squirmed desperately. “Please.”

Avery ran his thumbs over Regulus’s skin. “It’s fresh, he’s not lying,” he hissed.

Mulciber let go of Regulus’s shirt and, thankfully, lowered his wand. “Why would the Dark Lord take a little shit like you as a Death Eater - at fourteen!”

“Usually does it when they turn sixteen, dunn’he?” whispered Avery.

And suddenly they both were drawing back their sleeves and revealing their own Dark Marks, baring them to Regulus like they were calling cards, like they were identifying themselves. They stared at the three bared tattoos for a moment, then Avery said, “You get on with your duty. Whatever the Dark Lord’s told you to do. If you need us, you know where to find us.”

Mulciber nodded.

Regulus’s heart slammed so hard he could feel it cutting off the air from his throat. “Thanks.”

“C’mon,” Avery nodded for Mulciber to follow and the pair of them left Regulus standing there in the dark at the foot of the steps, scared to death. He glanced away after them as their forms disappeared down the corridor.