Regulus Was Trying To Be Better, And He Supposed That Meant Reigning In His Haughty Personality Sometimes

Moodboard Aesthetic: Pandora Nott and Fenrir Greyback ( @battle-scvrs )

Kingsley looked at his friend with a curious eye, wondering exactly what Edgar had been doing that day. "I'd like to tell you that you look wonderful, but my mother raised me not to tell lies," he smirked, knowing that the next time he came back from a mission bedraggled that Edgar would rake him over the coals. "Feels like each day is getting a little tougher, it's no wonder the bars are getting busier," he mused, his tone taking a more serious turn. "Ros is going to be raking it in."

Given the way their head auror had been badgering Kingsley for weeks to get his pile of paperwork sorted, he figured that they would be forgiving that Kings had disappeared half an hour early. Kingsley kept taking the night shifts anyways, he was due a little good grace. "Isn't it always?" he rolled his eyes fondly. His body language shifted at the mention of Sade, shoulders tightening and his easy-going expression morphing into one of concern. "She's....fine. You know what she wants, but I can't say I'm pleased about it. I'm worried for her, but equally, I won't stop her if that's what she decides. I've made my concerns known. We're both blood traitors, it's not like we're safe anyway...I just don't want her to put herself, or Jasper, at any unnecessary risk."

Edgar let out a chuckle, fingers combing through his hair, shaking his head. "I think I look the same I feel." He was looking forward to heading home after a drink to take a long shower. He had a few more days before Hestia would be moving in with him and he was trying not to have any regrets about it. This was the best for the both of them.

He knew they had a little more time before they should leave, but considering the amount of overtime he had put in recently, there should be no issue. "You won't hear me protesting." Both hands push into the armrests of the chair to stand up. "First round is on you though," the grins, heading towards the front door of their department. "How is your sister doing?" He knew Sade had asked for more involvement with the Order and wanted to talk to Kings about it.

"Yes, my darling, you intrigue me. You're fascinating, and for some reason, I can't seem to get enough of you," he said, tone low and inviting. There were few pure-blooded wizards who were remotely civil with him, never mind the levels of intimacy that he shared with Pandora. There was still a world of difference between them, owing to their difference in species, but she had never shown any signs of disgust at his beast. He was no fool, he knew this would end - she would find a nice, pureblooded husband and he would settle down with a werewolf, and that was that. "A long while you say? My darling, I have a pack to lead, and a son to raise. I am a busy man, with many demands upon my time...but for tonight, you shall come first. I shall follow your lead."

A wicked smirk pulled at his lips at the tenderness of her hand against his chest, and he felt Pandora giving in just as easily as he had predicted. He pressed another light kiss to her jawline, his hands coming to rest against her hips to pull her closer. "I'm not known for being well behaved."

Fenrir didn't move his hands from Pandora's hips as she spoke, silently considering her words. Trusting non-werewolves completely was not something that came easy to Fenrir, it was not something he had needed to do for years. Deciding not to comment on her affirmation that she was the one person he could trust, Fenrir met her kiss before he drew back. "I'll do it. You have to test it, and I am a willing participant. There's nothing in my life that I am ashamed of others knowing," he said nonchalantly, before he reached out and placed his hands on the clock.

"I intrigue you?" That was not one would normally describe her as, intriguing, and that stirred something inside of her. "Here we are." A softness to her tone, unable to hide the growing smile on her face. Pandora found a comfort in his arms that she could slip out of the wizarding world and be her own identity. There was an acceptance of who they were that didn't need to be spoken. She also knew the reality of the situation. There was a challenge swirling in her hues when he continued to close the distance between them. "I think that is wise. I may need you for a long while."

A palm rests on the centre of his chest, goosebumps fleshing her body at the tender kiss placed at the side of her neck. The self-control she held, seemed to wane at his sly tactics, knowing what will come later. "I have faith that you can." A sultry tone to her words, teeth scraping across her lower lip.

The other hand raised, resting her palm along with the other, on his chest. "I know you do, Fen." Pandora could understand why he didn't, he was an outcast by the very society she walked in, but she was different than them. "You can trust me. I'm the one person you can always trust." Sincere amber hues fixating on his, still ready to back off if he declined.

"Yes, that is what is supposed to happen." The witch leans up on her tip toes to draw him down to meet her lips in a kiss. "You don't have to."

Fenrir knew the importance of showing his face, and he would normally do it without complaint - although his mood would vary depending on the company. Not only did his appearances solidify his position as someone useful to the cause, regardless of whether the Dark Lord deemed him worthy to be marked, but he was a leader of a growing pack of magical beasts and their influence would steadily grow if everything went to plan. Still, following on from them making their relationship official, Fenrir could think of little else as important as spending time with Pandora. "I know you do...and I have so many creative ways to keep you warm my darling," he said with a smirk, his hands settling on her hips as he held her up with ease.

Frowning briefly at the mention of Bellatrix, Fenrir considered the initial impact that the magic of the clock had. "Will she be able to use it to see the secret I revealed? Bellatrix's interest is a dangerous thing to play with. If you give her the artefact, she may start pressing for more."

Pandora hated those stuffy gala's and functions she was expected to go to because of her last name. She did not care for the people, one that did not like crowded places and overstimulation. Mostly whey she kept to herself. The two of them going away was true to who they were and she wouldn't let anyone take that away from her. Octavius seemed fine with her not there, though she didn't tell him the whole truth of what she was doing. "I like when you keep me warm." A squeaks errupts from her lips when he turns to pick her up, legs and arms wrapping around their respective areas. A satisfied smile forms on her lips, eyes meeting. "I do like this way better." She always felt safe in his arms. "And I like the warmth that comes off you.

She trusted Fenrir, and knew he would be honest with her. "Bellatrix is interested in the clock. I've got it to work, our magic is bound around it and will have no effect on us. Do I give it to her?"

Regulus Arcturus Black

Reg put the stopper back in the bottle of dittany, watching as Caradoc's skin started to knit itself back together and the wound looked several days old rather than fresh. With the most immediate issue dealt with, Reg cast a few cleansing charms over his boyfriend before casting a general diagnostic charm. With his magic indicating Caradoc's other wounds, Regulus was about to start healing again when Caradoc's words made him freeze.

From his position on the floor, Reg let his wand drop into his lap. He reached to take Caradoc's trembling hands, his gaze resting intently on the other man's face. "This is war, Caradoc. It's life or death, you had to do what you did to stay alive. He would have killed you without thought, and he wouldn't have gone home and felt a single scrap of guilt. I'm glad it was him and not you. And I'm glad you came straight here."

Biting down on his lip for a moment, Regulus was silent for a moment. "Did anyone see Edward die? Anyone that might identify you, that might retaliate?" Regulus might have started feeding the Order information, but to protect Caradoc he would fall back on his arsenal of dark magic and he would feel no guilt about it.

Caradoc inhaled sharply at the feeling of the sting from the essence, watching Regulus work on handling the wound. He had other wounds, yes, but he wasn’t really thinking about any of it. The pain was there, but it was nothing compared to what was haunting his mind. Something had happened tonight that would change his life forever. What if the Ministry found out?

“I killed Edward Avery,” he said, knowing that Regulus would recognize the name as a Death Eater. “I-I didn’t mean to . . . He was attacking us, he was going to kill us, I didn’t . . . Reg, I . . .”

He trembled, partly from the pain, partly out of despair. He had never dreamt that this would happen, even though he had been trained for it. Caradoc thought Regulus might hate him. “And everything fell down around us and I couldn’t move and I didn’t know what to do, Reggie.”

It felt like more missions than ever were being sent his way, and he dared not mention it to anyone else lest it sound like he was complaining about serving the Dark Lord. What had initially been nothing more than once a fortnight was becoming at least once every few days, and his other days were taken up with trying to force himself into being the man everyone expected him to be. The sight of Emmeline had the tension releasing from Regulus' shoulders - she didn't have the same level of expectation of him as some of the others, and that settled his nerves about the evening ahead.

Turning his attention back to the building that towered over them, he nodded his agreement. "It's quite beautiful, really. It's a wonder the muggles managed to create something this beautiful all on their own...or perhaps, there was wizardry involved at the time," he mused, although he supposed that if a wizard had been involved in the architecture of the muggle government then that would be documented in one of their history books. "I am familiar with curses, Merlin knows my family has enough cursed artefacts around the house...but I can certainly cast curses too."

It had been months since she'd last gotten a chance to tackle something that didn't directly involve the breaking of curses. Of course, Emmeline loved the idea of anything related to dark magic, but simply breaking things was, in the long-run, boring. What a chance to fate to find herself tasked to take care of something concerning the muggle government. So much more room for fun when those silly muggles were involved. Perhaps the recent revelations had put her in a sour mood regarding those she considered lesser than them, either way, the witch was looking forward to this.

Regulus had always been someone of promising talent, someone that even the older witch could admire for the efforts. "Good evening, Regulus." Was that the hint of a smirk hidden within the corner of her lips? Her eyes moved across the building, scanning the area. For the moment his question registered, yet the answer put on hold. "It is impressive, isn't it? Too bad it's occupied by fools." Attention diverted, it finally returned to the person next to her. "I have." Head nodding she turned toward the wizard. "There is plenty to be done here. What have you been told?" She wasn't someone willing to waste time on repeating things the other already knew. "Let me rephrase it: how familiar are you with curses?" Nothing major was needed. There was hardly a need to set the entire building ablaze, yet. - @battle-scvrs

Though Fenrir didn't mind doing the Death Eaters dirty work for them, sometimes he wished that they would give him a little more notice before they demanded his time. He'd barely had time to bundle Magnus up and send him to Nancy's house, determined he would not be caught up in whatever business Alecto was about to bring to his home. The Dark Lord would not grant Fenrir a mark, and it seemed his marked followers valued Fenrir's time about as much as he did.

Arms crossed as he waited outside for Alecto, he stared silently as she waddled towards his door. "I do not. Werewolves run hot, I thought this was common knowledge. You are a witch, are you not? It'll take two seconds to get a fire going," Fenrir said, unwilling to raise his wand for something she could do herself.

Opening the door, he held it open long enough for Alecto to enter before he kicked it shut behind him. "What do you need now, Carrow? Or is it Lestrange now? I seem to have missed my invite to celebrate the happy nuptials."

where: the woods who: fenrir greyback ( @battle-scvrs )

Even with things settled with Angus and the Scotland werewolves back the Dark Lord, Alecto had a few questions that she wished to ask another that was their kind. She cared little for Fenrir, but at times he had his uses and since he supported their vision, she would accept him; for now.

Alecto knew where to find him, the outskirts of his cottage, always sending another to advise him of her arrival. This no apparating made transporting a little more difficult, but she promised Rabastan that she would not.

Amber hues rested on the werewolf outside his cottage door waiting for her. "I do hope you have a fire waiting for me." Even though she was a constant heater, there was a chill in the air.

Regardless of the way that this might end, Fenrir wanted to give it a shot. They'd been exclusive for a while in all but name, and it felt good to seal the deal. There was still much to consider, especially how he would introduce Magnus to the Pandora given he didn't know if this would end after a year. He didn't want his son getting too attached if the other woman was to leave again, but equally this was war and there was no guarantee that they would even make it to the end of the next year, or what the world would look like then they got to that point.

The incident with the clock had dragged up feelings that Fenrir had thought were long buried, and the whiskey mixed with the sleepiness of the end of Christmas day had made him melancholic. "My father...he took all the joy of Christmas away. As a young adult, suddenly free and learning how to be part of a pack, I didn't celebrate Christmas. I just took myself away for the day, spent all day hiking with a flask of whiskey. Now, for my boy, I want everything to be perfect. I never want him to feel the way I felt. I want him to feel the magic of Christmas, and to never doubt that he has a father who loves him with his whole heart," he breathed, knowing that any love his father may have had for him had disappeared the moment Fenrir had been saved but Freya had not.

Once the necklace was around Pandora's neck, Fenrir traced the delicate chain with his finger before cupping her cheeks as she kissed him. Opening the offered box, Fenrir touched the leather bracelets gently, almost astounded at her thoughtfulness. He slipped the bracelet intended for him over his wrist, leaving the one for Magnus still in the box. "Thank you. It's so thoughtful. Nobody's ever given me anything like this."

There were many factors when it came to what this would be like between them, but Pandora was willing to take the risk and see where this could go. There was no rush and she wanted to live in this feeling he made her feel. With the war slowly growing, they were not always guaranteed a tomorrow. All she had was now and that was what she would focus on. Fate kept pulling her towards him and she refused to push.

Any chance Fenrir would talk about his past, the way he grew up, learning recently the truth about his father, she would listen intently, wanting to drink it all in. "Magnus will know joy. You and Nancy give him that. He is a lucky boy who have two parents that love him. You are breaking all these barriers that were thrown at you." A softness to her tone, taking the moment where they could open up to each other, leaning in to place a kiss on his lips.

She didn't waste time to open the present, the necklace beautiful and seeing that it was a crescent moon, it would be a reminder that he was always there with her when they could not be together. "It's beautiful, Fen." She places it around her neck, giving him another kiss. "I have something for you and Magnus." Pandora summons a small box from her bag, holding it out for him. "I wanted to give you piece of mind." She waits until he opens the box, pulling out two bracelets. "They are enchanted with a tracker and a small protection charm. That way you always know where he is. It's my own magic. Spells I made."

It was almost too good. The woman had barely needed any pushing at all before she exploded off a cliff edge in fury, and Regulus couldn't hold back his smirk. It was so easy, and he had hardly a care in the world for the other patrons in the store as he continued poking the angry bear. "Oh, daddy dearest has lots of good ideas...it's hard to listen to him though when his dulcet tones are drowned out by my mother's shrill shrieking. Its a wonder I still have eardrums at all," he mused nonchalantly. "Your mother gave you 'rude' as a middle name? She must hate you."

Adrenaline was thrumming through his veins as she shoved him, and he shot her a shit-eating grin as she screamed, entirely unbothered by her sudden increase in volume. "Yes, you should be polite. You're bothering the other patrons with your shrieking," he said smoothly, continuing to pile random potions ingredients in his basket. With a keen eye, he watched what she picked up and as she walked away, Regulus pulled his wand out and subtly cast a vanishing spell on the vial in her hand. The rest of the vials were his, and he cast a quick protection spell over the basket to prevent her from magically stealing one from him.

She was beyond annoyed. All Georgette wanted was to go to the Apothecary, get some ingredients then go back to her safe space. This interaction is precisely why she didn't go out. Little pricks who thought they were better than everyone else roaming around causing trouble for no good reason. All she wanted was something to help with her hands. That's it. And the asshole had to be an asshole. She couldn't let him get away with it. It wasn't in her nature.

"Obviously your mother was wrong but your father had some great ideas. You should really listen to him more. Believe me. I'm nowhere in the middle. Not an ounce of me thinks you're the 'best boy,'" she scoffed. "I'm in father's camp." Him telling her she was rude like it was supposed to bother her was laughable. She lived to be rude. "Rude is my middle name and I'm not about to give it up now. Especially for the likes of you."

As he elbowed her, Georgette's anger seethed. She pushed him. "What the fuck do you think you're doing? I hadn't laid a finger on you no matter how much I wanted to. And you're telling me to be polite while you elbow me?! Fuck you!" she screamed. She saw him shoveling vile after vile into his basket. "You bloody bastard." She looked at the shelf they had been at. He hadn't gotten everything. She picked up one of the viles she needed and stormed past him headed to get another for her potion, shoulder checking him as she walked by.