Decisions

"Why are we taking Care of Magical Creatures again?" Barty Crouch asked annoyed, walking away from their class, wrapping a cloth around the cut on his hand.

"Well, maybe if you learned how to-" Evan Rosier began snidely but was quickly cut off by Regulus.

"Would you two stop it," Regulus snapped at them annoyed, as he tore his gaze away from Anna White, who it had been locked on all class, and the reason why his hand was bleeding profusely.

"Fine, Merlin, you could have just asked," Barty said, clicking his tongue against the top of his mouth.

"What's been up with you lately, you've been acting really weird," Evan said, his eyes narrowing in on Regulus.

"Nothing, just leave me alone," Regulus snapped, letting his hair cover his cheeks as a blush crept up them, Anna having just looked at him. He quickly turned and walked away, leaving two stunned friends behind.

"What's got his knickers in a twist?" Muttered Barty, Evan just shrugging though he watched him with suspicious eyes.

Regulus walked all the way up and behind the greenhouses, finally coming to rest leaning against greenhouse three. He closed his eyes and sighed, rubbing his head as his shoulders sagged.

Regulus jumped when a hand grabbed onto his arm, the other covering his mouth. His eyes opened to find Anna White standing in front of him, and his eyes widened even more in shock. As Anna's hand slipped off of his mouth, Regulus said in a quiet surprise, "What are you doing here?"

Anna chuckled. "I'm not blind, Black. I see you watching me...I've seen your eyes watching me for a while now." Regulus' cheeks flushed as Anna looked at him curiously, lifting her hand to push the hair out of his face. "You and your brother are more alike than people realize, aren't you?" She whispered quietly and as she stared into his eyes. "But not the same, no not the same," She suddenly laughed. "We do not need another Sirius Black running around." Regulus couldn't help but smile slightly at that.

Suddenly Anna leaned forward and Regulus pulled in a breath. She smelled good...like vanilla. She put her mouth to his ear and whispered, "But you aren't like the others." And suddenly he felt her lips pressed against his cheek

Then, as quick as she had come, Anna pulled away and was walking away, and the last thing Regulus heard was "It's up to you Black...Regulus."

Regulus slowly slid down the wall of the greenhouse. He wasn't quite sure what just happened...and he was very dizzy.

Regulus wandered in the dungeons of Hogwarts, unsure why, but bored as hell.

Suddenly he froze where he stood, his head lifting slightly as he heard footsteps join his echoing off the cold stone floor. He gripped his wand tighter in his robe pocket as he began walking again, stiffer then he had been before.

Regulus twirled around as he felt a hand grip his arm, and pushed the person against the wall, the tip of his wand pressed against the base of their throat. Anna looked at him with wide eyes.

"Bloody – don't scare me like that Anna!" Regulus said, letting his breath out as he let his wand down and dropped his hold on her, relaxing. She giggled.

"Sorry," Anna said, giving him an apologetic look as she leaned against the wall and pulled him towards her, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Wasn't thinking."

"A Ravenclaw not thinking?" Regulus said amused as he rested his head against hers. Anna just rolled her eyes as she hit him lightly.

Suddenly Regulus sighed. "We've got to stop doing this Anna," He said as he started pulling away from her. She just tightened her grip and held him firmly in place.

"That's what you said yesterday, and the day before, and the day before that, and before that, and every other day before that, yet, here we are still," Anna said, a smile playing on her lips. Regulus rolled his eyes but couldn't help the small smile that spread across his face, before it turned into a frown.

"But…if anybody found out – I don't want you to get…because of me…" Regulus said, his eyes turning to the ground.

"Reg, my blood status has already-" Anna started but was immediately cut off.

"You're in so much more danger because of me though," He said, shaking his head.

"Well, I'm not letting you go, no matter what you say," Anna said, and to prove her point she tightened her arms even more around him and kissed him. Regulus fell into it before he caught his head and pulled away.

"Fine," Regulus said with a sigh and Anna smiled at him in triumph, her dark brown eyes giving that 'I told you so' look. "If you must be so stubborn," Anna's look immediately changed into a scowl and he just smirked at her. "Then there is only one other thing I can do to keep you safe." He sighed as he closed his eyes, a grimace crossing his face.

"What – what is it Reg? You don't have to do anything to keep me safe, I can look after myself," Anna said, a bit alarmed by the look that crossed his face, not wanting him to do something he didn't want to.

Regulus shook his head firmly. "If you won't do the safe thing and stay as far away from me as possible, then you've got to do everything I tell you to do, Anna, got it," Regulus said firmly and shook his head when she opened her mouth to say something. "No, listen, I'm not going to let you die. I can disappear off the face of the earth – and I will if you won't listen to me. Got it?" Anna nodded, biting her lip.

Regulus sighed and Anna asked in a barely audible whisper, "What have you got to do Reg?"

"Well, it seems I'm going to have to contact one of my cousins – and I'm not talking about Andromedea," Regulus said, and Anna looked up at him with wide eyes.

Regulus ignored his parents as he got back from Hogwarts, immediately going up to his room. He found a blank piece of parchment and a quill and ink bottle and began to write. It wasn't until he actually took in where he was and what he was doing that he realized whose name he had written on the parchment. He quickly ripped it off and threw it in the garbage. As much as he wished he could, his brother couldn't help him then.

Regulus started again, but paused to think who he was to write the letter to. As much as he wished to write Cissy on the parchment, he knew, for what he planned to do, it would be much more useful to write the middle cousin's name – the crazy cousin's. And so, with a heavy sigh, it was Bella he wrote the letter to, choosing his words carefully, and sending it with his owl he finally let out of her cage.

It wasn't long before Regulus got a reply. It was very messily written, and he could tell his cousin had been surprised when she'd gotten his letter. Regulus sighed as he reached the bottom, and closed his eyes, trying to pull his thoughts together. He was pretty good at Occlumency, and even though He was a master at Legilimency, as long as he only tried to keep him from that one part, her he should be able to accomplish it.

Regulus grabbed his cloak and quickly left his room. He paused on the landing and his eyes slid across to the closed door. He stood there for a few seconds before he walked across and turned the handle. It wasn't locked. He looked downstairs, and quickly cast a spell checking for sensory spells placed on the room. It would be just like his mom – expecting Sirius to sneak back in when no one was home to steal something of his. He was rather surprised she hadn't locked it.

When the spell came back clear he slipped in, the door clicking closed behind him. He couldn't help but cough lightly at the dust that coated the room – after all, nobody had entered since the day after Sirius left and their mother had tried to destroy everything within the room, and especially take the 'treacherous Gryffindor portrayals' (as she had put it) off the walls. Of course Sirius had put permanent sticking charms and protection spells on everything before he left just to annoy his parents – Regulus had added some on anything his brother had forgotten while their mother had been on a rampage in the room, not that anybody knew that, of course.

Regulus laid down on his stomach on the dust covered floor and reached under the side table, pulling out the photo album his brother had showed him in a time that had seemed forever ago. He swept off the dust on it with his hand, as he sat on the bed, uplifting more dust.

Regulus opened the book, his eyes scanning the pictures. Most were spell-o-taped together, a few were burnt, and only three were in good condition. Regulus could easily tell which one was his brother's favourite – all of them had been spell-o-taped in, some rather more messily than the others, except for one. It was one of the three in perfect care, and had been placed in with the most care. It took up a whole page, and was of Sirius and Regulus at a beach, when they were very young. Their arms were wrapped around each other's shoulders, and the waves lapped behind them as they laughed. Regulus couldn't remember where or when that picture was taken, but they seemed so carefree and happy, he couldn't help but smile.

"I'm sorry," Regulus muttered as he ran his hand across the page, watching the two of them laugh arm in arm. "I said I wouldn't...but I need to keep her safe and I don't know how else to except knowing what the people after her are doing," Regulus muttered happy that no one was there to see his tears. But soon they quickly turned to tears of anger.

"But at least I didn't break any promises," He said, his voice rising slightly as he gripped the album tighter. "Not like you..." He shook his head as long forgotten memories on a stormy night years before came back.

"It's OK, I'm here Reggie," Sirius whispered to him as the five year old slipped into his brother's room while the storm ragged on outside. Regulus whimpered slightly as the thunder rumbled outside and Sirius slipped into his bed, wrapping his arms around his brother.

"Don't leave me Siri," The four year old whispered as he gripped his brother, shivering as the storm continued to rage.

"Shhh, it's OK, I'm here, I'm not going anywhere. I'll always be here Reggie, I promise, forever."

"Liar," Regulus shouted as he stood and threw the album across the room where it slammed against the wall and fell to the floor. Regulus stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him, and down the stairs, throwing his cloak over him.

His parents looked up at him, startled when he passed them, and his mother asked, "Where are you going?"

With a glare in her direction (later making him feel guilty for the pleasure he felt at that time for making her flinch at it) Regulus spat, "I'm doing what you want me to!" And left, slamming the door behind him, to become the one thing he had never hoped to be but everybody had expected him to.

'Well, I guess they'll all get what they want,' Regulus thought viciously as he headed to what, according to everybody else, was his destiny.