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So Dramatic, Just Like Your Brother


It happened so fast.

Nymphadora had been there - just right there, and Andromeda had taken her eyes off her for but a second, and she was gone.

“NYMPHADORA!”

Her voice echoed off the high, close-together walls of Diagon Alley’s buildings.

It was a butterfly that did it. Big yellow wings with black spots and long antennae. The insect had fluttered right up to Nymphadora’s little nose, fluttered it’s big wings for a moment, then flown off, her eyes wide with delight and awe. Her hair instantly turned the same golden shade as the butterfly’s wings and she’d rushed to catch up with it, fluttering her arms and skipping, calling for it to come back in her little voice… and the butterfly had dipped and swished ‘round the passing shoppers, sweeping under a butterbeer wagon and Nymphadora Tonks crawled beneath it, too, biting her tongue as the knees of her tights getting wet with the snow, her cotton dress’s hem, too, and her cloak, and she rushed after the bug, which had seemed to hover and wait for her on the other side…

She raced down a couple stone steps into Knockturn Alley.

The butterfly was fluttering along, the only bright thing in the dismal alleyway - besides Nymphadora’s own hair, of course - and it landed on a window sill before an old shoppe with windows so dirty that nobody could see inside.

Nymphadora pranced over, holding her hands up, ready to catch the insect, and she grinned with glee and clapped her palms ‘round it, careful not to smush it in her grasp…. But when she opened her hands a second later… all that was there to rise up from them was a puff of purple smoke, which she watched rise up from her little hands with wide, fascinated eyes of confusion.

Had she crushed it after all?

She looked down to the ground and around in the air, as though expecting the butterfly to appear… but instead of a butterfly, when she looked up, she found four looming adults.

“C’mon poppet,” hissed a low voice. The man who spoke wore a scary grey mask and long black robes and he leaned close to her, his breath coming out low and horrifying through slits in the mouth of the mask. He lay a firm grasp on her upper arm, yanking her ‘round and another set of hands wrapped tight about her, hands hooking beneath her armpits to lift her up from the ground effortlessly, and she kicked and shrieked.

“Put me down! Put me down!” she wailed, kicking desperately. “Mumma, Mumma!”

Chuckling, they carried her down the alley, and ‘round another turn, far off from where they’d initially picked her up, and eventually emerged into the far end of Diagon Alley, steps away from the Leaky Cauldron. With a twist of one of their wands, Nymphadora’s cries were silenced and they collected in a corner by the bricks that led out into the streets of London via the pub itself…

“Tonks?”

The four masked men looked up.

Remus Lupin and Sirius Black stood at the end of the short alley. Sirius, who’d been holding bags on his arms, quickly dropped them to the ground at his feet.

WEMISS!” Tonks cried out, her arms reaching for him..

It took Remus only a half of a second to assess the situation - far less time than it took the lunkheads trying to steal her away to catch on what was about to happen. In a blink of an eye, Remus had his wand out faster than any of the masked men could react to -- “INTRORUMPO!” -- and a blast of powerful magic soared toward them, knocking the lot of them over like bowling pins.

“YES MOONY!” shouted Sirius and he, too, had his wand out and he aimed for the one man that remained standing - who was so heavy set that the wind had barely budged him. “Picar!” Sirius cried and sparks flew into the eyes of the man, right through the gaps in his mask and he dropped the crying little girl to cover his stinging eyes.

Cunabula!” Remus cried quickly, and a sort of shield charm shot from his wand, catching Tonks before she could fall to the ground and be hurt, cradling her as it lowered her safely to the ground. She ran as quickly as she could over, slamming into Remus’s knees, and wrapping her tiny arms about his legs.

With a series of cracks, the masked men disappeared, and people behind Remus and Sirius, who had turned when they heard the shouting, shrieked and screamed in surprise as they recognized the masked faces. The last one to go aimed a spell at Remus and Tonks and he quickly waved his wand to create a shield that burst from him like an umbrella and met with a protego from Sirius as well in a burst of white light that made that final Death Eater cry out and disapparate, squinting against the bright light.

Nymphadora was crying hysterically and Remus wrapped his arms around her. “Shhhh,” he whispered, “Shhhh!” He rubbed her back and looked up at Sirius with wide, frightened eyes.

“Where the fuck is Andromeda?” Sirius asked, looking around, “Or Ted or somebody? Merlin’s achin’ backside, she oughtn’t be running about Diagon Alley alone!”

Remus lifted her up, hoisting her onto his hip. She wrapped her legs around his waist and clung to him like a tiny spider monkey and Remus held on tight. “Tonks? Are you alright? Did those bad men hurt you any?” he asked, trying to inspect her, but that was mighty hard with how she was wrapped around him so tightly.

Suddenly through the crowd emerged Lily and James. “Remus?! Sirius??” Lily cried, pushing her way through the last ring of spectators, “What happened?”

“Somebody tried to abduct my little cousin is what!” Sirius announced, anger in his voice.

James hung back, looking at Nymphadora with wide eyes.

“Who?” cried Lily, looking around, as though expecting the suspects to have stuck about.

“Death Eaters!” Sirius supplied as Remus continued on cradling Nymphadora to his chest, “But Remus blasted the shit out of’em!”

James looked surprised and his eyes flickered to Remus Lupin.

“NYMPHADORA!!!!!!” Suddenly Andromeda was upon them and grappling to take hold on her daughter from Remus, tugging her up and away, and running hands through her hair as though to make sure she was whole. “Baby girl, baby girl,” she sobbed.

And then there was Regulus and Maryrose, who had been helping Andromeda, and suddenly there was a cluster - Sirius, Remus, James, Lily, Maryrose, and Regulus - all standing about and looking on as Andromeda Tonks clutched her little one and sobbed.

Regulus’s and Sirius’s eyes met over the top of Andromeda’s head.

They were staring at one another for a long moment, but then a funny look came over Regulus’s face and his eyes broke contact from Sirius’s to stare at James and his eyebrows furrowed together and James’s eyes moved to meet Regulus’s. Sirius turned to look at James because of the unmistakably disturbed expression in Regulus Black’s eyes… and then it was gone and Regulus grabbed onto Maryrose’s hand. “We need to go,” he said quickly.

“Wha --” Maryrose started to ask a question, but Regulus turned quickly, pulling Maryrose away, back through the crowd as quickly as his legs could carry him.

James swore and ran after him.

Sirius looked at Lily.

Lily shook her head, “What the hell was that?” she asked.

“I don’t know, but it’s fucked up,” Sirius answered, and he darted after James and Lily after Sirius and Remus was torn between following Sirius and the others and making sure little Tonks was alright, and he hesitated, his heart torn two directions, and finally he hurried over to Andromeda, kneeling down beside them as shouts went up that the aurors were arriving from the back of the crowd.




Severus Snape ran after Regulus Black.

“Hurry, hurry,” Regulus was urging Maryrose, “Hurry, we gotta beat him there -- hurry.”

“Beat who where?” Maryrose panted, trying to keep up.

“Fortescue’s!” Regulus answered, and he doubled his speed even though his shins hurt from the sprinting and Maryrose’s breath wheezed and hitched in her side. Regulus slammed through the front door of the shop, the bells ringing chaotically overhead, and she skid across the black and white tiles to the counter where a blank-eyed Jasper Odair announced, in a bit of a monotone, clearly obliviated recently… “We’ve special seasonal flavors, only available… for the holidays…” and he stared ahead numbly.

Maryrose doubled over, clutching her side, completely winded.

Regulus stared at Jasper Odair until the bells over the door clanged loudly again and James Potter had come in. Regulus turned, raising his wand, and the few people sitting in the shoppe to eat let out gasps and cries of surprise and fear as Regulus aimed at James. “GIVE ME A REASON!” he shouted and James came to a stop just a couple steps inside the door of the parlor.

Severus held up his hands. “Don’t overreact, Regulus.”

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?” Regulus bellowed.

“So dramatic… just like your brother…” Severus breathed.

“DRAMATIC? YOU THINK I’M BEING DRAMATIC?? LOOK AT YOU, LOOK AT WHAT YOU’RE DOING!” Regulus was dizzy as puzzle pieces fought to fall into place, as he tried to figure it out...

“What’s happening?” Maryrose choked. “Regulus… Why are you threatening James?”

“That’s not James!” he said, barely sparing a glance at Maryrose to explain, then narrowing his eyes at Severus Snape. “WHY DO YOU LOOK LIKE HIM?” Regulus demanded, “HOW?”

“Polyjuice,” hissed Severus.

“WHY ARE YOU HERE?”

Maryrose stared from one to the other, her heart racing.

“The Dark Lord’s command,” Severus replied lowly. “You were commanded to keep his secret. Surely you know that my secret is his?” He stared at Regulus imploringly.

Regulus’s hand shook as he kept his wand aimed.

Do you dare to cross the Dark Lord?” Severus whispered, “When you have so much to protect?” his eyes flickered to Maryrose.

Regulus felt a shiver go down his spine.

“He knows about her, doesn’t he?” Severus said, speaking quickly, his mind penetrating Regulus’s. He could hear Sirius getting closer, too… “He knows and he disapproves already. All he needs is a reason, Regulus, just give him one good reason and she’s gone.”

“Reg?” Maryrose’s voice squeaked from behind him, “What is he talking about? Who is this?”

“Listen to me Regulus. Let this go for now and we will get this resolved, you and I. I’ll answer anything you want to know. Just not right now. Keep the secret, Regulus. Like you’ve been commanded and promised to do.”

The door burst open again and Sirius and Lily came in, Sirius panting and grabbing his knees as he doubled over.

Regulus lowered his wand.

He felt like he was going to throw up.