Aunt Lucretia

"Narcissa and Ignatius have left."

Sirius turned to look at their Aunt Lucretia, who arrived in short order. He smiled at her. "While I'm still unsure what I think of Regulus not seeking help from anybody, I think I understand why he didn't want to drag her into all of this."

"Reggie?"

Sirius turned his head, then felt his mouth twitch.

"Regulus, dear."

Regulus drew on the board, adding more details to various objects while crossing out the sword. Now, he'd started in on what Sirius assumed was a rather detailed picture of a Basilisk.

"Please don't ignore me."

Regulus stiffened, then turned, looking over his shoulder.

"Wait. You were ignoring her," Sirius said.

"We'll be having tea, dear," Arcturus said. "Sirius will be calling Kreacher to serve it."

"Kreacher?" Lucretia asked, going and sitting on the couch. She let out a humming sound, then patted the couch next to her. "Come and sit next to me, Regulus."

Regulus sighed, putting down the chalk before patting his hands and walking over, sitting beside his Aunt. He flinched as she lifted the left side of his wizard robes, and he turned to look at her in shock. "Aunt Lu?"

"I'm just getting a better look," Lucretia said. "Don't forget I helped Father as a fellow Healer."

Regulus looked at the ground. Sirius sighed and came over as Lucretia looked over his brother's arm and the device that allowed him to move his arm. "Shall I call Kreacher now?"

Regulus' mouth twitched, and Arcturus stood from his desk, heading over. "Might as well get it over with."

Sirius took a deep breath. "Kreacher?"

Kreacher appeared, glaring at him. "What does the filthy runaway want?"

Sirius watched Regulus tense, his eyes widening, while Kreacher didn't even notice his brother as Kreacher's back was to Regulus. He held out his hand. "Bring me the locket."

Kreacher's eyes widened, then narrowed, his ears going back. "How?"

"Kreacher?" Regulus swallowed. "It's..." Whatever Regulus was going to say was interrupted by Kreacher looking at him, and Regulus freezing up.

"Master Regulus?"

Regulus nodded his head.

"Kreacher is sorry! So sorry!"

Regulus gagged as Kreacher started beating himself up for who knew what, his hands flying up, indicating he wanted Kreacher to stop, the left moving slower than the right.

"Stop!" Sirius cried out. "You're going to make him cry!"

"I'm not a little kid!" Regulus snapped, but Kreacher started. He patted his leg. "Kreacher. Here? Please? Before you fetch it?"

Kreacher toddled over. Regulus reached out, his hands gently rubbing the top of Kreacher's head and ears affectionately, his mouth twisting into a smile.

"I've missed you."

"I've missed you as well, young master." He then looked at Sirius. "How much does he know?"

"Plenty," Regulus said. He looked at Lucretia.

"I won't pry."

"Kreacher wasn't able to complete the task, master. Kreacher is sorry."

"Don't worry," Regulus said, looking at his brother. "Sirius, I think, has found us a way. So, do bring the locket here."

"And then you can serve your master and the rest of us tea," Lucretia said. "I'm sure you'd like that."

Kreacher brightened. "Kreacher would like that."

And soon, Kreacher returned, setting the locket on the coffee table. Sirius, out of curiosity, reached out for the item, only to flinch. Frowning, he looked up at Regulus. "This thing?"

"We should destroy it as soon as possible, so tea..." Regulus started babbling.

"I believe Narcissa asked you to wait," Lucretia said, resulting in a groan from his brother as he slid down. "I know you've never been the most sociable person, but do try, Reggie dear."

"I can socialize."

"Yeah," Sirius said. "I saw the way you were with James and Lily." Which resulted in looks from his aunt and grandfather. "What?"

"You thought to take him to visit them and not us?" Lucretia asked, her mouth forming into a frown.

"I asked," Regulus said, reaching quickly for the tea Kreacher brought, nearly spilling it. "He told me something happened. And..." He paused. "I had to see for myself."

"Ah."

"It was amazing, though," Sirius said, not touching the tea Kreacher brought him. "They were glad to see Reggie; I didn't even know you were close to them."

"Yes, well," Regulus frowned. "Quidditch and Slug Club."

"It seemed more than that," Sirius said. "And I know you're not keen on sticking around, but maybe if you did? Perhaps they'd be able to find some cure for—"

"Stop."

Sirius froze, staring at his brother. "Stop. You mean to say—"

"Not that. I'm still not sure how I feel about," Regulus said. "I've lived away from all this for a long time. A dozen years, I think."

"Then what?"

"You're fooling yourself into thinking there is some kind of magical cure for what ails them, Sirius," Regulus said, looking up. "But magic? It can't heal injuries to the mind."

"What would you know?"

"I know that the mind is a complex thing," Regulus said. "But injuries to the mind?" He tapped his head. "The way the mind works is very much unknown to Healers, and if things are anything like when I left, they will not have made any advancement in that field."

"Why do you?" Sirius said. "Harry and Tuni need their parents."

"I'm simply being honest," Regulus said, drinking his tea, still almost spilling it. He took a sip and frowned. "Though if there is a chance?"

"What are you thinking?" Arcturus said.

"It might not result in a complete cure, or a cure at all," Regulus said, lowering his tea. "But Muggles have made advancements in that particular field. In both injury to the brain and mental trauma, someone has been through. Unfortunately..." He looked Sirius in the eye. "I doubt you'll find a Healer keen on trying to do things the Muggle way, given our tendency to consider the magical way as always the better way."

"How philosophical," Sirius muttered.

"I really wasn't trying to burst your bubble, Sirius," Regulus said. "You're not the only one who'd like to see them whole again."

"I'm aware of that as well," Sirius said. "I'm sorry I brought it up."

"Let's see," Lucretia said. "What have you been up to these last few years?"

"Uh?" Regulus' eyes blinked.

Sirius watched him freeze. "I found him in a Muggle bookshop working as a clerk."

"Well, that makes sense," Lucretia said, then her eyes blinked. "Wait a second?" She turned to look at Arcturus.

"It is rather obvious that it makes sense," Arcturus said as Lucretia huffed. "What mattered was that Regulus was safe and happy, no?"

"So you believed, Father?" Sirius asked. Which was only greeted with silence, and the tea time continued in silence from there, conversation having become awkward more than once.

"We're back."

Regulus looked up, smiling, only to freeze, his eyes blinking as his mouth twitched. Sirius turned, sighing. "Hello, Uncle Ignatius. Did Narcissa..." He paused, looking at what she carried in her hands. "What the?"

Narcissa stepped over, setting the cup onto the table. "I believe this is what you are looking for, Regulus?"

Sirius frowned. "Alright. Why are you helping, might I ask?"

"I wish to keep my son safe," Narcissa said. "But I'll soon be in a position where you won't have to watch him over the holidays."

"What do you mean?"

Narcissa turned her head to look at the chalkboard, her arms crossed and her eyes narrowed. "I thought he'd cool once he understood Draco's sorting was outside our control and that having another heir wasn't possible. And then this happened." She turned to Regulus, smiling at him. "That was the last straw, dear."

"I'm not following," Regulus said.

"I've decided to divorce Lucius. Hence, I've been seeking advice from Uncle Ignatius," she said.

Sirius' eyes blinked. "Wow. That's?" He shook his head. "That's certainly unexpected."

Regulus looked at the cup. "So, what's left is finding the diadem."

"And where are we going to start with that?" Sirius sighed.

"We've got to pay Hogwarts a visit anyway," Regulus said.

"Huh?" Sirius stared, not following his younger brother.

"Hogwarts. We're going to Hogwarts next, Sirius."