REGULUS BLACK.

No matter how hard he tried, Regulus knew that he was a disappointment. He knew that his parents wished that Sirius was still here over Regulus, because he was the stronger of the two boys. He knew that Bellatrix believed Sirius would have made a better Death Eater, and privately, he agreed. The further they got into this war, the more obvious it was becoming to Regulus that this was not the right path for him. Torture turned his stomach, he couldn't cast a strong unforgivable to save his life, and Regulus didn't dare to think about his changing opinions on blood purity in Bellatrix's presence. Even with his occlumency firmly in place, Regulus didn't dare to think even a single thought about Caradoc Dearborn. He had a sinking feeling that whatever Bellatrix had called him here for could not be good, and it was not merely a friendly catch up.

Holding his cup tightly in his hands, Regulus was about to lift the drink to his lips when Bella dropped her spoon and he flinched again. Trying to brush it off, Regulus leaned back into his chair with a practiced air of casual nonchalance. He was, after all, a pureblood. He had been acting his whole life, and though Bellatrix had keen eyes and an iron-clad will, Regulus would not let his cousin trip him up.

"He is more than adequate, he is great. You are the best, and I know you are - you and I both know that. But you are too important to the cause to busy yourself with my inability to cast lasting unforgivables. Let Rabastan deal with that, while you honour the Dark Lord," he said, playing on Bella's absolute devotion. He held her gaze firmly, not wanting to shy away from it no matter the fact he felt she may be piercing into his very soul. "Cousin, I cannot ask that of you," he protested again, before Bellatrix revealed the true reason for her owl. "Ah, so you and Rabastan have been gossiping about me," he said, his tone holding a hint of fury. "That was supposed to be private. It was fine, Rab dealt with it. They didn't even come close to hitting me, because the Order are shit. They are unruly and undisciplined, they have no hope," he said, setting the cup of tea down so firmly that some splashed over the side onto the saucer. "Whether or not I die is nothing to do with you, Bella. You have done your best, but I need you to respect my wishes. I do not want you to teach me." He didn't have the stomach for whatever Bellatrix's teaching would look like, and he knew it. "I appreciate the offer, I do. Truly."

A little fear did wonders - in everyone, not just her enemies. Friends and family were treated equally to her charming personality, though they benefitted from her loyalty and never-ceasing protection, as smothering as it could sometimes be. These days, Bellatrix was acutely aware of the effect she had on those dearest to her. She was fuelled by a desperation to bind them to herself, outraged by both Sirius and Andromeda and the hurt they had ripped through the Black family - through her. So she clung to Cissy and Regulus, trying her hardest to make their lives both worthwhile and worthy. Yet she knew that this approach was not always welcome, and that it had pushed Regulus elsewhere. She was truly and wholeheartedly trying to temper her behaviour. But it was not easy to moderate Bellatrix Lestrange. The witch was too unruly even for herself.

Scoffing at his statement on avoidance, she dropped a few sugar lumps into her cup and stirred it. The spoon swished silently, avoiding the delicate china surround with fine-tuned accuracy. Then it clattered down onto the saucer, undoing all of her careful attention to avoiding jarring noises - speaking of which, while she would ordinarily and happily have soaked up compliments, in this instance she saw right through them. So she raised her cup to her lips and took an indulgent gulp, her eyes remaining centred on him all the while. She did not miss his grimace.

"You deserve more than 'adequate', Regulus. You are the last of the Black heirs. You deserve the best." Her stare was truly like a pair of daggers, sharpened and primed to carve her message home. Sirius was a waste of space and she would not permit Regulus to become the same. He would be great, even if she had to drag him through fire and brimstone to get him there herself. And oh, how she hated Sirius for bringing this fate into Regulus's life. Sirius should have been the Death Eater. She was not a fool - she knew Regulus was not truly suited to it. But it was now his duty and he must fulfil it. They all had duties. He was not exempt. "I will help you. You cannot freeze during battles, cousin. You could have been killed. If that had happened-" She paused, hesitating over her words in the most uncharacteristic manner. Then she continued, practically slicing the words across her tongue, reluctant to express their truthful sentimentality. "I would never have forgiven myself."

The conflict waging war within him was almost like nothing he’d ever felt before. With Sirius, Regulus felt a personal betrayal at the loss of his brother. He had always liked Andromeda, but the betrayal didn’t cut as deep. Yet he stood in Diagon Alley reflecting on the creeping darkness that felt like it could suffocate him, and here was his cousin who had carved a life she clearly enjoyed and had fought so fiercely to protect and keep. He knew what he had been taught to believe, he knew he should think that his niece was a filthy abomination, and yet when he looked at the girl innocently eating her sugar quill all he saw was a child that had a future in front of them. Tucking his hands back in his pockets, he inclined his head slightly as Andromeda gestured. “I understand,” he murmured quietly. “I don’t…I can’t agree with it, but I understand why you made your choices,” he offered.

He just wished she understood the pressure that the loss of herself and Sirius had placed onto their younger siblings shoulders – pressure to be perfect, to uphold the family standards, to never step a foot out of line. It was an impossible ask, and yet it was the life Regulus led. “Good for you,” he said, a hint of bitterness in his tone. He missed his brother. “It’s not the job my parents wanted for me, but I love researching and carving new ground. They wanted a diplomat,” he shrugged, having little interest in politics. A slight frown curved over his brow as he considered whether he was happy, and all he could offer was “I love my job.” His life was a mess, and it was only getting worse. “I’m glad that you’re happy…I’m glad you’ve found a good life,” he whispered. “Is Sirius happy?”

Andromeda couldn’t help the way her heart clenched at the sight of Regulus speaking with Dora. Dora was always surrounded by people who loved her, true family and family made from friendships. But to see her with Regulus, she wished Dora could have a relationship with her family. But she’d resigned herself to the idea it would likely never happen. Still, to see the way Dora smiled at Regulus and whispered a ‘thank you’ as she took the sugar quill made her heart ache for what could be. “I did.” She agreed. “And I’ll never regret making the choice I did.” A weak laugh as she gestured down at Dora before her eyes returned to him. “How can I regret this? A life without Ted, a life without her. It wouldn’t have been one worth living, regardless of what the family says.”

“It’s good to have family, however little of it Sirius and I may have left.” She agreed with a weak smile. “It’s good for both of us, and for Dora.” She wanted to tell Regulus that he was welcome to visit too, that he would always be her family. But she wasn’t willing to push, not when she knew such a suggestion could be met with derision and a nasty comment. “I’m glad, you’ve always been brilliant. I’m glad the ministry sees that.” She glanced down at Dora, too entranced in her treat to pay attention to anything else going on around her. “We’re good. Happy.” She assured him, looking up at him and smiling. “I hope you are too…happy that is.” A moments pause. “I know none of you want anything to do with me. But that doesn’t change anything for me. I wish nothing but happiness for all of you.” She wanted to say that she loved them all, missed them every day. But she wasn’t sure she could bear to show any further weakness.

"no one man should have all that power"

𝖇 𝖆 𝖘 𝖎 𝖈

NAME: Kingsley Nathaniel Shacklebolt NICKNAMES: Kings AGE: 29 GENDER: Cis Male PRONOUNS: He/Him

𝖋 𝖆 𝖒 𝖎 𝖑 𝖞

MOTHER: Yetunde 'Dea' Shacklebolt FATHER: Nathaniel Adewale Shacklebolt SIBLINGS: Sade Shacklebolt (younger sister)

𝖕 𝖍 𝖞 𝖘 𝖎 𝖈 𝖆 𝖑 𝖆𝖙𝖙𝖗𝖎𝖇𝖚𝖙𝖊𝖘

FACE CLAIM: Michael B Jordan BUILD: Tall and stocky. HAIR COLOR: Dark brown. EYE COLOR: Dark brown. DOMINANT HAND: Right. ANOMALIES: A deep scar on the right side of his ribs from a battle injury that didn't heal fast enough. FASHION: Deep colours (dark green, royal purple, navy blue) in clothes that he can easily run and fight in. NERVOUS TICS: Twisting the rings that adorn his fingers.

𝖑 𝖎 𝖋 𝖊 𝖘 𝖙 𝖞 𝖑 𝖊

RESIDES: Godric's Hollow BORN:  Shacklebolt Family Home RAISED:  Shacklebolt Family Home PETS: A black cat called Storm.

CAREER: Auror EMPLOYER: Ministry of Magic POLITICAL AFFILIATION: The Order of the Phoenix

DRUGS: Never SMOKES: Occasionally after a long day at work ALCOHOL: Kingsley is fond of a rich red wine, or a smoky whiskey. DIET: Varied. Kingsley did try a vegetarian diet briefly, but quickly reverted back to his old ways.

LANGUAGES: English, French, Spanish.

FEARS: Kingsley fears his sister and his nephew being used against him as the war grows darker. HOBBIES: Kingsley is almost always at work, but when he's not he enjoys wizard's chess and reading muggle books.

𝖒 𝖆 𝖌 𝖎 𝖈

ALUMNI HOUSE: Ravenclaw. WAND (length, flexibility, wood, & core): 10 and one quarter inches, Ash wood, unicorn tail hair core, flexible. PATRONUS: Lynx. BOGGART: A dark version of himself, with the dark mark burned into his arm.

Bio:

From a very young age, Kingsley Shacklebolt began to feel a sense of difference. His parents introduced him to other magical purebloods his age, but Kingsley always felt like he was on the outside of it all, more content to sit under a tree and read than run around in the mud or zoom about on toy broomsticks. His parents raised him to be better, whispering ideologies of supremacy and otherness. What his parents didn't know is that Kingsley had befriended a local muggle boy, who was teaching Kingsley aspects of the world that his parents would never allow him to know.

The weight of being an eldest brother was something that settled comfortably on Kingsley's shoulders. Sade was always trailing around after him, but he didn't mind too much. They had a closeness that it seems their parents had underestimated, especially when the two of them banded together. Sade was only two years younger than himself, but he was determined that she would grow up to reject their parents prejudices the way that he had.

At Hogwarts, the sense of difference from his peers became quickly evident. His wandless magic as a child had been incredibly strong, and on one occasion Kingsley had been able to actively control the magic rather than it being guided by his emotions. His magical skill quickly developed in Ravenclaw house, and Kingsley found himself topping each class amongst the many extra-curriculars he engaged in. His power and skill did not go unnoticed, and some of his peers in Slytherin house had tried to recruit Kingsley to their pureblooded gangs. When it became evident that he was not interested in their ideas of supremacy, Kingsley found a target on his back more often than not and quickly rose defensively to meet whatever they would throw at him.

It seemed a natural step to Kingsley to put his magical proficiency to work to protect others. He had always had a strong notion of justice, and as he had grown into himself his morals had grown even firmer. His parents disapproved of his career choice, but Kingsley knew he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he let his abilities go to waste knowing others were suffering. The auror trials were a breeze to a man of his skill, and before he knew it, Kingsley was out on the field.

His desperate need to stop the growing darkness in the world only grew more urgent with the arrival of his nephew. Kingsley fights for a world where his nephew can grow up safely, without fear for the future.

There was something poetic about the way Regulus had run into Andromeda and Narcissa in almost the exact same spot, just a few days apart. One interaction had left him full of confusion, but he understood Narcissa on a level that he'd never managed to reach with Bellatrix. They shared one overwhelming feeling - the burden of family expectations. He shot a smile back, partially because he was glad to see her and partially because this was an interaction that he wouldn't have to overthink. "I'm glad you had a good time. I'd love to travel more - get out of the dreary grey weather and see the world. I hope I won't have to wait till my own honeymoon to get away," he said with a grin. "I suppose it felt a bit like a bubble, didn't it? The outside world kept out, and it's just you and Lucius to worry about. It must've been quite peaceful."

"Mm, of course. At least it went smoothly, there's nothing like feeling at home," he murmured, thinking of his own home - a little piece of the world that he had carved out, just for him. It was a place of safety, and comfort. He was glad Narcissa found that at the Manor, just as she had at home. "I found something at work actually that may interest you. Once I've done the necessary work for the department, I'll see if I can smuggle it out for you to take a look at," he said, having stepped closer and lowering his voice so that they would not be overheard.

"I'm fine. Just the same as ever really - work, keeping my parents happy, and balancing everything else in between. You know how it is."

"Oh, Regulus, hello." Turning around to see her cousin, Narcissa offered him a warm smile. Like most people, she hadn't seen him since her wedding and the weeks since had been such a whirlwind that she'd not had the chance to make an effort to reach out, but she was happy to see him now. "My honeymoon was wonderful, thank you. Greece was beautiful from what we saw of it, perfect weather, delicious food. It was definitely a sad day when it was time for us to return home to reality." She nodded.

"Life at the Manor is good though. I spent so much time there over these last few years that it wasn't as much of a transition to move in fully as I thought it might be." She shook her head. "Lucius is still getting used to having my hobbies under his roof, mind you, but he has his birds so I think it makes us even." Narcissa chuckled. Peacocks and cursed items were hardly the same but that wasn't the point.

"And what about you though? How have you been keeping? Anything that I've missed these last few weeks?"

Scrunching his nose up with distaste at Sirius, Regulus fought the childish urge to find the nearest object that he could throw in his brother's direction. "Ooh, good one," he repeated, his tone mocking. "Oh, I've spent plenty of time listening to mother insulting others, and plenty of time on the receiving end of it too. Look at you, the family disappointment...and yet I still cannot live up to what you could have been," Regulus said bitterly. "I'm fairly certain my hearing will never quite be the same than it was before her tone got even shriller than when we were children. She still sends howlers in place of regular letters," he'd received one just that morning, asking him to drop round for tea after work. He crossed his arms, glancing at the closed door that they were waiting before. "Are the aurors always this bloody slow?" He muttered grumpily, not wanting to spend too much time in Sirius' company. Sirius had left him, and Regulus had grown up in the shadow of that loss. Years ago, he might have begged Sirius to love him, to take him with him and hide him away from the rest of their family. Now, he knew that was simply a childish delusion, no matter how much that hurt.

"Of course you did," Reg said with exasperation. He should've expected nothing less. "You should see your place on the tapestry...I'm surprised she didn't burn the whole bloody house down, never mind your face. What a gift you are to her," his gaze hit the floor and he scrunched his nose. Hearing that Sirius had thought about changing his name had hit him more than he thought it would, and it further demonstrated the distance between the two brothers. "Course you don't. I don't know why they even bothered calling you here."

"Ooh good one," Sirius remarked, rolling his eyes at Regulus's retort. "I at least thought you'd have gotten better at insults since I last saw you but apparently not," he sighed as if disappointed. "Why don't you ask mother dearest for help insulting others. She excels at it," he said with a grin. "Avoid her volume though, people tend to stop listening once you start screaming," he advised seriously. Truthfully, teasing and antagonising his brother was just a lot easier than letting his guard down. He didn't know what Regulus's opinion was of him anymore, but from the whispers and rumours he heard it was far from good. And it wasn't as if Regulus had ever bothered to talk to Sirius after he left; not even replying to the countless letters he had sent.

"I debated it," he sighed, shaking his head. "But why would I deny mother the pleasure of something to give out about for the rest of her life?" He shrugged. "I'm just thoughtful, I guess." Sirius would have loved to have been a Potter - and was constantly told he was for all intents and purposes - but he was never going to change his name, quite proud to be the literal Black Sheep of the family. He felt a twinge of hurt something when Regulus first said 'me' instead of 'us' but ignored it, telling himself it was just a slip of the tongue. "Whatever we're here for," he started, glancing back at Regulus casually, "you can take it. I don't want it." He didn't need any reminders of what his life used to be. He left it behind for a reason.

Regulus had tried to pick a quiet time to visit Diagon Alley, but it seemed that no time these days was ever truly quiet. Even with the ongoing war, people still didn't seem to shy away from large crowds or bustling busy areas. Drawing his coat tighter around himself, Regulus tried to shrink into himself so as to not draw attention. If his parents were with him, they would chastise him for not holding himself in a manner befitting the Black heir. Slipping quietly into the Apothecary, Regulus didn't take stock of any other customers in the store as he began browsing the various bottles. At the sound of footsteps and someone clearing their throat directly behind him, Regulus straightened his spine and turned slightly. "I'm browsing this shelf at the moment, you'll have to wait."

Settling his own mask over his face, Fenrir offered Thorfinn a curt nod. He fell silent for the rest of the time until the shift change, though the beast under his skin was practically whining to be let free. As the patrol began to apparate away leaving the thinnest window of time with less guards, Fenrir apparated straight to the front door that had just been vacated and walked straight in.

In the first reception room was a sole guard, taken by surprise by Fenrir's sudden appearance. With a vicious curve of his wand, Fenrir disarmed the other man and snapped his wand. A lazy silencing charm prevented the other man from calling for help, before he smiled cruelly behind his mask. "Diffindo," he cast as he slashed with his wand, watching a cut appear nearly down the front of the man's torso. The man's mouth was open in a pained scream, though no sound came out as the floor was painted with blood.

He could feel that buzzing energy begin to spread from his finger tips and down his arms. The sudden need to let go and allow the real him to come out, who what he was truly capable of. His head slanted side to side. "Shift change is in ten minutes." They were earlier than he expected, but hidden nonetheless.

"I can manage the mark." It was one he had flashed into the air plenty of times, satisfaction hitting him each time. His hands rubbed together, pulling out his mask. "Are you ready for this?"

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.