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

"There's a lot of damage in both of those relationships. I did see Andromeda recently, I spoke to her about some of the mess going on in my brain...it was helpful," he said, a hint of a smile on his lips which disappeared as he thought about his brother. "Sirius is a...well, I think it's going to be much more difficult to fix whatever's there. He's strong-willed, we both are. But I want to try, and that has to count for something, right?" Regulus rambled, still unsure exactly how to go about speaking to Sirius about all of this. After all, Sirius had cut all contact with him since leaving home. "My dear, do you want me to come and cast silencing charms? I might be terrible at offensive magic, but warding homes and making them private is something I've forced myself to learn expertly," Reg offered, certain that if he was to publicly leave the Death Eaters then his ability to protect any dwellings he was in would become more important than simply protecting his privacy.

As he continued to keep his arms around Caradoc, Reg felt him relaxing more with each passing minute. Dropping another kiss against the crown of his head, Reg considered the other man's words carefully. "While you're still somewhat unknown, that may be a good idea. If our relationship gets out, a forged ID won't help you...not against my cousin anyway," Reg scrunched his nose up in distaste, thinking about how terrible Bellatrix's wrath would be. "But it's a good idea for now anyways. Things are getting worse, but I'm hoping that with some of the information I'll pass on to Edgar that the tide will start to shift, even slightly."

“It would be great if you could talk to Andromeda and Sirius again,” Caradoc said with a smile. He didn’t know Andromeda very well, but he admired her bravery for standing up to her family and following her heart to be with Ted Tonks. As for Sirius, they weren’t very close, but they were in the Order of the Phoenix together. “I might make it a habit to spend more time here, then. My upstairs neighbors are awfully noisy.” He chuckled, even though it was true.

He felt much more relaxed - protected - now that they had had this conversation. Every single day, Caradoc was on edge, worrying that he was going to be attacked or someone he cared about was going to be put in danger. “You know,” he began. “I was thinking of . . . Getting a forged I.D. Something that says I’m a half-blood, at least. I’ve heard that a couple other muggle-borns are doing it. It hadn’t crossed my mind before but . . . The other day I got stopped by a some guy in Diagon Ally. Don’t think he was a Death Eater, but he was definitely aligned with their ‘cause’. He knew me somehow, and he pushed me around a bit. When I pulled my wand out, he backed off, but . . .” He shrugged. “Things just seem to be getting worse and worse.”

Fenrir had warded the woods to prevent any unwanted visitors whilst they worked, wanting to be entirely undisturbed. "Mm...tried to run to the Order, thinking they could save him. He didn't understand that the Order are weak," Fenrir mused, watching Evelyn work. "No loss at all. In fact...I would say that he's a danger to our cause, wouldn't you? And those that are dangerous get dealt with properly," he crooned, crouching to look into the man's eyes before Evelyn rolled him over. "Not even worthy to become a wolf," he trailed his fingernails, sharpened into claws for such an occasion, up the man's arm till he reached the other man's neck which was wet with tears. Digging his nails in until a few beads of blood sprouted, Fenrir scoffed at the man's continuing pleas for forgiveness. "Only God can save you now, but unfortunately, hell has sent us instead."

Standing up straight again, Fenrir took a step back to watch Evelyn's next move. This was why he continued to put up with the Death Eaters and their never ending bullshit. The sheer joy of bringing a man to his knees, tasting true fear and pain and doling out punishments like a God. Throwing an arm around Evelyn's shoulders, Fenrir's own sick smile reflected hers. "I think he has, don't you?" Fenrir said, his tone full of uncharacteristic cheer. He moved towards the man again, rolling him back onto his front. He extended a hand, drawing the man to his feet. "Go on. If you can out run me, I'll let you go. No magic, no tricks. I'll even be nice and give you a ten second head start....so start running. Evelyn, would you be a dear and count us down?”

Who: @battle-scvrs -Fenrir Where: The Woods Outside Fenrir's Home

Evelyn considered the sniveling man on the ground between the two of them with a look of distaste. She so did enjoy the screams of pain, but must he make it so easy? "This is the deserter then?" Her voice held a note of disbelief as they traveled from the man whimpering on the ground up to Fenrir. "Certainly no loss then." She snorted, using her foot to force the man to roll onto his back. If he was so quick to crumble, to beg for forgiveness, then they were surely better off without him. He would have been a waste of a death eater, and fell apart after the first interrogation.

Still it felt good to be bad to business, she had plenty of built up energy, she only hoped that this lasted long enough for her to release it all. She tapped her wand gently against her side as she considered him, before a muttered crucio slipped free from her lips. Her lips curling up into delight as he screamed and curled in on himself. Just as quickly as it was over, the man once more panting and whimpering on the ground as he begged for them to stop. She sidled up beside Fenrir, a devious smile playing on her lips. "What do you think then handsome? Has he learned his lesson?" She was teasing at this point. She knew they were no where near done, and she was looking forward to watching Fenrir work. There was something enthralling about seeing him get violent, letting his nature take over.

"Oh shit," Reg said, glancing down into Frank's basket as if the basket itself held his impending child. "Well congratulations," he offered meagrely, before glancing back down at the basket. "You'll need a lot more ingredients than that to see you through three months worth of sickness. Here," he said, shifting some of the mandrake root from his basket to Frank's. "It's not the easiest thing to get hold of given that the mandrakes need to stew, and I can't buy it for the sake of hoarding ingredients when you're soon to be a father," he said, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand. "Oh, time is already doing a number on me Longbottom, don't you worry."

"Well, the next time I come in here will be with a wig and a moustache, and I'll be a friendly guy called Albert."

"I have a feeling I'll be making lots of morning sickness and Pepper Up potions in the upcoming months. At the very least, I can mail some to you when I find it." Frank said, gesturing towards the small basket already carrying a few essentials. Potions weren't quite a passion of his but he could make them and it was cheaper than constantly buying store-bought ones. He shrugged Regulus's comment aside. "Life will have plenty of opportunities to make you a miserable bastard. Let time work its course instead, enjoy yourself."

Frank studied Regulus's face in consideration. "Albert, yeah. Definitely more of an Albert."

All these years later, Regulus still harboured a deep rooted bitterness towards James Potter. It was a spot of darkness that had lodged itself deep in Regulus' soul, and he wasn't sure there was anything that James could ever do to make up for the deep feelings of betrayal that still needled at him after so much time. Rather than let on his feelings of hurt, he chose to school his expression into a cruel sneer. "Yes, I'd rather you go and speak to the staff...after all, I might be buying everything on this shelf. You don't know. They may have more stock in the back, and then you can be out of my way...out of sight, out of mind," Regulus said, growing more flustered as James appeared to not be moving. "How can I forget you're here when you're still talking? I would love nothing more than to forget about you, and yet here we are. I'm just looking for potions ingredients, nothing more."

He wasn't entirely sure what reaction he had been expecting. Maybe it was indeed this. Still, it hurt. If there was one person who had the power to make James Potter go from feeling like he was on top of the world to under it, it was Regulus Black, steely and cold to the point where James felt his sharpness bury itself deep in his chest. He couldn't even be angry. He probably deserved it. "You... want me to ask them to help me find something which I can already see on that shelf?" James repeated slowly. "Honestly, don't worry – take your time. I'm not in any rush. I'll get whatever I need to get after," he said gently, leaning against the wall behind him. "Forget I'm here. Unless you need a hand, of course," James added, standing back up. "In that case, I'm definitely here. Let me know if there's anything I can do."

@battle-scvrs

" i know i will be dead long before you read this but i want you to know that it was i who discovered your secret. "

—REGULUS A. BLACK

If Fenrir were a different man, he might muse on the strings of fate that seemed to be drawing them together. He could dwell on the fact that many of their meetings had been entirely unplanned, that there were hundreds of areas of woodland in England and without discussion the pair of them seemed to end up in the same ones over and over again. But he was not a different man, and still he saw the relationship coming to an end eventually - either her family would grow bored of bothering Octavius and turn their attention to his witch, or Pandora would refuse to be turned into a wolf and so their relationship would draw to a close.

Fenrir shifted slightly so he could face Pandora properly, smacking a lazy kiss to her cheek. "I don't remember many happy Christmases. I remember them being magical when my mother was around, then when she was gone my father was just going through the motions. I want Magnus to know joy, I want him to feel wonder and delight when he thinks about Christmas. I want to be better for him than my father was for me," he said, the softness of the moment between them making him raw and vulnerable.

"Of course I have a gift for you," he said, setting his wand back on the side table once Pandora had plucked the box from the air. The small box contained a delicate chain with a crescent moon pendant - perhaps it was a little on the nose, but he wanted her to have something of him when they were apart. "You didn't have to get us anything, but thank you."

Pandora had spent time suppressing the feelings that she was developing for Fenrir. At times determined to keep distance between them, but in the end, it failed. She would find herself tucked away in the woods toying away her magic and he would appear. They were drawn to each other. "He should be spoiled rotten. It's the magic of Christmas. I loved it growing up." Then when she hit Hogwarts, things were different.

If she had only been daring enough to attempt a hex with her family, but there was this notion of how to conduct herself when she was around them. That the person Fenrir saw with him, smiling and free, it was different around her family. "I will have to remember that for next time."

There was a warmth that radiated off Fenrir when he held her close, in his arms she felt safe and cared for. "I would like to meet her too." She had no idea what the woman would think of her, but the way he described her, she came across has a strong independent werewolf.

He could have taken this conversation anywhere, part of her prepared for him to turn her down, but when he spoke about being hers for awhile, all doubt washed away. "I have been yours for awhile." This was shaping up to be one of the best Christmas' in a long time. "You have a gift for me?" Her body shifts, watching a present float towards them, reaching out for it. "What did you get me?" She starts to open it. "I have something for you and Magnus." It was something small.

Fenrir had finally escaped the heat of the kitchen after final orders for food had been called and had headed to the bar to pour himself a drink to cool down. Festive crowds were relentless and he'd barely had a moment to himself all day, never mind time to eat or drink something. He'd been in the middle of downing a pint of water when Thorfinn entered and made his way over to Fenrir with purpose.

Fen took the parchment and read it, committing the contents to memory before he tapped his wand against it to set the parchment alight. "Twenty minutes for me to change and eat something," he said, reaching for a bottle of vodka. He poured two shot glasses, handing one across the bar to Thorfinn. "Cheers," he said, throwing the shot back before he disappeared into the back of the pub to prepare for the mission.

where: the white wyvern who: @battle-scvrs (Fenrir Greyback) when: 19th of december, 2024

It appeared that Thorfinn was not going to be able to enjoy the rest of the night, a parchment sent that he and Fenrir had a task to handle for the Dark Lord. He knew how much of a savage the other could be, and between the two, he was certain there would be a trial of blood in their wake.

The blonde sauntered into the shop, making his way up to the bar where he sat down with Fenrir on the other side. "How much longer do you have?" He held out the parchment for him to read discretely.

Up until now, Regulus had been incredibly careful about those he'd spoken to about his changing allegiances. He'd asked Edgar to honour that by keeping the true source of the information anonymous, and keeping the circle of protectors as small as possible. If he didn't accept James as a protector, that was a loose end and a risk. It infuriated him that this situation was clearly Edgar trying to honour Regulus' demands, and therefore he had been the harbinger of his own doom (if one wanted to be so dramatic, which he did). This would require a lot of contact with James, which he vehemently did not want.

Reg shrugged his shoulders, glancing down at his shoes. "Nobody likes wet socks," he murmured. When everything else was spiralling out of his control, wet socks was something entirely stupid and mundane that he could indeed control. As James settled the bottle back down, Reg snatched it up again and took another long swig. "I don't think you want me going anywhere near your head with a wand at the moment, not given how much firewhiskey I've just swigged. If you want to take the risk though..." he trailed off, quirking an eyebrow in James' direction. "What sort of test? Do you want to pinch me to make sure I'm real? I assure you this is actually happening, despite every atom of my body fucking begging for it to be a nightmare. I'm not sure even the Dark Lord himself could conjure up this particular situation, and yet Edgar Bones has just....well."

"What's not to understand? Edgar told you the situation, I assume. You volunteered because you're a hero and that's what heroes do, and unfortunately, the person is me. Here to continually disappoint people, as ever," he offered James a tight smile - a mask of protection. "My conscience finally won over my people-pleasing nature. I expect it will kill me, but that's the risk I've accepted. I'm sure if you go to Edgar and explain, he'll let you out of this assignment."

The universe was very clearly playing a prank on him. It was obvious. After twelve years of dishing them out, now, finally, his punishment had come, some kind of divine retribution in the form of this sick practical joke – and not a very funny one, at that. James bitterly willed the universe to try harder. He'd always felt justice would come back around to bite him in the arse one day, but couldn't have in his wildest dreams predicted something like this: Regulus Black, betraying his family’s cause, under James’ protection. The whole thing was outrageous.

Despite everything, he let out a breath of laughter. "It was getting into your socks," he repeated, amused, as if it were the most nonsensical thing in the world. To be honest, everything in this room right now seemed to be nonsensical. Walking around the table, he picked up the bottle and took a swig. Face immediately soured at the taste. He replaced it on the table, sliding it across towards Regulus. "I'll obliviate you, you obliviate me?" he suggested. "I can't believe this is happening. Surely it's not real. Is it a test, d'you think?" He nodded. "I think we might be, too."

James chewed his bottom lip. "Okay, you're going to have to explain what's happening here, because I don't understand."

"If you say so," Fenrir said, quite content to continue pushing Alecto's buttons. He had made his dislike for the woman quite clear, and yet she still seemed to keep coming back as he had made himself quite useful to the cause. "I think you'll find all is as it should be. Again, the Dark Lord himself seems quite pleased. Feel free to take your concerns to him, but you will find there is nothing to be concerned about," Fenrir said, knowing that there was nothing awry within his pack.

"The implication was that the cave would be in place of my home, that is my accusation. Point your finger elsewhere," he said, nose scrunched in distaste. "There is a difference between understanding family before and after you become a parent. I would do anything for my son, and that includes protecting the sanctity of this home. If you say you didn't mean it in that manner, then I will believe you - but heed my warning nonetheless."

Fenrir found it interesting that this visit did not seem to be on behalf of the Dark Lord, but her follow up words betrayed her intent. "Ah, I see. To be crude every man has a weakness which will render him useless for a while with one firm hit, though I assume you know this already," he paused, frowning slightly. "Angus has a wife, Elsie. He also has a particular mistress that he is fond of called Blair from within his pack that Elsie is unaware of. He also has nieces and nephews that I am led to believe he is quite precious about."

"Perhaps this is where we agree to disagree, hm?" The last thing Alecto wanted to do was to continue on this useless banter, though she could, pleasing her greatly, however, there were other matters at hand. "I do not question, Fenrir, I do wish to make sure all is what it should be." If he thought that would push her, it did not, forever dedicated to the cause.

"I never said anything about touching your home, Fenrir. I would watch what accusations you make." She pointed sternly at him. "All I said, was a cave could be ready if you wished." Alecto had no desire to cause rift, but she would not be baited into a corner. The witch was already protective of the little ones growing inside of her. "I know the importance of family."

"I do not wish to dispose of him. The Dark Lord wishes for his service." Did she want to blackmail him? "Perhaps I need to know a weakness, if he decides to let his hands wander again."