Rewrite The Stars- R.A.B

47

Grace and Regulus were in the younger Black's dorm, surrounded by books as they were trying to perfect the way they could enter the cave.

"So let me get this straight. Kreacher gets us there with his magic when we know He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is gone and then what?" She asked with a sigh, not getting how they could properly get out without problems. It couldn't possibly be that simple. She just couldn't believe it. Although it was easier said than done, it still felt too simple. They were missing something. She just needed to figure it out. "We take the locket and Kreacher gets us out? That can't be it. We're missing something."

"If there are any defences, which there will be, I have potions and spells for them. Kreacher said that he made him put the locket in some sort of liquid. It must be to protect it. I just need to figure out what it is." His brows furrowed as he got lost in thought while reading the book on breaking enchantments.

He knew that Grace was right. There must be something they were missing. The liquid couldn't be the only defence. It was a hocrux that the strongest dark wizard had left there. The key to destroying him. There had to be something else.

"Did Kreacher say what the cave looked like?" Grace mused, trying to think of any other defences there could've been. She had spent most of her sixth year trying to learn endless spells, defensive spells, as well as other healing potions that could help them if they needed it.

Regulus hummed and thought about it. After a few seconds, he snapped his fingers and looked at his girlfriend with sparkling grey-blue eyes. He grinned and looked at her.

"You, mon âme, are a fricking genius. I'm so glad you're here." He said and kissed her quickly as she sat there in shock, not knowing what to do. She didn't even know what she said to make him so happy. He clearly got an idea but before she could even ask, he packed up his books and was heading for the door.

"I'll be back. You might have to sneak out from the window. Be careful." Regulus said right before closing his dorm room shut behind him. Grace looked at the door and blinked a few times, trying to process what just happened.

Did he just leave? She asked herself, still trying to figure out why he left in such a hurry.

However, the moment she heard footsteps and the doorknob twisting, she panicked and transformed into her animagus - a snowy owl.

Barty walked in not looking all too happy as he stomped over to his chest at the foot of his bed. He threw stuff around until he finally took out something. It looked like a packet of cigarettes. After a minute, Grave realized that it was a packet of cigarettes. She had seem enough with Sirius to know what it was.

She sat on Regulus' bed, stretching her wings a bit to get comfortable as she watched the brunette boy. Crouch layed back on his bed and loosened his tie as he smoked before his eyes finally rested on Grace.

He frowned, not recognising the owl but didn't think much of it. Grace didn't know the Crouch boy that well but Regulus had said good things about him so she had given him the benefit of the doubt. She still barely talked to him but she didn't dislike the boy. He might not have a filter and says some unhinged things but Grace figured that it wasn't because he was mean. It was because he was hurt.

The Potter girl wasn't oblivious. She knew what happened in some pureblood, Slytherin households and no matter how much she objected to it, she couldn't do much. If she was being honest, she pitied the boy on the bed across from her.

"What're you looking at?" Crouch grumbled, rolling his eyes as he let out another ouff of the cigarette. Grace just hooted as she observed him with big brown eyes in her animagus form, which weren't too different from her actual eyes.

The young owl them flew and landed on the foot of Barry's bed. The boy got annoyed and tried to kick her off or scare her but she managed to dodge the hits and finally sat comfortably next to Barty when he gave up.

"I don't know who's owl you are but you sure are annoying. Merlin, can nobody leave me alone these days? It's bad enough that Irene thinks I'm nothing but a disgusting prick that only uses people but now, I can't even smoke in peace." He muttered bitterly but Grace could've sworn that he looked genuinely upset while talking about Irene.

Irene Montague was another Slytherin pure-blood in the same year as Regulus. Her family was well respected and powerful. Grace had heard that Barty and Irene were a thing at one point but she didn't care much to know more. Apparently, the relationship didn't work out.

She just hooted softly and perched beside him as he smoked and softly started to let her while continuing to ramble.

"I mean, I know I'm good looking and all and I've done some... Questionable things. But I wouldn't do that to her. How could she think that?" His voice broke before he slapped himself as if punishing himself for almost crying. Grace flinched in her owl form. It broke her heart to see how much the abuse affected him. Even though she didn't know the boy well, she felt this need to protect him.

He clenched his jaw and put out the cigarette before throwing his pillow across the room and closing his eyes, covering them with his hands. He was leaning back against the headboard and Grace could see some of his tattooes peaking out from his sleeve.

"It's not fair..." He whispered and looked at the snowy owl beside him with sad eyes. "It's not fair..."