The Avery family were one of the few truly pureblood wizarding families left in society. They took pride in a long line of thoroughly talented witches and wizards who all bore the proud status as not only pureblood, but also Slytherins.
Lucas Avery...
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Regulus Black stood by the side wall of the Hog's Head Inn in Hogsmeade. He was wearing all black and had his hood pulled tightly over his head - despite the vicious heat beating down on the town that summer day. He had been waiting there for quite some time when a second figure, also clothed entirely in black, drew near him.
It was clear, from a distance, that the two figures knew each other and had been planning their meeting.
The second figure out stretched their hand - signalling for a handshake. Though Regulus made no move to meet this greeting and, after a hesitant pause, the hand fell back down to the other figure's side.
"Were you serious?" Regulus asked, "About what you wrote in your letter?"
"I'm surprised you turned up." A voice sneered, "Thankful, but surprised." Then he lowered his hood.
"Don't play games with me, Severus. We both know I won't fall for it." Regulus replied shortly and then reached into his pocket to pull out the black envelope.
"I was serious." Snape nodded solemnly, "Am serious. I was worried you'd think I was laying a trap for you and that you wouldn't turn up." Regulus sighed, "I did think that. Part of me still thinks this could be an ambush, but I had to come because of what you wrote."
"I don't mean you any harm, I really don't. I didn't know who else to turn to - who else I could trust." He confessed, "I heard rumours that you were distancing yourself from the Death Eaters so I took the chance that you might help me too."
Regulus narrowed his eyes, "You really want out? To leave it all behind? Severus, do you know how dangerous this is?" "Yes. I'm not an idiot, Regulus." He responded.
"You're an idiot for becoming a Death Eater when you didn't have to." The younger boy hit back, "And you're an idiot for writing that letter. If that had been intercepted, we'd already be dead."
"It's true, every word of it." Snape insisted, growing more desperate with every word he spoke, "There's a spy in the Order. I heard it. I wasn't meant to, but I heard it."
"You're only telling me this because you want to escape the Death Eaters yourself. You don't care about the well-being of the Order." Regulus shook his head.
"Please." Snape scoffed, "You're not even a part of it yourself. You and that Avery girl have just been hiding out since the Dark Lord gave you some job or whatever. Everyone has heard the rumours that you two are trying to escape by the skin of your teeth. You're just watching out for your own necks."
Regulus smirked slightly, "If you want my help you better start making friendly with that Avery girl, because you're not getting my help unless she agrees to it."
About an hour later, sitting on a bench in the muggle village of Fort Augustus - about twenty miles south of Hogsmeade - the conversation had not progressed much.
