i. acrid

You stop to watch the scene before you play out, your heart breaking for a stranger's pain. Brother shunned by brother, a river of blood connecting and separating them all at the same time.

You approach the younger of the two, capturing the rare sight of his usual apathetic mask leaving his face and leaving him vulnerable to emotions. And he's beautiful and he's damned to a fate of which you learned earlier today, and you just want to help him.

Fabian believes that helping the Order means one thing and one thing only: becoming an Auror, but you...well you disagree.

"He's hurting just as much as you are" ("I'm going to save you from your future. I promise").

He turns and looks at you, spite and malice masking the pain which had been visible seconds before. His eyes are cloudy and grey as they bore into yours and his words are acrid as he spits them at you: "How do you know?"

You believe that preventing someone from becoming a monster, from becoming a Death Eater in the first place is more helpful than having to destroy one later. And anyways, you aren't so sure you could destroy anyone.

"I can tell" ("I can tell you aren't one of them"), you reply with a smile.

Regulus/Gideon is a M&MWP so please give a mention if you write them and post the story in our forum. I will love you for eternity if you do write them, btw.

This is for the OTP Boot Camp Challenge on HPFC. There will be 50 drabbles/oneshots for Regulus/Gideon.

The title belongs to Brand New's song Guernica.

The drabbles are nonlinear (not in order) and most will probably directly refer to my oneshot "we will be the last ones standing".

Thanks mew for betaing!