"This is not acceptable!" Grandmother Irma's voice echoed across the corridors of 12, Grimmauld place. "Kreacher!"

Someone had opened her tube of bruise removal paste and mixed it with Bulbadox powder, so that now, in addition to having patches of that thick yellow paste all over her arm, Grandmother Irma was coming out in boils. Regulus knew that that someone was the same person who was watching the scene from the top of the staircase now, laughing his brains out as the old woman's skin broke out in boils.

But the adults didn't think Sirius might have anything to do with that joke. They thought Kreacher was to blame.

The house-elf walked in and bowed to the point where his wrinkled nose almost touched the floor.

"Look at it, Walburga! It is old, too old!" Grandmother said.

"I suppose it is a little old," Walburga hesitated.

"You suppose? If this elf is too senile to recognize a harmless healing paste from Bulbadox powder you have a problem in your hands! This time it was me, next time it might be someone from outside the family. This elf will embarrass you! It's time to behead him!"

"No!"

It was not Walburga who spoke. It was Regulus. Both women turned to look at the boy. He had been sitting at the table, watching that scene all along. He knew he wasn't supposed to interrupt the adults while they were talking, but Kreacher was helpless! While Regulus didn't want to rat his older brother out, he didn't want the elf to be beheaded either.

"It was not Kreacher. It was me," he said finally.

"You?" Grandmother Irma asked. Walburga stared at her youngest son.

Regulus nodded.

"But I won't do it again, I promise, mum. I am sorry, Grandmother."

The two women in the room seemed too thunderstruck to speak. Then, before they could ask any more questions, little Regulus jumped from his chair, and started walking towards his room, pulling Kreatcher along by the hand.

Author's Note: I have been trying to write shorter stories. I want to learn to write quickly and with a low word count for a change. This is how this little drabble was bourn. I have another drabble, slightly longer, about Regulus' relationship with Kreacher in my Fallen Angels Collection. That one took a lot longer to write.

I am submitting this to:

1) Ultimate Battle Challenge: Single Accessory (another one!)

2) Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft and Wizardry Competition!

For Charms (First Year) I had to write three drabbles that were somehow related. This is the third in a series of three drabbles about Slytherin characters acting different from what is expected of them.

Prompts: Prank (Item has to be used in prank): Bruise removal paste / Word Count: 333

Extracurricular prompts: Son, joke, helpless