break
He saw his parents at the platform, and just in time to fix his posture.
Barty influence on him was showing.
His parents greeted him with a small nod, surrounded by parents and their children hugging while they waited for Sirius. When he finally arrived, they apparated.
Regulus wasn't even sure if his parents had even made eye contact with Sirius.
When they arrived, he felt a bit dizzy, he never fully got used to apparating.
He carefully placed one foot after the other, making sure he wouldn’t fall.
It didn’t feel the same. His home felt cold, compared to the Slytherin common room.
His parents ordered Kreacher to prepare them a meal, Regulus went to his room to unpack while waiting.
He started thinking about his home, and how it had felt before. He suddenly realized this was the same thing that had happened to Sirius.
He got called down for dinner, still absent-minded. He looked over to Sirius who was on the other side of the table, but when their eyes met both of them quickly looked away.
“So, Regulus, we were informed of your choice of company. Crouch's kid we heard.”
“That is correct, yes”
“Even after the times we spoke of the crouch family?”
“I made the choice because of his own believes upon his family. He despises his father as much as you do.” he was carefully choosing his words, avoiding mistakes.
“Is that so?” his mother arched an eyebrow.
“It is, if you are willing to believe it or not.”
“Do not talk back to me like that.”
“Sorry, mother.”
“I will allow you to be friends with him. As long as he doesn't have impact on your grades.”
“Oh, he actually helps me with potions” he had found himself struggling with the subject, and though he had asked Barty's help to let it pass unnoticed by his parents, it seemed like the right thing to mention in this conversation. It was more some sort of race if Barty could stay his friend or not. But Regulus was determined, Barty had been his first friend. If you didn't count Sirius and kreacher. He wouldn't really count Narcissa as a friend, she was more like a safe space.
“He has a brain?!” Sirius said laughing, “He looks like he spends more time on his appearance than his attendance”
Regulus scoffed at that, “you know that is how literally half of the school would describe you?”
Before Sirius could reply, Walburga had charmed his mouth shut. "Sirius, if you hadn't noticed, I was having a conversation with my son here.”
Regulus had almost didn't notice her choice of words. And, though he didn't want to, he immediately felt bad for Sirius. He might not like his mother, that didn't take away his rights of having one.
“Go up to your room, I will reverse the spell in the morning.”
As if he didn’t have a hard enough time already.
“If his tutoring has a positive effect, then alright.”
Regulus really couldn't be any happier, he made friends. Ones that he didn't have to say goodbye to in two seconds.
He remembered he had walked into a girl when he was about five. He had played with her for hours at the park, he had run away from home to go there. He started rebelling at three and stopped at six, which honestly was better than if he had to go through that phase now. Of course, his parents were bound to find him. once they did they took one look at the girl, pulled a face in disgust and walked away pulling him along, they didn't give enough time for him to say goodbye. He hadn't asked the girls name, but he'd probably recognize her even after all these years.
But it didn't matter. He never saw her again.
Partly because he didn't go looking; in the fear that they would put him to bed without any food again.
He decided that he wasn't going to lose anyone ever again.
He found himself standing in front of Sirius's door. He didn't know why he was there; it wasn't like they could have a conversation, Sirius's mouth was still charmed shut, but his feet had not stopped.
He couldn't nor wanted to help him, but it still felt wrong. Doing nothing.
He was about to walk away, when the door opened. Sirius's eyes grew large, and he tried to say something, but he could only hear a weak muffled sound.
They stood there for a few seconds, just staring.
Regulus did something that he thought he would never do again.
He took a deep breath, and a step forward.
Wrapping his arms around Sirius.
After the shortest moment, Sirius hugged him back.
The last time they hugged was when Sirius had come back from Hogwarts. Regulus had run up to him and refused to let him go for ten minutes. After that it fell apart.
This was the first step back, right?
No. Why would he try, when Sirius didn't want to. Why would he want to? He has friends now.
He ended the hug as quickly as it started.
He bolted away and didn't stop until he had closed the door of his room.
He didn't sleep or eat. He just sat on his bed staring to the wall.
Hours went by.
He got snapped back to reality when he heard a small knock, his door opened slowly.
“Master Regulus must eat something; Master Regulus must not neglect himself.” Kreacher was standing in the doorpost with a worried look on his face.
“I told you that you can call me Regulus when mother isn't there.”
“Right. Regulus must come, Kreacher has made food for you, mast- Regulus.”
“Thank you, I'll walk along with you.”
“Kreacher has made a French breakfast! Kreacher has remembered it is your favourite Regulus.”
“Thank you Kreacher.”
He smiled at the thought that Kreacher seemed to care enough to rmember his favourite food.
When he entered the dining room, Sirius was there eating absentmindedly.
His parents were absent, which wasn't an uncommon occurrence.
He gave Kreacher a smile when he sat down, “Thank you for the croissants Kreacher.” His French accent taking over, some words were just better to pronounce with a French accent.
“Kreacher will do anything to make Regulus happy.”
Sirius shot a weird look at the two of them.
When Kreacher had left Regulus mentioned “I see mother has reversed the charm, how unfortunate.”
“Are you going to keep acting like that forever?”
“Maybe, haven't decided yet.”
“Prick”
They sat in silence again.
Sirius had a frown, as if he was considering if he would saw something.
But he didn't get the chance because Kreacher had walked in again and turned to him, “Should Kreacher get you something to drink, master Sirius?”
As soon as he got his answer he turned to Regulus, “Anything else for you Regulus?”
Before he could open his mouth, Sirius scoffed, “Why do I get a ‘master’ and he doesn't?”
Kreacher looked startled by this, his eyes big with fear. It made regulus feel guilty. He answered, “Because I asked him not to call me that.”
“Oh.” Sirius didn't seem to know what to do with this information.
Regulus turned back to Kreacher, “Thank you for asking, Kreacher, but I’m good.”
“Are you Friends or something?” Sirius questioned; his voice filed with sarcasm.
“Yea, you could call it that.” Regulus replied blankly.
Once again Sirius was lost for words. “Why?”
“There aren't many nice people in this house, if you hadn't noticed. I feel like Kreacher is the only one.”
“I'm nice.” Sirius replied.
“Only when you want to play hero. Kreacher knows my favourite meals, you don't do you? He knows me better than anyone probably.”
“I know you.” Sirius said. “I know who you made friends with. And that you like to sit by the lake, Reading a book.”
Regulus rolled his eyes, “You knew me. Anyone who is even a bit observant would know the things you just said, and more. Do you even know Pandora? Barty and Evan are not my only friends, just so you know.”
When Sirius didn't say anything, he added “Are you sure mother reversed her spell? You normally never seem to be able to stay quite for longer then a second.”
“I- I'm sorry. I really am.” Sirius started “But I must say I think you're incorrect. See, I do know you, I knew you when you were scared of mother and father. I know your favourite hiding spots. I know how obsessed you can get over the most insignificant things. I know you. I'm not going to give up on you, no matter how shitty I did last summer. I'm sorry for that.”
Regulus didn't have many weaknesses; he was learned to overcome them as if they were fears. But Sirius was one of them. One he couldn't get rid of.
He was stubborn though, and he wouldn't just admit that Sirius was right.
“That was me, yes, but you don’t know this me.”
“Then let me get to know this you.”
“I'm not sure if I want you to," which he followed up with "I'm not sure if you want to.”
“Of course i do want to know you. Reg, I- I miss you.”
“You don't really know me.”
“No, don't say that. I've known you since the first day you were on this planet. I know that you've been a little shit for your entire life. I know that you took care of a stray cat once, without mother knowing. I know I tried everything to keep their anger away from you.”
“I didn't ask you to do that.”
“No, you didn’t. You didn’t have to; I have no regrets about any of it, in fact, I would do it again. Over and over. Because your smile made it worth it, every day.”
Regulus had been trying for too long to keep in his tears, but finally he broke down, tears flooding his eyes. Sirius jumped up from his chair to hold Regulus like he always did when they were children.
Sirius started talking, telling stories about their youth. It gave Regulus a new focus point, which made him able to take deep breaths.
“I'm sorry Sirius.”
“I can literally not think of one thing you could be sorry for.”
“I'm sorry that you get punished the worst, I'm sorry mother reacts all of her anger on you.”
“That bitch is the one who should say sorry, not you.”
“I’m still sorry though.”
“Stop saying sorry until you've found a valid reason.”
“I'm sorry that I ignored you since the beginning of the year. I'm sorry that I was being so selfish, you are literally the reason I can live my life as I am now. You basically take away half of the pressure our parents put on me. you're the only reason they let me transition."
'You’re the reason I’m me.' he thought
"So, thank you. For everything.”
“I think the reason you could transition is the fact that you build up the courage to ask her.”
“That was only because you were too much of a disappointment to her that she needed a backup heir.”
“But also, because the magic is advanced enough.” Sirius added.
“Stop finding ways around it and take the messed up thank you.
I also wanted to say sorry for how I treated you, and your friends, they look like nice people. Except for Potter, I still hate him.”
That earned him an offended look.
“Lupin looks nice though; he's a werewolf, isn't he?”
“What! No! He is- he is just- uhmmm-. Shit. uhhhh”
“Yeah, you'll have to work on that.”
“Since when have you known?”
“First time I saw him.”
“What?! How? We only knew after multiple months, and we sleep in the same dorm.”
“It's really not that hard. First of all, his name is Remus Lupin which is basically calling him wolf wolf, so obviously I thought about how it would be funny if he was a werewolf. If you're thinking that and that same person is covered in scars; it’s not hard to pick up more hints from there on.”
“That actually sounds logical.”
“that's because it is.”
“Who is Pandora?”
“A friend.”
“That much I figured.”
“I met her at a party, we clicked instantly.”
“You. At a party?!”
“I surprised myself too.”
“When you say click, do you mean like me and James?”
“If you mean with that Obnoxious and annoying, no. Our vibes just matched; I can't really explain.”
“Reg?”
“Yeah?”
“I'm happy we're talking again.”
Regulus smiled. his brother next to him, in the house they grew up in.
And not everyhing was bad for once.