The Black Brothers
A baby looks up at the silver stars hanging above his cradle. The clustered stars are the constellation of his namesake. Regulus.
Footsteps. Tap tapping on the wooden floor. It gets louder and faster. A little boy comes into the room running with his little legs to the cradle.
“Hi Wegie. Are you up now?”
Baby Regulus’s eyes looking around for the sound of the voice.
Sirius slides his hand in the slit of the cradle and reaches for Regulus’s open hand. The baby’s small hand partially encloses Sirius’s slightly bigger hand.
----
“Hi Wegie!”
Sirius runs as his little legs can to the cradle. Pressing his face in between the slits.
Regulus, wide awake looks at the direction of the voice.
“Hi!”
The baby toothlessly smiles. Hands reaching towards Sirius. Sirius holds Regie’s hand.
----
Regulus on his tummy in his crib stares at the open door. Waiting for that light tap tapping on the floor.
And toddler Sirius zooms into the room.
Sirius brings his wooden toys and books into Regulus’s room. And there beside Regulus’s cradle he reads and plays. Little Regulus would often be on his tummy, and recently on his bum, watching his brother do these things. Sirius would bring a book near to Regulus’s face by the cradle to share what he’s reading. The younger boy would emit giggles and coos as if he understood what his older brother is saying.
----
Regulus standing inside his cradle with his hands reaching outwards.
Sirius moves a chair near the cradle and stands on top of it. He then picks up little Regie with a bit of a struggle and slowly puts him down on the floor.
Pop! Kreacher appears beside the two boys.
“Young master Sirius, after this incident, please call when you need my assistance especially in handling your brother.” Little Regulus looks at Kreacher and flash him his toothless smile.
“But we aw not need yow assistance Kweechew.” With Regulus still hanging by Sirius’s arms.
----
In the garden, Sirius runs evading his brother’s touch. Regulus runs after him but stumbles on a rock. He was okay but he felt a slight sting on his knee. He looked up and saw Sirius stop running. He could get up, but he stayed down and waited for Sirius’s next step. Sirius ran back to him.
“Regie are you okay?” Then Reg bolted up with a scratched knee and tap Sirius on his shoulder.
“You’re it!”
“Ugh! You cunning snake!
----
He looked at Sirius on the other bed still slightly shivering after all the medicine he took. He was prescribed Dreamless Draught so that he can rest. But he detests its taste. And now he’s struggling to sleep.
Reg went out of his bed and climbed on Sirius’s bed.
“Regie you have to go back in your bed. You’ll catch my cold.” Instead, Reg snuggled even closer to Sirius.
----
“I told you to stay away from me when I was sick. Now look at you.”
“Now you have to take care of me.” Regie sickly smirked.
“Dimwit.”
----
“Reg, looks pretty right?” waving his new wand in front of Regulus.
As little boys grow up and idolize their father, Regulus look up to his brother Sirius. Sirius was looking at his wand waving pointing it in the air. And Regulus was looking at his brother.
Regulus Black will always look up to his brother Sirius Black.
“What will I do now that you’ll be gone?”
“Umm wait for me till I come back?”
Regulus counts his fingers silently.
“That’s an awful lot of time Siri.”
“A couple of months is only a short time then I’ll be back for Christmas holidays. Then back to school again. Then I’ll be back for Easter holidays. Then after that we’ll be back together at Hogwarts!”
Reg smiled, thinking, and looking forward at that point in the future. He can wait.
For now, they run, eat, and then sleep. And after two tomorrows they will be standing in Platform 9¾ sending Sirius off to Hogwarts. He dreams of the adventures he could have with his brother there at the castle.