Regulus Black had endured years of emotional and manipulative abuse from his parents. Despite his attempts to conform to their expectations, he found himself trapped in a life that was suffocating his flame. The weight of their expectations and disapproval started to unravel Regulus’ sense of self. He needed an escape.
Regulus was fourteen when Sirius ran away. He didn’t understand until the next break, when his parents' anger turned towards him. Then he truly understood the depths of their parents' evil.
His escape found him the week Sirius ran away. He had gotten a boyfriend that was no good for him, but he got him high. It started with weed, an occasional cigarette or two and then one night it changed.
“Try this potion, it's better than weed.” Xavier had told him as Regulus was sitting in the hufflepuffs dorm.
It was one of his boyfriend's customs mixes, and it gave Regulus the escape he wanted. He spent most of his time with Xavier, because if he did, he got more potions for free. There wasn't a day that went by that Regulus wasn’t high.
At the moment, he was with Barty and Evan in their dorms, a rare experience for him nowadays. He was smoking some weed with them, although he had a potion right before this, he didn't
seem to care.
He was sitting up against his bed, Evan was on the floor and Barty was on his bed, next to Regulus’. Eventually, the blunt made its way back to Regulus, who was in a trance-like state.
“What’s wrong with you?” Evan asked, teasingly. Regulus snapped out of his trance. He didn’t know if his friends had realized or not, but it was pretty obvious.
“Huh..?” he asked, snapping out of his trance and taking the blunt. Evan had just chuckled; he could tell Regulus was out of it. His gaze lingered on Regulus for a moment before he spoke. “Hell, I think Xavier gave you more than just weed.” He said casually, looking up at Regulus from his spot on the floor.
“Xavier knows what can help me, he just gave me a potion to help.” Regulus had defended his very toxic boyfriend to his friends, which he did often. It caused Evan and Barty to glance at each other, a look of concern on both of their faces before Evan shook his head.
“That potion is doing more harm than good, Regulus.” Evan had said, his tone hinting at disappointment. “You shouldn’t keep using that stuff.” Barty chimed in. “He knows what's good for me!” Regulus had continued to defend his boyfriend, who would never defend him back. A part of Regulus knew that but wasn’t willing to admit it.
“Clearly we’re all telling you the same thing!” Evan said, starting to get frustrated but still attempting to keep his cool. Evan looked to Barty for some sort of help. “Mate, can’t you see he’s using you?” Barty spoke, trying to help out Evans case. It hurt him to see Regulus like this, in this situation. He knew there was not much he could do in this situation, but he’d be damned if he sat by and just let it happen.
“He’s not using me!” Regulus snapped; it happened more often nowadays. Usually when he couldn't get his fix that day, or someone was bashing on Xavier.
Evan and Barty shared another look before Evan spoke again. “Regulus, he is. He’s keeping you high so you’re easier to control and influence.” Barty nodded in agreement before commenting on it himself. “You’re addicted, and he knows it! Not to mention he’s 17 and you’re 14.” He sighed, surprisingly remaining the calmer one in this situation. He knew someone there had to be calm, a mediator.
“It helps! He said it would help, and it helps!” Regulus argued back. He didn’t care that Xavier wouldn't give him the potions unless he did sexual favors for him, as long as he got his fix. Evan pinched his nose, clearly getting more frustrated by the second. “That doesn’t make it alright! You’re fourteen for merlins sake!” He snapped at Regulus. Barty just sat silently, watching the exchange go down, waiting for the moment he would have to step in again.
“So what, I'm fourteen? He loves me!” Regulus was never able to say it back, but Xavier would say it after every favor whenever he would give Regulus his next potion. Evan gave Barty a look as if to say, ‘see what I’ve been talking about?’ even though he knew Barty understood. “He doesn’t care about you!” Evan said in a frustrated tone before Barty spoke up again.
“He’s using you Reg. The sooner you realize that the better.” Which just angered Regulus more because Xavier wasn’t using him, he told Regulus he loved him. “He’s not using me! He tells me he loves me!!” Regulus argued he was shaky due to all of the substances he was on. Evan had let out an exasperated sigh. “He’s manipulating you! They’re empty words!” that hit Regulus hard. How could they be empty words? If someone says they love someone, wouldn’t they mean it? It didn’t make sense to him. He had never said it because he didn’t know what it felt like. Of course there were ways he showed it to his friends, but he never said it. It didn’t make sense to him.
“He’s lying to you.” Barty said softly, still trying his absolute hardest to stay calm when usually that was Evan's job, but Evan deserved a crash out here and there. Evan frowned at that, almost looking sad seeing Regulus so confused and frustrated over someone faking an ‘I love you’.
“He said it because he knows he can control you with it! It’s how people can manipulate others.” Evan sighed, feeling bad for Regulus.
Barty nodded, agreeing with what Evan had said “It’s a part of his game. He says it because he knows that you want to hear it.” Barty spoke calmly, looking at Regulus with sorrow filled eyes.
“But I can't go without his potions, I need them, I need him.” Regulus spoke, sounding crushed and broken. He truly didn’t think he could live without the potions, without his escape.
That made Evan groan and rub his forehead out of frustration. “He’s the reason you ‘need’ them! You’re getting addicted! Stop taking them and you will stop needing them after a bit.” He was scared for Regulus, all of regulus’ friends were scared for him “It’s getting scary Reg.” Barty admitted, saying what all of his friends had been thinking.
A year passed before Xavier eventually broke up with Regulus. He was deemed to ‘used’ now. Xavier wanted a new toy. So, Regulus had turned to muggle drugs. It started with pills, the basics. Xanax and Adderall, then he started to do lines after a party one time. He had new dealers, and the money for it. Evan and Regulus still got into fights about it here and there, but it was nothing that couldn’t be mended. However, his friendship with Dorcas had completely vanished.
It was Christmas break now, he was in a small muggle town, he had been hanging out with a group of teens, around 17-19 in age. They had given Regulus some pills and left him. He was slumped against a shop's wall, barely conscious. He thought he was Hallucinating when he saw his older brother Sirius and his best friend James approaching him.
“Reggie? What the hell happened?” The hallucination of Sirius spoke, but Regulus couldn’t bring himself to talk in his old perfect speech, so he just slurred out a “siri..?” Before everything went black. He could faintly hear the Sirius and James hallucinations panicking, mainly his hallucination of Sirius.
When Regulus was awake, he was in a bed that wasn’t his, with a middle-aged woman standing by him and Sirius on his other side, holding onto his hand.
He started to panic before the woman spoke. “Hi Regulus, don't panic hun, You’re safe here. Your brother found you overdosing, and lucky for him, I happen to be a healer, and James’ mum.” She smiled sweetly. What? No seriously what? He was at the Potters? Were the hallucinations real? Most importantly how the hell did Sirius manage to carry him. Then it hit him, James probably carried him.
“Reggie?? Are you feeling, okay?” He asked, concern lacing his voice. “I feel okay,” He mumbled. He wanted a pill, but he knew he couldn’t get one here. “I missed you, when I saw you, I was afraid I was too late..” Sirius spoke, like he was scaring himself.
“I’m still here Siri.” Regulus reassured his brother. Always his older brother.
Because in this universe, Regulus survived.