“I’m sorry, Siri,” Regulus cried, eyes wide, “I’m so sorry- Oh god, what have I done?”
Regulus had told Walburga and Orion about Sirius and Remus. Their relationship. He didn’t know what possessed him, oh how he regretted it now. He had only been able to cry while he heard his parents in the other room, screaming Crucio after Crucio. Finally, his parents had gone to bed and Regulus had run downstairs.
Sirius shook his head, “Sh, no, it's okay, I’m okay.”
Even a fool could tell it was a lie. Sirius was on the ground, beaten and bloody. Lash marks ran up and down his shirtless and filthy back, he had two black eyes, and he couldn’t stop convulsing.
“No I-” Regulus couldn’t breathe, “You’re not-”
“Reg- Reggie, listen-” Sirius yanked him, the best he could off the floor, and grabbed onto his hair. “Listen to me. I’m okay. I’m going to be okay.”
Regulus let out a sob, “It’s my fault! I don’t- I don’t know what I was thinking!”
“You weren’t.” Sirius gave a soft smile, the best he could muster, “We’re Blacks, that’s kind of our specialty.”
“But not you.” Regulus cried into Sirius’s, who had managed to sit up, shirt.
“I’ve done stupid things too.” Sirius let out a hollow laugh, “Believe me, really stupid things.”
Regulus broke away from Sirius and began to pace, “But you would never betray me like that! I don’t know how I could’ve-” He choked on his words.
Sirius shook his head, “You didn’t betray me. You’re just 14.” He tried to keep his voice steady. For Reggie.
“You say while fucking bleeding out and convulsing on the ground!”
Sirius grunted, “Not my proudest moment, I must say.”
“Stop!” Regulus stormed over to the boy on the ground, “Stop acting like this is okay! It’s not! You could've-” He choked and continued in a hushed tone, “I did something so selfish, so bad.”
“You are not bad, Reggie. You’re good, so good. It's this house, it poisons everyone and everything in it.” Sirius had to close his eyes to stop the tears from coming, he couldn’t cry right now. He had to be strong, for Reggie, he repeated the mantra. “And I’m not dead, see? I’m gonna be okay.”
Regulus stared at the ground.
“Our actions don’t define us.” Sirius sighed, “Even the best people can do terrible things. Bad people don’t worry about being bad. God, Reggie, you’re so good. I’ve seen your heart, it's mine too.”
Regulus stared at him, tears running down his face.
“Don’t let them ruin you,” Sirius held out his pinky, “Pinky promise?”
The younger boy let out a sob and nodded his head vigorously, “I promise.”
“I need to leave,” Sirius tilted his head, “You know that right?”
Regulus nodded, it didn’t make it hurt less.
“You could come with me?”
“No, I wouldn’t want to be a bother. Besides,” He shrugged, “I think I belong here.”
Sirius sighed, “I can’t make you leave with me, but know that you will never be a burden. Never. You will always have a home with me. And don’t-” Sirius winced, “Don’t stay because you think you deserve it. You are so much better than them.”
Regulus half smiled, “They won’t hurt me, not like they do you.”
“You’re their golden boy.” Sirius smirked.
Regulus rolled his eyes, tears glistening on his cheeks.
Sirius smiled, words couldn’t express how much he loved his baby brother.
Later, once Regulus had helped floo Sirius to the Potters’ and they had gotten him fixed up, he would be angry. He would be so, so angry. He would scream and yell, because how could Regulus do that to him? He would throw things, because how had he watched and let his parents, his wretched, wretched parents, get to sweet, sweet Reggie so completely? He would scratch at his arms, because Regulus wouldn’t let Sirus save him, didn’t trust him enough.
Later, Sirius would be angry.
But at that moment, he was proud. It was weird, to be so proud of the boy who had caused him so much pain. But Sirius knew it wasn’t Regulus’s fault, the boy was only 14. Sirius was merely proud of the boy’s empathy, because how strange it was, that he had learned a skill his home had been so completely devoid of.
Of course, Regulus knew, Grimmauld Place wasn’t completely devoid of it. He’d had Sirius, after all.