Trapped
Regulus choked on his air, launched suddenly into another coughing fit. And suddenly his brother was there, holding him up and stroking his hair.
“It’s okay, Reggie,” Sirius whispered. “I’m here, I’m here, I’m here.”
How could he be here? Six months gone, and he was suddenly back in Regulus’s room, as though no time had passed. And he wasn’t safe. How did he even get in? Mother and Father wouldn’t have let him in. They had sworn not to let a disgrace like him back into their home, sworn that he would be cast out forever. Kreacher wouldn’t let him in, not having nearly as much kindness for Regulus’s brother than for Regulus himself. So how? How was he here? Why was he here?
Regulus’s head was spinning. “I missed you, Reggie,” Sirius whispered, holding his brother tightly. “I missed you so, so much. I’m so, so sorry. I didn’t want to leave you. I didn’t mean to, I’m so, so sorry.”
“How are you here?” Regulus croaked out. “Why are you here?”
“I missed you, Reggie,” Sirius said, pressing a kiss to the top of his little brother’s head. “You’re okay, right? They haven’t hurt you? You haven’t been ill too often?”
“I’m fine, Siri,” Regulus said. “Where have you been?”
“I have a friend,” Sirius said, lovingly brushing his fingers through Regulus’s curls. “He helped me out, gave me a place to stay, and just- I missed you, Reggie. I didn’t leave you, not really. I couldn’t. I couldn’t leave you alone.”
“So you’re who’s been watching me?” Regulus asked, and Sirius froze, his hands stilling in Regulus’s hair.
“Someone’s been watching you?” Sirius’s voice sounded strained, tight.
Regulus shrugged. “Dunno. Felt like I was being watched. Might’ve been wrong.”
Sirius tightened his hold on Regulus pulling him tightly into him. “Trust your instincts, Regulus. I know that this place wears them down, but this world… it’s a lot more scary than you think.”
Regulus furrowed his brow. “What do you mean?”
Sirius sighed, picking Regulus up from the floor. “Nothing, Reg. Get some rest.”
Regulus let Sirius help him over to his bed, and then up under the covers. “You’re not staying, are you?”
“You know I can’t, Reg,” Sirius said. “But I’ll be back tomorrow night, okay, Reg?”
“Okay, Siri. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight, Reggie. See you tomorrow.”
✶🟄🟎🟎🟄✶
Sirius did come back the next night. And the night after that. And the night after that. He stopped coming with apologies, and sweetness, and started acting like the Sirius that Regulus remembered. The one who was bright, and loud, joking and laughing, pissing Regulus off and being the best brother he could imagine. He asked Regulus about his life, told him a little bit about his own. Not much, but a bit.
Regulus felt a little bit lighter, seeing his brother every night. He wasn’t taking the sleeping pills anymore, hiding them in his drawer so that he could be awake when Sirius arrived, always appearing outside his window, knocking softly on the glass. His health was good, and he didn’t seem to need the pills, so it didn’t hurt.
“I feel great, honestly,” Regulus said as Barty stood on one of the band room chairs, lightly walking down the row of blue plastic. “I don’t know why I didn’t stop taking those meds sooner.”
“It’s because you think your mum owns you,” Barty said, his arms spread for balance. “Finally broke free of her, huh?”
Regulus snorted. “No. I’m not free of her until I’m dead.”
Barty looked at him, his eyes almost sharp. “You don’t have to stay.”
Regulus sighed. “Where would I go, Barty? My entire life is inside that house.”
“Sirius isn’t. I’m not.”
Regulus looked at him pointedly. “You don’t count. I couldn’t live with you. And Sirius definitely doesn’t count.”
“You could live with me if you want.”
Regulus barked out a laugh. “Seriously, Barty? With all the shit you talk about your dad? I don’t want to go from one hell to another.”
Barty seemed to want to say something in response, but he didn’t, simply letting out a sigh. “Whatever, Reg.”
✶🟄🟎🟎🟄✶
“He acts like I can just… walk away!” Regulus said, frustrated as he paced across his room. Sirius sat on his bed, his legs crossed.
“You could, if you wanted, Reg,” Sirius replied, brushing a strand of hair out of his face.
Regulus groaned. “Not you too, Sirius! Where would I go? How would I get my medication? I would fucking die, Sirius!”
Sirius tilted his head. “I have friends that could help you. Just ask, and I’ll bust you out.” He grinned. Regulus looked at him pointedly.
“You have friends?” A smile twitched at Regulus’s lip, his heart a little warmed at the sentiment. It was nice to know his brother still cared.
Sirius snorted. “More than you have, I’m sure. Besides, did you think I was living on the streets?”
“Was I supposed to think something else?”
Sirius huffed out a laugh. “Please. I wouldn’t have just left without a plan.”
Regulus felt his face drop. “And that plan apparently didn’t involve me.”
Sirius’s eyes went wide and his expression was apologetic. “No- Reg, I didn’t mean-”
“It’s fine, Sirius,” Regulus said softly. “It’s late. I should get some sleep.”
Sirius nodded, still looking regretful. “Do you want me to stay? Help you sleep?”
Regulus shrugged, climbing into his bed and curling up in the corner. “It’s fine. You don’t have to. I don’t know why you’d want to.”
Sirius put a gentle hand on Regulus’s shoulder. “Trust me. I do.”
Regulus smiled slightly, knowing that Sirius couldn’t see as he faced away. “Then stay.”
“Goodnight, Reggie.”
“Goodnight, big brother.”
✶🟄🟎🟎🟄✶
Regulus woke up to a crash coming from downstairs. A loud booming noise, and then nothing.
Silence.
And then a scream.
Shit.
And then there were footsteps, booming in the otherwise silent manor. Regulus knew he couldn’t beat them. This was how he would die. This was it.
No. This wouldn’t be it.
He wouldn’t go down without a fight.
He quickly grabbed a pen from his desk and clicked the nib out. He hid in the corner of his bed, the blanket thrown over his head. His hand shook, gripped tightly around the pen, as he breathed shakily.
The footsteps grew louder, and Regulus heard the door creak open. The person crept closer, and gently grabbed the blanket, and tugged it off gently, and Regulus lunged, pen in hand, aiming for silver eyes.
Sirius caught him, letting him down on the ground.
“What the shit, Reg?” Sirius exclaimed.
“S-Sirius…?” Regulus said, his eyes wide, and his voice trembling. His brother was here. His brother was here. His brother was here. “Sirius, I- I heard a sound, and I think there was a break in, and we need to get out-”
“Hey, shh,” Sirius said, holding his little brother close to him. Regulus still wasn’t quite as tall as him yet. A few inches shorter, just enough for Regulus to need to look up to meet his eyes. “You’re okay, Reg. You’re safe. No one’s going to hurt you.”
Regulus went still. “You know what’s going on.”
“You’re safe now, Reg. I promise.”
“What’s going on, Sirius?”
Sirius backed away. “I called for help.”
✶🟄🟎🟎🟄✶
The kitchen was a crime scene. There was a broken wine glass on the floor, its contents spilled on the tile. His parents were on the floor, deep puncture marks in their throats still bleeding. His father’s eyes still seemed to follow him, as if blaming him for this. He supposed he deserved that.
There was a man in the kitchen, tall and broad, with golden glasses and tousled black hair, and a crimson stain on his brown skin. He dabbed at it with a hand towel that was embroidered with the Black family emblem.
“Seriously? Wasting blood, James?” Sirius said with an audible roll of his eyes.
“They taste like shit,” the man, James, said, trying to wipe the blood off his face. “Couldn’t stand it.”
Sirius sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “At least they’re dead. But you couldn’t have, like, cleaned up while I went to get Reg?”
James shrugged. “Didn’t want to.”
“I’m sorry, what the fuck is going on?”
James looked at him with warm brown eyes, and blood on his face, and a lopsided grin. “Sirius wanted to get his little brother out. We’re the rescue team.”
“We?” Regulus asked shakily. “You and Sirius? Sirius agreed to this?”
“There are a few others outside in the car. Taking care of the cameras and stuff.”
Sirius tilted his head. “Actually, where is Crouch? Wasn’t he going to take care of the bodies?”
James huffed. “Right. I’ll give him a call.” He pulled out his phone and dialled a number. Regulus stood, eyes wide.
Crouch. Barty. His best friend.
Regulus felt lightheaded. He wanted to cry, wanted to scream, wanted to go somewhere where no one would find him. Especially not his brother and his best friend. His best friend who had a hand in killing his parents. In removing their bodies. And Regulus thought that he could trust him. Why did Regulus ever trust him? He should’ve told Kreacher when Sirius showed up in his room that night. He should’ve listened to Maman and not associated with Barty in the first place.
Should’ve, should’ve, should’ve.
It was too late now.
Maman was dead. Father was dead. Regulus had no one.
“Reg? You okay?” he heard Sirius ask, distorted in his ears.
He didn’t get to answer before he passed out.
✶🟄🟎🟎🟄✶
Regulus woke up in a comfortable bed that most certainly wasn’t his own. Though he wasn’t much able to focus on that when he saw James staring over him with kind brown eyes.
“You’re awake!” James said cheerily, as if he wasn’t responsible for Regulus’s parents’ deaths.
“I guess I am.” Regulus said coldly. “Where am I?”
James looked a little sheepish, running a hand through his stupidly messy hair. “You’re at my house, or- well- we call it the Sanctuary-”
“The Sanctuary?” Regulus asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Um, yeah. A monster sanctuary. Well, I don’t really like the word ‘monster’, it makes us sound evil. I usually call us ‘Paranormals’.”
“Monsters,” Regulus said. “What are you?”
James fidgeted anxiously with the gold rings on his fingers. “Well, most of us are different creatures. I’m a vampire, at least. So is Sirius, but-”
“Sirius is a vampire?”
James seemed to be caught a bit off-guard. “Oh, um, yeah. He asked for it, I promise. I mean- he came to me, and… I’m not making myself sound better, am I?”
Regulus’s lip twitched. “You’re really, really not.”
James smiled ever so sheepishly, too kind for who he was, for the things he’d done. “Yeah, I’m- I’m sorry, Reg.” The nickname sounded venomous from James, who had taken his brother, taken his home. “... You don’t really want to see me, do you?”
“I do not.”
James nodded, biting his lip. “... I’ll get you a glass of water, okay? Just… I dunno, make yourself at home?”
Regulus didn’t respond. James stood up and left the room, shutting the door gently behind him. And Regulus was up. Searching. Digging through nightstands until- Perfect! A lighter. Barty’s, his initials written on the side, and that felt bitter. His best friend. One of the few people he trusted. Hell, he had told Barty about the thing following him, and he had known the whole time. Regulus clenched his jaw and grabbed the lighter from the cluttered drawer.
And then he was running. Out the door, down the hall. He saw faces as he ran. None he recognized. He couldn’t bother to care. They weren’t human after all. Monsters, the lot of them, calling after him, chasing him.
He clicked at the lighter once, twice, three times, and the fire arose as he bit back heavy tears.
He panted as he ran, his feet scuffing against the rug. Someone had taken his shoes. He would’ve loved to have them back at that moment, sprinting towards the front of the house, away from the creatures following him, wearing human faces. Not real, any of them.
I have to get out.
I have to get out.
I’m going to get out.
And they won’t.
He raised his arm to chuck the lighter and-
“Hey,” Sirius said, firmly gripping Regulus’s arm. “What the hell has gotten into you?”
“...Sirius?” Regulus exhaled softly.
Sirius sighed, and let go of Regulus’s arm, choosing instead to hold onto his little brother’s shoulders.
“Reggie, stop.” Sirius’s voice was firm, but pleading, begging Regulus to stay in this prison with him. It frightened him that he would for his big brother.
“These things,” Regulus said, furious, yes, but praying that his brother would understand. “Sirius, they’re monsters.”
“They’re my friends, Reg.” Sirius looked at him, almost betrayed. How could he be? Regulus was trying to save him, save both of them.
“We aren’t safe here,” Regulus said quietly. “We have to leave.”
“This is the only place where I’ve ever really been safe, Reggie,” Sirius whispered sadly. Regulus’s heart ached. James must’ve been lying, because this was Regulus’s brother, just as he remembered, and his brother could never be a monster. “This is my home.”
“No,” Regulus said, his voice broken. “He- he kidnapped me. He took you away. He killed our parents!”
Sirius stared down at the floor, and Regulus knew what he saw. Memories, fear, agony. “And they almost killed me.”
Regulus clenched his jaw as Sirius spoke again. “Nobody here has ever tried to hurt me. I can promise that they won’t hurt you. I could never say that, trapped in that house.”
“Now we’re trapped in another.” Regulus knew how bitter his voice sounded, but he wasn’t sure he cared.
Sirius looked up at him, his expression emotionless. “We’re not keeping you here, Reg. Leave whenever you want. You’ll never have to see any of us again.”
And wasn’t that devastating? His brother was finally back after months of nothing, and his only option was to leave him again? The feeling was choking him, drowning him in anxiety.
And even if his brother wasn’t there, holding to him like shackles on his ankles, where could he possibly go? He couldn’t go home. He couldn’t go home, where his parents’ bodies lied rotting. He didn’t have a best friend to stay with. Not anymore. Barty was probably somewhere in this damned house, waiting for him to get used to this hell. He couldn’t live on the streets. Not long at least. He’d die without his medication if the frigid nights didn’t get to him first.
He had nowhere to go.
Sirius lied to him.
He couldn’t leave.
He was just as trapped as before.