Chapter 1

My feet can’t move, neither can my hands. I stare at the door, unable to move, unable to knock, to do anything to know that someone is at the door. My bag slung over my shoulder, full of clothes and my own things.

I take a deep breath, closing my eyes before softly knocking on the door. It’s silent, I start to doubt if anyone is even home, or no one wants to answer the door.

I sigh, running my hands through my hair. Then, the door creeks open, I open my eyes. “Regulus, hello,” Euphemia Potter says,  a warm smile on her face. I freeze, not sure if I should really be here.

I can’t say anything, too nervous too. I hear two pairs of footsteps come down the stairs from behind her. “Mom, who is it,” I hear Sirius’s voice. Then I see James and him behind Euphemia.

“I’m sorry for bothering you. I should go,” my breathing is shaky as I turn to go back down the steps.

Sirius grabs my arm; I don’t show the pain but it’s there from Walburga doing the crucio curse on me countless times before I came here. I can tell that he knows already.

He turns me to him, but I keep my eyes on my shoes. “Reg, are you okay?” I don’t answer his question, my silence is his answer. He looks at James, worried and knowing what has happened.

James nods, knowing this is the same thing that happened to Sirius. Sirius ran away from the house a year ago.

Euphemia goes to the living room to grab her wand to heal me, Sirius and James lead me to the couch. Sirius sits next to me, his arm around my shoulders. James takes my bag off my shoulder and sits it beside his feet on the floor.

“Sirius, I didn’t know what to do,” my eyes on my hands. “I know, I know, it’s alright,” his hand rubs my arm.

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My eyes close, tears stream down my cheeks. Euphemia kneels in front of me, her wand pointed at me, healing me as she says the incantation. It hurts, all it does is hurt and it doesn’t stop.

I scream into the pillow Sirius gave me. My knuckles white from how tightly I’m holding the red pillow.

Sirius knows how much it hurts; he’s been through it. He and James are in James room, Euphemia told them to go.

“I know, honey, just  bit longer,” Euphemia promised.

I scream, my teeth clenching shut so I don’t make too much noise. Then the pain was gone, finally. I open my eyes, looking at her as she stands up. She holds her hand out to me.

Looking at her hand, I hesitate before grabbing it. Gently pulling me up from the couch, she leads me to the kitchen. She pulls out a chair at the dining table, gesturing for me to sit down.

“I can make you something if you’re hungry.”

I shake my head, “I just want water, please.”

She nods, going over to the sink. She grabs a glass from the cupboard beside her, filling it up with cold water. She walks back over to me, setting in front of me. Moving her hand to my back, she starts rubbing her hand on my back soothingly.

I bring the cold glass to my lips, sipping the cold water to calm my nerves. I stay silent, thinking about what I did of leaving the Noble House of Black. My breathing gets shaky, setting the glass down gently.

Starring at the table as it all sinks in. I wasn’t at the bad place anymore. I’m free. I’m free, they can’t hurt me anymore, she can’t hurt me. But what if she finds me?

I don’t realize the footsteps coming down the stairs are James and Sirius. Euphemia looks at Sirius for help, to help me calm down. Sirius walks behind me, taking Euphemia’s place.

“What did I do,” I mutter, my breathing even more shaky and heavy. I look at Sirius with teary eyes, “Sirius, what did I do?” He kneels in front of me, taking my hands in his. “Reg, it’s okay.” I shake my head, looking down.

I want to hide, to go away from everything. “It’ll be okay,” Sirius says gently, in the voice he did when I would cry when I was younger, “This is your new home.” I nod a little.