Purple stained fingers

When Regulus was younger, He always had purple fingers. Purple lips.

He was shy, sweet and obedient.. He still is obedient.

He is obedient to his mother. He is obedient to his father. And whether he likes it or not.. He is obedient to his brother.

He will always be obedient to his brother.

Because no matter what horrid words his mother, Bellatrix, and Kreacher say about his brother.

Regulus will never forget that it wasn't his mother, who used to comfort him; hug him and rub his back in the night, when the corners of the room seemed to shapeshift, form monsters in his room. Sirius could have ignored his cries, Like the rest of them did. He could have stayed in his warm bed. But he didn't. And regulus will never forget that.

Bellatrix wasn't the one who used to keep him safe in his room while his mother rampaged through the house, she wouldn't take the blame for Regulus like Sirius would.

And Kreacher wasn't the one who used to sneak Regulus cherries, when his mother would send him to bed without dinner or lunch or breakfast. Kreacher wasn't the one to wipe away Regulus’ purple stained fingers, to hide the evidence of their disobedience.

Nobody cares for Regulus like Sirius cares for Regulus.

And Regulus doesn't love anybody like he will always always love his brother.

Regulus doesn't care that his brother is in Gryffindor and he is in Slytherin.

He doesn't care that Sirius can be loud or opinionated or brave.

Because that's everything that Regulus loves about his brother.

And nobody can or will ever take that away from regulus.

Because Sirius is everything that Regulus could never be confident, carefree, and above all else free.

And Regulus can never be any of those things.

Not without his big brother.

So when he finally tears his eyes away from Sirius on the Gryffindor table, because Even has elbowed his side whispering for him to pay attention to Dumbledore and his yearly sorting ceremony speech. He doesn't notice that a few seats down, That while he has been staring at his brother who he hasn't seen since that night, that Sirius choose to leave. James Potter has also been staring at regulus.

— — —

“Your brother has been staring at you everyday since school started.” James says abruptly at dinner one day, he looks at Sirius deeply in the eyes. Everyone snaps their heads towards him. They don't talk about Sirius’ family. But James thinks Sirius needs to know that for the past few weeks, every single day at dinner, lunch and breakfast. Regulus is always watching sirius.

…

“What?” Sirius replies softly.

Sirius doesn't look mad or ignore him like he thought he might. He looks.. Sad.

“Everyday he stares at you.” James says gently. Sirius automatically turns his head over to where his brother is sitting behind them a few rows down. Regulus isn't looking at them right now. But he looks as he always looks, since the year has started. Regulus looks.. Small.

That's the only way that James could describe what Regulus looks like right now. Small. While last year Regulus had been all poised and confident demeanour. He looks nothing like that this year. His hair has grown out, his soft wavy hair curling around his neck and tucked behind his ears while he eats. It makes him look young and innocent. His gaze is fixed on his plate below him, that hardly has anything on it. Regulus’ face is soft and still as he blinks slowly.

What James presumes are Regulus’ friends, are to either side of Regulus talking quietly amongst each other. And for a minute that's all they are 3 friends, at school, where there are no whispers of war slowly rising, and there are no problems like Sirius and regulus’ parents. But that's not true because there are those problems. And those problems are the exact reasons Sirius and Regulus cannot talk anymore.

But that shouldn't be how it is, and James isn't going to let Sirius wallow in his sadness anymore, and he isn't going to let Regulus longingly, anxiously flit i=his gaze over to Sirius everyday and not do anything about it.

There has to be a way that James can get these brothers together again, and god dammit he is not going to sit here and do nothing when he knows there has to be a way to solve this. Without letting the adults know anything that's going on.

But if he wants to do this.. It all relies on whether or not Sirius will let him.

“And what am I meant to do about that?” Sirius asks shortly.

James thinks for a second before replying “Talk to him. He clearly wants to talk to you sirius.” His eyebrows furrow.
“It's not as simple as that!” Sirius shoots back “You think I don't want to talk to him! Of course I do! But how do you expect me to do that when he's got his little emo friends following him around all the time.” He huffs quietly but sharply while leaning closer to James over Remus, who was in between them looking really out of place right now.

“You don't have to worry about that! I can solve that! You just have to trust me.” James says seriously, Sirius doesn't say anything for a minute and James thinks he might not say anything at all when all of a sudden Sirius sighs, leans back and, “Alright.” He says calmly.

Remus looks shocked. “Huh?”

James feels equally as shocked as Remus looks. “Really!?” He leans in closer to Sirius, feeling excited.

“Really.” Sirius replies.

“I’ve been wanting to speak to him since i.. Left.. But I just.. Didn't think he wanted to.. See me.. After what happened that night.” He says the last part almost like he's talking to himself. And probably without even thinking, he has reached under the table to grab Remus’ hand seeking comfort. His eyes quickly flick over to Regulus, who was still playing with his food a table away. His eyes turn back to james.

“.. I swear to you Sirius, I am going to try my very best for you.” James says sternly. He reaches under the table to grab both Sirius and Remus’ hands that are placed on Remus’ lap and gives them a reassuring squeeze.

Sirius Is looking deep into James’ eyes, “I trust you.”

Remus squeezes both their hands.

And that's all James needs to put everything right again.