Have you buried all your children? Introduction
The Black family home was a place of shadows—dark, unyielding, and steeped in an ancient magic that felt more curse than blessing. Regulus knew every corner, every cold marble floor, and every portrait that lined the walls, their eyes forever watching, judging. But there was one room where the shadows always seemed deeper, where the air felt heavier, and the burden of his family’s legacy was almost suffocating. It was here, in his father’s study, that Regulus sat now, staring at the flames in the hearth as they danced and flickered, casting twisted shapes on the walls.
He had been summoned. His mother’s words had been clipped, her tone sharp as ever. “Your father wishes to speak with you. Don’t keep him waiting.” The way she had looked at him—like he was a tool, an object to be used and discarded—was a look Regulus had grown accustomed to. It no longer stung the way it once had.
Or at least that’s what he told himself.
The door creaked open behind him, and Regulus tensed, recognizing the deliberate, measured footsteps that followed. His father, Orion Black, moved with the weight of a man who carried the world on his shoulders—or, more accurately, the Black family name. When he spoke, his voice was as cold as the room they stood in.
“Regulus,” his father began, the single word hanging in the air like a sentence. Regulus didn’t turn. He kept his eyes fixed on the fire, its warmth a sharp contrast to the chill in his bones. “You’re nearly of age. Soon, you’ll take your rightful place among our ranks. It’s time you fully understood what’s expected of you.”
Regulus nodded, more out of habit than agreement. He had heard these words before, in varying forms, from the day he could understand language. Duty. Honor. The Black name. They were a mantra drilled into him, the foundations upon which his life was supposed to be built. But what was the use of a foundation if it only led to a grave?
“And what of Sirius?” The question slipped from his lips before he could stop it. It was dangerous to speak of his brother in this house, especially in front of his father. Sirius had long since been labeled the traitor, the wayward son who had forsaken everything the family stood for. To mention him was to invite wrath.
Orion’s silence was more telling than any outburst. When he finally spoke, his words were laced with disdain. “Your brother is a lost cause. A disgrace to our blood. I expect you to make up for his… failures.”
Regulus bit back the retort that bubbled in his throat. “But Father, he—”
“Do not speak his name in my presence!” Orion snapped, cutting him off sharply. “He has chosen his path; do not let his foolishness infect you.”
Regulus felt a deep ache in his chest but swallowed it down. “I just thought… perhaps he could still come back.”
“Enough!” Orion's voice echoed through the room like thunder. “You are to be better than him. You must understand that this family cannot afford weakness.”
Regulus looked down at his hands, feeling the weight of their expectations pressing down on him. “What if I don’t want to be like you? Or like Sirius?” The words escaped before he could rein them in.
Orion stepped forward, his presence looming over Regulus like a storm cloud. “What you want is irrelevant! You have a duty to this family—to our legacy! You were born into this life; do not squander it.”
Regulus clenched his fists at his sides. “I’ve been preparing my whole life for this,” he said quietly, “but I fear I will never be enough.”
Orion’s expression softened just enough to unsettle Regulus. “You will be enough if you embrace your destiny.”
“Do you understand?” Orion’s question snapped him back to the present.
“Yes, Father,” Regulus replied, the words automatic, devoid of emotion. He rose from the chair, bowing his head slightly in deference. As he turned to leave, Orion’s voice stopped him.
“One more thing,” his father said, almost gently now. “The Dark Lord has taken a special interest in you. You would do well to honor that.”
Regulus froze. He had always known this day would come, but hearing it aloud made it real in a way he hadn’t been prepared for. The Dark Lord’s interest was both a blessing and a curse—a sign of favor, yes, but also a harbinger of the darkness that awaited him. His heart pounded in his chest, but he didn’t let it show.
His mother’s voice suddenly cut through the tension as she entered the room. “Orion,” she said with an edge of concern lacing her tone. “We should not burden him with expectations so soon.”
Orion shot her a look that silenced her instantly. “He will bear those burdens whether he likes it or not.”
Regulus nodded once more and left the room, his father’s gaze heavy on his back.
As he stepped into the corridor, the shadows seemed to close in around him, pressing against his skin like a second, unwelcome layer. Regulus paused, leaning against the cool stone wall, letting out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. The weight of his family’s expectations, of the Dark Lord’s attention, felt like it might crush him.
But he couldn’t afford to falter—not now. Not when Sirius was out there defying everything they had been taught, leaving Regulus to bear the burden alone. And not when there was still so much at stake.
He straightened, pushing off the wall, and walked down the corridor, his steps echoing in the empty halls. As he did, he resolved to do whatever it took to protect his brother—even if it meant sacrificing himself in the process.
After all, he had always known his life would end before it truly began. But maybe—just maybe—he could control how that end came.