Do Not Go Gentle
Pandora Lovegood had an older sister.
Sienna. Two years above and wickedly intelligent. Much like Pandora herself.
She and Pandora had the same nearly-white blond hair, yet where Pandora left it long and natural, Sienna kept hers short, around her shoulders, and usually rail straight, or pulled back in a low bundle at the base of her neck.
Where Pandora’s blue eyes were kind and warm, like the ocean on a summer’s day, Sienna’s were striking. Ice blue. Impenetrable and slicing.
Regulus only ever saw them speaking in hushed whispers, alone. They never socialized with the same groups, never ate together in the Great Hall, though they were in the same house.
And, on the rare occasion, Regulus would see Pandora meet her sister’s eye across the distance, they would have a short silent conversation, and then go back to their respective lives, as if nothing happened.
Before his fourth year, Regulus never thought of Pandora’s older sister. He assumed their relationship was akin to he and Sirius’, which was what bonded Regulus and Pandora in their first year; the shared terror of being left to the wolves without their older siblings.
But, because Regulus’ own brotherhood had hit a few bumps and blockages, he never asked Pandora about Sienna. He figured it was too close to home for either of them, and Pandora did the same for him. Never questioning why sometimes he and Sirius would go weeks without speaking, only to find each other in times of trouble, when they needed their brother. She simply understood.
Yet, that first day of fourth year, Regulus was fifteen and still had no idea why Sienna Lovegood would be entering his carriage on the train.
Pandora hadn’t yet found him, as she normally did.
Naturally, he thought it was her, sliding the door back. So he began to playfully chastise her,
“Took you long enou-“ when he finally looked up, he found the wrong sister. The wrong shade of blue for it to be Pandora.
“Hello, Regulus Black.”
“Um, Hello?”
“Do not be so distraught,” She tutted as she sat opposite him. “My sister will be here soon. I came here because I need to speak with you.”
“Concerning Pandora?”
“No, concerning your blood.”
“My blood?” This conversation was taking a weird turn. But what did he expect, from a Lovegood of all people. It seemed he was more accustomed to Pandora’s strange, with her woven flowers and the stacks of textbooks filled with information on every magical creature known to wizard.
Sienna’s strange was direct and too knowing for Regulus’ liking.
“You are but one piece of a much larger puzzle. There are pawns moving constantly, silent and unnoticed. If you do not leave 12 Grimmauld Place before the next summer arrives, it will be too late.”
The door slammed open again, startling Regulus out of his wits, revealing a seething Pandora. Which was odd, in and of itself.
“I told you not to do that.”
“He needed to be informed and you were beating around the bush.” Sienna bit back, throwing her sister one of those looks that immediately made Pandora’s tensed shoulders fall.
“I have done what needed to be done. I will take my leave now. Regulus.” She nodded at him, standing. “Sister. I will see you when I see you.”
Pandora nodded, mutely.
“Oh, and Regulus?” His head snapped up to her, being pulled from his whirling thoughts on what he’d just been told. She stared right into his eyes, directly into his soul, and he could not discern a single thing about what was going on behind her own, which unnerved him a bit.
“Don’t go tonight, but tomorrow, instead.”
“What does that mean?” He was bewildered and so completely confused.
“You will know soon. Just remember.”
Then she was gone, like a puff of smoke vanishing into the air around them.
Pandora sighed and took the seat in which her sister had just been.
“I’m sorry, Regulus. I didn’t know she was going to do that.”
“And what exactly…was ‘that’? Was I-“ he cut himself off, not wanting to ask the question. “Did she See something? With me in it?”
It was no secret to anyone that Pandora’s family littered with Seers and wizards with the ability to divine prophecy.
Their acclaim for doing so, and helping whatever cause needed their gifts at any given time, got them everything they have. The money, the business (which is mostly reading a person aura and studying the stars of their birth), and the generosity of the people.
Pandora looked up at him with such sorrow and pity, he already knew the answer to his question.
“Last year, she came to me with it. Because she knew that you and I were friends and that it might be better, coming from a friend.”
“She said, if I don’t leave by next summer, ‘it will be too late’.” That statement sat heavy in the carriage for two heartbeats.
Regulus asked the inevitable.
“How bad is it?”
Pandora looked back at him from blindly gazing out the window at the mountains zipping past. Her warm eyes were unusually sober. He had the passing thought that maybe this is why Pandora was so whimsical and freeing, because there is a part of her that is not allowed to be.
“Regulus, if you don’t leave before June, you will not live to see your eighteenth birthday.”
Regulus felt like he’d been punched in the chest. He wasn’t breathing, he couldn’t move.
Eighteen? That’s all he had left, in this future? Three bloody years?! That’s nothing! He’ll never get to read all the untouched books on his shelf, he would never live to see Sirius get married.
“Regulus, stop.” A cold hand on his own brought him back down to earth. Into his body, where he could finally breathe. Panting now, to try and catch up for lost time.
She continued gently,
“I would never let that possibility come to pass. Even if I had to break into Grimmauld myself and steal you away.”
When Regulus responded it was a whisper, barely heard, but there, nonetheless.
“They will never let me leave.”
“The word ‘let’ is used rather loosely here,” Pandora did not like Walburga and Orion Black, and that might be an understatement. The disgust on her face as she spoke reflected it. Regulus loved her for it. “She would sooner keep you tied up there than let you even think about leaving. Which is why, we will have to be careful. Extremely careful.”
Regulus nodded, in a daze. That’s it, he was leaving home. He didn’t want to die anymore than Pandora wanted him too. He had a life to live, beautiful places he wanted to see, things he had to accomplish.
“And, we’re going to need help.”
“Help? Who’s going to help a traitorous snake escape his lunatic family? And in the midst of a war?” He looked at her like she’d lost her head.
“We will need advice,” She pointedly looked at him. “From the only other person who’s ever escaped Grimmauld Place, unscathed.”
Regulus heaved a big sigh. Letting it release any posture in his spine.
Well, Regulus couldn’t lie, seeing his brother right then would have made him feel better, as much as he hated to admit it. Sirius was his rock, his solid ground when nothing else was in reach.
Finding his brother alone was always a task, but after three days of being unable to find him alone, ever, Regulus got sick of it.
The fourth day of fourth year, Regulus entered the Great Hall and b-lined for his brother’s table.
Of course, they were all present. Sirius’ favorite, Remus (Regulus couldn’t really blame him on that front, Lupin was fit), Peter who was pretty much terrified of everything as far as Regulus could tell, and of course. James Potter.
James Fucking Potter. Perfect in, pretty much, every single way and, coincidentally, also the bane of Regulus’ existence on this Earth.
He was infuriatingly kind and laughed too loud and his scent filled the space around him like shield of cinnamon and…peaches? Regulus could never pin down the fruity notes.
He pushed all of this aside, and kept his eyes firmly on Sirius. No distractions.
As he approached, he felt practically the entire Gryffindor table turn their eyes towards him momentarily, waiting for him to throw a curse. Regulus wanted to roll his eyes, the imbeciles.
“Sirius, I need to speak with you.”
Somehow, Sirius sussed out the severity of the situation by the tone in his voice.
After locking eyes with him, Sirius stood.
“Alright lads, I’ll catch ya later.” He told the table.
Regulus let his gaze fall to them before he turned to follow Sirius, well, his gaze fell to James. Of course it did, why wouldn’t it? He’s practically a neon signs that says I’M GORGEOUS PLEASE LOOK AT ME! What a stupid, foolish, tempting boy.
Regulus regretted it immediately.
The brown of his skin glowed in the morning sun and his jet black hair looked damp and soft, like a rain soaked feather.
His eyes, bright as the rays coming in through the windows, were following Regulus as he left. Even with concern etched into the lines on his face, he continued to be stunning.
Regulus shook his head and followed his brother to the library.