Christmas holiday
‘Sirius Black’
Kreacher is waiting on me and I scoff. I should’ve known my parents wouldn’t even try to be here, well I’m not surprised. I will probably get lectured when I get home. Kreacher looks me up and down, he hates me, always loved Reggie more.
I grab his arm and he aparates away, to Grimmauld place. “Master is expected at dinner tonight at 6,” he tells me while unpacking my suitcase with a snap of his fingers. Then he’s aparated away with a crack and not even a second later Reggie barges through the door. My face softens immediately and he looks up at me smiling.
“Hey Reggie,” I smile. “Hey Siri,” he whispers back. Something inside me flutters, he hasn’t changed, he’s still his shy, quiet self. “Come here,” I mutter. Reg has never been good with touch except with me so he falls into my hug quickly. “I missed you,” he whispers. “Me too.”
I grab his hand and pull him to my bed, we sit down and I begin talking about Hogwarts actively, using my hands. Reg nods and smiles, but I’ve noticed his smiles have gotten rarer. “You sure everything is okay Reggie?” I ask carefully. “What? Yes of course,” he immediately says defencive. “What happened Reg?” I ask him softly.
He sighs deeply and starts talking, about how our parents killed his owl and cursed him. I feel anger boiling up when he told me they hurt him. My hands clench into a fist. “But Sirius,” he interrupts my murderous thoughts, “you can’t do anything, don’t say anything, please.”
I stare at him perplexed.
What?
“Please you can’t do anything,” he begs and I want to demand to know why, but Reg will shut me out then and I don’t need that. “Fine,” I grunt and he looks relieved.
Really?
“So James,” he begins awkwardly. “Yes, oh you would love him Reg! He’s amazing, he’s so fun and is actually very smart, but no one will ever acknowledge that! He lights up every room he walks in, he’s always so happy, you would like him Reg,” I tell him enthusiastically, forgetting about what happened for a moment and then I scowl.
“You did that on purpose,” I tell him and he shrugs. “But you’re happy with James,” he mutters and I eye him curiously. “Are you jealous?” I ask him amused.
His eyes widen. “What? No! I would never! Why would you think that? No!” he immediately defends himself. I chuckle out loud and pull him closer. “Come here,” I say and start tickling him. He giggles softly, not too loudly that’s not Reggie, and tries to squirm out of my grasp.
We’re interrupted by Kreacher who apparates in front of us. “You’re expected at dinner in ten minutes, get yourself ready.”
Then he’s gone again with a loud crack.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My parents look at me for the whole dinner. “So, Sirius,” my mother begins and I stiffen, getting myself ready for a scolding.
My mother's mouth is in a strict line. “How are you finding Hogwarts?” She asks, trying her best to stay nice.
I smirk and start talking happily: “Gryffindor is amazing, I have this great friend, James, I think you may have heard of his parents, his last name is Potter and-,” “enough!” My dad interrupts me and slams his fist on the table.
“You’re a disgrace for this family, you are no son of ours,” my mother says, stern and ignoring my existence. “Don’t you dare, embarrass us like that Regulus,” our father says, leaving no room for any arguments. “Now go to your room, both of you!”
We leave the dinning room and I smile at Regulus. “I organized that nicely didn’t I,” he grins at me shyly and I start to see the old Reggie back.
“Sirius,” a cold voice calls from behind us and we freeze at the same time. “How dare you! We did not raise you like this. You need to learn your lesson.”
That’s the last thing I hear out of her mouth before I fall to the ground in pain. It feels like my spine is being realigned. My muscles are being torn apart and put back together. I scream it out and when I feel someone touching my shoulder I see Regulus on the floor with me. Holding onto me tightly.
I realise the pain decreases and when my eyes are fully open I can see him tearing up in pain too. Making me realise he’s carieing part of the curse. I want to rip away from him and push him off, but I’m too weakened to do so.
Reggie seems to be in less pain than me, making me dread that what’s going on when I’m not around is worse and more frequent than he’s letting on. And oh do I hope I’m wrong for once. The cruciating pain goes on for what feels like an hour, before it finally stops.
Me and Reggie are both bowed down and gasping for breath. Sweat trickles down my forehead and spit is dripping out of my mouth. “Now go to your rooms and don’t ever try that again. Sirius, as heir to the Blacks I expect better from you!”
They don’t even look in Regulus’ way before turning back. He’s up before me and helps me up to my room. He lays me down on the bed and scooches in beside me.
I want to ask him stuff, a lot of stuff. I want to comfort him. I want to talk to him, but I’m too exhausted and weak and Reg’s breathing has steadied, giving me the impression that he’s asleep already.
I stay awake for a long time, not able to fall asleep. Scared for what Regulus faces at home when I’m not around.
My baby brother in so much pain. I was supposed to shield him from this, I was supposed to be there for him all the time.
I hate it that I have James, Remus, Peter and all the other Gryffindors and I’m safe most of the time and all Reggie has is Kreacher. Artemis is gone, because my parents can’t stand him, and him talking to me.
My parents always despised my little brother. They wanted a daughter who they could marry off to a wealthy family of the sacred twenty eight, but instead they got another sun. He would be the spare they said.
But fast enough they started to ignore him, because they thought of him as useless. I was the one being social at family events. I talked for him. I was the Black everyone loved.
Reggie, is quiet and he takes in everything. He doesn’t talk and I do most of the talking for him.
Reggie is the best baby brother anyone could’ve asked for. I love him and I will try to do everything in my power to keep him safe.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The rest of the holiday goes by in a blur, a lot of family events. There’s a big one at our manor, but most of them are being hosted at the Malfoy manor. Lucius is the one Narcissa is going to be wed to.
I don’t know what she thinks of that, and I’m not going to ask. It’s something we don’t talk about. Us Blacks know what is expected of us and we don’t talk about it to each other.
Regulus is quiet as usual, but he does get along well with Narcissa which isn’t too strange because both of them aren’t of the loudest types.
So at all the parties, Regulus is with me or hanging around Narcissa and her soon to be husband. Well she’ll be wed in two years, they’re planning her wedding already and it takes place immediately after she finishes.
Everyone knows that, from the moment you’re being told who you’re going to marry everything has been set in motion already.
My favorite cousin has always been Andy. She’s outgoing and kind, not like the other Blacks, she and her sisters are inseparable except for on these parties so I always take my chance to talk to her.
I love listening to her talk, especially about her admirer, Ted, he gave her a rose and wrote her a love letter. She hasn’t told anyone but me, because he’s a mudblood. I won’t tell though.
The parties are so boring. All that’s happening is people talking about marriages and this dark lord. I haven’t heard about him before, but he seems to have a great influence on the people.
I listen closely when they’re talking about him, because he seems important and every night when I lie in bed I think about the words spoken about him.
That’s what I’m thinking about on the last day of Christmas holiday. They said something about him raising to his power and them finally being able to show their true power. It scared me a little bit, because I know I can’t do anything about it.
But as long as Reggie is safe I’ll be fine. I fall asleep in a haze of concern and excitement of going back to Hogwarts.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“I’ll find a way to keep contact, Reggie. Are you sure you’ll be okay?” I ask Regulus while keeping him at arm length. He nods softly and some of his curls fly in front of his eyes, I push them to the side and pull him into a hug. He stiffens at first but he falls into it a few seconds later.
“I’ll be fine,” he mutters against my shoulder, because he’s still not bigger than me. I hold him closely because I don’t want to leave him again, but he pushes me off with a soft hand.
He looks me in the eyes and smiles: “It’s okay, Siri, I mean it. You go have fun at Hogwarts and I’ll see you back for easter.”
“Master needs to go or he’ll miss the train,” Kreacher interrupts us and I want to scowl at Kreacher, but Reg wouldn’t like that. I take a hold of his arm and we aparate away.
The train station comes into view and I hear another snap beside me, meaning Kreacher has apparated away again. I sigh, a happy and cheerful sigh mixed with a sad sigh.
When a brown curly brown haired boy with glasses comes into view I smile and all my worries disappear. He is good like that, he makes everyone happy and lifts their worries off their chest.
“James!” I shout, running over to him and his parents. “Heya Sirius,” he smiles brightly, catching me in his arms skillfully.
His parents smile down at me and a warm feeling overtakes the cold feeling I felt for the holiday.
“You’ll miss the train lads,” Fleamont tells us and we grin as we hurry over to the carriage with our suitcases.
In the carriage where Peter is awaiting us James pulls out a package for me. It’s square and not to big. “What’s this?” I ask him. “Well, I don’t think you got a lot of presents at home and I couldn’t send it with the mail so I’m giving it to you now.”
“What is it?” I ask again. “A present,” he hesitates, looking down his cheeks turning red. “You got me a present?” I ask him and he smiles. “Yeah,” “I didn’t get you anything, I’m so sorry-,” I begin.
He interrupts me again and says he got enough presents and me being here is enough of a present for him.
I open the paper and a cd is placed in my hand. A cd of David Bowie.
A huge grin plasters my face and I jump onto James. We fall down in a flail of limps and we are on the floor, laughing.
“You’re the best,” I tell him.
“I also got something for Regulus,” James says. When I look at him he’s staring at Peter. Cheeks heating up as well, but this time it’s worse.
“Why?” I ask him curiously. “Because it seemed right. I don’t think he got any presents either, and I know I don’t know what he likes or how he is.”
He fumbles with his bag and pulls out another package, it looks like mine and he hands it over without looking at me. I open up the packaging again and I’m staring at a cd filled with classical music.
I burst out laughing, hands on my stomach and nearly falling over. Tears jump into my eyes and I can’t stop laughing. “Reggie doesn’t like Classical music,” I tell them, still laughing.
“Oh,” he says quietly. “But I’ll give it to him, I think he’ll like the gesture and maybe he’ll listen to it just for you,” I joke. He turns red and looks away.
“I got you something else too, I bought it with Peter.”
Another smile comes on my face and I’m handed a big poster. I open it and it’s a picture of David Bowie. I can’t contain my excitement and jump on Peter this time. Now it’s us falling to the ground.
“Thanks Pete,” I shout, rubbing the top of his head. “No problem mate,” he manages to get out and we get back up.
We talk about our Holiday for the rest of the ride. Well James and Peter do, I listen.
They tell me Remus really enjoyed himself and he hated to leave. I’m glad to hear that and nothing can change my good mood today.