Don’t look back
Exams were a blur. Honestly the last couple days were. Winter holiday had just started so he was back at the family manor. Time to put on the mask he’d forged for himself since he was a child. One that perceived him as the “perfect son” so he would be left alone. Away from the angry lashes of his parents.
Regulus lie on the top of his bed and watched the muggles below walk down the sidewalk and drive by in cars from the small window. Everything had a chill to it here, it was too elegant and perfect.
He heard quiet voices downstairs and the cracking sound of people apparating in and talking, their voices silenced by the sound of a door closing.
Suddenly his door creaked opened. It was the family house elf, Kreacher.
“Master Regulus is wanted downstairs.” He croaked and then shuffled out.
Regulus sighed and got up only to be met in the hall by Sirius. Great. Whatever this was, it wasn’t good.
“Any idea what they want?” Sirius muttered.”
“No idea,” Regulus answered blankly trying to avoid his gaze.
“I think it’s one of those meetings they used to have.”
“But they stopped having them years ago,” he said.
“I don’t know.”
Regulus glanced over at Sirius. They were nearly the same height now he noted. He barely ever talked to him at school, they both avoided each other. It was just easier that way. But now that they were here, they only had each other. Sirius was the only one that understood.
“I guess we should go,” Sirius said, his face slightly paling.
The two stepped downstairs until they reached the tall doors that led to the meeting room. when Sirius pushed the door open they were met with a long table full of people staring at them.
“Sit.” Their mother ordered motioning to two seats. At the end of the table was a man he was studying them closely and Regulus remembered him as the man he’d seen look out of the door five years before. He felt a chill sweep over him.
“What is this?” Sirius spit, his eyes darting around like a cornered piece of prey.
His father opened his mouth to speak but the man at the end raised his hand, stopping him. A smile crept onto his face. “Welcome, this is the start of the future.”
Sirius scoffed, “what’s that supposed to mean?”
“I will am preparing to lead the wizarding world out of hiding from the muggles. To bring us the power we all deserve, ridding ourselves of them and mudbloods, put them in their rightful place. I will bring honor to your name, instead of cowering to the scum of this world we will finally rise above.”
Sirius frowned, “What do we have to do with this?”
Orion glanced at the man who nodded, allowing him to speak.
“The Dark Lord has brought together the strongest pureblood families to join him, you are both and old enough to take part and serve.”
“The Dark Lord?” Regulus finally spoke, challenging the first man.
He smirked, for a moment looking almost snake like. “I have the power to lead you to greatness. A war is coming boy, if you follow me I will give you all power, power others could only dream of.” His voice had a hiss to it as he finished.
Sirius stood up looking around, “so this is like a cult?” His voice raised shakily.
“Sit down!” Walpurga barked, eyeing him dangerously. He glared at her defiantly.
“No! So you’re just going to destroy anyone who you don’t think is ‘worthy’ or whatever bullshit it is? Who even are you!?”
“I am Lord Voldemort, and you are more important in this than you may think, both of you” he glanced at Regulus too. He seemed unfazed by Sirius’ outburst.
“One of you is involved in a… prophecy.” A woman suddenly spoke, she was covered in long flowing cloaks, but her eyes were like knives, sharply examining them. “One of you will be the key to our victory. One of you can save our failing system.”
He and Sirius locked eyes for a moment, suddenly remembering what they’re heard years ago from behind the door, it was real.
Regulus’ breath felt shaky, he didn’t know what to think or feel. It felt like a fever dream. He noticed his mother glaring at him from his side.
“How would we even join?”
Voldemort’s mouth curled, “all you have to do is pledge yourself to me.” He motioned to a man who pulled up his sleeve revealing a tattoo with a skull with a snake going through it. “If you join, you must be willing to give everything for me, do anything, without question.”
Sirius tensed next to him.
“Go now take time to think, I trust you’ll make the right decision when I return.” He nodded toward the others at the table, many of who were members of the Black family. Narcissa, Bella, Malloy, Lestrange, and other purebloods.
One by one they apparated out until it was just him, Sirius, and their parents. Sirius immediately got up and ran to his room. They frowned but didn’t stop him. Regulus got up to follow but Orion spoke as he left the room.
“I know you’ll choose Regulus.”
Regulus glanced back, he said it in a low voice, the tone was almost threatening; but he just followed Sirius to an empty hallway.
Sirius looked around to make sure no portraits were listening, “I don’t like this.”
He rolled his eyes, “well me neither but you heard her, there’s a prophecy so they’re going to make us join no matter what we want.”
“Come one Reg, you’ve heard the rumors, they just confirmed it now, there’s a war coming and I don’t think this is the side we want to be on. Besides we heard the whole prophecy 5 years ago, it said we help the winning side, that might not be with Voldemort.
“But it’s not that easy, we can’t just-“
“I have friends, friends who are muggle-born who they want dead, you don’t understand!” Sirius spat his voice raising.
“I get it,” he sighed, “but they’ll force us, I just don’t know what we’re supposed to do.”
“We’ll refuse, they can’t really force us, we won’t let them!”
Regulus opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out, he turned around and walked to his room as fast as he could without turning back, closing and locking the door.
It felt like the room was spinning, he didn’t know what to do, he knew they couldn’t just ‘refuse’ or whatever his plan was. What Sirius never seemed to understand was actions had consequences, he would be tortured until he gave in, there was no making a decision, they just had to agree.
There was a knock on his door, “please Reggie we’ll figure it out!”
He ignored Sirius, they couldn’t figure it out, they couldn’t do anything. After a few minutes he heard the retreating steps and then it was silent.
It was actually kind of ironic, Sirius always tried so hard to separate himself from his last name, be more than just another fucked up Black. But now he’s basically being forced to join a cult made of pureblood supremacists. Sure he would put up a fight, but he’d have to give in eventually.”
It was pretty depressing actually, but Regulus was too overwhelmed to think about how to fix this now.
Tomorrow was Christmas, he would be back at Hogwarts soon, he just hoped he wouldn’t have to deal with Voldemort until after.
Regulus stayed up late reading and listening to the quiet strumming of muggle music from Sirius’ guitar in his room across the hall. By time he fell asleep it was almost 2:30. He had a restless sleep and woke up early.
It had become almost habit to watch the muggles outside. Sometimes he wished he were a muggle, they seemed to have less to worry about, simpler lives.
The next day went by without much thought. Regulus barely spoke to anyone. Sirius didn’t even leave his room. Everything seemed fine until he heard his mother talking to Sirius, or more like shouting.
“You are the HEIR, you will follow your duties and right now that means following the Dark Lord.”
“The Dark Lord? that sounds pathetic,” Sirius sneered.
Regulus cracked his door open to see.
“When he returns tomorrow you will agree and pledge yourself, or you will leave this house.” She hissed threateningly.
“That sounds fine to me, I’d rather die than join him!” Sirius glowered.
“You will regret that!” She screamed and walked away.
Sirius ran to his room and Regulus heard loud banging and things clattering around. After a few minutes his mother returned, but this time to talk to him. Her face was red with rage and she only said one thing before leaving again.
“Your brother may not be up to the task but I will make certain you are! You will accept this and if you ever try and leave I WILL find you and bring you back and you’ll wish you’d never been born! Do you understand?”
He nodded backing away defensively. Immediately after she left he rushed to see what Sirius was doing. His words felt stuck in his throat when he realized that he was packing.
“I’m leaving, I can’t go through with this.” Sirius said. He was throwing his school stuff into a bag and looked up to where Regulus was standing.
“What!? No you can’t leave me here!”
“You can come with me, we never have to come back, We can live with James and forget about that stupid prophecy!”
He tried to hold it in but a tear rolled down his face, he knew he couldn’t leave, he was like a dog chained to a tree, he had no way out. His mother may have given up on Sirius but she would live up to her word and find Regulus if he left.
“I-I can’t”
“Why?” Sirius said angrily, “you don’t agree with them do you!?”
“I-“
“Come on Reggie! We can leave this all behind!”
“No, you don’t understand! They’ll come and find me, I can’t go!” Tears were rolling down his face uncontrollably, he hated being so vulnerable but he couldn’t stop, Regulus felt like he couldn’t breathe. It was like he was drowning, just like in his dream.
“They won’t! Once we leave I’ll make sure they never hurt you again!”
Regulus took a breath and looked straight into Sirius’ gray eyes, he was crying now too. “I’m sorry Sirius, I’m not coming.”
His eyes flickered with hurt “-but”
“I’m staying.”
“Fine.” Sirius muttered his eyes with a new expression of coldness. The brothers stared at each other for a moment before Regulus ripped his gaze away and walked to his room, never turning back.
He stared zoned out staring at nothing, trying to ignore the sound of Sirius going down the stairs, he waited a few minutes when suddenly he heard screaming.
Regulus carefully opened his door and peered over the railing to see Sirius on the floor, and his mother with her wand pointed at him.”
He ran down, she looked almost insane, whispering curses as Sirius seethed in pain. It took him a minute to realize, it was the Cruciatus curse.
He felt nailed in place as he watched, sure she’d used curses as punishment many times before, but never and Unforgivable. His eyes widened as he watched Sirius struggle, his knuckles growing white from clenching so hard. He looked like he was trying to say something but couldn’t seem to be able to speak
“I said BEG!” Walpurga screeched mercilessly. She didn’t even notice Regulus standing there.
“Please… Mama… he shuddered… please,” his voice faltered and faded into heavy breathing. He screamed, sweating and twitching from the pain.
Finally it became too much to watch, “Stop! Regulus screamed!”
Walpurga looked up, her eyes had a mad look in them and she stopped for a second.
He moved in front of Sirius’ bruised body, “STOP!” He yelled again blocking him from her wand.
“Get out of the way!” She hissed pointing her wand at him.
“No!” His voice slightly trembled, but he stood his ground. Sirius was behind him, in front of a fireplace and seemed to be barely breathing.
She pointed her wand up at Regulus, “Crucio!”
His body filled with pain, it was like being stabbed by a thousand knives. His knees buckled and he collapsed. His face turned pale as he clenched his teeth. His vision turned fuzzy and the last thing Regulus saw before he blacked out was Sirius grabbing a handful of floo powder and disappearing into the flames.