Chapter 4
Regulus hated this. This dress, the crowd, the fact he was attached to Muiciber who kept looking at Regulus like he was some animal caught in a trap.
Regulus supposed he wasn’t too off. He was backed into a corner as family members continued to come up to offer their congratulations. He felt caged, watched, surrounded. And there was nothing he could do about it.
He was so far disconnected from reality at this point, no longer pretending to care about the well wishes for the couple's future. He just kept his head bowed, seeing how the wood gains of his mother's hardwood floors moved beneath him. Anything to keep his mind from spiraling.
It's not like anyone was talking to him anyway. They were addressing Muibier because now Regulus's whole identity was tied to being an extension of him.
It had likely been a good ten minutes since he actually processed who was standing in front of him, only zoning back in when Muicbers grip on his waist tightened a painful amount.
Regulus looked up from where he was inspecting the floor to see his brother making his way towards them.
“Reggie,” He said in greeting once he was near.
“My Fiance’s name is Regina,” Muiciber corrected smugly.
Sirius shot him a murderous look.
“Regina,” He spat out, “Can I talk to you alone?”
Mucibers grip around his waist tightened.
“Anything you can say to my future wife you can say to me”
A sly smirk grows across Sirius's face.
“Alrighty then,” He then raises his voice so as to be able to be heard by anyone who was in the room, “So when you suck his dick, make sure to breathe through your nose. Remember spitters are for quitters, also trust me when I say you don't want that stuff in your hair-”
“Ok ok enough,” Muicuber interrupted.
“I’m sorry, I thought you wanted to hear what I was going to tell your dear fiance,” Sirius said feigning innocence, “It’s just you know it will be her first time and I want to make sure it's extra special for you two,”
Regulus fought the smile threatening to make its way onto his face.
Muiciber swallowed loudly.
“Alright, you can have five minutes,”
“Thank you dearly,” Sirius replied, voice dripping with sarcasm.
He extended his arm to Regulus, waiting until he took it to start pulling him away from Muciber.
Sirius led him away from the crowds, pushing this way through the masses, then up the stairs, dropping Regulus’s arm once they were out of sight. He continued to walk until he reached his childhood room, he let Regulus pass him inside then followed suit, shutting the door behind him.
Sirius let out a sigh and ran a hand down his face while leaning back against the door. Regulus watched him. Waiting for something, anything. He and Sirius hadn’t been alone together since the night he had left.
“What do you want Sirius?” Regulus asked, the silence getting to him.
“Why are you doing this Reggie?” Sirius asked, dropping his hand from his face to look Regulus in the eye. “Is this really what you want to do? Serve that cockroach of a man?”
“It's what was expected of me Sirius,” He replied, “Not all of us can run away from our responsibilities,”
Sirius scoffed.
“Is that what you think I did? Run from responsibilities?”
“Isn’t it?” Regulus snapped back.
Regulus could tell that Sirius wanted to argue back, likely to scream about how he had saved himself and that he was just a kid and all the things he had been yelling since he first went to school.
Instead, he pulls a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket, lights it, then puts it in between his lips. Regulus wanted nothing more than to take a drag from it, he had never had one before but he would do anything to take the edge off.
“What’s your plan then?” Sirius said.
“There’s no plan, Sirius,” Regulus replied, leaning back against a desk.
“I’m going to miss you, Reggie,”
Regulus could feel Sirius’s eyes on him, boring into the side of his head.
“I am going to miss you too,” Regulus whispered back.
“You could run you know?” Sirius said in a rush, “The Potters would let you in no questions asked,-”
“No Sirius,” Regulus said standing upright.
“You don’t want this Reggie, to be owned by some fuck ass man and never be able to live freely again,” Sirius said, getting close to Regulus.
“You don’t know what I want,” Regulus snapped back.
“And whose fault is that,” Sirius said throwing his arms out wide. “You cut me out, you let her get to you,”
“I didn’t cut you out Sirius, I grew up just like you.”
Regulus couldn’t do this, not now not ever. He could feel the tears building up in his eyes.
“You look good Reggie,” He said after a pause.
“I guess you look fine yourself,” Regulus said taking in his brother's fit. “Mother would never approve,”
Sirius laughed.
“Don’t I know it, I keep looking over my shoulder like she’s going to come grab me by my ear and force me to change,”
“I am so glad those days are behind me,” Regulus said with a slight chuckle before quickly sobering.
Those days weren’t behind him, while it may not be his mother now it was Muiciber who had the power to demand him to change any aspect of himself if he didn’t see Regulus the way he wished.
Regulus looked over at Sirius, finding he had what was likely a matching face to the one Regulus had been making.
When Sirius looked up, Regulus could see the plea in his eyes. Instead of choosing to listen again and fight every fiber of his being telling him to leave with his brother, he stands upright turning his head away from Sirius.
“This has been nice, I am glad I got to speak to you before the wedding,”
Sirius opened his mouth to say something but Regulus had already made his speedy exit.
He could hear Sirius calling out his name as he quickly made his way down the stairs and through the crowd.
Air. He just needed some fresh air then he would be fine.
People, people everywhere.
Every extremity and fiber of his skin is buzzing as people keep bumping, pushing, and podding as he tries to weave his way through. Calls of congratulations echo in his ears, none of them quite landing the full way to his head, rather fading in and out.
There's the door. Only a couple more feet then he can rejuvenate himself and come back and survive the rest of his night.
Just as Regulus thinks he's made it out, a hand encloses itself around the bend of his arm.
Regulus turns in an attempt to wiggle free, maybe politely ask them to let him go and he will return for conversion in just a few minutes, only for the words to die on his tongue when he sees who it is.
“Hey Reggie,”
“Don’t call me that,” Regulus replies impulsively
James gives him a small smile and then leans in close to Regulus. His breath hitting Regulues ear as he spoke at volumes only they could hear.
“Hello Regulus, my love,”
Regulus let in a sharp intake of breath.
“Bold words considering you are at my engagement party” Regulus whispered back.
James huffed out a laugh, not moving from his position.
Regulus shot James a strong sideways glance. James just sent a downward smirk.
“Please, I know you don’t want this,” James muttered, “You have always said how much you despise Muiciber and everything he stands for.”
“Maybe my ideals have changed,” Regulus Challenged,
“Come home with me,” James said, tone switching from cocky to soft.
“We talked about this James, you knew this was going to happen one day” Regulus replied.
“I know, I know but I thought we had more time,” James replied shaking his head, “You are barely of age you can’t already be married”
“I may have been off on my estimation but you knew being getting involved with me had a harsh deadline,”
“Please Regulus,” James whispered, leaning back slightly to make eye contact with Regulus,
“My brother already tried this, pleaded with me to run away from all my responsibilities like he did many years ago,” Regulus said taking a step back.
They were still close enough that no one could overhear them, but the charged space between them felt gaping.
“It's not your responsibility to give away your freedom and autonomy for a business transaction,” James spat out.
“It's done James,” Regulus whispered. “If I left where do you think the first place my parents would hunt me down? While they may not suspect us, they would know I ran to Sirius.”
“Then we run away. Together” James said reaching for Regulus’s gloved hand.
Regulus looked down at their conjoined hands. God, he wanted to. It would never work, Walburga would stop at nothing to ensure he could never be free.
Regulus looked back up at James, expecting to see his begging gaze only to watch it change to something harsh as he looked over Regulus's shoulder.
Regulus opened his mouth to ask when he felt an arm snake around his waist.
“Ah, there you are,”
“Muicber” James replied coldly.
“Potter right?” Muiber replied, “I see you are becoming acquainted with my fiance. My fiance who I remember telling she could go talk to her brother, not intermingle with everyone else.”
In the last part, Muiciber enunciated by squeezing Reguluses waist painfully tight.
“They are a grown adult Muicber,” James snapped back.
Muiciber raised his eyebrow before looking down at their conjoined hands.
Before James or Regulus have time to react James is being aggressively pushed away from Regulus, his hand taking Reguluses glove with it.
Regulus snatched his hand to his chest.
“What do you think you are doing touching Regina, Potter?” Muiciber snapped as he pushed James's shoulders again.
Regulus shot a terrified look at James over Mucibers shoulder. James, while looking quite panicked sent Regulus a calm glace. It did nothing to calm Regulus's nerves as he clutched his bare hand as close to his body as possible.
“Potter,” Muiciber said, loud enough that the people nearby turned to see the commotion.
James took a step closer to Muiciber. Regulus didn’t see this playing out well, not in any capacity.
“James no,”
Sirius came up behind James grabbing his shoulder.
Regulus could see his brother dropping his voice to a whisper into James's ear, but James's eyes didn’t move from Regulus. When James is not listening, Sirius gives up and moves to stand in between James and Muiciber.
“Sorry about my friend, Muiciber, he has just grown to know Regina as a sister and he’s worried about her future,” Sirius said with a forced laugh to his words.
Muciber looked back and forth between James and Sirius.
“Well tell your friend to keep his hands off my bitch, brotherly or not”
“Muiciber,” The four turned to see Muicibers mother beckoning him over, seemingly having heard none of the previous conversation “I must speak with you,”
Muiciber sent another glare at the pair before him.
“Come on Regina,” He said over his shoulder as he started to walk away, purpusing shouldering James as he passed by.
Regulus followed, looking at James.
“My glove,’ He whispered.
James wordlessly passed it back to him.
Regulus turned to walk away from them both forever.
He wouldn’t cry, not now.
He made it to the exit door, Muiciber likely going to parade him around to the guests outside, a hand snatched the glove right back out of his hand.
Regulus wheeled around.
“No, no Reggie. You can’t do this,” Sirius snapped.
“Give me back my glove,” Regulus reached for it as Sirius moved his hand out of reach.
“No, I won’t let you destroy any chance at a future for that monster,”
“Sirus enough, just give me back my glove,” Regulus begged.
“Why are you so determined to stay, to suffer? Just leave, what are you so afraid of?”
“I said enough!”
Ice shot out of Regulus's hand, instantly coating the floor of his mother's front entrance in long ice cycles sharply sprouting from the floor towards the guests.
Regulus pulled his hand to his chest in horror.
Sirius looked up and locked wide eyes with Regulus.
‘Monster, monster,” He could hear Muibcer yelling at increasing volumes.
The crowd of guests all hurried back away with terror written all over their faces.
“Regulus?” James whispered.
Breaking out of his spell Regulus turned over his shoulder and ran out the door behind him.
“Regina!”
“Congratulations on the engagement!”
“Where is your groom!”
Regulus weaved through the masses of people that had been in the yard, holding his hand close to his chest as he tried to avoid making contact with anyone.
“Regina!”
Regulus found himself cornered, people coming towards him from every angle blocking his exit and backing him into the center fountain.
“Just stay away, Stay away,” Ice shot out of his hand as it made contact with his mother's fountain.
The water stiffened and grew sharp as the crowd gasped. Regulus watched as the mothers pulled their kids behind them to protect them and men slowly began approaching him like he was a wild animal broken free.
“Reggie!”
Regulus looked towards the voice to see his brother, with James not far behind, running towards him.
Using the shocked fear, Regulus bolted.
He ran out the front gate, through the yard, and around to the back, knowing he would never be able to run through town in this state. Making his way through the grass, he slowed as he reached the edge of the sea that connected to his backyard.
There was no good exit form here, he looked back to see his brother was rapidly gaining on him.
He stepped back into the water, surprised to find his shoe wasn't immediately wet.
He looked down to find that a layer of ice had formed under his foot.
“Reggie wait please,”
Taking one final glance back at his brother Regulus turned and ran across the lake.