Chapter 2
Remus stretched and listened satisfyingly as his back cracked. He rubbed his eyes as they adjusted to the bright sunshine seeping through the curtains.
"What are you doing here lupin."
Remus jumped in his chair arms going up instinctively towards the mysterious voice. Regulus was up and sitting on the bed fully changed and looking tired which was understandable. It was only now that remus got a good look at regulus, his skin was pale but slightly more tanned than his brothers. He had freckles lightly dotted accross his cheeks like constellations from the sky and his hair hung perfectly over his forehead, still looking fluffy even if dishevelled. Regulus black was hot, and if remus wasn't hopelessly in love with the person he hated most in the world right now (aka regulus' brother) then he definitely would've gone for him.
"Remus." Regulus stared at him with brooding dark eyes looking severely unimpressed ar him zoning out.
"Um well I just wanted to make sure you were OK after..well y'know." Remus shifted nervously at regulus' gaze and avoided his eyes awkwardly. The younger boy just sighed and stood from the bed.
"Wait are you allowed to leave already?"
"No he is not, sit down mr black".
Regulus sighed again and sat down roughly messing up the pristine sheets. He looked at madame pomfrey in question but she just raised her eyebrows inquisitively.
"You really are like your brother mr black"
An uncomfortable look stretched over regulus' face, as though he'd grown to hate thet comparison.
"Anyway mr black, I think you are free to go. If I just grab you a couple pain potions for if your back starts to hurt. Also professor mcgonnagol will be wanting to see you in her office as soon as possible today to.. talk about the condition in which you got these scars. If anything is wrong my boy you know help will always be given to those who ask for it." She raised her eyebrows at regulus and looked at him over her old rectangle glasses.
"Right yeah thanks madame pomfrey."
Regulus stood and walked out the door with no notice while remus did an awkward wave before rushing after him down the corridor. It was empty due to classes being on so remus didn't embarrass himself too much half running down the hallways.
"Why are you following me lupin."
Remus spedwalk at his side struggling to keep up with his impossibly fast pace.
"because regulus, I'm worried about you. I know that's probably something not many people say to you these days but I genuinely am. I don't know much about your family so I won't pretend I do, but the one thing I do know is the blacks aren't nice to their children. So I want you to know that I'm here for you and you can talk to me because trust me I know what it's like to have no one to talk to."
Remus took a breath and waited to see how regulus would take his mini rant. He was surprised when the look of shock mixed with tears pricking in his eyes formed on his pale skinned. He sniffed and wiped his nose on his sleeve before grabbing remus' arm and pulling him into the nearest empty classroom.
"Okay then. Ill talk to you. But you have to promise not to tell anyone, and don't speak while I'm trying to talk please"
Remus firmly nodded his head trying to encourage the other to go on. Regulus took a deep breath and wiped his eyes before speaking,
"I don't think it was always bad, I remember the earlier years and my parents were young and happy. We went on these annual trips to France and we stayed with our family over there and it was the best time of my life. Soon after that though everything went a bit bad. We started hearing news of an uprising from father and mother's meetings and they were stressed out with work and we weren't getting any attention. I remember one day me and sirius were playing in the streets with some of the neighbours some game they played called foot ball or something, and suddenly mother snatched us in and I was taken to another room but I could hear sirius crying and I knew mother was hurting him and father was screaming at me for fraternizing with the muggles and then for crying. Then he used a stinging hex on me and I just fainted I think, the first time he ever hurt me really. After that things just got worse, little things we didn't think we wrong we got punished for. Sirius always thought he was protecting me, that he was taking the punishment from mother for me. But in reality I was in the next room getting the exact same from father. I let sirius think he was protecting me, I think it brought him some sense of calmness thinking I was OK. I learnt healing spells from one of the books in our old library when I was nine so I could help myself. I only got worse when sirius left home, a whole new set of rules, punishments, more extra tutors, higher expectations. I don't know if I can go back in winter it's awful and I don't know what to do anymore."
Remus' heart broke at the last words the younger boy spoke. He had been through so much and he didnt deserve it, all he deserved was happiness.
"Regulus listen, you don't deserve this treatment ok?"
"I don't know lupin, of I didn't deserve it then why do they do it? Maybe it is my fault and I do deserve this"
Remus felt a safe of anger run through him, these awful, awful people had ruined this boys life. And for what? So they could get some sick and twisted joy out of hurting him on purpose?
"No. You don't. They're shitty people ok you deserve anything but them. And you aren't. Going back at winter I mean, we'll find a way to get you out like sirius did. If he can get oit so can you."
Regulus looked up at him wearily and struggled a half smile at him.
"You don't get it lupin. Sirius could only leave because I didn't. That's why he left without telling me, because if I came with him he knew mother and father would track us down, but if I was left there then he could run away and me, the back up, would become the new and improved heir to the noble and most ancient house of black.