Chapter 1
Regulus winced as the fight downstairs seemed to excalate to a new high. It was like this almost every day since Sirius had gone off to Hogwarts and made best friends with a gaggle of misfit gryffindors. He did not know why it frustrated him so much, but it did. If he would just shut up and keep silent when he was supposed to these things wouldn't happen, and it would be a somewhat peaceful summer, but no, Sirius insisted on causing problems. What was even more aggrivating was that it was not always like this. Sirius had not always been the one to jump into the flames without a seconds thought of what it would do to everyone else. He used to be a lot more reserved, though never nearly as much as himself. After he got sorted into gryffindor though, and found those abominable friends, it seems as though his confidence has skyrocketed, and there has not been a pleasant peaceful day since.
He shoved the pillow over his ears, trying to block out the shouts. This was definitely going to cause him problems later. They had a ball to go to in but a couple of days, and Sirius causing this racket before they even finished their societal checks was bound to backfire on him, especially when Sirius inevitably fucked that up too. He wanted to scream, but the sound lodged in his throat, knowing that it would only cause problems for him. He needed to be careful how he acted. later, mother was bound to rear in on him once her fight with Sirius finished up. It was always like this. A silent but deadly poison. Worst case scenario he would be sent to Father's study...and that would leave him aching for days. With how badly the fight downstairs was going...Regulus had a feeling a trip to Father's study was bound to happen.
A door slammed, causing him to flinch slightly, and whine into the bedsheets. He shoved his face further in, hoping to pretend to sleep, as the storming footsteps of his brother echoed up the stairwell. They went straight past his door, causing a sigh of relief to exit his body. He would not be dealing with Sirius, on top of Mother and Father today, there were small mercies. Still, he kept up his act, forcing his body to stop shivering, as he did not want to give himself away before he even managed to pass danger. Though he doubted even that would save him. Mother never particularly cared if he slept as long as he did not look overly tired at balls, and the soonest was still days away.
Before he could even try and relax, Sirius's steps continued to storm down the stairs again, stopping at his door, leaving him to whine once more into the sheets just as the door was flung open and slammed against the opposite wall. He barely had any time to try and configure a safe response before he was being yanked out of his bed like a heathen with the vice grip Sirius had on his wrist.
"Sirius?" Regulus couldn't control the jolt of terror that went through his voice and spine as Sirius continued to yank him from the room and down the stairs. "Sirius what are you doing?" His voice was getting more and more shrill with the fear that continued to build as Sirius continued to pull him forwards despite his best efforts to force his brother to relinquish his grip on him, and he had a very bad feeling about what was going to happen. "Sirius you need to let go." He tried to keep his voice steady, commanding, much like Orion's, but the piercing look Sirius gave him quelled him in the middle, leaving it to trail off into a plea more than a command.
He did not respond, and Regulus was shoved into the floo flames and seconds later Sirius joined with a coughed out word, but Regulus didn't hear it, trying desperately to pull himself from the flames, stopped as Sirius gripped his elbow in the crux of his own, the second pulling up against his collarbones, a threat and promise all in one. Regulus stiffened, stilled, and submitted himself to his Brother's manhandling, simply going along with whatever and wherever the other deigned to drag him. It was not as though he could do anything against him anyways.
"Fleamont, get over here!" he heard a voice shouting, but he couldn't understand it. Sirius shoved him out of the fireplace, him landing painfully on his side, and scrambling away from the ever darkening look in his brother's eyes. He pressed himself against the couch, covering his ears, and hiding behind his knees. Instictive, at this point, was the effort to protect himself from the damage that his family could easily do, particularly the more volatile members, such as Bella, Sirius, and Mother.
"Sirius, it is good to see you, have to admit I was expecting you to drop by at some point, but..."
"Darling..." The cross sound in the feminine voice had him wincing internally. He needed to get a hold of himself, but the memory of what happened last time Sirius had directed such an anger flooded look in his direction kept him from doing anything that could be considered a challenge. He had to get himself out of here, but it wouldn't happen if he challened anyone. Particularly since he had a feeling he knew where Sirius had went, and that just spelled more trouble for him now, and in the long run.
"Oh, oh..." The voice trailed off, and Regulus really did not know what to do. Desperation flooded him, along with anger, but with nowhere to go it simply left him with hot tears slowly rolling down his cheeks as he tried to get himself in check.
"Sweetheart, you don't have to fear anyone here." Regulus wanted to scoff, laugh, demand what they meant when of course he had something to fear, someone, everyone...he ignored it, knowing better than to do something so stupid if he wanted to get out of here in one piece. "Sirius, James, could you please set up a spare room for him...send Remus down too will you." At that Regulus bit the inside of his cheek. He had more and more bad feelings and they had nowhere to go.
"Miss Potter, you asked..." Regulus jerked his mind to the front, this was bad...and it was just getting ever worse. "What...what is going on."
"Sirius brought his brother here, but I fear he is not in the best state of mind. Could you go and make some tea?"
"Yes...Yes of course," He heard a soft scrabble of footsteps and grinded down on his teeth. Peering over the edge of his knees he located the fireplace...it was right in front of him, and the floo powder was right above it. If he was quick, if he was quick he may be able to get to it, and get back home before Mother got even more irate...perhaps she would not have noticed yet, he could play it safe.
Seconds later he heard a vague gasp and in not a moment after Regulus had snatched some powder only to have strong arms yank him backwards, nails digging into his flesh as he desparetly tried to get to the fireplace, but it was no use. Regulus had always been on the weaker side of things, and while that typically wasn't a problem it definitely worked against him now.