Family Is Who Stays
It was October 31st, 1981, almost three years after the cave. Godric’s Hollow was quiet. A little cottage sat in silence until a baby started screaming bloody murder and four parents ran around like headless chickens trying to find something to appease him. They were still alive which is something but not the right thing in this moment.
“By Merlins beard, can someone calm Harry down?” James shouted as he searched for some stuffed animal.
“Where’s his blanket?” Mary ran up the stairs. “Or his lion?”
“They’re in the wash! Thanks Reg!” Lily said sarcastically as she searched.
“Be quiet, Evans. You’re the one who split milk on them!” Reg retorted.
James screamed as he jumped up and down. “I found his snake!”
He ran over to Harry and handed it to him. The crying died down immediately. The four young adults stopped running around and all breathed a sigh of relief. They didn’t remember Halloween being this difficult when they were kids but everything’s more difficult when you have a one-year-old. There was a knock at the door.
“That must be Sirius and Remus,” James said with a wide smile.
“I’ll get it!” Reggie said as he rushed over to the door.
It wasn’t Voldemort or some ominous deatheater. It wasn’t Snape who would only be there to cry over Lily’s dead body. It was just two members of their patchwork family because that is what a one-year-old deserves and needs. Regulus opened the door and smiled widely at his brother and brother-in-law.
“Reggie!” Sirius shouted as he pulled his little brother into a hug.
Remus’s smile grew wide as he watched the love of his life be happy. James ran up behind Regulus and smiled at the show of affection.
“Hey moony, wanna come help in the kitchen?” James said quietly.
Moony nodded and followed James. Sirius and Regulus were left in the doorway and the silence settled over them like a blanket just like when they were kids. Regulus nodded to the outside and Sirius smiled in response. The two of them walked outside and sat down on the edge of the porch.
“How’s married life?” Regulus asked quietly as though he wasn’t quite sure how to start the conversation because that was what Sirius did.
“It’s good, scary but good. How’s it going for ya, kiddo?” Sirius said as he stared off into the distance.
“Good, good. I sleep through the whole night now without waking up in a cold sweat,” Regulus said as he leaned on his big brothers shoulder.
“Being next to the love of your life must help. I slept through last night without seeing you on the ground, coughing up water,” Sirus said as he wrapped his arm around his little brother.
“Did I ever say thank you?” Regulus turned to look at his brother. “Thank you, Sirius, for everything. You’ve spent your whole life saving me and even when you weren’t, you were. I should have been a better brother.”
Sirus chuckled and looked up at the stars. Regulus raised an eyebrow and looked at his brother like he needed an explanation.
“You’re the best little brother I could have ever asked for, Regulus. You don’t have to say thank you. When I said I’ve got you when we were little, I meant it. I meant it every time and even if I didn’t say it, I thought it. I’ve always got you.”
Regulus’s eyes went misty, and he leaned into his big brother’s side. He felt safe. He was safe. Their parents couldn’t touch them here. Even though it was dark, the darkness wasn’t here. Sirius went to talk again but they heard a car pull up. Frank shouted from the road and Sirius waved in response. Alice and Frank made their way up to the porch and Alice had a little Neville in her arms.
“The others are inside,” Regulus said as he went to get up and resume his role as host.
“Don’t worry about us, love. You must be tired taking care of a little bugger,” Alice said as Frank opened the door.
The three of them went inside and Regulus settled back into a sitting position. His legs dangled over the side of the porch and Sirius kicked him in the shin.
“Hey! What was that for?” Regulus said as he shoved Sirius with his elbow.
“Do I need a reason to annoy you?” Sirius shoved Regulus back. “Anyways as I was saying, I’m always gonna be your big brother. You literally got a deatheater tat and I’m still here. How’s the removal of that going by the way?”
“Good. The healer thinks it should be fully gone by Harry’s second birthday,” Regulus replied as his hand instinctively moved to his arm where the faint outline of a tattoo was.
“That’s good. Are Barty and Evan keeping up with their removals as well?” Sirius asked.
Regulus smiled. He always thought it was sweet how Sirius had seen how happy he’d been with his friends and had therefore decided he was their big brother as well.
“Yeah, you can ask ‘em about it when they turn up anyways.”
“I will, I will. But back to what I was saying… Damn, we’re too neurodivergent for this shit,” Sirius sighed as Regulus burst into laughter.
“You were being sappy, you massive idiot,” Regulus teased as tears rolled down his face.
“Yes, yes, I was. You got a bad tattoo and I’m still here so that just proves that I’ll always be here –”
He was interrupted as another car pulled up on the road.
“Who’s here now?” Sirius exclaimed as he threw his hands up in some form of surrender to the universe.
“Cas and Marlene from the looks of it,” Regulus replied as he looked down at the road. They sat in comfortable silence again as Sirius tried to recollect his thoughts.
Dorcas and Marlene made their way up the footpath, arm in arm. They smiled at Sirius and Regulus. Marlene went to talk but Cas pushed her inside as she mouthed sorry.
Regulus chuckled as he leaned his head on Sirius’s shoulder. He fiddled with his brother’s jacket as they just sat there peacefully.
“I’m just going to be brief because I keep getting interrupted. You’re my little brother, Reg and you mean everything to me, and I will always be here, okay?” Sirius said as he turned slightly to face his little brother.
“Yeah, okay. Has mother sent you any letters lately?” Reg asked quietly.
Sirius stiffened and turned back to staring at the road as another car pulled up.
“Not since the one on my twenty-first, no,” Sirius said quietly before turning to face his little brother again.
“Has she sent you any?”
Regulus shook his head before smiling as he saw Barty, Evan, Panda and Xeno walking up the footpath.
“They carpooled?” Sirius chuckled.
“They almost always do,” Regulus replied with a laugh.
He sat up straight so Sirius could jump up and check on Barty and Evan. The four walking made their way up to the porch. Xeno had little Luna in his arms and he and Pandora smiled before going inside. Barty and Evan stood on the steps like little kids being scolded.
“Arms?” Sirius asked bluntly as he stood in front of the two of them.
They both rolled up their sleeves and showed their slowly healing dark mark tattoos. They pursed their lips until Sirius nodded and they walked past him. Both of them broke out into wide smiles. Barty leaned towards Reg.
“Sorry about stealing mum,” he said with a chuckle.
“I heard that,” Sirius said sternly as he tried not to laugh.
Barty and Evan ran inside, and Sirius and Regulus could hear them breaking into laughter inside. Sirius turned back around and sat back down next to Regulus.
“Is that everyone?” He asked with a smile.
Regulus shook his head before turning to face his big brother.
“Andy and Ted are bringing Dora and also… Narcissa and Draco,” He said quietly as he anticipated Sirius’s response to that.
“She left him?” Sirius asked quietly. “And didn’t tell me?”
Regulus nodded as he heard another car pull up. He nudged Sirius in the side.
“Here they are.”
Sirius stood up and helped Regulus up. They linked arms and walked down to the car. Nymphadora tumbled out of the backseat and ran into Sirius’s arms. He picked her up and smiled.
“Uncle Sirius!” She shouted with a wide smile.
“Yeah, Dora. It’s me,” Sirius replied with a smile not quite as wide.
Regulus walked around to the other side of the car and opened the door for Narcissa. Andromeda and Ted got out of the front and passenger seat. They walked over to Sirius and Ted held out his hands for Dora. Sirius handed her over and Ted started walking up the path.
“She’s very tired, Sirius. Don’t be too hard on her and the baby,” Andy said lovingly before walking up the path after her husband and daughter.
Sirius nodded as he walked over to where Reggie was standing. Regulus was holding Draco on his hip and so Sirius took Narcissa’s hand and helped Cissa out of the car. She smiled politely.
“Hey Cissa,” Sirius said with a warm smile.
Narcissa pulled him into a hug, and he gasped at the action. Regulus smiled as he cooed to little Draco. Narcissa pulled away and she locked her hand in Sirius’s.
“Hey Siri,” She said with a small smile.
The three of them walked around the car and up the footpath. Regulus and Sirius introduced themselves to their new nephew and eventually they made their way to the door. They walked inside and the party started because nobody’s lives ended that year (except for Peter who had disappeared).
A family lost, a family gained. Regulus had lost almost everything when he’d taken the dark mark. He’d lied and when he finally told the truth, he’d made the good choice to lose everything for a good purpose. When he woke up on land, coughing up his guts, with his big brother leaning over above him, he didn’t get everything back, but he got a second chance. When he asked James out, he got another chance. When he moved in with his fiancé and two of the most amazing women he’d ever met, he got another chance. When he heard little Harry crying, he got another chance and he finally stopped counting them. This was his life, and the darkness was finally gone. He had his guiding star and his sun and all of his closest friends who were all family now. He was never going to feel the silence strangling him again. Regulus Arcturus Black was just a kid and boy was he happy about that.