Prologue
Standing in front of the fireplace, Regulus hesitates. If his plan failed and his parents somehow learned about what he was trying to do he would certainly get punished. Not even disowned, as he was already the spare heir, just punished.
„Just do it“, he mumbles to himself. „He may be an arse for leaving you but he is still your brother.“ The last words were only a whisper. His parents may be asleep but he does not want to take any risk.
„Kreacher“, he says in a louder voice. The elf appears with a plop sound right next to him. „Master Regulus, how can I serve you?“ Regulus smiles at him, he always had sympathy for the elf. „Could you please tell mother and father later that I went to the Diagon Alley to get my new books?“
The elf nods. „Kreacher will do what Master Regulus told him.“
„Thank you. That will be everything. You can go back to, I assume, preparing the breakfast for my parents.“
„Yes Master Regulus!“, and with that Kreacher vanishes again.
Regulus takes a deep breath. It is the best chance he would get. He reaches in the pocket of his coat and pulls a small bag filled with Floo Powder out. As he tosses some of it into the fireplace, the flames light up green and Regulus steps right into them.
In all honestly, he never was a huge fan of using the Floo Network and couldn‘t wait to learn how to apparate but today it was his only option.
The flames around him feel uncomfortably warm and he has to cough a bit as he speaks the words: „Alphard Black‘s Manor.“
The world around him begins to spin and for a second everything turns black.
Regulus stumbles out of a different fireplace. He straightens his coat, trying to look a bit more presentable and starts to look around.
The living room is not nearly as elegant as the one in Grimmauld Place. It‘s rather simple actually. A large sofa stands opposite to the fireplace and some armchairs right next to it. The walls are barely visible due to all the filled bookshelves. Regulus would not admit it out loud but the place was rather cozy.
And he is definitely at the right place. He may have not seen his uncle in years but he would recognize this room anywhere. He spent too many days of his childhood here not to.
Just as Regulus makes himself comfortable on the sofa, an elderly man storms in, wand raised, still wearing his morning gown. He looks gaunt, his skin sunken and deep circles have formed under his eyes.
„Regulus?!“, his uncle looks in disbelief at him but lowers his wand.
„Uncle Alphard“, Regulus greets him. „Sit down please, we have a lot to discuss.“
„We do?“
„Yes, we do. I will explain everything to you. Just please sit down. i feel like this is going to be a longer conversation.“
As Alphard sits down in one of the armchairs. still looking confused, he begins to speak again. „So Regulus? To what do I owe the honour of finding you in my living room at 6 o‘clock in the morning?“
Regulus takes a deep breath. What he is about to do could easily be considered a traitorous act to the entire Noble House of Blacks if the wrong people heard about it. He could only hope that he is right about his suspicions about his uncle.
„I have a proposal and a request for you.“
Alphard nods at him to continue. „I‘m all ears.“
„You are on the edge of death. It‘s not a secret…“, he gets interrupted by a rough chuckle mixed with coughing. „You always knew how to make an entrance. Just like your brother. But yes, I am aware. Dragon pox stage four, not many options are left. My doctor gave me half a year, if I‘m lucky.“
At the mention of Sirius, Regulus stiffens up. Since his disowning, no one in Grimmauld Place dared to speak of him.
„I am sorry to hear that Uncle but back to what I was just saying. You are dying and you own a fortune. I assume your assets might be even bigger than my mother’s. You also just mentioned my traitorous brother. So talking of him, I want you to put him, not only in your will but he shall become the sole heir. Everything you own, he will inherit.“
Alphard seems to process the words for a moment.
„Tea?“
Regulus is taken aback by the question.
„Or coffee? Whatever you prefer.“ Alphard begins to swing his wand and a small table appears between them. A teapot and matching cups are following one by one. „Tea is fine.“
His uncle nods at him. „You still like it with just a splash of milk? That‘s at least how I remember it from when you were younger.“
„You remember how I drink my tea?“, Regulus asks in surprise. Through the fact that he hasn‘t seen his uncle in years, he did not expect him to remember much about him at all. Honestly even the fact that Alphard immediately recognized him was surprisingly.
„Obviously I do. I can‘t even count the times I had to make it for you as a kid. And don‘t get me started on all the times I had to remake it after Sirius threw some sugar in it because he knew you refused to drink it any differently.“
Regulus can't help but smirk at the memories. He hadn‘t thought about those small moments in a long time.
„Yeah, he could be quite something, couldn‘t he.“
„Indeed, he always was a stubborn child. I don‘t even know why Walpurga was so surprised when he got sorted into Gryffindor.“Alphard mutters another spell and a small pot appears over Regulus' tea and pours some milk into it.
„Here you go, boy.“ Regulus nips at the cup. The tea is still hot but the taste reminds him of all his childhood memories which are now coming back more and more.
Sirius and him playing hide and seek in Alphard‘s Mansion, them playing Quidditch in the garden or Regulus being read goodnight stories by Alphard. Those were probably some of the happiest moments he had as a kid. Life in Grimmauld Place was not even close to being as pleasent.
„So back to your proposal. You want me to scratch my entire will and leave everything to Sirius, did I understand that right?“ Regulus nods. „But what i don‘t get is, what is in for you? As you just said, your brother is a disowned traitor. Even by just making this proposal to help him you could easily get disowned too. So why are you taking the risk?“
„He is my brother.“ The words are leaving Regulus mouth faster than he could think of any excuse. He doesn‘t like the way his uncle is questioning him, it leaves him vulnerable and he learned a long time ago how bad that could turn out for himself.
„Interesting. I will think about it.“
And that single sentence caused something in Regulus to flare up. This proposal was nothing to think about. Sirius's future depended on it.
He let‘s out a dry laugh. „You will not just think about it, you will do it. Otherwise I will get you disowned, just like him.“
Alphard is taken aback by that. „And how exactly are you planning to do that. Not like you can sort me into Gryffindo“ But something changed in his voice after Regulus‘s threat. He could hear it, the fear that Regulus discovered the one secret Alphard hid for the entirety of his life.
„You know exactly how I will plan to do it. I know your secret.“ Alphard takes a sharp breath in. „I know about him. Francis Caldwell. What do you think would make it worse for you? The fact that he‘s a male or a muggle? And don‘t even get me started on what they would do to him, if they knew about his existence.
Alphard gritted his teeth. „You know what, Regulus? The moment you asked me to help your brother, I really thought you were different then the rest of our family but you are just like them. Nonetheless I will do what you asked me to do. Just tell me one thing, how did you find out?“
„There were many small hints. Never marrying, not having any kids, any heirs so I just assumed my part. With that knowledge and a bit of research it wasn‘t that hard to track him down.“ Regulus let‘s out another dry laugh. „Bu I‘m not like our family, you are wrong about that part. If I were, you and your lover would both be dead by now and believe me, it would not have been a pleasant death.“
For a moment silence reigns between them. Regulus takes a closer look at Alphard's face. You can clearly see both the stress of this conversation and the illness that is slowly but surely robbing him of all vitality.
„I will follow your rules, not risking Francis‘s life. So what’s your request? I assume you will not take no as an answer anyway.“
Regulus leisurely stirs his tea. Now that there is no risk of Alphard somehow telling another person, his nerves calmed down.
„I believe you are an Occlumens, am I right? Too many secrets not to be.“ Alphard nods. „I want you to teach me.“
„Occlumency is not just something you can learn in a day. It takes months, sometimes even years for wizards to master it. I doubt I‘ll even live long.“
„And you think I haven‘t thought of that?,“ Regulus takes a sip tea. „My 6th year starts in exactly one week from now. We will meet up regularly, every Friday evening, in Hogsmeade. You can get a room at the Hog’s Head, they tend to not ask any questions, which I assume is in our mutual interest.“
„Indeed it is. Given that I don‘t have a say in it anyway, it‘s probably irrelevant of what I‘m thinking but Regulus, just answer me this one question…“ Alphard looks him right into the eyes. „Why are you doing this? Why go through all the trouble of learning one of the most complicated forms of magic at your young age? And don‘t tell me it‘s because you asked me to help Sirius. That is by far not enough reason for this step, I know you‘re smart enough to hide that on your own. So you have a secret, a huge one.“
Regulus takes a deep breath. He expected the question, Alphard Black was not the kind of person who did things without asking any questions. And it was not like Regulus has to answer, right now he still has the upper hand. But a small part of him wants to say the words out loud for the first time, to admit to another person that he was different.
„I‘m just like you.“
°°°
Regulus is once again reminded of how much he couldn‘t stand the Floo Network when he later stumbles out of the fireplace in Grimmauld Place 12.
With bags in both hands, mostly filled with his new books and all sorts of potion ingredients he may need for his own personal projects, he immediately loses his balance.
Trying not to fall over he has to take a few steps. His bags are swinging around and one of them hits a side table which falls over along with the vase on top.
„Ohh fuck“, Regulus mumbles as he watches the vase shatter on the ground. The loud clang does not go unnoticed as his mother's shrill voice comes from the dining room.
„REGULUS ARCTURUS BLACK! How dare you leave the house without my permission?“
Now standing in the doorframe of the living room his mother looks frightening in her own ways. Her hair is pinned up in a perfect chignon and her make-up covers up even the smallest imperfection. Only objectively seen does she embody the ideal of beauty that many women aspire to. But this image is destroyed by her completely emotionless eyes and her always severe facial expressions.
„And what happened here?“ She points to the shards that Regulus is trying very badly to hide behind his legs.
„I was just in the Diagon Alley getting all my new books. I know neither you or father have any interest in such trips so I thought it‘s the easiest if I went alone.“ He knew this trip would have consequences and if it weren‘t for his visit he would have just let Kreacher get the stuff, as his mother prefers.
Especially since the infamous night in which his brother made his great escape, Walpurga Black was always on edge. With only one heir left she tries to make sure in every way that Regulus doesn‘t also turn in a bloodtraitor or bring in any way shame to the Noble House of Blacks.
„That is no excuse!“, and suddenly a curse hits his left arm. He groans in pain. His mother‘s stinging curses are always a nasty experience.
„I apologize mother.“ Regulus tries to avoid meeting her eyes. „This is not how I raised you, Regulus! You either apologize properly now or you will fell the consequences of your own actions.“
Regulus breaths in deeply. He knows what his mother wants from him, to watch him beg for her forgiveness. Slowly he gets down on his knees, trying to avoid to directly touch the shards.
„I said properly, Regulus.“
He moves and the sharp edges of the shards are now cutting directly in his legs. On the inside he wants to scream, but on the outside he tries not to show any emotion. That would only make it worse.
„And now apologize.“
He can feel the blood starting to soak his trousers.
„Mother, I apologize for disrespecting you and for all the trouble I caused you.“ He lowers his head, praying that this would be over soon.
And thankfully she nods. He nearly sighs in relief before she points her wand at his chest. „Petrificus Totalus.“ As the spell hits him his entire body goes stiff.
„You will kneel here and think about what you did until the spell wears off,“ She smiles cruelly at him. „After that you clean your mess up and I better not see you anymore tonight, is that clear?“
She is not expecting an answer, not that Regulus could answer in this situation and just turns around to leave him alone again.
He could not wait for the new school year to begin.