12 Grimmauld Place
regulus took a deep breath as he stepped of the steaming red Hogwarts train.
it had been his 4th year and not a good one, the Slytherins were getting worse what with the dark lord becoming more powerful. they had been hexing muggle borns just for walking down the corridor and the professors turned a blind eye to it as always because deep down they were just as scared as anyone else about the dark uprising.
Sirius was getting worse as well. he used to be so close to his older brother, Sirius was always there when his mother hurt him. he was always the one to curl up with him in his bed until the screaming stopped and he had fallen asleep, but ever since first year when he was sorted to Slytherin Sirius had been ignoring him.
it hurt more than he'd like to admit.
the sorting hat hadn't wanted to put him in Slytherin, it had wanted Ravenclaw. his mother always said he was to smart for his own good, that it made him obnoxious and ignorant. he had to beg the hat to put him in Slytherin, he had saw what happened to Sirius when he was sorted to Gryffindor, and though he hated how much of a coward it made him sound he didn't want the same fate for himself.
the only good thing that came from that year was pandora Lestrange. it was after Christmas holidays and he was walking down the hallways heading to the library, when he saw two of the seventh year Slytherins hexing a girl who he soon learned to be pandora. calling her a blood traitor. he was angry. they reminded him of his parents, calling him a disappointment after he didn't do so well on his Christmas exams. he got so annoyed that he went up to them and knocked them both out. he got a months worth of detentions for that but it was so worth it. after that he and pandora started hanging out more and eventually they became best friends, she was fun to be around and made him happy for the first time in a while. that happiness lasted all the way until he stepped off the train and saw his parents waiting for him.
he instinctively stood a little straighter and brushed off his robes before he reluctantly walked over to them.
"mother, father." he nodded to both of his parents and tried not to grimace at how formal he sounded.
"regulus, right on time as usual. where is your brother?" his mother never was one to waste time.
"I'm not sure mother but I'm sure he is being as prompt as possible." that, of course, was a lie. he knew Sirius, he knew he would be delaying meeting his parents for as long as possible. probably talking to James potter his friend. he remembered in Sirius' first year after he came home for summer, he told regulus all about the one and only James potter. he made him sound like a king. "in telling you reg, he's amazing! his mothers a healer and his dad taught him how to ride a broom when he was only 4! can you believe it?" he remembers how they would stay up all night talking about the wonders of Hogwarts. "reg, i just know you'll be a Ravenclaw. you're just to smart to be anywhere else!" sometimes he wishes he let the hat put him in Ravenclaw, just so he and Sirius could still be that close.
but he banishes that thought from his head as soon as he sees his brother strutting towards them, his hair almost reaching his shoulders now. his parents hated his long hair.
"Sirius, fix your posture this minute and stand up straight.!" Sirius just stared at her and rolled his eyes.
Walburga looked furious but before anything could happen in public his father grabbed all of them and apparated back to Grimmauld place.
"Sirius black! how dare you behave like that in public! acting like your a-a filthy mutt!" for some reason Sirius seemed to find this accusation funny, his lips quirked up into that familiar smirk .
"a filthy mutt? merlin mother don't tire yourself out with all these amazing insults, real original that one." his mother looked like she was going to burst with anger at this point.
"you fid this so amusing do you? lets see how amusing you find this then." she pointed he wand at Sirius and his smirk faded, "crucio!" Sirius crumpled to the floor and screamed out in pain. regulus shut his eyes tightly and waited for his brother to stop screaming. she eventually stopped, brushed off her robes and left the room with a sweep of her robes and an evil grin on her face. how could she enjoy this? how could she torture her son and enjoy it? he waited until he heard her office door slam before he scrambled to Sirius' side.
"oh Siri, you need to stop this. you cant go on like this much longer." he said in between muffled sobs. he felt so silly, his brother had just been crucioed and he was the one crying? "I'm fine reg, just help me up yeah?" he wiped the tears from his eyes and nodded as he swung Sirius' arm over his shoulder and hauled him towards his bedroom.
he lay Sirius down on the hard wooden bed and assessed his injury's. he had a small gash across his face and a broken wrist. nothing he couldn't fix. he focussed on his broken wrist first, "brackium emendo" he whispered as to make sure his parents didn't hear him through the incredibly thin walls. "episkey" he muttered again and watched as the gash on Sirius' face slowly closed over and mended itself. "there. how do you feel?" he asks, making sure to speak softly, after his mother hits him with a crucio he knows loud noises don't help. "thanks Reggie, wait but mother took our wands h-how did you-" he shushes Sirius with his hand before he stresses himself out to much. "wandless magic." Sirius looks up at him in shock. "it took a while but I taught myself in case of... well this I guess." he really had taught it to himself, pandora had helped him with the research. after last holiday knowing he couldn't do anything to help himself or Sirius he knew he needed to learn. "reg tha- that's amazing!" "yeah well y'know" he says uncertainly, it really wasn't that big of a deal.
Sirius was about to continue when a "snap!" erupted in the room. they both jumped about a foot in the air and Sirius let out a squeak of surprise. "oh I am truly sorry my sirs, Kreacher was sent to notify the young masters that dinner is ready to be served." oh. just Kreacher. "right yes sorry Kreacher, we will be right there." he tells the old elf. another loud snap and Kreacher is gone. "Godric, I hate that elf." he turns to Sirius in mild surprise "really? I quite like him. do you remember when he used to let us help bake in the kitchens." that was quite a fond memory for him, his parents had been out for a meeting or something and they had begged Kreacher to let them help before he finally let in. Sirius laughed softly at the memory, "yeah i remember, you got flour everywhere and Kreacher was so stressed." they both laughed lightly before regulus cleared his throat, "um we should probably go to dinner before Kreacher gets even more mad." "right yeah." he helps Sirius up and they walk towards the dining room arm in arm.
maybe this summer wouldn't be so bad?