Regulus Black was home the day his parents found out that their oldest, Sirius Black, had been sorted into Gryffindor, the first Black member to not be in slytherin, in the history of the family. He had heard his mother’s noises from inside a little secret room, Sirius had made for them when he was only five, Regulus only four. And at ten years old, Regulus knew that going to his bedroom he could face the wrath of his mother seeing him and taking her anger on him. So he stayed put, bundling himself with the blanket that was his brother’s, and wished for the night to be over, and for the thunder and lightning in the sky to be louder, to drown out his mother’s shouts about his big brother.
So when Regulus of course got accepted into the school, he was nervous he could be following in his brother’s footsteps, something he doesn’t want to happen to him, after all, the blood on Sirius after he came home for the Christmas Holidays, left a permanent stain on the carpet, and their mother refused to let it be cleaned up, to serve as a reminder to the household.
Sirius’s back still hasn’t fully healed from that night, but he didn’t care, he still doesn’t, all he cared about is that at least his baby brother didn’t get any damage for what Sirius had done. Because even while he was bleeding in pain, and felt close enough to wish he was dead, he made sure to examine his ten year old brother for any wounds on him. Who would only look up at him with sad eyes that this was their life.
Sirius then had watched as his older and younger cousins, cousins he loved like sisters, very annoying sisters, but sisters, Bellatrix, and Andromeda, all sorted into Slytherin. But now it was the last two Black’s, and he only cared about one of their results… while yes he does care so much for Narcissa. She’s not his baby brother though. No one could be his baby brother. No matter who or what. No one could replace Regulus Black, in twelve years old, Sirius’s Black’s eyes.
As all five of the Black cousins walk to the train station together, a formation they started doing when it was only Bellatrix, the oldest by three years, started to go. As their parents sure as hell wouldn’t have dropped them off and given them kisses goodbye, not unless the prophet or other members of noble pure bloods were there.
“Are you really going to be sitting with those people and that half blood freak again…” Bellatrix says, nose wrinkling in disgust, that her cousin wants to keep company with a half blood whose face is covered in scars.
“We’ve been over this, his name is Remus and he isn’t a freak, and yeah, they're good people.” Sirius says with a shrug, not seeing the reasoning of why he wouldn’t.
“Do they at least treat you right?” Andromeda then says, looking at her big cousin, only by merely ten minutes, something that still causes feuds in the Black family dinners, either by the siblings or by Sirius and Andromeda themselves.
“I doubt gryffindors know how to treat people well.” Bellatrix then says as then Sirius burrows his eyebrows upset,
“I am one as well Bella.”
“I know I know Sirius. But the hat could be wrong. Wouldn’t be the first time. That’s all.” Bellatrix says as Sirius looks at Andromeda with a warm smile and nods.
“They do, and I’m taking Reggie to meet them.”
As then every single Black member, even Regulus and Narcissa who were comforting each other, turned to look at Sirius like he grew two heads but Sirius isn’t going to back down.
“He’s my baby brother, and I want him to meet my best friends. That’s the end of discussion.”
Sirius says, as then Regulus feels his heart pound harder. What if this is the first step? What if he too becomes different? What if he feels the same pain Sirius did? As then if Sirius can read his brother’s mind,
“I’m not going to let anything bad happen to you. I promise.” He whispers to his baby brother’s ear. As Regulus then decides to hold onto that promise like a vow, an unbreakable vow that he saw his mother do one to her brother.
“Well we will be in our spot, if you need us Regulus.” Bellatrix then says as Narcissa gives him a small wave bye, as they head to their booth as then Sirius flashes the biggest smile, Regulus has ever seen on him, he didn’t even know it was possible someone could smile that much, not without hurting themselves.
“Trust me. You’re going to love them!” As Sirius walked more with a skip, shoulders looser, Regulus noted, as he just couldn’t help but wonder about those three people who just completely transformed his big brother from his parent’s golden boy heir to merely an heir to keep the pure bloodline in the family.
As Regulus just observes as Sirius opens up the booth door,
“Peter!” Sirius says with a big smile, as Regulus then observes as the boy standing up with a grin, looking at his brother, then this boy looks at Regulus with a warm smile,
“I’m Peter Pettigrew.”
As then Regulus looks at Sirius for guidance and then at Peter, and offers his hand out, like Peter is any member of his parents friends at a dinner party,
“Regulus Black.” As Sirius looks at his baby brother,
“You don’t have to be all formal. I promise they don’t care about that sort of thing.” Sirius whispers with a small smile.
“I’m surprised you managed to beat James.” Peter then adds, as Sirius nods,
“Me as well. Speaking of him, where is he? And Remus??”
“Not here yet.” Peter says with a shrug as he then goes back to sit down. As then before Regulus could blink, someone goes behind Sirius, pulling him, as then Regulus pulls out his wand, prepared to hurt whoever dare hurts his big brother in front of him,
“Hey get off him!” Regulus then says upset, as both boys turn to look at Regulus, and Regulus sees that smile on his brother, again, he doesn’t look scared or frightened like he does at home, as the other boy’s glasses and his blue eyes looking confused at Regulus, only upsetting him more.
“Reggie, it’s ok, he’s safe,”
Sirius then says softly, as Regulus notices both boys eyes look at Sirius, probably to wonder why he used that word, a word Regulus knows Sirius never would just toss out there, not unless he meant the weight of it, so Regulus puts his wand back in his jacket pocket.
“It’s ok Petit frère,” Sirius says again softly. As Regulus still eyes this boy upset,
“James, this is my baby brother, Regulus. Regulus, this is James!” Sirius then says with a warm smile, as then this James guy, breaks out into a big smile,
“Don’t hug him. He’s never had one.” Sirius then quickly says, as James nods, as Regulus looks at Sirius confused, wondering what the bloody hell is a hug.
“So good to finally meet you! Sirius talks about you a lot!” James says with a big excited smile.
“Likewise…” Regulus says still eyeing the two, but he knows there’s a third one, the freak one Bellatrix would say. Which really pissed Sirius off the first and second and third and ok every time she’s called him one. But then Regulus notices Sirius, breaking into a smile that isn’t his big smile, but a smile that shines, that it makes even his brown eyes sparkle,
“You’re here.” He then hears his brother say in a soft gentle tone, which makes Regulus seriously blink, he’s only known his brother to use a soft tone to comfort him, but he turns around, and no kidding, this boy has scars, why doesn’t he just use a spell to cover them up? It’s what the Black’s do? Regulus thinks to himself.
“I’m so sorry I’m late. Mam was insisting I bring food for everyone for the train ride there.” The boy says with a shy smile as Regulus then watches as his brother just looking at the scar faced boy like he’s the only one in this room, no train, no the damn world.
“I missed you,” Sirius then says softly as Regulus looks at James and Peter who seem like their used to this, which just confuses him more, does Sirius like this scar faced boy, wait, is he the half blood, Regulus just realizes, no, Sirius can’t like a halfblood, he can’t, but before he can freak out as one eleven year old does,
“Hi, I’m Remus Lupin,”
Remus offers his hand that Regulus notices is shaking a bit, but shakes the hand back,
“Regulus Black.”
Trying to not let the worry slip through his voice or face, but what is his brother doing? Does he not know how dangerous muggle blood is to pure blood? Regulus then grabs a rag from his jacket pocket and cleans his hand, knowing what a coward he was to believe that the hand contact could harm him, but his parents wouldn’t have lied about such a thing.
Sirius automatically notices this and frowns, but before he can get upset at his baby brother, and lash out, Remus, Remus who always notices Sirius's eyes and cues, just puts his hand on Sirius’s shoulder,
“It’s ok Sirius.” He says softly, which if Remus was anyone else, he’d throw out how Sirius did the same thing once he found out Remus is a half-blood, but he doesn’t, as that’s not Remus.
“Ready to sit down?” James then says, as all three look at James and Peter, as Sirius looks at Regulus,
“I’m going to sit with our cousins.” Regulus says as Sirius feels like his heart could break, but before he can try to stop Regulus, Regulus walks back through the train, as Sirius just observes, feeling his heart ache more.
So when that hat put the hat on Regulus, saying Slytherin, Sirius knew then that his brother would never see him, the same way ever again.
While Regulus knew as soon as he sat down next to his cousins, Sirius would never want to be around such a coward such as himself.