Part 6
Regulus kept staring at his writing on the piece of paper, being careful not to crease it anymore than it had already been. There were small lines where it had been folded hastily. The boys were asleep and he was the only one awake as far as he knew. He replayed the scenes from earlier that day. He should have never brought up Mother. He knew how much of a touchy subject it was for both of them.
One line stuck in his head, making him believe that it was said towards him. "Weakness is emotion, we have no weaknesses"
He whispered it to himself over and over again. He had cast a silencing spell on his bed but he couldn't be too careful.
"Toujours Pur" The awful saying that haunted him, even now. It followed him everywhere and reminded him of his 'duty' to his family. His role of being the 'Perfect Heir to The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black'. He was born into the role and he couldn't escape it like Sirius had. He was under twice as much pressure as there was no backup plan. He was the backup plan. He was the only person left.
He remembered that night so vividly. He remembered the look in his brother's eyes. The way that he pleaded for him to come with him. To follow him to the Potter's house. Assuring him that he would be safe there, not realising that he would have put them both in danger. Who knows what would have happened if Mother found out. One thing was for sure though, they would live to regret it.
Her punishments were cruel enough but they would only get worse. She was always ready to throw curses at them, not even caring if they were unforgivable. They varied from locking the in a small room with no light and barely tall enough to sit down to using the Crutiatus or Imperious on them. She always stopped before it caused more permanent damage than scars. Her punishments got twice as harsh when Regulus was the last one left. He was held to a higher standard and expected to have no flaws. He was cursed for even doing a pointless task wrong. He was to show respect and perfection in every way. The punishments were always split in half but now that the other half was gone it was all on him.
Regulus knew that Sirius would leave years before he actually did. He noticed how Sirius had started slowly packing a small bag and hiding it behind a poster. It didn't take a genius to figure it out. He could tell that even though Sirius was always bright and happy, it was to make up for insecurities that plagued his mind. They knew each other like the backs of their hands, no matter how scarred they were. They were the same. Even if they had different interests, different friends and were part of a different house, they were the same. They shared the same memories from 1-11 years of age and they had the same insecurities, though they covered them up in a different way. They lived up to their names. Sirius was the brightest star in the night sky but Regulus was bright, yes, but it was always out shone by Sirius.
Sirius had made one last promise before he left for good. "No matter what happens, you will always be my brother. I promise." He had even handed him a small ring that Regulus had attached to a pendant which hung around his neck at all times. It was a short and sweet exit but it was better than leaving without a word, now it was gone. Regulus ruined it. The one that wanted to fix their relationship, broke it. He was a hypocrite to the furthest extent. He really was looking forward to having Sirius back again but, of course, he ruined it.
He tried to convince himself that he was in the right. Sirius had talked shit about him behind his back and had cut off all communication with him. He had turned most of his friends against him and there were countless rumours about him. That was it.
But he ran away. He left to escape the horrors of that house. He had no choice.
He abandoned him. He had good reason to. Regulus was told to never speak to him as well, he was told to never interact with his brother in any way. Every other reason that he came up with, it was his fault. He was to blame. He had caused the damage and he only made it worse today.
He reached for the short sliver of chain by his neck and pulled out a medium length pendant with a small silver ring hanging around it. It had the Canine constellation on it and Sirius's had the Leo constellation on it. He ran his finger along the edge of it, watching how it glinted in the dark. He never wanted this to happen.
But all the Black children were born to be the next tragedy.
They were never meant to have a happy ending.
It was the curse that never made exceptions and always held true. Even those who ran away were still born into the fate. The curse chased them and they were never fast enough. The tree never forgot who lived in it's branches. Once their name has been ingrained it's the end.
A name is a powerful thing that can never be removed. It is a history that will live with you forever especially if it is one upholding a title. One that held money and fame. One with generations of legacies and traditions. One that was known for it's reputation and it's ability to keep it. These names were the ones that couldn't fade. They will never let you forget. they will let you down, break your heart, kill you if it had to. If you fell in love with somebody that held that name, you have prepared yourself for a tragedy greater than life itself. A drama that not even the best writer could script. It will tear your heart into pieces but you will never want to leave.
The charm of fame and money in a name can only lead in disaster. That is one of three lessons that every member of it should know. Another is to never let your guard down. If you think you are safe, you are not. You are born into this family and it is now your job to look after yourself. Everything that happens, your fault or not, you have to fix it. Nothing comes for free. You want love? Earn it. You want attention? Earn. It
The last is to be perfect. Every day at all times. Your mask must never crack, not even under pressure. If you leave you will be filled with guilt, insecurities and muscle memory. Once you think about trying abandoning your name, it will be too late. That name will haunt you until you die and even then it will follow you into the Afterlife. Everywhere you go you will be reminded of your past and you will be questioning if you made the right choice, even if you stayed.
It is called a curse for a reason.
Regulus placed his head on the wall behind him, his legs crossed and a book sitting on his lap with his wand creating a dim light beside him. Luckily the curtains were close so nobody saw the that tear ran down his cheek as he relived every emotion that he had. He undid the clasp on the chain, sliding the ring off of it. He held between his finger and thumb. It was older than him by a little over a year but it had seen everything. It knew the house like it was there when it was built, it knew the elves like they were childhood friends and it knew the rules like it was a sixth sense. The ring and Sirius had shared a part of a life whereas Regulus had seen it for his whole life so far and now he owned it. It was the last symbol of hope shared between the brothers before they split.
Every memory got harder to look at the longer he went on. He was going further than he wanted, looking at his life in that house. Looking at the bruises, both his and his brother's and the blood that had stained the floor and had taken days to remove. They then got yelled at for 'ruining the floor' even though the only thing they did 'wrong' was looking 'unpresentable' in front of their guests.
That was all they did yet they got the torture curse. They 7 and 8 at the time. Now they were 15 and 16. One still living with the Blacks and the other now living with the Potters.
How time changes.