Chapter 2
The hours had morphed into days that turned into weeks since Sirius left. Regulus was invited back down for dinner again, though it never ended well. Without fail, a majestic Eurasian eagle owl landed on Orion's ornate dining chair, dropping a black envelope in front of him. Regulus balled his hands into fists. Whatever that letter said, it won't end well for him. He scanned the table where his father sat, watching his sloppy drunken movements closely as he ripped the ornate envelope open, pulling out the dyed parchment (Bellatrix had gone to Lucious and borrowed his stationary, it seemed). Regulus looked down at the ivory napkin on his lap and then back to his parents. Their attention was on the letter, good. Regulus skilfully pushed the vegetables and the chicken breast onto his lap, folding it into the napkin and pocketing the goods ready for a quick exit. Orion’s grip on the letter tightened, crumpling it under his grasp.
“Well?” Walburga hissed, setting down her fork, causing Regulus to flinch. Orion huffed, bringing his empty hand to his face, calculating his words with a smirk. As a punishment, Orion was thinking of a way to punish Sirius.
“It seems the heir has decided to disown his family.” Regulus stiffened at his father's calm and humorous tone, and Walburga beard her teeth. “It claims that he was born to the wrong family; how interesting, wouldn’t you agree, Reggie?” Orion drawled, sipping from his goblet, watching Regulus intently.
Breathe, just breathe. In and out. Regulus played over the mantra in his head, his gaze fixed on the goblin's hand-painted on the dining room china; he can’t make a scene here, not yet. But the impulsive action spoke louder.
“You're lying”, Regulus mumbled, his body shaking with rage.
“Speak up, boy!” Orion sneered; his features morphed into a rage. Regulus knew that rage. He has a tiny ember of it in him, same with Sirius. It was a horrible, terrible feeling.
“YOUR LYING!” Regulus bellowed, standing from his chairs. The palms of his hands burned as he slammed them onto the black mahogany table. “You're a liar! Sirius loves me.” Regulus didn’t sob; it was just pure rage. He never cried in front of his parents. He would never let them have that luxury of seeing his tears. Walburga cackled. “Loves you?” a horrible toothy smile played on her lips. “Unless your name changed, I don't believe he cares for you anymore, pity.” She looked at Regulus with disdain. Orion smiled. “If you don’t believe me, why not see for yourself?” Orion flung the letter down the table. It skittered in front of Regulus, who picked it up, slumping back in his chair and reading the letter:
Dear Uncle Orion and Aunt Walburga,
I write that my cousin, Sirius, has decided to associate himself with half-breeds and traitors and, since this morning, has decided they are his new family. He even declared the Potter boy as his new brother! I do hope this doesn't upset little Reggie. His behaviour around the school is unruly, and he is often in detention, but I assume great-grandfather Phineas must have told you!
I must go
Love Bellatrix
Regulus' breathing got faster again as he ground his teeth. He let the letter drop onto the table, picked up his knife and slammed it into the letter, piercing the table. Walburga whipped her head around to her son, glaring at him. “That is MAHOGANY!” Regulus wanted to scream, but he couldn't. He was the ever-so-quiet one. Instead, he swiped the table, his plate crashing to the floor and ran to his room. Blacks always had an aura of drama.
Sirius never knew you could smile when you woke up before you went to sleep or just smile for more than a brief moment in a world of so many negative things. It was coming to the end of October. Halloween was days away, meaning his birthday was even sooner. But he couldn't stop smiling. His cheeks started to hurt by week two of school, and now he thinks he will never stop smiling until a letter comes. The young Ural Owl swooped into the great hall the morning before Halloween. Perching on the porridge ladle, the owl chirped, and Sirius’ smile finally dropped. One month and 29 days took for Regulus to write to Sirius. Sirius had yet to pen a letter to Regulus. James and Remus watched as Sirius took the letter from the owl, tracing the wax seal stamp. Sirius let go of his breath, prying the envelope open; truthfully, Sirius had not thought about home or Regulus. However, he didn't blame his little brother for jinxing him. But Sirius couldn’t bring himself to thank him either. The parchment was littered with doodles and crumpled in places where tears had stained the page.
Sirius.
I’m Sorry I Jinxed you. I hope school is fun. Bellatrix is telling lies to Mother and Father; please tell me you still care. I miss you lots. The house is colder without you, and Mother says you're not allowed home for yule. Please write back soon.
R.A.B
P.S. Are we still brothers?
Sirius remained unphased by the letter, years of schooling his features into a blank expression unreadable by the most observant eyes. James took a sharp breath, deciding to break the silence, “Well? Is it good or bad news?” Sirius looked up and over at his two friends.
“Fine, it seems I'll be spending the holidays here”, Sirius forced a persuasive smile. Remus's eyes softened.
“That's terrible, Sirius. Is your brother going to be okay,” the scared boy asked. Sirius folded the parchment, pocketing it.
“Of course, He’s tougher than he thinks.” James purses his lips, giving him a look that says If you say so, mate. I do not quite fully believe Sirius.
Regulus stayed in his room more often than expected. When it dawned on him that it was Christmas day, he still refused to leave his room. None of his family that visited cared. They all assumed he was a jinx and left him alone, apart from Andromeda. Andy was adamant about seeing her younger cousin; it wasn’t to check if he was alive (deep down, it was), but the slight nagging feeling in her head had to be soothed with just seeing if he was. Regulus was Schrodinger’s cat. Narcissa had joked about it with Bellatrix but was quickly scolded by their father for engaging in silly muggle theories. Andromeda reached Regulus’ room. She knocked, opening the door to find Regulus perched on his window sill, staring at Grimmauld Gardens. Snow was falling, reminding him of a snow globe Sirius had found outside and gifted.
“Why are you here? Haven’t you heard I'm a jinx?” Regulus drawled. “Strange you don’t look like a black cat, but sure do have the temperament of one,” Andromeda smiled. Her humour was always quick and dry. It's why Regulus liked her more than Narcissa. Speaking of the beauty, she was lingering at Regulus's door like a bad smell.
“Hello, Cissy.” Regulus let his face show the smile he was trying to suppress.
“Oh, so he does speak; Bella and I were wondering if you had died up here. Shame I was half hoping you had so that we had a chance at being the heir.”
“Alphard would never let a woman be heir, and you know it”, Andromeda said, sitting on Regulus' bed. “I brought you some food, Sirius-”
“Don’t say that name!” Regulus snapped, closing his poetry book. “Don’t mention that name here!” Andromeda straightened on the bed. Narcissa decided to close the bedroom door; privacy is a luxury, and she knew they needed it. Narcissa had the foresight for delicate matters like these. She is a pretty face, but underneath the platinum blond curls and steely grey eyes was a calculating mind that knew how to defuse any situation. Entirely invisible, her mother commented that she is the model wife for any family, quiet and busy, who would have a house with ears always listening. No secret would escape her. But the other reason she closed that door was to stop more rumours from spreading. It was terrible enough that Bellatrix was batshit crazy. Andromeda still had red handprints around her neck from one of Bella’s outbursts the night before, and Narcissa had a burn along her breastbone for being too pretty and above it all, that was the curse of being a Black it seemed, for every sane individual there will always be a slightly insane one to follow.
“And did Sirius tell you this himself?” Narcissa asked, inching closer to the younger boy. A calculated response, Narcissa knew the telltale signs of one of these outbursts. Ragged breathing eyes darting back and forth between real and fake, Andromeda caught on as Regulus began to shake, his breathing going ragged.
“No... but Bellatrix-”
“-Is a no-good liar and a snitch.” Andromeda stood from her spot; Narcissa, a foot shorter than her sister, looked up at her, ensuring they were on the same page. Mission: Calm Regulus down. Narcissa pulled a letter from her pocket. Regulus observed her.
“What is that?” he asked with childlike curiosity. “
This? Oh, it’s a gift For you from Sirius,” Narcissa stated, handing the letter over. Regulus snatched it, tearing it open.
Andromeda looked at her sister using hushed words, “Did you read it ?” Narcissa shook her head.
“No, I'm hoping it won't set him off.”
Andromeda let out a noise as Regulus devoured the letter. The silence was thick and unreadable; Andromeda was the first to move, placing a delicate hand on Regulus' shoulder to test the waters of his mind. “Well? What does it say?” Narcissa was the first to bite; Andromeda shot her a motherly glare that earned a staple of Narcissa's eye-roll as she waded over to the windowsill, sitting next to her cousin. The three read over the letter.
Reggie
I’m sorry I haven't written to you. I was having so much fun! I can’t wait for you to join me at school. I think you will like it a lot here. Especially the astronomy tower! I hope mother and father are treating you well and you're getting enough food. At school, we get three meals a day! My favourite so far is this stew they make with dumplings. I think you will like it and we always get pudding! I had an extra slice of chocolate cake that I would send you, but it was too good to ship with an owl. I promise I will bring a whole cake when I come home in the summer! And we can eat it in the linen room. I have to go now, but my friends James, Remus and Peter all say hello and can’t wait to meet you!
I love you and miss you so much,
S.O.B
P.S You will always be my brother
Regulus took every word on the parchment; Sirius was okay and having fun. That was okay, right? Voices stirred in his head.
‘He’s having fun without you,’
‘Perhaps it's for the better that you don't see him,’
‘he doesn't deserve fun for leaving you.’
Regulus felt the pull on his mind as he followed the melodic voices further and further down. But then a light shone behind him, a more pleasant voice breaking through. “See, Reggie Sirius is okay, and he can’t wait to see you”, Andromeda spoke to him.
“As we said, Bella is just trying to cause problems. Like always, she has to make everything about her,” Narcissa drawled, tightening the black bow in her hair. Regulus folded the letter, pressing it between the journal pages he was working on. The three of them stayed in blissful silence. Each would not delve into why they wanted to escape their family, but it was clear to anyone who would open the door. Narcissa didn’t wish the prying eyes of her great uncle Araticus on her again. He was 70 years old, widowed and obsessed with her. Andromeda just wanted away from Bellatrix and her shrill cackling. Since Bella laid her hands on Andromeda, she tried to stay as far away from her as humanly possible.
“Andy?” Regulus started; Andromeda hummed as she brushed her sister's hair, fixing the bow. “Is it my fault that Sirius was sorted into Gryffindor? Am I really a jinx?” Andromeda sighed motherly and then looked over at Regulus.
“No, the hole-sorting thing? It's just ridiculous. The family is just ridiculous, Reggie. Don’t worry, in my eyes, you're not a Jinx-” The door to Regulus' room opened, and Alphard peered in.
“So this is where everyone is hiding”, he smiled.
Shit.
The three young Blacks knew something was wrong. It was common knowledge that every family member had something wrong with them. If you were to do a scientific study on them, it would boil down to inbreeding. But the magical explanation is that the family was sort of cursed. Alphard's curse was that he had lucid memories and wasn’t all there some days, and if you had been in the family for more than three days, you knew the telltale signs that he looked happy to see people. He was, in fact, lucid. Regulus watched as Alphard slipped into the room like a rebellious teenager again.
“Hello, uncle”, Narcissa said sweetly. “What brings you up here?” She tucks in her legs, watching Alphard's movements closely.
“I overheard you talking about Sirius. Is he doing okay?”
“Yes, he sent a letter.” Regulus knew better than to push Alphard when he was lucid, but he was hungry and hadn't had much to eat the past few days. “Am I invited to do dinner?” Andromeda stiffened. Alphard let out a chuckle, flopping onto Regulus's bed.
“Why wouldn’t you be? Orion, I’m not in charge of the family yet.” This is bad. Andromeda stared at Regulus with pleading eyes, begging him not to push it. But that was how Regulus was cursed; he could switch between a child, a calm calculation genius and a third option only a few people had ever seen. Right now, Regulus was calm and calculated, a personality that he started to develop since Sirius had left. This armour was his newest against his family, and Andromeda was scared, but Narcissa was curious to see how he would use it.