I'm the oldest
The two children raced down the hall on light feet, muffling laughter and giggles as they went, knowing that if they made any unnecessary loud noises their mother would come looking for them and with her pain and suffering followed closely behind. The older chased after his little brother into the library, a big dark room with shelves upon shelves of old books about dark and forbidden magic, but the two children barely spared the shelves a second glance, too caught up in their own little world.
The smaller of the two managed to slip behind a dark wooden table, putting it between him and his jerk of an older brother.
“Oh Reggie∼” Sirius crooned, placing his palms flat on the dark wood, a clear contrast to his pale skin. His brother had an evil smirk on his face, eyes filled with mischief. Regulus tried to keep a straight face but couldn't help the giggle that slipped out, making Sirius smirk turn into a wide grin.
“No.”
“I'm not going to do anything, promise.” Sirius was good at many things but lying was not one of them, at least not to his little brother. Regulus knew that if Sirius got close to him he would tickle him mercilessly.
“You're a shit liar Siri.” Sirius gasped theatrically, hand coming up to clutch his heart as a fake hurt expression made its way onto the older boy's face.
“Me? A bad liar? I know your smart Reggie so use that brain of yours, also language!” She shook his finger, mimicking their old tutor that would sometimes wash their mouth with soap if she caught them cursing, the impression was actually pretty accurate so Regulus let out a snicker. Sirius took his moment of distraction as his opportunity to strike, and strike he did. He lunged over the table, coming at him faster than Regulus could react, fully tackling him to the floor, but still being able to slide a hand being his little brother's head so that it didn't collide with the wooden floor. Panic flooded in Regulus´veins as he knew what was about to happen, his whole life Sirius has randomly decided to attack him and tickle him, stating that it's in his rights as Regulus´ older brother.
“No!” The younger cried out, still in a managed voice as he didn't want them to be caught. He pushed his hands into his brother's face in an effort to push him away, this only resulted in Sirius grabbing his wrists in a tight grip and not letting go.
“What do we have here∼” The wicked smirk was back as he traced his index finger over Regulus´sensitive ribs, little giggles falling from his lips, his smirk widening even further at the noise. He dug his fingers into the soft flesh and relished in the squeal that tore out of his baby brother's throat. Not caring for a second if their mother heard them, being able to hear Regulus' childish laugh is worth whatever the old hag may do to him. He doesn't get to hear it often and he constantly laments this fact because he thinks that his little brother should always be able to laugh as loud as he wants, and not have to look over his shoulder or strain his ears to see if their mother is around the corner.
Regulus squirmed trying to get away from his brother's merciless fingers, kicking out trying to dislodge the older boy´s fierce hold on him but not succeeding. As he tried once again he felt his foot hit something, he paused and looked over his brother's shoulder and felt his blood turn to ice in his veins as he watched in lowmotion as a priced family heirloom vase fell to the ground. Sirius froze too when he heard the porcelain hit the ground, shattering in thousands of pieces. They looked at eachother with wide eyes, full of terror and dread for what's about to happen.
As quickly as they could they scrambled to stand up, back straightening and eyes locked on the heavy doors to the library. “I knocked it over, you hear? You just stay quiet and if she tells you to leave the room, you listen.” His brother's voice didn't betray the fear that his eyes reflected as they picked up on harsh footsteps climbing the stairs.
“But-”
“No. Regulus, I'm the oldest so you have to listen to me.” Sirius cut him off in a harsh whisper, not looking away from the door that their mother would soon burst through.
“But you didn't knock it over, Siri please.” Regulus pleaded, he was sick and tired of seeing his brother getting hurt because of his mistakes, getting punished in his stead because he insisted that it was his job as the older brother to protect him.
“It doesn't matter.” The sharp sound of their mothers high heels was getting closer, Sirius took a step forward, shielding his younger brother. Regulus reached forward and clenched a fist in Sirius´ dress shirt, trying to pull his back so that they would stand side by side, but his brother planted his feet and only turned his head to look back at his baby brother.
“Regulus, promise me that if she tells you to leave, you'll leave.” Sirius's voice was harsh, something it never was when he was talking to his beloved little brother, Regulus' eyes widened, his bottom lip trembled and his eyes taking on a glossy appearance.
“Please, Siris. Not again…” He said in a frantic tone, his eyes meeting his brother and only seeing hardened silver, at that moment Walburga brushed through the doors making them bang against the walls, taking in the hundreds of tiny shards of antique porcelain covering the floor. The look in her eyes could only be described as murderous.
“Who?” She asked in a deathly calm voice, Regulus opened his mouth to tell the truth, desperate to make sure that Sirius wouldn't be harmed from his actions.
He was to slow.
Sirius raised his chin and met their mothers angry eyes, masking his fear and said in a steady voice, “Me.”
“Regulus, go to your room.” Their mother said, not taking her eyes off her first born. Regulus shook his head, refusing to leave his brother's side.
“No.” She didn't like that answer.
“Regulus Arcturus Black, you will go to your room so that I can properly discipline your brother.” Her voice was cold as ice, making shiver run down the backs of her two children.
“But he didn't-” He never got to finish, without even bothering to spare him a glance she sent a cutting hex at her spare, slicing him across the left collarbone, blood immediately starting to flow from the cut and coloring his white dress shirt red. The small boy flinched back, a whimper leaving his lips, he let go of his brother's shirt to clutch at the wound. Sirius's head whipped around as he registered what had happened, he reached out to hold his brother but was stopped when the old hag spoke again.
“Leave, I´ll deal with you later.”
She´ll deal with him? Oh hell no.
“If you lay even a finger on him I'll ruin you.” He snarled glaring daggers at his egg donor, sounding much older than the eight years that he was. His mother let out a sarcastic laugh, like the thought humored her greatly.
“You will ruin me? Please.” She drawled in a bored tone, waving her wand aimlessly and suddenly Regulus was sprawled out on the floor screaming bloody murder, his small body convulsing and shaking vigorously.
The Cruciatus Curse.
“NO!” Sirius fell to his knees beside his little brother, his hands hovering uselessly over Regulus' quivering body, not being able to do anything to help him.
“Stop it, please mother! Please don't hurt him! Don't hurt him!” Tears were falling from his eyes as he looked pleadingly at her, it wasn't the first time that her first born had reacted like this when she was hurting her spare but now it got her thinking, she could use this to her advantage. She stared coldly down at her children, not caring that her youngest was still screaming in pain under her wand.
“Will you start behaving like a proper heir?” She asked in a cool tone, raising her eyebrow expectantly.
“Yes! Yes whatever, please stop!” Sirius was blubbering, tears streaming down his pale face, his eyes alight with despair and terror, looking from their tormentor to his little brother. He must have been under the horrid spell for at least a few minutes now.
She looked at him calculating, “Very well.” With a flick of her wand the spell stopped and Regulus´body slumped, his muscles twitching in over use, whimpers and cries falling freely from his lips. Sirius carefully rolled his brother so that he lay flat on his back, looking down at his small face that was scrunched up in pain and misery with tears smudged all over his chubby cheeks. He used the end of his cuff to dry his little brother's face while looking into hazy, dull silver eyes.
Then he felt a cold hand close around his biceps, shart nails digging into his soft flesh, dragging him to his feet and away from his hurt baby brother. He tried to struggle out of her harsh grip but wasn't strong enough.
“Let me go you rotten hag!” He snarled, trying to rip his arm away. His mother didn't say anything, only continuing to drag him out of the library, leaving Regulus in the middle of the floor, staring after them in a haze. He vaguely understands that their mother is going to hurt his big brother but he can't quite comprehend it for everything feels like it's underwater, he feels detached to everything around him. He can't feel the hard wooden floor underneath him nor the sharp porcelain pieces that he landed on, he can hear his breathing and the banging of his heart in his ears but he can't hear the piercings screams of his brother from their mothers study, he can't hear him pleading for her to stop, he can´t hear it. Everything is muffled. He lays on his back in the cold library, waiting to regain the feeling in his limbs, the hearing in his ears.
By the time he does his mother will be done with Sirius and is sipping her afternoon tea in peace, while her sons try to pick up the pieces of themself that she shredded.
The great hall has never been this silence, if you dropped a nail you could probably hear it clattering on the stone floor. Regulus had the strange desire to do it, anything to get away from this moment.
There had been vastly different reactions throughout the memorie, in the beginning, there had been laughter and giggles as they saw the two small brothers play, saw them have fun, it changed very quickly when they saw how the boys reacted to accidentally knocking down a vase. From there on out it was dread, horror, disgust, outraged and anger from all around them.
Regulus just wanted to go to bed.