In the Dark
As the memory cleared the image of a small, shaking form huddled in the back of a dark closet. In the background raised angry voices and the shattering of some, undoubtedly priceless object, breaking could be heard. A small beam of light shines through the keyhole and the thin gap under the door, illuminating unruly black hair, sickly pale skin littered with dark painful looking bruises. Small hands clutching the fabric of his green pajama pants so tightly that his knuckles turn white. As another vase shattered big gray eyes flickered towards the door, body tensing.
After Sirius had gone off to Hogwarts and got sorted into Gryffindor their parents have been fighting a lot more, about how their reputation is in danger, how they raised a complete disgrace to the Black family name. They have also been lamenting loudly about how it's going to be up to Regulus to save the family. In the months that followed Regulus tried to do what his brother told him to, to lay low and just do what they said but it was hard. When their parents really got going in their anger they would remember that they could take out the anger on someone.
The abuse has really gotten worse, before Regulus had Sirius to protect him and they could at least share the pain, but now he was alone in this dark, depressing house with only Kreacher as a positive company and even then he was forbidden from helping Regulus in any way.
A sniff sounded from the small huddled form on the floor, a hand went to wipe away the new wave of tears that started to fall down his rosy red cheek.
Earlier in the evening their parents had one too many glasses of wine with their dinner and fighting started up once again, Regulus had tried to shrink in his seat, to become invisible and avoid the inevitable pain that would come.
It didn't work…
They suddenly remembered that they did, in fact, have two children, one of which was at home and in reach. This led to Regulus laying on the floor in the dining room, bleeding from multiple shallow cuts and bruises already starting to form on his fair skin. He was trying with all his might to not release the sob that was caught in his throat, knowing that it would only make it worse for him as their parents hated any kind of weakness.
After his parents had worked out the anger on him they left him on the floor, telling him to get himself cleaned up and out of their sight, so Regulus gathered all his strength and dragged his weak, shaking body up the stairs.
Regulus just wanted to feel safe so he walked past his door and carefully opened his brothers instead, where he made his way into the deepest corner of the closet. There he made himself into a small ball and finally let his tears fall.
“Siri…please come home soon.” His voice was small and broken, eyes swimming with pain and sadness.
“I can't take this much more, why didn't you come home for Yule?” Regulus had been so excited to finally see his brother after so many months, but when the day slowly progressed without his brother coming home he slowly started to lose hope. When it was time for dinner Regulus gathered his courage and asked his parents where his brother was, this was what started the downfall of the night for Regulus. As his mother had poured herself another glass of red wine she informed him that his brother had decided to stay at the school for Yule, with his new disgraceful friends.
That had broken Regulus, the knowledge that his brother had made the decision to not see him, to leave him alone with their parents for even longer. Even with the sudan stone in his throat Regulus kept his face blank and continued to pick at his meal.
“You promise to be back by now, tu me manques grand frère.” (I miss you big brother)
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Regulus kept his gaze straight forward, not wanting to see whatever look that was on his brother's face, it was embarrassing for Sirius, and the whole bloody school, to have seen that. To have seen his moment of weakness and begging his big brother to come back and save him, ugh…
“Reg…” Sirius whispered. Regulus tried to ignore him but Sirius started to shake his arm from where he was still holding on to him, when Regulus still tried to ignore him Sirius started to shake his arm more vigorously.
“What?!” He whispered-shouted, just wanting Sirius to stop shaking him as it was starting to hurt his already aching ribs.
“I…I wanted to come home for Yule, I promise.” His voice was pleading, like it really mattered that Regulus knew that him not coming back wasn't his fault. Sirius' eyes bore into his, pleading him to believe what he was saying.
“Sure Sirius.” Regulus said with a bored tone, not believing his brother for a minute. He rolled his eyes at the thought, when his brother actually had returned for the summer he had been completely dismissive of his little brother, like the last 12 years hadn’t happened.
“No I really mean it, please Regulus I thought you knew.” Sirius said with a pleading voice, shaking his arm to get his attention.
“Knew what?” Regulus sneered, trying once again to rip his arm from his brother's grip, only for Sirius to tighten his grip again.
“Cette garce ne m'a pas laissé rentrer à la maison, elle a dit qu'elle te ferait du mal si je le faisais!” (That bitch didn't let me come home, she said she would hurt you if I did!) Sirius said in an angry voice, pleading with his brother to believe him.
“Pourquoi devrais-je te croire ? Quand tu es rentré, tu étais impatient de rentrer et tu ne voulais pas passer plus de temps que nécessaire à la maison.” (Why should I believe you? When you actually came home you couldn’t wait to go back and didn’t want to spend more time that needed in the house.) Regulus' voice was cold and dripping with hatred, the memories of the summer when Sirius finally came home washing over him, a cold feeling settling in his chest.
“Reg…” Sirius looked at him with a mournful look, clearly trying to save his own skin.
Regulus looked away once again, not wanting to continue looking at his brother, to many emotions that he’s been trying to push down coming back up. So instead he made the mistake of looking around the room and taking in all the expression, the stop in his tracks when he met brown eyes. Potter was staring at him with an utterly heartbroken expression, it stunned Regulus so much that his blank expression slipped, his eyes widening as he and Potter stared at one another. When James released that Regulus was staring back at him he tried to mask his expression with a soft smile.
Potter really was terrible at hiding his emotion, but bloody salazar was he attractive when he smiled like that…
He should really examine these feeling when all of this is over.
Oh who is he kidding, he’s going to push these feelings down and never think about it again.