Lullabies
Regulus sat in the head master's office, both his parents sat opposite him, he kept his face neutral, a practiced mask, yet his eyes still felt so heavy
Everything is a haze after he saw his brother's corpse, he can vaguely remember sitting on the floor with knees pulled to his chest as his cries reduced to silent sobs, it's a blur when someone tells him that his parents are in the headmaster's office and he robotically comes to see them
Regulus can barely feel anything and as he looks at his parents, their eyes, cold, his Father looked like he wanted to be anywhere but here, his Mother's scowl that seemed to be etched in her face looks sourer
Why? Why do you look like that? Your son just suddenly died today, why do you look like that?
Regulus felt sick as his parents converse with Dumbledore, he tried to make out what they are saying but it's like his ears have cotton stuffed in them
"...disowned"
"disgraced the name…"
"He's not our son"
Regulus bites the inside of his cheek, his fists balled tightly, his ears selectively picked up those words
"Regulus, you'll be home for two days, We expect you at dinner" he was snapped out of his thoughts but before he can reply his parents are already storming out the study
Regulus followed suit but not before looking at Dumbledore who doesn't seem to be going to move or do anything from his seat
He turned away and followed his Parents, at the entrance of the office he bumps into James Potter , who at least had the mind to step aside and Regulus walks past him
He's as absent as he was back in the headmaster's office, even when Professor Slughorn assisted him in using his office fireplace network to floo to dinner with his parents and even offered him condolences
He arrived directly at the dining area where, his eyes looked around at the people who are already seated
"Good evening" He greeted, and sat down on his place,back straight with all the manners beaten into him
He looked at everyone, his cousins especially, Bella whose eyes are wide and manic alongside her grin, Narcissa holds the same blank expression as him, the long forgotten space where Andromeda should be and he wonders…
He wonders if they know, if they've heard
His mother and father arrived and as customary , the moment the master of the house picks up his utensil they would start eating as well
"When are you officially announcing Regulus as heir" It was aunt Druella who asked his mother and father the question
"Tomorrow, Regulus would formally be announced at dinner" Father answered
"The sooner it is, the better, lest the press caught wind of something they shouldn't be sticking their noses into"
Regulus' dropped his fork
"Regulus, is there a problem?" His mother didn't hide her annoyance at the sudden clink of silver against fine china
Problem? They're all at dinner talking about doing a fancy party to announce him when his brother just died
"Are we not supposed to be preparing a wake?"
The whole table went silent, he can see Narcissa's eyes widening, Bella's grin fell, aunt Druella and uncle Cygnus gave his parents a pointed look,his Father downed his wine as he gives him a warning look while his mother had a mortified look in her face
"Considering that my brother just died, Wouldn't it be inappropriate to arrange a party before a funeral?" looking at his mother's eyes, questioning her
He sounds like Sirius just now, his stomach twists, he wouldn't be the one to speak against his parents, nor give his mother that mortified look in her face, his brother had often chastise him for his silence and cowardness , he follows and never questions
A scrape of the chair and he felt someone yanked him out his seat, his mother's nails dig into his arms, he grits his teeth to keep himself from hissing as his mother dragged him to the room where the tapestry is located
"Look here Regulus" his mother took a fist of his hair back forcing him to look at their Family Tree where a face and a name was burned off
"You have no brother, you're the heir, the only child, do you understand?" Her grip tightens at every word
"Answer me!" Walburga screeches
"Yes Mother, I understand"
"I can't hear you" he whimpers a bit
"Yes mother I understand"
"Walburga! That's enough" his father scolds, his voice firm and cold, aunt Druella and uncle Cygnus settles at the settee in the room, Druella's eyes had a glint of amusement in them
Walburga released Regulus with a huff, and he had braced himself to not stumble
"Go to your room Regulus, and you're expected to be on your best behavior tomorrow evening, understood?" Orion told, his tone laced with a hint of threat
"Yes Father, goodnight, excuse me"
As soon as he's out of their line of sight, Regulus' counted steps turned into a hurried stride, as fast as he could climb the staircase ignoring Bellatrix and Narcissa Who's having hushed conversation just by the corridor
He shuts his bedroom door, breathing ragged and labored, sinking to the floor as he tries to calm himself, his trembling hands clasped and his head buried between his knees
Silence engulfs his room…
A silence that didn't last as the twining of a music box disturbed it, then the song starts playing
Regulus stands up and he walks closer to music box, it's a simple brown box,yet charmed by magic to play whenever he's in distress
Charmed by Sirius, when he gifted it to Regulus before he went to Hogwarts, it plays the song they both learned when they're young, the one that Regulus always asks Sirius to sing when sleep got interrupted by nightmares
Constant as the stars above
Always know that you are loved…
He sang as Regulus curl up beside him the night before he departs to Hogwarts
"Better?" He asks Regulus after the song,he had come crying about a nightmare after getting mad that Sirius is going to be leaving the next day and he bitterly ignored Sirius that day as well….
"Yeah" he replies
"You're still sulking though,cry baby"
"I'm not a cry baby!"
"You are"
"Am not!"
"Crybaby ickle Reggie"
"I hate you!"
His frown deepens when Sirius laughed, his cheeks flushed red
"Do you have to go?"
"Of course! It's Hogwarts"
"You'll leave me!"
"Silly Reggie, I'll still come home for Holidays"
"Why can't I just come with you?"
"You haven't gotten your letter yet, you still have to wait next year"
"Hmmph!"
"I'm sleepy now! Let's sleep, I'll sing again?"
"Okay" ….
Sirius starts singing..
His big brother left for Hogwarts and Regulus watches as he boards the train…
The music box played every night after that
His big brother left, he ran away that night and he watched him go
The music box chimed then too…
Sirius left again, this time he's not coming back and Regulus hates him, he hates him
A choked sob and he threw the music box across the room, it hit the wall and shatters on the floor , the tune stopped playing
It took a moment and he snaps realizing what he did
"No! No! No!" Frantic, he ran towards the shattered music box, it's pieces a scattered mess, he fumbles around and finds his wand
"Reparo!Reparo!"
The pieces starts coming together and the music box starts to twine again
Then it played…
"Constant as the stars above
Always know that you are loved…"
"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry" he said in between gasps,tears wetting his cheeks
"come home,please"