Regulus sat on the floor of his room, knees pulled up to his chest, back against his door.
One arm was on his knees, his head buried beneath it, his other arm over the back of his head, the letter dangling from his hand, gently swaying every time he took another shuddering breath, or shifted to wipe his eyes on his sleeve.
Dear Baby Brother,
I hope this makes things easier on you. Without me there, they are going to need a proper male Black heir. I know they have forced your hand every other time, but there is no stopping you now.
You know this was a long time coming, me leaving, but please know that I am safe, and they can’t hurt me, and now, they definitely can’t hurt you.
Stand up to them. They will not argue anymore, they need this. And when I see you September 1st, I better see my tiny little baby brother looking happier than I could ever see you if I stayed.
Unconditionally yours,
Sirius
Sirius had left it on his bed, neatly folded with his preferred name on the front, in his beautiful calligraphy that they were both forced to learn at a young age.
Today was horrible. The worst day that Regulus could recall. Sirius once again going against some asinine rule of their parents that didn’t make sense, but this time it was too far.
Father had tried to put his foot down and punish Sirius, but Sirius fought back with everything he could. This time though, their father lashed out. Sirius walked out of the room sporting the beginnings of a black eye, and he never once looked back. Father had never hit them before, usually leaving any physical punishments to their mother. But this pushed him, something he couldn’t turn a blind eye to.
Father threw down the letter at the breakfast table. From where he was seated next to Sirius, he could see Remus’ handwriting, only able to see the end, where it said ‘Forever yours, Remus’.
Regulus tried to join in at some point, but Sirius motioned for him to stay put, a secret signal they had worked out for ages, one of them putting a flat hand up behind their back.
Mother hadn’t even been there that day. Visiting her niece Narcissa, who had just announced her engagement to Lucius Malfoy. She was devastated when she returned, but not for the loss of her child. It was the loss of the Black heir that she mourned.
Regulus straightened, read through the letter a few more times, and wiped his eyes, sure that his eye makeup was a mess at this point. Standing up, he walked over to the shared bathroom that connected his room to Sirius’.
Looking in the mirror, he quietly said goodbye to the reflection, giving a moment to give thanks to, and grieve the person who was about to die. He pulled out the things needed to remove all the makeup he was forced to wear every day, vowing to never do so again.
With a freshly cleaned face, he reached into the top drawer that was on ‘his’ side of the counter, and pulled out a pair of hair cutting scissors Sirius had secretly bought for him Christmas of last year.
Down onto the counter and the floor surrounding him, rained down clumps of hair, before, nearly down to his back, but now not even brushing his shoulders, instead bouncing up into dark curly ringlets without the weight of the length.
This wasn’t the first time he had cut his hair. Somehow, his mother always found some kind of spell to make sure it grew back in the next day before anyone outside of the house could see it. The last time he attempted this though, was before he started Hogwarts. She made sure to show him the error of his ways, and he never even tried it at school, afraid still it would get back to her.
Such a small difference, just removing a barrier like the make up and the hair, but even he could see his eyes in the mirror to be a bit brighter.
Next, he vanished the mess from the hair, grabbed a towel from the rack behind him, placing it across the counter, and putting every single piece of expensive make up and fancy perfumes, that he himself did not pick out, onto the towel, folding up the towel around it so none of it would fall out.
Taking a breath, he turned to his brothers door, reaching out to turn the handle. They never locked each other out, and he had no reason to believe Sirius would have started now as his parting gift.
Stepping into Sirius’ room, he headed straight for the cupboard. Sirius did leave with his trunk, but nearly all of his clothes here at home were a touch too small after a growth spurt this past year. Regulus knew they would fit him though, just a tiny bit smaller than his brother. Regulus used to make fun of him, telling him that he would soon catch up to his height.
Regulus reached back, unzipping the skirt that his mother picked out, pushing it to the ground before picking it up and tossing it into the waste bin next to Sirius’ desk. Next was the blouse that was also picked out by his mother. In fact, all of his clothes were always picked out by her, because Regulus would never pick them out for himself. The only piece she would allow was a binder. A compromise. Regulus would consent to dress as she wanted, but only if he was allowed a binder. It was a long fought battle, but she finally conceded.
Opening up the cupboard door, the first thing he noticed, was that Sirius had left behind every single bit of his school uniform that he had outgrown last year. Numerous pairs of pants and button up shirts, vests, and a couple robes that Regulus could change the Gryffindor crest to that of Slytherin. They had already gotten new robes last week, so Regulus didn’t have a chance to feel bad for Sirius not having a uniform.
He took out his wand, waving it at the uniforms, sending them flying through the room, the bathroom, and into his school trunk back in his room. He didn’t want to chance his mother realizing Sirius left the clothes and getting rid of them before Regulus could get to them later.
He pulled out button up shirt and a pair of slacks, wanting to make an impression with what he was about to do.
Packing away Sirius’ clothes, hidden into a box in the back of his closet, he started gathering clothes from his own closet, pulling dresses off velvet lined hangers that wouldn’t snag the fabric, taking down skirts with matching blazers from the custom hangers, and pulling the silk camisoles from the hangers with the dents to perfectly hold the straps so it wouldn’t fall off the hanger, tossing everything into a pile on the floor.
He grabbed the balled up towel from where he had placed it on his bed, spelled the entire pile of clothes to float and follow him, and headed downstairs to were his parents were sure to be, in the library, silently ignoring each other.
He pushed open the door and dropped the pile of clothes in front of his stunned mother, tossing the make up on top hard enough the towel opened and all of the carefully picked out pieces tumbled across the clothes.
She yelled his old name. “What do you think you are doing? We’ve talked about this and decided you were not to attempt this again,” fury made his mothers voice shake with how enraged she was.
Regulus took a breath, straightening his spine, looking far more confident than he felt, but showing no such fear. “No, Mother. You decided that, with no input or agreement from me. Sirius is gone now, and you need a male heir. You knew this was coming, I’m sure, which is why you were so disappointed when you realized Sirius was gone. Do not call me by that name again. That girl is dead and gone to you.”
Walburga’s mouth dropped open, for once, unable to speak her displeasure.
“You may call me Regulus Arcturus, but never speak that name to me again. I’m sure you would not like the consequences if I decide to go the same as Sirius. Are you sure you want the Black family fortune contested without an heir when you two finally die? If not, I would watch myself if I were you.”
Regulus turned on his heal, headed back up the staircase to his room.
The next week when his mother quietly accompanied him to the train platform, leaving him without even saying goodbye, was the happiest moment Regulus could recall.
Eyes darting back and forth through the faces, he heard a shout. Sirius yelling for Regulus to come join him. Turning around, facing his brother, both looking at each other with such changed, happier faces. Sirius pulled Regulus into his arms, nearly sobbing in relief.
Pulling back, Sirius cupped Regulus’ face, “I have heard so much about Regulus Black over the years, but I cannot tell you how happy I am to finally meet you face to face. Welcome to the world, Little Brother.”
Regulus’ eyes filled and he blinked hard, trying to stop them before they started. “It’s wonderful to finally meet you too, brother.”
Sirius could not keep the grin off his face, tilting his brothers head down to press a smacking kiss to the top of his head.
Slinging an arm around his shoulders, Sirius dragged him to where James was standing with his parents, Effie immediately walking forward to pull Regulus into a hug of her own that he sunk in to, warmer than anything his own mother could give in his lifetime.
He was finally at peace with himself.