Consequences
Regulus saw when Sirius came home after his auditions.
He had a big smile on his face and was almost glowing. He loved seeing his brother happy but this time he didn’t know if it would be worth it.
And just like Regulus thought, all the shine from Sirius’ eyes disappeared the second he saw Walburga and Orion in the sitting room.
Regulus was forced to sit by their side to wait for Sirius. He couldn’t remember the last time he was this close to his parents outside of physical punishments.
“Sirius,” Walburga said, her voice as stern as ever. Sirius knew that crying wouldn’t help nor would begging so he just kept a straight face, waiting. “Where were you?”
“Auditioning for The X-Factor” At this point it was better to say the truth because she probably knew and even if she didn’t, she could still smell a lie a mile away.
“And what is that, exactly?” Their father asked and fear flashed in Sirius’ eyes. Orion rarely made questions or took part in their punishments. Both of the brothers knew that this was going to be a thousand times worse than they thought.
With a deep breath, Sirius answered, trying to keep his voice from cracking, “It’s a musical competition.”
Four words. That’s all it took to anger their parents to the point it was suffocating to stay in the same room as them.
“So you decided to ruin the family?” Walburga said and Sirius, wisely, stayed quiet. There was nothing he could say that would make things better for him. “A singer. You know what they are, Sirius. All of them are trash, low-lifers. Is that what you are?”
The brothers exchanged looks. Regulus tried to beg Sirius to not defy their parents through his eyes.
“No,” Sirius said through his teeth.
“Then why did you do it?” Orion asked, his voice dangerously controlled. A beat passed.
Another one. No answer. “Why did you do it?” He yelled.
“I don’t know” Sirius has always been strong, much stronger than Regulus, but he wasn’t invincible. His voice came out low and there were tears forming in his eyes.
“You don’t know?” Walburga’s voice sounded unimpressed but her stiff posture showed how angry she actually was.
“I don’t.”
That was it. Those were the last word spoken.
Regulus drifted from that point on because he couldn’t look at his brother without crying or vomiting and he wasn’t allowed to leave. His mind wandered to a different place, with a different family. Still him and Sirius but no Walburga and Orion.
He could smell the burned flesh and he could hear his brother’s muffled screams but he didn’t process any of it, his mind so far that none of that could reach him.
Regulus was never good with time but he would guess it took twenty minutes for the screaming to stop.
“Regulus” His mother called him, waking him up from thoughts, “go get ready for supper.”
She looked so calm, not a hair out of place or a breath out of the rhythmic pattern. Like nothing had happened, like she hadn’t physically abused her son for god knows how many times, like she hadn’t made him scream to a point his throat was raw.
Regulus stood up stiffly seeing his brother passed on the floor, tears staining his cheeks, the mark of a hand quieting him down, and the bottom of his skinny jeans incinerated showing his leg red and burned, next to the fireplace.
He excused himself before he could throw up.
༄༄
Sirius didn’t have supper that night or breakfast in the morning.
Regulus was locked in his room for most of the day, only allowed to leave for meals. That didn’t bother him. He had his books, a telly, and a bathroom.
That was more than what he needed for survival.
A lot of the time, Regulus forgot he couldn’t go anywhere and his room was big enough for him not to feel like he was in the cupboard he dreaded so much when he remembered he was locked.
His days weren’t busy at all.
He would wake up, go down, and have breakfast by himself. Then was escorted by Kreacher to the library where he would get books for his daily self-thought class on various subjects, go up to his room, and read, only interrupted to eat.
Once in two days, his tutor would show up by the house to check his progress.
Technically, he was supposed to teach Sirius too but he didn’t even have a hint of curiosity or doubt in his eyes when Sirius failed to attend his classes.
༄༄
Five days later, Sirius was sitting in his usual spot during breakfast. He looked much thinner, almost sick, so much so his eyes were disproportionate to his head and nothing is disproportionate about Sirius Black.
He ate like he hadn’t seen food in days, and knowing their parents, he probably hadn’t.
“Morning,” Regulus said carefully while sitting down.
“Morning, Reggie” His voice was cracking, barely audible but he smiled. “Do you know what day it is?”
“It’s Friday” He couldn’t even look at his older brother without being hit by guilt. He should have done something.
“Oh, tomorrow is the Bootcamp” He looked so excited that Regulus couldn’t tell him there was no way he was gonna be able to leave the house.
“Sirius, rest your voice, would you?” He didn’t mean it to sound as mean as it did but his brother didn’t mind, he just smiled and went back to eating fiercely.
Regulus often found his words sounding a bit too mean than he intended to, he supposes is because he had a hard time using his facial expressions while he was talking, but Sirius didn’t care. No matter how rude Regulus sounded, Sirius always found the deeper meaning of his words so easily like a natural instinct.
Regulus never knew someone that could read him as naturally as Sirius did and he was really grateful for that.
When the younger Black went back to his room he didn’t find Kreacher waiting for him so he supposed he was free, he grabbed a book and headed to the backyard.
His original plan was to sit in the grass by the tree but that was discarded once he saw his mother in the library. Immediately, his back straightened like a reflex to being close to Walburga, his chin held up high, eyes looking forward, and determined footsteps just like a Black should be.
Regulus only breathed when he was set down and looking at the blue sky. It was a good day, the sun was out but it wasn’t too hot, and from time to time a refreshing breeze would whisper through the leaves.
It didn’t take an hour before Sirius was sitting down close to his brother wanting to talk.
“Say it, Sirius” Regulus said, not taking his eyes off his book.
“What?”
“You came here to say something, so either say it or leave,” Regulus waited a few seconds for his brother’s answer.
“Tomorrow is Bootcamp” Sirius’ voice sounded shaky and low, barely a whisper.
“I’m aware, you told me during breakfast” Again, Regulus didn’t look up from his book simply because he didn’t want to face the hope in his brother’s eyes.
“I have to go”
“Sirius, you can barely speak. There’s no way you’re getting out of the house without Mother or Kreacher seeing”
Was that partially true? Yes.
But they both knew Sirius always got what he wanted if he put his mind to it but he would need Regulus’ help.
Normally, Regulus would be more than happy to help his brother chase after his dreams but Sirius wouldn’t have any if he wasn’t alive and considering his last punishment, they were walking a very thin line.
So, no, this time Regulus wouldn’t help his brother.
“I don’t need to get out of the house,” Sirius said, mischief sparkling in his eyes.
“You don’t?” Regulus asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Nop, I just need Mother to leave the house and take me with her, I can run from her there”
Mad. His brother was completely mad. The plan was a suicide mission but Regulus didn’t worry.
Walburga hated going out with them, especially Sirius.
“Sounds like you don’t need me, so why are you telling me this?”
“Because you can’t come with us.”
“I can’t?” Regulus already knew the reason but he was a weak boy and needed to hear from his brother that he cared.
“Of course not, Reggie. If you go with us and I leave, Mother is going to blame you and can’t stand that”
Sometimes Regulus forgot that he was loved, but Sirius was always there to remind him.
Everything was hell but they had each other and that's enough, to Regulus it was enough.