Chapter 5
Regulus was back at Grimmauld Place, he held his breath as he snuck around the manor. Keeping to the shadows, he tried to navigate his way to his old room. Why was he here again? To get his belongings, he just wanted his broom and some books. He turned a corner and saw a figure staring at him. He jumped, slapping a hand over his mouth to stifle his yelp. But he recognized the house elf standing in front of him, it was Kreacher.
“Kreacher!” Regulus whispered, “I missed you!”
“Kreacher was hoping Master Regulus would return,” The house elf greeted.
“Don’t call me Master, I’m not part of this household anymore,” Regulus insisted, hesitating before asking, “How are Mother and Father?” He knew it was selfish of him, still caring about the people who brought him so much harm. Sirius wouldn’t miss them, but Sirius never saw their nice sides. He never gardened with their mother or completed a puzzle with their father.
“Master and Mistress Black are not happy. No not happy at all, they’ve lost both heirs. They will want you back.”
“No Kreacher I can’t go back,” the young boy said, eyes widening, “Can you keep Mother and Father distracted, I just need to grab my things.”
“B-But-” Kreacher started,
“Please Kreacher,” Regulus pleaded.
“Y-yes, Master Regulus” he whimpered.
“Thank you Kreacher,” he said, as the elf scurried away, “And I’m sorry.”
Regulus slumped against the wall, watching as his oldest friend runs away from him. He takes a shuddering breath, his eyes stinging. He can’t start to cry, if he does the tears will never stop. He takes a deep breath, then two, and feels a hand rest on his shoulder.
“Are you okay?”
He whirls around, wand drawn, pointed at the chest of his ambusher.
“Bloody hell,” Sirius says, “Always on edge Reggie.”
Regulus sighed and lowered his wand, “We broke into our old home, of course I’m on edge. And don’t call me Reggie.”
“Whatever you say,” Sirius winks, “Reggie.”
Regulus rolls his eyes and stalks down the hall. He looks around confused, he’s never seen this part of the house before. He didn’t even think there was a corridor there. He walked down the long dark hallway, it seeming to get darker and longer ad he continues. Suddenly he runs face-first into a very familiar chest.
“Hello son,” Orion Black greets, a maniacal grin spreading across his features.
Regulus backs up quickly, only to run into an unconscious Sirius, being held up by the hair by non-other than Walburga Black. Her wand tucked under his chin.
“NO!” Regulus screamed, “DON’T HURT HIM!”
Walburga just looked at him with the same crazed smile his father had.
“Please,” Regulus whimpered, “Take me instead, I’ll be your perfect heir, just let him go.”
“Oh but Regulus,” his mother grinned, “If we let him go, how will you learn your lesson.”
She turned her attention back to Sirius, “Avada Kedarva!” she said, nonchalantly.
Regulus screams as a stream of light shoots towards his brother and woke drenched in sweat.
James is standing above him, holding what looks like a stuffed lion, “Regulus, look at me” he says, “You’re okay.”
Tears streamed down Regulus’s face, some part of him knew where he was, in the guest room at the Potter’s, but he was still trapped in Grimmauld Place watching his brother die. He has to go back, they’re going to come for Sirius, they’re going to-
“No,” James said, like he was reading his thoughts, “You’re never going back there, we’ll never let you go back.”
Regulus shook violently, trying to form a coherent sentence, with only sobs leaving his mouth.
“Shh,” James soothed, “It’s gonna be okay,” he held his hand like he did when Regulus first woke up, before asking, “Can I hug you?”
Regulus shook his head weakly.
“Okay,” James whispered.
And they stayed like that more many hours, until Regulus fell asleep, the stuffed lion tucked under his arm.
Regulus spent the next few days locked in his room, leaving occasionally for meals and trips to the loo. He spent his days reading his books and his nights with James’s lion, whom James calls Quaffle. Until Mrs. Potter cleared him for Quidditch.
“If you don’t strain yourself,” she said, “you can return to your training.”
If it wasn’t so late, Regulus would’ve run out to the Potter’s backyard and started flying. But he realized something, “My broom,” he said sadly, “It’s at Grimmauld with all my other school things.”
Euphemia looked at him with a knowing smile, “James wanted to give this to you when you woke up but I decided it would be better to let you rest before putting you back on the broom.” She walked out of the room on returned with a broomstick, it was very similar in model to James’s but with one difference. When Effie handed him the broom Regulus saw his name, Regulus Arcturus, carved into the handle of the broom. His eyes started to tear up and he enveloped Mrs. Potter in a hug. Feeling cared about.
That’s how he ended up, awake before dawn, a hundred meters off the ground. Regulus started to fly, higher and higher until the temperature dropped and he could see the birds flying around him. He liked it up there, alone. He wondered if it was better for everyone if he was alone. He couldn’t hurt anyone and he couldn’t get anyone hurt. He couldn’t shut people out and make them feel unwanted if he was alone. Regulus started to descend, racing toward the ground in a steep dive. He couldn’t intrude, he couldn’t invade, he wouldn’t be a bother. As the ground started to grow closer, Regulus wondered if he should let himself be run into the ground, he could end it, he wouldn’t ruin anything anymore.
Then he heard Bella’s voice, “We only need one.” And he pulled up, inches away from the grass.
He couldn’t do that to Sirius, he couldn’t let Sirius be the heir.
He circled the pitch, over and over again, losing track of the time as he soared around the Potter’s garden, failing to notice the figure coming up next to him.
“Like your gift?” James asked
“Thank you,” Regulus says quietly, “you didn’t have to-“
“I wanted to,” He said, and the two boys settled into a comfy silence until James’s gasp broke the quiet.
“For Salazar’s sake Potter, what-” Regulus’s words caught in his throat as he saw what James was pointing to. The sun rose behind the Quidditch goals, filling the sky with a rainbow of colors.
“It’s beautiful,” Regulus said, looking at James.
“Yeah,” James said, looking at him with a smile on his face.
The two boys basked in the sun as they raced around the pitch, eventually coming down sweaty and exhausted. By the time he had gotten back to the guest room, or his room, his hair was plastered to his forehead.
A knock came from outside his room.
“Enter,” Regulus responded.
Sirius walked in, holding some strange garments in his hands. “How was Quidditch?” He asked, “You’ll need to get back to training if you want to beat Gryffindor this year.”
Regulus scoffed, “We’ll crush you.”
“Suuure” Sirius said as Regulus rolled his eyes, “Remus is coming over today.”
Remus Lupin, the werewolf best friend of James and Sirius had been around to visit multiple times that week. When he had first come over, he had pushed past both Sirius and James, enveloping Regulus in a warm embrace.
“You finally got out,” he whispered, “And you’re never going back.”
Regulus had wrapped his arms around his waist and laid his head on his shoulder, seeing the confused looks. Regulus had been the first to discover Remus’s secret, learning at the beginning of his second year, and every full moon since, he had been helping him. Their mother had made Sirius and Regulus become illegal animagus “in case the need arose”. And even after the other Marauders had mastered their animagus there was always a fluffy black cat accompanying them every month. Remus had been smart in insisting their friendship remain a secret, looking back, regulus realized Sirius would’ve freaked. He was glad that since Barty, Evan, and Pandora couldn’t join him, Remus could.
“And?” Regulus says, “Remus is here every other day.”
“Well, it’s going to be a bit different.”
Regulus cocked his head, “Different how?”
“We’re going to muggle London.”
“WHAT?”
“Come on, you’ll have so much fun.” Sirius pleaded.
“Fine, but I am not wearing those muggle rags you brought.” Regulus glared.
“You can’t go out in your robes.”
Regulus groaned. And 45 minutes later, he found himself dressed in a pair of black straight jeans with large holes in the knees, fishnet stockings, and a big crewneck that went down to his mid-thigh. Eyeliner accentuated his grey eyes and he had put mascara on his eyelashes. He couldn’t help but admire how good he looked; Barty would approve.
“Ready to go?” Sirius asked, dressed in a black Queen shirt with black jeans, and his patent leather jacket on his arm, similar eyeliner around his eyes.
“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Regulus says, turning to face his brother.
Sirius whistles, “Looking good little bro,”
Regulus blushed, and the two of them went downstairs. There they found James waiting for them, wearing a soft brown turtleneck, with dark brown corduroys, matching his wide brown eyes. His hair was newly washed and his glasses were crooked on his face.
“You guys ready to-“ He stopped when he saw Reg.
Regulus instinctively looked down at himself, was there a hole in his sweater?
“No, nothing’s wrong,” James said, “You look,” he gulped “Amazing.”
Regulus smiled and walked up to James, “You don’t look too bad yourself,” he says, fixing his glasses, “I didn’t know Gryffindor’s could clean up so nice.” Regulus spied a blush creeping into James’s cheeks and walked away satisfied.
They met Remus outside Diagon Alley, he was dressed like he usually is, in whitewashed jeans and an oversized knit jumper. Regulus ran up and hugged him.
“Hey Tabby,” Remus greeted, wrapping his arms around his shoulders.
Regulus rolled his eyes, “Do you have to call me that?” he grunted
“Would you rather I call you fluffy?” Remus laughed, “You know you love my nicknames.”
Regulus scoffed, but he liked Remus’s nickname for him, even though his other friends had started to call him “Tabby” too.
Remus moved on to hug James and Sirius, who were still shocked by the interaction between him and Regulus.
“Close your mouth,” Regulus says, “You’re drooling.”
Sirius closes his mouth, blushing, while James turns to speak to Remus.
“I still can’t believe you two were friends,” he said, “And never told me!”
“Us,” Sirius interjected.
Regulus rolled his eyes, “he doesn’t have to tell you lots everything,” then turns to face Remus, “Where to Lupin?”
Remus smiles, wickedly, “You’ll see”
The Mauraders and Regulus walked down the streets of muggle London, stopping at every storefront to gaze at the items on display. Stopping for longer than usual when Sirius spies a jacket.
“Come on mate you don’t need another one,” James says, pulling Sirius along.
“But that one is so cool,” Sirius complains
“It’s the same as your other one,” Regulus says
“I can’t see a difference,” Remus agrees
Sirius gasps, “Regulus I could understand from you but from you Moony? My Moony!” He grabs onto Remus’s arm and Regulus notices a slight redness in his cheeks.
“Oi gerroff me,” Remus sputters, “Come on, we’re here.”
Remus pulled them into the shop next door, whose storefront was decorated with potted plants and succulents, with vines wrapping around the brick foundation. A neon sign was displayed above the door, so cracked and rusted Regulus couldn’t understand what it was supposed to say.
Remus lead the four of them inside and Sirius gasped, “A record store!” he practically squealed
Remus smiled “Come on, let me show you the David Bowie section .”
And the three of them ran off, leaving Regulus to wander the store, picking up records to see if they interest him. Finally stopping when he hears someone behind him. He turns to see Sirius behind him, studying the album he’s holding.
“The Beatles?” He asks, “I don’t think they’re your style,” He takes Regulus’s hand and guides him through the store. Picking up an album and walked him to the record player.
“How do you know what “my style” is?” Regulus asked
“Trust me, Reg” Sirius winks, “I think after living with you for 15 years I would know a thing or two.” Then he flashes that Sirius Black grin and plays the vinyl.
A melodic, upbeat, piano melody rang through the store, and Regulus stood transfixed. As a guitar started to intertwine its way into the mix, Regulus’s jaw dropped. He never heard music like this.
“Close your mouth, you’re drooling,” Sirius says reiterating Regulus’s words.
Regulus was about to reply when he heard a man’s voice start to sing. It was like magic,
What's that you do? What's that you say?
There's no use complaining, it's the only way
There's no use feeling dissatisfied
'Cause how can you know until you've tried
Once the song had ended Sirius turned to look at Regulus, “So I take this to mean you like Fleetwood Mac.”
Regulus nodded, transfixed.
“Good,” Sirius says, grabbing the album.
“W-what’re you doing,” Regulus asked.
“Getting this for you,” Sirius replied.
“B-but you-”
“Think of it as a late Christmas gift” Sirius interrupted
Before Regulus could protest that Sirius already got him a gift, he was already waving him off.
“It’s getting late, I’m going to find James and Moony and we’re gonna head out”
“Okay,” Regulus said, “I’ll wait outside.”
As he waited for the others, he peeked into the clothes shop they had passed, and at the leather jacket. It did look nice, and Sirius could use a new one. making a decision, Regulus walks into the store.
Regulus sneaks into Sirius’s room, leather jacket in hand, it had taken him all night to get the stitching right. Embroidering charms aren’t as easy as they seem. Ensuring that no one was in the room with him, he places the jacket on Sirius’s pillow. It’s black, with a soft interior lining, and silver letters embroidered on the front pocket.
Sirius Potter.