Coming Out
Regulus walked up to his, his brother's, and his cousins' old treehouse. The five of them hung out all the time there as children, being very close. He had gotten there early, pacing up and down the rickety floorboards, fidgeting with his hands, and going over what he was going to say in his head. He heard a distinct,
*POP*
His head snapped over to the sound, seeing his brother and cousin watching him closely, they'd apparated together. "What's up, sis?" Sirius asked, sitting down in a dusty old armchair, that had stung a bit more than Regulus anticipated it would. "About that..." He started, picking at the skin around his nails nervously.
Andy noticed and her brows furrowed, "Nov... what's wrong, love?" She asked, she hasn't changed, at all. He took a deep breath, "Okay, so, I've thought about this a lot and I'm trans." He said the last bit quite quickly, wanting to get it over with. Apparently not fast enough since a look of understanding crossed their faces. "When did you find out, what're your pronouns, and do you go by a preferred name, oh- and does anyone else know?" Andy asked, "Uh, I guess around the time you left, he and him, and yes I do, and Evan, Barty, Dorcas, and Pandora." Regulus answered the questions she had asked.
"What's your name then, dear brother?" Sirius asked, making Regulus smile a bit, "Regulus... Pandora 'n Dorcas helped me pick it." He said, picking at the black nail polish on his nails, Pandora had done them while Dorcas gossiped about everything and complained about her crush on one of Sirius' friends, Marlene McKinnon. "Regulus Arcturus Black... has a nice ring to it," Andy said, Sirius, nodding in agreement. Regulus gave a sigh of relief, "So you aren't mad?" They both gave him a ridiculous look like he had grown three heads. "Why would we be mad? Y'know we'll always love you, Reginald." Sirius said, making Regulus roll his eyes at the nickname, "I've changed my mind, I'm a cishet woman." Regulus said, crossing his arms as Andy and Sirius got up to hug him, he, despite hating it when people touch him, hugged back.
They talked a bit after that, figuring out how Regulus would come out to the rest of the family and a plan B, on how to get him out if things go south, which they probably will. He planned to do it at dinner, in a few hours, since the whole family, at least, the non-disowned members of the noble house of black, were at his house over for the summer holidays. "See ya later guys," Regulus said, hugging them goodbye before walking home, preparing himself for his family's reaction.
---
Regulus' coming out didn't go so well, they all yelled at him, even Narcissa, he'd trusted her the most, his parents were the most displeased, dragging him to his father's office, away from the family, and screaming at him, "WHY CAN'T YOU BE MORE LIKE NARCISSA?!", "WHERE DID WE GO WRONG?!", "GET OUT! YOU DISGRACE, GET OUT!" They had cursed him, like they cursed Sirius the night he left for the Potter's. Regulus, still withering and twitching on the floor from the Cruciatus Curse, called for their house-elf Kreacher, and Regulus's best friend in Number 12 Grimmauld Place, he told Kreacher to get his things. He didn't know where to go, Andy said he's always welcome there and Sirius said he's always welcome at the Potter's and that Mr. and Mrs. Potter won't mind.
But Regulus didn't want to be a burden, so, bleeding and aching, he limped out of Grimmauld Place alone, not being able to convince Kreacher to come with him. Maybe he could stay on the knight bus for a bit? He turned that idea down fast, the knight bus was too crazy and he doesn't think he'll make it that long, he pulls out his phone, but it was dead, great. Just his fucking luck, why didn't he charge it?! Gods, he mentally cursed himself, why must he be so dense? No time to dwell on it now, he decides to go to the treehouse, where he was only hours before, with the only family he loved and trusted now. Thankfully, Sirius had borrowed James' two-sided mirror and gave Regulus one-half of them. He knew both Andy and Sirius were both at the Tonks', waiting for the call that something had, expectedly, gone wrong. But no matter how much he knew he should, he couldn't bring himself to contact them, he just couldn't, he didn't want to add to their worries. He sat down, resting his back on a worn-down wall of the room, closing his eyes while contemplating whether or not to call them.
The logical part of his brain told him not to, but the tired part told him the exact opposite... the tired side won and pulled the old compact mirror out of his pant pocket, looking through it he saw Andy and Sirius talking with the mirror sat up against a pillow so he could see both of them. Sirius noticed him first, "Christ they really got you, didn't they Reggie?" Regulus rolled his eyes at the new nickname, "First of all, never fucking call me that again, second of all--"
Regulus was cut off by Andromeda's worrying over the mirror, "Gods what have they done?! Are you okay?!" Regulus faintly smiled, "I think I'll live." He states, trying not to wince at the aching of his face. Andy noticed, she was always so observative, "I'm coming to get you, right now, okay?" He tried to argue, but she was already out of view from the mirror. Sirius was holding the mirror now, talking to him like everything was fine when they both knew it wasn't, he was trying to keep Regulus distracted,
*POP*
There was that familiar sound again, and in the blink of an eye, Andy was kneeling in front of him, grabbing his face in her hand, quite roughly- Regulus visibly winced- she loosened her hard grip on his face, a frown visible on hers. "We better get you home." She said, his eyes widened in panic, "But they don't--" He was cut off by Andromeda rolling her eyes, "No. My home, as if I'd ever let you go back there." She gently grabbed his arm and they apparated to the Tonks'.
After that- it all went fuzzy. He remembers being laid down on a quite comfortable couch, hearing the slightly panicked voices of Andy and Sirius, telling him to stay awake. He didn't know much- but he knew he was hurt, so much that Sirius was crying- and Sirius never cries. That's what scared him the most, he didn't want to die, he was only fifteen for god's sake! "This is really serious isn't it?" Regulus asked, throat burning at the weak attempt of a joke, Sirius gave a watery laugh, "That joke stopped being funny when we kids." Regulus winced for- what felt like- the 10th time that night as he felt a bone snap back into place. "Ooh, sorry Reg," Andy said, also wincing at the snap that sounded quite painful.
Regulus closed his eyes, drifting off to sleep in immense pain after that, knowing he was in good, safe, hands with his cousin and brother, they were there for him, they were going to take care of him, they love him. Regulus had to keep reminding himself that his parents weren't there, that they couldn't get to him, and that they couldn't hurt him anymore.