hate to keep secrets
december 26th, 1979
after that, Regulus and Remus never spoke of Peter again. a closed chapter, you may say. Though Regulus still thought about conversation a bunch of times, he felt absolutely awful for them all. he couldn’t even imagine what it would feel like if one of his friends betrayed him.
Regulus felt sad about the fact that school was starting again in only a couple of days, he didn’t really know why, though. this feeling something awful was about to happen any day now couldn’t leave him, and he prayed to whoever was out there to help, that his intuition was for once, wrong.
“hi there, Reg!” Sirius chanted happily as he walked into his little brother’s room, where he was deeply hidden under the covers; it was so bloody cold.
“what,” he said, sticking his head above the covers. “do you want.”
“i don’t want anything, but i assumed you’d like some breakfast or,” Sirius looked at his watch. “lunch? something in between.”
“it’s Christmas. leave me alone, Sirius.” Sirius sighed.
“naw, Reggie! Christmas time is family time,” he grabbed him by the shoulders. “and in case you hadn’t noticed yet, you’re my family!”
“ON CHRISTMAS DAY WE SIT AND SING AND MAKE THEM JINGLES RING,” Remus sang loudly as he entered the room as well. “WE MAKE THEM HAPPY JINGLE JING AND DUH DUH DUH DUH DUH!”
Sirius laughed and kissed Remus on the cheek, making Regulus let out a gag. earning a smack on the head by Sirius.
“god… you’re a… Homophobe.” Remus dramatically gasped.
“you’re right.” Regulus said, “i am homophobic…” he paused. “when you guys are SNOGGING IN MY ROOM.” he threw a pillow at the both of them and hid himself under the covers once again.
“this is technically my room, i live here.”
“oh shut up, Sirius.” Remus laughed and grabbed his boyfriend by the shoulder, leading him out of the room and closed the door. Regulus let out a loud laugh and changed into a jumper and some joggers.
“MINNIE? MINNIE WHERE ARE YOU?” James yelled as he walked through the hallway, Regulus immediately walked up to him.
“McGonnagal? really?” Regulus let out a laugh as James turned to him.
“ha! i mean i guess?” James layed down on the wooden floors, looking under the things that were standing in the hallway. “Minnie is our cat — Lily and mine’s. but uh, she’s not in our room all the sudden so i was named search party.”
“you named your cat after McGonnagal?” James let out a loud laugh.
“of course! always loved Minnie.” Regulus layed down next to him and helped him search — until he felt strangely big paws (for a cat, at least) grasping into his back, making him gasp.
“i think i found your—” Regulus turned around and was met by a big, no, huge, black dog. attempting to lick his face.
“EW SIRIUS FUCK OFF.”
James burst out in loud laughter, as Sirius — padfoot, climbed on top of Regulus, who tried to push him away. he failed miserably, of course. Padfoot licked his face.
“DISGUSTING. STOP IT—” Regulus attempted to crawl away, but his path was blocked by a huge antilope kind of animal in the middle of the pathway.
“merlin’s right ballsack.” he breathed out. “Lily saw you like this and still dates you? so she’s a personality kind of girl, i’m assuming?” Prongs let out a sound that was probably a groan if he was a human, but the antilope made some weird hiccup-ish sound that Regulus found way too funny.
“and what about it Reggie?” Lily laughed, he looked at her direction and she was leaning against the doorpost. “but actually, no. James has the emotional age of a seven year old, i chose him for the looks.” she said, with a very serious expression, Regulus could tell she was just messing around, though.
“ow?!” James — who had now transformed back into his human self said, holding his hand dramatically on his chest. Lily walked towards him and embraced him in a big hug.
“just kidding.” she booped his nose, James laughed and kissed her softly.
“gross.” Sirius gagged, Regulus turned around with an eyebrow raised.
“shall i remind you, my dearest brother, what you were doing in my room, this lovely morning?” Sirius just laughed and followed his brother down the stairs.
it was two in the afternoon by now, and Regulus almost felt a bit embarrassed for sleeping in that long. normally the Potter’s would be hosting some big Christmas party, but some people in the order had begged them not to (minding that such large parties of people were hard to check, seeing the situation right now)
the situation which was that with every building or something of the Order related, you’d have to ask the person who was trying to enter, a question only they could have the answer to. polyjuice potions were quite hard to brew, they weren’t impossible to brew. Regulus assumed Voldemort and his actual followers also knew that.
“fancy going on a walk with me?” Sirius asked him. “you can wear the cloak and all, i’ll look like a complete lunatic, talking to myself. but to hell with what the people may think.” Regulus laughed and looked at his outfit.
“well, people aren’t gonna see me anyways, so why not!” Sirius accio’d the cloak from upstairs, which came flying to them a couple of seconds later with a dangerous speed.
the entire town the Potter’s lived in somehow felt magical, it was small, a little further away from the social world. Regulus loved it, he knew he would love to live in a place like this after he left school; he wasn’t planning on staying at Grimmauld place for any longer than he had to.
“i love it here.” he felt a bit stupid, like a kid that’s never been outside in their entire life.
“i do too.” Sirius put his hands in the pockets of his coat with a sigh. “sadly won’t be living here for much longer.”
“what?” Regulus exclaimed, a little louder than he should have, but no one was around, anyway. “are you like, dying from some Black family disease i don’t know about?” he giggled.
“ha!” Sirius laughed. “could you imagine? me, dying because of something in the Black family? my whole disown thing would have been of no use.” Regulus almost felt a bit bad for laughing, but so was Sirius, so he felt like it was okay to.
“how’s school been?” the subject was changed quite suddenly, Regulus did often wonder if that was something Sirius realized he did, or if he did it on accident. he had done it for as long as Regulus could remember.
“good. i just,” Regulus sighed. “it’s so difficult i can’t tell them. i’m sure Evan and Barty—”
“slimy little gits.” Sirius groaned, Regulus slapped him.
“they’re not.” he let out a somewhat shaky breath. “what i was saying, Evan and Barty and you know, Pandora! but she’s also graduated, so i haven’t seen her in ages. you know, they’d be excited for me. and i just, i wanna tell them because i hate keeping things from them! i hate having to hide my letters, or having to make up a fake girlfriend, or whatever, to send you guys letters!” Sirius let out a breath, Regulus was thankful that he hadn’t interrupted him.
“i’d hug you, but since you’re invisible, i feel like— you know what, you get it.” Regulus giggled quietly.
“Reg?” Sirius said, and Regulus looked at him, even though he knew he couldn’t see it. “thank you for finally being my little brother again.”