Habromania
Its dark, its quite, its peaceful… Is it? Yes. This is what happiness is to Regulus Black, being alone on his roof with only his thoughts to accompany him. His thoughts of self-hatred, self doubt, self-loathing, if there were enough words in the world to describe what goes through his head at night it wouldn’t be enough. But this is still his happiness, not being cursed by his mother or father for simply breathing, not being stared down with hatred by his older brother, just simply… gazing into the night sky with the stars surrounding him. It wont be like this forever, he knows that’s a guarantee.
In 5 days he’ll go on a train back to Hogwarts, and it’ll be different, because this time around he’s an only child, the only heir to the Black name, the only son to Walburga and Orion Black. Completely and utterly… alone… and that is his happiness is it not? Of course it is, so why does his eyes water every time he thinks of his brother? Why does his head pound and heart ache? It’s because this is a differenttype of alone. With no one to protect him from the monsters that lurk in his home, from the monsters that are also his parents. He does not put any blame towards his brother, Regulus figured that out of the two of them Sirius deserves that wonderful freedom more than anything.
“ENOUGH! SIRIUS ORION BLACK YOU WILL NOT DISRESPECT ME IN MY OWN HOME DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME! GETTING INVOLVED WITH HALF-BREEDS! ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING!” The screech of Walburgas voice echos through the house, “YOU PSYCHOTIC BITC-“ “CRUCIO!” The voices seized and it seemed the only thing regulus could hear was his beating heart…and then Sirius‘s screaming. Stop, stop it, STOP HURTING HIM! God! Why can’t he move, speak, do anything! Soon enough he did move, he ran to the floo and got it ready for his brothers leave.
As quickly as possible he ran up to Sirius’s room and found a bag already backed on his bed. With not enough time to process what he’s doing he rushes back and throws his bag in with a whisper of The Potters manor on his tongue. Now all thats left is his brother, the most important piece, even broken. As fast as he could he ran through the hallways towards the stairs not quite realizing how silent it was, so silent you can hear the creak from the floorboards, the crickets, the crows, but not their voices, not their screams, nothis heart beat. At the bottom of the stairs he sees his brother bloody and alone. Alone? No he can’t be, being alone equals happiness, this is not happiness. Regulus turns him over to see Sirius breathing lightly, but still alive. Dragging Sirius back up the stairs with as much strength as he can they enter the floo.
“Black- SIRIUS! what- what happened- MOM DAD GET DOWN HERE IT’S SIRIUS!” “Potter, I-I’m sorry for the sudden intrusion but he can no longer stay there. I’ve got to leave-“ “No are you crazy you can’t go back don’t you see what they did to him!” Regulus was tired. He was so, so, so tired and all he wanted to do was go back to that awful place before they notice he’s gone. “Yes. Potter I do see him, I was there after all.” “Then why-“ “Enough, all I’m asking of you is to take care of him, keep him safe. If I stay there Sirius will be fine-“ “What about you?” Regulus pauses, ‘what about you’ well what about him? Does it really matter what happens to him? No, “I’ll be fine.” Lies, lies and more lies.
Of course he wasn’t fine. The morning after Sirius was gone it felt like hell had moved into his home. Screams from his mother and father bounced through the house, like demons running loose. “REGULUS GET DOWN HERE!” Nails on a chalk board. Reluctantly he walked down the stairs, and into the dining room where his parents stood. “Yes mother,” he said barely above a whisper. “Speak up boy you know we don’t like it when you mumble.” The distain in his fathers voice shot through his heart. So this time around he spoke louder and clearer, “Apologies father, may I ask what the matter is?” “Well Regulus were you aware of your brother’s departure last night?”
For what felt like a minute but was really a second his heart stopped, and with his heart stopping for that little second so did his voice. He realized that second of hesitation costed him greatly when his mother rose her wand, and the sickening sound of her voice said, “CRUCIO!”
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