Brothers
- July 1st, 1972
When Regulus was 10 he stood on platform 9 ¾ waiting on his brother. It was July and Sirius was coming home for summer break. Their parents hadn’t come, instead they made their houseelf get Sirius. Regulus had asked if he could go with him as well. He wouldn’t put up a fight if they’d said no, he wouldn’t beg. Regulus knew better than that. But they had said yes. So there he was, standing with the short elf looking for his brother in the midst of students, parents and siblings. Eventually Regulus saw him. Shining black hair, longer than before he left after Christmas break. Their parents would definitely cut it. ‘Sirius!’ he had yelled. The older brother had turned around and smiled. They ran to each other and met in a hug. His brother was back home. But turns out, Regulus wouldn’t be very happy about it later.
- 1972
That summer had been unbearable. When Sirius had come home for Christmas it had been bad. He had been punished, for being sorted into Gryffindor, and for being ‘a disgrace to the family.’ His lips had been locked the entire break. Sirius wasn't allowed to speak. Or eat. But the summer was worse. Regulus was only 10. Regulus wasn’t brave. Regulus was a child. He wanted to protect him. Take the curses for him. Stand up for him. But he was frightened. He knew. He knew what it felt like. And he was frozen.
When Sirius was at school, Regulus was home. When their parents couldn’t reach Sirius, Regulus was in arms reach. When Sirius stood up to them, Regulus was quiet. When Sirius didn’t do what they said, Regulus followed orders. When Sirius was brave, Regulus was a coward. When Sirius couldn’t see, Regulus was cursed. When Sirius couldn’t hear, Regulus was cursed. When Sirius was safe, Regulus wasn’t. And that is how Regulus wanted it. Because if Regulus wasn’t safe, it meant that Sirius chance at being safe grew.
Regulus knew that Sirius thought he protected him when he took the blame for mistakes Regulus had done. But even if their mother believed him, Regulus was still punished. Walburga knew what Sirius did. She knew that Sirius took his brothers punishments. She also knew that Regulus would never tell his brother. Which is why she kept Regulus’ punishments a secret.
Regulus didn’t tell his brother when asked what he had done when Sirius was at school. ‘The usual. Just alone.’ Regulus didn’t show his brother the new wounds and old scars. And Sirius didn’t ask. So Regulus said to him. ‘Tell me everything’ . Sirius had sent letters, once a week in the beginning. Once a month after Christmas.
Sirius did tell him everything. From the trainride, to the sorting. The commonroom, dorms, teachers. Friends.‘They’re really cool Reg. We met on the train, and we all got sorted into Gryffindor. There’s Peter, I thought he was kinda lame at first but he’s cool. Not as cool as Remus though, he’s great, really great. And then there’s James. James is awesome. He-’ Sirius told him, and Regulus listened. To how amazing Sirius’ new friends were. He was happy for Sirius he really was. But he couldn’t help the slight jealousy growing in him. Peter Pettigrew, Remus Lupin, and James Potter. Regulus had heard about the Potter family. And he had promised Sirius he wouldn’t say anything to their parents.
But that didn’t stop them from finding out. Because they already knew. Having cousins at school could be a good thing, just not for Sirius. Their parents never felt that he was punished enough. So it kept on throughout the summer. Sirius being punished for things he had already been punished for. And Regulus doing nothing to stop it. He thinks that is when it started.
And Regulus being sorted into Slytherin didn’t help. It was as if the already thin thread that kept them close had been brutally cut with the sharpest knife when the hat yelled ‘SLYTHERIN!’ Regulus had seen it, on Sirius’ face. He had seen it and he had known that they couldn’t be tied together by a normal knot. The thread had run too thin, and it would just break again, a talented weaver would have to make a whole new thread for them to latch onto. Or this couldn’t be fixed. And Regulus’ heart broke at that.
- 1972
They had tried. Regulus had tried. But he wasn’t sure Sirius had tried. Sirius was always with his friends, and it was obvious that they hated the people Regulus was around. But Regulus also hated them. Most of them. He had grown quite close to his two roommates, Evan Rosier and Barty Crouch Jr. Even if they had some strange views it was clear that they didn’t enjoy the things the older Slytherins said or did. Regulus understood. They all had grown up being taught certain things and beliefs. It wasn’t like that would just change overnight. Regulus had the luck having grown up around Sirius, who was very easily persuaded. He had told Regulus everything during the summer, how the word mudblood was bad, how muggleborns weren’t tainting wizardkind, how muggles weren’t awful. Regulus loved his brother, he looked up to his brother. And he believed his brother.
With time Regulus told his roommates. And they were skeptical, but they didn’t deny it. One night a few days before Christmas, Regulus had had a breakdown. He was frightened to go home. Because now he didn’t have Sirius. He and Sirius would be home. But Regulus would be alone. He knew that. Because Sirius had clearly showed he didn’t want anything to do with him. Sirius wasn't mean to him. Sirius just didn't talk to him. Regulus wasn’t scared of the curses, or the starving, or their parents. Not this time. This time the thing that scared him the most was him not having Sirius.
Barty had found him, crying in their shared bathroom. He hadn’t said anything at first, they just sat there together. Then Evan came and they bundled up in a group hug. Whispered were shared between them which ended up with all three of them crying. None of them wanted to go home. All of them had to go home. All of them were scared.
- 1976
When they came back after Christmas they had stayed up all night talking. Talking about everything. And while Sirius and Regulus grew apart, Regulus and his friends grew closer than ever. Regulus loved his friends. Even if they could be the biggest idiots sometimes. But Regulus also loved his brother, which is why when Sirius left before Regulus’ fifth year he didn’t loathe him. Regulus had been sad at first. He was left there. But he also knew it would happen, Sirius had left long ago, that day it just happened physically. Sirius had to leave. And Regulus had to stay, because Sirius couldn’t be safe if Regulus was. And Regulus definitely wasn’t safe. The day after Sirius left all the rage their parents had against their eldest son exploded, right onto Regulus. And it continued like that. They tortured him at home, and haunted him at school. But Regulus planned at home, and prepared at school. It took up most of his thoughts. The plan. The plan.
The plan.
The plan.
The plan.
The plan.
Regulus could picture it in his mind. He continued to top his classes. But he also wasn’t mentally there at times. He saw the fire in his mind. And his friends saw the fire in his eyes.
They were worried. Regulus would stare at the Gryffindor table with murder in his gaze, but not directed at the Gryffindor his eyes were glued on. Regulus wouldn’t eat at times, he wouldn’t sleep some nights, sometimes he wouldn't talk for a whole day. They knew what had happened. That Sirius had left. But this was something else. And they were worried. For Regulus. And whoever his rage was directed at. They just hoped that no-one else noticed. Because they would protect him through anything. Even murder. Because they loved him.
- August 6th, 1977
“12 Grimmauld Place burnt to ashes!”
“The former home to the Noble and Ancient house Black was discovered five days ago in flames. Some time passed from when the aurors arrived at the site to when they entered the building due to the seriousness of the situation. And the magic that protected the house. The aurors have not found out the reason for why the hidden home was engulfed in flames and are continuing the investigation to get to the bottom of the fire. Walburga and Orion Black lived there with their two sons Sirius and Regulus Black. The oldest son, Sirius, had been rumoured to have ran away last summer due to unknown reasons. Thus leaving the younger Black brother alone in the house with their parents and Houseelf. Who mysteriously disappeared around the same time of the fire. Walburga and Orion Black brutally passed away in the fire while their youngest son survived with serious injuries. We have not yet interviewed the surviving Regulus Black, the healers in charge of the younger son have denied an interview but a secret source have informed us that two days ago Mister Black woke up from a three day coma…”
Barty slowly looked up at Evan who had only five minutes ago barged into his house flailing around the Daily Prophet in his hand. “Well. Shit.” was all he said. Evan nodded. “Well, shit.” was what he answered. They both knew exactly what had happened. And they both knew that they would do anything to protect their best friend.