The Break-In

You climbed in through the window, feeling euphoria like you had reached the top of a mountain. Relieved and exhausted, you stepped inside the dimly-lit room, and saw that you were in fact, in the wrong place.

You may not have been in Sirius Black’s room before, but it wasn’t hard to guess that his bedsheets weren’t Slytherin green or his walls wouldn’t have the Black Family crest. Moreover, the table was tidy too — stacked with books and organized papers — which wasn’t like your best friend at all.

These might have given you small hints, but the biggest one was the boy in the bed, who was now looking up from his book like he just summoned a live demon.

“Who the hell are you?” Regulus asked, standing up. He didn’t yell and was actually quite calm, as if he had strangers climb up his room every few days.

“Fuck, I got the wrong brother,” you stated the obvious, waiting for him to hex you to oblivion.

His eyebrows went up, and while sighing, he put away the book he was reading.

Your brain pulled up all the information you had on him, including how he was in your year but you never crossed paths with him, or how he always hung around with Rosier’s crew, and how he was the exact opposite of Sirius.

“Please tell me you are not Y/N L/N.” His voice did show a bit of panic now.

“Depends on why,” you replied slowly.

“Answer me this instead, why the hell are you in my room?”

“I came to see Sirius,” you pointed to his door. “If you could show me the way to your dearest brother’s room, that’d be great.”

“You didn’t think to come through the front door?’

“Then I wouldn’t have gotten to scare you,” you smiled.

He was not impressed.

“You just said you got the wrong room, which obviously means you were breaking in. If you could wait here, I’ll go get my mother.”

“Wow, even when you’re threatening me, you’re polite. You’re definitely not Sirius.” You noted, trying to lighten the mood.

He ignored you and moved towards the door, but you yelled “Wait!” and stepped forwards, and like the most coordinated person you are, you tripped and fell to the ground.

His hand rested on the doorknob, but his eyes were on yours. They were a mixture of concern and amusement, which made your face redden even more.

“Just hear. me. out,” you said, gasping for air. It was a long way climbing up and you were all out of energy. You sat down on a chair and took a deep breath in, and after making sure your lungs were indeed working, you looked back to Regulus again.

He didn’t show any interest in the way you were panting for air, but he did not call for his mother either, which was a start.

“Sirius told me to come here,” you said, trying to sound serious. “He knows my family can be hard at times. He said he’ll welcome me with open arms.”

“Our family isn’t much of a party either. Why would he invite you here?” Regulus asked, now confused beyond belief.

“Because mine is worse,” you snapped.

Unless your family is currently joining forces with a dark wizard and preparing to murder innocent people and you’re caught in the middle instead of having a normal childhood, I’d say no — he bit back his words.

“I know, I know,” you rolled your eyes, as if you knew exactly what he was thinking. “You have a very toxic family, I admit that, but mine is just the same. Don’t compare my problems with yours.”

“I wouldn’t,” he agreed, nodding. “But whatever you were going through, our house is more dangerous. Especially for strangers who break in.”

“A person who drowned in four feet of water is just as dead as someone who drowned in ten feet, Regulus.” He hated the way you said his name, full of spite and judgment.

“I was suffocating in my house,” you continued, your eyes pleading. “My parents hate me. I don’t mind that, but once you hear the same thing over and over, you end up taking up the offer to run away to your best friend’s house.”

“So you are Y/N L/N,” he clenched his teeth, like you just signed his death warrant.

“What’s up with that? How do you know my name?”

“Mother yelled at Sirius because of you all the time,” he hissed angrily. “I’ve heard thousands of lectures at the dinner table about how he shouldn’t be hanging out with you because you’re muggle-born. Forgive me for remembering your name!”

“Why are you being angry, I didn’t even-”

“Did you not hear me? You’re muggle-born and you’re in my house. In my room.”

You scoffed. “That offends you, Your Highness?”

“No, it doesn’t,” he snapped. “But I’m saying you’re stupid because yes, you’re a muggle-born and you’re currently standing in a house of death eaters! Why did you run away from wolves to go to lions when both of them want to tear you apart?”

“Because one of those lions is my best friend and I have nowhere else to go!”

“That’s ironic because he’s not here anymore.” He informed gravelly.

Your face drained of blood, and you hoped you heard him wrong.

“He took up his own advice,” Regulus went beside his bed to get you a glass of water. “He ran away last week. If I had to bet, I’d say he’s at the Potters’ by now.”

“I came here all this way for nothing?” You didn’t touch the glass he placed in front of you.

“He must have sent you an owl.”

“My dad doesn’t allow magic stuff inside the house, and that includes letters,” you said bitterly.

He sighed. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

He shrugged, his gaze unwavering. “I’m not sure yet.”

You smiled back. “Apology accepted.”

He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it just as fast, his eyes alert.

“Mother’s coming,” he gulped, grabbing your hands and hoisting you up. Before you could ask what the hell he was doing, he had already pushed you into his closet and shut the door.

You waited in the dark, looking through the opening cautiously. You had to admire how quickly his acting skills took over.

Walburga was now standing inside the room, inquiring about the sudden noises. Regulus blinked in fake surprise.

“I’m sorry mother, I was reading.” He pointed to the book at the bed, and she frowned.

“Reading…aloud?”

“For drama classes,” he nodded with polite interest. “Hogwarts has them now. When we go back, we’re doing a retelling on Romeo and Juliet.”

“Isn’t that a muggle book?” She asked sharply.

“Of course,” he said, still calm. “That’s why it’s a retelling. Everyone is of magical descent.”

“Ah, alright then.” Walburga looked impressed.

You almost smiled, watching the exchange. Why was Sirius hiding his brother for so long? It didn’t take much to know he had a heart of gold and was cunning like the devil.

Not to mention handsome. The way his curly hair fell over his forehead as he kept a straight face which said he was simultaneously acting as well as trying to pass it off as subtly as he could? Perfection.

“I’ll see you later, the Malfoys are on their way right now,” she said, walking off. “I expect you to be on your best behavior.”

“Of course, mother.”

She left and you tried to get the closet door open, but he put his foot in front of it. Walburga came in again to take a quill from his desk.

“I’ll return it soon, I can’t find mine,” she said for the sake of it.

“Take your time, mother,” Regulus answered indifferently. Then she was gone.

He let you out then, and you threw yourself to him in a big hug.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” You chanted, squeezing him tightly. He went red as a rose and just as pretty.

You pulled apart pleasantly, and Regulus realized how you always seemed to have tons of friends around Hogwarts. You made the be-my-friend part very easy.

“The Malfoys will be here soon.” He responded, still somehow feeling your warmth around his neck.

“Yeah, I’ll go to the Potters,” you said, determined. “Can’t take more than six hours to reach there, right?”

Stay.

He couldn’t say that. He didn’t even know you. The idea itself was ridiculous so what left his mouth was, “Do you have the money and food?”

“Yeah I have enough,” you hesitated. “Wait.”

You reached for a paper from his desk, then took a pen from your pocket. You wrote down a few words and held it out to him.

“What’s this?” He asked without reading it.

“Potters’ address,” you shrugged. “If you ever feel like you’ve had enough, come by.”

“They hate me,” he laughed, without any real humor in the situation.

“They don’t know you’re putting up a fight,” you shot back, then turned softer. “I owe you one anyway.”

“That’s true,” he cocked his head to one side, looking at you like he knew you for over a thousand years instead of half an hour. “Goodbye, Y/N.”

“I hope I see you soon,” you said pointedly. “Really soon.”

“I hope you don’t climb up their house and scare someone too.”

You laughed. “I’ll try.”

You found yourself heading towards the window, but all you could think was how you were leaving him behind.

“Do you want to come with me?” You asked in the last second. He shook his head softly.

“I can’t.”

Your face fell, so he quickly added, “Yet. I don’t have anything ready and you know Malfoys are going to be here any second.”

“I can wait! I’ll help you pack, I’ll-”

“You will go,” he said firmly. “Never in my life would I have gone to the Potters, but I promise you, I’ll be there. But I can’t leave right now.”

“Promise you’ll come?”

He smiled as confirmation. You thought about it and then nodded. While you left, you were more than pleasantly surprised by the thoughts of Regulus Black already invading your head.

And as for Regulus? He drew in a determined breath and looked around his room. He realized when he does leave, he won’t miss anything about the place.

With that thought, he started packing.