Chapter 2 - Collin Plinkles and Maya Hawkes
This time, Sirius well spied Regulus. He had seen him come out of his dorm an hour after curfew on the map, and he wanted to know where he was going. So he took the card and went out from his dorm without waking his friends ; it was two days after the full moon and Moony needed a lot of sleep, they had promised Madam Pomfrey to take good care of him for let him out of the infirmary, not to mention that James woke up at an ungodly hour for his daily Quidditch practice and that Pete had a very important chess tournament on the next morning, against that seventh-grade Hufflepuff he'd been losing to all year. He had trained too hard to lose because of a bad night's sleep.
Once in the halls, he checked the map again and frowned. Regulus was heading in the direction... of the library ? Why go secretly in the middle of the night then that he could just go there during the day ? Was this another one of his meetings with that Lovegood girl? He looked for the girl's name on the map, but she was indeed in her dormitory, motionless, probably sleeping.
As Regulus continued towards the library, Sirius spotted two more names on the map. Collin Plinkles and Maya Hawkes, whom he recognized as d two second-year Hufflepuffs, were already there. But what could Regulus have to do with Collin Plinkles and Maya Hawkes? So he decided - what a surprise! -to go and see for himself.
Arriving in front of the large wooden doors, still open despite the late hour, he put on the cloak and entered quietly. He found Regulus heading towards Collin and Maya without flinching. He plopped down on a chair next to them, startling the younger ones.
- Regulus ! screamed the girl. I didn't see you coming
- No problem, he reassured them. So, this history of magic exam ? It was yesterday wasn't it ?
- Well, thanks to you I understood the whole passage on the goblin wars, and I got an O ! started the girl, Maya.
- And I had a E ! added her friend.
- That's very good, Regulus congratulated them. Why do you two need my help tonight ?
Sirius' jaw dropped. Where the hell did Regulus learn to talk to children ?! Certainly not at Place Grimaud. And since when did his brother help the second years to... pass their exams ? For quite some time, apparently, given the children's familiarity with him. Again it occurred to him that he now knew next to nothing about his former brother's life.
- I have to revise for my Charms exam, Maya informed him.
- And me... Well... It's in Muggle Studies. Can you help me? Collin asked hesitantly. It seems to me that you did not take this course this year.
- Yeah... I know my parents, I didn't even bother to even show that I was interested.
- Oh...
- But don't worry, smiled the Slytherin, I have a Muggle friend who taught me a lot of things. I can help you if you want. And then we can do your homework of uh... Charms? he added looking at Maya.
As the girl nodded with a smile, Sirius, lurking in the shadows, wondered if Regulus was serious - and no, this time he would skip the age-old "I'm Sirius" joke or "I'm not Sirius, it's him" -.
Had his brother even talked to a muggle in his entire life ? He couldn't believe his ears. Sirius himself had only had brief interactions with Muggles, conversations limited to asking a passerby for directions, cigarettes in a tobacconist or a recommendation of Muggle records in a small shop. He could well believe that Regulus supported Muggle-borns, and maybe even that he was friends with some of them, but even talking with a Muggle ? And he said he was friend with him-she-...
No, that didn't match the "blood supremacist Slytherin" image he'd had of his brother since his sorting ceremony four years ago now. His heart sank thinking he didn't know much about his brother. A feeling of unease added to his discomfort when he realized that it was largely his mistake, because he left the Noble and Pure House of Black behind, fleeing his degenerate family to seek refuge with the Potters.
He had wanted to take him with him, but he had refused, screaming and crying that he just couldn't. Sirius had thought he was just their parents' darling son, the perfect, obedient heir Sirius had never been, and he was gone, leaving his little brother behind in this house of hell. He suddenly wondered how things were going at home. Did Regulus always behave in an exemplary way, like the little perfect, mute son his parents were waiting for ?
Was he getting punished for anything and everything, now that Sirius wasn't around to take the blame for him? Had he been punished for Sirius' escape? Certainly... Sirius realized with an urge to vomit.
- Thanks Regulus !
Collin burst into joy, and Regulus clapped his hand over the boy's mouth to stifle his booming laughter, while suppressing an amused smile. Maya was shaking her head, her lips pursed in a thin line to keep herself from joining Collin in his giggles.
- Collin, not so loud ! Should I remind you we are not supposed to be here ?
- Yes, I'm sorry...
Collin's expression was anything but sorry, and it was Maya's turn that she couldn't hold back her laughter any longer, and the younger two doubled over, laughing so hard they had tears in their eyes.Regulus watched the scene with a half-desperate, half-laughing gaze.
So they studied the muggle world, learning about currency, government, how appliances worked and electricity in general... Sirius was surprised at how much he knew. Regulus knew the muggle economy, he knew all the members of the English and even French government - this nerd had always preferred to speak in French when they were still children, because only Druella, their aunt and the mother of Andromeda, Bellatrix and Narcissa, knew this language, which was however taught to them from their youngest age, which allowed them to communicate without Walburga being able to grasp the entirety of their conversation -. He knew Muggle authors, poets and screenwriters… How had he learned all of that ?
What was certain was that Walburga didn't know the extent of Regulus' knowledge of the muggle world. Did he learn that on his own, or had her "Muggle friend" taught her that much ? Had they agreed to meet together, in a Muggle place, talking, each getting to know the incredible world so close to his that the other knew so well ? Had they been walking in the street, commenting on the differences between their two worlds of life, were they very close ?
Was it with her that Regulus had made his first excursions into Muggle London ? Did they go to shops, did they visit monuments ? Had Regulus had his eyes full of stars when he was with her ? Sirius felt a twinge in his heart. It was with him that his little brother was supposed to do all this...
Sirius always remembered that summer day, before he left for Hogwarts, when it was still him and his precious little brother against the world... Sirius was then 8 years old and Regulus one less, and their parents had locked them upstairs with an absolute ban on making noise while they entertained their very annoying guests.
« So, Reggie, what do you want me to tell you today ?
Sirius' voice was loud, trying to hide the disappointment at having been insulted - yet again - by their parents and threatened with being hurt if he "didn't measure his words and do honour at the house of the Blacks". Luckily his little brother hadn't noticed anything.
- Tell me more about our life in the muggle world !
Looking at the stars in Regulus' eyes, Sirius smiled softly. Years later, he would wonder in rage and despair where all that sweetness and love had gone. For now, he was just enjoying this moment with his brother away from their pressing parents.
- Very good. Open your ears wide and remember every detail I'm going to tell you, because it's our future that I'm talking to you about, he confided to him in a conspiratorial tone.
Regulus moved closer, leaning forward, almost shaking with excitement.
- Come on, don't be an idiot, tell me !
- Okay, okay ! laughs Sirius.
He then told him for a whole hour how they would have a white house with pale green shutters by the sea, bright windows everywhere and flowers on the four corners of the house. Regulus didn't miss a beat. After a while, this one even took over to reconstruct their career as international singers, and Sirius climbed on the bed and mimed a rockstar, strumming the strings of his guitar fidgeting like a handsome devil.
Surprised at first, Regulus quickly joined him and soon the two brothers were standing in the room, jumping from furniture to furniture and imagining extraordinary adventures in uncharted lands, wild jungles and hostile seas. They laughed so hard that at the end of their interview, their parents came to give them a "punishment", but it was worth it.It was one of the fondest memories he has with Regulus, one that nothing in the world could ever alter. »
He was taken out of his daydreams by changing the subject of children's revisions. They had now moved on to Charms, as requested by Maya. While Regulus was teaching the two youngest the spells requested, Sirius was truly impressed with his mastery. Not only did he master them all to perfection, something that those around him - only Lily knew how to do - but he knew advanced spells, which the two Hufflepuffs begged him to perform and then watched, wide-eyed.
He had to admit it, his brother was damn good.
And how was he so good with children? He knew how to talk to them, what to say to them to calm them down, to capture their attention and to amuse them.
Sirius really wished that all of his brother's attention was on him, that they were close again like before, "Sirius and Regulus against the world."
But unfortunately, that was not the case.
Sirius realized that when he heard those laughs, when he heard Collin Plinkles and Maya Hawkes laughing with Regulus, whom he hadn't seen laughing in public in quite a while. Two savvy children. Two children knew better how to deal with his brother than he knew how to do it himself.
Unable to bear it any longer, he hurriedly left the library, awkwardly tripping over the cloak as he left, suddenly nauseous. Those happy laughs reminded him ironically he and Regulus when they were still children, when they were still sweet and innocent, when they still loved each other, when they were still brothers, before pride, fear and and especially their parents separate them.Before Sirius turned away from his little brother, his best friend, his confidant, his joy, his love, his reason for living in this dark house that he had left anyway, leaving him there.