Chapter Text
The quiet pattering of the rain beating against the window may be the only thing keeping Regulus sane right now, he rolled over and checked his clock ‘3:02AM’ officially 2 hours since Sirius had packed up his things and left without him. Regulus had watched him leave, of course he did, the shuffling had woken him up; his brother had never been one for being subtle... like ever. He watched through the keyhole of his bedroom door as Sirius silently made his way down the hall, as silent as Sirius black could, which was not very quiet at all… Regulus knew even before Sirius had left his room that his parents wouldn’t let Sirius leave without a fight.
It sounded cliche but Regulus knew they were there before they arrived, it was like a sixth sense you learned in this house and by the way Sirius froze he knew Sirius felt it too. The door to their parent’s room creaked open,
“too soft, way too gentle to mean anything good” Regulus thought. He watched through the keyhole as Orion stepped out his face full of rage with Walburga close behind her face a more calculated expression but could see the fury in her eyes.
“Sirius Orion black where on earth do you think you’re going?” Walburga's voice cut through the silence like a knife, Sirius seemed to be shocked for a second before he hardened with defiance in his eyes
“stupid Gryffindor pride” Regulus sighed internally.
“I’m leaving maman. And you won’t be stopping me” Sirius raised his head up high, but Regulus knew he was afraid just too stubborn to show it. Walburga didn’t speak a word after that she just jerked her head slightly and Orion immediately took out his wand aiming at Sirius with a disappointed look on his face before muttering harshly
“Crucio!”. Regulus flinched away as soon as he saw Sirius fall to the ground, his screams echoing through the house as he withered and struggled on the floor begging for them to stop. Regulus covered his mouth to ensure he didn’t make a peep not wanting to alert their parents about him watching, eventually after what felt like an eternity, they stopped Sirius twitching on the floor half-conscious when their mother walked over to Sirius towering over him.
“Don’t you dare try to defy me again you ungrateful brat!” She then stopped to consider something before she glared down at Sirius once more and nudged him with her foot, sending his body tumbling down the stairs. Satisfied she turned on her heel heading back to bed with Orion.
As soon as Regulus knew the coast was clear he silently rushed out his room hurriedly rushing down the stairs where he found Sirius unconscious at the bottom, but thankfully still alive and breathing.
“Oh Siri... Je suis tellement désolé, je vais te sortir de là, je te promets, tiens bon d'accord ? Je suis désolé, grande étoile, je t'aime” He whispered before picking up his brother as best he can and taking him into the drawing room, he placed Sirius by the fire while he grabbed the floo powder. He hesitated for a second before sitting in front of Sirius brushing a stray curl out his face before activating the floo
“potter manor” he said his voice slightly raised before rolling Sirius into the fire sending him away, a stray tear rolling down Regulus’s cheek.
“Regulus black” he heard a harsh voice from behind him and slowly turned around making direct eye contact with his father who had a furious expression on his face and his wand raised,
“well there goes any chance of me avoiding punishment this summer”Regulus thought before his father gave him the same treatment Sirius got just for much, much longer…
“Crucio!”.
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Kreacher helped Regulus heal the wounds he was allowed to as they both prepared Regulus's trunk and everything he needed for fourth year,
“Kreacher is sorry he cannot help master regulus heal all his wounds, but Kreacher cannot disobey orders from lord black” Kreacher said resigned. Regulus winced as he stood up pulling his shirt back on the fabric dragging across the fresh wounds making it sting.
“Don't worry Kreacher, thank you for helping me as best you can” Regulus said reassuringly
“do you know if maman and papa will be taking me to the station later?” he asked, not daring to hope knowing it was most likely a no. As expected Kreacher shook his head
“Kreacher is sorry master Regulus lady black said they have more important matters to attend to today…” Kreacher’s head hung low, and Regulus nodded stiffly holding back a scoff.
“Very well, thank you for your help Kreacher you are dismissed” Regulus dismissed and Kreacher left with a small pop, as soon as he was gone regulus flopped back on his bed letting out a sigh.
Regulus stared at the roof of his bedroom, it was enchanted to show two constellations in the night sky Leo and Canis major, he wondered how Sirius was doing. Did he have everything packed? Did the potters help heal him up? Did he enjoy the remainder of his summer? Did he remember what happened? No of course he wouldn’t he was fully out of it and unconscious when regulus helped him Sirius had no idea regulus helped him and for some odd reason that comforted Regulus. Their whole childhood Sirius had been the one to protect Regulus, the one to take the blame, the one who shifted all their parent’s anger onto him but now it was Regulus's turn to take care of his brother after everything he had done for him.
The bedside table’s draw creaked as regulus opened it, he paused making sure no one was coming before pulling out a small stack of photographs magic and muggle alike, regulus stared at the first one it was of him and Sirius when they were maybe 7 and 8 laughing and playing in a tree Sirius was hanging upside down and regulus was sitting a little father up making jokes with his brother. He skimmed through the rest, but he stopped on the last one, a vivid memory playing in his mind as he looked at the image of himself and his older brother around the ages of 9 and 10.
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“Siri! Siri! Look, it's just like you!” little Regulus laughed as he held up a dung beetle making Sirius gasp in mock offense
“hey! What Reggie, that is not me!”
Regulus snickered
“yes it isss”
he teased in a sing-song voice
“you’re just mad I’m right as always!”.
“Oh, you’re in for it now!”
Sirius exclaimed as he grabbed Regulus and immediately attacked him with tickles, Regulus withered in his brothers’ arms begging for release while dying of laughter.
“Admit you’re wrong and I’ll let you go!” Sirius grinned and Regulus shook his head, not giving in yet, eventually thinking he snapped,
“fine! Fine! You’re not a dung beetle, you're right!” Regulus said through giggles and Sirius finally let him go as they both flopped onto the grass.
They laid in silence for a while before Regulus spoke up timider than last time,
“Siri what if one day we aren’t brothers anymore? Will you still love me? What will I do?”. Sirius softened wrapping an arm around his baby brother,
“I’ll always be your big brother Reggie! And if we’re ever separated, talk to my star and I’ll talk to yours.”
Regulus looked at his brother before whispering
“you promise?”
Sirius smiled gently,
“I swear on you.”
Regulus looked confused for a second
“on me?”
he asked not quite understanding,
“yeah on you because most people would say I swear on everything but you’re my everything Reggie, so I swear on you” he said it as if it were the most obvious thing in the world and poked regulus on the nose. Regulus smiled at his brother big and toothy before attacking him with a hug.
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Regulus was suddenly snapped out of the memory he was reliving when Kreacher popped back into his room, “master Regulus we must leave now if you wish to be on time for the train”
Kreacher said his head bowed as if he could feel the weight regulus felt on his chest in the moment. Regulus simply nodded at Kreacher
“very well i’ll meet you downstairs in five minutes just give me a moment to make sure everything’s packed” Regulus addressed Kreacher his emotionless expression finding its way back onto his face. Kreacher simply nodded before popping out the room once more leaving Regulus on his own. As a spur of the moment thing Regulus decided to stuff the images into his trunk to take with him to Hogwarts. Now that his brother was officially gone, Regulus wanted to hold on as best he could before he lost him completely. With a sigh Regulus grabbed his trunk and went downstairs where Kreacher waited for him.
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Regulus stepped onto the platform at king’s cross station making sure to tug his robes down as far as he could, his parents had been particularly harsh after Sirius’s departure and regulus didn’t want his friends asking questions too soon, he would much rather prevent it as long as he could. Pandora immediately spots him
“Reggie!” She squeals from across the platform immediately running over to him and enveloping him in a hug, Regulus tries not to wince as his sore spots get pressed on during the hug not wanting to worry her. He was just about to say something to greet her, but Pandora seemed to have other plans
“c’mon! The others are already on the train, except Barty of course he’s late again but we wanted to get a good compartment!” She smiled, dragging him onto the train where the others were already waiting.
When they entered the compartment Dorcas and Evan were both already in there seeming to be having a heated discussion, typical. Regulus sits down next to Dorcas, his head dropping on her shoulder, the exhaustion finally catching up with him which seemed to pull Dorcas out of her conversation with Evan for a moment.
“Hi Reggie, it’s been a while” Dorcas says with a smile unlike Evan & Pandora Dorcas didn’t get to see regulus at all over the summer since her family weren’t a part of the sacred 28 or invited to the pureblood galas. Regulus simply hummed in reply not wanting to talk but wanting her to know he missed her too.
Just as Regulus was dozing off the door burst open and Barty made his presence well known as always,
“you almost missed the train dipshit”
Evan deadpanned.
“Really? I had no clue!” Barty sneered back slightly out of breath as he plopped down next to Regulus plucking his water bottle from his bag without asking
“cheers Reginald” Barty grinned as he took a gulp of Regulus’s water causing him to roll his eyes.
“Y’know any normal person would ask first” Regulus sighed not surprised by Barty’s antics in the slightest,
“Barty’s the furthest from normal you can get” Dorcas muttered under her breath making Evan choke on his spit trying to hold back a laugh while Pandora giggled silently.
“I take offence to that Cassie”
Barty grumbled, making even Regulus snicker slightly.
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About halfway into the train ride Regulus had to get up for the first prefect meeting of the year, luckily, he was smart enough to change into his uniform earlier on. With utmost care he gently moved a sleeping pandora off his lap and onto Barty instead before smoothing out his uniform and bidding goodbye to Dorcas and Barty, who were the only two still awake and heading towards the prefect carriage. As soon as he entered, he made eye contact with Lupin, after a small moment he gave regulus a small nod in greeting and Regulus returned the favour feeling his face heat up for some reason. He averted his eyes and quickly walked over to his seat with the other Ravenclaw prefects ignoring the slight thump in his chest whenever he looked at the tall, scarred boy.
a moment later Lily Evans took the seat next to him with a small smile
“hi star boy!” she half whispered as everyone else got ready to start the meeting,
“hi lils” he responded with a fond eye roll giving her shoulder a quick squeeze before the head boy and girl started the meeting. The head girl handed out the roster for the first couple weeks of the term and Regulus skimmed it to see who he was paired with.
Mondays;
evening patrol: Regulus A Black & Lily J Evans
Thursdays;
curfew enforcement: Regulus A Black & Remus J Lupin
Sundays;
evening patrol: Regulus A Black & Remus J Lupin
Regulus’s eyes widened as he saw who he was scheduled with, well fuck there was no way he could keep his crush a secret now! he sighed to himself when he felt a hand on his shoulder, looking up to see who it is and of course it was Remus.
“Lupin, what’s up?” he asked coolly even if he was panicking on the inside,
“Regulus.” Remus smiled “I figured since we’re paired together now and the meetings over i could walk you back to your compartment? it’s not too far from mine either”
Remus says it quite nervously which regulus might’ve caught onto if he wasn’t trying not to blush so hard. Regulus was frozen wanting to say yes but the words wouldn’t come out when Lily spoke up
“he would love to rem!” she says with a sly grin “I needed to talk to one of my partners for patrol anyways, right Reggie?”
she says as all the attention shifts back to Regulus, and he nods after a beat. Lily seemed satisfied by that and quickly scurried off without a moment to waste leaving Regulus and Remus alone,
“should we get going then?” Regulus finally spoke trying to remain his usual stoic self and Remus nodded as Regulus grabbed his thing following Remus out into the other carriage.
Regulus had somehow ended up walking Remus to his compartment instead, it made sense though his was already on the way and regulus didn’t want Remus to have to walk further down just to have to walk back again so he convinced Remus that he was okay to walk the rest of the way himself which was surprisingly difficult. Regulus bid him farewell with a small smile barely there as Remus reluctantly entered his compartment taking his seat next to Peter as he watched Regulus walk further down to where his friends were seated in their own compartment.