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In the end you can only count on your family
Blood is thicker than water
Respect your elders
Family is the most important thing in the world
I know he hurt you but he’s your father and he will always be your father
You can’t talk to your mother like that
We raised you, you owe us
This is the family business and it will be your job to lead it one day
He disappointed me. He’s not my son anymore. Don’t be like him.
You don’t have a brother
Regulus looked down at his hands. His bloody hands. He wanted to scream. Cry. Tear everything apart. Run.
“Take him out back and then clean up in here. I hope you learned your lesson.”
Orion put the gun into an inside pocket of his suit jacket and left the room.
Regulus just sat there. Face blank. Cradling the dead body of his dog, Kreacher. This couldn’t be real. It was so absurd. So wrong. But the blood on his hands was real. Regulus suppressed a sob. His brain was running at 3000 miles per hour, but he couldn’t grasp a single thought. He wasn’t used to that feeling. He always had everything under control, especially his own body.
In a trance he picked up the lifeless animal and stumbled through the mansion. When he walked outside and was faced with the brightest sunlight and a garden surrounded by palm trees, he wanted to throw up. The bile was burning in the back of his throat. Strictly looking ahead, he made his way across the seemingly endless area until he reached the brick wall that enclosed the Black property. He looked to his right, at the gate to their small family cemetery. Then he looked to his left, across the disgustingly green plain of grass.
Regulus’ brain suddenly started functioning again. Or maybe it was just instinct. Either way, he would not bury Kreacher, the last friend he’d had in this household – maybe even in his life - , amongst murderers and traitors. Instead, his feet carried him to one of the palm trees. The one Kreacher used to scratch at and dig into the earth at its root. The ground was already messed up there. No one would notice.
After he had done the job, he kept kneeling there. Staring at the grave. Then at his bloody and muddy hands. He noticed his white shirt was soaked in blood as well. His throat closed up in a knot and Regulus was hyperventilating, trying to get some oxygen into his lungs. With a desperate sob he started tearing at his shirt. It needed to get off. Off! He tried to clean his hands on his trousers, but it didn’t work. It didn’t work- It didn’t work!
The blood didn’t come off! He had blood on his hands! It was his fault, it was all his fault!
He let out a silent scream and it broke a barrier. Tears were finally spilling from his eyes. Tear by tear his mind cleared up a little. When a soft breeze grazed him, disrupting the endlessly suffocating summer heat, his pain turned into determination. He would not live like this for a single day longer. Leaving the bloody and torn shirt on the grass, the red and white strongly contrasting the green, so much it hurt his eyes, he made his way back towards the building. Before entering, he summoned his mask.
No one was to suspect anything.
In his room he immediately went for his desk. In a swift motion he emptied the box with empty envelopes and took out the old IPhone that was hidden there. Shit, it was out of battery. Of course, it’s been laying in there for almost a whole year. He put it on a charger and nervously waited for it to turn on.
It took too long. It was taking way too long. He hadn’t cleaned the mess in the living room yet. If Orion saw, he would come up here. Regulus pressed his eyes shut.
Control.
He needed control.
After taking a deep breath he locked his door and started packing. Not much, just the most important things. It all needed to fit into his messenger bag. Every backpack or suitcase would raise suspicion if he was seen.
Finally! The phone!
After two guesses he had the correct password. Good thing Sirius was so predictable. Now was just to hoping that at least one of Sirius’ stupid friends didn’t change their phone number.
In a matter of seconds someone picked up.
“Hello? Who is there?”
Regulus tried to put on his business voice. Just in case someone overheard him.
“Buon giorno, signore. I believe this number should be well known to an associate of yours. My name is Regulus Black and I would like to make a similar deal as our mutual associate. May I talk to him?”
“Regulus? Fuck, did something happen to you?”
There was a tiny quiver in Regulus’ voice when he continued.
“Yes, I believe those were the terms.”
“Fuck. Shit. Do you need somewhere to stay? Sirius is not here right now so I can’t get him for you.”
“Would it be possible to arrange a meeting for transaction today?”
“Yes! Yes, definitely! Fuck, um- do you know Sirius’ special place at the beach?”
“Of course, signore.”
“Half an hour, can you do that?”
“I am always reliable, signor.”
“Okay. Okay, I’ll come myself. Sirius shouldn’t be there if someone follows you.”
“You don’t need to be concerned, signore. I am not on their radar.”
“Fuck, be careful, Reg!”
“I am very pleased with the outcome of this conversation. I’ll trust you will be on time. My boss doesn’t tolerate sloppiness.”
“Fuck. Get out of there! Now!”
“Bene, bene. Ciao, signore.”
With a shaking thumb Regulus ended the call. He put on a clean shirt, grabbed his bag and left his room. When he came across his father’s study, he bit on his lip and pulled himself together. Then he knocked.
“Si.”
Regulus strode into the room, mask on without even a hint of a crack in it.
“The job is done. I thank you for your lesson. I received a call from a client. Don’t expect me back for dinner.”
“Bene, bene.”
Regulus nodded, closed the door and got the hell out of there. After turning two corners he dropped both his own and Sirius’ old phone into the slit of a drain cover, unbuttoned his shirt and pulled a red hat from his bag. No one would recognize him like that. A son of the great Mafia boss Orion Black wouldn’t dare to present himself like that in public.
Looks like he didn’t have any sons left now.
Regulus looked down and found that there was still blood sticking to his hands. He stopped at one of the water fountains that were spread all around the city and scrubbed his hands clean. Then he splashed some of it in his face before he continued his way. What had happened just about an hour ago seemed so unreal and far away as he was walking under the glazing sun through the streets of a beautiful city. The fig trees were flourishing beautifully as ever. Nature didn’t react to the ice that was sitting deep in Regulus’ bones.
At the beach, he immediately spotted James Potter, even though he wasn’t wearing those ugly glasses that he always used to wear. He was the only guy not interested in going swimming, eating Ice cream or basking in the sun. Regulus didn’t stop walking. He was sure no one had followed him, but there were a lot of people around. Maybe it was paranoid but better safe than sorry. He locked eyes with the tall, brown guy and kept walking at the exact same pace. He saw James slightly nodding at him out of the corner of his eye and was sure he had understood.
With a lowered head he left the beach behind and randomly moved through the narrow streets until he found an empty alleyway without any open windows. In the shadow of a doorway he waited. A few moments later James came into view. He didn’t turn into the alley though. Just shot a quick look at him before walking straight ahead. Clever boy. Two minutes later James turned into the alleyway from the opposite end. He threw a glance over his shoulder and then sped up his steps. The older boy didn’t hesitate for a second before pulling Regulus into a crushing hug.
“Man, was I worried. Are you hurt? What happened, do you want to talk about it?”
A picture of Kreacher, limp and bloody in his arms, flashed in front of his eyes. He vehemently shook his head.
“Did you tell Sirius?”
“Yeah, he should be home by now.”
“Then let’s go.”
“Yes. I’ll text him that you are with me.”
Before the two boys left the safety of the shadows, they switched tops. James taking the expensive dress shirt and Regulus putting on the orange tank top.
“I brought some of Sirius’ eyeliner as well.”
Regulus huffed a laugh but accepted and applied it.
On the bus they were sitting in silence. One thought had been unspoken in Regulus’ mind for too long. He had to ask.
“Does he hate me?”
“What? No, of course not! He doesn’t blame you. He is your brother! He could never hate you.”
Regulus snorted. “My dad is my dad and still he beat my brother and shot my fucking dog.”
“He did what now? I swear to god, one day we’ll take this asshole to court.”
Silence fell over them again. Thy both knew that taking Orion Black to court was almost impossible and highly dangerous as well.
“What I was trying to say is: Sirius cares about you. I don’t think he spent a single day not worrying about you ever since he left.”
“Are you sure we’ll be safe from them?”
“You know them better than any of us. If you don’t feel safe, we can always go somewhere else.”
Regulus smiled pulling his messenger bag onto his lap. “Thank you.”
James smiled back. He looked awfully attractive in Regulus’ shirt that was decidedly too tight on him.
“It’s really good to see you.”
“You, too.”
They got lost in each other’s eyes for a moment. James broke the contact when the bus slowed down again.
“Come on, this is our stop.”
The got off the bus and rounded a few more corners until they arrived at a building that seemed to be far less luxurious than Regulus knew the Potters could afford. And waiting on the doorstep was Sirius. He had changed a lot. He seemed more himself now. Healthier. But he was currently wearing a crease between his eyebrows and biting at his thumbnail. Regulus wanted to say something, but James beat him to it.
“Pads! We’re back!”
Sirius eyes shot up and he jumped to his feet. For the second time that day Regulus was pulled into a crushing hug.
“Fucking hell, you are really here! Are you alright?”
A sob escaped Regulus’ throat. “I missed you so much.”
“I missed you, too. Mia famiglia.”