Chapter Text
Regulus Black was born on 7th June, 1961 to Orion and Walburga Black, to the Ancient and most Nobel House of Black. It was perfect, the Blacks now had a spare who was only a year younger.
To his parents, it was another social obligation done.
To Sirius, the heir of the Blacks, it was a new companion.
To Regulus? Oh, his opinion didn’t matter, after-all, he’s the spare.
‘Spare’, a word used to define backup, yes that was perfect.
Regulus was four when he realised this fact.
When Sirius, only five, was being taught how to behave in balls, Regulus was being watched over by Kreacher at the corner of the ballroom.
He wondered if he could join them, don’t get him wrong Kr’cher is fun but he likes his Mummy more. So he toddled over to them and tugged on his mother’s gown.
“Mum, mum, can I play too?”, he asked.
Mummy turns with a frown on her face, “No you don’t need to worry about it now, we can do this after you grow up a little”.
“That's not fair, why do I have to learn when he doesn’t get to? I want to play like him”, grumbles Sirius. His big brother is strange, he likes to whine for silly reasons, doesn’t he realise that he’s lucky to spend time with mum?
“But I want to play now!!”, he stomps his feet and his eyes fill-up with tears.
Mummy’s forehead tightens and she sighs, “Go bother the elf, Regulus, Mummy’s busy with your brother, if you want, read the book your father gave you”
“But I want to play with you”
“Regulus...”, he knows that tone, it’s a tone she uses before she and Sirius start to yell at each other, he’s not as brave as Sirius so he agrees.
He lowers his head and goes to the library but before he leaves the room completely he hears, “He’s the spare why can’t he know his place?”
Regulus doesn’t know what ‘spare’ means.
He asks Kr’cher, who was following him silently, “It means having an extra of something, in case it gets spoiled, Master Regulus”, he replies enthusiastically.
“I’m an extra?”, he wonders aloud.
“No, of course not, master Regulus, there can only be one of you”, he denies vehemently, “You just have a very important duty of fulfilling mistress’s dream if master Sirius fails to”
Regulus stays silent, any way Kr’cher puts it, it sounds as if he is like the water that only gets drank if Papa’s favourite wines aren’t there. Is it like that? Sirius is the wine while he’s just plain water?
He enters the library and contemplates this till dinner not even paying attention to his books.
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He is five when he learns about soulmates.
He hears about it from his cousin Cissy when she’s talking with Bella.
“Ohhh, he has the most beautiful locks of hair, Trixie. His soul-mark is a very pretty narcissus flower with a black crown on top of it”, she coos like she’s talking to a baby.
Bella rolls her dark eyes, “You just say that cause it’s your his soulmate, if not you’d be turning up your nose”, she disagrees with a smile. Cissy pouts to this.
Cissy always looks silly when she talks about her friend, Lucie. She squeals like a baby, her face gets red and her face immediately gets hidden behind something like a shawl, scarf or her hand. They call Lucie her ‘partner’, ‘boyfriend’ or ‘love’ but this is the first time they call him her soulmate.
Curiously, he asks, “What’s a soulmate?”.
Both of them finally notice him, this is normal too, especially when they are all giggly. Sirius calls it ‘creepy’, sometimes he agrees with him.
Bella looks amused whereas Cissy gets even more red, “So you want to tell him or should I?”, Bella gives a cocky smile to Cissy.
“Uuuuhhhhhhh, noooo, you do it, your more experienced”, the blonde says throwing her head into a pillow.
Bella rolls her eyes again, “Fine”. She sits towards him and looks at him seriously, “this is very important, understand?”.
He nods just as seriously, “Got it”.
“Okay, soulmates are special people who are like your best friends but more cause they understand you better than anyone, love you unconditionally, help you no matter what and are always with you.”
He stares at her in awe, “Really? Like mummy and papa and Siri?”.
She stares silently for a moment, “No, they care for you even more than them”, her smile is a little smaller now.
“Oooooh”, he can’t imagine anyone caring for him more than his family, “how can I get them? Should I summon them? Or wait for them to find me?”
“You have to wait for each other Reg, when your eight you get a soul-mark that is unique to you and your soulmate, the mark tends to be what represents your soulmate the best.”, she takes Cissy’s right hand and shows her inner wrist that carries a mark....ooh that’s a soul-mark, “See this? Cissy’s mark is a yellow ‘M’ with a snake headed cane placed as a cross behind it, it indicates that he’s a Malfoy and the cane is the same one he got from his grandfather. But the easiest way to see if they are your soulmate is to touch their soul-mark. If it glows they are your soulmate.”
“Woah, I can’t wait to get my soul-mark!”, he questions, “when will I see them?”
“Oh, don’t worry, you’ll probably meet them by the time you’re thirty. Lucie and I met in the Yule Ball when I was ten.”, Cissy interrupts
“The point is you have to wait and see”, Bella concludes.
“Okay”, Regulus replies dutifully.
He knows what he has to do now, he needs to get stronger and intelligent then only he can be a great ‘partner’ to his soulmate. The same way Lucie is to Cissy.
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Regulus is seven when he learns all that he can about soulmates.
He inhales all books in the Black library, listens to every story grandmother tells him about her and grandfather and flicks Cissy and Andy’s Witch Weekly to read their latest update on soulmates.
He learns that there are two types of soulmates – platonic and romantic. Platonic is like having a really close friend. Romantic is where you marry your soulmate like mother and father. Personally, he wants a platonic soulmate, he doesn’t want to be all giggly like Cissy or gossipy like mother.
He also learnt that some soul-bonds aren’t re – ci – pro – cated, that means that their soulmates are soul-bonded to other people that's NOT them! Its scary! But mother says that it only happens to ‘mudbloods’ and ‘half-breeds’, so ‘purebloods’ like them are safe.
Then finally there are people who don’t have any soul-bonds, they are mark-less. Mother says that they are ‘pathetic, lonely, useless people with no hope’ and that ‘no Black has never been mark-less’.
On one of these normal days Sirius start to yell, slamming the door open with a force that can only be achieved through accidental magic. Its not unusual, but what is unusual is the fact that he is running without any robes on, leaving his body open to scrutiny. Sirius looks happier than the time he got a thunderbird feather quill for his birthday.
“Mother! Father! Look! Look! I got my soul-mark!”, he says in excitement. The second he closes his mouth, he gets jumped on by his little brother.
“Really? Show me! Show me!”, the younger exclaims.
“Congratulations Sirius and Regulus, what did I tell you?”, mother reprimands with father trailing behind her.
“Not to ask people to show their marks because its rude”, he says.
“Exactly, now Sirius would you show us?”, mother asks.
Father puts his hands on the younger boy's shoulders to calm down his excitement. It is one of his rare leave days, when he isn’t locked up in his office or has to be away from home. He looks in anticipation as well.
Sirius looks giddy but makes a show of thinking with hand and chin, mother raises one of her eyebrows with a smirk on her face. The older boy nods and turns around, showing his back.
On his lower left back there is a deer, a male deer due to its horn, surrounded by butterflies and orchids. It is a beautiful scene. Regulus’ face forms a beaming smile out of his control. Looking around, mother and father are also having the same problem but they don’t seem to mind. Mother kneels down and hugs Sirius and Sirius hugs back.
“We need to celebrate, invite everyone in our family, I’ll start arranging for the dinner, there would be a lot of owls sent”, father starts with pride evident on his face, “Sirius write a list of all you want the elves to prepare and deliver it by supper”.
Sirius nods and looks towards him, “Come on Reggie, help me write whatever we’ll need, we might even be able to squeeze in all of Honey-dukes in it.”
He readily agrees.
It was a great day and the dinner that was held at the weekend had been even greater. Everyone praised Sirius, talking about how they can’t wait till Regulus gets his and how their parents are really lucky to get such ‘ideal toss’.
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Regulus is eight when he gets his soul-mark.
The fairy lanterns were of all colours like green, pink, yellow, red, blue, purple and orange. It was grandfather Pollix’s birthday celebration. Honestly, it was a less of a celebration and more of an excuse for adults to get drunk and leave their kids at one corner under the watch of their family house-elves.
“Siri, I’m bored, when can we go home?”, Regulus pokes his brother, “even Cissy and Bella are ignoring us”.
Sirius sighs in annoyance, “really Reggie? What do you want me to do? Take my wand and create a ruckus? Mother and father told us we have to be here or we’ll have to go aunt Cassiopeia's lessons, do want to go there?”
“No”, Regulus admits, aunt Cassiopeia is loud and he doesn’t like her. Her lessons are probably horrible as her.
“Then we have to stay”, Sirius stresses.
Regulus crosses his arm and slouches on his seat. The cake slice on the table looks unappetizing. He looks towards the conversing adults hoping to find his parent between them. He can’t find either of them. He leans a little towards the table, sitting straight up with his hands firmly on the table. He hears a gasp beside him.
Sirius is looking at his hand, eyes wide. Regulus snaps, still a little bitter, “what?”. Sirius just grins.
“Reggie, you got your soul-mark, looks at your wrist”, Sirius grin widens, pointing at his left hand.
Regulus immediately shoves his sleeves to look at his wrist. There, above his blood veins, is a yellow? No, gold! Gold lightning bolt with an hour-glass enclosed in it.
Its not pretty like Cissy’s, not beautiful like Siri’s or elegant like mother’s but it is his. He moves his thumb over it, tracing the lightning bolt, mesmerized by it. He feels tingly and happy, feels as though the mark is trying to hug him.
“I’ll get mother, stay here”, Sirius shouts and runs into the crowd, pushing and shoving anyone in his way.
He simply sits there, smiling like a loon, hoping this moment can last forever.
After Sirius finds their parents, he drags them to the kids’ table. They congratulate him, just as they did to Sirius when he got his mark. The brothers excitedly talk about how their soulmates would be. Sirius says his would love pranks, charms and music like him while Regulus’ would like history, potions and arithemacy like him. Regulus argues that their soulmates would cover each other’s weaknesses.
The boys argued as their parents discussed on informing this development to their families at a later date. Finally deciding to mention it after the party is over.
The day felt too short after that, formalities were made, congratulations were given and plans were made to meet up in the near future.
Regulus misses those peaceful days.
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Regulus was ten when he realised that not all soulmates have happy endings.
His parents were visiting someone’s funeral. Sirius was at Hogwarts, he didn’t talk to them much, no ones was sure why. He only said that he was too busy and that it was just strange to be in unfamiliar place. Regulus can understand that, he was stuck at aunt Druella and uncle Cygnus after-all. Their house is boring and doesn’t have anything to do. A few magazines were lying around but they were girly ones, nothing on quiddich.
He roamed around at night, way past his bed-time, towards Bella’s room, Bella is fun unlike aunt and uncle. He hears a loud scream across the hall, its the ballroom! Did an intruder enter? It is foolish of them to think that they can enter a Black house without any consequence.
He silently walks towards the sound. The noise gets louder as he walks towards the door to the ballroom. Upon reaching the door, he opens it just enough for him to see but not enter. The scene he was met with rocked his entire world.
It was Bella with her wand lit in a lime green beam aiming at a women who is lying on the ground, twitching, shaking and screaming. Aunt and uncle were at the background, sitting on the sofa, viewing the scene with an air of indifference.
The girl on the ground whimpers when Bella’s wand stops emitting the green beam. She says, “Bella, you......don’t.....wa....this”. “Silence! Filthy mudblood, thinking she can taint my daughter with her disease! Bella, show this filth how a true Black reacts to such disrespect.”, uncle sneers.
“Of course, father. This freak has no place in this world”, Bella sneers back. The green light comes back and he hides behind the door, closing his eyes, pretending that it’s not happening.
A little while later he hears footsteps and he immediately flattens himself on the wall, hoping they won’t notice him. His aunt and uncle come out. His uncle is holding the door open while aunt says, “kill her and bring her corpse to our lord”.
“Of course, mother”, Bella says, it’s weird, it’s like she’s not hearing what her mother just said but replying either way.
“Good, we’ll wait for you at the hall”, aunt commands. Both of them leave the door open, heading towards the main hall.
He moves from his hiding place, telling his heart to stop beating so fast mentally. He hears a thud from the room, he peaks in, wondering what it is and sees Bella on her knees, hunched over, sobbing soundlessly into her hands.
“Bella?”, he doesn’t notice how weak his voice sounds before it’s already out. Bella notices him, eyes bulged, asking him what he’s doing here.
“I heard something so I came to see what it was”, he continues shakily, “who’s that?”. He wants to change the topic when Bella sobs louder.
“That’s Vicky....Victoria Meadows......she i...was my....soulmate”, Bella says between her tears.
Regulus was confused, “Was? Is she dead?”, he asks hesitantly.
“Worse....there are faiths worse than death.....she might as well be”, Bella looks tired, “she’s a mug- mudblood, she shouldn’t have the privilege of being soul-bonded to a pure-blood”.
It feels as though she’s repeating what she’s been told. “But Andy married a mudblood and ran away, so you can do the same right?”, he tentatively asks. He doesn’t want Bella to go but it will make Bella happy, wouldn’t it?
Bella laughs, “it’s too late”, she adds, caressing the brown (like chocolate) haired girl on the ground, “merlin, when I get my hands on Cissy.....I promise you Vic....her neck will be torn..nonononono”. Bella continues smiling widely, a maniac grin on her face, “I’ll wait till she has a child......yes...yes....I’ll kill it first then I’ll make her watch her soulmate die by my hands.....YES...IT’LL BE PERFECT”.
Bella raves for a while before she stops and turns to him, she looks crazy. He begins to back away slowly, but before he could start running Bella catches his arms in both hands and says, “She promised....PROMISED! Yet look what she’s done......bad enough she and Andy get to have theirs......bad enough SHE’S the lucky one YET she can’t stop herself from ruining mine”, she gets closer, as if to tell a secret, “I’ll ruin Narcissa’s life”.
Bella lets him go, he falls on his back as she laughs.
And laughs.
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Regulus was thirteen when he learns anger and hate.
It’s Narcissa’s wedding, he hates her and her soon – to – be – husband, Lucius Malfoy. Bella and Cissy are dead, have been for a long time.
Bellatrix is a mad women who more of a husk than an actual human, craving death and gore wherever she goes.
Reggie is also dying, slowly but surely. Sirius pretends he never knew Reggie, only knows Regulus, a vile and bitter child, raised by his parents to be the ‘perfect’ child.
He caresses his soul-mark, getting some comfort from it.
Narcissa smiles as she talks with her soulmate. Lucius laughs at whatever she said. Seeing them he decides to go and wish her a content life.
“Cousin, how are you feeling?”, he gently teases her. She notices him and smiles, a fake one, but a smile none the less.
“Oh, I’m fine, just happy, how’s my favourite cousin doing?”
“I’m fine”, he turns to Lucius and adds, “you better treat her as a queen or you’ll have a hoard of angry Blacks at your back”.
Lucius laughs and agrees, “forget queen, I’ll treat her as an empress”.
“Oh you”, she comments fondly and her gaze returns to him again, “Have you seen Bellatrix anywhere?”
“No, I haven’t, I can look for if you want?”, he asks politely.
“No need”, she tells him but mutters quietly, “I told you she’ll be at the graveyard”. She seems to be saying it to Lucius if his raised eyebrow is anything to go by but she quickly looks over to him.
He continues to smile politely, wishing it comes across as genuine, she doesn’t notice anything.
“Well I better go search for aunty and uncle, I hope to see you soon”, she smiles as she and Lucius walk towards her in-laws and his parents.
Regulus has never hated before but he certainly does now.
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Regulus was sixteen when he got the dark-mark.
He wanted to prove that he could be useful, make his family proud, be the son they wanted, to be a part of something greater and most of all, to be strong for his soulmate.
He knows that his soulmate cannot be a mudblood, he desperately hopes not, for his sake and his soulmate’s sake.
It’s been two years since Sirius ran away and somebody had to fill the roll as an heir, luckily there was a spare.
Unluckily for Regulus, the spare was him.
He had thought that he could support the dark lord without getting the dark-mark, just in case his soulmate turned out to be from the light faction, but Sirius had ran away, leaving that responsibility to him.
Now, he stands at the ritual circle where all new recruits for death-eaters are waiting eagerly to get their dark-mark, like a bunch of toddlers waiting for candies.
The dark lord enters the room, his presence is as majestic and powerful as mother said it was, his face gazes at us with disinterest. He comments, “Not a bad batch of recruits, I hope everyone here is aware of what your signing up for”, he pauses expectantly, smirking when no one dares to move an inch, “you are here to better the world we live in, to eradicate filth and dirt that think they are superior to us. Now, let the ceremony begin”, saying this he lit his wand with a green glow.
Kneeling down each recruit bared their inner left forearm, the ritual circle starts glowing an eerie red glow. The dark lord starts marking each one of them, each one of clench their hands in pain but don’t say a word. Finally he reaches to Regulus.
Regulus had covered his soul-mark using a charm but the dark lord notices either way, “Such dedication is commendable, Regulus Black”, he says his name in a mocking manner, “Whoever your soulmate is, they are very lucky to have you”.
Regulus not sure if it’s a warning or statement, you never know with the dark lord.
The scorching pain on his forearm makes him clench his fists in reflex. He looks up as the foot steps move on to the next person, his dark-mark is right above his soul-mark in all its dark glory.
He stares for a few more seconds, he had felt exited to take part in the war but now, with the both the marks so close to each other, the snake head nearly touching his soul-mark, it feels as though he spit upon his soulmate’s symbol.
Despite his second thoughts, the ceremony continues. Regulus wonders if he’ll regret this later on.
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Regulus is eighteen when he regrets his choices.
He is eighteen, filled with ambition, ready to fight the war but as fate would have it he found a great secret about the dark lord.
The dark lord created horcruxes.
From an academic standpoint, its impressive and shows how powerful the dark lord is but at this current situation? It shows him means to destroy the dark lord.
Regulus loves his family, he’ll do anything for them and that family includes his house-elf. He’s angry and in his case, anger leads to stupidity.
A suicide mission, that was what he set to do. He found the cave and retrieved the locket, leaving Kreacher to destroy it.
Regulus Black died on 27th November, 1979 due to drowning. Certainly not the way he expected to die.
.
.
.
.
Regulus didn’t expect death to be this noisy, dark? Sure. Noisy?
He can feel his eyes, he opens them only to be assaulted with light. He tries to focus, leading him to see blurry reds, whites and blues. Focusing a little more he notices its a wedding......with an army of Weasleys in attendance.
This is a bizarre afterlife.
He looks in front of him, at a boy who looks like....James? But thinner? Shorter? Green eyed?.... “what in merlin’s name is going on?”.
The James clone blushes and stutters an answer, “Umm, it’s...well....your mark”, pointing his wrist.
Regulus immediately sees the boy’s matching soul-mark and his jaw drops. Well, this is an interesting development.