Work Text:
September 1978
Portrait day at number 12 Grimmauld place, it was always a nightmare, Mother and Father would have every servant in the house fix her children up, make them look like perfect puppets.
Sirius can hear faint sobbing from the room to the left, portrait day is especially hard for Reggie, the hair they force him to keep long, the dresses he hated, they forced his brother to be someone he wasn’t merely for the body he was born into.
Sirius walks in, their servants are being rather harsh on his hair while Regulus sobs “ok that’s enough I’ll take it from here” Sirius says.
The servants share a look before leaving and Sirius grabs the brush “idiots” he whispers.
“I can’t do it frere I can’t be in another portrait like this” Regulus cries, this is always a heartbreaking sight since Regulus never cries.
“I know Reggie I know, but hey at least you’re not stuffed in a pompous suit” he tries to cheer him up.
“I’m stuffed in a pompous dress!” Regulus refutes.
“Maybe we should switch, I’ll be in the dress you in the suit and we both give her a heart attack” Sirius says making Regulus chuckle while he finishes detangling his hair.
Regulus has hair similar to their cousin Bellatrix, long endless curls that have a tendency to point wherever they want.
Everyone is always rough with his hair except Sirius, he takes meticulous care to detangle it and scrunch it and back when Regulus first told him he was a boy Sirius cut it for him…they were both under the cruciatus curse that night, and the next day a hair growing potion was given to Regulus to “fix” what Sirius had done.
“My eyes are going to be puffy on the portrait,” Regulus says.
“Should I cry so we match?” Sirius jokes again, the bell rings and they stand up, the painter is here.
Sirius and Regulus make their way down to the living room.
Orion walks to Sirius and starts fixing his collar.
Sirius flinches and receives a warning look from his father, Sirius was scared of him, terrified of his mother but his father was also cruel, his studio was a proof of it, charmed to harm both Regulus and Sirius if they dared enter it, he still has the scar on his leg from it.
Regulus looks at Sirius and decides it is his turn to make his brother laugh so he runs to the platform their father stands on to appear taller and hops on it, making his heels clunk.
Sirius chuckles at his silly attempts to be funny.
“Will you sit down?” Walburga says approaching Regulus, for an outsider like the painter, this is a caring mother softly placing a request on her daughter, for Sirius it’s a demand with a promise of harm if not followed.
Regulus sits down and after Orion decides Sirius’ collar is fixed he walks with him.
Sirius stands behind Regulus while Orion is behind Walburga and he kind of lets his mind wander, taking him anywhere that isn’t here.
He wonders how portrait days would go at the Potters, with Effie’s laughter and Monty’s rush, always doing everything last minute, James deciding which tie with which shirt, and if Sirius and Regulus were there, Monty would teach Regulus how to pair a suit with the proper tie, he would give the boy some shoes that fit.
“Match your socks to your shoes it’ll make you look taller” Monty would say.
And Effie would ruffle their hair right before they start the portrait so they all have to fix it again while they laugh.
Portrait day would be another happy event
Sirius is pulled out of his daydream by a sob.
“Oh for Merlin’s magic,” Walburga says, turning towards the cries.
Regulus is crying and shakes his head “I can’t, I can’t I’m sorry” Regulus stands up and flees the room.
“Get back over here” Walburga demands while standing up and going after him.
“Leave him alone!” Sirius says and goes to move but his father holds his arm.
“Sit” Orion says.
“Get your hands off of me!” Sirius snaps and runs out the room in time to see Walburga making it to the top of the stairs
Sirius rushes up the stairs taking them two at the time then makes it to the room.
Regulus is sobbing uncontrollably thanks to what Sirius can now recognize is a panic attack.
“Stop this at once you are embarrassing us.” Walburga demands.
“Get out I’ll calm-” Sirius tries but gets interrupted
“You will shut your mouth and go back downstairs, tell the painter your sister got emotional” Walburga orders.
“…No.”
“Excuse me?”
“I said no” Sirius says “I won’t tell the painter shit.”
“Sirius Orion Black, watch how you speak to me” Walburga says, then she clearly gets too irritated with Regulus’ crying because she turns around and slaps him.
“Cease this crying at once! You have no reason to cry whatsoever. I will not tolerate this behavior from my own daughter!”
“I’m not your daughter!” Regulus snaps, reaching the end of his rope, “I’m your son!”
“This again” Walburga says exasperated.
“Why won’t you just accept that I’m your son mother, why?!” Regulus asks
“Because I didn’t birth two sons! I birthed one disgrace of a son” Walburga says shooting Sirius a glares “and a daughter who seems disappointingly eager to follow the same path.”
Regulus cries while looking at her “I’ve done everything you’ve asked of me, every…every lesson, every stupid class, every stupid skill, I’ve worn the fucking dresses, fixed my hair, I’ve tied myself into knots all for your approval…am I ever going to be enough for you?”
Walburga looks at Regulus then pulls out her wand “Let’s see the cause of this behavior.”
“NO!” Sirius tries to take a step but his mother turns around.
“Imperio” She curses him “now be useful and go downstairs, sit still until I come down.”
Sirius tries to fight it, tries to stay for his brother, but he’s been shoved to the passenger seat of his own mind, his body taking him downstairs.
“The painter was dismissed” Orion says then notices the state of Sirius “ah” he says, not caring one bit about it.
Sirius is forced to stand down there, in the middle of the lifeless living room of his house while he listens to his brother’s bloodcurdling screams, his mother must’ve used legilimency on Regulus and whatever she found was not of her liking at all.
It must’ve been bad because she storms downstairs, dragging Regulus by his hair behind her.
The imperious curse lets go of Sirius since his mother is downstairs now, Sirius follows her to the tapestry room.
Walburga throws Regulus on the floor “You are no daughter of mine! I thought your brother was a disgrace but you take the price on this one you little wench!”
“What is this ruckus about?” Orion walks in, he’s wearing his reading glasses so clearly this interrupted him.
“She’s no longer a virgin” Walburga says.
Sirius did not know that, because that’s not his business, but considering how old school his house is, he knows that’s bad.
“She whored herself out, to a Potter” Walburga says.
Ok, Sirius will have time to be angry at James for shagging his brother later, right now he has to make sure said brother doesn’t get killed.
Orion looks at Regulus “You were promised to Rabastan, you knew this, Andromeda already disgraced us by running with a mudblood instead of marrying him, you were ordered to remain pure until you were of age so we could fix our relationship with him.”
Regulus shakes his head, letting another sob escape.
Orion takes his wand out but Sirius is faster taking his.
“Expelliarmus!” Sirius hits Orion.
“How dare you!” Walburga says, and since her wand is already in her hand Sirius doesn’t stand a chance.
Walburga can cast Crucio non verbally out of how often she’s used it, so Sirius hits the floor.
He doesn’t know when it ended, he must’ve pasted out but now he feels himself being moved.
like he’s being dragged, he grunts and opens his eyes.
Regulus is dragging him, he is still wearing that pompous dress, Sirius feels himself rolling, and he recognizes the walls as the floo.
“Reggie” Sirius says.
Regulus sobs as he grabs a handful of floo powder “P-” he tries but he’s injured as well.
“Not without you” Sirius manages to say, understanding what Regulus is trying to do.
“They’ll kill you” Regulus says.
“They’ll kill you” Sirius says “I’m their son they need me, they see you as disposable if someone has to leave it’s you”
“I’m their daughter, they need to trade me for status” Regulus says “you’re kind Sirius, I’ve always known that, you won’t make it here, your place is with him.” They both know who him is.
“I’m kind? you’re the one trying to sacrifice himself for me” Sirius says.
“You’ve always taken punishment for me, even now you’re trying to do it, I’m her daughter, I’m rotten by nature, if someone is going to make it here, it’s me” Regulus says.
“You’re not her daughter, you’re nobody’s daughter” Sirius says.
Regulus smiles at him “You’re nobody’s son.”
“No I am Reggie, I have a mum…come meet her” Sirius says taking the powder from Regulus’ hand.
“Sirius”
“Potter Manor” Sirius says and takes both of them out of that hell.
Effie was in the room when Sirius and Regulus floo in, Sirius can hear her panic as she gathers them both, and as he sees Monty and James enter the room he knows.
They’ll be safe.
——————
September 1979
“Reggie c’mon!” Sirius groans.
“I’m going I’m going” Regulus says coming out of his room trying to fix his collar
“Has anyone seen my tie?” Monty asks.
“Nope” Sirius says.
“Did you check the pantry baba?” James asks coming upstairs.
“Ah it could be there” Monty says going downstairs.
“I know damn well you’re not wearing the pompous collar” James chuckles and wraps his arms around Regulus’ waist.
“I’m trying to look good for the portrait Potter, something your hair doesn’t seem to understand” Regulus says.
“Mmmm agree to disagree, and you always look good” James says bending down and kissing Regulus.
Sirius clears his throat “I’m still standing here.”
Regulus pushes James’ face away and goes downstairs with a clear blush.
“Brother-fucker” Sirius says.
“Please you love me as your brother in law, and you’re shagging Moony so it kinda counts as the same.” James says
“How does it count as the same?” Sirius chuckles.
“it just does” James says.
“Boys! the painter is here” Effie calls for everyone.
All of them walk into the living room and Effie chuckles “We need to get more girls in this house I’m feeling lonely.”
“I have a cousin you would love Effie, her name is Andromeda” Regulus says.
“Oh I would love to meet her” Effie says.
Sirius watches everyone talking to one another, James orbits towards Regulus while he talks to Effie and Monty, the room is well lit up and everyone is happy, it almost feels like all the hurt and anguish from that house was all a bad dream, like this is how things have always been, Sirius has finally found his happiness, and he has no plans on letting it go.
“Alright everyone portrait time.” Monty says.
It’ll be a beautiful portrait.