Work Text:
Character: Regulus Black
Prompt: (Song) “Rolling in the Deep” by Adele
On the second of September, Regulus Black was up early. He should have a letter! Sirius promised, and his big brother always kept his promises.
He had to get to the letter first – before either of his parents. If one of them got the letter before him, they would open it and read it then toss the letter. They won’t even remember to tell Regulus that his brother wrote.
Before leaving his room, Regulus quickly dressed in a gray robe. He stopped by the bathroom to comb his hair and brush his teeth. He wanted to avoid any insults or stinging comments from his mother. While the woman rarely had anything nice to say to him, he always hoped to earn more than her disapproval. Her approval was reserved for Sirius and her three nieces.
Regulus walked as quickly and quietly as he could. His parents slept on different floors, but he felt like there was a chance they might hear him.
When he entered the dining room, Regulus was pleased to see he was the first to arrive. He took his seat, disappointed to find there weren’t any letters. He glanced around the table, noticing no one had any letters.
“What does Mister Reggie want?” asked Issy. Issy was an old house-elf with large eyes and one ear, and she wore a black uniform with the family crest.
At times Regulus wished the house-elves would address him as “Master Reggie,” not “Mister Reggie.” This was his mother’s doing. He wanted to make sure Regulus understood his place as the “spare” child.
“Can I get a full breakfast?” he asked, his tone polite.
Issy nodded before disapparating.
Left alone, Regulus eyed the latest copy of The Daily Prophet at the head of the table. He debated picking it up. It would be something to read. He quickly discarded the idea. If his father caught him, he would get a slap to the back of his head and he would be in trouble.
Ten minutes later, Issy returned with a plate for Regulus. The house-elf sat it down.
“Has the mail been sorted?” he asked.
The house-elf’s eyes narrowed.
“I’m expecting a letter,” Regulus quickly added.
Issy stared at him. “Mistress ordered Issy to hold all letters,” the house-elf told him before she left.
Regulus frowned as he turned his attention to his food. He started eating. How was he supposed to get his letter? It was obvious his mother wanted to see all the letters first.
A few minutes later Orion Black entered the dining room. He took his seat at the head of the table.
Issy came to take his breakfast order before leaving.
As his father reached for The Daily Prophet, Regulus got an idea.
“Father, do you have a letter from Sirius?” he asked, his tone polite.
Orion frowned, looking around the table. He normally had a stack of letters when he sat down.
When Issy brought Orion his food and tea, the older wizard was glaring at the house-elf.
“Elf, where is the mail?” he demanded.
“Mistress ordered Issy to hold all mails,” the house-elf answered. “If Issy refused, Mistress told Issy there would be clothes.”
Orion glared. “Bring me the mail,” he ordered, “and any orders from Walburga need to be approved by me.”
“Yes, Master Black,” the house-elf said before she left.
Orion had fixed his cup of tea when Issy returned.
Issy placed three piles of letters next to Orion. “Does Master Black require anything else?” she asked.
Orion frowned. “Inform my father we will be joining him for lunch,” he said.
The house-elf bowed before disapparating.
With his tea in one hand, Orion looked over the piles. He handed one to Regulus before he combined the other two piles into one.
“We’ll be joining your grandparents for lunch,” he told his youngest son. “Be prepared.”
Regulus agreed before looking at his letters. He had several more letters than he expected. Glancing at the handwriting, Regulus recognized his big brother’s, his three cousins’, and a few distant cousins’.
With a small frown, Regulus knew Sirius had something. It was best to start with Sirius’ letter.