Chapter Text
In the stillness of his room at 12 Grimmauld Place, Regulus woke with a start, his body trembling and soaked in sweat. The nightmare that had jolted him awake felt too real, too close. Lately, these dreams haunted him, filled with the memory of his brother, Sirius, walking away. Even after waking, the ache in his chest lingered, refusing to fade.
The memory of their parting replayed in Regulus's mind like a broken record, a silent cry for the brother he’d lost. Deep down, he wanted nothing more than to make amends, to reach out to Sirius. But alongside that desire was a bitterness that tasted sharp on his tongue. Sirius had left him behind, and that wound ran deep, leaving Regulus torn between longing for his brother’s love and resenting him for abandoning their family.
Even as children, Regulus had struggled to show affection. He was the Black heir, and with that title came the expectation of coldness and distance. But Sirius was different. He was warm, loving, and always there for Regulus, despite their family’s harsh rules. Sirius had been the one person in the house who truly cared about him, besides Kreacher, the family’s loyal house-elf.
But everything changed when Sirius was sorted into Gryffindor. It was a shock to everyone, a scandal in the proud Black family. The tension at home became unbearable as their mother’s anger focused on Sirius. Her punishments grew harsher, more cruel. Yet, Sirius didn’t back down. He rebelled even more, openly defying their mother by talking about his new friends at Hogwarts—friends who didn’t care about blood status.
When Regulus finally went to Hogwarts a year later, he was a bundle of nerves as he approached the Sorting Hat. He caught Sirius’s eye at the Gryffindor table, his brother’s face full of hope. But when the hat shouted “Slytherin,” Regulus saw the light in Sirius’s eyes dim, replaced by anger and disappointment. In that moment, he knew things would never be the same between them.
In his memories, Sirius was a hero—a knight who shielded him from their mother’s wrath, someone brave enough to stand up against their family’s cruel traditions. It didn’t surprise Regulus that Sirius had been sorted into Gryffindor. Sirius was the bravest person he knew, always ready to fight for what he believed in, even if it meant being the target of their mother’s fury.
Sirius often ended up locked in a dark room, starving and alone, as punishment. In those moments, Regulus, feeling both pity and love, would sneak food to Sirius with Kreacher’s help. It was a small act of kindness, a way to show he still cared.
But when Sirius came home for the holidays, he couldn’t stop talking about his new friends at Hogwarts. The name James Potter seemed to come up in every conversation, and with each mention, Regulus felt a growing resentment. It was as if James had stolen something precious from him—his brother’s attention, his love.
At Hogwarts, the distance between them became a wall of silence. Sirius treated Regulus like a stranger, refusing to even acknowledge him as his brother. But despite the hurt, Regulus couldn’t stop loving him, couldn’t stop hoping that things might change.
The final blow came one morning in the Great Hall. Regulus was sitting at the Slytherin table when he heard Sirius loudly proclaim that James Potter was the brother he never had. Those words cut deeper than any spell. Watching Sirius and James laughing together, Regulus felt his heart shatter. In that moment, he realized he had lost his place in Sirius’s life for good.
After that, Regulus built a wall around his heart. He told himself it was better to pretend he didn’t care, to act like Sirius’s rejection didn’t hurt. But deep down, the pain of losing his brother never really went away.
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Regulus Black looked every bit the pureblood heir—elegant, composed, and proud. His sharp features and piercing grey eyes gave him a commanding presence, but behind that exterior was a boy who carried the weight of his family’s expectations. He was a Black through and through, yet there was something different about him, something that set him apart from the rest of his family.
Most people found Regulus cold and unapproachable, but there were a few who managed to get past his defenses. With Pandora Lovegood, Evan Rosier, Barty Crouch Jr., and Dorcas Meadows, Regulus found something he hadn’t felt in a long time—a sense of belonging, a feeling of family.
Evan had been his friend since childhood. They met at the gatherings of pureblood families, where their friendship grew over the years. At Hogwarts, sharing a dorm only brought them closer. Evan was the one Regulus could rely on, the one he turned to for advice. To Regulus, Evan wasn’t just a friend—he was like a brother.
Barty and Dorcas came into his life on the train to Hogwarts. They were strangers at first, but a shared compartment and a conversation sparked by Barty quickly turned them into friends. Their bond only grew stronger when they were all sorted into Slytherin. Barty had a mischievous side that brought out a lighter, more playful side of Regulus. With Barty, he could laugh—a rare and precious thing.
Dorcas, with her courage and warmth, became a steady presence in Regulus’s life. She had a fierce, protective love that reminded Regulus of what he had lost with Sirius. In Dorcas, he found a friend who cared deeply, who gave him the kind of affection he had longed for from his mother.
His connection with Pandora began in the library, where they often found themselves sitting across from each other at the back tables. What started as a coincidence turned into a routine, with the library becoming their shared sanctuary. Pandora was different, her unique perspective on life earning her the label of “freak” from others. But to Regulus, she was special. She was the one person he could talk to without fear, the sister he had always wanted.
Despite their differences, these four friends fit together perfectly. Each one brought something unique to the group, creating a bond that felt unbreakable. Together, they faced the challenges of the wizarding world, knowing that as long as they had each other, they could get through anything. They were more than friends—they were a family, bound not by blood, but by the love and loyalty they shared.