Chapter Text
Packing. That is what Sirius Black was currently doing, packing. The Noble House of Black had just arrived back home from a formal event with other Ancient Pure-Blood Families. And now he wanted to leave. He didn’t want to stay for any more of those elitist events, or for the inevitable task of eventually taking over as the heir to the Black family. He had been told many times by James, “You will always be welcome with us.” And now he was enacting that offer.
At this point, he was scrambling to find what he needed and shoving it all into a backpack. There was no point in dealing with a suitcase. Finding a pair of clothes, and a few other necessities, and then moving onto valuables. He didn’t have much, too scared they would get taken or destroyed, as they had in the past. Opening the box under his bed, he uncovered a few polaroids of the group; Lily had taken many of them, on occasion, Peter, who was always good with cameras. But the one that stood out to him, was the picture of Remus and himself, laying together while Remus read, and Sirius slept in his lap. This had been taken a few days before the end of school. Oh, how he missed his Moony.
Sirius packed most of the pictures into a small pocket in his backpack, securing them, and then sifting through the rest of the box. A ring from Regulus caught his eye, and he slipped it on, seeing both of their constellations engraved on it. A snitch, which he and James had stolen at the end of their first quidditch match together. He also found a drawing from Peter, of him as Padfoot, howling at the moon. It was quite beautiful. Lastly, all of the gifts from Remus, at least all of the physical ones, from jewelry to cards to quills. He packed them all away into a small bag, or put them on.
Putting on his backpack, he walked out of his room, and to Regulus’ across the hall. Knocking quietly, he waited for his brother to open the door, only for him not to. Sirius couldn’t tell if he was in his room or just ignoring him, but it was fine, he would see Regulus during the school year.
So he continued on his way, careful of all the floorboards that creaked, and slinked down the stairs. He needed to get to the living room and quickly use the floo powder to get to the Potters. His mother would hopefully be in the kitchen, and his father was still out, meeting with the other families. He slowly walked down the hall and peeked into the living room, only to see Walburga right in front of the fireplace.
“Mother,” Sirius greeted, instantly on edge, Walburga blocking his way out. The way she shifted, clearly agitated and angry at him, told him she knew exactly what he was doing. But, she couldn't unless….
Kreacher.
Sirius turned to see the house elf standing right at the end of the hall. Kreacher must have been spying on him, and ran to tell Walburga. “I am very disappointed in you, Sirius. I would’ve thought you had known better. You had been doing so well, going to events, doing well in school, excelling in magic. You would have been the perfect heir.” Been. He would’ve been the perfect heir. What did she mean? Were they disowning him, kicked out just like Andromeda.
Flick.
“Crucio.” And suddenly Sirius was on the ground, writhing in pain, screaming his throat raw. ‘ Where is Reggie?’ he thought , ‘He could help me.’ But there was no noise in the house other than his pleading and screaming. “I’m sorry about this Sirius, but Orion has declared you unfit as an heir, and we do not want you roaming around when you could become a threat to my family.”
She wouldn't, right? She wouldn't kill her own son? But she was already raising her wand. Now he was pleading with all he had left, trying to get out words. “Mother… I’ll stay. Mom! Please!” Tears streamed down his face as she leveled her wand to his head. “I need to see him again, I can’t leave him, can’t leave them. Mom! Mom! Ple-”
Sirius fell slack, the words, those inexcusable words echoed throughout the house, leaving a touch of death wherever they reached. Avada Kedavra. The words that killed Sirius Black.
Sirius had always looked so peaceful when he slept, but now, it looked all wrong. His body splayed in unnatural positions, his chest no longer rising and falling. His hand unclenched, letting go of the picture he had been holding. The picture of Remus and himself. Sirius now looked so much like he had in that photo.
Walburga carefully lifted her eldest son into her arms, and walked to the stairs. Carefully climbing up them, she keeps a straight face the entire time, and brings Sirius to his room. She passes Regulus’, where he is standing in the doorway, eyes wide as he sees his brother.
‘I should’ve answered the door,’ Regulus thought. They had gotten so much closer in the past few years due to James. He couldn’t lose him now, he couldn’t lose his brother after all he had done to get him back. Regulus followed his mother to the doorway of Sirius’ room, and watched her set him in the bed, with the backpack on the floor and the crumpled picture on his chest.
Walburga walked out, her head held high, straight past Regulus, who slipped into his brother's room. He desperately looked for any signs of life, the rising of his chest, the small twitch of an eyelid. Anything. He would’ve looked for days, never finding what he was looking for. So eventually, he fell to his knees beside the bed, and gripped Sirius’ hand. It didn’t grip back. So eventually, he just dropped his head on the bed, and let go of Sirius’s hand.
Regulus mumbled to himself, “What were you thinking Sirius? Couldn’t you have just waited for school to start and left then. You dumbass.” The youngest Black brother hadn’t even noticed that tears had started falling down his face. He wiped them away with his sleeve, and went back to staring at Sirius. “I am going to have to tell your stupid werewolf and all of your friends that you died. How am I supposed to do that? Just show up at James’ and go from there?” That was exactly what he would have to do. He would go tomorrow morning, bring as much of Sirius’ stuff as he could before their parents burned it all.
It would be perfect, since their mother and father would be gone to deal with official business that he wasn’t privy to the knowledge of. So he would be able get everything and himself out of the house before anyone noticed he was even gone.