Chapter Text
Regulus looks down at his copy of the daily prophet, up at the street name and down to his paper again. Three days ago Regulus could’ve never even imagined finding himself at this address. This isn’t a place for pure bloods with disturbingly large piles of money in their vaults, but Regulus supposes only one of those apply to him now. Regulus himself has never actually owned a lot of money, if he wanted something he’d either have to spend his birthday money or request that his parents buy it and send it to him. All he has now is the money he managed to extract from his vault before his mother closed it and a couple clothes he bought with some of it two days ago.
He looks up at the building, it’s clearly not in the greatest conditions. An ugly shade of green paint is peeling off the door, there’s cigarette butts collecting where the building meets pavement and rain gutter has split apart in multiple places. Unfortunately it’s the only flat listing he can afford with the little money he now has now so Regulus tells himself to bite his teeth and deal with it.
He presses his finger hard onto the button next to the name Burrows and nervously waits until he hears a crackle in the speaker.
“Hello?” A man on the other end answers.
“Uh, hi- I’m here for the flat listing? I saw it in the pa-“
“Come in, sixth floor.” A loud and distorted buzzer sound is heard as the door clicks open, Regulus grabs the handle and opens the door towards himself.
”Ok than-“ He hears the speaker crackle again, interrupting his niceties. “Thank you?” He mutters has he enters.
Theres no lift so he has to walk up all the stairs, luckily Hogwarts has prepared him for this moment. The stairs and the floor is made out of some kind of stone, mainly grey with specks of white and black in it. The railings are made of a metal that, yes, is definitely corroding in multiple places and is painted the same lovely green as the door.
As he’s on the fifth floor he notices the bandages on his right hand unraveling on account of his mediocre at best wrapping job, he walks slowly up the last stairs while fixing it. When he reaches the last 3 steps before the sixth floor he looks up to see a man leaning against the wall, he’s got long dirty blonde hair tied up in a bun and an unkempt patchy stubble on his face. He scoffs when he sees Regulus.
”I don’t rent to 12 year olds. Get outta here.” Well then Regulus is fucked, isn’t he?
”I’m 16.” Fifteen but, that’s just semantics really.
“You got ID on ya?” He just now notices this man has a chipped tooth. Unfortunately Regulus left all his shit at home, no ID, no wand, so he shakes his head.
”Then. get. out.” The man says exasperatedly and points to the stairs. “Go on kiddo, shoo!” He waves his hand to dismiss him. Regulus sighs and turns to leave. This was all so stupid anyways. He can’t do what Sirius did. He’s stuck. No James to save him, none of his friends can welcome him into a picture perfect home. He can’t even rent an unfurnished flat in a shitty neighbourhood. He’ll just have to go beg his parents to take him back.
It was all just a rush of adrenaline that made him do this, and running away… and the breaking and entering. He can already hear his mother calling him childish and rash, saying he’ll have to be homeschooled from now on. He’ll meet a suitor that will “fix” him and he’ll pretend this never happened.
”Holy fuck. Are you Regulus Black?” Regulus whips his head around to look at Burrows again.
”Uhhh. No?” Play dumb. Great plan Regulus.
”No, no! I’m sure I’ve seen you in the papers- oh and your brother, Sirius was it? The runaway? You following in his footsteps?” Okay scratch the play dumb plan, he actually just is dumb. He should’ve predicted this, of-course someone would recognise him.
”Say… You’re the heir now, correct?” Wait, might this actually redeem him?
”I guess, yeah.” He shrugged, he doesn’t actually know. He was the heir at least three days ago, but now? Well he hasn’t been officially denounced, but he might be if he doesn’t go home soon. Actually, the main reason he hasn’t been denounced is because there’s no other male in-line heirs. The next in line would be Bellatrix, but everyone knows she’s batshit fucking crazy. Everyone in the black family is a little crazy, silently, but Bellatrix is too impulsive to be a good leader. Regulus’ father doesn’t favour her to be the next head of the Black family, both because she’s a completely mad and a woman.
”So, say, I did you a favour by renting to you… and I could cash in a favour when you’re a little older and like, in control of all of wizarding Britain?” His family definitely has some pull in the ministry, but Regulus thinks people often over exaggerate just how much. Bite your teeth, he tells himself.
“Uh- yeah- I mean sure, that’d be brilliant.” Burrows reaches his hand out, Regulus shakes it.
”We’ve got a deal then.”