Chapter Text
POV S: R 5 yrs S 7yrs
The first memory Sirius could remember was fragmented with flashes of ebony hair and tiny fingers wrapped around his hand. He must have been 2 years old when he realized the only thing in the world that mattered had chubby cheeks, adorable gummy smiles, and a penchant for biting. The small life Sirius had lived was changed, it became filled with the love and awe that shone through tiny silver eyes into his own.
Every memory worth keeping contained his lovely baby brother: Regulus Arcturus Black. The only one who Sirius cared to rock and sing to, was the only one in that cold house who loved him unconditionally. Secretly amused looks shared in the day and cuddles at night, brought a warmth in Sirius’ life that he couldn’t live without. Regulus looked upon him like he was worth something, like he was the only person he trusted with everything he was.
Mother would lecture until Sirius could lose feeling in his legs, and father would drive him to tears with silence. Yet Regulus never weaponized his words, he was far too innocent and ever so gentle. He was the first and only person to tell Sirius he loved him, something so foreign in that family, something Sirius gripped with his whole body. Regulus was his. His brother, his best friend, his whole world wrapped in a tiny body. The only person he could depend on to be there without conditions, and the only person he could ever be himself with.
He may be an absolute brat to everyone, otherwise how could he ever be heard in this loud (what hypocrites!) demanding family? but Regulus… he had endless patience for. Only soft touches that he could never give to anyone else without spiders crawling under his skin. Yes, his life had been restricted to Grimmauld mansion and the occasional visit to poncy dinners with other sharp family members, but the two brothers could find solace in each other. Sirius was sure that even if he met everyone in Great Britain and Merlin himself, it would still be him and Regulus against the world.
“Siri?”
Sirius jolted out of his half asleep musings at the, rather loud, whisper. There he was, his little brother, Regulus. In his sleep robes at the side of his bed, bending down to be closer to his ear.
“What Reggie?” Sirius already knew from the slight sheen in big moon eyes what was wrong. He lifted the covers with a put upon sigh, as if he didn’t love sharing with Regulus (he definitely did). Immediately the imp dove under the covers and put his head on Sirius’ chest after an arm wrapped around his shoulder.
“I had a bad dream about you.”
“Did I die again?” A frequent dream Regulus had, second to Regulus himself dying. Sirius really should invest in mind healing books, maybe something can fix his little brothers disturbingly morbid mind.
“No worse, you left.” And then he proceeded to tuck his face further into Sirius’ robe.
“...Okay, brushing past the fact you’d rather me die then leave. Why did I leave my ickle baby brother?” He ruffled his brothers already mussed up hair with his free hand, Regulus swatted him with a definitely frightening scowl. Totally a cat.
“Don’t call me that!”
“But you’re so tiny! Just an ickle little baby!”
“I’m only a year younger than you!”
“Eh, closer to two. And answer the question before I fall asleep.”
Regulus dropped the scowl and gnawed his bottom lip and looked back away from Sirius. “Well, I don’t know. You just… got tired of me. We were playing and you just yelled at me and left.”
“I’d never get tired of you Reg, no matter how annoying you are. And I definitely would never leave you, I’d have to die first.” The idea of having to live without Regulus was utterly repulsing and frankly, not worth thinking about. If Sirius had to spend a week alone in this house, he would simply go insane. And no life without Reg would be complete, no matter how good it was.
“But mother does. Get tired of me.” It breaks his heart to hear the tiny wobbles in Regulus’ voice. He was always the more sensitive of the two, but Sirius was definitely the more volatile. And hearing that mother hurt Reg, made him want to set her expensive robes on fire and then make her eat them for breakfast.
“Well I’m not mother am I?” He would never hurt Regulus and himself the way she does. Although, the setting clothes on fire and force feeding them was inspired by her own stories of revenge… well he never said she wasn’t a genius. Great minds think alike and all that.
“No. But you could still leave, or not want me as your brother anymore. You’ll be going to Hogwarts first. Alone.”
“That’s not for another four years Reggie. And even if I meet super awesome people, which is unlikely in slytherin, you’d still be my brother. You’ll always be my brother. My Reggie. The moon to my sun!
The jam to my scone! The wand to my magic! The-” His dramatized swooning, fully completed with a hand to his forehead, was interrupted by another swat to the face.
Brat. Hmm, rhymes with cat.
Still Regulus giggled as he scolded, “Siri! Stop it, I’m serious!”
“I’m serious too! Well, in both ways. But you really will always be my brother, no matter what.”
He pulled Regulus closer to him and buried his face in his hair. The night was quiet for a moment, aside from the distant tick of the grandfather clock in the hall. And it was perfect.
“You promise Siri?”
“I promise Regulus.”