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The corridor between classes was always too loud.
It was full of shoes striking stone, bags knocking against hips, books being passed from one arm to another, voices overlapping until every sentence became part of one enormous, shapeless roar. Doors opened and shut. People called to friends halfway down the hall. Someone complained loudly about an essay. Someone else laughed hard enough to choke.
And, directly in the middle of all of it, Sirius Black had decided that the best possible use of the few minutes before his next class was to make his little brother contemplate murder.
“Give it back.”
Regulus stood perfectly still, one hand extended, his expression already carved into the flat, dangerous blankness that suggested his patience had not merely run out but had been buried in an unmarked grave.
Sirius held Regulus’s book above his head.
“No.”
“You are twenty centimetres taller than me at most.”
“Still taller.”
“That is not an accomplishment.”
“It is when you’re trying to reach something.”
“I’m not trying to reach it.”
“No?”
“No. I’m giving you an opportunity to return it voluntarily before I break your wrist.”
Sirius grinned.
He had been grinning for the entire argument.
That, more than the stolen book, was beginning to offend Regulus on a personal level.
James stood beside Sirius with both hands in his pockets, watching the exchange with the bright-eyed anticipation of someone who had no intention of intervening until violence became entertaining.
Peter had positioned himself slightly farther back.
Remus, holding three books against his chest, looked tired already.
Lily had stopped walking because Sirius and Regulus had managed to occupy enough of the corridor that continuing around them required more effort than waiting for one of them to lose.
Mary and Marlene had stopped because it was funny.
Alice and Frank had stopped because everyone else had.
Fabian and Gideon had stopped because they could sense trouble with the supernatural accuracy of carrion birds.
Across from them, Barty Crouch Jr. leaned against the wall beside Evan Rosier, watching Sirius with narrowing eyes.
Pandora stood between Evan and Dorcas, her head tilted as though examining a mildly interesting insect.
Dorcas had folded her arms.
None of them looked particularly inclined to rescue Sirius if Regulus finally decided to go for his throat.
Regulus flexed his fingers once.
“Sirius.”
“Regulus.”
“My book.”
“My book.”
“You don’t even take this class.”
“Perhaps I’m broadening my education.”
“You cannot broaden something that doesn’t exist.”
James made a wounded noise on Sirius’s behalf.
“Ouch.”
Sirius pressed a hand to his chest, still holding the book high with the other.
“You hear that, Prongs? My own baby brother thinks I’m stupid.”
“You are stupid,” Regulus said.
“Cruel.”
“Give it back.”
“I’m wounded.”
“I can arrange that.”
Barty snorted.
“Let him do it.”
Sirius glanced at him. “No one asked you.”
“No one has to ask me. I provide valuable commentary freely.”
“You provide noise freely.”
“You’d know all about that.”
“Barty,” Evan said without looking away from the brothers.
“What?”
“Don’t encourage him.”
“I’m encouraging Regulus.”
“That is worse.”
“It’s more entertaining.”
Regulus continued staring up at Sirius.
Sirius continued smiling down at him.
There was only a year between them, but Sirius behaved as though those twelve months had granted him ancient wisdom, legal authority and the right to be as irritating as humanly possible.
Regulus behaved as though Sirius’s existence were a clerical error he had spent his entire life attempting to correct.
“Last chance,” Regulus said.
Sirius raised the book another inch.
Regulus’s eyes followed it.
“Go on, then.”
“Go on what?”
“Jump.”
Regulus’s expression did not change.
Sirius’s grin widened.
“Come on. Little hop.”
“I hope you fall down a staircase.”
“A little jump, Reggie.”
Regulus’s face tightened.
“Oh,” Mary murmured. “He used Reggie.”
Marlene winced. “Bold.”
“Stupid,” Lily corrected.
“Very stupid,” Frank agreed.
Alice looked at Sirius with genuine concern. “You should probably give it back now.”
Sirius waved his free hand carelessly. “He loves me.”
“No, he doesn’t,” Peter said.
Everyone looked at him.
Peter shrugged. “What? He doesn’t.”
“I tolerate him,” Regulus said.
Sirius beamed. “See? Brotherly devotion.”
“You are mistaking restraint for affection.”
“You haven’t killed me.”
“I don’t want to do paperwork.”
Remus’s mouth twitched.
James laughed loudly, throwing his head back.
Sirius looked offended.
“You’d let bureaucracy stop you?”
“I’d let nothing stop me. Bureaucracy would merely make the experience less satisfying.”
“That,” Dorcas said, “is the most Regulus answer possible.”
Pandora nodded thoughtfully. “He would want to savour it.”
“I’m standing right here,” Sirius said.
“Yes,” Regulus replied. “Unfortunately.”
Sirius lowered the book just enough to examine its cover.
“What even is this?”
Regulus’s fingers curled.
“You stole it without looking?”
“Of course.”
“You are an idiot.”
“That seems to be the general consensus.”
“You took something from me purely because you wanted to annoy me.”
“Yes.”
“You admit that.”
“Proudly.”
“You’re nearly seventeen.”
“And?”
“And you behave like an unsupervised eight-year-old.”
“A charming unsupervised eight-year-old.”
“No.”
“A handsome one.”
“No.”
“A beloved one.”
“No.”
Sirius frowned at him.
Regulus stared back.
“Not even a little beloved?”
“No.”
“You’d miss me if I died.”
“I’d notice the corridor was quieter.”
Fabian covered his mouth.
Gideon turned away, shoulders shaking.
James clutched Sirius’s arm in false sympathy.
“That was vicious.”
“He doesn’t mean it,” Sirius said.
Regulus’s gaze remained steady. “I do.”
“You don’t.”
“I do.”
“You’d be devastated.”
“I’d sleep beautifully.”
“You’d cry.”
“I’d yawn.”
“You’d throw yourself onto my coffin.”
“To make sure it was securely closed.”
Marlene barked a laugh.
Even Lily looked like she was fighting a smile now.
Sirius stared at his brother for a long, dramatic moment.
Then he tucked Regulus’s book behind his back.
Regulus inhaled through his nose.
Slowly.
Very slowly.
Evan straightened from the wall.
“Black.”
Both brothers looked at him.
Evan pointed at Sirius. “Other Black.”
Sirius raised an eyebrow.
“Give him the book.”
“Why?”
“Because he’s about four seconds from biting you.”
“He doesn’t bite.”
Barty smiled unpleasantly. “He can.”
Regulus glanced at him.
Barty held up both hands.
“I’m helping.”
“You are never helping.”
“I’m emotionally supportive.”
“You’re emotionally disruptive.”
“That too.”
Sirius shifted the book behind him when Regulus stepped forward.
Regulus stopped.
“You have three seconds.”
“Three?”
“Yes.”
“That’s not very many.”
“Two.”
“You’ve skipped discussing terms.”
“One.”
Sirius darted around James.
Regulus lunged after him.
The corridor erupted.
James yelped as Sirius grabbed his shoulders and attempted to use him as a shield.
“Padfoot!”
“Protect me!”
“From your tiny brother?”
“From his tiny murderous hands!”
“I will break every finger you have,” Regulus said, moving around James.
Sirius moved the other way.
James was spun between them.
“Could both of you stop using me as furniture?”
“No,” Sirius said.
“Yes,” Regulus said at the same time.
Then Regulus looked at Sirius.
“No?”
“I meant no, he cannot stop using you as furniture.”
“Why are you answering for me?” James demanded.
“Because you clearly cannot defend yourself.”
“I’m being attacked from both sides!”
“You’re being mildly inconvenienced,” Lily said.
“That is still suffering.”
Sirius ducked behind Remus next.
Remus did not move.
“Moony.”
“No.”
“Help.”
“No.”
“He’s threatening me.”
“You stole his book.”
“I borrow things.”
“You stole my chocolate yesterday.”
“I borrowed that too.”
“You ate it.”
“Temporarily.”
Remus turned his head.
Sirius grinned hopefully.
Remus stepped aside.
Regulus reached for Sirius.
Sirius recoiled with a laugh and nearly walked backwards into Mary.
Mary shoved him away.
“Don’t involve me.”
“You’ve been watching this entire time.”
“That is different.”
“It isn’t.”
“It is to me.”
Regulus came forward again.
Sirius held the book out to Marlene.
“Catch.”
Marlene caught it automatically.
Regulus turned his head.
Marlene looked down at the book in her hands.
Then she looked at Regulus.
“No,” she said immediately.
She held it out.
Sirius snatched it back before Regulus could take it.
Marlene punched Sirius in the arm.
“You bastard.”
“You betrayed me.”
“I was never on your side.”
“You could have pretended for longer.”
“I value my life.”
“Coward.”
“Idiot.”
Regulus’s gaze followed the book again.
Sirius waved it once.
“Ask nicely.”
Regulus stared.
“Go on.”
“No.”
“Say please.”
“No.”
“Please, my wonderful and devastatingly handsome older brother.”
“I would rather swallow glass.”
“Bit dramatic.”
“You asked me to lie.”
Sirius laughed.
The sound was bright, open and shamelessly pleased with itself.
Regulus looked at him as though trying to decide which nearby window would be easiest to throw him through.
“You know,” Sirius said, “I think this has been good for us.”
“It has done irreparable harm to us.”
“Bonding.”
“Harassment.”
“Brotherly banter.”
“Targeted psychological warfare.”
“Quality time.”
“I will make you regret being born.”
“You already do that by looking at me.”
Regulus’s mouth thinned.
Sirius leaned closer, lowering his voice into an exaggerated whisper.
“Can’t reach it.”
Regulus went completely still.
James stepped away from Sirius.
“Right,” he said. “I think I’ll remove myself from the blast radius.”
“So brave,” Remus murmured.
“I’m practical.”
“You hid behind me during the last argument.”
“I was strategically positioned.”
“You crouched.”
“I was tying my shoe.”
“You weren’t wearing shoes with laces.”
James looked at him.
Remus looked back.
James pointed at Sirius. “This isn’t about me.”
“It should never be about you,” Lily said.
“That’s hurtful.”
“That’s life.”
Sirius, still focused on Regulus, failed to notice that half the corridor had begun watching.
It was difficult not to.
The Black brothers arguing had a quality to it that drew attention whether anyone wanted to admit it or not. Sirius was all careless movement and flashing smiles, loud enough to turn heads without trying. Regulus was colder, quieter, every word sharpened to a point.
Together they made the space around them feel charged.
Everyone knew they were brothers.
It was obvious even without the shared name, the similar bone structure, the same dark hair and grey eyes. The resemblance lived beneath all their differences, impossible to miss once they were standing close.
Sirius was louder.
Regulus was more dangerous.
Sirius was grinning.
Regulus looked ready to commit a felony.
“Last opportunity,” Regulus said.
“You’ve said that before.”
“I was being generous.”
“You’re never generous.”
“I let you continue breathing every day.”
Sirius placed a hand over his heart. “There he goes again. Overflowing with affection.”
“I despise you.”
“You adore me.”
“I despise you.”
“You’re obsessed with me.”
“I hope you choke.”
“On what?”
“Your own ego.”
“That seems medically unlikely.”
“Your ego is large enough to block an airway.”
Peter made a strangled sound that might have been a laugh.
Sirius turned to him.
“Whose side are you on?”
Peter glanced at Regulus.
Regulus stared at him.
Peter looked back at Sirius.
“His.”
“Traitor.”
“He’s frightening.”
“I’m frightening.”
“No,” several people said at once.
Sirius looked around.
James was smiling.
Remus appeared innocent.
Lily did not bother pretending.
Mary shook her head.
Marlene said, “Not even slightly.”
Alice gave Sirius an apologetic smile.
Frank looked at the ceiling.
Fabian and Gideon both shrugged.
Across the corridor, Barty made an obscene gesture.
Evan smirked faintly.
Pandora blinked.
Dorcas snorted.
Sirius looked back at Regulus.
Regulus raised one eyebrow.
“Well,” Sirius said. “That’s rude.”
“You cultivated this reputation yourself.”
“I have an excellent reputation.”
“You have several detentions.”
“That is not the same thing.”
“You’re an embarrassment.”
“Your favourite embarrassment.”
“My only brother. The selection is limited.”
“So I win by default.”
“No. There is no winner.”
“Still your favourite.”
Regulus moved suddenly.
Sirius jerked the book away, laughing again.
Regulus caught the edge of Sirius’s sleeve instead.
Sirius twisted loose.
Regulus swore.
“Language,” Sirius said.
“Fuck you.”
“Such disrespect for your elders.”
“You are eleven months older than me.”
“One year.”
“Eleven months.”
“One academic year.”
“Eleven months.”
“Older.”
“Barely.”
“Wiser.”
Regulus looked at him.
Everyone looked at Sirius.
Sirius lifted his chin.
“No one laugh.”
Fabian began coughing violently into Gideon’s shoulder.
Gideon patted his back with exaggerated concern.
“Something caught in your throat?”
“Wisdom,” Fabian choked out.
Sirius pointed at them. “Both of you can shut up.”
“Listen to your elders,” Gideon said solemnly.
“You’re the same age as me.”
“Exactly. Ancient.”
Marlene snorted.
Regulus used the distraction to grab for his book.
Sirius caught his wrist.
Regulus caught Sirius’s.
For one suspended second, they stood locked together in the middle of the corridor, each holding the other’s wrist, Sirius’s free hand still gripping the book.
“Release me,” Regulus said.
“You release me.”
“You grabbed me first.”
“You attacked me.”
“You stole from me.”
“I borrowed from you.”
“You cannot borrow something without permission.”
“Of course you can.”
“That is the definition of stealing.”
“It’s only stealing if I don’t give it back.”
“You have not given it back.”
“Yet.”
“So currently, you are a thief.”
“Currently, I’m holding a book.”
“My book.”
“A book.”
“My book.”
“Possession is nine-tenths of the law.”
“You don’t know what that means.”
“Neither do you.”
“I know significantly more than you.”
“You think you know significantly more than everyone.”
“I do.”
Barty nodded. “He does.”
Sirius gave him an irritated look.
Barty smiled sweetly.
Regulus tightened his grip on Sirius’s wrist.
Sirius’s fingers tightened around Regulus’s.
Neither appeared willing to move.
James leaned towards Remus.
“How long do you think they can keep this going?”
“Hours.”
“I say until dinner.”
“I say until one of them bites the other,” Mary said.
“Regulus,” Barty replied immediately.
Dorcas glanced at Sirius. “Sirius looks like he’d bite.”
“I do not bite,” Sirius said.
Regulus did not look away from him. “You bit me when you were nine.”
“You pulled my hair.”
“You put a spider in my bed.”
“It was dead.”
“That does not improve the situation.”
“You screamed.”
“I was eight.”
“You climbed onto the wardrobe.”
“You threw the spider at me.”
“You threw a shoe at my head.”
“I missed.”
“You didn’t.”
Regulus’s eyes narrowed. “Good.”
Sirius’s grin returned in full force.
“There he is.”
“There who is?”
“My loving little brother.”
“Stop calling me that.”
“You are my little brother.”
“By eleven months.”
“Still little.”
“I hate you.”
“You’ve mentioned.”
“I want to ensure you understand.”
“I understand that you’re very emotional.”
Regulus’s stare turned glacial.
Sirius leaned in.
“You’re making a face.”
“This is my face.”
“It’s a very cross face.”
“I am imagining your funeral.”
“Would you give a speech?”
“I’d confirm your identity.”
“Would you cry?”
“No.”
“Not even one tear?”
“No.”
“What if I looked really tragic?”
“You always look tragic.”
“Pretty, though.”
“Debatable.”
“Devastatingly handsome.”
“Delusional.”
“Charming.”
“Exhausting.”
“Beloved.”
“Unwanted.”
“Your favourite.”
“My burden.”
“Your brother.”
Regulus’s grip shifted.
Sirius’s smile softened by the smallest degree, nearly hidden beneath the triumph still gleaming in his eyes.
Regulus noticed.
His own expression became even flatter.
“Give me the book.”
“Say please.”
“No.”
“Then we remain here forever.”
“I can live with that.”
“You’ll miss class.”
“So will you.”
“I don’t care.”
“I know. Some of us possess ambition.”
“You possess enough for both of us.”
“That does not benefit you.”
“I’m proud of you.”
Regulus blinked once.
Then his eyes narrowed again.
“That was manipulative.”
“It was sincere.”
“That makes it worse.”
Sirius laughed.
It happened then, in the narrow moment between Sirius’s laugh and Regulus opening his mouth to deliver what was almost certainly another threat.
Two boys were passing behind the cluster.
They had slowed, because everyone slowed near the argument, but they had not stopped entirely. One of them glanced over. His gaze moved across Sirius, lingered on the book held behind his back, then shifted to Regulus.
His mouth twisted.
He scoffed.
It was not particularly loud.
The corridor itself should have swallowed it.
But the boy was close enough, and his friend was close enough, and the people gathered around the brothers were listening too closely.
The boy leaned towards his friend.
“What a fucking prick,” he muttered, glaring at Sirius. “Always showing off like an arrogant bastard.”
The change was immediate.
James’s amusement disappeared.
Remus’s posture straightened.
Peter’s head snapped around.
Lily’s eyebrows pulled together.
Mary’s expression hardened.
Marlene took one sharp step forward.
Alice looked startled, then angry.
Frank’s jaw tightened.
Fabian and Gideon stopped laughing.
Across from them, Barty’s smile vanished.
Evan’s eyes went cold.
Pandora lowered her head from its curious tilt.
Dorcas unfolded her arms.
Sirius heard it.
Of course he heard it.
His eyes slid towards the boy, bright with the first spark of mischief rather than offence. His grip loosened around Regulus’s wrist. He looked almost delighted by the sudden opportunity.
He did not appear hurt.
He did not appear angry.
He looked like he was already deciding precisely how best to make the boy regret speaking within earshot.
“Oh,” Sirius said lightly. “Did you—”
Regulus released Sirius.
Slowly.
Sirius stopped.
Regulus’s arm lowered to his side.
For a moment, he did not move at all.
He stood with his body still angled towards his brother, his face blank, his eyes fixed on nothing.
Then he turned.
Not quickly.
Not dramatically.
He simply turned his head first, then his shoulders, until he was facing the boy who had spoken.
The boy froze.
Regulus stared at him.
The entire corridor seemed to alter around that stare.
It was not the irritated glare he had been giving Sirius. It was not the exhausted, familiar hostility of a younger brother being tormented for sport.
This was colder.
Still.
Direct.
Regulus looked at the boy as if everyone else in the corridor had ceased to exist.
“Repeat yourself,” he said.
The boy’s face drained.
His friend immediately took half a step away from him.
Sirius’s eyebrows rose.
James looked from Regulus to the boy.
Barty’s eyes lit up.
The boy opened his mouth.
Nothing came out.
Regulus waited.
“I—” the boy began.
“Repeat yourself.”
“I didn’t—”
“You did.”
The boy swallowed.
He looked towards Sirius, perhaps expecting him to intervene, perhaps expecting the argument between the brothers to mean something useful.
Sirius merely watched.
The stolen book was still in his hand, but it had dropped to his side.
Regulus took one step towards the boy.
The boy stepped back.
“I was just talking to my friend.”
“You were talking about my brother.”
The boy’s eyes flickered across Regulus’s face.
The anger there seemed to terrify him.
It was not only fear.
The boy’s nervous gaze caught on Regulus for a second too long. His face, already pale, began to turn red across the cheeks.
Regulus noticed.
It did not soften him.
If anything, it appeared to make him more contemptuous.
“I didn’t mean anything by it,” the boy said.
“Then you routinely say things without meaning them.”
“No.”
“So you did mean it.”
“I—no, that’s not what I—”
“Which is it?”
The boy stared at him.
Regulus’s voice remained quiet.
That made it worse.
“Did you mean what you said, or are you so mindless that words fall from your mouth without ever passing through a thought?”
“I wasn’t talking to you.”
“You are now.”
“Regulus,” Sirius said.
Regulus ignored him.
Sirius’s mouth slowly curved.
The boy’s friend looked increasingly desperate to be anywhere else.
“I only said—” the boy tried.
“I know what you said.”
“It wasn’t that bad.”
The corridor went even quieter.
Regulus tilted his head.
The motion was small.
Pandora’s gaze sharpened with interest.
Evan exhaled through his nose.
Barty whispered, “Oh, he’s fucked.”
Dorcas elbowed him without taking her eyes off Regulus.
Regulus took another step.
The boy backed into the wall.
“You called him an arrogant bastard,” Regulus said.
The boy’s blush deepened.
“I was annoyed.”
“By what?”
“He was being—”
“Careful.”
The warning cut straight through the boy’s sentence.
His mouth snapped shut.
Regulus stopped a few feet from him.
Sirius’s friends remained behind him, visibly bristling, but none of them moved closer. Not because they had stopped being angry.
Because Regulus had taken control of the moment so completely that interrupting him felt unwise.
The boy glanced towards the others.
James crossed his arms.
Marlene stared back with open hostility.
Lily’s expression held no sympathy.
Remus’s face had become unreadable.
Peter was watching with wide eyes.
Mary gave the boy a look that suggested he had brought this entirely upon himself.
Alice stood closer to Frank now, though her gaze remained steady.
Fabian and Gideon were silent for once.
Barty looked thrilled.
Evan looked approving.
Pandora watched the boy as though estimating how likely he was to faint.
Dorcas lifted one eyebrow.
The boy turned back to Regulus.
“He was bothering you,” he said weakly.
Regulus’s expression did not move.
“What?”
The boy swallowed again.
“He took your book.”
Regulus’s eyes flicked down briefly, as though remembering the book for the first time.
Sirius still had it.
Then Regulus looked back at the boy.
“And?”
“I thought—”
“That was your first mistake.”
A few people behind Regulus made muffled sounds.
The boy’s mouth opened.
Regulus continued before he could speak.
“You thought that because I was arguing with my brother, you were invited to comment.”
“I was defending you.”
“No, you weren’t.”
The boy’s face reddened further.
“Yes, I was.”
Regulus’s voice dropped.
“No. You were insulting him.”
“He was annoying you.”
“That is his right.”
Sirius’s grin widened.
Regulus did not look back at him.
The boy frowned in confusion.
“His right?”
“He is my brother.”
“He was taking your things.”
“And I was handling it.”
“I only thought—”
“You keep saying that.”
The boy flinched.
Regulus’s gaze swept over him with open disdain.
“I see very little evidence that you think at all.”
James’s lips parted.
Mary’s eyes widened.
Fabian silently slapped a hand over Gideon’s mouth, though Gideon had not yet made a sound.
The boy stared at Regulus, humiliation beginning to overwhelm the fear.
“I was trying to help you.”
“I did not ask for your help.”
“You don’t have to be a dick about it.”
The instant the words left his mouth, the boy looked horrified.
His friend closed his eyes.
Barty’s smile became feral.
Marlene muttered, “He’s making it worse.”
“Remarkably,” Remus said.
Regulus did not react at first.
He regarded the boy in silence.
The boy seemed to shrink beneath it.
Then Regulus smiled.
It was not pleasant.
“Do you speak to everyone you fancy like this?”
The boy’s entire face went scarlet.
The corridor erupted in startled noises.
His friend turned to look at him.
“I don’t—”
“You do,” Regulus said. “You stare at me every time we pass.”
“I don’t.”
“You do.”
“I wasn’t—”
“You were.”
The boy looked frantically around at the watching students.
Regulus did not allow him to escape the conversation.
“You glare at anyone standing near me. You follow me with your eyes. You suddenly become incapable of forming a sentence when I address you.”
“I’m forming sentences now.”
“Poorly.”
A strangled laugh came from somewhere behind Sirius.
The boy’s eyes shone with humiliation.
“I don’t have a crush on you.”
Regulus shrugged.
“I don’t care.”
“You’re the one who brought it up.”
“Because your pathetic attempt to impress me appears to be the only explanation for your behaviour.”
“I wasn’t trying to impress you.”
“Then you insulted my brother for no reason.”
“I told you, he was being an arrogant prick.”
Sirius’s expression did not change.
Regulus’s did.
It was barely anything.
A slight tightening around the eyes.
A small movement in his jaw.
But everyone who knew him saw it.
Sirius saw it too.
Regulus stepped closer.
The boy flattened himself against the wall.
“Say it again.”
The boy’s voice failed.
Regulus looked up at him.
“Go on.”
“I—”
“You were brave enough when his back was turned.”
“I wasn’t trying to start anything.”
“You started this.”
“I didn’t know you’d hear me.”
Regulus’s lip curled.
“That is not the defence you think it is.”
“I don’t want to fight with you.”
“You are not fighting with me.”
The boy blinked.
Regulus’s voice became icier.
“You would need to be capable of defending yourself for this to qualify as a fight.”
Barty made a delighted choking noise.
Evan caught the back of his robes before he could move closer.
“Stay.”
“I’m staying.”
“You’re vibrating.”
“I’m enjoying myself.”
“You can enjoy yourself from here.”
Regulus remained focused on the boy.
“You’re overreacting,” the boy said.
Sirius’s brows rose.
James muttered, “Bad choice.”
“Catastrophic,” Remus agreed.
Regulus looked the boy up and down.
“You insulted someone behind his back.”
“It was one comment.”
“You lack the courage to repeat it.”
“I don’t want trouble.”
“You wanted attention.”
“I didn’t.”
“You wanted mine.”
The boy’s mouth tightened.
Regulus pressed on without mercy.
“You saw me arguing with Sirius and decided it was an opportunity. You thought insulting him would make me grateful.”
“I was taking your side.”
“You do not have a side.”
The boy stared.
Regulus’s eyes flashed.
“There are no sides for you to take. You are nothing to me.”
Silence.
The boy’s eyes glistened.
Regulus did not care.
“You do not know my brother,” he continued. “You do not know me. You do not understand a single thing about either of us, yet you decided you were entitled to insert yourself into our argument because you thought it might earn you something.”
“I wasn’t trying to earn anything.”
“Then you are simply stupid.”
“Regulus,” Alice murmured.
Regulus did not turn.
The boy’s lower lip trembled.
His friend stared at the floor.
Sirius’s grin had softened into something stranger now.
Still amused.
Still clearly delighted by the situation.
But beneath it sat surprise.
Regulus’s protectiveness was not subtle.
It was not hidden behind excuses or disguised as anything else.
He stood between Sirius and the boy without seeming to realise he had done it.
His shoulders were square.
His gaze was merciless.
“I can call him arrogant,” Regulus said.
Sirius opened his mouth.
Regulus lifted one finger without looking back.
“Do not.”
Sirius shut his mouth.
James covered a laugh with a cough.
Regulus continued.
“I can call him irritating. I can call him loud, childish, reckless, idiotic, unbearable and a disgrace to every corridor he enters.”
“Bit much,” Sirius muttered.
Regulus ignored him.
“You,” he told the boy, “cannot.”
The boy stared at him.
“Why?”
Regulus looked genuinely disgusted by the question.
“Because he is my brother.”
The words landed hard.
Sirius went still.
Regulus’s voice remained flat, as though stating something obvious.
As though the answer should never have been required.
The boy looked between them.
“But you were just threatening him.”
“Yes.”
“You said you hated him.”
“I do.”
Sirius made an offended sound.
Regulus kept staring at the boy.
“That does not give you permission.”
“That makes no sense.”
“It does not need to make sense to you.”
“You can say whatever you want, but nobody else can?”
“Yes.”
“That’s insane.”
“Yes.”
There was no hesitation.
No embarrassment.
Regulus simply agreed.
The boy stared at him as though hoping to find a trace of humour.
There was none.
Regulus folded his arms.
“Is there another point you’d like to misunderstand?”
The boy’s breathing had become uneven.
“I wasn’t trying to insult you.”
“You have insulted me.”
“I didn’t say anything about you.”
“You assumed I would tolerate you speaking about him that way.”
Regulus’s eyes narrowed.
“That is insulting.”
The boy looked close to tears now.
His friend finally touched his elbow.
“Come on.”
Regulus glanced at the hand.
The friend immediately withdrew it.
“No,” Regulus said.
The boy swallowed.
Regulus’s gaze returned to him.
“You wanted my attention.”
“I didn’t.”
“You have it.”
The boy’s eyes were shining openly.
Regulus did not relent.
“So use it. Repeat what you said.”
“I don’t want to.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re angry.”
“Observant.”
“I’m sorry.”
Regulus stared.
The boy’s voice cracked.
“I’m sorry, all right?”
“To whom?”
The boy looked confused.
Regulus’s expression sharpened.
“You insulted Sirius.”
The boy glanced past him.
Sirius lifted his brows expectantly.
The boy’s jaw worked.
“I’m sorry.”
Sirius tilted his head.
“For?”
The boy looked as though he might actually die of humiliation.
Sirius’s smile returned.
Regulus looked back at Sirius.
“Do not enjoy this.”
“I’m not.”
“You are.”
“I’m deeply wounded.”
“You’re insufferable.”
“There he is.”
Regulus turned back.
The boy appeared to take Regulus’s brief distraction as a chance to escape.
He pushed away from the wall.
Regulus moved half a step into his path.
The boy stopped.
“I apologised.”
“Barely.”
“What else do you want?”
“For you to learn when to keep your mouth shut.”
The boy’s face twisted.
“You’re acting like he needs protecting.”
Sirius’s smile vanished.
Regulus’s did not.
It had never been there.
“He doesn’t.”
“Then why are you—”
“Because I want to.”
The answer came instantly.
The boy faltered.
Regulus leaned slightly closer.
“My brother does not need me to defend him.”
Sirius watched the back of Regulus’s head.
“He could handle you without effort,” Regulus continued. “James could handle you. Remus could handle you. Lily could reduce you to tears without moving from where she stands. Marlene has been waiting for an excuse to hit you since you opened your mouth.”
“Correct,” Marlene said.
“Mary would make certain everyone heard about your humiliation.”
“With details,” Mary added.
“Fabian and Gideon would turn it into a song.”
Fabian brightened. “We could.”
“We absolutely could,” Gideon agreed.
“Alice is disappointed in you, which should be humiliating enough on its own.”
Alice blinked, then looked at the boy.
“I am.”
“Frank is considering whether he ought to intervene.”
Frank cleared his throat.
“I was.”
“Peter has already decided you’re an idiot.”
Peter nodded. “I have.”
“Barty wants to frighten you.”
“More than want,” Barty said.
“Evan is deciding how much effort you are worth.”
“Not much,” Evan replied.
“Pandora is wondering whether you’ll cry.”
“I was,” Pandora said softly.
“Dorcas knows you will.”
Dorcas looked at the boy’s wet eyes.
“He already is.”
The boy wiped at his face angrily.
Regulus’s gaze became colder.
“And Sirius,” he said, “was about to make you regret saying it before I interrupted him.”
Sirius’s mouth curved.
The boy looked at him.
Sirius gave a small wave.
Regulus continued.
“He does not need protecting.”
“Then—”
“But I am still protecting him.”
The boy had no response.
Regulus looked almost bored now, though the anger in his eyes remained sharp.
“That is what you fail to understand. I am not doing this because Sirius is incapable. I am doing it because you looked at my brother, decided his patience was weakness and thought you could use me as an excuse to insult him.”
“I didn’t think he was weak.”
“You waited until you thought he wasn’t listening.”
The boy’s eyes dropped.
Regulus scoffed.
“Coward.”
The word struck harder than the rest.
The boy’s mouth trembled again.
“I said I was sorry.”
“And I heard you.”
“Then let me go.”
Regulus stared at him for one final, silent moment.
The boy looked frightened enough that even his friend had begun edging towards the far side of the corridor.
Regulus took a step back.
The boy’s shoulders sagged with relief.
Then Regulus spoke.
“If I hear you say anything about Sirius again, I will make certain that speaking becomes the most frightening thing you do in a day.”
The boy went rigid.
Regulus’s face remained blank.
“You will not glare at him.”
The boy nodded quickly.
“You will not mutter about him.”
Another nod.
“You will not attempt to impress me by insulting him.”
“I wasn’t—”
Regulus’s eyes hardened.
The boy stopped.
“You will not use my name, my argument or my irritation as permission to behave like a spineless little parasite.”
The boy’s eyes overflowed.
A tear rolled down his cheek.
Regulus watched it without sympathy.
“You do not know enough about Sirius to judge him. You do not know enough about me to defend me. You have mistaken a crush for familiarity and cowardice for courage.”
“I said I’m sorry,” the boy whispered.
“You’re sorry I heard.”
“No.”
“You’re sorry I’m angry.”
“No.”
“You’re sorry you embarrassed yourself in front of me.”
The boy’s silence answered for him.
Regulus’s mouth twisted.
“Pathetic.”
The boy flinched as though struck.
His friend stared at Regulus with open alarm.
Sirius’s friends remained silent.
There was nothing left for them to add.
Regulus had taken every spark of indignation in the corridor and sharpened it into something far more precise.
The boy scrubbed both hands over his face.
“You’re horrible.”
“Yes.”
The answer came calmly.
The boy looked at Regulus through wet lashes.
For one absurd second, his expression suggested the crush had not entirely died.
Regulus noticed that too.
His face filled with faint revulsion.
“Do not look at me like that.”
The boy looked away immediately.
Regulus pointed down the corridor.
“Fuck off.”
The boy hesitated.
Regulus’s voice sharpened.
“Now.”
The boy turned.
His friend was already moving.
They hurried away through the watching students, the first boy wiping frantically at his face as he went. Someone farther down the corridor shifted out of their path. The two disappeared around the corner, one of them visibly crying.
Regulus watched until they were gone.
Then he scoffed.
It was a quiet, disgusted sound.
He rolled his eyes, as though the entire confrontation had been nothing more than a tedious interruption.
The corridor remained silent.
Regulus turned back.
Fifteen faces stared at him.
Sirius stood at the centre of them, still holding the stolen book.
Regulus looked at him.
“What?”
No one answered.
Regulus’s gaze moved over James, Peter, Remus, Lily, Mary, Marlene, Alice, Frank, Fabian and Gideon.
Then to Barty, Evan, Pandora and Dorcas.
All of them were staring.
Regulus’s expression flattened.
“Why are you looking at me?”
Marlene opened her mouth.
Nothing came out.
Mary’s eyebrows were nearly in her hairline.
Alice looked astonished.
Frank glanced at Sirius, then back at Regulus.
Peter appeared to be replaying the entire exchange in his head.
Remus watched Regulus with quiet, piercing interest.
Lily’s anger had faded into something almost fond.
Fabian slowly lowered his hand from Gideon’s mouth.
Gideon whispered, “Bloody hell.”
Barty looked ecstatic.
Evan looked entirely unsurprised.
Pandora smiled faintly.
Dorcas gave Regulus a single approving nod.
James looked at Sirius.
Sirius looked at Regulus.
Regulus frowned.
“What?”
Sirius’s mouth began to curve.
Regulus’s eyes narrowed.
“No.”
Sirius’s smile widened.
“Don’t.”
Sirius handed the book to James without looking away from his brother.
James took it automatically.
“Sirius,” Regulus warned.
Sirius pressed both hands against his chest.
“My baby brother.”
Regulus’s expression went blank.
Sirius took one step towards him.
“My tiny, terrifying, vicious little baby brother.”
“Stop.”
“He defended my honour.”
“You have none.”
“He threatened a man for me.”
“He was an idiot.”
“He made him cry.”
“He was already emotionally unstable.”
Sirius took another step.
Regulus stepped back.
Sirius’s eyes shone.
“You love me.”
“No.”
“You do.”
“I don’t.”
“You defended me.”
“You were being insulted.”
“Because you love me.”
“Because he was irritating.”
“You called me your brother.”
“You are my brother.”
Sirius made an unbearably soft cooing noise.
Regulus’s face tightened.
“Do not make that sound.”
“You claimed me.”
“I stated a fact.”
“You stood in front of me.”
“You were behind me.”
“You protected me.”
“I corrected him.”
“You told him only you’re allowed to insult me.”
“That is also a fact.”
Sirius’s grin became brilliant.
Regulus looked away.
“I hate you.”
“My fierce little defender.”
“Shut up.”
“My loyal baby brother.”
“I will kill you.”
“My sweet little—”
“Finish that sentence and I will remove your tongue.”
Sirius lunged.
Regulus dodged instantly.
Sirius caught him around the shoulders anyway, dragging him into a crushing sideways embrace.
Regulus went rigid.
“No.”
Sirius squeezed him.
“Get off.”
“You love me.”
“Release me.”
“He loves me,” Sirius announced to the entire corridor.
“I do not.”
“He was ready to commit murder.”
“I was not.”
“You threatened him.”
“I advised him.”
“You called him a parasite.”
“He was behaving like one.”
“You made him apologise.”
“He needed to.”
“You made him cry.”
“He chose to do that.”
Sirius bent slightly, pressing his cheek against the top of Regulus’s head.
Regulus’s eyes went flat with horror.
“Sirius.”
“My wonderful little brother.”
“I am warning you.”
“So protective.”
“I will stamp on your foot.”
“So brave.”
“I will break your nose.”
“So loving.”
“I will bite you.”
Barty pointed sharply.
“I told you he bites.”
Evan pulled Barty’s hand down.
“No one asked.”
“I was right.”
“You are often right in the least useful way possible.”
Sirius only hugged Regulus tighter.
Regulus shoved at his ribs.
“Get off me.”
“No.”
“I mean it.”
“I know.”
“You smell.”
“I smell excellent.”
“You smell like arrogance.”
“That’s expensive cologne.”
“It smells cheap.”
“You’d miss it if I died.”
Regulus slammed his heel down onto Sirius’s shoe.
Sirius yelped and released him.
Regulus stepped away immediately, straightening his robes with sharp, offended movements.
Sirius hopped once.
“You actually stamped on me.”
“I said I would.”
“You wounded me after defending me.”
“The two things are unrelated.”
James held out Regulus’s book.
Regulus took it.
Then he looked at Sirius.
Sirius was still smiling.
Not the smug smile from before.
Not entirely.
There was something softer tucked beneath it, something so openly pleased that Regulus looked away almost at once.
Sirius noticed.
Of course he noticed.
“Reggie.”
Regulus tucked the book against his side.
“No.”
“Thank you.”
Regulus’s shoulders stiffened.
The others became quiet again.
Sirius was no longer teasing.
His voice had lost its exaggerated sweetness.
He stood watching his younger brother with a small smile, the mischief still there but gentled at the edges.
Regulus stared down the corridor.
His face was unreadable.
“I did not do it for you.”
Sirius raised an eyebrow.
“No?”
“No.”
“Who did you do it for?”
“Me.”
“Why?”
“He was annoying me.”
“Because he insulted me.”
“Because he was annoying.”
“By insulting me.”
“You are also annoying.”
“But you protected me.”
Regulus turned his head.
His glare returned.
Sirius’s smile widened.
“You’re welcome,” Regulus said coldly.
Then he seemed to realise what he had said.
James made a sound of triumph.
Sirius gasped.
Regulus’s eyes narrowed.
“No.”
“You said you’re welcome.”
“I misspoke.”
“You admitted it.”
“I did not.”
“You did.”
“I said nothing.”
“We all heard you,” Mary said.
Regulus looked at her.
Mary lifted both hands.
“I’m not judging.”
“You are smiling.”
“I smile when I’m frightened.”
“You’re not frightened.”
“A little.”
Marlene nodded towards the corridor where the boy had fled.
“Reasonably.”
Regulus scoffed.
He shifted his book beneath his arm, turned away from all of them and began walking.
Sirius blinked.
“Where are you going?”
Regulus did not answer.
“Regulus.”
Nothing.
“Little brother.”
Regulus kept walking.
“My brave protector.”
No response.
“My personal guard dog.”
Regulus lifted one hand without turning around and made a rude gesture.
Barty burst into laughter.
James doubled over.
Mary shouted after Regulus, “That’s not a denial!”
Regulus continued walking.
Sirius followed him.
“Wait.”
Regulus walked faster.
Sirius caught up easily.
“Are you ignoring me?”
“Yes.”
“That isn’t how ignoring works.”
Regulus said nothing.
Sirius moved beside him, leaning slightly to peer at his face.
Regulus stared straight ahead.
“You were scary.”
Silence.
“I was impressed.”
Silence.
“He cried.”
Regulus’s expression remained blank.
“You made a boy cry because he insulted me.”
Nothing.
Sirius clasped his hands beneath his chin.
“My hero.”
Regulus turned a corner.
Sirius followed.
Behind them, the others finally began moving too.
James caught up first, still laughing.
Peter came beside him, shaking his head.
Remus followed with Lily, both of them quieter but visibly amused.
Mary and Marlene walked behind them, speaking over one another.
Alice and Frank exchanged bewildered looks.
Fabian and Gideon had already begun arguing over which words would rhyme with parasite.
Barty hurried after Regulus with obvious delight, Evan walking beside him at a more controlled pace.
Pandora drifted after them.
Dorcas brought up the rear, still smirking.
Sirius stayed beside his brother.
Regulus continued pretending he did not exist.
“You love me,” Sirius said.
Regulus stared forward.
“Admit it.”
Nothing.
“Just a little.”
Silence.
“You’re protective.”
Regulus walked.
“You think I’m handsome.”
Regulus’s jaw tightened.
“You were furious.”
No answer.
“You told him I could handle him.”
Regulus’s grip on his book shifted.
“You believe in me.”
Regulus stopped.
Everyone behind them nearly collided.
Sirius stopped too.
Regulus turned his head.
His face was perfectly blank.
His eyes were cold.
His voice was calm.
“Sirius.”
“Yes?”
“Fuck off.”
Then Regulus turned and continued down the corridor, composed, unbothered and entirely indifferent to the stunned silence he left behind.
Sirius watched him go.
His grin returned slowly.
Proudly.
Helplessly.
Then he cupped his hands around his mouth.
“LOVE YOU TOO, REGULUS!”
Regulus did not turn around.
He only raised one hand above his shoulder.
The rude gesture appeared again.
Sirius cooed.
Regulus kept walking.