Victim of Circumstance

1. The House of Black

Regulus Black gazed out of his living room window as he sat in his favorite soft red chair by the window. He watched the snow gracefully fall from the sky and land on the ground and trees like a soft, white blanket. His gazing was soon interrupted, however, by a small squeaky voice.

"Would you like something to eat, Master?" squeaked Kreacher, his family's house elf.

"No." Regulus replied coldly.

He was never very fond of Kreacher. He always made Regulus feel uneasy, but at least he had someone to talk to. His parents were always away and his brother, Sirius, was at the Potters' house just like he was all the time now that he's out of Hogwarts.

Ah, Sirius, one of Regulus' least favorite people. He had everything; great personality, good looks, and loyal friends. Why was it that he got it all while Regulus was left to be the good boy of the family? How he dreamed of just leaving his parents house and living how he wanted, but he knew that would never happen. He, unlike Sirius, wasn't strong enough or confident enough to do something so rash. He couldn't just get up and leave. He couldn't even imagine defying his parents like that.

Shaking these rebellious thoughts from his head, Regulus got up from his chair and strolled through the living room past all the lavish furniture and fashionable décor that signified the life of a pure blood. He slowly walked back up to his room where he spent the majority of the time during holidays, taking in the comforts of his house; the expensive paintings on the wall, the marble statues and the many rooms. He knew he was more fortunate than most, materially, but he felt so empty inside.

When he got to his room, he pulled out his wand and conjured some biscuits and some butterbeer. How he wished he had someone, anyone, to talk to. All of his friends were on holiday and he didn't dare actually admit to Sirius or his parents that he was lonely. That would be a sign of weakness and if there was one thing that the Blacks couldn't tolerate, it was being weak.

He decided to just lay on his bed and maybe rest his eyes a bit.

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When Regulus woke up it was dark. He slept longer than he had intended to. He got up and proceeded to go downstairs when he heard arguing. His mother and father were talking about Sirius again. It was always Sirius this and Sirius that, never anything about him. Regulus crept into the rather large kitchen, hoping to be able to go in and get out without being seen, but then he heard his parents stop talking. They never talked around him, almost as though they didn't trust him.

"Remember you go back to Hogwarts tomorrow. Wake up early and get ready. I don't want to have to wait for you like last year." said Regulus' father.

"I know, I'll be ready."

This kind of brief commentary was what you could come to expect at the Black house. You never talked to anyone except out of necessity.

Regulus turned and slowly walked his way out of the kitchen, back to his room to pack his things. Stuffing his clothes in his trunk along with his books, he remembered what happened last time he forgot something of his at home. It was his dress robes and when he sent an owl to his mother, he had to beg her to bring them. He got them two weeks later, with only a short letter.

"That kind of irresponsibility has no place with the Blacks."

He thought about that as he finished packing his trunk. After he was done, he decided to try and finish some of the homework he had not yet done. He pulled out his wand to try to conjure a kitten for transfiguration and his herbology book to finish homework that he was sure he would get low marks on. Regulus was never that great at school work. He was the kid in every class who got by with decent grades, but never anything superb. He graduated from Hogwarts this year, so he had to step up his performance.

He practiced into the night eventually getting the kitten to appear, but accomplishing nothing with his herbology. He climbed into bed and thought about what this new half of the year might hold for him. He thought about the girl who sat in front of him in defense against the dark arts. He thought about how he was going to get back at Damien Marksby for pranking him right before the holiday. And sometime between concentrating on his new quidditch broom and thinking about their first game with Hufflepuff, he drifted to sleep.