Sirius examined his face in the large, fogged up window in his bedroom. He repeatedly poked the swelling bruise by his eye, yelping a little every time his finger prodded the tender spot. Along with the bruise, there were also tiny cuts on his knuckles and a bandaged gash on his arm. Sirius could do nothing but look at his injuries. Sirius had seen much worse before.
Regulus watched his brother with curious eyes. Any sane person would be tending to their wounds by now. But nope. Not Sirius. Sirius felt the need to check his reflection to make sure he was still looking fine for the ladies.
Regulus rapped lightly on the door at the same time Sirius's Muggle clock announced it was midnight. Sirius's eyes, in the reflection of the mirror, moved from his bruise to his brother standing in the small doorway.
"Food?" Regulus resisted the urge to roll his eyes. The more he hung out with the Marauders, the shorter his sentences got. Soon it would be like talking to a caveman. Regulus nodded slowly, slipping inside. The hallway outside was nearly pitch black, seeing as everyone else was asleep.
Regulus slid the velvet cloth off of the plate he had smuggled from dinner and walked across the room. Clothes and newspapers made a thin layer on the ground. Wrappers from and empty bottles lay discarded on the wrinkled bedspread. His shelves and drawers were packed with crap, bits and pieces poking out. And even more lined the shelves and windowsill. Sirius's desk was probably the neatest, and the least used object in the room. Letters from his friends were stacked on one side and his unused textbooks (now covered with a thin layer of dust) on the other.
Sirius grabbed the plate with two hands and froze, forcing Regulus to do the same. An awkward silence passed between the boys as Sirius stared at the sleeve of his brother's robe. Still holding the plate with one hand, Sirius pushed the soft gray fabric up on his left arm, revealing half of the tattoo Sirius had been dreading.
"And I thought Mother was joking when she said that." Sirius mumbled in a distant voice. Regulus winced, letting go of the plate so he could cover up his new ink, "So it would piss me off. Guess she wasn't lying this time." His gray eyes flickered up, filled with sadness and disappointment.
"You really have to stop fighting with her like this, Sirius." Regulus ran his hand through his hair, "One day she's gonna lose it. You're going to drive her to her wits' end." Regulus motioned to the bright Gryffindor posters.
"I can't stand the way she talks about them, Reg." Sirius sat on the bed, setting the plate down next to them, "Every time I bring up anyone of them, regardless of their blood purity, she calls them scum, trash. They're my friends, Reg! Just because they're Gryffindors-"Sirius took a large bit out of the roll, chewing loudly.
"I get it, but Sirius you can't say that you aren't surprised." Regulus leaned against his desk. "She's a Black. She cares way more about our reputation than your silly band of misfits. I mean, you heard what happened to Andromeda. Druella freaked and that was because he's a Gryffindor and a muggleborn." Regulus no longer said 'mudblood' for Sirius's sake.
"What did she want me to do? Hang out with Slytherins despite our house rivalry. I know the teachers want house unity, but come on."
"That's exactly what she wants you to do!" Regulus exclaimed. "Or at least get a girlfriend who's a Slytherin." Regulus hissed. Sirius's reputation was something for the history books. So far he's probably shagged every girl in his year, minus the Slytherins of course, at least twice this year.
Sirius shrugged, "If the bitch wants me to put up a show, well whoops, sorry."
Regulus scowled, "She'll want you out of the house."
"Not much of seventh year left. I'll go to James's." Sirius wiped his hand on the blanket.
"You'll have no money." Regulus continued to frown, glaring at the new stain on the sheet.
"I'll get a job." Sirius retorted stiffly, ignoring his brother's snort.
Regulus's expression grew serious, "I don't want you to do something you're gonna regret someday, that's all."
Sirius gestured to his left sleeve, "Feeling's mutual."
"Night." Regulus gave an odd salute as he slipped out.
"Night." Sirius replied as the door closed after his brother. He took another bite of the bread and couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy.