for the ultimate pairing drabble competition, using the pairing barty/regulus and the prompt small.
He's nestled in your arms. You're not one to be outrightly comforting or supportive, but when it comes to Regulus, you can't say no.
Tears are falling silently down his cheeks. He never told you what was wrong, but you don't question him, not when he turns to you for comfort. He's so small, curled up in a ball, his whole frame shaking from his silent tears. You vaguely wonder if you were ever this small, ever this fragile.
You never got on very well with your father, though your mother supported you through the tough times you faced as a child. You realize that Regulus had always been the favourite child, the perfect, loved one in his family, and rejection came as a shock to him.
You didn't try to make him cease crying, you simply let him get his emotions out of his system, softly muttering, "It'll all be okay, Reg," over and over again.
It pains you to see him so upset. You know how he feels; you've been through the same thing your whole life, and you know that there isn't anything to be done about it other than to let time take its course. You softly peck his cheek and ease the covers over both of you.
If he's going to cry himself to sleep anyway, he may as well have your shoulder to cry on.