It Doesn't Matter If Anyone Knows

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters portrayed in this ficlet. All charactersare the property of J.K. Rowling. No copyright infringement is intended.

A/N: This is just a little spur of the moment ficlet I came up with. It isn't very longbut I'd appreciate it if you'd review. It's about Regulus's death and the reason'sor his death. Please no flames, constructive criticism is welcome.

The rain beat viciously on the windows of Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place. Regulus Black streaked his hand down the cold pane of his bedroom window. The icy chill of the glass sent creeping shivers down his spine. The chill was soon counteracted with the burning sensation on the inside of his arm. The dark mark sent waves of pain through his body. He'd always been weak, not strong and courageous like Sirius. The selfish ambition he was driven by was only a casing for his weak soul, a soul that was controlled by everyone's whim but his own. He had always been a follower.

Regulus grabbed his cloak and walked down the stairs and out the door of Grimmauld Place. He wasn't exactly sure why he didn't just apparate. Maybe he liked the rain, or maybe he deserved to be pelted by the cold hard water. He had so many regrets. He was a traitor and a liar. He would do anything to please his mother. He had joined the Death Eaters for her and for prestige. He wanted to be noticed. The entire time he was a Hogwarts it had all been about Sirius. Sirius was popular, everyone liked Sirius. Regulus was just a lowly Slytherin. He had never been popular, he had never been courageous enough to stand up to his parents. The dark mark burned fiercely. They were getting impatient. Regulus snuck into an alley and apparated.

The Death Eaters were gathered out front of a Muggle house. This was to be another Muggle torturing spree. A faint thought in the back of Regulus's mind told him that this was wrong. These muggles didn't deserve this, they had done nothing to him. But there was a price to pay for the right connections, a price to pay to uphold the already tarnished family pride. They entered the house. A beautiful young muggle about the Regulus's age screamed in terror at the sight of them, and quickly moved to shelter two young boys, most likely her brothers. The scream pierced into Regulus's very soul. And it awakened memory's long

forgotten, memories of a better time. Times when Sirius and Regulus had played together and the back yard, laughing and joking, just like those two little boys must have done. Those were the days before either of them had ever bothered to comprehend the importance of bloodlines and upholding the family "honor."

A cold voice shattered those thoughts. "Kill her Regulus." It was Bellatrix, his cousin. Regulus raised his wand with a shaking hand, then lowered it. "Do it you fool!"

"No."

He said what Sirius would have said. He had always wanted to be like Sirius. He had always wanted to be noble and courageous. He wanted friends that liked him for those qualities, not because your last name was Black. He was done with being someone he wasn't. This was his last stand, he was in too deep now. There was no going back.

"What the hell did you say?"

"I said no. All my life I've been made to believe that we were better than

everyone else because of our bloody names and purity of blood. It was lies Bellatrix. I should have seen it sooner. I would have if I'd been more brave. I'm not doing this anymore."

Lucius Malfoy came up behind them. "Kill the traitor. He's no better than his coward of a brother."

Regulus closed his eyes and waited. He waited for the flash of green to come. Tears ran down his face. Finally he had done what he should have. But Sirius, the most important person in Regulus's life would never know. The person he looked up to most would always see him as a filthy traitor. But sometimes it doesn't matter if anyone knows you did the right thing in the end. It matters only that you did it. The flash of green came and Regulus's lifeless body slumped to the floor.