The Wickedness of Innocence
O-o-O-o-O
All things truly wicked start from innocence.
-Ernest Hemingway
O-o-O-o-O
"Sirius?" Regulus rapped his knuckles on the door lightly, sucking on his thumb eagerly. "Sirius, you wanna come play?"
His queries were met by silence.
"Sirius?" He called again, "Come on Sirius, it's Christmas. We can play Aurors 'nd Bad Guys. You can be the auror if you want." He pounded his small, pudgy fist against the thick, dark door. "Siwius?"
"Go away Regulus. I don't want to play with you!" Sirius bellowed back, "Go talk to Bella or Andy or somebody."
A small pout slipped onto his pale face, but he shuffled away, a grungy looking bunny rabbit trailing sadly behind him, its ears drooping sadly.
O-o-O-o-O
Regulus hopped down the stairs, gripping tightly to the handrail. The bunny's head lolled between his arm and his chest. His feet made a satisfying clunk every time they hit the steps.
"We wish you a Magic Christmas! We wish you a Magic Christmas! And a happy New Year! Good tidings we br-"
"Regulus Arcturus Black, shut up!" Walburga screeched from the drawing room, her voice bouncing off the steep walls. Regulus hopped down the last step with a loud thud. "For the love of Merlin, Regulus, be quiet! Or I will hex you, boy!"
"Sorry Mother!" He whimpered, clutching his rabbit to his chest. "Hermes, you need to be more quiet." He shook a finger at the rabbit. "Silly Rabbit."
O-o-O-o-O
With wide grey eyes, he stared at the large door in front of him. The door was slightly ajar, allowing a small trickle of light into the corridor. Regulus slid in between the wall and the door, sucking on his thumb nervously.
The top of a dark haired head could be seen above the top of the massive leather armchair. Regulus crept forward, his hands twisting around each other nervously.
"Father?" He asked hopefully as he neared the chair. The man in the chair turned to him sharply, cruel features reflecting the dancing flames.
"Boy! What are you doing in here?"
"Sorry, Uncle Cygnus. I was lookin' for Father."
"Don't you know to knock, foolish child?" Cynus barked loudly. Regulus instantly cowered away, ducking his face into his shoulder. He mumbled another sorry before running back to the hall.
O-o-O-o-O
"Cissa? Cissa? Are you here, Cissa?" Regulus dove onto her bed, bouncing up and down cheerfully. "Cissa, where are you?" He called out, jumping wildly.
His cousin came running out of the bathroom, a livid expression on her face and a smear of black down one fair cheek. "What in the Hades are you doing in here, Regulus?" She shrieked.
Regulus dove under her neatly made sheets to cower away from her high pitch. He burrowed his head deep under the dark sheets with Hermes.
"Regulus, get out!" Narcissa ripped the blanket off of him and roughly grabbed the back of his sweater, "Get out you freak." Regulus stumbled out of her bedroom, gnawing on his lip to fight back the tears.
"Cissa, you've got somefin' on your face," he said shyly.
"Yes, and it's your fault!" She slammed the door in her face with a huff.
O-o-O-o-O
Regulus hurried up the stairs as quickly and quietly as possible, tripping gracelessly into his favorite room in the house, the library.
He grinned happily as he saw the merrily crackling fire in the center of the room. He plopped himself down in front of it, sitting Hermes across from him.
"It's just you and me Hermes. But that's okay. You're my bestest friend in the world." Regulus flashed a toothless smile at the stuffed animal and pulled it in to a tight hug.
The floorboards groaned as somebody else entered the large room. Regulus looked up, a sense of hope flashing in his grey eyes.
His eldest cousin, Bellatrix, and a dark haired man entered the room, both wearing sneering expressions. They each spared him the barest of glances before rushing off to one of the dark corners to talk.
Regulus clambered to his feet and followed after them. "Bella, whatcha doin', Bella?" He quickly stuck his thumb in his mouth.
"Go away Regulus." Bella snarled, glowering down at the young boy.
"But Bella, can't we play?" He asked again, his words warped by his thumb.
"Oh look, Bellatrix, the wittle, itty baby wants to play," the older man teased, giving Regulus a quick shove backwards. The boy stumbled back over his own feet, landing on top of his stuffed animal.
"Hey! You hurt Hermes!" protested Regulus, tears springing to his eyes.
"Oh, you dumb little stuffed rabbit?" Bella taunted, laughing lightly. "Get up Reggie, and leave us alone."
"But I was here first." He crossed his arms stubbornly and put on his brother's perfected pout.
"Little baby, she said get out." The man growled, moving threateningly towards Regulus. Regulus let out a pitiful whimper, his hands clutching desperately to Hermes.
"B-b-but I was here f-f-f-first,"
Both let out a roar of laughter, "Poor baby," the man sneered before whipping out his wand. He crouched down and wrenched the rabbit out of Regulus' grip. "You wanna play, boy? Let's play!" Regulus tried to jump and grab his toy back, but the man held it out of his reach. The wand touched Hermes and instantly the seams began falling apart and fluff spilled out of the wounds in a gush. Tears welled in Regulus' eyes as the bunny was tossed to him, fluff trailing behind pitifully.
Regulus gathered Hermes into his arms and ran out of the room as fast as his legs would take him.
O-o-O-o-O
Bits of fluff dripped behind Regulus as he toddled downstairs, blinded by tears. He hiccupped loudly, quickly covering his mouth with his hand, nervous eyes darting around.
A door to his left opened up and a quiet voice asked, "Reg? Are you alright?" Regulus darted into the room colliding with his cousin's shins. "Hey there, Reg, take it easy." Andromeda brushed a gentle hand through his dark hair. "What's wrong?" she crouched down to his level.
"Bella's friend hurt Hermes," sobbed Regulus, squeezing Hermes even tighter. Tears poured down his cheeks as he buried his face in Hermes's torn fur.
"May I see?" Andromeda asked softly. Regulus nodded, handing the animal over to her. "Hmmm, I think I may be able to fix him." She pulled out her wand and tapped Hermes once, "Reparo,"
Regulus examined the bunny carefully, searching for anymore tears. "Wow, thanks, Andy!" He launched himself at her, wrapping his arms around her neck tightly. "You're the bestest!"
Andromeda laughed lightly, "I try, Reg, I try. Now what were you up to?"
"I was looking for somebody to play with, but everybody's really mean. They all yelled at me."
"Well, I can't play right now, Reg, but you can stay in my room if you'd like. I have some school work to do." She gestured to the book she was reading with a smile.
"I can stay?" Regulus clarified eagerly, smiling widely.
Andromeda nodded, "Of course, just promise me you'll stay away from Bella and her friend, alright?"
"Alright, Andy. Why? Is he a mudblood? Is Bella being bad?"
"Regulus, do not use that word!" snapped Andromeda, her dark eyes flashing dangerously. But after taking a deep breath, she continued, "No, he's her fiancé."
"Why shouldn't I say it? Mother and Father say it all the time."
Andromeda sighed deeply, "Just… I don't like it. That's all."
Regulus shrugged silently to Hermes as Andromeda turned back to her book. He jumped up to her bed and began playing animatedly with Hermes. Hermes was about to catch the snitch to win the World Cup for England when the door burst open.
"Andromeda! Where have you been?" Druella Black bellowed, her beady eyes narrowing in on her daughter, who instantly looked rather sheepish.
"I've been studying, Mother." She replied calmly, lifting up her book for her mother to see. "I have my OWLs in a few months time and I would like to be prepared."
Druella narrowed her eyes in scrutiny and was about to say something when her sister-in-law came barging in. "Did you find her?"
"I was never under the impression that I was lost," commented Andromeda drily, arching a eyebrow in amusement.
The two women scowled at her cheek.
"Andromeda has been studying for her OWLs. You know, she is top of her year. Some filthy mudblood, what's his name, dear?"
"Ted Tonks," Andromeda answered through gritted teeth. "He'll never beat me though, he is a muggle born." She added for affect, smiling demurely.
Her mother and aunt nodded approvingly before turning their attentions to Regulus. "Regulus," Walburga barked, "what are you doing in here bothering your cousin? Can't you see she's busy?" She made a move as if to cuff him around the head, but froze as Andromeda interrupted.
"He came to ask me a question about the family tree. He was wondering if we were related to Salazar Slytherin. I was just about to go find you, Aunt Walburga, as I know you have been taking care of the family tapestry in recent years. I had a few questions myself." Walburga looked as if she would burst with glee at her niece's proposition.
"Oh, come, my dear. I shall have an elf bring up some tea and cookies." The two older women bustled Andromeda out of her room eagerly. Andromeda shot Regulus a mischievous smile and a wink as she left.
O-o-O-o-O
Regulus dropped onto his bed, feeling rather defeated. Nobody would play with him, and Andromeda had been whisked away by his mother and aunt to go look at the tapestry. He pulled a face at the thought.
A newly repaired Hermes grinned lopsidedly at him as he propped him up on the edge of his bed. "What should we do Hermes? Build a fort? No, Mother would be upset. Oh, why don't we read a book!" Regulus tugged one off of his shelf with a thud.
Regulus was half way through The Fountain of Fair Fortune when there was a crisp knock at the door. "Come in!" sang Regulus.
"Master Regulus, it is Kreacher." The house elf entered, his clothing dragging on the floor. "Would Master Regulus like a fire?"
"Oh, I'm fine, thank you for asking, Kreacher," the young boy replied with a smile. The house elf made to leave, but Regulus called him back.
"Is there something Master Regulus requires?"
"Do you know any games, Kreacher?"
The house elf's eyes lit up with glee, "Yes I do, Master Regulus."
"Can you teach me?"