My take on Sirius and Regulus relationship. This is my first story here, I hope you guys like it. Reviews are much appreciated, any suggestions help me out a lot too. I have the outline of the story complete, but I'm thinking of changing some of it.
All characters are J.K Rowling's creation. Title is from Tegan and Sara's album.
Dear Reggie
How's it going? I hope you're hanging alright with being alone at home now, but hey, only a year and you'll be coming to Hogwarts with me! Hopefully we'll be in the same house. It'd be a blast. Remember James Potter? We met on the train again, and he's pretty cool, no idea why mum and dad hate the Potters. He and I got sorted into Gryffindor, "Where dwell the brave at heart!" I was so nervous when they put the tattered old hat in my head, but after a while it shouted "GRYFFINDOR!"
I thought for sure I'd be a Slytherin, like the rest of our family. James was teasing me about it on the train. Don't you think it's cool how I broke the tradition? Bella is being bloody awful about me being a traitor to the Black crest. Andy is being really nice to me, though.
Our common room is in one of the highest towers, so that gives us the best view ever. It's pretty amazing. Andy showed James and I around, and we made a new friend with a nerdy kid, but he seems a bit sick. I wonder what is wrong with him…
Regulus looked up from the page at a sharp knock from the door. He hid the letter, guessing his mother would've received a letter saying his son was on Gryffindor too, but probably not on such nice terms as Regulus had.
"CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT BRAT!" his mother, Walburga, shouted at the top of her lungs. "He's dishonoring our crest! Mixing with the mudbloods and blood traitors! The nerve he has, sending me this letter!"
A letter with the same handwriting as the one stowed in his pocket was being shoved at Regulus' face. He took hold of it and read
Dearest Mother and Father
Your eldest son would like to proudly make known to you that he has been sorted into Gryffindor, breaking the tradition of Slytherins in our home. Perhaps you didn't raise us correctly to fit into Slytherin. I'm sorry if this upsets you, I don't wish to cause you a heart attack or anything. Andy is Gryffindor's prefect and she's being really nice, and there's a Weasley I just met, he's also older than me. I'm doing fine, though you probably are not particularly worried.
See you at Christmas.
Love, Sirius.
Regulus smiled slightly at his brother's words. He knew Sirius was proud to break the Slytherin line, and found it amazing and fun, though his mother did not. He vaguely wondered how his father would react once they saw Sirius again. Usually all of his father's rage would be held up until he saw the person who it was directed at. Regulus frowned.
He returned the letter to his mother, hoping she wouldn't lose her temper even more. "Well, he seems happy, mum. Say, at least he's not in Hufflepuff or anything?" he commented, trying to make it sound convincing. He didn't have anything against the houses or anyone, really, but his mother did, and he didn't want her to be upset.
"I guess you're right. I'll expect him to reserve his comments and refrain from mixing with the filth. He's unbelievable, your brother. I hope you do better, Regulus. I expect you to." She said, cupping his cheek in her hand and kissing it lightly, before exiting.
Regulus plopped on his bed, looked at the cream colored ceiling and sighed. He proceeded to pull the letter out of his pocket and continue reading, happily drifting into thoughts of next year and wondering what house he would be in.
-;-;-;-;
That Christmas turned out worse than Regulus had thought it would. Sirius came back, but their mother was highly displeased. Regulus could only guess the news of Sirius' disasters at school. Their mother started comparing him to Bellatrix and Narcissa, which always made Sirius bitter. Their father had harshly scolded the eldest son, and punished him for the rest of the Christmas break.
Sirius locked himself up in his room after a rather harsh reprimand from their mother, and Regulus was worried. He hurried up to his brother's room and knocked. "It's me, Sirius. Can I come in?" he asked softly. The door swinged open and he walked in.
The room looked different from the last time he'd been inside, a few days before Sirius' return. A couple Gryffindor Banners were on the walls, along with a picture of his friends at school. The bed sheets were no longer the usual pale blue their mother had chosen, but a warm gold, which looked well with the blueish walls. Sirius threw himself on the bed, apparently reassuming his previous position. Regulus sat down by the edge and put his hand on his brother's shoulder.
"Mom's been really upset lately, don't worry." He murmured
"She's been really upset with me for years now Reg, don't feel guilty. You're a much better son to her; at least you know how to follow the traditions." Sirius mumbled, sitting up and turning to face his younger brother. Sirius sported a broken lip and a swollen cheek now, which worried Regulus slightly.
They faced each other for a couple of seconds, then hugged. "I've missed you, Reggie."
;-;-;-;
The next time Regulus saw his brother was on the summer break. As soon as they got home, Sirius had been summoned to their father's office. They were there for hours, which worried Regulus slightly. Walburga called Regulus to the sitting room and started talking to him about his brother's behavior at school, and how he had been awful son to them, staining the Black crest with his school behavior.
Regulus noticed the door of his father's office open and let out a downcast Sirius. Regulus noticed red puffy eyes and Sirius' cheek growing redder by the minute, and he could picture the deep, purple bruises his brother would have under his robes. Walburga stopped her eldest son as he was about to head upstairs, holding him by the shoulders. "You've been a bad example for your brother, Sirius. You must exceed our expectations from now on, become worthy of the Black crest." She said, her tone icy, "I'm glad to see your grades were good." She added in a slightly softer tone.
That had made a small smile appear on the boy's lips, Regulus noticed, but it was gone in a flash, and he ended up wondering if he had imagined it.
"Happy Birthday brother." Said Regulus, passing a small package to his brother.
Sirius had had a row with their mother this morning. The celebration was obviously not going to happen anymore, so Regulus had gotten the present for his brother from under his bed and gone out to follow his brother into a park.
Sirius smiled sadly, opening the present and seeing a small knife. "What's it do?"
Regulus smiled widely "It opens any door and breaks enchantments! I got it from a lady in Diagon Alley before you came back."
"Thanks, it's really cool." Sirius said, smiling at the small gift.
"What are you doing that upsets mum and dad so much?" Regulus questioned, his swing slowly moving back and forth a bit.
"You know everything I do of my own will gets them upset…" Sirius sighed, putting the knife back in its small box and putting it away.
"Mum was crying the other day… she said you do it on purpose. Why don't you try not to do the stuff that gets them angry, S?" The younger brother proposed innocently.
The eldest of the boys kicked his swing into movement once again,"I tried, it doesn't work, Reggie. Not for me, because I just end up doing things like me again and it makes them upset. And I don't really want to change for them. If you change it should be for yourself." He explained his thoughts to his brother as best as he could. "Best I can do is get good grades, now."
"That seemed to make mum happy, didn't it?"
"I guess." Sirius answered "I hope you're Slytherin, I don't want them to be screaming bloody murder to you too." He murmured, as he slowed the swing to a stop and walked away.
"What did you say?"
"Are you coming or what, Reg?" Sirius said playfully, ignoring the question.
The summer passed quickly, the pair of brothers hanging out together as much as their parents would let them. Sirius knew their parents were trying to keep them apart, hoping none of Sirius would rub off on his younger brother.
