Property of J. K. R.
- Little King -
Regulus: from Latin, diminutive of rex, reg; meaning 'little king.' The brightest star in the Leo constellation, Regulus is often referred to as 'the heart of the lion.'
i.
The wood carved anger into his cheek as Regulus pressed his ear to the door. He counted the sobs;
one,
two,
three –
a series of staccatos, rising up, up, up until his brother ran out of lungs. Sirius cried a lot – always unabashedly and with great gusto. (Stupid fucking Gryffindors).
ii.
Regulus was fifteen the first time he kissed a girl. With crooked teeth and small tits Regulus had felt nothing – boring and slightly perverse, he had later poured Ailhotsy Draught in her soup, laughing when she'd cried. She had smelt of lavender soap, autumn knits and, rather keenly, of sadness.
iii.
Regulus' mother was winter personified. Cold and crisp and long. Hallowed cheeks and thin hands – as if someone had moulded the skin to the bone – Walburga Black was often angry and always distant. Forever reminding him of wire-hangers, Regulus had hugged her maybe twice and met her eyes even less.
iv.
Regulus was sixteen the first time he fucked a girl. Chipped nails and lashes that triangulated together – as though she'd been crying (hadn't she?) – the girl sighed often and freely. She had a scar on her elbow, thin and angry, that Regulus looked at the entire time. He'd felt nothing.
v.
Orion Black, named for the hunting constellation, embodied his name with the kind of grace that Regulus admired. Regulus – little king, heart of the lion – rarely felt proud and never felt brave; feeling, instead, his name to be a big joke. Orion was ruthless whilst the Little King was weakweakweak.
vi.
Regulus was seventeen the first time he killed a girl. She had screamed 'no, no, no, please god, no pleasegodgodpleasegodno' and Regulus had called her a stupid bitch, hating everything about her, and hating everything about himself, and then she had fallen, stupid and dumb and beautiful. Later, he'd vomited.
vii.
The first important word Regulus learnt was 'fuck,' which he used against his father (secretly) and his brother (publicly and frequently). The second important word he learnt was 'no,' which he used against his mother and professors and himself. The third important word was 'help,' which he learnt too late.
viii.
Regulus was eleven the first time he loved a girl. All full of bones and angry words (go away, go away); she had reminded him of dew and sadness and of a home he hadn't yet discovered. A muggle, probably, she would later become the first girl Regulus would hate.
ix.
The inferi's bones reminded him, heinously, of his mother's embraces. The dead clutching at the dying, Regulus' thoughts came slower and slower until, with a finality, a final phrase hung – 'little king.' Regulus hoped he'd been noble and he'd hoped he'd been brave and, above all, he'd hoped someone noticed.
A self-challenge; nine vignettes, all exactly fifty words.
Note: Ailhotsy Draught, stolen from the HP wiki, apparently induces hysteria.