Chapter Fourteen
"I'm running away."
"You're what?" Regulus whispered.
He searched Sirius' face, looking for a sign that he was joking.
He was quite sincere.
"But…why?" Regulus cried.
Sirius sat on the edge of his bed and muttered, "I can't stay here, Reg."
"Why not?" Regulus demanded.
"Mother and Father are…" Sirius broke off before saying, "I just…can't."
Regulus continued to stare at him, not knowing what to say.
"I've packed a suitcase," Sirius continued, "See?"
He lifted it up and explained, "I packed three pairs of robes, a pair of pajamas, and my toothbrush. That should be enough, shouldn't it?"
Regulus nodded and mumbled, "I suppose so."
He dug his toe into the carpet and asked, "Do you know how to do laundry?"
"Err…no," Sirius admitted, "But…it shouldn't be that hard."
"Well, do you know how to cook?" Regulus exclaimed.
"I don't need to cook," Sirius patiently said, "I packed snacks."
"Well…what if you need to buy something?" Regulus asked, "You don't have any money!"
"Do so," Sirius argued, "I have over thirty galleons!"
"How?" Regulus gasped.
"Mother, Father, Uncle Alphard, Aunt Druella, and Uncle Cyngus all give us money during the holidays," Sirius snorted, "Just because you spend yours on a whim…"
Regulus glowered before squeaking, "Don't go."
"I have to," Sirius sighed, "I'll miss you, Reg."
"I'll miss you, too," Regulus whimpered.
He threw his arms around Sirius.
His brother rested his forehead against his and he instantly felt better.
Sirius stood up, grabbed his suitcase, and murmured, "Goodbye, Reg."
"I want to come with you!" Regulus whined, "Please?"
"I was hoping that you'd say that!" Sirius exclaimed.
"Let me pack my bags," Regulus eagerly said, "Then we can run away, together!"
He raced over to his closet and stuffed his clothes into a satchel.
"Are you sure?" Sirius whispered.
Regulus nodded.
Sirius extended his arm and Regulus took his hand.
They crept downstairs before realizing that their parents weren't there. Regulus glanced around the foyer before Sirius pulled him outside.
They walked, hand-in-hand, for what seemed like forever.
"This is brilliant," Sirius excitedly said, "Really! No more yelling! No more lessons! No more curses! No more glares! No more green eyes! No more Mother and Father!"
Regulus also felt excited, if only because his brother did.
They finally stopped and Regulus heaved himself onto a bench.
Sirius sat next to him and pulled a granola bar from his pouch.
He split it in half and gave Regulus a piece. He eagerly swallowed it whole.
"Easy," Sirius laughed, "That's your lunch!"
Regulus wiped the crumbs away and mumbled, "I wonder if Kreacher can make us something."
"No," Sirius cried, "The point is to run away from Kreacher, Mother, and Father!"
"But why?" Regulus asked, "Why are we running away?"
Sirius hesitated. The cold wind tousled the brothers' hair and they shivered.
"Well?" Regulus demanded.
"Mother and Father," Sirius began, "They…they aren't nice."
Regulus blinked, wondering if his brother was keeping something from him.
"Look," Sirius sighed, "It's just…"
Whatever he was about to say was drowned out by a roll of thunder.
Regulus jumped and inched closer to his brother.
"It's alright," Sirius murmured, "It's going to be alright, Reg."
He put his arm around Regulus' shoulders and Regulus leaned against him.
After a moment, Regulus whispered, "Are we hobos?"
Sirius chuckled and said, "I suppose we are. Where do you want to go?"
"I like this bench," Regulus declared, "We should stay here."
"'Sounds good to me," Sirius agreed.
They sat on the bench for the rest of the day, trying to remain inconspicuous. Muggles walked past, occasionally stopping to sit next to them. Children ran past, giggling and playing.
The thunder increased until a cloud finally broke. The rain poured down, drenching them.
"Do you have an umbrella?" Regulus asked.
"No," Sirius admitted, "Do you?"
"No," Regulus sighed, "And I'm getting hungry."
They had eaten the snacks within the first hour.
"Plus," Regulus embarrassedly murmured, "I have to use the bathroom."
"So do I," Sirius agreed.
Regulus hesitated, a question lingering on the tip of his tongue.
"Do you want to go home?" Sirius gently asked.
Regulus nodded and asked, "You?"
"Yeah," Sirius sighed, "Let's go."
They left the park, walked across the street, and entered 12 Grimmauld Place.
"Did Young Masters Black enjoy playing in the park?" Kreacher asked, taking their soaked cloaks from their shoulders.
"We were running away," Regulus cheerfully declared.
"That's nice, Young Master Regulus," Kreacher absentmindedly said, "Please take your shoes off. Kreacher just mopped the floor."
They did so and Kreacher added, "Go upstairs and get washed up. Kreacher is making ham for dinner. It'll be ready in a quarter of an hour."
They trudged upstairs and Regulus cheerfully said, "That was fun, Sirius. But…next time…we should pack more granola bars. And an umbrella."
Sirius gave him a pained look and Regulus cried, "What?"
"Nothing," Sirius mumbled.
"Can we play another game?" Regulus asked.
"It wasn't…" Sirius began.
He broke off and muttered, "Fine."
"Exploding Snap?" Regulus eagerly asked.
"Sure."
They took the game out and began to play. Their parents came home several minutes later to the decedent smell of caramelized ham. They were completely oblivious to their sons' adventure. It was as if Sirius and Regulus had never left.