For the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition

Round One

Seeker

Chudley Cannons

Prompt - The Innocent - Goal: Happiness or Fear: Punishment

Word Count - 1016 (excluding A/N)

Honour

"Look, there's your mum."

Peter's squeaky little voice distracted Sirius from his conversation with James.

"There's your mum!" said Peter again, pointing a stubby finger at a woman only about a few yards away from them.

Sirius scowled. "Please, I'd rather not look at her when I am in such a good mood."

James couldn't help but take a better look at Sirius' family. His mother was a tall, stern-looking woman with her straight black hair twisted into a tight knot at the back of her head, not a single strand falling on her face. She stood upright, her hands on the shoulders of a little boy who looked incredibly like his best friend.

"Is that your brother, Sirius?" he asked. He turned around to face him and found that Sirius was already looking at them, the scowl persistent on his face. James grinned sheepishly.

"Yes, that's my brother. Regulus." Sirius nodded, his shaggy fringe falling into his eyes.

"Is he starting this year?" asked Remus with his usual curiosity.

"Yeah," replied Sirius, casting a dark look at his family. "Now can we talk about something else, please?"

The other three knew quite well about Sirius' deep aversion towards his family, and chose to change the topic.

"Mother, I'm scared," said Regulus, who had not expected to feel this intimidated this quickly.

"That's tosh, Reg. There is nothing to be scared about. Unless you do not turn out to be a Slytherin. Then you will have me to be scared of. Of course, if you go wandering about the school with your brother and his idiotic friends, you will repent it, I tell you. Your brother will be punished, sooner or later - mark my words," Walburga simpered.

Reg looked up at his mother. "Do you think I'm going to be like him?"

She patted his neatly combed hair. "Of course not, darling. If you were like him, I'd know that already, wouldn't I?"

"Do you think I'm going to be in Slytherin?" he asked again.

"You're definitely showing the required traits, my dear," she replied, smiling down at the boy.

"Oh, good," said Regulus, feeling a lot more confident. Yes, he was going to be in Slytherin and make his family proud. He was not going to go astray like his older brother, whom he spotted coming towards them - along with his three friends and a young brown-haired woman behind them.

He was about to tell his mother that, when she, through gritted teeth, said, "There they are."

"Who is that lady, Mother?" he asked.

"That's the mother of your brother's best friend," she sneered. "They're not good company, I'm telling you again," she then added. Regulus winced at the increased grip of his mother's fingers on his shoulder.

The five - the boys and the woman - stood apart from them, talking merrily among themselves. Regulus kept looking at them every now and then from the corner of his eye, and then looked at his mother.

He would make his mother happy. He was not going to bring dishonour to the Black family. He crossed his fingers tightly and looked determinedly at the window of the Hogwarts Express in front of him.

Loud cheers erupted in the Great Hall as the little blond boy jumped down from the stool that was too tall for him and ran, grinning, towards the Gryffindor table - only to be engulfed by a mass of excited young Gryffindors. Regulus spotted his brother and the bespectacled boy at the same table and crossed his fingers again.

Anytime now…

"Black, Regulus," announced the strict witch in emerald green robes who he now knew was called Professor McGonagall. She looked over the top of her glasses at him.

A harsh poke in the stomach from someone beside him made him realise his name was just called out. "Oh," he uttered, blushing slightly and almost tripping over the hem of his long black robes as he rushed towards the stool.

The last things he saw before the edge of the tattered old hat covered his eyes were the hundreds of expectant faces looking at him with undisguised eagerness. He shut his eyes and crossed his fingers again, trembling with apprehension.

"Not Gryffindor," he muttered. "Please."

"Are you sure?" asked a strange voice from inside the hat. He almost gasped.

"Yes," he said determinedly, "I want to be in Slytherin."

"I see," said the voice. "Well, then, If you must."

"SLYTHERIN!"

He almost cried with relief. Yes! He had made his family proud. He would not have to be scared of anyone. He had been Sorted into the best House ever.

He jumped off the stool and bounded towards the Slytherins, not bothering to look back. A sixth year, a pale boy with white-blond hair smirked appreciatively at him and clapped him on the shoulder.

"You're in good company," said another boy, grinning and winking at Regulus.

He seated himself comfortably on the bench and looked around, his heart still thumping loudly in his chest.

He did not hear what Houses the following students were Sorted into. He continued to smile to himself. He had not let anyone down, he had not brought dishonour to his family. He looked proudly at the green Slytherin banner on the wall, embellished with a silver snake. He did not have to fear punishment from his parents, he had proven to be a much better son than his foolish brother. His mother was right, Sirius was going to be punished eventually and then he would realise what a grave mistake he had made by wanting to be different from the rest of their prestigious family. He was a disgrace to their pure bloodline. He had heard from Mother that all those in their family who failed to maintain their purity were removed from the large tapestry back at home. He glanced over at Sirius; he knew he would face the same fate some day.

But not Regulus, no. He had managed to live up to his family name.

He could not wait to tell Mother that he had done it. Finally.

Loads of thanks to Ashleigh (Fire the Canon) and Arty (The Lady Arturia) for betaing this.