Chapter 33

Regulus Black was a proud Slytherin.

He had to be.

Born in 1961 to Orion and Walburga Black, Regulus was the youngest child of an influential Sacred twenty-eight family. With his older brother taking up the mantle of 'family rebel', there wasn't much space for him to exist in any spot other than 'quiet and obedient'.

It was the easiest way to survive.

(The only way to survive.)

With Sirius taking up so much of his parent's time and energy, Regulus simply had to slide into the shadows, slot into the spaces left between, and exist in the hollow cracks that made up the Black Family.

He didn't understand why Sirius was playing at being friends with mudbloods and blood traitors. Surely being in their presence was grating enough?

Regulus was waiting for the moment when Sirius would finally snap, give up the charade and come back home where he belonged.

Merlin knows if it was Regulus, he would have broken character ages ago. But then again, that wasn't Regulus' role, it was Sirius', and Sirius had always been a better actor than Regulus.

When they were younger, Regulus had accepted Sirius' apparent need to rebel. He could even empathise with him sometimes, on the days where his parents' gazes slipped off him without acknowledging him one too many times.

He had rejoiced in that initial week when Sirius had first gone to Hogwarts: All of his parents' attention, solely on him! It was a dream come true.

That year had been filled with so much love, and acknowledgment, and Regulus had embraced every second of it.

Then he had gone to Hogwarts.

But that was okay, because he would get to spend time with Sirius!

That first year, he had been amused by Sirius' charade (even if part of him was hurt by the complete snub from Sirius), and had even joined in in insulting Sirius back when they passed in the halls. It had been fun, and he had delighted in writing home at the end of each week to tell of the such fun he and Sirius were having.

Second year had gone much the same, though the insults had become less fun, and Regulus had spent a great deal of time hunting for Sirius in order to talk to him about the visitor they had had over the summer (having not had a chance to chat before coming to Hogwarts).

But Regulus didn't mind. They had been playing these parts with ease for their whole lives. This was just where they fit.

He had been happy.

Then the pranks had started.

Harmless, at first, third year had started out with an exploding cream pie on the Hogwarts Express. James Potter had been inducted into the wide world of practical jokes by his blood traitor father over the summer, and was armed with an arsenal of supplies.

Obviously, Sirius had just been playing along, unwilling to break character to save his brother from humiliation.

That was okay, it was all part of the game.

(But then, why did Sirius laugh the loudest?)

By fifth year, Regulus was getting annoyed with how long the charade had gone on for. Surely Sirius was tired of it?

(It was crazy, but sometimes Regulus even had the thought that Sirius actually believed the things he preached.)

He got through fifth year…somehow. He felt himself drifting further and further away. Every confrontation with Sirius left him more and more drained, and he found himself longing for the summer break, when he and Sirius could be brothers again (it didn't matter that Sirius still hadn't confided in Regulus about his grand plan, but Regulus held out hope).

Then he got the letter.

And his spirits soared. He suddenly felt a hundred feet tall, and as strong as a bear.

This was what he had been waiting for, the moment his brother would finally be able to break free from the persona he had created for himself. The moment they could get on with their lives, and Sirius could become a man and leave behind all this pathetic rebellion.

The moment his big brother would prove himself worthy of the Dark Mark.

(He didn't bother to question why his parents had sent the letter to him, rather than Sirius.)

That summer was all he wanted. He threw himself into the charade with renewed vigour, spitting expletives at his brother with as much fondness as he could muster.

Because as soon as they got home, Sirius would…

…Refuse.

Regulus was confused. Even as the fire in the hearth died out – the fire which had taken Sirius away from him – he was confused. He didn't understand why Sirius had refused.

This was the moment they had been preparing for their whole lives.

Why would Sirius just…refuse?

A/N: Hi. That's all I have to say. (I've been doing pretty well with updating though, haven't I? 10 imaginary points to me)