Disclaimer: I own not the wonderful world of Harry Potter. I claim no ties to them beside the disgusting amount of love and adoration. Let it be known! These characters are owned by the wonderful J.K. Rowling. She is a goddess.
Notes: ;; enough Randomness. I need a break from it. Never doing that again. Bah, anywho, that last chapter really has no significance... I'll try to work it in anyhow. There...almost works...Poor Reggie...he's a bit of a nutter.
"Remember when James and I came over that one time, right before fifth year?"
"Yeah. Peter had a cold as I remember."
"I felt so bad for Reggie."
"Why? Regulus was a prat."
"Are you really that insensitive?"
"Only towards my family."
"Well, that's obvious. Don't you remember how sad he was?"
"Sad? All I remember is that I had to threaten him a few more times than usual to stay away from me."
"He was jealous."
"Who wouldn't be? I had two of the best friends in the entire world, I didn't care what Mum said and I was devilishly handsome."
"You still are."
"Still are what?"
"Still are devilishly handsome."
"Only in my dreams."
"And real life...and my dreams..."
"Remus? Was there a point?"
"I was just remembering Regulus."
"He was a prat."
"He looked up to you. He loved you. And he was horribly jealous of you."
"The only person Regulus ever looked up to was his 'Mummy', and that was only because he was groveling in front of her. That's probably what got him killed to."
"He was horribly jealous of you because he thought you had me."
Sirius sputtered, dropping his teacup. He raised a sleeve and wiped away the sputter tea from his mouth, warily watching Remus. "That's not funny."
Remus leaned back in his chair, stifling a yawn. "It's true."
"Right. And Hippogriffs can talk."
"On the second night..." Remus began.
It was the second night of the sleepover at the Black family house, Grimmauld Place. Remus was still feeling particularly out of place and had managed to get away from the festivities in Sirius' room to find the loo. Unfortunately, the loo seemed to have taken holiday (something Sirius assured Remus it did often and he should look out to find the other on, which didn't travel so much).
The poor lycanthrope had been drifting around the halls for at least an hour and a half at this point and decided to give up and find a way back to Sirius' room. Of course...at this point, he'd lost Sirius' room as well and was really just meandering through the halls, occasionally asking a portrait for help (which none of them did).
A bay window? Remus was quite sure he hadn't seen that before. Maybe he wasn't going in circles as he had thought. Maybe he could gage his position by the widow's location. Yes, that sounded reasonable, logical.
Suddenly, something with cat-like grace unfolded itself from the shadows of the window. Steel blue gaze was staring, almost glowing in the soft light of the moon and stars, straight at Remus.
"Remus." The word was soft, not said nearly unkindly as Regulus said his elder brother's name.
"Regulus," Remus returned the greeting. There was something about Sirius' brother that frightened Remus. A potential, maybe? A potential for what, was what was truly scary. Something told Remus that whatever had made up Regulus years ago had broken.
"You shouldn't be out of Sirius' room," the quiet remark came. Had he even blinked in the past few minutes?
"Um...I got lost looking for the loo."
"It travels." The younger brother stood, taking a moment to brush away a strand of hair from his eyes, disturbingly resembling Sirius. "You shouldn't go out at night while at Grimmauld Place. There are things here that may hurt you."
"I'm sure I could handle myself. Anyway what is there to hurt me?" Besides Mrs. Black...
Regulus dramatized his response, taking languid steps forward, still retaining that cat-like grace. He stopped in front of Remus, close enough their toes touched and faces were mere millimeters apart. Remus had never taken the time to realise that Regulus was nearly the same height as him. "Other than the poltergeist, the..."
Remus stepped back, "Get to the point, Regulus. I'm tired and I have a feeling its going to take quite a bit longer to find Sirius' room."
Regulus regained that step, his lips curling maliciously. "Poor boy...are you frightened of...me?" Maybe that thing had not only broken, but shattered completely. In little pieces. Tiny ones.
Remus took another step back. "No. I've got better things to be frightened of. Tell me how to get back to Sirius' room."
"Sirius, Sirius, Sirius." Regulus turned around abruptly, throwing up his hands and grumbling to himself. "It's always about him isn't it. Lovely boy, lovely boy. 'It's just too bad your second son was half as beautiful as the first.' 'No, no, Mrs. Black, its not that he isn't smart...he just doesn't apply himself. Of course, young Regulus, he tries his best and that can't be a baaaad thing.'"
Remus blinked after the dipping tones of Regulus' imitations had faded. That's what they were? Imitations. Had people said this about the younger? No wonder why he was so...shattered.
"You think it's easy, don't you?" Regulus accused Remus. "Well, I'll always only be 'second son' to my father. Our father. Damn him. He gets all the smarts, the looks and...Everything." Regulus stared a moment, then turned to look out the window. "Regulus can be a good boy. Regulus will have everything. No, no...Reggie has nothing. Only second bloody son! 'Get Mummy her newspaper, dearest! There's a good boy!' 'Stop doting on the boy! Never learn any self respect!' 'I do not dote. As I recall, you doted on Sirius...Look how he turned out.'" Regulus paused in what were obvious impressions of his mother and father. "Sirius? Sirius? Who's Sirius? Sirius is merely a concept...and unreachable goal..."
"Regulus?" Remus finally managed to say.
The boy perked to attention, as if he'd nodded off while talking. "You are so lucky, Remus. You and James and Peter..."
Remus hadn't even known the younger brother knew their names.
"You have Sirius...Or rather...Sirius has you, yes? He doesn't have to 'make Mummy proud' or try hard to have friends. He just has them. He's so bloody perfect..." The sane spurt seemed to have dried, his impressions returning, "'And why doesn't Reggie invite his friends over?'" That was too scarily Sirius, so much so, Remus glanced around to see if this was some sort of ruse. "'Yes, that's a wonderful idea. (I knew you had to be good for something, Sirius.) Why don't you invite your friends over as well?'"
"Regulus?" Remus questioned again.
"...Because Regulus doesn't have friends to invite over, Mummy." Regulus was silent, staring wide-eyed over Remus' shoulder, perfectly still.
"Where's Sirius' room? Please tell me..." Remus plead softly.
"Two doors to your left, dear boy. Two doors." Regulus stepped forward, grabbing Remus' hand and shaking it fervently, a grin alighting his lips. "So nice of you to stop by...so nice of you to visit! Well, fare thee well, dearest Moony! I hope you enjoyed your stay!" With that he stepped away, humming softly as he went, and disappeared down the corridors.
Remus stared after him, his candle guttering dangerously. A glance was thrown two doors to the left, and sure enough, the beat up door that signified Sirius' room stood there. Shattered didn't even begin to explain it.
As he stepped through the door, James and Sirius greeted him with mocking questions of getting lost, which died on their lips. Remus was pale. Unnaturally so.
"Remus?" Sirius questioned softly.
"Your brother is gone, Sirius. Just...gone..."
"I thought I heard his voice. It's good he's gone...A bit of a nutter, if you ask me."
"A bit doesn't even begin to describe him, Sirius. He's just...gone."