Grimley Yet
A Child's Guilt

Orion waited, pacing in the room as he waited. Every so often, he'd look up, hoping his father would walk through the door with good news, and when he wasn't looking up, he'd chance a look at the antique watch he'd kept in his breast pocket yet again when Arcturus Black entered, his cane clicking on the ground. "What happened? Are we able to bring Regulus home?"

Arcturus paused before saying, "He's free. If you can call, it being free." Then came the shake of his head. "Really, insisting he be sent back to Azkaban despite everything." His father sighed. "That boy doesn't understand the court has found him not guilty, that he can go home." To which, Arcturus looked him in the eye. "You need to understand that, in the future, Orion. The Ministry of Magic—she called it a child's guilt."

"He's not a child, though," Orion muttered. "Although," he said, "I know what you're talking about. Regulus is," Orion took a deep breath, shaking his head as he wanted to find the right words for his youngest, remembering how Regulus didn't hit the milestones that his older brother had.

"Also," Arcturus cleared his throat. "To hopefully bring Regulus some closure, I agreed to let him see Sirius."

"What?" Orion stiffened, his fingers gripping the package of clothing tighter while he stared at his father, wondering why the family head of the Black family made the decision instead of him. He shook his head, closing his eyes and sight. "Because he is the family head, of course." He opened his eyes so he could look at his father. "Why? I don't like the idea of him seeing Sirius."

"I don't like it either," his father said, "but I felt he should have a choice over something." His father turned. "So please, don't try talking him out of it. Right now, focus on getting him there one last time before we bring him home, so he can, as I said, hopefully, have some form of closure, even if it isn't immediate."

"I don't appreciate the fact you didn't consult me on this," Orion said firmly, never liking speaking out things his father did, yet there were times he'd find his voice.

"And I appreciate you are saying as much," Arcturus said, his cane clicking as his son followed him. Orion didn't ask anything, unsure where to take the conversation as he didn't know what they—his father, Dumbledore, and whoever else—discussed while he wasn't in the room.

And—what he thought stepping into the room where Regulus was located at the ministry—he wondered if there were anything that could have prepared him as there was that part of him that wanted to rush over and pull his son into his arms, to tell Regulus everything would be alright. Regulus was, after all, not consistently favorable towards another person touching him, and the boy was staring up at the ceiling, hands in his lap. Yet, another part of him knew Regulus wasn't favorable towards others touching him.

Regulus stared up at the ceiling, sitting in the chair, his eyes glazed over as his hands rested in his lap. There were a few others in the room, male and female. Dumbledore nodded his head to take his leave, saying as he passed by, "You should be proud of him, Orion Black."

Orion was startled, his head jerking to shake his head slightly, confused why Dumbledore would do that before calling out. "Regulus?"

Regulus continued staring at the ceiling; his legs pulled up to his chest with his arms wrapping around them as if to protect himself from the outside world as another woman—the Minister of Magic, started heading in his direction.

Orion cleared his throat, stepping towards his son, which in turn made the Minister of Magic pause in her step, holding the package. "Regulus?"

He watched his son finally turn his head, a distant look in his eyes. "I should be in Azkaban."

Orion heard a sigh from the Minister of Magic. "Please don't talk like that, my sweet boy." He lifted the package slightly. "Your mother packed clothes for you. To wear when we brought you home."

"Mother?" Regulus looked around the room. "Where is she?"

His father cleared his throat to draw Regulus' attention to him. "Home, so you don't have to worry about her hysteria."

"Father," Orion said.

"What else would you call it?" Arcturus said.

"I thought the term female hysteria was outdated," Regulus said.

"What is he saying?" the Minister of Magic said, her face twisting in confusion as Regulus took the package from Orion, his fingers struggling with untying the package.

"Good lord," Arcturus said, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes. His hands clenched the top of the cane. "He's simply been in my books again."

"I've been in Azkaban," Regulus said, putting the package on a chair next to him.

"Silly boy." Arcturus sighed, shaking his head to speak to the Minster of Magic. "He can be quite literal sometimes, but I meant he'd likely been at my books again before all this happened. Should have already known, given what we just learned."

"Your books?" One of her eyebrows lifted up.

"I'm a retired healer," Arcturus said. "And they believe in the Black family is that the best way to counter the Dark Arts is to know the Dark Arts."

"Well…" Millicent Bagnold started to say, only to say, "Oh dear."

"He's so thin!"

Orion started, watching one of the other females in the room choking out those words as a blush appeared on her cheeks, which made him realize Regulus had already started to change. He opened his mouth to apologize, feeling embarrassed on Regulus' part as he knew the boy was unaware of what he was doing when…."

"Sorry," another man said. "Prisoners don't get much privacy in Azkaban, let alone get to change much.

"He could also use a warm bath," the Minister of Magic said, shooing the other females out of the room and turning to Orion. "Dawlish—he's the one who spoke, will bring you to my office after your youngest visits—him."

"Why?" Orion said. "Is there more we have to do?"

"No. I've already received word that the press is already camped out where you would normally be excited, so I received permission from Arcturus to set up a temporary Floo connection between my office and your home. It should be set up by the time Regulus gets back with Dawlish—he's the man who spoke up just now, but he'll take your son the way the Aurors travel back and forth from Azkaban for the same reason."

"I—thank you, I guess?" Orion asked.

"I'm not sure you should thank me," she said, glancing over her shoulder before stopping herself. She took a deep breath. "You're in for a long road ahead, but Monsieur Black, if either of you needs help, you know how to contact me, even if I'm no longer in office." She nodded her head before heading out.

Orion turned, flinching upon seeing how thin Regulus had become, while also noting a few sores on the boy's body along with—as the minister noted, the need for a warm bath. Arcturus leaned over. "I've already planned on arranging a healer for him, but I can take care of those sores."

"Why did she say after she's no longer in office?" Orion said, noting how the clothes Walburga sent didn't fit Regulus quite right.

"There are going to be Wizards and Witches who aren't pleased with the outcome of this trial, even though she's proceeded over some of the major high-profile ones."

"Why didn't I think of that?"

"Because you're worried about that boy over there," Arcturus said, sitting in another chair. "Take things one step at a time, Orion. Millicent Bagnold wasn't wrong in saying things won't be easy."

"He's my son," Orion said, shaking his head, knowing that his son would see the other one before he got to take Regulus home.