Fragmented You
Fragment 6
Queerditch Challenge - Sirius/Regulus (And through the spaces of the dark / Midnight shakes the memory / As a madman shakes a dead geranium.)
Blug Challenge - The Window Ledge
Sometimes Regulus wonders if, one night, he parted the thick curtains around his bed, he would find Sirius there. He still remembers those lazy summer nights at home, when Sirius would sneak into his room with two glasses of lemonade stolen from the kitchen and usher Regulus over to the window. They'd sit on the window seat and watch the stars, feet pressed sole-to-sole as the minutes ticked by.
Each summer the peaceful days grew less. By Regulus' fourth year at Hogwarts, he'd realized his brother was changing right before his eyes, drawing himself away from the Black family. Still, each night without fail that summer, Sirius snuck into his room and they'd sit together, content with each other's company when words were few between them.
Sirius had often spoke of leaving. Late at night, still staring out the window, he'd take Regulus' hand and squeeze it, murmuring, "one day I'll be free of here." That day came August 7th, 1975. Straight after breakfast Sirius left in a flurry of robes, lashing cold words at his heritage.
Regulus had expected it, for Sirius had left his room in a similar flurry the night before, although his words then had been soft in their plea of forgiveness. They had sat by the window ledge as they always did, sipping lemonade with their growing legs a tangle between them. Sirius had looked at him a moment, and Regulus had felt his breath catch at the forlorn beauty of his brother -moonlight dying his skin a shade paler and making his grey eyes seem deeper somehow. Quietly, still watching his brother, Sirius set his glass down on the floor. He'd rolled forward so he was kneeling between Regulus' legs and grasped his brother's shoulders, bowing his head so as to kiss him.
The press of lips was soft, fleeting. Regulus' glass dropped from his weak grip and spilt lemonade all over the carpet; Sirius fled the room.
He never came home again.