Summary Regulus used to always wish he was brave enough, smart enough to be like his older brother. But things change. Ever since he left Regulus has always been hopefull that someone will save him from himself and now he has come to face the only one he thought could save him.

Disclaimer I do NOT own the characters, they belong to J.K. Rowling. The plot and title, all mine. Steal and prepare to be ruthlessly flamed and tortured.

Misplaced Hope

By: Hopeless Dream

He strained his ear toward the sound thinking, perhaps a little too wishfully, that someone was coming for him. No guards would be coming now; it was too dark and they had already served the sludge twice today. Sitting up taller, he tilted his head toward the cell's door. The sound seemed louder and he could distinguish the loud thuds of the guard with another's footsteps.

The footsteps clicked against the stone ominously. The sickly feelings of dread and guilt filled him, he remembered that sound. It was the same one the haunted his guilty mind all through Hogwarts. The soft clicks from neatly polished shoes that belonged to a quite boy; a boy that once stared at him with hope, before he left him at the mercy of two of the Dark Lord's most loyal servants. A boy he left to fend for himself when he knew he wouldn't make it on his own, one who, at the end, stared up at him in total defeat with hopelessness clinging to his very being, silently pleading to be saved.

He felt like crying, he couldn't be here from the fate he forced him to. He couldn't be. God, he sure as hell would start preying if it would stop that from ever happening. He hadn't wanted him to be here…ever. But the boy was here and he couldn't help the choked sound that escaped his cracked, dry lips knowing that he was the reason for the boy's problems and his future. The guard had stopped at the cell to the right of his.

"It's the next cell," he could feel his stomach drop to the dirt; he was coming to see him. "I'll wait by the door Regulus. If he does anything funny just yell and I'll beat his head in." the guard nervously laughed at his own pathetic joke while cowardly moving towards the doors he had just come from; leaving the man, Regulus, to walk alone to the next cell. Regulus took a long slow look into the dark dank cell searching for the man that he was told resided there.

Regulus found a lump somewhat in the corner with black hair and leaned casually against the dividing cement wall that stuck out about two feet from the cells; somewhat pleased and for some reason depressed it was the correct cell. He had hopped this was all a mistake, a bad dream, but seeing the person he always dreamed of coming to save him behind bars killed any hopeful naivety, and sprit left in the man. While the lump all but whimpered again, hoping against all hope that the boy, no man, would just leave so he wouldn't have to relive the memories once more.

His hopes were dashed as the man quietly spoke as though to himself while looking blindly toward the door which he had come from. "You know what they say about Gryffindors?" he paused, as though waiting for an answer. Without receiving one he continued as if a teacher that asked a question no one knew. "They are loyal to the end." Regulus blinked back a tear the prisoner couldn't see and looked up at the flickering light beside the cell. "Loyal, complete devotion to the ones they love; sticking by their side through thick and thin. At least that's what Dumbledore said, the old loon." The bitterness in his voice didn't go unnoticed by the person in the cell.

After a few minutes Regulus spoke again. "You killed your best friend and his wife," there was a quite whimper as he shook his head deniably but Regulus continued on as though he hadn't heard. "By handing them over to the Dark Lord and left your brother in an inescapable cell with two of the Dark Lords servants and no where to run." His shoulders where shaking and soft sobs could be heard as he felt his heart being crushed ruthlessly by the one he had left behind. The little brother he didn't have the courage to save and care for; knowing he deserved everything the grown-version of little Reggie could manage. "Loyal?" Regulus snorted in self hating disgust as he relived the night Sirius had left him in his mind. How he cried and silently pleaded to his brother with his eyes to take him away too. How could he have been so dumb to think his older brother would help him when he can't even look at him in the halls? No one could help him then and no one can help him now. Regulus's gut clinched and his eyes closed as if punched. No matter how many times he told himself that it never seemed to hurt less. It will always hurt to know that you are unwanted by everyone.

"Loyal?" He repeated feeling sick as he tried to stop his voice from wavering as the memories of his brother flashed by his eyes. "Maybe the hat was fooled by all of the fake promises too." Regulus said softly and walked away as lone tear made its way slowly down his cheek. Sirius's shoulders drooped and his sobs became a little louder when he saw the tear and knew that he truly destroyed his little brother.

Both brothers that night watched the moon from their windows as they lied down in bed wishing they were never born; each brother trying to find the courage to face tomorrow with another mask for the rest of the world to see. One for hiding the escape plan he had burning inside his mind, the other just so the world won't know that inside, he is beyond dead.