Right Eye
Back to Sirius since we haven't really talked about him.
Chapter Five: Brother
Every time Regulus saw Sirius, he was struck by how incredibly young his older brother was. Sirius was supposed to be older than him and yet… he could be so immature. Regulus sighed as he skillfully dodged said brother who was running down the hall as fast as possible. Honestly, Sirius could be such a- he stopped himself.
Sirius was a child… and so was Regulus. Except, he didn't feel that way. He had never felt that way. Sirius could laugh- really laugh- and would grin like there was no tomorrow. He was immature, trusting, naive, innocent.
Regulus's breath hitched. He, he was none of those things. The only person Regulus had ever trusted was Kreacher. Sirius didn't wake in the night screaming, convinced that, if he looked, his hands would be covered in blood. Sirius wasn't broken. Regulus however, was shattered like so many shards of glass. His thoughts would turn fragmented and jagged at a moment's notice and sometimes the terrors of the night would slip seamlessly into his waking hours.
Sirius's opinion of his little brother had most definitely not improved over time. There was a strangeness to him that creeped Sirius out. Everything about Regulus was odd- the way he held his quill, the bizarre squiggles he drew absentmindedly in the corner of his parchment, but worst of all was the way he moved. When Regulus walked, he was almost completely silent. It reminded Sirius of how Kreatcher made his way down the halls. Regulus was strange.
Sirius recalled one incident during tea last week. When he entered the room, Regulus had been startled so badly he'd almost dropped his tea cup. His younger brother then stared intently at the porcelain before lifting it up and smashing the cup down on the edge of the table.
Walpurga had exploded. "You stupid boy! Do you realize what you've done?! That was a priceless heirloom!"
"Everything turns to dust eventually. Why should I care if one cup breaks sooner rather than later? There is no point in trying to save a tea cup, no matter how old." Walpurga's lips thinned as she waved her wand at the shattered remains of the cup in question. "Besides, you just fixed it."
He could feel her eyes on him. Her white face was carefully blank, her painted eyebrows high on her face- giving her a look of mild surprise. The skin around Regulus's right eye itched with sweat under soft cloth and the hairs at the nape of his neck stood on end.
"Mondai wa arimasu ka?"
"Īe, okāsama" he said with a confidence he didn't feel. She was looking at him too intently and he could see his brother shift nervously in his place. Something was wrong.
Regulus smiled slightly. "Wagahai no akaunto o enki shinaide kudasai."
The man next to him grinned.
"Mā, watashi ga shinpai suru hitsuyō ga nai kagiri, watashi wa tada saki ni ikimasu." and he raised the cup to his lips. Regulus saw the woman's eyes widen, her hands moved as if to stop that too young man from drinking. Something was wrong.
His brother cried out in shock as that oblivious man stiffened suddenly and choked on air, gasping, clawing at his throat. Regulus should have known. This was all his fault. She had done this before after all but this was the first time someone else had been caught in the crossfire.
"Kore wa ikisugite imasu, okāsama!" he knew what he had to do. His brother knew it too. The boy's face paled until it strongly resembled the woman's.
"Watashi no kangaede wa arimasendeshita. Watashi wa kore to wa kankei arimasendeshita. O nīchan, onegai!" he babbled, trying to plead with Regulus.
"Sore ga yuiitsu no hōhōdesu," Regulus replied. He didn't want to do this.
And the woman's face was splattered with red.
Some nights Regulus would sneak into his brother's room, he would stare at the small lump in that too large bed, and if he was feeling particularly shaken from nightmares he might whisper to the darkness.
"Gomen'nasai, otōto. Yaritaku arimasendeshita."
AN: There was a lot of talking in this chapter's dream. Hopefully the Japanese wasn't too distracting. If it is, just let me know and I can switch to using italics or something. I just want to separate Regulus's dreams from reality and the lack of spoken English seemed like a good way to do that.
Once again, points to anyone who knows why the story is called Right Eye.
Translations
Mondai wa arimasu ka- Is there a problem?
Īe, okāsama- no, Mother
Wagahai no akaunto o enki shinaide kudasai- do not hold back on my account
Mā, watashi ga shinpai suru hitsuyō ga nai kagiri, watashi wa tada saki ni ikimasu- Well, as long as I don't have to worry, I'll just go ahead
Kore wa ikisugite imasu okāsama- this has gone too far Mother
Watashi no kangaede wa arimasendeshita. Watashi wa kore to wa kankei arimasendeshita. Onīsan, onegai!- Please, it wasn't my idea. I had nothing to do with this. Brother, please!
Sore ga yuiitsu no hōhōdesu- It's the only way
Gomen'nasai, otōto. Yaritaku arimasendeshita.- I'm sorry, brother. It was the only way.
Side note: Regulus doesn't say watashi, he says wagahai. This is on purpose! Wagahai is a more outdated form of I, usually used by men of high status. I originally contemplated using Yo, but decided not to. Later on, there might be some instances where he uses Yo.
Hopefully this gives readers some clue as to why the story is called Right Eye.