Implied/ referenced child abuse. Nothing huge or anything but it's implied at the end of Regulus' memory.

Regulus wasn't sure what to do after that. He had planned on going to the lake but now he wasn't so sure he wanted to.

He decided to wander the corridors and ended up at the kitchens.

"hello, Regulus" Ella waved running over.

"are you busy at all?"

"no, Ella already told Regulus, Ella only cooks. not very good with cleaning Ella is" she looked disappointed in her self for a moment before remembering that her friend was here.

"if you'd like to talk I have time"

"really?"

"I said I'd come back and talk with you didn't I?"

"yes Regulus did!"

"would you like to tell me about your day?" He asked sitting down with her after grabbing some dinner.

"well last night Cranky found students out at night," she continued to tell him the tale, as he wondered who would name another living creature 'Cranky'. Cranky in fact seemed to be one of the most cheerful elves Regulus had ever heard of.

"and now the student has to clean the bathroom instead of Cranky. Ella's glad, that place is always flooded and now Ella gets to hang out with Cranky more! What did Regulus do today?"

he recounted the advents of the day for his friend and Cranky who had decided to join them (apparently he only cleaned outside the kitchen).

"then I decided to come here and talk with you"

"Regulus really erased the memory of his housemate?" Ella asked in awe.

"only I tiny bit"

"does Master Regulus have any books Cranky could read?" The male elf asked him shyly.

"I'm not your master, call me Regulus please. And I'm sure I could find something you'd like. Have you read much before?"

"small amounts. Cranky has learned from the Ravenclaw room, filled with books that place is" that's something Regulus always envied Pandora for.

"what do you like reading?"

"anything really, romance and adventure are the best though"

"I'm sure I can find you some good books" Regulus watched his smile widen.

"Thank you Ma- Regulus"

"no pro-" he started but the kitchen door opened getting his attention.

"Regulus Black?!" Sirius's friend (what's-his-name? The blonde one) came in completely astonished to see him.

"yes?" The houseelves rushed over to greet him and gather food for him.

"why are you here?" He asked waiting for the elves to return after telling them to get his usual but a few more chocolate frogs too.

"I don't have to tell you" Regulus snapped. Something about the way... Pettigrew that was his name! Something about the way Pettigrew looked at him threw him off. Maybe it was just he still thought Regulus was with his parents. But even then, something about him was... off.

"I- thank you" the elves came back with a tray of food. He gave one last glare then climbed back through the portrait. Regulus left shortly after that.

OoOoOo

he headed up to the Astronomy tower once it was dark out. The moon was almost full, he felt sorry for the werewolf he knew was at hogwarts.

Regulus decided to stop pitying the boy and finish his astronomy homework instead, he was after all on the astronomy tower.

Once finished with that he thought about what to do about his roommates. He hated thinking ill of his fellow Slytherins but there was no denying that right now most of them were either being forced to be with he-who-must-not-be-named or they agreed with him.

Now that he'd actually fought against some of his housemates and Evan and Barty knew about everything and were mad at him, it really sunk in. He was against everything he used to think was right. He was a disappointment to his parents.

"Regulus what is the meaning of you getting a seventy-nine on your potions?" His father asked.

"at this rate you'll receive a troll next year. What a disappointment that would be, our perfect Regulus Black- a failure and disgrace" his mother said.

"I'm sorry, I was injured in quidditch and missed a few days, I'll make it up after break I promise". It was Christmas holidays in his fourth year and his parents had received his grades for this semester.

"It's always quidditch putting you back in your studies." His mother started. "You are now banned from quidditch" she issued.

"but-"

"don't speak out of turn." His father warned.

"yes father, I'm sorry mother" quidditch was one of his favorite things to do at school even so he bit his tongue.

"you can't band him from quidditch!"Sirius stepped in. That's where Regulus had to shake himself and force his brain to focus on something else.

Regulus stayed up there longer than he should have. His legs aced standing up and he shivered in the cold, tomorrows going to suck. he thought when he realized he would get maybe three hours of sleep if he was lucky.

OoOoOo

creeping around the castle at night was something he did quite often but it never got less terrifying. Luckily the portraits were always asleep or didn't care about him being out at night. He never ran into the ghosts either and suspected that they were asleep somewhere too.

Peeves was a different story, the poltergeist had gotten him caught more than he'd like to admit. However being friends with the houseelves they'd often distract Peeves if they could.

Filch and Mrs. Norris has also caught him out of bed more than once and he's received some particularly nasty detentions from him. Being in the Slugclub and Slughorn being the head of Slytherin house did have its advantages too, though he couldn't use them tonight. He'd gotten caught and m̶a̶n̶i̶p̶u̶l̶a̶t̶e̶d̶ talked Slughorn out of giving him detention just a few days ago. Which reminded him that the first Slugclub meeting after Christmas holidays was coming up.

Not paying that much attention to the stairs changing he tripped on the last step dropping his astronomy homework. Regulus froze and listened for any sign he'd been heard.

"is there a student out of bed?" Filch asked Mrs. Norris just a corridor away.

"nox" Regulus whispered barely audible as he scooped up his homework and leaped around the opposite corner as the light from Filch's lantern came closer, he knocked into something soft.

"Regulus?!" None other than James Potter asked, flinging off some sort of cloak.

"yes hello, Filch is right behind me goodbye" he rushed out and made to walk passed James but his hand was grabbed. He stiffened the slightest bit on reflex alone.

"shhh" James flung a piece of fabric over the two of them, it must have been an invisibly cloak as Filch and Mrs. Norris walked straight passed them.

The two boys stayed like that for a few minutes just in case. Regulus noticed how close they were standing and that James's still had his hand. He hoped that it wasn't too sweaty.

"um, thank you" he said stepping out of the cloak, he could just make out James's eyes in the dark.

"no problem" the Gryffindor grinned. "What were you doing out so late?"

"I could ask you the same thing"

"I woke up, normally I do extra quidditch practice now but the pitch is booked for the Ravenclaws even though they don't practice till the evening. Now you answer the question"

"I was hanging out on the astronomy tower" he answered. "Lumos" he lit his wand, not to be able to see the deep brown of the other boy's eyes but so he could head back to his dormitory.

"be careful, Filch is a huge grumpy pain at this hour" James warned him.

"oh I know" Regulus laughed walking down the next corridor.

Haha I'm finally starting to plan starchaser!!!

I hope y'all liked this story, as per usual constructive criticism is welcome