THE VEIL

Chapter 3

1st January 1966 - Regulus 5th birthday

"You horrible little arse!" screeched Walburga Black.

Her wand flashed with the sound of a whip crack again, sending Sirius tumbling across the room, slamming against the wardrobe. In her other hand she had a grip around a small boy almost identical to Sirius, with black wavy hair and storm grey eyes, key traits of a Black. Regulus silently cried as he was forced to look on as their mother punished his older brother. Sirius struggled as he tried to sit up blood trickling from his temple. At the sight of the blood on his brother's face Regulus whimpered trying to withdraw from his mother's steel grip. Walburga's gaze dropped to her youngest, her face a mask of disgust.

"And you! When will you learn to stop crying at the site of blood? Both of you are absolute disappointments. I would almost believe that you could not have spawned from my loins if I wasn't present for it." She spoke venomously, "I am doomed to pathetic, squalling brats!" She flung her youngest child into Sirius's room. Regulus stumbled from the momentum and fell forward hitting his head on the ground. Regulus wailed at the pain.

Walburga raised her wand again. "You will learn silence!" she fumed.

As her wand flashed again Sirius had scrambled over and covered his brothers' body with his taking the curse for him.

"Fine! You both can rot up her together for all I care. When you decide to start acting and behaving like a Black you may come out. But not before!" She shouted, turning her heel and slamming the door behind her. Her steps disappeared down the stairs.

Both boys stayed huddled together, taking comfort in each other's arms, crying softly. The only indication of time was the sunlight that moved across the room from the tall window. The sun was setting as a gentle breeze passed through fluttering the curtains edge. The breeze rustled the boys hair, with a whispering calling across them in its wake. Sirius lifted his tear stained face, looking around in time to see the curtains flutter and a familiar face stumble out of it.

"Reggie get up!" he gasped excitedly, pulling his brother up off the ground. "Reggie look, my magical fairy! She came back! She is real!" he beamed.

Hermione was back in Sirius's room the daylight showing more details of the room. It also showed the state of the two little boys now standing in front of her. Sirius, beaming up at her, his brother peeking from behind his brother.

"Sirius!" Hermione cried, kneeling down and opening her arms. Sirius ran the few steps into her arms, hugging her tightly. Regulus watched them fear written all over his body. Hermione reached out her hand waiting for him to take it before slowly pulling him in to be embraced as well.

The two boys clung to her, almost afraid to let go lest she disappeared. Hermione gently drew back to look at them properly.
"Sirius, would you like to introduce me?" Hermione asked politely.
Sirius, holding his brother's hand replied. "This is my brother Regulus. Reggie, this is my fairy."
Regulus smiled shyly at Hermione, before tugging his brother's Sirius to whisper loudly "What's her name Siwius?"
Hermione smiled warmly at them, "You can call me Hermione. It's a pleasure to meet you Regulus."

Regulus grinned shyly at her, grabbing his brother again "I like her. She is pwetty. Is she a Faiwee Pwincess?" he whispered loudly. Sirius looked at Hermione admiringly
"Yes," he said matter-of-factly "She sings like one." Hermione blushed at the honest opinion of her. Kneeling back a little, Hermione frowned as she took in the condition of the boys. Both of their faces were tear-streaked and the blood on Sirius's forehead had dried, and she guessed under their clothes were bruises.

"So who is going to tell me what happened?" She asked gently, looking between them. Both boys looked at their feet, ashamed.
"We are in trouble." Sirius mumbled "Cause, I exploded the punch over my cousin's white dress." Hermione nodded at him to continue, slightly perplexed.
"We laughed 'cause, Bella had fruit in her hair and looked like her dress was covered in green snot." Sirius finished. Regulus sniffled wiping his nose on his sleeve.

Hermione blanched. Bellatrix Black. Albeit she knew that given Sirius age she must have been in her teens, she knew the older version of her and mentally cringed, remembering a story Sirius once told that she was just as vicious when she was a girl, only becoming more sinister and deadly as she grew up. She looked at the boys again, who seemed to be on the verge of tears expecting further reprimanding and punishment. The punishment definitely seemed a little excessive to the apparent crime; especially when the two little boys standing shamefacedly were too young to control their magic.

Softening her expression she reached out a hand, "Here why don't we get you both fixed up and I will tell you a story."
Sirius looked up, with those big storm-grey eyes, frowning.
"You're not mad?" he asked as he reluctantly stepped forward for Hermione to check him over. Hermione leaned forward so they were face to face.
"No, I'm not mad. But I do hope that you apologised to her." She chided softly.

She was surprised at the sudden cold expression on Sirius face and the hate filled words that came next, "No, she is horrible. They all are. I hate them all."
Hermione said nothing. She didn't know what to say. She knew from her past, with Sirius's stories of his past about the harsh upbringing Sirius and his brother endured. She didn't quite believe then how young they both were. Now she knew better, and her heart wrenched at the suffering these boys had endured; had yet to endure.

Pulling out her wand she pointed at his forehead. Sirius visibly flinched at her shutting his eyes tightly. The site of him standing there so fearfully nearly broke her resolve. Taking a shuddering breath she whispered a healing spell moving, her wand down his body healing his bruises and abrasions that he suffered. In the back of her mind, Hermione cried at her inability to heal the emotional wounds that had been laid upon him.

When she was done she leaned in and kissed his cheek softly, whispering "All done."
Sirius opened his eyes, grey staring into brown ones. A small smiled ghosted his face in thanks. Hermione sighed, leaning back again she looked over to Regulus.
"Your turn young man" she beckoned gently.

Regulus who had watched the whole process hesitantly stepped forward. He immediately scrunched his eyes shut waiting for Hermione to begin. The look of fear nearly shattered her all over again, but drawing another more ragged breath, she whispered the spell and repeated the actions she did with Sirius. Halfway, as she moved her down Regulus giggled. "Tickles"
Gently stroking his cheek, "all finished." Regulus opened his eyes and hugged her, his arms almost in a choke hold around her neck.

"Okay now," Gently pulling the little boy out of her arms, "On the bed and I will tell that story." Hermione directed, taking a deep breath to recover some of her resolve. She watched the boys scramble over to the bed and settle in with a space in between for her. Standing up she stretched her legs, grimacing, slightly at the state of her clothes, before settling between them. She put an arm around each of them, and kissed each on the head.

"Once upon a time -" She began, until Sirius cut her off.
"Why do they start once upon a time?" Sirius asked, looking up at her innocently.
"Why can't it start on a 'Once on a spring morning?'"

Hermione smiled in amusement, "Alright then, we can start with once on a spring morning." Sirius snuggled in grinning as she began the story.
"Two young princes were play duelling in a meadow by a stream. The two young princes were waving their pretend wands fighting each other in a mock dual. Unfortunately one of the princes slipped and fell into the stream bumping his head on a rock in the water. The other prince looked on as the stream pulled his brother away not moving. The prince on the bank cried out to his brother and scrambled to save his brother. Soaking his own clothes as well. The prince grabbed his brother and pulled him to the bank but his brother wasn't moving."

Regulus gasped and hugged her tighter. Hermione gently squeezed him hand continued;
"Unbeknownst to the Princes, a magical fairy was watching on from a branch in the tree. She floated down to the two princes and landed in front of them. 'You risked yourself to save your brother. It was such an honourable thing to do.' She touched the unconscious brother on the head and he came awake with a start. The prince looked around and saw his brother crying. Before he could say a word the fairy flapped her wings and wiped away his tears. 'do not cry for your brother for he has not gone.' She said and kissed him on the head before fluttering away. The princes looked at each other and saw a sparkling light on each of their brows. They watched as each disappeared into their heads."

Sirius shook her shoulder, "What is it? What did the fairy do?"
"Sh. And I will tell you" Hermione chided.
Settling Sirius back into her arms, she continued, "The Princes returned back to their glorious castle with its many towers and giant halls. They were exhausted by the day's events. The Princes went to sleep that night and had beautiful dreams where they flew high into the air, soaring above the clouds. Chasing hippogriff's and touching the highest trees. When they awoke the next morning stretching from their sleep they looked at each other and cried out surprised. Both princes now had a pair of wings on their back."

"Wow!" Sirius gasped.

"The fairy had gifted them with magical wings to fly free in the wind like she could. The king and queen however did not like this gift their sons were given and locked them away from the world. Now the fairy who bestowed her gift went to find the princes as she felt something was wrong. She flew to the castle and searched long and hard. Finally she found the princes locked away in cages. The fairy being magical sent sparks at the locks which broke open straight away. The fairy told them to be quiet and follow her stealthily. The princes crept along sneaking past guards. The fairy leading them to a high tower so they could escape.
However the princes became afraid for they didn't know how to fly. The fairy showed them by opening her wings and flapping until she lifted effortlessly off the ground and watched the two princes try as well. They stretched open their wings and flapped, lifting their feet off the ground slightly. Their happiness at their achievement was soon forgotten as they heard the sound of sirens from the castle alerting everyone of the princes escape. The princes turned to the fairy and shouted for them to jump and follow her. The fairy dived over the edge with wings outstretched flying a short distance away from the ledge. The princes were fearful this was not going to end well, but as the sounds of the guards became closer and closer; the two princes stepped back and on a count of three ran and jumped into the sky spreading their wings and flapping as hard as they could. They followed the fairy just in time as the princes glanced back to see the king and his guards at the top of the tower.
The princes cheered and followed the fairy to her kingdom, welcomed by all the fairies in Fairy kingdom. The princes lived happily flying through the trees and chasing hippogriffs, racing the wind."

Hermione looked down and saw both boys nestled asleep, Regulus sucking his thumb. Gently extricating herself from them she pulled a blanket over them watching as they nestled close to each other. Hermione had always wanted younger siblings, but had learned her parents were lucky to have her. She had envied Ron and all of his siblings for that very reason.

Regulus rolled over and opened his eyes sleepily, "Thank you Herwimee, that was a great pwesent."
She stroked his hair as he drifted off again wondering at the comment. However, her musings were cut off as a breeze blew past her whispering on the winds. She knew she was being pulled back and turned to face it head on this time. Sirius awoke in time to see her vanish around the curtains the whispering disappearing as sleep took him again.