What You Can't See
Of Black and Green
Invisible.
Despite his failed spellwork at making himself invisible, Regulus still felt invisible. He also felt alone, with Sirius leaving abruptly after bringing him to a spot near Grimmauld Place. As the sun started setting, casting a golden, perhaps orange-colored light upon the family home that magically appeared when one approached, Regulus opened the front door of Grimmauld Place, still feeling invisible as nobody reacted to his coming home.
The young wizard looked around, taking in the silence, before closing the door behind him and heading up the stairs. His mother was in the drawing room drinking tea, not noticing him standing there on the landing before he shook his head and headed on up, seeing his father didn't stir either to ask him where he'd been, allowing him to progress up the stairs, to his room just below the attic, across from his older brother's old room.
He stood there, staring at the door across from his own. Regulus swallowed, unsure of how he felt beyond knowing he missed his older brother not being there, in the home right across from him, and how that always made him feel safe.
Shaking his head, Regulus headed into his bedroom and flopped onto the bed, staring at the wall as he watched the colors change outside the window. He heard a popping sound and sat up, smiling at the creature that appeared. "At least I'm not invisible to your Kreacher."
The House Elf stared, his large bat-like ears moving back slightly out of concern. "Is something bothering Master Regulus? Master Regulus knows he can talk to Kreacher if he needs to."
Regulus frowned, sitting on the bed. "Don't tell maman , Kreacher, but my magic failed."
"What does young mater mean, his magic failed? Young master is a Black."
"A Muggle girl saw me," Regulus said, crossing his legs as he sat on the bed, placing his hands on his lap.
"A Muggle girl? Surely that isn't possible."
"It happened," Regulus said, not mentioning the girl's accidental kiss on the cheek.
"If Master Regulus' magic is off today, then perhaps he is simply not feeling well?"
Regulus tensed, clearing his throat. "This wasn't the first time." He watched Kreacher's eyes blink and cleared his throat again. "She's apparently seen me multiple times. So," he swallowed. "My magic is failing."
Kreacher stared, a frown on his face, before saying, "Master Regulus is a Black, but Kreacher is quite sure the young master turned invisible in front of him many times."
Regulus felt the corner of his mouth twist up. "I know you're trying to make me feel better, Kreacher. You don't have to."
"Kreacher wouldn't lie to young master about this," Kreacher said as Regulus flopped back onto the green bedding, taking in the green which adorned his entire room, along with the Slytherin banners that hung on the wall. He took a deep breath, trying to muster positive thoughts regarding that day's events, wishing he didn't feel the way he did.
Eventually, Regulus' mind drifted to a point where he managed to fall asleep without realizing it or sorting through his feelings as he wanted. The young wizard hadn't realized he'd forgotten to change into his nightwear. Assignments assigned by Hogwart's professors for the summer were also overlooked, his mind clouded by the confusion resulting from that day's events.
He startled awake in the morning, in time to head to breakfast without upsetting his mother for being late. Still, upon waking, the first thing Regulus noticed was the disarray of his clothing, as he hadn't adequately changed his clothes the night before. He started changing, stopping partway through, seeing his book bag was missing from his desk. Regulus swallowed, remembering he'd taken it with him to Sirius' place the day before and left it on his counter. His entire body tensed, making him wonder how he'd get the bag back, given he didn't feel like visiting Sirius' place was an option, given she'd seen him every time, or at least multiple times.
He took a deep breath, quickly finishing changing before heading to the bathroom to get rid of the bedhead before heading down the stairs, trying to think of how he'd get his bookbag back without his mother finding out he'd been visiting his older brother. He descended the stairs, slipping into the dining room on the ground floor where his father and mother were. He kept his head low, not making any eye contact3, continuing to be invisible to—
"What were you doing with that filthy runaway yesterday."
Regulus tensed up, his head lifting slightly, yet he did not make eye contact with his mother. " How did she find out? "
"Well?"
He held the fork he'd picked up to eat in his hand, his mind reeling from the thought of his ability to see his brother, which could only happen if their parents didn't know, slipping away. He took a deep breath.
"What? Did you think I wouldn't find out?" Walburga said. "You didn't think I wouldn't notice?"
Regulus looked down at the plate of food Kreacher sent up front the kitchens below, swallowing as he did so. " Did I think she wouldn 't notice? I mean, I thought my spell work was working, but…. "
"I'll take that as a confirmation," Walburga said. "Your silence, that is."
Regulus swallowed, noticing his father hadn't said anything regarding the situation. He took a deep breath. "It's not that."
"Excuse me?" Walburga said.
He tilted his head slightly. "Why is it you only ever notice when he's involved?"
Regulus flinched, and even though he'd not looked her in the eye, he saw how her eyes went wide, one of her fingers tapping. Her eyes narrowed soon after, and she said, "Are you talking back to me, young man?"
"No." He swallowed, looking at the table.
"What do you mean, no?"
"I'm just," Regulus started saying.
"What do you mean by me never noticing unless he's involved?" Walburga snapped. "And that doesn't answer my question of what you were doing with that filthy…."
"Walburga."
Regulus stiffened, hearing his father, Orion Black, speak as he rarely did. He looked down at his plate, swallowing.
"He's being rebellious," Walburga snapped at her husband. "Meeting up with that brother of his." She turned her attention back to her youngest son. "Why were you with him yesterday?"
"Yesterday?" Regulus asked, frowning.
"Yesterday," Walbruga said, "that filthy runaway Apparated you home. What were the two of you doing?"
"Diagon Alley," Regulus muttered, unsure if she heard the first thing that popped into his head. "Lying's never been my strong suit like it has with the rest of the family, but I told him things wouldn't be alright."
"You had a meet-up with him without our permission at Diagon Alley?" his mother snapped.
"No." Regulus closed his eyes. "School supplies. Potions supply."
"And where are these supplies?' his mother asked firmly.
"I lost my book bag," Regulus muttered, which was a piece of truth.
Walburga sighed, her fingers drilling the top of the table. "You lost your bag?"
"Walburga," Orion said, letting out a sigh. "Stop interrogating the boy.
"Well, until he can give me an honest answer and explain himself, he can stay in his room," she said firmly. "I mean, he knows how we feel about this."
Regulus stood, standing up from the table.
"Wait. Where are you going?" Walburga said.
"I believe you just grounded the boy, and he's following your instructions," Orion said, allowing Regulus to slip away.
"What?"
"Well, you did," Orion said as Regulus left the dining room. "Whatever happened, at least Sirius brought him home."
"Excuse me," Regulus heard his mother say, his entire body tensing as he heard her go off on his father.
Shaking his head, he headed up the stairs, finally arriving on the floor where his room was located, flopping onto the bed and looking at the chamber of green. He stared at the ceiling, unsure what to do about the missed breakfast, wondering if missing meals were also off the table, when he heard a knock on the door.
He tensed again, sitting up, knowing saying nothing of not inviting one of his parents in would invite more trouble. His eyes closed. "Come in."
Regulus heard the door open and waited for his mother to start yelling at him as she tended to do with Sirius. And yet the yelling didn't come. Instead, he heard the person step in. He opened his eyes, frowning. Immediately, his eyes started blinking in confusion as he watched his father set a tray on his desk with breakfast.
"What?" Regulus' eyes blinked again, and he sucked in his breath. "Sir?"
"There's no use in you going hungry," Orion said.
Regulus looked away, unsure of what to say.
"You lost your school bag?"
"It's not on my desk."
"You will let me know what school books need to be replaced, right?"
Regulus shrugged.
"Or, you could simply cast an Invisibility or Disillusionment Charm?" Orion suggested.
He swallowed, staring at his father. "What?"
"You weren't wrong," his father said. "About what you said about her not noticing you unless your older brother's involved," Orion said, turning to look at him, remaining emotionless as he looked at him. Regulus looked away, feeling uncomfortable, not used to their father interfering. "The same doesn't apply to me."
Regulus took a deep breath. "Sir."
"If you want to talk, I'm in my study," Orion said, then left, leaving Regulus unsure of what he had just heard.
